April Fool’s Day

Today is a day for you to be prepared.  There could be pranksters in your path who would like nothing better than to fool you on this first day of April.  It could be a big prank or it could be a small prank. Be on guard!.

You may be the prankster too!  Who are you planning on tricking?

April first is a fun day and it definitely brings happiness and hopefully plenty of smiles.  A teacher friend I know tells her Kindergarteners that she made brownies and then she gives them a brown letter “E.”  

Have you ever wondered how the tricks behind April 1 ever began?  We did too and it turns out it’s still a mystery.  There are some ideas but no one seems to know for certain.

One thought is that it started back in 1852 when the Julian calendar switched over to the Gregorian calendar.  People who were slow to move to the change celebrated the new year from late March to April 1. They were called April Fools. 

It was in Britain when April Fool’s Day really started to take off in the 18th century.  The Scottish people spread the holiday over two days.

On the first day people sent unaware friends on phony errands called “hunting the gowk.”  A gowk is a cuckoo bird the symbol for a fool.

The second day was for pranks.  On Tailie Day, you would see fake tails put on the back of a person or even “kick me” signs.

There may be more mysteries behind the origins of April Fool’s Day but for now Private Home Health Care wants you to be on your “toes” and look out for tricks today!  

We also hope you have some fun moments in your day.  It’s a great way to start off the month! 

Easter Season

For the 2.6 billion Christians in the world, yesterday and the two days are the most important.  Christmas is the only other holiday of such importance. 

As a Christian you celebrate three holy days.  Holy or Maundy Thursday which was yesterday.  This commemorates the Lord’s Last Supper.

Today is Good Friday which commemorates the death of Jesus who Christians believe is the Savior of the World.  

You might wonder why it is called “Good” Friday. It is not good in the traditional sense but rather the redemption and reconciliation that is brought between humanity and God.  It is a sad but very holy day. 

The most holy day of the three days is Easter Sunday when the Savior is resurrected up to Heaven.  For Christians is it this redemption for all that they too will rise after they die.

Private Home Health Care has learned that the worldwide Christian community has been increasing and is expected to continue to increase.  Between 2000 and 2022 Christianity rose 1.18% annually.

As of 2020, Christians made up 31% of world religions.  The Christians include Roman Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox and Anglicans.

You may be surprised to learn who has the largest number of Christians.  The list below is the number of Christians from largest to smallest by continent.

Africa

Asia

Latin America

Oceana (islands scattered mostly in the Pacific Ocean)

Northern America

Europe

Private Home Health Care wishes everyone a very holy Good Friday and a very blessed Easter.

Whole Grains

Do you eat any whole grains?  Whole grains are a delicious option to add to your healthy diet.

There are many whole grains to choose from like, whole oats, whole wheat, whole grain rye, buckwheat, bulgur wheat, millet, whole barley, brown rice and quinoa.  Buckwheat and millet are gluten-free.

You can eat the grains at any time of the day, breakfast, lunch or dinner.  These are easily found at grocery stores and recipes for any of them are available online. 

 If you are a traditionalist or if you just prefer paper, pick up a book for recipes to try.

Whole grains are extremely healthy because they are packed with nutrients.  Whole grains are enriched with nutrients such as protein, fiber, vitamin B.  They also have minerals such as copper, zinc, iron and magnesium.

Additionally, these powerful grains are full of antioxidants.  These mighty molecules fight off the free radicals in your body that can be very harmful.

Don’t you find it amazing that all of these different whole grains are so healthy for your body?

Whole grain breads, pastas and popcorn are all super healthy additions to a diet.  If you swap out wheat bread for white bread and chickpea or whole wheat pasta for white pasta you will increase your nutrients.

Another option is for you to have a meatless meal and incorporate a whole grain into that meal.  Soups are also a great way to add grains to your diet.

Private Home Health Care understands the benefits of adding whole grains to our diet.  Be adventurous if you haven’t tried whole grains and make your diet a bit healthier.

National Physicians Week

This last week in March is designated as National Physicians Week.

The week was organized to honor the physicians in the United States and their dedication to their patients.  

Private Home Health Care works with many physicians and appreciates the care they provide to patients.

You hopefully see your physician at least once a year for an annual check up.  If you have other medical issues that need to be monitored you may see specialists more often.

These doctors have very busy schedules on any given day.  When you go they try their best to listen to you, talk with you and give you good guidance. 

