FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                Contact: Bert Copple

Telephone: 248-203-2273

Be a Santa to a Senior Holiday Gift Giveaway

Again Brings Cheer to Area Older Adults

The popular campaign that over the last five years delivered more than 12,000 gifts to local needy seniors is being planned again this holiday season.  Area retailers, along with agencies that serve older adults, have partnered with a local senior-care service to make sure that isolated seniors receive gifts and companionship through the Be a Santa to a Senior program.

The area office of Home Instead Senior Care, the world’s largest provider of non-medical home care and companionship for older adults, has joined several aging networks and senior centers in cooperation with regional National City banks, ACO Hardware locations, and the Dignity Memorial Group to provide presents to seniors who otherwise might not receive a gift this holiday season.

Throughout North America, this is the sixth year of the program where last year more than 28,000 volunteers distributed gifts to deserving seniors.  In the past five years since introducing this Be a Santa to a Senior program, Home Instead Senior Care has helped provide more than one million gifts to 700,000 seniors in North America.

“Be a Santa to a Senior is a great way to give back to the older adults in the community during the hectic holiday season when many are forgotten,” said Tina Rowley, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving Birmingham, MI.   “The holiday is often considered a time for children, but seniors – especially those who are isolated and lonely – need to be remembered as well.  Be a Santa to a Senior also is designed to help stimulate human contact and social interaction for older adults who are unlikely to have guests during the holidays.”

Here’s how the program, which runs from Nov. 16 through Dec. 12 works:  Prior to the holiday season, the participating local non-profit organizations will identify needy and isolated seniors in the community and provide those names to Home Instead Senior Care for this community service program.  Christmas trees, which will go up in participating National City banks, ACO Hardware stores, and other retailers, will feature ornaments with the first names of the seniors and their respective gift requests.

Holiday shoppers can pick up an ornament, buy items on the list and return them unwrapped to the store, along with the ornament attached.  Home Instead Senior Care then enlists the volunteer help of its staff, senior-care business associates, non-profit workers and others to collect, wrap and distribute the gifts to these seniors.  A citywide gift-wrapping day, when hundreds of the presents will be wrapped, will be held on Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at the Troy Community Center.

Martha, 82, is one area senior who will benefit this year from Be a Santa to a Senior.  She lives below the poverty level, has no family in the area, and would normally receive no gifts or visitors at Christmas.  This year she’s asking for a new towel set, a modest but much-needed request, and sugar-free candy due to her being a diabetic.

“Be a Santa to a Senior is a way to show our gratitude to those older adults who have contributed so much to our community,” Bert Copple, the franchise’s general manager said.  “We hope to reach out to many with this gesture of holiday cheer and goodwill.”

If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering to help on the regional gift-wrapping day, contact Mary Sue Sarzynski at 248-203-2273.  Businesses are encouraged to contact the local Home Instead Senior Care office about adopting groups of seniors.  For tree locations in your area, or for more information about the program, log on to www.beasantatoasenior.com.

* * *

Editor’s Note:  For more information about Be a Santa to a Senior, or to arrange photos of the gift-wrapping day, contact Bert Copple at 248-203-2273.

ConsumerAffairs.com recently investigated the claims of consumers in California and Florida who report that a company is making cold calls to seniors living in exclusive retirement communities, making sales pitches on the phone before mailing a brochure overnight claiming the company’s certificates of deposit earn above-average interest rates.

The investigation reports that several of the banks listed by International Banking Group (IBG) as supposedly issuing the CDs have never heard of the company. While IBG denies any wrongdoing, the company’s Web site has been taken down.

Investors should be suspicious of salesmen who solicit door-to-door or make phone calls, ConsumerAffairs.com reports. All investors, not just seniors, should check out all investments, especially those that claim to pay out much higher rates of return than would normally be expected.

ConsumerAffairs.com suggests:

• To check brokers or firms, call 800-289-9999 or click here.
• To check a seller’s background, click here or call 888-295-7422.
• To file a complaint against a broker or firm, click here.

For more information, read the ConsumerAffairs.com article.

It’s good to know that home care companies like Home Instead Senior Care will never compromise client information or attempt fraudulent behavior towards senior citizens. Home Instead holds a very good reputation and has always put the client first. We always feed our clients the most up-to-date information and help to resolve any problems that may be present, including noticeable changes with your loved one.
Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

Taking medication as the doctor prescribes is crucial to improving health. However, 26 to 59 percent of older adults do not adhere to instructions, according to a 2003 study published in Drugs and Aging.

