The Final Week of Lent

Yesterday was Palm Sunday for Christians around the world.  A day that commemorates Jesus coming into Jerusalem.  He rode a donkey, a sign of peace and gentleness, and was greeted by palms and cloaks laid down before him.

In the Christian faith, it marks the last week of Jesus’s life and begins the most holiest week in the Church.

At the entrances of churches there are palms that you bring in with you.  The priest or pastor then blesses the palms and the mass or service continues.

Palm Sunday begins the final week of almsgiving, prayer and fasting for the lenten season.  It is all called Passion Sunday as the Passion of Jesus is read.

Most places celebrate with palms but in Latvia they have a tradition of using pussy willows.  The day is called Pussy Willow Sunday rather than Palm Sunday.

At almost the same time Passover has begun for our Jewish friends.  The holiday began with a seder on Saturday night and will continue for seven days.

Both those of the Christian and Jewish faiths have so much in common and often the two holidays come around the same time of year.

For Christians, the upcoming week continues with Holy or Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.  Thursday commemorates the last supper of Jesus and Friday mourns his death.

Next Sunday will be a day of joy as Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus for Christians around the world.

Private Home Health Care wishes our Christian and Jewish friends a blessed week ahead.

Parkinson’s Disease

Most of us have heard of Parkinson’s Disease and we may even know of someone who received a diagnosis and is living with it.

Parkinson’s Disease is a neurological movement disorder which affects your brain. The disease causes you to lose cells in different regions of your brain. 

Based on data from health care records and medicare it is estimated that approximately one million Americans are living with Parkinson’s.  It mainly affects people over the age of 50 but 10% of those diagnosed are under that age.

Common symptoms include:

• Tremors
• Stiffness and rigidity with your muscles
• Sleep issues
• Constipation
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Fatigue

Early diagnosis is important.  If symptoms appear it’s important to visit your medical professional.   There is no cure for Parkinson’s and it does progress over the years so starting treatments is essential.

The actor Michael J. Fox is someone diagnosed early and he has lived with the disease for a little over 30 years.  He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 29.  He started a foundation to help with research.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation has raised over $1.5 billion to fund research from 2000 to 2023.

There is some hope for new treatments available. There is adaptive brain stimulation and a new drug called Vyalev.  Both are approved by the FDA and there is hope that both will be helpful to improve or help manage the symptoms of the disease.

Private Home Health Care knows how challenging this disease can be and we hope that additional research will provide continued treatments for those affected.

National Siblings Day

Thursday is National Siblings Day, a day to celebrate the people in your family that have known you for the longest time.

No matter how old you are, your siblings, for better or for worse, are a part of your life.  You’ve shared many moments with them.

You may have had fun and played with your siblings, and they may have been your biggest motivators.  Perhaps they embarrassed you or had big or little fights with you.

Whether a brother or sister, your sibling has been an important part of your life. Siblings help you learn how to win and lose in games, negotiate and share and perhaps they have even served as confidantes.

Have you ever thought about your siblings and the role that birth order helped to shape you?  

There is nothing medically proven but there are some theories about how siblings and birth order play a part in your life.

The Oldest

You can get undivided attention from your parents along with potentially high expectations.

Some of your traits include:  responsible, well-behaved, bossy, conscientious and a perfectionist.

The Middle Child

You might watch how the oldest child acts and either mimic it or do the opposite, ie not follow rules.  The oldest may get more privileges which doesn’t make you happy.

Some traits include:  Moderator or peacekeeper, independent, agreeable and a negotiator.

The Youngest

You could try and outdo your older siblings and you may seek extra attention.  You may get babied by your siblings.

Some traits include: Outgoing, social, rebellious, carefree and an attention seeker.

Private Home Health Care hopes that on National Siblings Day you’ll take the time to reach out to your siblings to say hello and let them know how much you care.

Yoga for Seniors

Have you ever tried a yoga class?  If not, you may want to think about trying one.

Yoga is perfect for any age group, including seniors.  You don’t need any specialized equipment to do it and it can be done in many places.  

Yoga classes happen at yoga studios of course, but did you know that your local community center could have a class?  If you use a computer you can also find classes online to do at home.

There are a few yoga poses that are helpful to get started.

