tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543470858576382112023-06-20T09:29:27.845-04:00Fenway Medical - The Caregiver's ChoiceChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-82702581456879367862009-02-25T19:07:00.002-05:002009-02-25T19:09:08.306-05:00We're Moving!Fenway Medical is moving this blog to their web site address, www.fenwaymedical.com. Click on "Care Blog" at the top of any page for our daily updates!ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-28401534245698797842009-02-23T22:44:00.002-05:002009-02-24T19:31:45.975-05:00A Shift in CareNew Hampshire is one of the first states that acts as a bellweather every four years as we ready ourselves for presidential elections. They may also be the leader and state that the nation looks to when it comes to senior care. The number of people 85 and older is among the fastest growing population in the state of New Hampshire and with this growth comes an increase in the number of adult ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-62001214536255974112009-02-22T14:51:00.005-05:002009-02-22T15:55:37.110-05:00Pre-Planning a PlusIn terms of caregiving, we are often thrust into a situation that is going to change things for our families logistically, financially and emotionally. We have to keep in mind to react to our new situation logically. The key to this is to research all available elder care options before making a hasty decision that will affect both our lives and the lives of our loved ones. There are several ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-4843608384041275802009-02-21T10:38:00.003-05:002009-02-21T11:01:12.764-05:00History Repeats ItselfIn the late 70s and early 80s, large numbers of women returned to the workplace on a full time basis. This led to a boom in the child care industry as many facilities popped up across the United States to fill the need for two income families. The child care industry increase from just under 300,000 child-care workers in 1985 to just over 800,000 workers in 2007.History is repeating itself but ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-40067715567543864112009-02-19T23:03:00.002-05:002009-02-19T23:06:22.127-05:00Incontinence and the ElderlyJust a quick example of an article that you can also find in the Advice section of our web site, www.fenwaymedical.com.Excerpts from Department of Urology, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan.A probability sample of noninstitutionalized elderly people in Washtenaw County, Michigan, was interviewed to determine the relationship between urinary incontinence and various health conditions.ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-9462275512626683732009-02-18T22:37:00.003-05:002009-02-18T23:02:38.485-05:00Cutting CostsRetirement savings are being decimated. Medical costs are skyrocketing. The generation caring for their parents and also for their own children is being overwhelmed with no immediate help in site. According to a 2007 survey by the National Alliance for Caregiving and Evercare, the average cost for day to day expenses like food and doctor's visits for an elderly parent is $5,500 per year. Here ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-60184946335554688492009-02-17T17:43:00.002-05:002009-02-17T17:54:33.207-05:00Help is Out ThereTaking on the responsibilities of being a caregiver has a stressful impact on your every day life. Often, the caregiver ignores their own personal health issues and well-being to provide the best care for their loved one. They feel as if they every thing needs to be done by them and believe that they have failed if they are unable to stay on top of these additional duties. Many first time ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-91951614941809520122009-02-16T19:39:00.002-05:002009-02-16T22:03:18.848-05:00The Effect on the WorkplaceIn a recent publication, The Family Caregiver Alliance estimated that one out of four households in the United States has some involvement in caring for a family member 50 years or older. Between one third and one half of these caregivers also work outside of the home. In the workplace, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) allows eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to beChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-9362962729113800732009-02-15T09:00:00.003-05:002009-02-15T09:10:15.888-05:00An Added StimulusWe highlighted in an earlier blog how the (now passed) economic stimulus would help senior citizens and those who are collecting social security. This assistance would come in the form of a $300 check to seniors and social security benefactors. While still true, a last minute addition into the stimulus may end up negatively affecting the elderly.The addition is the creation of the office of ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-48184158310113262302009-02-14T13:02:00.002-05:002009-02-14T13:14:47.589-05:00Love is in the AirToday is Valentine's Day and love is in the air for couples of all ages. A quick glance at some senior news media outlets shows that today's amourous activities are not just celebrated by those who are young at heart. Here's a samplingA senior citizen's Valentine's Day dance in Omaha held this past TuesdayA senior citizen's dance that drew more than 150 seniors to the University of North ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-24611648949414699882009-02-13T17:47:00.002-05:002009-02-13T17:57:01.714-05:00Wave of the Future?A sheriff in Genesee County, MI has teamed up with an Elder Care Abuse & Prevention program to utilize technology to care for elderly loved ones. Small GPS devices are being used with patients who have Alzheimer's and/or dementia. An unfortunate result of memory loss associated with these illnesses is the tendency for the person to wander. If not monitored by a caregiver or if the appropriateChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-22523147784784062652009-02-12T21:39:00.003-05:002009-02-12T22:42:55.531-05:00Three Generations, One HouseTo break the doldrums of winter, I took my kids out tonight to get some ice cream. When we were almost finished and as I sat and wondered how my son got more ice cream on his face than in his mouth, an elderly gentleman came in with two young children. It was clear that grandpa was taking his grandchildren out for a treat. I watched them order and as grandpa was paying, the young girl asked if ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-19964196845619196222009-02-11T19:35:00.004-05:002009-02-11T19:45:52.387-05:00Eat Your BananasI wrote an article for the Fenway Medical advice page a couple of days ago, http://www.fenwaymedical.com/advice/127-eat-your-bananas.html, talking about a study of the sodium - potassium ratio in the body. We all know increased levels of sodium can be a cause of