You can find doctors in many different settings.  You could visit them in a hospital setting or in an office setting.  There is usually staff you interact with prior to the doctor’s visit like someone to check you in and a nurse to take vitals and get you set up.

Patient visits are a major part of a doctor’s responsibility but there is also quite a bit of paperwork that doctors are also responsible for in their day-to-day operations.  We don’t often think about that side of their work.

Currently as of 2023, there are over 900,000 physicians in the United States.  This includes general practitioners as well as specialists.  

The United States population is approximately 336,202,796 so the number of physicians.  In 2019 the nation’s groups of age 65 and older grew by one-third.  This can be challenging for the number of physicians available. 

This coming week you can hopefully show your support for your physician or medical professional.  One idea shared is to give them a red carnation but whatever you can do would be appreciated.

Wellderly Week – Final Edition

Wellderly week closes tomorrow but it’s really the beginning.  A new beginning so that you have fun and joy in your senior days.

We started with talking about avoiding social isolation and loneliness.  Next, was how your physical activity could add strength and wellness.

Today, you will hear about a healthy diet and scheduling doctor’s appointments.

You have heard about the value of eating a healthy diet when you were younger.  Well, for you as a senior it is just as important.  Having a diet with fruits, vegetables, grains and lean proteins is the best way to eat for maximum health.

Good foods for your body have many benefits. You can boost your immunity, support your muscles and help with your balance.

Additionally, it can lower your risk for health issues like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke.  

Your old and true recipes might not have the healthiest ingredients.  One solution is to see if you can find alternative ingredients to make it more healthy.  Ask a friend or family member to help.

If you love desserts try switching out the sugar to a natural stevia or monk fruit sugar.  You will barely know the difference.  

Along with eating a healthier diet, it’s also important to keep in touch with your doctor or medical professional.  

You should have regular appointments and in addition, you should contact your doctor if you feel any changes in your body.

Do you need help getting to appointments or managing your medications?  Reach out to a family member or close friend to help.  Don’t get overwhelmed when help is a phone call away.

Private Home Health Care wants our elders to feel vibrant and fulfilled.  We believe that when your retirement is the time for you to do what you enjoy.  

A new hobby or a new interest, avoiding isolation, being physically active and eating healthy are all ways to help you feel happy and fulfilled in your “golden” years.

Wellderly Week – Part 2

Yesterday we talked about keeping yourself from becoming socially isolated or lonely.

Today we ask, are you retired, elderly or do you know someone elderly?  How physically active are you or how physically active is the person who is your friend or family member?

It turns out that physical activity is something to promote for everyone, including the elderly.

Think about the benefits you’ll reap if you are able to be active.  Your stress and anxiety level improves and along with your balance.  You could sleep better and if you have depression, that could decrease.

If you are older it is recommended that each week you spend at least 150 minutes of exercise.  This should be a form of moderate amount of aerobic exercise and two days of muscle strengthening.

You can do things like light weights, walking, gardening or even stretching.  The time isn’t too much really.  It works out to be 21 minutes/7 days a week or about 30 minutes/5 days a week.

Do whatever works for your age and pace.

Hopefully you can easily add activity into your life.  At home, you could join a friend for a walk or to do yoga.  If you are in a facility usually there are many options available, like a gym or directed exercise activities.

No special clothing is needed, just something comfortable.  You also don’t need to spend lots of money.  Walking doesn’t cost a thing!

Private Home Health Care has a treadmill in our office.  Physical activity is important no matter how old you are and we know it!  We hope you can add or keep physical activity in your life.

Wellderly Week – March 18-23

This week in March is dedicated to our senior citizens.  When you get to be elderly it’s important to remember that age really is just a number.  You can still find ways to have fun, grow and perhaps even contribute to your community.

There are ways you and family members can help. Our blogs are going to share ways that you can stay well mentally and physically. 

It’s a time when you can try new things and take on hobbies you couldn’t do when you were younger and working. 

Today’s topic is about the pitfalls of social isolation and loneliness.

As you age you may find that you need to be a caretaker.  It could be for a spouse or sibling. You may lose a spouse or you may experience personal health issues.

In these instances it’s important for you to not go inward and keep yourself separated from others.  

If you lose someone close to you, reach out to family and friends.  To have people to talk or spend time with after such an event can be very fulfilling.  Without contact with other people it and with time alone it can lead to loneliness.

