It’s the season when the cold winter weather can impact your health. As we get older, our ability to regulate body temperature decreases-we have less body fat and muscle and cannot generate heat as efficiently as we once did. Here are five winter health tips to protect yourself and educate your loved ones:

Elevated blood pressure. Our bodies respond to cold temperatures by constricting our blood vessels. While this helps us retain body heat, it also stimulates the heart muscle to pump harder to maintain normal blood flow against the added resistance (i.e. increased blood pressure). The act of shivering also increases your heart rate and blood pressure. With these ideas in mind, it’s important to wear layers, gloves and a hat, especially if you know that you’re going to be outside.

Increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The number of heart attacks increases by more than 50% as the seasons transition from summer to winter. As mentioned above, vessel  constriction makes the heart work harder. This can cause tears in the plaque lining artery walls resulting in the formation of blood clots, which can lead to heart attack or stroke. Consult with your physician first to avoid overexertion and  added stress on the heart.

Respiratory issues. Like our arteries, our airways respond to cold, dry air by constricting. Narrowed airways restrict airflow making breathing more labored and exacerbating asthma, emphysema and other lung problems. If you have any of these conditions, monitor them closely and avoid strenuous activities, especially outdoors.

Vitamin D deficiency. Sunlight is the primary, natural source from which we obtain vitamin D. During the winter, days are shorter and less sunlight means less vitamin D synthesis.  Low levels of this essential vitamin have been correlated with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, dementia, heart disease, osteoporosis and other serious conditions.

Seasonal Affective Disorder. Less sunlight also means increased risk of seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression experienced in the fall and winter. Symptoms are similar to those of clinical depression-social withdrawal, loss of energy, anxiety, etc.

If you notice the onset of these symptoms coincides with the winter months, talk to your doctor to determine a plan of action for treatment.

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One of the most simple and effective preventative measures one can take to avoid these health dangers is to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle behaviors. Our proprietary Balanced Care Method is a holistic approach to care based on scientifically proven behaviors that promote optimal health and longevity including nutrition, physical and mental activity, social ties, calmness and purpose. Contact us today to speak with a Care Manager at your local office, or visit us at www.HomeCareAssistance.com to learn more about how to become a healthier you.

Use the Agency Checklist as a tool to help you find a caregiver for an aging relative. Once you find an agency that best suits your needs, the next task will be ensuring that the caregiver is a good match. A reputable agency will be glad to arrange a meeting with the prospective caregiver. You can use the Caregiver Interview Guide in this manual as a tool to help in the decision process. Note that this does not include questions about scheduling or conflicts because the agency should be responsible for ensuring that the caregiver’s schedule matches your needs.

How does your Agency Choose Its Caregivers?

What is the process for screening your caregivers? Do you complete a background check (criminal, driving, work permit status and past references)?

Do you have a minimum for years of caregiving experience for applicants?

What is the ratio of the applicants you hire to the applicants you interview?

What is the training procedure for newly hired caregivers? What types of topics are covered?

Do you offer continuing education training for your caregivers?

What Are Your Agency’s Staffing and Scheduling Procedures?

How do you match caregivers to clients? Do you guarantee a personality match and offer caregiver interviews? What happens if a senior wants a different caregiver?

Is it typical to expect the same caregiver each time or do you rotate caregivers?

What steps do you take to ensure reliable staffing?

What happens in the event that a caregiver is unavailable or calls in sick?

What Is the Agency’s Legal Responsibility?

Are your caregivers screened, bonded and insured? Do you employ your caregivers and take care of taxes, withholding and workers’ compensation?

What protections are there against theft?

What client services, caregiver services and confidentiality forms are used and can you describe the main points of each?

What Makes Your Agency Stand Out?

What unique programs/trainings/materials does your agency offer its caregivers, staff, and clients compared with other agencies?

What types of payments do you accept and what are your billing procedures (is there a contact? cancellation fee?)

Is the care manager available on-call 24/7? Does he/she perform regular quality assurance visits?

Is the company a recognized leader in the senior care industry with published books on senior wellness and caregiving?

When your aging parent or loved one needs home care in San Mateo, call Home Care Assistance, we can be reached at (650) 462-6900.

