Summer Solstice

Tomorrow June 20 is the summer solstice and the first official day of summer!

For many of us now the past few days have felt like we are in the summer already with hot, humid weather but we aren’t quite there yet.

The summer solstice represents the time when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.  That will be tomorrow at 4:50pm so get ready to grill tomorrow night.

You may be like us and think about all of the great things about summer.  Heading to the beach, swimming in the ocean or a lake, taking a boat ride, gardening and maybe even taking a trip with family or friends.

The days of sunlight are longer and hopefully you are able to get outside more often (and without all that winter gear!).

Are you a kayaker?  Heading out on the water for a couple of hours of kayaking is a super way to get exercise and enjoy being on the ocean or lake.

Did you plant any flowers? If you are a gardener you can enjoy the plants and flowers that you worked into your garden. 

Do you like birds? You might get a bird feeder and watch who comes to visit.  Hopefully get a visit from  the birds in our area, like cardinals, yellow warblers, nuthatches and titmouses to name a few.

The beach is a great way to spend a day with your family.  At the beach it’s time for castle building or tide pooling and of course swimming.  Just be sure to have umbrellas and lots of sunscreen.

The awesome thing about the summer is that the options feel endless.  The sun is out, you can wear light clothing and your day lasts well into the evening.
We at Private Home Health Care welcome the longest day of the year and the summer tomorrow. We wish you all happy times and lots of memories to share.

What Veggies Do You Like?

Today is National Eat Your Vegetable Day.  Are you ready?  

It is recommended that you are over age 51 that you eat two cups of vegetables a day if you are a woman and two and a half cups a day if you are a man.

The great news is that vegetables are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, perfect for adding to your healthy diet.

Additionally, they are low in sugar, sodium and fat.  That’s the bonus.

Think about all the colors you can add to your day with veggies.  The world is your oyster or perhaps in this case, your vegetable.

Green, red, yellow, orange, purple, white and on it goes.  You choose what you like and then you can eat them raw, steamed, baked or broiled.

It’s amazing really and so delicious.  

You get the most benefit from fresh vegetables, next would be frozen and last would be canned.

Leafy green veggies like kale and spinach are superstars but you can also get lots of goodness from peppers, carrots, peas, beets and sweet potatoes.  The list is just the tip of the iceberg.  

Do some research and you’ll discover just how great vegetables are for your healthy diet.

Private Home Health Care loves vegetables and we hope you eat some delicious veggies today and every day. 

Happy Father’s Day

Tomorrow is the day to celebrate our fathers who are living and to honor and remember those who have passed.

Private Home Health Care wishes all of you fathers a wonderful and joyful day.

Both parents have important parts in our child’s development. According to Psychology Today, as a father you influence your children’s:

Social competence

School performance

Emotional regulation

You can support your child with sensitivity and promote good relationships with others.  If you talk frequently with your child and help them with learning materials your child performs better in school and you increase their language skills.

Your influence in these areas can be felt whether you live at the same address or you have children for visits.  You can have a positive influence by your involvement.

Let’s not forget about all the fun you can have with your children too!  

Running errands, playing games, bike riding, playing dolls, building things together, reading books and many other day-to-day activities create great interactions and childhood memories.  

We hope that on this Sunday you have a chance to be pampered and appreciated. We know that no matter what your age a father is an important piece of life.

Certified Nursing Assistants

This week begins the appreciation of Certified nursing assistants or CNAs.

What is a CNA?

As a CNA your job is to help the RN nurses and the LPN, Licensed Practical nurses in many different environments.

Your job in a hospital would be to bath, dress or check vital signs for a patient.

Additionally, as a CNA you would help prepare a room for admission, gather supplies for the RN or doctor, answer your calls for assistance and even assist with any medical procedures that might be needed.

Your certification process would not be too difficult but there are requirements. Interestingly, it is only since 1987 when certifications for this position came to be. 

1. You need to complete a state-approved program.
2. You must have a high school diploma or GED.
3. A criminal background check must be passed.
4. A physical exam and TB test is required.

