Have You Seen: 7 Lessons That Can Lead to Family History Breakthroughs

Posted on February 26, 2016February 26, 2016 by admin

RootsTech 2016, the largest conference in the world focused on family history technology is all wrapped up.

FamilySearch, the conference’s organizer has published a set of 7 lessons you can use for “Family History Breakthroughs.” Some are obvious, like “Family History is for Everyone.” Some are not so obvious, like how to make your family tree public.

To read the entire list, check out the post here.

Did you know 1 Assist Care has helped our client’s do family history with them while providing care? It has helped our clients feel a sense of purpose as they work towards a goal and service while in their homes. Call us for more information! 208-557-4215

Get everyone involved in family history.

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Eating with Alzheimer’s and Dementia – Helping A Loved One

Posted on August 25, 2015August 25, 2015 by admin

$110 for a dining set that looks like it is straight out of Ikea!?! Yup, and worth every penny.

Sure today is only the end of August, and sure, it was in the mid 90’s in normally cool headed East Idaho, but Christmas may just have come early. At least for those who are suffering from Alzheimer’s it has. Well, for those whose loved one’s plan on leaving them this awesome dining set in their stocking.

According to Foodbeast, When designer Sha Yao’s late grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, the young designer felt helpless and wanted to do more for her loved one. Yao spent time volunteering in senior care facilities that care for patients of Alzheimer’s and other impairing conditions.

The colors, shapes, design were all thought out with Alzheimer’s patients in mind. It even uses scientific research to help stimulate the appetite of someone suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Her design got noticed. In 2014, it won the Stanford Design Challenge out of 52 teams from 15 countries.

You can go snag a set today!

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Stopping Elder Scams: When to Hang Up

Posted on August 24, 2015August 24, 2015 by admin

Don’t let robodialers give you a headache. Stop them in their tracks with these four steps.

Have you ever picked up the phone from an unknown caller and heard silence on the other end?

Hang up!

Turns out it could be a company trying to collect your information so you can be victimized.

There are companies all over the world trying to collect people’s phone numbers so they can sell them to others who can use it for nefarious reasons.

If the call is legitimate, they will call you right back. If not, the “robodialers” have moved on to their next batch of numbers to call.

Here are five steps you can follow to reduce your risk of being a victim:

Know the numbers of those you know and trust. Save numbers to your phone if you have a cell phone.
If there is silence when you answer, respond with silence. Any noise can alert the company that you are a potential target.
Hang up immediately. Do not give them the chance to reply.
If an unwanted caller responds, save them as a “Marketer” (I have over 50 numbers saved as under the name “Marketer”)
Again, if it is a machine or someone from a foreign company trying to sell you something like “pharmaceuticals,” block the number.

The phone is your friend! It allows you to reach people, to communicate with others, and to stay safe. Don’t let robodialers ruin your phone freedom!

For more information, here is the NPR article. Or you can listen below.

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Proposed Changes to the VA’s Home Aid And Attendance Program

Posted on March 9, 2015August 28, 2015 by admin

The VA is proposing changes to the Aid and Attendance program. It is an attempt to streamline the system to award it faster while preventing those without economic or physical need from receiving it.

In January of this year, the Department of Veteran Affairs made some suggested changes to programs that it offers to veterans in need, including the Aid and Attendance program.

You can find the proposed changes in their entirety here. The changes come because of a 2012 report issued by the GAO.

Reasons for the change:

Pension Used By Those Not In Need Financially or Physically: The VA had concerns that veterans and others were attempting to hide assets in order to gain access to the programs that were meant for needs-based veterans and their surviving spouses. Also, they felt that people were using the pension who did not really need it as they do not need care in the home.
Excessive Care Costs: The VA desired to put a cap on the amount per hour that care companies charge for home care standards to come more in line with industry standards.
Slow Response Time For Help: The VA realized that the speed at which they were able to award the pension was hindered by the complexity of the current application process, both to the VA and to those applying for the program. They feel the new regulations will allow the VA to award the pension in a more timely manner.

Proposed Changes:

Establish a 3-year look-back for claimants to see if they are trying to hide assets through “gifts.”
Deny any expenses related to independent living facilities as care costs UNLESS the veteran and/or spouse requires assistance with two or more activities of daily living (eating, bathing, getting dressed, etc).
Impose penalties for up to 10 years for claimants who transfer assets before applying for pension to create the appearance of economic need where it does not exist
Create a bright-line net worth standard of $119,220, which includes annual income (not including their residence – the goal is to streamline the process so qualified veterans and their spouses can get the award faster)
Require veterans to sell their homestead property if the lot coverage exceeds 2 acres.
Create a maximum amount that care companies can charge per hour for services.

We at 1 Assist Care have seen veterans and their spouses struggle as they have had to wait for approval for a program. Anything the VA can do to speed up the process, we are highly in favor of.

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Dad losing interest in his hobbies? What might really be happening

Posted on April 19, 2014February 25, 2015 by admin

As your mother and father continue to age, are you finding that one of them is starting to lose interest in hobbies they always loved?