1. Tree pose – this pose improves balance and helps to prevent falls.
2. Warrior II – helps to improve bone density and lower body strength.
3. Extended Puppy – this one stretches out your spine without the strain of downward dog or a child’s pose.
4. Low Lunge – your back, hips and legs gain strength and stability with this pose.
5. Bridge – great for your hips and helps to add strength to your lower back.
6. Legs Up the Wall – this is a restorative pose and can also help recirculate blood back to your heart.

Additionally, you don’t need to be in perfect health to take on a yoga class.  There are many modifications that can be made if you have arthritis, mobility issues or other health issues.

You can work with your instructor to find out how best to modify the yoga routine depending on your needs.  Instructors are more than happy to work with you.

Private Home Health Care finds yoga to be very relaxing and it helps to keep up flexible and peaceful.  We hope you have the opportunity to try a yoga class offered near you.  If you live in assisted living see if you can have it offered there.

National Body Care Day

Yes, it’s true.  There is a day set aside for you to care for your body!  You can look at it as a special treat!

Body care is really all about taking care of yourself and making sure you wash your body, try to use lotion and creams to help hydrate your skin.  It also involves making sure your toenails are cut and you have clean, comfortable clothes to wear.

It’s about the whole person.

For centuries there have been special baths to help your body.  The Romans and the Greeks were very good at taking time to soak.  At least those in the upper echelons of society.

The good news for you is that it doesn’t matter what your background is, you can take steps to keep yourself in top shape.

Your skin is an important part of your body to care for, especially as you age.  Your genes only account for 25% of the reasons for changes.  The other 75% is based on intrinsic factors not related to genes.

There are three important steps to helping your skin:

• First and foremost, use sunscreen.  You can even keep some in your car for the backs of your hands, face and neck.  Sunscreen year round is a great way to help your skin.
• Get between seven and eight hours of sleep each night.  A bit more is ok too.
• Drink, drink, drink.  Staying hydrated is good for your skin but also every other part of your body.

Those steps are important to add to your daily life.  Below are a few things you might do tomorrow for National Body Care day:

Get a massage or manicure

Take an extra long bath or shower

Use a body scrub to exfoliate your skin.

Private Home Health Care loves taking time for extra baths and massages are so relaxing.  We hope that you have a chance to take care of yourself in some way on this day.

National Recognition Day

Today is a thoughtful day as the focus is on reconciling with someone who you may have hurt either on purpose or by mistake.

Was there a time when you injured a friend or family member with words?  Has there been a split over politics? Are you speaking to that person now?

National Recognition day is all about forgiving and asking for forgiveness.  It’s never too late to reach out to someone who you hurt or who may have hurt you.

Anger is often the issue and that can turn into disappointment and the feeling that you don’t want to bother with that person any longer.  A family member can be the cause especially if there are any health decisions with a loved one that  is involved.

Days can turn into weeks, and weeks into months.  You may even discover that a year has gone by without interacting with the person who injured or insulted you.

The problem is that holding on to anger can be difficult and take a lot out of the angry person.  It can cause a lot of stress and stress is not good for you.

On April 2 there is an opportunity to try and repair and reconcile the relationships in our lives. It could be difficult to apologize and perhaps even too hard.  

The apology may be less important than having or showing a willingness to reconcile.  Taking a first step to reach out can be a great way to begin.

We have Ann Landers to thank for this day.  She was a columnist in the 1980s.  People wrote to her and she discovered that many of her responses were around mending broken relationships.

Private Home Health Care hopes that if you are disconnected to someone in your life due to a disagreement you can look at this day as a way to begin to reconcile.  It can be a very uplifting and fulfilling experience.

Are You Ready?

Today is the last day of March.  Tuesday is just around the corner and that brings us to April’s Fool’s Day.

Do you enjoy April Fool’s day?  Do you play a prank, tell a joke or just find a way to trick someone?

There are so many options.  

Teachers are famous for telling the students they’ll get brownies and then turn around and pass out a brown “E”.

Moms and Dads like to trick their children with colored milk, giving them a silly new rule or telling them school is cancelled.

Children on the other hand trick their parents by telling them a joke.  “Why did the teddy bear say no to dessert?”  “It was already stuffed!” They might even cover a seat with bubble wrap.