 

“It is very important for physicians and nurses to move past educating patients about the need for medication and focus on teaching behavior strategies,” said Vicki Conn, associate dean of research and Potter-Brinton professor in the MU Sinclair School of Nursing. “Implementing these strategies can help older adults take their medications, resulting in better health and well-being.”

 

The University of Missouri researchers found that behavior-changing strategies have a greater impact on medication adherence than reinforcing the importance of taking medication to patients. Effective strategies include reducing the number of doses taken daily, prescribing medications so they can be taken at the same time as other medications and encouraging the use of pill boxes. Giving patients clear, easy-to-read instructions for the medications also proved to be effective.

 

There are many reasons older adults have difficulties with medications, Conn said. Vision changes can interfere with reading medication bottles, and arthritis can make it difficult to handle pills and containers. However, the majority of adherence problems are not related to physical health. For example, many people simply forget to take their medications.

 

“There are approaches to overcome almost all problems,” said David Mehr, co-author of the study. “It makes a huge difference in patients’ adherence and health if they have some type of organized system for taking medication.”

 

Failure to take prescribed medications can result in costly health interventions, including expensive tests and unnecessary additional prescriptions, Conn said.

 

Home Instead Senior Care’s medication reminder service can play an important role in helping clients organize their medications.
Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

Reaching the age of 100 may become ordinary for most American babies born since 2000, according to a new report. Life expectancy has been steadily increasing in developed countries such as the United States, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan.

 

Researchers at the Danish Aging Research Centre at the University of Southern Denmark predict society will stop looking at life in three phases (childhood, adult and old age) and instead start dividing old age into  a “third age” (young old age) and a “fourth age” (oldest old).

 

Sign on San Diego recently looked at what this means. While there isn’t much data on health of people over age 85, many are optimistic that earlier detection and better treatment of conditions like cancer and heart disease will make life healthier for people in their “fourth age.” The New England Centenarian Study found that one-fourth of 169 centenarians studied were free of any significant cognitive disorders. About 15 percent lived independently in their own homes, some held jobs and most were uncommonly healthy until the end of their lives.

 

The New England study found that most centenarians share several characteristics: emotional resilience, self-sufficiency, intellectual activity, a good sense of humor, religious beliefs, strong connections with other people, low blood pressure, appreciation of simple pleasures, a zest for life, don’t currently smoke or drink heavily, may play musical instruments, and follow an anti-inflammatory diet.

 

Researchers involved with the New England study have developed the “Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator”  Web site that uses scientific data to estimate how old a person will live to be based on answers to 40 questions related to health and family history.

 

An increased life expectancy will also lead to an increase in population, especially in the sector of older adults. The elderly will soon out-number younger and middle-aged people, so there will be greater demand for care and assistance in living out the rest of their lives comfortably and healthily. That is what companies like Home Instead Senior Care are here for; we are the leading home care company in the world who will help your loved one live at home.
Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

“Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights!” Explores High-Profile Cases & Offers Expert Advice

The highly publicized estate battles of several deceased celebrities have cast a bright spotlight on the importance of having the proper estate planning. Although mega-rich celebrities seem to be affected overwhelmingly by these brutal family squabbles, the new book

“Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights!” is designed to help every family, regardless of income level, avoid the financial pitfalls that drained bank accounts and created huge family rifts for the dozens of superstars profiled in the book.

“Trial & Heirs” uses real stories to help readers steer clear of the same celebrity “estate errors” as they plan for their own “heirs.” The stories cover well known legal fights over famous fortunes: including the recent battles over Michael Jackson’s estate, along with other celebrities like Ted Kennedy; Anna Nicole Smith; Brooke Astor; Heath Ledger, Ray Charles; Princess Di; Jimi Hendrix; Frank Sinatra; Martin Luther King Jr.; and Rosa Parks… as well as many others that most people aren’t even aware of.  The book gives readers a front row seat in the courtroom while the authors replay the “tabloid drama”, point out what went wrong in these riveting cases, and teach readers how to avoid similar errors.

“Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights!” was written by co-authors Andrew Mayoras and Danielle Mayoras, legacy expert attorneys with strong reputations and extensive experience in estate planning, probate, elder law, and litigation. The husband and wife team are two of the co-founders of The Center for Elder Law, The Center for Special Needs Planning, and The Center for Probate Litigation.

“Here we have common problems that could easily be avoided,” says co-author Andrew Mayoras, a probate litigator who writes the popular Probate Lawyer Blog.  “We want to teach people about the importance of proper legacy planning, because these fights don’t just happen to the rich and famous,” he says.  Andrew says because his job is battling in the trenches of probate court, he sees first-hand the devastation caused by poor planning.  “If by writing this book we help keep families from feuding in court, then we’ve accomplished our mission.”