high blood pressure and pre-hypertension, especially in the elderly. This study come to the conclusion that an increased level of ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-26866681555229921972009-02-10T20:18:00.003-05:002009-02-10T20:42:04.245-05:00Call Your GrandmaToday is my Grandma's birthday so I gave her a call earlier this evening. We sang happy birthday to her and she proceeded to tell me about her busy day. An orchid show, a trip to a candy factory and lunch with her sister..all very grandmotherly things to do. She was very happy to hear from me and very open with what she has been doing. I, of course, introduced myself at the beginning of the ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-42274101529047295882009-02-09T22:17:00.004-05:002009-02-09T23:04:56.130-05:00Banking on the FutureIn a small town in a remote province of China, a man on the verge of retirement has come up with quite an intereting idea. He has created the concept of "Age Banks". China is going to see a senior boom greater than that of the United States with one third of their population being over the age of 60 in the next forty years. Age Banks are designed with caregiving in mind. A volunteer can go into ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-33582737489106632062009-02-08T16:55:00.003-05:002009-02-08T17:07:11.921-05:00Men Assuming the Caregiving RoleAccording to the National Alliance for Caregiving and the Alzheimer's Association, men now make up 40% of family care providers. This number is up 19 percent from a similar study in 1996. Men have become more of a "hands on" style of caregiver in the past 10 years, straying from their roles of just taking care of financial records, arranging parent's schedules, etc. In some cases they are now theChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-50406916422865773052009-02-07T16:59:00.002-05:002009-02-07T17:20:27.492-05:00Elderly and the InternetWhen we started Fenway Medical, we wanted to design a web site for baby boomers who have taken on the responsbility of caring for their parent at home. We wanted www.fenwaymedical.com to be a place where medical and incontinence supplies could be ordered and shipped directly and discretely to your home. We also wanted our site to be a place where adults could go for caregiving advice since the ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-36369297537614730332009-02-05T10:12:00.002-05:002009-02-05T10:26:41.541-05:00One Step AwayWhen creating the Fenway Medical web site, I was aiming for a specific target audience of baby boomers who are now taking care of their elderly parents at home. During the process though, I have learned first hand that caregivers are not only tending to the needs of an older loved one.My best friend in life has recently been overcome by frequent panic attacks and mild depression. Always a ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-16982634182373208082009-02-04T23:06:00.001-05:002009-02-04T23:09:14.921-05:00Aging Does Not Equal Poor HealthIt is known that our nation is fast approaching an aging revolution. By the year 2030, the population of adults 65 and older will double to close to 70 million people. One out of every five Americans will be considered a “senior citizen”. But with the growing elderly population comes a growing burden on our public health and health care systems and facilities. Are these systems going to be ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-29591103474479137612009-02-03T22:37:00.002-05:002009-02-03T22:41:46.410-05:00A Grim Reality in HawaiiA recent article in the Honolulu Advertiser highlighted the strain that the cost of elderly care is having on the state's middle class. A combination of the high costs of senior care, longer life expectancies and the country's current economic status are not only depleting the elderly's assets but also those of their children who are caring for them.The cost of a semi-private room at a nursing ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-36795606452181242602009-02-02T20:20:00.002-05:002009-02-02T20:29:00.789-05:00Good news for Seniors in the Stimulus PlanThere is potential good news for the elderly population included in the $900 billion stimulus package that President Obama has taken to the Senate. Should the package pass without change, seniors who receive Social Security benefits would receive a $300 payment from the government. A $300 check would also be sent to those covered under the Supplemental Security Income program for elderly and ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-24874504545307932442009-02-01T10:36:00.004-05:002009-02-01T10:46:17.448-05:00Helping with ExerciseI just posted a new article in the Advice section of my site, www.fenwaymedical.com, detailing a study published by NIH (National Institutes of Health) about exercise and the elderly. A case study was done using diagnosed obese men and women, ages 60 to 80, that shows that increased aerobic activity, resistance training and a healthy diet increases motor skills and decreases the risk of diabetes ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-72180889703329635442009-01-31T23:52:00.002-05:002009-02-01T00:08:43.983-05:00Seniors and the InternetI read an article today that stated that only 7% of the population 65 years and older utilize the internet daily. This number is going to change in the next decade as the baby boomers will move into this demographic. It is expected that 35% of "seniors" will be utilizing the web but this will be the equivalent of 65% of teens due to the larger amount of elderly in the nation's population. Fenway ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-80725473658374301812009-01-30T15:30:00.003-05:002009-01-30T15:44:27.788-05:00A Caregiver's ChecklistAt Fenway Medical, we offer not only bulk medical supplies to our site visitors but also an advice section that caregivers can utilize for helpful information and insight on current caregiver news. Here is an example of a caregiver "checklist" posted at www.fenwaymedical.com. Assessing Their NeedsDoes your parent need help with grooming, bathing, or dressing?Does your parent need help with ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854347085857638211.post-85459158864741984512009-01-29T22:51:00.003-05:002009-01-29T23:02:06.877-05:00Welcome to Fenway MedicalThank you for visiting the Fenway Medical blog. We hope to offer professional insight into the growing world of elderly home care and provide you with the information that you need to take care of yourself as well as your loved one.With more of us taking care of our parents outside a professional setting, we understand that your responsibilities are constantly changing and your valuable time is ChrisRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583861970127701836noreply@blogger.com0