Many of you live in assisted living facilities.  Having social contacts at meals, game or tv nights or any event sponsored can keep you from feeling socially isolated.  Being socially isolated happens when you are surrounded by people but you don’t have many contacts to share experiences.

Social isolation and loneliness are not the same but you must be careful of both.

Private Home Health Care understands that it’s not always easy to age.  The good news is that there are ways that you and family members can help to let you enjoy and live a fun-filled and happy life.

World Sleep Day

Today is World Sleep Day.  The goal of the day is to spread awareness of the importance of sleep for each of us.  It also calls out common sleep-related issues that many of us share.

For you as an adult, it is best to get at least seven hours of sleep a night according to the Mayo Clinic.

As an aging adult it can get more difficult for you to get those recommended hours of sleep. This can cause issues with your health or even with your driving.

Some common sleep disorders are:

Insomnia – you are not able to fall asleep easily or you may wake up during the night.

Sleep Apnea – your breathing is affected.  You have uneven breathing patterns that disrupt your sleep.

Restless Leg Syndrome – your legs do not want to stay still in bed.  At times this can happen before you get into bed.

Narcolepsy – You fall asleep, sometimes suddenly, because you get so sleepy.

Sleep is important for us all because it’s a time when our bodies relax and regenerate.  There are ways to help you work towards better sleep patterns.

1. Stick to a sleep schedule.  Make your bedtime and wake up time consistent.
2. Watch what you eat or drink.  Try not to drink too much alcohol and don’t eat too late.
3. Keep your room at a cool temperature, on the darker side and quiet.
4. Try to avoid daytime naps.  This can disrupt your nighttime sleeping.
5. Be physically active during the day but not too close to bedtime.  
6. Manage your stress.  You cannot and should take care of anything while you are asleep.

Private Home Health Care works with people who have trouble sleeping.  Sharing information about sleep-related issues and getting in touch with a medical professional can help.  Bonne nuit!

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an eye disease that affects around 3 million Americans.  

If you have this in your family it is a hereditary disease so you need to be sure to have your eyes checked by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist.

It is a slow moving disease so very treatable when caught early.  A treatment of eye drops has been what has been used for many years to treat glaucoma.  The goal of the drops is to lower the intraocular pressure (IOP) in your eye.

Unfortunately, it has been discovered that for people prescribed these drops as many as 67% of those people do not use them.  

You may think this sounds crazy since that is what treats a disease that can eventually rob you of your eyesight but that’s what a research study in 2018 showed.

The hopeful news recently is new treatments that are coming available.  These new treatments involve laser treatments.  This is new technology.

One laser platform that has had initial approval uses a computer tacking device to treat rather than using a lens directly on the eye.  There are multiple studies going on that would give opthalmologists the ability to use less invasive procedures done in their offices.

If you have glaucoma and are being treated for it by a medical doctor, ask them about this new technology.  It could be that some is available now or you could get involved in a study to help it move forward.

Private Home Health Care understands how important caring for your eyes is.  Glaucoma is a treatable disease with exciting advances on the horizon.  Visit your doctor to learn more.

National Girl Scout Day

On Tuesday, the Girl Scouts will be honored with a National Day.  This seems fitting since right now Girl Scout cookies are being delivered all over our United States.

It turns out that Juliette Gordon Low organized the first girl scout meeting back on March 12, 1912.  Juliette lived in Savannah, Georgia and girls gathered for fun, adventures and to do service projects in the area.

Now after all of these years the girl scouts are still active and they are in 92 countries.  The original goal was to have girls embrace their unique strengths and passions and that is still true today.

Girl scouts continue to earn badges for all different areas now including in the digital space.  They work on service projects to improve and help out in local communities.  

In their troops they have enrichment experiences offered and many take camping and other trips depending on the age of the girl scouts.

You have most likely seen girl scout cookies being sold at different places.  Like us, you may have been asked by a girl scout you know to order some cookies.  The types of cookies have grown as have the prices, but it’s a major fundraiser for them so get a box or two.

In today’s world, there are so many activities for your children.  It’s hard to fit them all in but for girls this organization still has strong leadership with good goals.

You’ll find their motto to “Be Prepared” and their slogan of “Do a Good Turn Daily” has not changed.  There are many opportunities for fun and a chance to grow and learn.   

If you look on the Girl Scout’s website it says that many of the women astronauts were girl scouts.  Not bad company!

Private Home Health Care knows women who were girl scouts and who learned so much and had many great experiences.  In addition, we are currently enjoying our girl scout cookies too.