Celebrating Caregivers

National Caregivers Day is observed on the third Friday in February. The day for celebrating caregivers falls on February 17 this year. This day honors individuals who selflessly administer personal care. Equally important, they provide companionship, physical and emotional support to those in need. There are many different types of caregivers. Many of whom are not just limited to the health sector. Caregivers share a vision of a society that values, supports and empowers their clients to thrive. Whether that be at home, work and through their daily lives. 

Our Caregivers

Most caregivers tend to one individual. Meanwhile, around 18% work with multiple people. The Institute on Aging reports that over ¾ of caregivers are female.  These caregivers take on a lot with this profession. Caregiving can be stressful While caregivers need to be diligent looking after someone. Equally Important is making it as comfortable as can be possible for the person they are in care of. Additionally, these workers have some less than desirable responsibilities. Helping folks who are incontinent, need help bathing, and help dressing. All the while, they work diligently to make sure their patients can keep their dignity in these situations.

Celebrating Caregivers

The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) and American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) are great resources for caregiving.   You can visit the NAC website at Home | The National Alliance for Caregiving . Likewise, the AARP website, for Americans 50 or older is AARP Resources for Caregivers and their Families. They report that an estimated 53 million caregivers in the U.S. are caring for someone without getting paid for it. Therefore, it is extremely important to take the time and thank the caregivers in your lives.

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Random Acts of Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness Week is celebrated from February 14 to February 20 annually. Moreover, Random Acts of Kindness Day is February 17. It is a celebration of the ways we can positively influence each other’s lives. The world can be a selfish and cruel place at times. In such a world, it is important for us to be kind to one another. Additionally, kindness gives others hope, reminds them of the good in the world and invite them practice acts of kindness. One small act of kindness can mean a great deal a person. A small and random gesture of kindness can go a long way during our interactions with other people.

Keeping the Kindness

I’ve always been one to try to be always polite to everyone. It is the way I have been raised. As I have grown older, and the world around me has become faster paced, simple manners have seemed to disappear. Walking through the city, everyone has their ear pods on, as they are looking at their phones. People no longer exchange a wave and greeting. We have become a more individualistic society, where people are focusing on themselves. I grew up watching my parents take family members and friends into their home when they needed a place to stay. My parents became certified to foster children to be able to take anyone in need into their home.  Not every act of kindness has to be a grand gesture, but growing up I had a front row seat to all sorts of acts of kindness.

Cool to be Kind

I do not hold the door, say hello or offer someone assistance to get a thank you. Yet, when you try and be helpful, and someone acts as though you don’t exist. I always try to give someone the benefit of the doubt. They could be having a bad day, receiving bad news or be in a hurry. However, I believe more often than not, it is the continuing disappearance of common courtesy. I will forever continue to hold a door if I see someone approaching, will always let pedestrians go first in poor weather and offer assistance if someone seems to need it.  Seeing the appreciation or smile on someone’s face after being kind towards them makes it worth it. Sadly, people seemed more surprised when someone acts kindly towards them, than ignore them. Growing up, I thought holding a door for someone was just what you did. Now I see it few and far between, while someone letting a door slam on the person behind them is almost an everyday scene for me.

Getting back to being Kind

To perform a random act of kindness does not take much effort. It could be as simple as offering someone kind words, holding a door or offering a helping hand. There are so many ways to enrich someone else’s life. This week is a great time to really focus on helping others when you can. When I see someone do something nice, it makes me want to do so as well. Ideally, the more people who make an effort to help others, the more people it will influence to do so as well. You never really know what is going on in most people’s lives, so even a small gesture could make a large impact on them. Furthermore, performing a kind act makes you feel better as well. The more kindness we can spread in this world the better. Being kind is an essential personality trait that can help you build strong and healthy relationships. It also makes our lives more hopeful and meaningful. You can visit the Random Acts of Kindness website at, The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. This site is dedicated to making kindness the norm in our society.

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High Blood Pressure

Your blood pressure is very important to your overall health.  The blood pressure is responsible for pushing the blood against the walls of your arteries.  