Grandpa losing interest in activities he once loved? Do not jump to conclusions – there might be more going on that you realize.

Apathy might not be the problem. And do not be so quick to blame the temperament of someone with old age.

A recent study out of in the journal Neurology suggests that something else might be afoot.

According to the study’s author, apathy in the elderly may actually be a sign of dementia. How so? The loss of interest may be a sign of shrinking amounts of grey and white matter in the brain.

Does that mean that all apathy in seniors is a sure sign of Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia? Definitely not. The key to look for? Ask yourself this one question. Does your loved one suffer from depression? According to research, seniors who experienced apathy WITHOUT depression is an indicator that the individual may be suffering from some sort of dementia.

There is still more research to conduct, but if you find your loved one lacking emotion, it might be time to schedule some time to visit with their doctor.

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Alzheimer’s: The Toll On Women

Posted on March 19, 2014February 25, 2015 by admin

Pink is a great color. We run marathons wearing it. College and professional athletes wear it. It serves to remind us well the toll that breast cancer impacts women.

Did you know there is a disease that inflicts twice as many women as breast cancer? According to the Alzheimer’s Association 2014 Facts and Figures report, women over 60 have a 1 in 6 chance of developing Alzheimer’s. Men have a 1 in 11 chance.

Maybe it is time to start wearing purple along with pink.

There are five million people in the United States afflicted with Alzheimer’s with half a million people dying each year due to the disease.

The impact on women puts them at the epicenter. Consider these facts:

Two-thirds of those living with the disease are women
Women are 2.5 times more likely than men to provide intensive “on-duty” care 24 hours a day for someone with Alzheimer’s
Over 60 percent of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers are women
20% of women (compared with 3% of men) switch from full-time to part-time work in order to assume responsibilities as caregivers
Women caregivers report feeling more isolated and depressed than men
Women are more likely to take a leave of absence from work or stop working altogether

While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, awareness of the disease is a great first step.

1 Assist Care of the Valley: Assisted Living at Home is partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association to bring Alzheimer’s support groups to Rexburg to serve caregivers and those in the early stages of the disease from Rigby to Driggs and everywhere in between. To stay informed about the support groups and to stay informed about Alzheimer’s Disease, fill out your information below.

And don’t forget to like us on Facebook, follow us on Pinterest, and subscribe to this blog (scroll to the top of the page and look to the right of the post)

For more information on Alzheimer’s in Idaho, click the link below.

Alzheimer’s Disease: Idaho Facts and Figures

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Husband’s Health Crucial to Happy Marriages for Seniors

Posted on March 18, 2014February 25, 2015 by admin

Health, it does a marriage good.

Well, a husband’s health. And if the couple has been married for at least 39 years.

According to a study out in the Journal of Marriage and Family, researchers found that the healthier and more positive the husband was, the less likely there was to be marital contention. In the study, it was the wives who reported higher levels of conflict.

The report was not focused on violence or fighting, but rather the amount that one spouse criticizes the other, makes too many demands on the other, or gets on one another’s nerves in general.

On the other hand, the health of a wife does not impact an elderly couple’s relationship for good or for bad.

So what to do?

There are a number of things seniors can do to feel healthier. As discussed in a previous posts, that can be as simple as standing, attending peer discussion groups, or receiving home care. Those that did the latter two actually felt twice as healthy as those who did not after a period of two years.

1 Assist Care of the Valley: Assisted Living at Home will be offering support groups in Rexburg much like groups currently being offered in Idaho Falls. Additionally, 1 Assist Care of the Valley offers care at home to seniors so they do not need to go to nursing homes.

To find out more about assisted living care you can receive at home or about the monthly support meetings, fill out your information below. Or you can call us at 557-4215.

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Chocolate: Increasing brain speed in seniors never tasted so good

Posted on March 5, 2014February 25, 2015 by admin

This was too fun not to share. Well, these two things.

First, turns out that eating dark chocolate may actually help seniors increase how quickly their brain processes things. Mind you, the study was sponsored by Mars, the company responsible for giving us M&M’s and Snickers bars. Nevertheless, it worked.

<a href=”http://www.valleyhelpathome.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Senior-Drinking-Hot-Cocoa.jpg”><img class=”size-full wp-image-491″ alt=”Elderly Hot Chocolate Improve Health” src=”http://www.valleyhelpathome.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Senior-Drinking-Hot-Cocoa.jpg” width=”198″ height=”296″ /></a> A little bit of chocolate may make your brain go a long way.

The study, published in August 2012’s American Heart Association’s journal, Hypertension, followed 90 seniors with mild cognitive impairment broken into three groups. Each group was given a certain amount of hot cocoa to drink. The group that drank the most hot cocoa actually saw “significantly higher overall cognitive scores.”

Now the only question left is, which chocolate to choose?

Fortunately, last November, Cook’s Illustrated published which chocolate they recommend to use when cooking.