Co-author Danielle Mayoras agrees. “As an estate planner and educator, the most frequent question I’m asked is:  ‘How do I get my parents to talk about these issues?’  This book is the answer,” says co-author Danielle Mayoras, a professional speaker, attorney, and credentialed professional gerontologist. “Our goal was to take a difficult topic that no one wants to talk about and make it fun and entertaining with the use of famous stories.”  Danielle says they want to spark people into action to protect their families and legacies through the proper estate planning.

The book will soon be released from Wise Circle Books and is listed at $19.95.  It is already getting rave reviews from many who have seen advance copies, including: Hollywood producers Karen Baldwin and Ken Wales, national radio talk show host Danny Fontana, famed Hollywood publicist Michael Levine and more.

For more information and to read a free preview of “Trial & Heirs:  Famous Fortune Fights!” visit TrialAndHeirs.com.

To schedule an interview with Andrew and Danielle Mayoras, please contact Toni Burge at prmedia.contact@gmail.com or Todd Brabender at todd@spreadthenewspr.com.

Older adults with type 2 diabetes can reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke with as little as three months of physical activity, according to a recent study.

Dr. Kenneth Madden, a geriatric specialist at the University of British Columbia, studied adults between 65 and 83 with controlled type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol to see how increased activity might affect stiffness of the arteries.

“The theory is that aerobic activity makes your arteries less stiff and makes artery walls more elastic,” he said. Half of the participants received three months of vigorous physical activity (one hour, three times a week) and the other group did no aerobic exercise.

Researchers found that arterial stiffness in study participants who exercised decreased 15 to 20 percent.

Dr. Beth Abramson, spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, said almost everyone can benefit from active living. She said the foundation recommends older adults – with the consent of their physicians – need 30 to 60 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week.

Dr. Madden said that the exercise requirements may be viewed as controversial because of participants’ ages, but the exercise level was safe and well tolerated.

“There seems to be a knee-jerk reluctance to getting these older adults to exercise, yet we used a vigorous level of activity and didn’t have any trouble keeping participants in our study. They enjoyed the activity,” he said, “People always underestimate what older adults can do.”

Dr. Abramson recommends seniors choose activities they enjoy, such as walking, gardening, golfing, dancing or joining a yoga or tai chi class, Medical News Today reports.

I have to agree with Dr. Madden, in the fact that people do tend to underestimate what older adults are capable of. They just need to be given the chance with a watchful eye on hand. Home Instead Senior Care will provide this for your mom or dad who still lives at home, or no matter their living conditions. Caregivers are responsible for keeping our clients living a healthy lifestyle in every aspect, and that includes physical activity, even if it is limited. Home Instead will ensure mom or dad stays active even in their old age; who knows, they may even become more in-shape than yourself!

Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication, reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

In Canada, baby boomers are going the extra mile in caring for their aging parents. This is being revealed in a new poll conducted by Investors Group, showing they are helping with everything rom a drive to the doctor’s office to making financial and health decisions.

69% of Canadians aged 43 to 63 still have at least one living parent/parent in law. And among this group a third of them still provide care in one form or another.

“Taking care of your parents is nothing new, but we are definitely seeing its effect on boomers’ resources as they approach retirement,” says Jane Olshewski, Manager, financial life planning at Investors Group. “As this group and their parents grow older, more and more boomers will need to learn how to cope with these duties.”

Although some caregiving boomers are spending an average of nearly $6,000 per year on their parents, financial support is only one aspect of the mixed bag of responsibilities that boomers have taken on to support their parents. According to the poll, everyday activities such as companionship (65%), transportation to appointments or social events (64%), home maintenance (56%) and household chores (55%) mingle with weightier matters like help with their parents’ banking and investment activities or financial decision-making (61%) and ensuring that their health-care needs are met (55%).

Instead of a money crunch, the poll found that caregiving boomers consider the demands on their time and emotional resources to be more stressful. Six-in-10 caregivers believe that their parents expect this type of assistance, and the majority (51%) of caregivers say that their parents’ emotional demands are a source of stress. Four-in-10 identify their parents’ demands on their time as a strain, which may not be surprising since a third of caregivers say their responsibilities result in lost time at work.

Among those providing help to their parents, roughly a third are also parents themselves. Four-in-10 of these ‘sandwich’ boomers describe these combined duties as a source of additional stress.

“Our research shows that boomers don’t mind making these sacrifices, but many people may not be prepared for the volume or the emotional weight of these responsibilities,” says Olshewski.

