Senior Helpers encourages seniors and their families to be sun smart after new FDA sunscreen guidelines

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Each year, nearly a million people in this country will learn they have skin cancer…and the risk continues to rise as you get older. Senior Helpers of Central Texas, one of the leading in-home providers of senior care from Austin to Georgetown, is raising awareness about new FDA guidelines regarding sunscreens, which apply to people of all ages, not just young children and adults.

“Unprotected skin can be damaged by the sun’s UV rays in as little as 15 minutes, according to the American Cancer Society,” says Moire Hayes, CEO of Senior Helpers of Central Texas. “Most skin cancers appear after the age of 45 and it’s never too late to protect yourself from the sun. We encourage seniors to get some fresh air and exercise to stay active, but their skin is more sensitive than others. Even if they’re going outside for a short 15 minute walk, our caregivers are there to help them apply their sunscreen as needed.”

What We’ve Learned From the FDA’s New Sunscreen Guidelines:

Sun protection is an important public health issue for people of all ages. The FDA just released their new guidelines when it comes to proper product labeling and UVA protection.

• There is no such thing as “sweat proof” and “waterproof” sunscreens. These words are no longer allowed on sunscreen labels.

• Sunscreens can claim to be “water resistant” but the company has to put a label on their product stating the sunscreen only offers 40 or 80 minutes of protection while swimming or sweating.

• You must reapply sunscreen every two hours for continued sun protection.

• Use sunscreens with UVA and UVB protection, also known as “broad spectrum” protection.

• Only broad spectrum sunscreens with 15 SPF or higher provide any type of sun protection (15 – 30 SPF is recommended).

“The sun doesn’t discriminate against age,” says Frank Hayes of Senior Helpers of Central Texas. “When seniors are exposed to too much sun, they risk being severely dehydrated. Our caregivers can make sure the seniors are eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, drinking water, or taking a cool bath to help prevent and/or recover from dehydration. They can also provide ways for seniors to socialize without having to be out in the sun, such as taking their daily walk inside malls or museums; or making sure they’re in the shade and properly protecting themselves while spending time outside. ”

Give Your Senior the Gift of Sun Protection:

• Special UV radiation-absorbing clothes – the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends clothing with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of 30 or higher.

• Wrap-around sunglasses that offer UV protection.

• A hat with at least a three-inch brim all the way around – sun hats provide protection for not only your head, face and ears, but also your neck, shoulders and upper back.

• Look for products that have earned the Skin Cancer Seal of Recommendation.

This story affects all seniors and their families in Central Texas. Help us spread the word about skin cancer and sun safety for senior citizens.

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Sources: American Cancer Society, the Skin Cancer Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About Senior Helpers of Central Texas 

Senior Helpers Provides in home senior care services throughout Central Texas servicing Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park and all surrounding areas. We provide a wide range of personal and companion care services to assist seniors living independently with a strong focus on quality of life for the client and peace of mind for their families. Home care services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a thorough background check. Senior Helpers strives to be the leading companion and personal care provider that offers dependable, consistent and affordable home care. Learn more about Senior Helpers at www.HomeHealthCareAustin.com or www.SeniorHelpers.com/RoundRock

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New Quiz Helps You Decide If Dear Ol’ Dad Needs Help

Research shows dads won’t ask for help 

Quiz helps adult children have that ‘oh-­‐so tough’ talk

(June 9, 2011) - It’s one of the most difficult conversations adult children can have with aging parents, especially those stubborn dads. Can your parents live independently? Or is time to reach out for help? Just in time for Father’s Day, Senior Helpers, a leading in-­‐home care provider, has created a new quiz for adult children to determine their father’s self-­‐sufficiency. The Stay At Home Score Quiz (www.stayathomescore.com) has eight easy questions that help families make difficult decisions about the independence of their aging loved ones.

“It’s a common scenario for aging parents, especially independent dads, to insist they’re well enough to live in their own homes even if they’re not,” says Dr. John Bowling, senior care and positive aging expert, and creator of the Senior Helpers’ Stay At Home Score Quiz. “After years of research, I developed this quiz to give adult children a guideline to determine their parents’ needs, if they are self-­‐sufficient, if they can live at home with help from an in-­‐home caregiver, or if it’s time to move them to a place where they get round-­‐the-­‐clock care.”

