San Jose Aging Care enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.

There are three major types of diabetes. Each type affects a person differently. This is why it is very important to be aware of the risk factors associated with each type. If one of these factors is present, you may be at a risk of developing a type of diabetes. This can only be determined by a doctor, so if you feel you are at risk, discuss it with your physician. The risk factors for the types of diabetes are provided below.

1. Type 1 diabetes risk factors include family history and genetics. If you have family members who have been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, you will be at a higher risk of developing the disease. Disease of the pancreas or injury to the pancreas can have an effect on how the body produces insulin, placing you at a high risk. Rare infections and illnesses that affect the pancreas are also a risk factor.

2. Risk factors for Type 2 diabetes include being over-weight, having an impaired glucose tolerance and having insulin resistance. In addition, your ethnic background could also be a risk factor. Type 2 diabetes occurs more often in Hispanic/Latino Americans, Native Americans, Alaska natives, African-Americans and Asian-Americans. High blood pressure, family history, no exercise and age can all be risk factors.

3. Gestational diabetes affects pregnant women. The risk factors for this type of diabetes include obesity, age, family history and previous glucose intolerance.

4. The best way to reduce risks associated with diabetes is to maintain a healthy weight, exercise daily, have a healthy and balanced diet and manage your blood pressure. These things can reduce the chances of developing all types of diabetes.

Do you have a parent with diabetes? The American Diabetes Association offers these tips on how to help your parent manage their diabetes.

Source: diabetes.webmd.com

Home Instead Senior Care serving elders and seniors in San Jose, Los Gatos, Santa Clara and Saratoga home care - 408-370-6360.

It’s a controversial topic, whether or not older adults should be allowed to get behind the wheel of the car. Many families fear for the safety of their elderly relatives when they drive, but according to new research, today’s seniors are safer than they’ve ever been and spend more time behind the wheel.

• As baby boomers age, there are more older drivers on the road

• Older drivers today seem to keep their licenses longer and are more comfortable traveling longer distances

• The number of fatal crashes involving older adults have declined, which has been a focus since seniors with health conditions, and that are physically more fragile can mean an accident has much more severe effects

• Older adults rarely pose a risk to other drivers on the road; when crashes do occur, often the only risk they pose is to themselves

• Today’s older adults are better recognizing their impairments, such as limited mobility and how that might impact their ability to drive. They adjust their driving habits accordingly

Via: ScienceDaily

Image Source: sxc.hu

Home Instead Senior Care serving elders and seniors in San Jose, Los Gatos, Santa Clara and Saratoga home care - 408-370-6360.

According to a study, a large percentage of older adults suffer from some sort of chronic pain. Often it goes under treated because seniors fail to recognize that it’s not just a normal part of aging. Allowing chronic pain to affect their activities can have a much greater impact on seniors, since it increases their risk of falling by as much as 50%. Here are some strategies that seniors and their caregivers can use to cope with the pain they experience, and ensure that they get appropriate attention from a medical professional.

1. Keep a pain journal – using a calendar or day planner to rate the level of pain felt each day creates a document of the consistency and frequency of the pain and can help identify other factors that might contribute to it. Seniors can rate their pain on a scale from 1 to 10 in their journal

2. Be persistent – doctors don’t always take a senior’s complaint of pain seriously. Some may feel that the older adult is simply complaining, others may not think it’s as serious because some seniors downplay their experiences. Seniors suffering from chronic pain need to be honest, and persistent to make their doctor understand

3. Understand triggers – if specific activities make the pain worse or physical temperatures outdoors, seniors should record this and adjust their activities to reduce the instances

4. Get on with life – chronic pain can cause seniors to withdraw and avoid all activity. They should continue with activities that they enjoy and maintain a physical routine

Via: Chronic Pain Support

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Home Instead Senior Care serving elders and seniors in San Jose, Los Gatos, Santa Clara and Saratoga home care - 408-370-6360.

The term assisted living facility has been thrown around in the past, but it’s not always used in the right context as many believe that these facilities (also referred to by their abbreviation ALF) are more similar to nursing homes which essentially offer seniors no independence or privacy. ALF is like receiving live-in senior care, but with a little bit of additional independence. The following services and benefits are offered to seniors in assisted living facilities:

1. Living independently – seniors in ALFs are often in one-bedroom or studio apartment buildings, so they have the privacy and independence that they require

2. Safety is offered – ALF apartments anticipate the safety needs of seniors and ensure that they include grab bars, ramps and other essential safety devices. Supervisors are always available to respond to emergencies

3. Seniors don’t need to worry about home maintenance – cleaning services, including laundry can be provided by ALF

4. Activity of daily living services are offered – bathing, dressing, and medication reminders can be provided. There are also special facilities for those who suffer with Alzheimer’s and dementia and designated services

ALF is a great alternative for those seniors who may no longer be able to live in their own homes – even with the support of a family or professional caregiver. However, they do come at a cost and while private insurance companies may cover a portion of the fees, Medicare and Medicaid do not.

