National survey indicates physicians believe addressing patients’ social needs is as important as addressing medical conditions.

According to a new survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the social needs of patients are as important to address as their medical conditions. In a national survey of primary care providers and pediatricians, 85 percent believe that unmet social needs — things like access to nutritious food, reliable transportation and adequate housing — are leading directly to worse health for all Americans. Furthermore, 4 in 5 physicians do not feel confident in their capacity to meet their patients’ social needs, and they believe this impedes their ability to provide quality care.

The conditions we face day in, day out, where we live, learn, work and play, have a greater impact on our health and life expectancy than our medical conditions and the health care we receive.

It’s important that patients be connected to services that address their social needs. Services like fitness programs, nutritional food and transportation assistance are at top of list. Physicians say that those living in the urban and low-income bracket also need help with employment assistance, adult education and housing assistance.

If your loved one needs help fulfilling their social needs in the Boston area, please call Home Instead Senior Care – we can help with needs like transportation, nutritious cooking, and helping your loved one keep moving in order to stay fit and active. Call us at 617.557.4600.

Source: Physicians Highlight Overlooked Connection Between Social Needs and Health

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

Seniors who stay healthy live longer. But how can you help seniors maintain good health when the odds of developing dementia, diabetes, heart disease, some form of cancer, or a host of other ailments are against them? Some answers might come from the Greek island of Ikaria where a remarkable one in three natives reach 90 years of age.

According to an AARP The Magazine article called “Live More Good Years,” researchers discovered that, compared to Americans over 90, Ikaria’s 90-plus population experienced 20 percent fewer incidents of cancer, half the rate of heart disease, one-ninth the rate of diabetes and virtually no Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia.

To encourage similar habits to help North American older adults add years to their life. Advise seniors to eat meals incorporating whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, fish, and herbal teas to add important vitamins, antioxidants and complex carbohydrates to their diets. Seniors will also benefit from scheduling walks or daily exercises, naps, and opportunities for social interaction and religious practices into their day.

Another approach to increasing lifespan takes into consideration not only the good behaviors to adopt, but also which behaviors to avoid. A recent CDC report boils the secret to longevity down into four key habits:

•Do exercise regularly
•Do eat a healthy diet
•Don’t smoke
•Don’t drink alcohol excessively

If your loved one needs help and assistance in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, call Boston Home Instead Senior Care at 617.557.4600. Our CAREGivers are available to help your senior stay healthy.

Visit Caregiverstress.com for more information on healthy aging.

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

While senior volunteers are rolling up their sleeves to build houses and feed the homeless, it turns out they are doing much more. A majority of older volunteers put their money where their time is by helping to boost the coffers of the organizations where they volunteer, according to research conducted by the Home Instead Senior Care® network. The Salute to Senior Service program will recognize the outstanding contributions of older adults and honor those who go the extra mile for their communities in so many ways.

In a survey released in July 2009 by the Corporation for National and Community Service, one of every three organizations reported increasing its reliance on volunteers to cope with the economic downturn between September 2008 and March 2009.

The survey revealed that 80 percent of responding organizations experienced some level of fiscal stress between September 2008 and March 2009. Nearly 40 percent of those organizations said the stress was severe or very severe.

The most recent data from the Corporation for National and Community Service indicates that one of four Americans 55 and older – that’s 18.7 million people – makes a positive impact on their local communities through volunteering. Between 2008 and 2010, these adults contributed more than 3 billion hours of service per year in their communities. The economic benefit of their service to communities totaled more than $64 billion.

We invite our readers to share the ways that older adults are making their marks on the Boston community.

Home Instead CAREGivers in the Boston area are available to help your senior loved ones continue to pursue their passions by providing non-medical assistance at home – call us for more information call 617.557.4600.

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

Research reveals that there’s no end in sight to the volunteering efforts for a majority of senior volunteers surveyed, who say they’ll go on “forever.” The Home Instead Senior Care® network has announced the Salute to Senior Service program to honor these older adults who go the extra mile to make a difference for charities and community service projects throughout North America. For those seniors who haven’t volunteered but are considering it, here are some suggestions:

Find a passion. Some people live their passion through jobs and careers, but that isn’t always the case. Retirement is the time to save the whales, feed the homeless and brighten up the neighborhood. Find something that fulfills.

Look for a need. That won’t be difficult these days. A 2009 survey, conducted by the Corporation for National and Community Service, found that 80 percent of nonprofit and AmeriCorps organizations surveyed reported some level of fiscal stress. To find out where volunteers are needed, contact the local Area Agency on Aging office, church or synagogue, or Senior Corps <<www.seniorcorps.gov>>.

Avoid perfectionism. It’s easy to want that special church event to be perfect or that remodeling project to look like it belongs in the nation’s leading home improvement magazine. Chill out! Perfectionism can ruin the project for everyone on the team.

Home Instead CAREGiver can help your senior loved ones stay on course with their volunteering by receiving support such as food preparation, light housekeeping and medication reminders – call us at 617.557.4600.

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

For a vast majority of seniors who volunteer, their community service helps define who they are. According to research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network, nearly 100 percent of North American senior volunteers say that, when compared to other things they do in their lives, volunteering is important. One in five senior volunteers says it is the most important thing they do.

Help us recognize outstanding senior volunteers who make a difference in our Boston area. Nominees have a chance to win $5,000 for their favorite volunteer organization. Please share volunteer stories from your community and nominate a senior for Salute to Senior Service.