And that can be found by clicking here: <a href=”http://bit.ly/1ic7zzz” target=”_blank”>Cook’s Illustrated Dark Chocolate Taste</a>

1 Assist Care of the Valley Senior Care: Assisted Living At Home provides assisted living services to seniors living in East Idaho from Idaho Falls to Rexburg to Driggs and everywhere in between. Part of our services include preparing meals, which can include dark chocolate recipes.

To find out more about our assisted living services that allow seniors to stay in their own home, give us a call at 208-557-4215.

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When Exercise Isn’t Enough – The One Thing That Will Increase Elderly Health By 50%

Posted on March 1, 2014February 25, 2015 by admin

<a href=”http://www.valleyhelpathome.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Sitting-Senior.jpg”><img class=”alignleft wp-image-480″ alt=”Helping Seniors To Walk In East Idaho” src=”http://www.valleyhelpathome.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Sitting-Senior.jpg” width=”379″ height=”216″ /></a>So it turns out that exercise is just not enough. Not that the solution is terribly difficult, but in this case, knowing is way more than half of the battle.

<a href=”http://www.news-medical.net/news/20140220/Sedentary-behavior-may-be-a-risk-factor-for-disability-once-we-reach-our-60s.aspx” target=”_blank”>A recent study</a> published in Journal of Physical Activity and Health found that the more time a senior spent sitting, even if they spent time exercising, the more likely the senior’s health would lead to disability.

The likelihood is pretty dramatic – to the tune of 50% more per extra hour sitting.

Take this example. If two 70 year old men had similar health and exercise profiles, but one sat for 12 hours a day while the other sat for 13, the second man is 50% more likely to be disabled.

Does that mean sitting is dangerous? What it means is that it is important to get up and move around. If you want to watch TV, work on the computer, or play games, try to doing so while spending more time standing. It might seem silly, but it is the difference between health and disability.

Looking for someone to help get you moving in one of Idaho Falls parks? Wanting to find someone to go walking with your mother around the block in Rexburg? Hoping you could just get someone to walk with your father in his house in Driggs? Worried your loved one might be sitting too much at their cabin in Island Park? Wanting to give your wife a little extra walking time in the Ashton Living Center? 1 Assist Care of the Valley: Assisted Living in the Home’s care team members are more than happy to walk with our elderly clients. Focusing on the emotional, social, and physical well-being of our clients, 1 Assist Care of the Valley’s team members follow care plans generated to help with that well-being while receiving assisted living care in their home. That could mean a few hours a day or a few hours a week.

Give us a call at 208-557-4215 or fill out the information below to learn more or to schedule a free home visit. We will then work with you to create a care plan to get moving and to help with your other objectives for your well being, or the well being of your loved one.

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Two Simple Secrets Seniors Can Do To Be Twice As Healthy

Posted on February 24, 2014February 25, 2015 by admin

Want to be twice as healthy as others your age?

Sweden has your answer*.

A study out from the Scandinavian country found that people aged 80 and older that did one of two things were twice as healthy as those their age in two years.

That is a lot of twos.

But what are those two things? They were:

Receive home visits from care workers
Attend senior group meetings

The other positive outcome of those who participated in the group meetings was that after a year they were less likely to rate their health as having deteriorated.

The results “amazed” Gerontologist Gwen Yeo, a former director of the Stanford School of Medicine Geriatric Education Center.

As seniors attended group meetings, they learned from their peers, which boosted their self esteem – as did seeing how others were able to age gracefully.

While Yeo said she did not see American health system providing these types of meetings, starting in April, 2014, 1 Assist Care of the Valley Senior Care: Assisted Living At Home In East Idaho will partner with Phoenix Media Enterprises of Rexburg and others to provide monthly group sessions for seniors and their families to gather together. The meetings will be two fold. First, to learn from other seniors and their support network on how to age gracefully. The second will be to learn from experts on how to prepare for and to know the options available to them when aging.

Essentially, these will be the types of meetings that the Swedish study has shown to help the health of the elderly.

Seniors that are less comfortable or unable to attend group meetings also have the option of using 1 Assist Care of the Valley to receive home visits and receive the same kind of care in their home as they would in an assisted living facility. 1 Assist Care of the Valley Senior Care of Rexburg sends caregivers into the homes of seniors living in Idaho Falls, Rexburg, Ashton, Driggs and between.

Yeo pointed out that home visits are becoming more commonplace in the U.S. as hospitals are working more closely with families to reduce trips to the emergency room and to reduce readmission rates, which hospitals can be penalized for.

Swedes live on average two years longer than those living in the United States. When it comes to life expectancy, the U.S. ranks 35th in the world while Sweden ranks tenth. Sweden’s elderly also have access to meals on wheels, help cleaning and shopping, personal-care assistance, transportation and home healthcare.

To find out more about assisted living care you can receive at home or about the monthly meetings starting in April, fill out your information below. Or you can call us at 557-4215.

* This information was originally reported by the Chicago Tribune.

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