Home Instead Senior Care serving elders and seniors in San Jose, Los Gatos, Santa Clara and Saratoga home care - 408-370-6360.

When visiting an elderly family member over the holiday season, it’s the best time to begin evaluating how they are managing with their chosen lifestyle. While family members should be on the lookout for warning signs that their loved one might be struggling, the holiday season is not the right time to actually have a conversation about life changing events or cause stress. Families, can however, do an impromptu evaluation of their own and take note of things that should come up during future discussions.

Senior care experts recommend that families make note of the following things:

1. Learn about what your senior wants for the future – the holidays aren’t a time to bring up stressful conversations, but you can casually ask them about their desires for their future. If you learn they’re hoping to move closer to their grandchildren or to a warmer climate, that can help you understand for planning

2. Take a look at how they’re doing physically and mentally – simply being in a senior’s presence over the holidays will help you to evaluate their physical and mental health that could dictate their future senior care needs

3. Include the whole family – particularly if the senior you are assessing is a parent and you have siblings, everyone needs to be included in the discussions, at least until a family caregiver is decided to provide family care. Open the dialogue with your family members about the future of your loved one’s care

Via: www.stagesofseniorcare.com

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Home Instead Senior Care serving elders and seniors in San Jose, Los Gatos, Santa Clara and Saratoga home care - 408-370-6360.

Shopping for grandma or grandpa for the holidays can seem like a big challenge for many families, but here are some great gift ideas that many seniors are likely to appreciate.

• Practical items they can really use – many seniors are on a budget crunch, so they could benefit from a gift card to places that they need to shop for essentials on a regular basis. A prepaid shopping card to grocery stores, large discount stores and department stores would all be appreciated and put to good use!

• Items that allow them to pamper themselves – seniors on a budget are not likely to splurge on things they consider non-essentials. Buy them candles, soaps and body lotions that allow them to feel pampered at home. Gift cards to restaurants or spas are added luxuries

• Gift baskets – gift baskets with a combination of items, including some of the above, as well as seasonal foods, books, and craft supplies that they will enjoy and make use of are all great things to include! Gift baskets can be bought pre-fabricated or can be created at home

• The gift of companionship – seniors will most appreciate the company of their loved ones. If this is not possible, senior care services can be gifted for companionship and assistance at home

• Take an elderly loved one out for the day – a trip out for lunch around the holidays to see a movie or a musical event can be a very enjoyable way for them to spend a day and it will be memorable!

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Home Instead Senior Care serving elders and seniors in San Jose, Los Gatos, Santa Clara and Saratoga home care - 408-370-6360.

You might think that once you move into an apartment or nursing home in later life that your gardening days are over. But no matter where you are, you can still receive the benefits that gardening brings to enhance and inspire you in your senior years. Container gardening is a great way to make sure that you still get the benefits of gardening, and here are some tips on how you can get started.

1. Get the right sized container – purchase containers or consider saving things from your recycling. All you need to do is punch a few holes in the bottom of the container to make it suitable for planting. Most vegetables require larger containers, although you might be able to use a recycled container the size of a large yogurt container for herbs, leaf lettuce, spinach and radishes

2. Use a good quality soil – purchase a high-quality potting soil or top soil in order to keep your container garden free of weeds.

3. Following planting instructions – if you’re planting vegetable plants or others which are already grown, place a little bit of soil at the bottom of the pot, remove the plant from its existing container and fill in any remaining space with the potting soil. When planting seeds, fill the pot completely with soil and follow directions for spacing

4. Care for as directed – put your pots in an area that will be the right temperature and have exposure to sunlight as directed. Water according to instructions.

Via: AFB Senior Site

Image: myaimistrue.com

Home Instead Senior Care serving elders and seniors in San Jose, Los Gatos, Santa Clara and Saratoga home care - 408-370-6360.

Seniors have enough to worry about in retirement without having to be concerned that the place they choose to live is causing more stress. When looking at where to retire, consider the following factors which can influence your enjoyment of your older years:

1. Population and crowding – consider the population density in the area. The more populated it is, the more likely it becomes that there can be crime, petty problems between neighbors, and other factors that can influence your overall quality of life. If you’re looking for a quieter retreat where you can relax in privacy, avoid cities like Chicago (ranked the most stressful place to live) where crowding is high.

2. Employment – even in retirement, the level of unemployment in your area can affect your quality of life. You don’t need to be in the workforce for it to have an impact! Unemployment rates attest to the overall state of the economy.

3. Air quality and weather – the air quality can affect your overall health, which greatly impacts your quality of life, as well as your finances. Also choose a climate that brings you the most enjoyment.

4. Home values – with rising interest costs and decreasing home values, it can be a worry that you might lose your home in older adulthood or find it unaffordable. Low home values can also mean little equity when it comes time to sell. Choose a place to live where home values seem to be higher and holding strong.

Via: Yahoo! Real Estate

Image: money.aol.com

Home Instead Senior Care serving elders and seniors in San Jose, Los Gatos, Santa Clara and Saratoga home care - 408-370-6360.