Because arteries carry your blood to many parts of the body if that pressure is off or high it can cause problems.

Doctors look for your blood pressure to be less than 120 and less than 80 (or 120/80).  If you are 130-139 over 80-89 it’s considered elevated blood pressure or hypertension.  The higher it gets, the higher your risk.

High blood pressure can damage your arteries, narrowing them from the increased pressure.

Smaller or damaged arteries can lead to issues with your heart.  This includes angina, arrhythmias (irregular heart beats) and heart attacks.

Your brain can be damaged by lack of blood flow and that can lead to TIAs (mini strokes), a stroke and even dementia.

Kidneys can also be affected by high blood pressure.  Your kidneys filter excess fluid and waste from your blood.  You need healthy blood vessels for this. 

Finally, your eyes can be at risk since blood is supplied through delicate and tiny blood vessels.

Consequently, you and I need to be vigilant about having our blood pressure checked, especially as we age.

What can you do to help keep your blood pressure in the normal range?

• Eat a healthy diet
• Keep yourself at a healthy weight
• Be physically active, including weight bearing exercises
• Avoid smoking
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Get enough sleep

There are also medications available to help with highly elevated blood pressure.  

Private Home Health Care wants you to be sure to get in touch with your health care provider on what is best for you.  Stay well.

Fascinating Facts About Your Heart

• Your heart is about the size of your two hands clasped together.

• Every day, your heart beats about 100,000 times.

• Each minute, your heart pumps 1.5 gallons of blood.

• The heart pumps blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels.

• Your normal heart pumps about 4 tablespoons of blood with each beat.

• A woman’s average heart beat is faster than a man’s by close to 8 beats a minute.

• A fetal heart beats faster than an adult at about 150 beats per minute.

• The heart begins beating at four weeks after conception and does not stop until death.

• The “thump-thump” of a heartbeat is the sound of the four valves of the heart closing.

• During an average lifetime, your heart will pump nearly 1.5 million barrels of blood.
• Grab a tennis ball and squeeze it: that’s how hard the beating heart works to pump blood.

• The earliest known case of heart disease was identified in the remains of a 3,500 year old Egyptian mummy.

And just for fun . . .

Guess what mammal has the largest heart?  If you guessed the Blue Whale you’d be right!  A blue whale’s heart weighs 1,500 pounds!!

The smallest heart of any living creature is in a kind of wasp called the fairy fly.

Private Home Health Care hopes that you’ve enjoyed the interesting facts about our amazing hearts!

National Pizza Week

National Pizza Week is celebrated the second week of February. It just so happens the NFL’s Superbowl is the second week of February as well. Super Bowl Sunday is one of the most popular days in the U.S. for pizza consumption. It is one of the numerous, delicious food holidays in the U.S. Obviously, Pizza Day is a day for celebrating pizza, one of the most popular foods Americans enjoy. Historians claim that pizza-like dishes have been a common staple in the ancient Middle East. Though, it is the Italians who perfected and popularized the recipe. Pizza was originally a considered a food for peasants.

Celebrate National Pizza Week

• Make your own pie at home.
• Throw a pizza party with your friends.
• Visit your local pizzeria.

Pizza Fun Facts

• Yearly, there are 5 billion pizzas sold around the world, over 3 billion of those are sold in the US.
• In the U.S. there are more than 61,000 pizzerias, making about 17% of all U.S. restaurants, pizzerias.
• Super Bowl Sunday, Halloween, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and Thanksgiving Eve are the most popular days in the U.S. for pizza consumption.
• Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, the first Pizzeria in the world, opened in Naples, Italy, in 1830.
• Gennaro Lombardi opened the first U.S. Pizzeria in New York City in 1905.
• 36% of Americans eat pizza as a breakfast meal. Additionally, 30% of Americans eat pizza once a week.
• Barstool sports has a link on their website ranking pizzas from around the world. (One Bite Pizza Reviews – YouTube)

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The American Heart Association

In the early 1900’s there was little known about the heart.  People were being affected by illnesses of the heart but because there had not been any research, there was not much available for help.

