Knowledge Center - Learn More About Caring for Seniors and Health Care Issues for the Elderly -- Care At Home in Austin, Texas

Eye care advice for aging eyes: Growing older and getting reading glasses seem to go hand in hand, just like getting gray hair or wrinkles as you age. But that doesn’t have to be the case if you take steps to care for your eyes as you age.
Are you and your doctor on the same page? Maybe not, new survey shows: Are you and your health care provider on the same page when it comes to discussing your health? Does he or she think you’re doing as well at maintaining your health as you think you are? Probably not, according to a new survey. Here is advice for improving communication with your doctor.
Caring for an Aging Relative - How to Ease the Transistion: This article contains some helpful information for family members and friends.
Detect skin cancer early when it's most curable: Do you know your skin? Beyond your face and hands, which you probably look at every day, do you know what the skin on the inside of your arms or the bottom of your feet looks like? It’s important to know what your skin looks like – every inch of it – so that if a suspicious lesion appears or a mole starts to change, you can make an appointment with a dermatologist to be checked for skin cancer.
Don't let achy knees keep you out of life's game: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) can happen to anyone; in fact more than 10 million Americans are estimated to suffer from this painful condition.
Five steps to ensure a health crisis doesn't mean financial ruin: A serious long-term illness or disability can have a devastating, often irreversible, affect on a family’s financial well-being. In fact, health care expenses are among the most common cause of bankruptcies, according to findings published in the "American Journal of Medicine" last year.
Help for knowing when it's time to take the keys away from a loved one with dementia: The decision on when an aging loved one should stop driving is never an easy one, but the issue becomes even more complex – and heart-wrenching – when the loved one also suffers from dementia. How do you know when someone is no longer safe to drive? How do you gently explain this to him? How do you take away her car keys without taking her dignity as well?
How you can take action against heart failure: It’s a syndrome that affects more than 5 million Americans – and probably more: heart failure. Heart failure is a serious illness that can affect your quality of life and how long you live. With proper medications in the right doses and careful management, you can live longer and feel better.
Is your home decor giving you a backache?: Those with aching backs might want to look at their home decor to help ease the pain. When decorating, most homeowners consider their personal style, color schemes and price range, but many don't take time to consider products that can actually benefit their health.
Many back pain ailments may be relieved at home, say doctors: Piercing pain between your shoulder blades? Constant dull ache in your lower back? If you haven’t experienced these symptoms yet, you probably will. What can you do to help beat these back aches and pains? The remedy could start at home.
Mapping out a plan: learn the role and importance of uric acid levels in gout management: Imagine being confined to bed for days at a time because you can’t walk or you are having difficulty resting your elbow on your desk. No one can foresee exactly when a gout attack might occur -- it could be the morning of an important work presentation, the day of your son’s wedding or your granddaughter’s dance recital.
Medication Safety For Seniors: If you’re older than 65 and take multiple medications, you should be aware of potential interactions between your drugs. These interactions can cause unwanted side effects, reduce the effectiveness of your medicine, or even lead to hospitalization. Studies show that up to 30 percent of hospital admissions of elderly patients are linked to harmful effects of medications and other related problems.
Myths about the aging brain revealed: Who says you can’t teach a mind new tricks at any age? Recent research shows that Americans have the power to positively influence their brain function throughout life.
Not your father's hearing aid: the new generation is small, sleek and super high-tech: Most individuals experiencing hearing loss are younger than 65, and hearing loss is significantly affecting their lives at work and home. Fortunately, with today’s wealth of discreet and stylish hearing aid options it has become easier than ever to address a hearing loss.
Prevent a stroke in 5 simple steps: Did you know that 80 percent of all strokes are preventable? That figure, from the National Stroke Association, illustrates just how important it is that you know the steps necessary to prevent a stroke from affecting your life. What might surprise you is that many of those steps are lifestyle suggestions you’ve heard before – they just have the added benefit of helping to ward off a stroke.
Standing tall: What women need to know about spinal fractures: When you think of women’s health issues, spinal fractures probably don’t come to mind. But they should. These common fractures can not only be disfiguring, but deadly.
Staying active with pain: For many Americans living with pain, getting regular exercise is nearly impossible. The burning, shooting pain and tingling sensation of pain can make it difficult to stand or walk to the car, let alone exercise five times a week.
The First Big Step: Discussing the Need for Long-Term Care: An open and honest discussion with some advice on how to get started from the Nolo.com Retirement & Elder Care Center
The importance of medication management and diabetes: Nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes, and as most people with diabetes know, fluctuating levels of sugar in the bloodstream can be dangerous. Because many people with diabetes also have other conditions, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, they often need to manage multiple medications.
There's no time like the present to treat hearing loss: Hearing loss can be life-altering. People who have difficulty hearing can feel isolated and lose self-confidence, which can put a strain on relationships with family and friends. But even when people who are losing their hearing are aware of the problem, it can be difficult to bring up the idea of getting a hearing aid. If you take the time to talk about why now is the most important time to get a hearing aid, it can make a huge difference in their lives.
Tips for a healthier you at middle age: With the popularity of movies like Sex and the City and the revival of the 50-year-old fashionista, the 42.9 million baby boomer women in America are approaching aging with confidence and style. It is important for women to be direct with their doctors when talking about all health issues, even those that may embarrass them.
What will you do to stop diabetes? Know your risk: Are you 45 years of age or older? Have you ever had high blood pressure? Did you have gestational diabetes while pregnant? Does anyone in your family have diabetes? If so, you may be at risk for one of the nation’s deadly diseases – diabetes.