This is where Home Instead Senior Care comes in. Home Instead is the leading provider of home care, taking up all your caregiving needs. No longer will you have to worry about keeping mom or dad at home, or going to visit just to keep them functioning through daily activities. Our caregivers go through numerous hours of training to ensure mom or dad gets paired up with the right companion who is able-bodied and friendly.
Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication, reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

SOURCE: http://www.investmentexecutive.com/client/en/News/DetailNews.asp?Id=51031&IdSection=3%am987�t=3

A new research study shows that people can slow the inevitable decline in fitness that accompanies growing old by staying lean, exercising and refraining from smoking.

While the findings, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, are not surprising, as other studies have drawn similar conclusions, they have broad implications, given the increasing number of older adults and the explosion in the sedentary, overweight and aging population.

“The Social Security Administration actually has an aerobic capacity threshold. If you’re below the threshold, you are considered disabled,” said study author Andrew Jackson of the University of Houston. This means more people could potentially qualify for disability benefits at a younger age, further draining an already strained economy, a HealthDay article reports.

The study found that reductions in cardio respiratory fitness became much steeper after the age of 45, accelerating even further with increases in body-mass index, smoking and lower physical activity levels.

“We’ve known that, as you age, your aerobic capacity goes down, and the exercise physiology literature indicates it’s a linear relationship. We found that this is not the case,” said Jackson.“It makes sense to me. When things aren’t working right, we tend to go down at faster rates. This was true for both men and women (although the rate of decline was faster for men than for women).”

Jackson said the data showed that if people maintained a healthy lifestyle, their aerobic capacity was higher as they aged. This could delay the age at which health problems begin.

“If people are very overweight,inactive and smoke, they might see these health problems in their 50s and 60s,whereas people who maintain a healthy lifestyle, it’s going to be more like their 70s, 80s and possibly even their 90s,” he said.

The study reinforces the importance of a healthy lifestyle,which is something CAREGivers can work with their clients on achieving through healthy meals and exercise. Home Instead Senior Care CAREGivers are trained to promote healthy lifestyles for our clients.

Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care,incidental travel, companionship, medication, reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source ofin-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

Surfing the Internet may be a way for older persons to preserve mental skills. Researchers found that older adults who started browsing the Web experienced improved brain function after only a few days.

“You can teach an old brain new technology tricks,” said Dr. Gary Small of Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles. With people who had little Internet experience, researchers found that after just a week of practice, there was a greater extent of activity in the areas of the brain that make decisions.

“Which makes sense because, when you’re searching online, you’re making a lot of decisions,” he said. “It’s interactive.”

Researchers studied 24 neurologically normal adults, ages 55 to 78, who were asked to surf the Internet while hooked up to an MRI machine. Before the study began, half had used the Internet daily, and the others had little experience with it.

After two weeks, researchers compared a baseline MRI scan with new ones.Those with prior experience showed a much greater extent of brain activation in the baseline scan. After at-home practice, however, those who had just been introduced to the Internet were catching up to those with experience, a Health Day report notes.

This can be a great option for seniors looking for something fun to do, especially if they have never experienced the World Wide Web for the first time. Home Instead Senior Care hires youthful caregivers who are familiar with today’s uses of the internet, and they could even get mom or dad started!
Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication, reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

New research published in the October 27, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, suggests that those with both diseases actually have a slower rate of memory loss than people who had only Alzheimer’s disease.

“This result was surprising,” said study author Caroline Sanz, MD, of INSERM, the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research in Toulouse. “Our initial hypothesis was that diabetes would increase the rate of cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease.”

The study followed 608 people with mild to moderate Alzhimer’s disease over four years and tested their memory and thinking skills twice a year. of the 608, 63 people had diabetes. As the study began, the average score on the cognitive test for all candidates was 20 points. over each of the six-month testing periods, the group dropped an average of 1.24 points, but for those with diabetes the scores declined by 0.38 more than those without diabetes.

Researchers say it is not clear yet why the rate of memory loss was slower for people with diabetes. “One possible explanation is that diabetes in the elderly differs from that in younger people and in addition, elderly people with diabetes may be more likely to receive cardiovascular medications such as drugs for high blood pressure than people who don’t have diabetes,” Sanz said. “These drugs have been reported to decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and also the rate of cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Other possible explanations for these findings may relate to differences in brain lesions in those people with diabetes compared to those without diabetes.”

The study was supported by the French Ministry of Health and the Toulouse University Hospital.

This is an interesting find because it may be signs that elderly people suffering from diabetes have a much higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This could lead to earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and may be a good reason to have cognitive memory check-ups.

Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease that still has no cure; all we have is available treatment options, the best being mind-provoking activities. Do you have a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s disease who could use extra help, a companion to keep their mind active while also caring for their needs to live at home? Home Instead Senior Care is here for you.

Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication, reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

SOURCE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161521.htm