Thankfully there were enterprising physicians and social workers who wanted to learn more and help those suffering from heart issues.  It was in 1924 that a group of six cardiologists founded the American Heart Association.  

The group was small but this team of doctors wanted better care and more research done to learn about the heart.  They felt there was no reason that people could not be helped.  The team enlisted the help of thousands of scientists and doctors and they moved the needle.

It was in 1948 that the Association changed to become a voluntary organization.  The teams included professional and lay volunteers and they had a staff to help run the organization.

Today the American Heart Association is both national and international and there are more than 35 million supporters and volunteers.

The website has a huge amount of information.  There is more detailed information on the Associations history and healthy tips for eating and exercising.  Furthermore, you can learn about different heart issues and you can even apply to be a volunteer or find another way to get involved.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death, followed by stroke.  There have been great strides to manage complications from heart disease and additionally, deaths from heart disease have reduced in the past 40 years.

Private Home Health Care is sharing the site again for your reference:  https://www.heart.org/

Congenital Heart Defects

The next week focuses on congenital heart defect (CDH) awareness week.  The goal is to educate and drive awareness about this condition.

A congenital heart defect is a problem or problems with the structure of your heart.  This is a condition which you would have had from birth but not all congenital heart defects are the same.  

Types of congenital heart disease can be mild and not need surgery.  There are other types that are serious enough to require surgery.  There is some evidence that CDH is genetic so it runs in families.

The CDC says that about 40,000 babies or about 1% of the population of babies born in the US have congenital heart disease.  Babies would exhibit symptoms and while there is no cure, you have treatments available.  Diagnoses can require lifelong care depending on the severity.

Likewise, you can live with congenital heart disease into adulthood.  You may have been treated earlier in life and later symptoms appear.  You should contact your doctor if experience any of the following symptoms:

• Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
• Blue skin, lips and fingernails (cyanosis)
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling tired very quickly with activity
• Swelling of body tissue or organs (edema)

It’s important for you to visit a doctor if you notice any changes.  Doctors will give you a physical exam including listening to your heart.  If needed additional tests can be ordered for a diagnosis.

Private Home Health Care knows that your heart is an intricate organ.  We believe that the more information shared the better it is for you to stay healthy.

#CongenitalHeartDefectAwarenessWeek 

Green Week

Green Week is annually celebrated between the first week in February and the end of April. During this time schools are empowered to be environmentally conscious, engage in sustainability focused lessons, projects, or activities. Furthermore, “Going green,” recycling, and taking care of the earth are highlighted in lesson plans. are obviously a major issue in the world. This week is meant to bring attention to the plight of the earth, and share knowledge of ways to help keep our planet beautiful and safe. There is no better place to start with the education of keeping a healthy planet than with school children. The future of this world depends on the youth. With the continued growth of research of our planet, we are learning of better ways to protect it. Additionally, expanded knowledge of the importance our ecosystem plays for the future, makes protecting it vital.

Green week in school

With children being the future, the educating of the youth in preserving our world than in our schools is essential. Green week is meant to bring these issues to the attention of our youth. Whats more, these children will retain this information and bring it home to discuss with their families. Thus, spreading more information on keeping our world safe. Equally important, it educates them on how they can take care of where they live and what they can do to help out. 

Protecting Our Planet

Our world is forever growing and evolving. New science, research and discoveries are crucial to protecting our ecosystem. Industries and technologies are growing and advancing. This expansion serves to benefit our daily lives, increase efficiency and, for the most part, improve our way of life.  While these advancements are great, and make our lives easier, they do not come without any recourse.  With these advancements in living, our ecosystem faces a plethora of issues. With the growing number of factories in cities, there is growth in pollution. Subsequently, overpopulation, pollution and overuse of natural resources, among other problems face us. Many of these issues went undiscovered for years.  The natural resources, once thought to last forever, will not.  Overlooking these issues for years, means we must now work to protect and reverse their decimation.  We now have the power to work together to preserve and improve our ecosystem.