Stay At Home Score Quiz

The quiz was developed after decades of working with the elderly and studying the aging process that may suddenly make it unhealthy and unsafe for a senior citizen to live alone.

Sample Quiz Questions:

• Does your dad have easy access to a caring support system of family and friends whom he can rely on for daily assistance with physical, financial, and emotional needs?

• Does your dad regularly cook for himself, shop for groceries without assistance, and keep the home well-­‐stocked with fresh and healthy foods?

• Does your dad maintain the same level of social activity and friendships that he did five years ago?

After taking the quiz, Dr. Bowling says adult children will have at least a good discussion point about the self sufficiency of dad or any aging loved one.

“This quiz would’ve been a great tool to help my mom focus on our dad’s condition instead of her own emotions about not wanting to bring in outside help,” says Susie Thomas of Madison, Alabama. Susie’s father is 74 years old with a neurodegenerative disease called ALS. “When my siblings and I were all trying to talk my mom into hiring a caregiver for Dad, I think she felt like we were ganging up on her. It would’ve been nice to sit down and show her this quiz and use it as a mediator to provide an unbiased opinion. Now, we have such a peace of mind knowing my dad is in good hands.”

Six Telling Signs (regarding your father) That You Should Take the Stay At Home Score Quiz (Source: the Council on Aging):

• Poor eating habits -­‐ resulting in weight loss, no appetite or missed meals.
• Neglected hygiene -­‐ wearing dirty clothes, body odor, neglected nails and teeth.
• Neglected home -­‐ it’s not as clean or sanitary as you remember growing up.
• Scorched pots and pans -­‐ shows forgetfulness for dinner cooking on the stove.
• Unopened mail, newspaper piles, missed appointments.
• Mishandled finances -­‐ losing money, paying bills twice or hiding money.

The Stay At Home Score Quiz would have been a big help for a Senior Helpers client, Arnie, a 78-­‐year-­‐old veteran with mild dementia. He was suffering from depression and not eating well, until he began receiving care from Senior Helpers. “I wish this quiz had been available years ago,” says licensed, clinical social worker, Anne Grasee, who cares for Arnie. “I could have introduced Arnie to Senior Helpers that much earlier.” She says Arnie’s life has turned around since he realized he needed outside help from a caregiver. He now has a companion who visits him and gets him out of the house on a weekly basis.

Other Study/Survey Findings About Dads:

• Dad will overwhelmingly choose to live at home and may try to prove he’s independent, even when he’s not. In a newly released national survey, 94% of fathers surveyed say they would rather live in their own home as they age instead of moving in with any of their children or to a nursing home or assisted living facility.

• Since men are competitive and success oriented by nature, Senior Helpers suggests to approach Dad by acknowledging the courage it takes to ask for and accept assistance and then pointing out why it is a good idea.

• The contrast between men’s and women’s help-­‐seeking behavior is a “growing concern,” according to a 2008 study from the University of Cincinnati and the Medical University of South Carolina. It found that in the U.S., boys learn at an early age that men should be strong, independent, tough and self-­‐ reliant.

TAKE THE 8 QUESTION QUIZ www.stayathomescore.com

About Senior Helpers of Central Texas 

Senior Helpers Provides Senior In Home Care Services in the Central, Texas area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check.
If you need Home Care services in Austin, Bartlett, Bertram, Briggs, Burnet, Cedar Park, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Holland, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Killeen, Leander, Liberty Hill, Manor, Marble Falls, Pflugerville, Round Mountain, Round Rock, Salado, Spicewood, Taylor and the surrounding areas we are an excellent choice with impeccable references. Home Health Care for your elderly loved ones is never an easy choice but we can promise we will do our best to make it as painless as possible. From our family to yours we sincerely thank you for considering Senior Helpers of Austin Home Health Care Company. Learn more about Senior Helpers at www.HomeHealthCareAustin.com or www.SeniorHelpers.com/RoundRock

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BEWARE THE LIGHT BULB POLICE!