• As seniors’ lifestyles and longevity have evolved over time so, too, is the desire for new kinds of volunteer activities, Dr. Tan said. In a highly technological world, the “new senior” has different interests than those of the past. Seniors are being encouraged to volunteer for a cause or an activity in which they are interested or for which they feel passionate.

• According to Home Instead Senior Care network research, 95 percent of senior volunteers feel that seniors who volunteer are healthier and happier than those seniors who do not.

• Check out more benefits from volunteering opportunities as well as information about how to make a deserving senior 65 and older who volunteers at least 15 hours a month a Senior Hero – SalutetoSeniorService.com.

• State and Canadian provincial (except Quebec) winners will receive plaques and their story on the SalutetoSeniorService.com website. A gift of $5,000 will be donated to the national winner’s favorite nonprofit charity.

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

Seniors and middle-aged men who are physically active but do not lose weight might be in better shape than they think, according to a recent study. There is less worry about body mass index being a little high if the men are physically fit, researchers have said. Read the full study at Livelonger.

If the men maintain or improve their fitness level – even if their body weight has not changed or increased – they can reduce the risk of death, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. The study was only of men but the researchers say it is likely to apply to women, too.

This is good news for people who are physically active but can’t seem to lose weight, said Duck-chul Lee, Ph.D., the study’s lead researcher and physical activity epidemiologist in the department of exercise science at the University of South Carolina.

Results of the study underscore the importance of physical inactivity as a risk factor for death from heart disease and stroke, researchers said.

Researchers also found no association between changes in body fat percentage or body weight and death risk.

It’s unclear whether these results would apply to severely obese people, Lee said.

Our CAREGivers at Home Instead Senior Care in the Boston area can be there to walk with your senior loved ones on a regular basis. A CAREGiver, of course, can provide plenty of other support, such as food preparation, light housekeeping and medication reminders. Call our Boston office at 617.557.4600.

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

People who have had a stroke have an increased risk of another stroke, especially during the first year after the original stroke. The risk of another stroke goes up with older age, high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, having had a transient ischemic attack (TIA), heart disease, cigarette smoking, heavy alcohol use, and drug abuse.

While some risk factors for stroke (such as age) cannot be changed, the risk factors for the others can be reduced through use of medicines or changes in lifestyle.

Patients and families should ask for guidance from their doctor or nurse about preventing another stroke. They need to work together to make healthy changes in the patient’s lifestyle.

Patients and families should also learn the warning signs of a TIA (such as weakness on one side of the body and slurred speech) and see a doctor immediately if these happen.

Stroke survivors and family members may find the hospital experience confusing. Hospital staff are there to help, and it is important to ask questions and talk about concerns.

• Make sure the patient’s condition is caused by a stroke and not by some other medical problem.

• Determine the type and location of the stroke and how serious it is.

• Prevent or treat complications such as bowel or bladder problems or pressure ulcers (bed sores).

• Prevent another stroke.

• Encourage the patient to move and perform self-care tasks, such as eating and getting out of bed, as early as medically possible. This is the first step in rehabilitation.

If you are seeking home care services for loved ones who have had a slight stroke call 617.557.4600.

Lean more Recovering After a Stroke

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

What services are available for elderly people who have had a stroke?

Q: What at-home services are provided for elderly people who have had a slight stroke and what is the cost?

Dr. Amy: There are a range of services for people who have survived a stroke. The services that are needed should be discussed while the stroke survivor is still in the hospital. These will vary depending on the nature and severity of the stroke. There is an excellent booklet published by the US Agency for Health Care Research and Quality that was written to help people who have had a stroke achieve the best possible recovery.

This booklet outlines the services that are available to stroke survivors, and where you can go for more information. It addresses topics like stroke rehabilitation and its goal is to help the person who has had a stroke achieve the best possible recovery. Its purpose is to help people who have had strokes and their families get the most out of rehabilitation.

www.strokecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Recovering-After-a-Stroke.pdf

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

If you are an older adult living in the Boston area and want to venture out during the winter months, you will most likely have to tread on slippery surfaces at some point. There are many things that can be done to prevent senior falls in the winter. A large number of injuries are a result of slipping while outside. Taking precautions and using some of the tips provided below will reduce these chances and allow seniors to go outside during the winter months safely.

1.            Always remove snow and ice that accumulates on steps, driveways and walkways. Place sand or salt on paths that are walked on to prevent slips and falls.

2.            Most falls in the winter are due to slipping on the ice. Wearing the correct footwear can help prevent these falls. Seniors should wear shoes that provide good traction on slippery surfaces.

3.            Winter boots should be waterproof, insulated, have low heels and should be light in weight.

4.            Additional precaution can be taken by using ice grippers on footwear. Always remove these from shoes before walking on smooth surfaces because they can be very slippery and actually be the cause of a fall.

5.            If seniors have balance problems, they should be using a cane when outside in the winter. If using a cane, an ice pick can be attached to the bottom, making it easier to navigate slippery surfaces.

6.            When walking on the road, always wear clothes that are bright in color. Also be sure to wear hats, gloves and scarves to prevent loss of body heat.

7.            When traveling on snowy or icy surfaces, move slowly. Take your time and be careful. Paying attention will help prevent many falls.

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.

For family members still searching for gift ideas for grandparents or aging relatives, think about the things you could purchase that would really help benefit their lives. Here are a few great ideas to help you out:

• Items that allow them to fell pampered – seniors on a budget are not likely to splurge on things they consider non-essentials. For Christmas gifts, buy 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!

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.557.4600.