As we age, normal changes in the body can affect the way we process medications. For example, liver and kidney function may decrease, which can affect how a drug breaks down and is eliminated from the body.  

"There is no question that physiology changes as we age. Many chronic medical conditions don't even appear until our later years," said Sandra L. Kweder, M.D., F.A.C.P., deputy director of the FDA Office of New Drugs. "It's not that people are falling to pieces; some changes are just part of the normal aging process."

Nine out of 10 people 65 and older want to stay in their home as long as possible. However, many will need assistance to do so. That’s where in-home care comes in.

Home care helps seniors continue to live in their own home and continue to do all the things they love.

By Bryn Huntpalmer 

If you stop to think about it, you can probably recall a time a social worker made a life-changing difference for you, your loved ones or your neighbors. Consider the social worker who fielded an emotional hotline call about mental health services. What about the social worker who reviewed that lengthy, complicated Medicaid application?
Maybe it was the school social worker who counseled an errant child about behavior concerns. Or perhaps a social worker who led the grief counseling sessions you attended after a loved one died.

Given all the impact social workers have on us personally and the world at large, it’s good to take a few moments during Social Work Month to applaud their strengths:

Walkers can help seniors remain independent and safe by providing stability and assurance. If not used properly, though, walkers and other assistive walking devices can cause the accidents they were meant to prevent. It’s crucial to select a walker suited to your needs, learn how to use it correctly and maintain the walker's integrity.

Recent technology advances have made it easier for older adults to remain at home and independent, while assuring adult children their loved one is safe. Seniors don’t need every gizmo and gadget; however, the following devices can help them age in place:

By Emily Lord, executive director, HealthCare Ready

The Louisiana floods in August of 2016 destroyed more than 60,000 homes and forced more than 15,000 people into shelters at the height of the disaster. These floods were not caused by a massive hurricane like Katrina in 2005 but by tons and tons of rain. No one expected rain to cause the damage on the scale it did. It is a powerful lesson that we need to always be prepared to protect ourselves and those we care for, especially the elderly who are more vulnerable than most because of limited mobility and additional health care needs.

While disaster preparedness sounds overwhelming and yet another thing to add to your to-do list, there are easy, low cost ways to protect the health of your family or those to whom you provide care. There are many organizations that provide preparedness training and toolkits, including the American Red Cross and the CDC, but they don’t always include health care preparedness. Here are a few key things to think about when planning.

Home should be a place of comfort and safety. As time passes, however, we can become a little too comfortable in those familiar surroundings to recognize emerging safety concerns. For this reason, living safely at home can turn into a challenge for older adults. 

With increasing age, vision and hearing become less acute, balance is less steady and reaction time slows. Household and personal tasks that were once easy and safe to complete can turn into difficult and dangerous activities.

Make Necessary Repairs

Make it a priority to look around your loved one's home for potential safety hazards. Take time to check that all appliances, electrical devices and outlets are in good working order. If necessary, make repairs and replacements. It's important to personally assess the situation. Your loved one may be reluctant to bring any household problems to your attention due to concerns about costs, maintaining personal independence or simply not wanting to make extra work for you. 

Late spring and early summer mark the beginning of vacations for many people. However, while you are relaxing poolside, fraudsters are working hard to snatch your money. Here are four scams to beware during these vacationing months.

Phishing for a Plane Ticket

Have you ever received an email to confirm a purchase you made online? The same principle applies, except you never reserved a flight. Con artists create realistic email confirmations with an airline’s logo, PDF attachments, and links claiming to take you to the airline’s help desk or home page. You may be inclined to select one of the links or attachments to try to figure out this obvious error. However, once the link or attachment is clicked, malware infiltrates your computer and can gather personal or financial information. If you are concerned about a suspicious email, directly contact your airline. Delta Air Lines, for example, has a page on their website dedicated to combating phishing emails.

As a senior care service provider, safety is a top priority. We want to ensure that you senior is as comfortable as possible while being safe and cared for. Some safety concerns are obvious, but other safety concerns may not have crossed your mind. Below are some in-home safety concerns you should keep in mind.