If you would like to become an RN this is a good way to begin.  

Your workplace would be in a group setting like a hospital, a skilled nursing center, an adult daycare or a rehabilitation or long-term residential facility

Your role as a Certified nursing assistant is very important and can be very rewarding if you are interested.

Private Home Health Care works with many Certified nursing assistants and we appreciate their hard work and dedication to their patients.  We salute these vital healthcare workers this week.

What Do You Know About Diabetes

This week begins diabetes week so we thought we’d focus on what it is and how it can be managed.

At the heart of the matter is insulin, a much needed hormone for your body. Insulin comes from your pancreas and is responsible for managing the glucose (sugar) in your body.

Too little sugar is a problem.  Sugar that comes and goes is also not good.  This brings us to the two types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2.

Getting a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes means your body does not make insulin.

Type 2 diabetes means that your body isn’t using the insulin created properly.

According to the CDC, in 2021, estimates for Americans living with diabetes was 38.4 million people or 11% of the US population.

Your diagnosis of diabetes increases by 29% if you are over the age of 65 and you are in the majority if you have Type 2 diabetes.

You must take insulin with a diagnosis of  Type 1 diabetes. Lifestyle changes can help too.

Your Type 2 diabetes diagnosis can mean insulin medication but it is also possible to manage it with lifestyle changes.  

Lifestyle changes:  Diet and Exercise

• Your diet should consist of lots of lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates like whole grains, beans and lentils and fruits.

• You should avoid refined grains, white rice, white flour, and snack foods made with refined flour.  In addition, food with added sugars, sweets and beverages like soda are off the list for you.

• You need to add exercise to your day.  Walking is great exercise.  Weight bearing strength training is important for your muscle strength.

Private Home Health Care knows that there is ongoing research to learn more about this disease.  We are hopeful for great outcomes for our county and our world.

Photo by Artem Podrez

Best Friends

Tomorrow is National Best Friends Day.  Believe it or not, the U.S. Congress actually started this day back in 1935.  It is meant to be lighthearted and a day to celebrate or remember your best friend or friends.

You may have a best friend who comes to your mind.  It would be someone that you connect with on many levels.  They most likely have helped you through happy and difficult moments.  

Your best friend might have been there for your happiness when you got married.  Perhaps they helped you with a new baby.  They might also have provided listening ears during a difficult time in your marriage or with a child or even a death.

Happy or sad times, a best friend is someone who is there to share those experiences.  As you age it could be that it’s shared over the phone or via social media but that doesn’t change the connection.  Near or far the friendship connection continues on.

There are many different terms for a best friend.  Do you use any of them?

A bestie, BFF, brother from another mother, homie, mate, sidekick or confidant.

Whatever you call them, try to contact them tomorrow to say how much you appreciate them.  If you live close enough and are able to get out see if you can get together for coffee, breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Tomorrow is a great day to celebrate your friendship that has meant a lot to you.  Young or old it makes no difference.  We can all share this day together with our best friends. 

If you have lost a best friend, remember the good times and look at any pictures you have together.  Memories can be very powerful.

Private Home Health Care values our close friendships and we hope to take the time to reach out to our besties tomorrow on National Best Friends Day.

#nationalbestfriendsday

Ways to Help Aging Skin

As you and I age, so does our skin.  

Many of the changes depend on diet, heredity and if you are a smoker. You also lose fatty tissue between your skin and muscle, and let’s not forget gravity.  

There’s not too much that can change gravity unfortunately.

You do have ways that you can care for your skin to try and keep all those changes to a minimum.

Your skin becomes drier with age so it’s recommended that you wash with a gentle cleanser, use warm, not hot water, and a soft cloth.  

Keep your shower short and apply a fragrance free moisturizer right after bathing.

You can use a humidifier in your room while you sleep.  That will add moisture to the air around you and give a little extra to hydrate your skin.

Gloves are good to wear when you are doing housework or gardening.

Protect your skin from the sun with hats, sunscreen and coverups.  You can never be too careful when it comes to the sun.