You Can Contribute To Green Week

There are many ways you can help participate in “National Green Week.” The ways range from participating in projects and activities, to donating money to one of the many great causes. These causes aim to preserve and bettering our ecosystem. Smart, (Sustainable Manufacturing And Recycling Technologies) is one research group. Smart’s interests include a wide range of subjects. They focus on extracting raw materials all the way to recycling at the end of its life. Their Website can be found at The 14 Recycling Bloggers That Want To Save The Planet (ecofreek.com). If you ever have trouble finding a spot to recycle, the website, Recycle Nation, (RecycleNation – Search. Find. Recycle.) compiles a comprehensive recycling location database

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Your Heart as You Age

At birth, the life of your heart begins.  It’s believed that if as a mother you exercise before the baby is born, you are able to help your baby’s heart health.

A child’s heart is about the size of a fist.  It is small but this is the time for you to set good habits for a lifelong lower risk of heart disease.

A healthy lifestyle includes playing for physical exercise, eating healthy foods and keeping a safe weight.

Healthy lifestyles early in life can lead to healthy choices during your child’s teen years.  A teen’s body is changing in so many ways. Likewise, keeping your teenager away from smoking is one key factor.  One study shows that 68% of smokers had their first cigarette at age 18.

When you reach age 20, that is when your body’s cardiovascular system begins to change naturally so that’s another reason heart healthy habits are key.

Let’s talk about the heart’s functions to see why it’s such an important organ.  The right side pumps blood to the lungs for oxygen and it gets rid of carbon dioxide.  The left side is responsible for getting oxygen-rich blood to the entire rest of your body.

Hmmm.  That’s a big job for a not so big organ!

As you age, the heart changes normally with age-related changes.  Consequently, healthy habits early in life and help lower your risk throughout your life.

Healthy Habits include:

Diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol

Regular exercise

No or reduced smoking

Visit doctors regularly for checkups

Private Home Health Care will continue to talk about the heart this month during National Heart Month.  We want everyone to be as healthy as possible.

Change Your Password Day, February 1

February 1, Change your password day. I believe this day hits home for everyone who is reading this. “Must be at lease 12 characters.” “Require at least one uppercase and one lowercase.” “Password already used.” “Passwords do not match.” “Please include symbol character (! @ # $ %.)” The dreaded task of needing to create, update or change your passwords. With all the requirements, this process can seem like solving the quadratic equation at times. Additionally, trying to remember each of these codes is an undertaking in itself.

How many are too many?

If you’re like me, you are forever facing a losing battle of remembering which password you use for each account you have. I’ve compiled a list of each account I have with their corresponding password. I have 93 different log ins. Therefore, I have 93 passwords. In an ideal world, I have 1 password for all 93 accounts. Subsequently, there are no hackers in the world who are looking to steal our information, and everything runs smoothly with that one unique password. However, we do not live in utopia. Of those 93 accounts, I have 16 different passwords. Many of which are required to be changed every so often, and I cannot re-use passwords. Obviously, that means that list of passwords I need to note to memory is ever growing. How many times to change your password is too many?

Change Your Password

Each site you need to use a password for has different requirements. These include, different number of characters needed, the use of upper and lowercase letters and the use of symbols requirement. It is frustrating when it takes you multiple attempts just to create your password! Some password requirements do not let you use passwords that are related to your login, email or personal information. In addition, other accounts will not allow previously used or closely related to past passwords. Do not forget that these passwords are typically case sensitive as well! Furthermore, there are sites where if you get your password incorrect multiple times, you will be locked out. So, make sure you chose your password carefully.

Password Protection

Creating and using these passwords along with two-factor authentication can be a headache. But keeping our private information is pretty important. The number of scams, hackers and fraud out there continues to grow. Certain devices have made use of facial recognition and fingerprints as an alternate to passwords. Where will advance technology lead us in regard to protecting our information? Looking back to when I was growing up, (1990’s) I only needed a handful of passwords. So, for take today don’t get overwhelmed. Take a deep breath make sure all of your passwords are secure. Change your password if it could be stronger.

Take a look at (and stay away from) the most common passwords of 2022. If you have a password in there, it may be time to change your password!

Most common passwords of 2022—make sure yours isn’t on the list (cnbc.com)

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