On January 1, 2012, seven months from this week, Washington will effectively ban the sale of conventional 100 watt incandescent light bulbs that Americans have used nearly since the days of Thomas Edison. Instead we will all be required to buy compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs.

No matter how you feel about the issue, it's Not too late to stock up!

And, remember, every purchase you make through our Amazon affiliate is no cost to you and helps Austin Groups for The Elderly!

More bulk choices here for light bulbs.

Older drivers make mistakes, even when healthy

Older drivers make mistakes, even when healthy

Decline in brain functioning ability could affect driving skills for healthy, older population, study finds
By Amanda Chan
Aging is associated with an increase in crucial driving mistakes, even among healthy people with safe driving records, according to a new study.

The oldest people in the study, who were between ages 85 and 89, made four times as many critical errors in a driving test than the youngest people in the study, who were between ages 70 and 74, the study said.

Overall, 17 percent of the elderly drivers in the study made mistakes such as veering or failing to use check blind spots that caused the professional driving instructor accompanying them to hit the emergency brake or grab onto the steering wheel.

Aging causes declines in brain functioning ability, which could affect driving skills and the ability to ignore distractions while on the road, said researchers from Australian National University.
The study was published online this week in the journal Neuropsychology.
Testing driving skills
Researchers had 266 volunteers between the ages of 70 and 88 take some tests measuring how well their brain functions. None of the volunteers had any signs of dementia, they all lived independently and they all drove at least once a week

Then, the volunteers were taken out for a 12-mile drive. A professional driving instructor rode in the car with them and had access to a brake on the passenger's side of the vehicle, while an occupational therapist rode in the backseat to note critical errors, including speeding, veering, tailgating, sudden braking without cause and failing to check blind spots.
Among those who made the driving mistakes, the adults ages 70 to 74 made, on average, less than one critical error. But adults ages 85 to 89 made, on average, nearly four critical errors, according to the study. And the volunteers who had had an accident in the last five years were also the most likely to make a critical driving error.
Men and women made the same number of mistakes in the study. The most common mistake was failing to check blind spots, followed by veering across lanes of traffic and failing to use turn signals, the study said.
The finding shows that older drivers may need extra training or screening tests to ensure they can be safe on the road, said study researcher Kaarin J. Anstey, a psychologist who directs the Aging Research Unit at Australian National University.
Tips for elderly drivers
Elderly drivers ages 75 and older made up 7.5 percent of fatal car crashes and 3.1 percent of all car accidents in the United States in 2008. There were 30 fatal accidents for every 100,000 licensed drivers for people ages 75 and older, while there were only 20 fatal accidents for every 100,000 licensed drivers for people between ages 65 and 74, and 19 fatal accidents for every 100,000 licensed drivers for people between 55 and 64, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
As the Baby Boom generation grows older, the more elderly drivers there will be on the roads. In 2009, there were 33 million people age 65 and older with a driver's license, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC has some tips for older drivers to make sure everyone has a safe driving experience :

• Review medications with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure there are no side effects that can impair your driving ability.
• Get your eyes checked at least once a year, and always wear glasses or contact lenses while driving, if needed.
• Plan your driving route before you start driving.
• Don't tailgate; leave a large distance between you and the car in front of you.
• Avoid distractions such as cellphones, loud radios and eating.
• Consider public transportation if you don't feel safe driving.

Pass it on: Aging's effect on brain functioning could impact the ability of elderly people to drive.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43065601/ns/health-aging/

"Learn About Senior In Home Health Care in Austin, Texas Senior Helpers Provides Many services in the Austin, Texas area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check. If you need Home Care services in Austin, Bartlett, Bertram, Briggs, Burnet, Cedar Park, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Holland, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Killeen, Leander, Liberty Hill, Manor, Marble Falls, Pflugerville, Round Mountain, Round Rock, Salado, Spicewood, Taylor and the surrounding areas we are an excellent choice with impeccable references. Home Health Care for your elderly loved ones is never an easy choice but we can promise we will do our best to make it as painless as possible. From our family to yours we sincerely thank you for considering Senior Helpers of Austin Home Health Care Company. "