November is Diabetes Awareness Month
According to the American Diabetes Association, one in 11 Americans has diabetes, while another 86 million adults are at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. If left untreated, diabetes can cause severe health problems including blindness, kidney and heart disease, nerve damage and more. Fortunately, diabetes can be managed, and those with pre-diabetes can […]
Diabetes and The Holidays
Living with Diabetes: Satisfying Your Sweet Tooth Halloween is just the first of many “treat” laden holidays coming up in the next few months. Keeping desserts in check this time of year can be difficult for even the strongest willed among us—but for anyone living with diabetes it can be downright dangerous not too. The […]
Understanding the Link Between Environmental Exposures and Breast Cancer
With 1 in 8 women getting breast cancer in their lives, it’s not a matter of if you or a loved one will be affected but rather when. Most people are aware that breast cancer can run in families and that poor lifestyle choices like smoking, being overweight, and leading a sedentary lifestyle can put […]
Take Charge of Your Health!
Do you know what BMI means? How about how many hours of physical activity you should participate in each week? Any idea what the appropriate serving size is for meals? While the answers to these questions are only part of what it means to be healthy, they are critical to your ability to take charge […]
Upcoming Events for Seniors in the Lowcountry
The Lowcountry Senior Center’s mission is to empower older adults ages 50+ “for personal independence, healthy aging, social connection, and life-long learning in the Lowcountry.” If you are a senior or caregiver in the Charleston area, the center is a great resource for healthy living and aging. They offer classes, workshops, informational sessions and a […]
Emergency Planning with the Elderly In Mind
With the busiest stretch of hurricane season ahead of us, it’s time to re-check your emergency kits and review your evacuation plans. If you are an older American or caring for an elderly loved one, your emergency preparedness plan should take additional things into consideration to keep everyone safe. There are a number of situations […]
Is It Time to Hire In Home Care?
Are you a family caregiver struggling to meet the demands of a full or part time career while taking care of your elderly parent? Have the constant demands of family caregiving started to take a toll on your own physical and emotional health and wellness? Do you wish to retain your independence while you age […]
Working Caregiver: What Are My Rights?
Dealing with the declining health of a loved one can be emotionally taxing in and of itself but easily becomes overwhelming when the person is also balancing career and other family demands. According to the AARP Public Policy Institute’s 2012 report by Lynn Feinburg and Rita Choula, Understanding the Impact of Family Caregiving on Work, […]
The Staggering Cost of Being a Family Caregiver
How can you quantify the work of a family caregiver? The countless hours spent cooking, cleaning, shopping, bathing, paying bills, navigating the health care system, driving, worrying, loving, crying, stressing? A recent study by the AARP, entitled Valuing the Invaluable: 2015 Update, estimates that the economic value of unpaid family caregiving approached $470 billion in […]
June is National Safety Month
You might not realize it, but injuries, especially preventable ones, are a leading cause of disability. Tragically, many injuries can also be fatal, and according to the National Safety Council, they are a leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 1 and 44. The most common (and preventable) injuries are caused by […]