National Father-in-Law Day

National Father-In-Law Day on July 30th recognizes your spouse’s father annually. Dedicate some time to your father-in-law on this day. Fathers-in-law bring a new perspective to our lives.

Whether we are a new addition to their families or made bonds a long time ago, they grow to have an honored place in our hearts. They are the patriarchs of our families. Whether they’ve built a reputation for being stubborn, softhearted or full of humor, these men stand as one cornerstone of a sheltering family tree.

Private Home Care is here to help you take care of an aging father in law. A father in law becomes a second father to a spouse, and an important part of the family and their life. Our motto is “Compassion is at the Heart of Our Care” and on National Father-in-Law Day we honor father-in-laws and the special place that they hold in our hearts.

International Day of Friendship!

International Day of Friendship was yesterday, July 30th. This day encourages forging friends near and far. Core to developing strong friendships worldwide is the hope of a growing spirit of human solidarity.

Friendships are important for everyone’s health and well being, especially for older adults and seniors.

The day encourages making friends and building relationships with people outside of your own culture, country, or background. Through these relationships, a culture of peaceful and mutual understanding develops.

Making new friends as a senior may require a little extra effort. Unfortunately, as you get older, common life changes such as the loss of a spouse, loss of hearing or vision, retirement, health issues, and mobility can take their toll on your social life and,by extension, your well-being. Loneliness has been linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline, dementia and depression. It also has been linked to heart disease, stroke and blood pressure. In fact, one 2015 study famously concluded that a lack of social connections was as damaging to a person’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.Bottom line? Friends are essential.

Just as loneliness can hurt our health, friendships can actually improve it in multiple ways. Studies have shown that socializing can strengthen the immune system. It can also help us recover more quickly from illness, lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease, sharpen memory and even help us get a better night’s sleep. Socializing can also improve our odds of living longer! According to one study, people with strong connections to family and friends have a 50% greater chance of outliving those with fewer social ties.

In honor of International Friendship Day, take some time to reach out to friends that you may have lost touch with. Or, find a community through new hobbies or social organizations to meet new friends!

World Hepatitis Day

World Hepatitis Day is a public health holiday held each year to raise awareness about hepatitis, a group of infectious diseases that attack the liver and affect people all over the globe. The day also promotes testing and prevention for all five types of the disease: A, B, C, D and E.

World Hepatitis Day (WHD) occurs annually on July 28th, bringing the world together under a single mission to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis and to influence real change. In 2020 the theme is ‘Find the Missing Millions’.

Worldwide, 290 million people are living with viral hepatitis unaware. Without finding the undiagnosed and linking them to care, millions will continue to suffer, and lives will be lost. On World Hepatitis Day, 28 July, we call on people from across the world to take action and raise awareness to find the “missing millions”.

WHD is on July 28th as it commemorates the birthday of Baruch Samuel Blumberg, an American physician who discovered hepatitis B in the Sixties, eventually winning a Nobel Prize for his work on the virus and its vaccine.

https://www.worldhepatitisday.org/

Milk Chocolate Vs. Dark Chocolate

National Milk Chocolate Day is celebrated annually on July 28. When solid chocolate is combined with either powdered, liquid or condensed milk; it’s known as milk chocolate.

Chocolate has proven health benefits, including high levels of antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that neutralize free radicals, unstable molecules that can harm your cells. Free radicals are compounds that can cause harm if their levels become too high in your body, and are linked to chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Private Home Care *loves* foods packed with antioxidants, especially chocolate!

Milk chocolate is a best-seller and is delicious. However, when compared to the health benefits of dark chocolate, it melts in comparison. This is because the more chocolate is processed, the more it loses the qualities that make it healthy. Many health benefits of chocolate come from flavanols (phytonutrients found in cocoa), which have antioxidant effects, have a very bitter taste.

But as the cocoa beans are fermented, alkalized, and roasted to help neutralize that taste, those flavanols start to disappear. Since dark chocolate contains a minimum of 35 percent cocoa, it keeps more of its health benefits than milk chocolate, which only contains under 10 percent cocoa. Milk chocolate is also loaded with cream and sugar, as well as preservatives.

Quality dark chocolate is rich in fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and a few other minerals, and does not have the same amount of additives. Although milk chocolate may be delicious, dark chocolate by far is healthier. Milk chocolate should be enjoyed as a once in a while treat.

National Parents Day

July 26th was National Parent’s Day, celebrated on the fourth Sunday in July. On this day each year, Americans recognize outstanding parents, celebrate the teamwork in raising children, and support the role of parental guidance in building a strong, stable society. Throughout the nation in almost every state, community leaders organize Parents’ Day events to honor parents.

Private Home Care honors parents by helping their children take care of parents in old age. Just as your parents cared for you, elderly parents may need caregiving from their children. Caregiving for an older parent is not always easy, but that is what Private Home Care is for – to provide the highest quality of care for your parents and loved ones.  

National Parent’s Day was established in 1994 when the Congressional Resolution was signed into law for “recognizing, uplifting, and supporting the role of parents in the rearing of children.” National Parents’ Day honors all parents. No matter where our parents may be, this day serves to celebrate their important role in our lives. 

Parents play a vital role in the lives of children. From our birth, parents protect, teach, provide, and serve as role models. As part of a family, we look to them for guidance. We mirror their behavior and learn to be a core part of our communities. On this particular Sunday, we honor all parents who do everything to raise and protect their children. 

National Disability Independence Day

At Private Home Care, we are proponents for people maintaining their freedom, independence and dignity, regardless of disabilities. We celebrate National Disability Independence Day on July 26th, which recognizes the important work of promoting equal opportunity and quality of life for people with disabilities.National Disability Independence Day commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26th, 1990.

This corresponds with our mission of supporting seniors to age in place through our expert caregiving. Our caregivers help facilitate every day life and experiences for our clients, ranging from laundry and cooking, to playing chess and going out to the salon or for pizza. As we grow older, our bodies naturally become less able, and our minds may not be as sharp. Although the elderly may have to use walkers or other forms of assistance, we must still regard them as valued members of society, who are entitled to the pursuit of happiness. This is one of our core beliefs at Private Home Care, and guides our motto of ‘Compassion is at the Heart of Our Care’.

Whether the disability is physical or intellectual, if the individual was born with it or developed the disability during their lifetime, all disabled or elderly people deserve to be treated with the same respect as those who are fully abled. We maintain that people with disabilities can live full, meaningful lives, and can achieve their dreams and goals. 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) also made it possible for the world to be more accessible for people with disabilities. For example, common barriers such as narrow doors and small bathroom stalls became accessible to wheelchairs. Other examples include braille signs and crosswalks for the vision impaired. The changes improved mobility and safety. Today, many of our clients as well as millions of people across the country benefit from laws that help break down barriers and allow them to move about freely. 

One service that we are proud to offer is to assess and help outfit your loved one’s home so that they may live safely and comfortably at home. This includes proper lighting, adequate doorway width, grab bars in showers, ramps, and more.