Over the years there have been little pranks and BIG pranks.  The bottom line is that April Fool’s day is supposed to have moments of fun and laughter. It’s a perfect day for tricksters.

Whether it’s a joke or a funny set up prank we hope you think about the best way you can prank or fool your parents, a friend or classmate or your teacher!  It only comes once a year so make the most of it.
Private Home Health Care is already plotting how best to celebrate April Fool’s Day.  All friends, co-workers and clients beware!!

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are one of the lipids in your body which factors into your overall cholesterol level. This lipid is an important part of your count and can tip the scale for high or low cholesterol.

Your cholesterol levels are made up of three parts:

HDL – the “good” cholesterol which works against plaque building up in your arteries.

LDL – the “bad” cholesterol.  This builds in your arteries and can cause problems.

Triglycerides – a type of fat stored in your body’s cells.

The cholesterol (HDL, LDL)  in your body is different from the fat, triglycerides but all are a window into your overall levels.

Triglycerides come from fatty foods in our diet. They help control what goes in and out of your cells.  They are responsible for energy levels, absorbing vitamins and making hormones.

You want your triglycerides to be low to complement your HDL counts. There are medications to keep levels low but are lifestyle changes you can make too.

Increase your physical activity.  The recommendation is for at least 30 minutes of exercise, 5 times a week.  Walking is one way to hit that mark.

Keep a healthy weight.  Eat fewer calories and focus on fruits, vegetables and lean proteins.  Watch or cut down on sugar intake.

Choose better fats.  Eat leaner meat like chicken, butter and cheese and watch out for processed foods. Have more olive oil, nuts and fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel.  

Consume less alcohol.  Have no more than one drink a day at most.

Our bodies are complex and there are many areas to watch over.  Your cholesterol levels are one important area with triglycerides playing a big part.

Private Home Health Care hopes that this information will help focus on one way you can help your body stay healthy. 

American Red Cross Giving Day

As we start to close out the month of March, Private Home Health Care would like to focus on the work of the American Red Cross.

When you think of the American Red Cross, does it relate to blood donations? That is understandable because the organization supplies about 40% of the blood collected to over 2,500 hospitals in the US. 

Blood donations have been a part of the organization for a long time but it’s just one area covered.

The American Red Cross steps in for disaster relief efforts.  Whether it is a tornado, a wildfire or a flood the Red Cross workers, most of whom are volunteers, lend a hand in relief efforts.

The United States military is also served by the organization.  Red Cross workers support military families during deployment and emergencies as well as serving in hospitals, including veteran’s hospitals.

Red Cross relief stretches across the globe. The Global Red Cross Red Crescent network has an outreach to most countries in the world.  The mission is to help those who suffer from war, natural disasters or chronic poverty.

Do you need any training or certifications? Do you want to learn how to swim, be a lifeguard or babysit?  What about first aid and CPR?  You can look to the American Red Cross for classes and certifications in all these areas.

We think Clara Barton, the founder of the Red Cross would be amazed and proud of  the outreach of this organization today.  Additionally, it also has a 99% rating from Charity Navigator  so a donation goes towards the work.

Today is an opportunity to donate to help with the humanitarian work of the American Red Cross.  You can do this online at www.redcross.org.

Tuberculosis, A Curable Disease

On this awareness day for tuberculosis, you and I hear about an increase in the disease.  

According to the AP, there was an 8% increase since 2023 adding a little more than 10,000 new cases.  This increase was among all age groups.

What is causing this and how can we combat it?

Cause

The cause appears to be from increased international travel and migration to the country from other countries.

We have had antibiotics since the 1800’s which has kept the disease in check.  The issue today is that for people without the immunizations the infection can be spread through the air when the infected person sneezes or coughs.

The Fight

As of 2025 there are four ways that the American Chemical Society is working on pushing back and eliminating this infectious disease.

1. A new technique to diagnose saliva, fluorescence.
2. White blood cell-focused TB therapy.  This works to interrupt the particles in the disease and then recycle back healthy cells.
3. A potential nasal treatment
4. A photoreactive therapy that uses light to inactivate bacteria.

For most of us, tuberculosis is not a concern since we have been immunized.  There are also very promising treatments developing to help minimize the number of cases in our country.

Private Home Health Care understands the importance of immunizations.  We are hopeful also that the levels of tuberculosis will begin to decrease with education.