Elder Care Cafe

Welcome back!As a long time fan of Debbie Macomber’s Cabot Cove and Blossom Street novels, I was thrilled when she wrote her first nonfiction book, Knit Together. The book starts out with a wonderful introduction by Liz Curtis Higgs who calls Debbie a savvy mentor who helps point the way to our God-given purpose in life. [...]

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We were very blessed this week to have been invited to join in a blog carnival at EldercareABCblog.com. This was their premier blog carnival, and they did a great job putting everything together. What is a blog carnival? From www.BlogCarnival.com comes this definition: We love the idea of blog carnivals where someone takes the time [...]

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One of the great cunundrums of life is knowing how important exercise is, and yet not having enough energy to exercise. Somehow we need to turn that concept on its ear. No matter how old we are, exercise matters. It matters in keeping our muscles as strong as possible for as long as we can. [...]

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As I was thumbing through the March/April 2009 AARP magazine, a couple of thoughts came to mind. The article Dirt Cheap Eats reminded me of growing up on a farm in the 1950s where we raised most of our own produce. We rarely had store-bought food, loaves of white bread and an occasional ice cream come [...]

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In my ongoing quest to live a healthy lifestyle as I decrease in size, I am going to weigh-in, so to speak, every Wednesday. I’m not on a “diet”, but I am following a healthy lifestyle plan. I have already lost weight, but I’m going to wait until next week to report the results of the last [...]

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As most of us know, we need more fiber in our diets to maintain a healthy lifestyle. With the average American only getting 16 grams per day, and experts telling us we need at least 20-30 grams per day, we need to take a look at how we can add fiber to our eating plans. [...]

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For many years you have heard how important fiber is to your health. Fiber can help lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease and type-2 diabetes, stabilize your blood sugar, keep you regular, and keep you feeling full. But what is fiber, where can you get it, and how much do you need? Good questions, all! What is dietary fiber [...]

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As churches struggle to find relevance in a rapidly changing world, more and more people are dropping out of regular church attendance and opting for the golf course instead. The religion that worked for our forefathers is not working in todays fast-paced full-speed-ahead world. Although many baby boomers still believe in God, they do not see [...]

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Whether we are concerned about the present state of the economy, struggle with random aches and pains, or have a lumpy outdated mattress, studies show that senior citizens are not getting enough sleep. As studies show how important sleep is – one even said the more sleep we get, the more weight we will lose; [...]

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A number of years ago, my uncle died after having portions of both legs amputated due to complications from diabetes. My father was diagnosed with diabetes in the 1980s, and for quite some time he has faithfully followed a proper foot care regimen.   One of the most important steps he has taken is to [...]

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The earlier someone is diagnosed with diabetes, the sooner they and their health care provider can take the necessary steps to prevent or delay complications. In many cases the diagnosis can be reversed just by making changes in someones life such as reducing their weight, eating healthier meals, and starting an exercise program. There are very [...]

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The best description for diabetes is a chronic condition that stems from the body’s inability to sufficiently produce and/or properly use insulin. Unfortunately, diabetes can lead to serious complications and premature death. There are a number of ways people can avoid becoming a diabetic, or those who have been diagnosed as prediabetic can reduce the likelihood [...]

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In the world of Alzheimer’s studies, it seems new information is coming out almost daily. The increasing number of research studies continue to provide the health care industry with important updates as our growing senior population struggles with this dreaded disease. Almost every family has been hit with the devastating news that a loved one has dementia or Alzheimer’s. [...]

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Recently, I read several articles encouraging people to unplug electronics when they are not in use. Now I shut down my computer and turn off the power strip as soon as I am finished for the day. I’ve also looked around the house for other ways to save energy, including unplugging the two cell phone chargers when [...]

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A Detroit Free Press article today highlights the problem many people have as they cut back on health care. More people are cutting back on visits to the doctor and dentist, opting instead for free clinics. Unfortunately, many of the free clinics are getting overwhelmed with new patients of all ages culminating in long waits, stressed health care workers, [...]

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