Finally, make sure you check your skin for skin cancer.  It’s a great idea to go to a dermatologist once a year for a thorough check.  

Private Home Health Care is aging like everyone and we are trying some of these tips to minimize the changes to our skin.

Eggs

How do you like your eggs?  Sunny-side up, scrambled, fried, hard- boiled, soft-boiled or poached perhaps?

Today we are thinking about eggs, loaded with seven grams of protein and only about 75 calories!  Perfect if you are watching your weight.

You pick them up in the grocery store, checking to be sure none have any cracks.  You may take home a dozen a week or maybe two so what happens when you magnify egg consumption across the United States.

Did you know …

There were 92.6 billion eggs produced in 2022.

Those eggs were produced by 308 million laying hens.

Each laying hen on average produces 300 eggs per year.  (What a busy hen!)

Of these laying hens, 34% are cage free but the USDA is requiring that percentage go up to 66% by 2026.  

This translates into 261 million cases of eggs and more than half of these eggs are sold to you and I in retail stores.

Finally, I wonder if you are trying to guess how many eggs you eat on average in a year?  That number would be 281 per person!

Private Home Health Care loves to eat and cook with eggs and we don’t know where we would be without those laying hens!  We hope you enjoy an egg or two this week!

Smoking Tobacco, a Preventable Disease

Do you know that even with all the information available about the negative effects of smoking that there are still nearly 12 out of 100 adults in the United States still smoking cigarettes?  

This adds up to about 28.3 million people ages 18 and up in our country.  According to the CDC there are a little over 488,000 deaths per year caused by this habit.

It is a frustrating statistic because you and I are easily able to avoid this disease simply by not picking up the habit. 

There is good news because the number of smokers is declining.  That is hopeful.

The CDC has many, many statistics about smokers but they also have recommendations for ways to stop smoking if you have started.

Change your environment by removing any cigarettes, ashtrays, lighters from your home and work environments.  In addition, wash your clothes to remove the smoky small.

You should reach out for support to help you.  Avoid situations where you would normally smoke.  Tell people you are trying to quit to try and get them to stop smoking around you.  

Call a friend if you need help getting through a craving.  Talk to your medical professional too for suggestions or encouraging words.

You can try and distract yourself, avoid tempting situations and find safe substitutes for cigarettes.  Some suggestions are toothpicks, straws or cinnamon sticks, a squeeze ball or a pencil for doodling.

Once you start smoking it can be hard to stop but it’s not impossible.  Take it day by day and look for support when you need it.  Your lungs and body will be much healthier if you are able to kick this habit.

Private Home Health Care hopes that you can work on stopping smoking with some of these recommendations.  There are many more online if you can access a computer.  We wish you the best of luck!

World Multiple Sclerosis Day

Tomorrow is focusing on multiple sclerosis with the goal of raising awareness and research.

You may know someone living with multiple sclerosis (MS).  Multiple sclerosis affects your central nervous system.  That includes your brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.

It is a chronic disease.  Your central nervous system controls just about everything that you do.  The disease basically affects communication between your brain and the rest of your body.

This can be a slow disease and your symptoms can vary.  Some common symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Memory issues
• Mood
• Mobility
• Numbness
• Pain
• Tingling
• Vision impairment 

There are approximately  2.9 million sufferers of the disease worldwide.  Onset often occurs between the ages of 20 and 40.  

Unfortunately there is little known about the origins of multiple sclerosis and it can be hard to diagnose. If you have symptoms, your health professional will use many strategies to come to a diagnosis.

You may feel discouraged by all this news but there are some new treatments. The medicines won’t cure it but can help with symptoms and reduce relapses.

You should speak with your medical provider but some names of medicines are Fingolimod (Gilenya), Diroximel fumarate (Vumerity), Ozanimod (Zeposia), Ofatumumab, Novartis (Kesimpta), Ponesimod (Ponvory).  These are all newly approved by the FDA.

Private Home Health Care knows that multiple sclerosis is a difficult disease.  We remain hopeful that with current medicines and ongoing research the world can provide help for those who live with it.