Paul and Lori Hogan, founders of Home Instead Senior Care, the world’s largest provider of non-medical in-home care for seniors, have taken their experiences as both family caregivers and senior care professionals and written Stages of Senior Care: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Best Decisions (November 2009/McGraw-Hill/$18.95). Continue reading

There’s the report due at work today that she’s not had time to prepare, afternoon soccer practice for her son and a school board meeting that night. Then, somewhere in the brief free moments of her day, she must find time for her mother: Eighty-four-year-old mom at home alone, who can’t drive anymore or reach into the cupboard to pull out a box of cereal or see well enough to take her correct dose of medication. Continue reading

Following, from the National Association of Triads, Inc., an 18-year-old organization that is part of the National Sheriffs’ Association, and Home Instead Senior Care, are the top five senior scams and how they work: Continue reading

Because scammers often target seniors who are alone or appear lonely, just knowing that a senior has someone to look out for him or her can be an important deterrent and help prevent devastating consequences. Continue reading

The following tips from Home Instead Senior Care and senior care professionals can help older adults feel more secure at night. Continue reading

Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, nighttime can be a frightening time for seniors, especially those who are living alone. Many of these problems that occur with seniors at night are rooted in the physical changes that take place as the result of aging Continue reading

bring back the joy of gardening to seniors who are having difficulty maintaining gardens or who have given up gardening altogether because of illness or the conditions of aging. Continue reading

Caregivers & Companions for the Elderly Bonded & Insured, Trained & Supervised Hourly & Live-In Skokie: (847) 673-1250; Park Ridge: (847) 518-1400; Chicago: (773) 463-3500 www.homeinstead.com/383 contact: [email protected] Popular activities that incorporate movement are often the best way to keep seniors active “Exercise” is the dirty word that often turns... Continue reading

Caregivers & Companions for the Elderly Bonded & Insured, Trained & Supervised Hourly & Live-In Skokie: (847) 673-1250; Park Ridge: (847) 518-1400; Chicago: (773) 463-3500 www.homeinstead.com/383 contact: [email protected] How to tell when the elderly need assistance to stay safe and comfortable at home What today’s seniors want most is to... Continue reading

Stephen Covey partnered with Home Instead Senior Care in 2004 to apply his 7 Habits to the unique role of a family caregiver. These habits can provide help to families who are struggling with back-to-school stress. Continue reading

caregivers eventually burn out, emotionally or physically, the lives of those they are caring for often follow suit. While most outreach efforts target the sufferers of Alzheimer’s and dementia, a local company – Home Instead Senior Care – and a national non-profit advocacy group are teaming up to help their forgotten caregivers Continue reading

we're giving one lucky caregiver hero a free, 5-day cruise - and while they're gone, we'll provide professional care for their loved one. Continue reading

Stress is especially high for adult children who are caring and cooking for someone with several nutritional risk factors. Of the caregivers who rated their lives as extremely stressful, 67 percent were caring for loved ones with three or more nutritional risk factors compared with 33 percent of caregivers whose seniors had fewer than three nutritional risk factors. Continue reading

In Chicago we see seniors every day whose health is being impacted by such issues as multiple medications and illnesses. That makes nutritious and delicious meals an important tool in keeping seniors well-armed to stand firm against the ravages of aging. It’s really the first line of defense. Continue reading

"Stages of Senior Care" serves as a comprehensive guide for the ever-expanding world of senior care, breaking down the process by addressing the shared concerns of seniors and their family members. Featuring more than 30 sources from the most credible major healthcare organizations, universities and nonprofit organizations, the Hogans thoroughly explain each and every aspect of senior care, including ... Continue reading

...a public education campaign to help families determine if living together is a good idea and to provide tips on how to make such an arrangement work well for seniors as well as their family caregivers if they do decide to combine households. Continue reading

Caregivers & Companions for the Elderly Bonded & Insured, Trained & Supervised Hourly & Live-In Skokie: (847) 673-1250; Park Ridge: (847) 518-1400; Chicago: (773) 463-3500 www.homeinstead.com/383 contact: [email protected] World Elder Abuse Awareness Day – June 15th! Attention All Caregivers to the Elderly: The Illinois Department on Aging, as well as... Continue reading

Caregivers & Companions for the Elderly Bonded & Insured, Trained & Supervised Hourly & Live-In Skokie: (847) 673-1250; Park Ridge: (847) 518-1400; Chicago: (773) 463-3500 www.homeinstead.com/383 contact: [email protected] Adult children who move a senior into their home, or who move into a senior’s home, should ensure that their loved ones... Continue reading

...a public education campaign to help families determine if living together is a good idea and to provide tips on how to make such an arrangement work well for seniors as well as their family caregivers if they do decide to combine households. Continue reading

Caregivers & Companions for the Elderly Bonded & Insured, Trained & Supervised Hourly & Live-In Skokie: (847) 673-1250; Park Ridge: (847) 518-1400; Chicago: (773) 463-3500 www.homeinstead.com/383 contact: [email protected] Meet the owners of Home Instead Senior Care in Skokie & Chicago: For more information on Home Instead Senior Care in Chicago... Continue reading

...you seem to see the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in hindsight. When my siblings (who thankfully also reside locally in Chicago & the North Shore area) and I finally accepted it, we could see that he had been starting to show symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease much earlier than we actually realized. Continue reading

As a caregiving spouse, you may begin to feel very isolated from friends and feel tremendous guilt about your own unmet needs. There can also be a sense of loss, especially if your spouse suffers from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. So how do you know if caregiving is becoming too risky for you? Continue reading

Just 15-20 minutes here and there each day when you can focus on yourself will make a world of difference in managing your caregiver stress. According to a new Home Instead Senior Care survey, 55 percent of the family caregivers that eventually employed their professional caregiving services appeared to have above average or significant levels of stress as they came on board. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Continue reading

Spousal caregivers often feel so much stress since they also live with the person they are caring for, which doesn’t provide for any breaks physically or emotionally. “It is important that the spouse continue to do some of the activities she or he likes, whether it is singing in the church choir or going to the monthly book club meeting, so that he or she continues to socialize outside of the home and give themselves a breather,” advises Richard Schulz, Ph.D., caregiver stress expert at the University of Pittsburgh. Continue reading

Growing evidence through the years has linked the sun to dangers such as skin cancer, particularly for the elderly. According to the American Cancer Society, one risk factor for skin cancer -- actinic keratoses (AKs) -- occurs most often in those who are middle-aged or older with light skin who have been exposed to too much sun. Small, scaly patches on the face, ears, backs of the hands and arms characterize AKs. Continue reading