August 7, 2017 by Dean Bellefeuille
Feeling safe, protected and cared for is so wonderful. Dads and moms thrive on ensuring their young children are enveloped within the comfort of knowing their needs will be satisfied, providing the safety net that permits them the self-confidence to explore the world about them. Yet there comes a phase in all children’s lives when the craving for self-sufficiency outweighs the benefit of protection, and they have to discover firsthand what it means to stumble, fall and get back up again by themselves. (more…)
June 8, 2017 by Dean Bellefeuille
The ability to leave the house and travel through Syracuse or wherever we want whenever we want is a freedom that we often take for granted. For older adults, driving is much more than just a mode of transportation; it symbolizes both competence and independence. And the thought of giving up that independence can be very difficult, particularly for seniors with Alzheimer’s.
The need for sustained concentration and quick reaction time tends to decline as we age, and for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease, this process accelerates dramatically, making it hard for family and friends to determine when it’s time for the senior to stop driving and find alternate transportation options. (more…)
May 11, 2017 by Dean Bellefeuille
Alzheimer’s disease has become somewhat of an epidemic in recent years, and it’s gotten harder and harder to tell fact from fiction when it comes to symptoms, treatments, and risk factors.
The Alzheimer’s care specialists from At Home Independent Living in Syracuse, NY are here to help. We’ve confronted some of the most common myths and revealed the truths behind them:
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May 5, 2017 by Dean Bellefeuille
Imagine waking up in a room you don’t recognize, unable to remember how you got there or even what your name is. Your total confusion swiftly turns into fear and maybe rage, and you find yourself yelling at the stranger at your bedside who is trying to help you calm down. (more…)
January 27, 2017 by Dean Bellefeuille
Millions of Americans find themselves in the position of providing senior care for an older loved one, and while being a family caregiver is rewarding in many ways, daily senior care can become monotonous for both the caregiver and the care recipient. At Home Independent Living wants to help you put the fun back in your loved one’s daily routine, and all it takes is a little creativity. Test out some of these ideas to help brighten your loved one’s day and make everyday senior care more exciting:
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September 15, 2016 by Dean Bellefeuille
Looking around at the home where you grew up, the home where your parents still live, can bring forth a flood of memories. The cubby under the stairs that was your secret reading nook away from all of your brothers and sisters. The family room fireplace where everyone gathered to play games and tell stories after dinner. You know that your parents want to age in place in the comfort and familiarity of their own home, but as they continue to become more frail, it could be time to consider a form of senior assisted living, such as home care. (more…)
September 12, 2016 by Dean Bellefeuille
An innovative concept, “design thinking,” has become connected to products designed particularly for the elderly. However, in its true form, design thinking actually encompasses a wider purpose: creating product solutions that make life more comfortable – whether the user is young or old. (more…)
March 23, 2016 by Dean Bellefeuille
For family members in the Syracuse, NY area who provide care to senior or disabled loved ones, caring for others can feel like your entire world. Caring for the many and varied needs of elderly parents, teenagers, a spouse, a career, pets, a home (or two!) leaves little, if any, time to care for yourself, and can leave you feeling exhausted and stressed. It isn’t just hard to do it all, it’s impossible to do it all equally well, and it’s more than OK to admit that!
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January 13, 2016 by Dean Bellefeuille
As many as 20 to 40 percent of seniors report feelings of loneliness, and while loneliness is certainly no fun, recent statistics show an even more disturbing trend for lonely seniors. According to research from the University of Chicago, seniors who suffer from loneliness and isolation are twice as unhealthy as those who are obese, and have a 14 percent greater risk of dying earlier than those who are more socially engaged.
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January 7, 2016 by Dean Bellefeuille
Technology is constantly changing our everyday lives. We have robots that can vacuum our floors for us, all the information we need fits in tiny cell phones, and our cars may soon be driving themselves! Technology is even changing how we provide care for seniors. Today we have devices that can remind an older adult when to take medication, alert caregivers if a senior gets up in the middle of the night, and even track the GPS location of an older person who tends to wander. And the landscape of senior care technology is continuing to change. Consider, for instance, these examples of how life for older adults may soon be impacted by more technology:
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