Free Public Webinar on Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease, Presented by World Renowned Aging and Memory Expert and New York Times Best-Selling Author, Dr. Gary Small

January’s Healthy Longevity Webinar will feature distinguished aging, memory and Alzheimer’s expert Dr. Gary Small. The webinar will be held on January 24th at 11 AM Pacific, 2 PM Eastern and will cover the topics of Alzheimer’s disease, healthy aging and lifestyle strategies that are linked to a reduced risk for dementia. Register for the webinar today!

Dr. Gary Small is a professor of psychiatry at the UCLA Semel Institute and directs the Memory and Aging Research Center and the UCLA Center on Longevity. He is one of the world’s leading experts on brain science and has published numerous books and articles. His research, supported by the National Institute of Health, has made headlines in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. For his work in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and brain aging, Scientific American magazine named him one of the world’s leading innovators in science and technology. Dr. Small is a trusted expert in the field of Alzheimer’s research, lecturing around the world and frequently appearing on The Today Show, Good Morning America, PBS and CNN. In addition, he has written six books, including the Alzheimer’s Prevention Program and The New York Times best seller The Memory Bible.

Dr. Small lectures extensively throughout the world and has been a spokesperson for numerous organizations. He has been a featured lecturer at the national meetings of numerous organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association, AARP, American Psychiatric Association, American Geriatrics Society, American Medical Directors Association, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Aging, and many others. Small also frequently advises executives and managers in major corporations, such as Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Lilly, Forest, Novartis, Merck, Dupont, Siemens, Radica and Mattel.

Dr. Small invented the first brain scan that allows doctors to see the physical evidence of brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease in living people. Among his numerous breakthrough research studies, he now leads a team of neuroscientists who are demonstrating that exposure to computer technology causes rapid and profound changes in brain neural circuitry.

Register for the webinar today!

When your aging parent or loved one needs home care in San Mateo, call Home Care Assistance, we can be reached at (650) 462-6900.

Call Home Care Assistance for a free in-home care assessment – we can be reached at (650) 462-6900.

Staying Safe with Social Media

Many seniors are getting involved with social media and using popular applications, including MySpace and Facebook. Your senior loved one may be posting family photos and looking up long lost friends. While this is a great way for seniors to stay in touch, there are some safety tips they should follow while using online applications. More than 42 percent of seniors are involved in some type of social networking.

1.    Seniors must be aware of scams that can often strike through social networking channels.

2.    Be sure to maintain some privacy settings.

3.    Seniors should avoid providing a lot of personal information that can be used for identity theft.

4.    Never open an email from someone you do not know, especially if it has an attachment. Many viruses are sent through emails and unsuspecting seniors may open them and infect their computer.

5.    Do not use any social media program to wire money. This is another popular scam that has robbed seniors of thousands.

6.    Avoid disclosing any financial information, including social security numbers and bank account numbers.

7.    Use caution when you are redirected to another page.

8.    Do not click on links unless you know where it goes.

9.    Avoid giving out cell phone numbers online and never fall for make money at home scams.

10.    Avoid paying for free trials and use extreme caution when entering your credit card information when making purchases.

When your aging parent or loved one needs home care in San Mateo, call Home Care Assistance, we can be reached at (650) 462-6900.

Many seniors suffer from indoor air pollution especially during winter months when windows and doors are closed off tight to keep the cold out. Too many toxins from cleaning supplies, mold, and even the off-gassing of new paint all need to be circulated or filtered out but since the windows are all closed, it’s difficult to keep air circulating.

The best way to protect yourself and your family are by stopping indoor air pollutants at the door:

Replace your central air and heating filters monthly. Clean the vents and make sure they’re not blocked by furniture. HEPA filters are especially good at reducing allergens.

Make your home a no-smoking zone and consider restricting your pets from certain rooms in the house (such as a nursery or bedroom) to keep sensitive areas free of pet dander and tracked-in dirt.

Most store-bought candles contain harmful chemical components and artificial scents that are released as the candle burns. Switch to natural candles, such as beeswax and soy candles, or, better yet, use these directions to make your own using sand!

Many people do not realize the risks of a dirty chimney. Smoke backs up in a sooty flue and is pushed back into the home. It is well worth the money to hire a professional chimney sweep or the time to do it yourself. Follows these best burning practices.

Clean with nontoxic products. Vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice and a few other natural ingredients can replace most chemical cleaners. While nontoxic cleaning supplies are available in stores, these recipes are simple and cheap to make at home.

Remove your shoes at the door to avoid bringing outdoor pollutants inside.

Read more: Care2.com

When your aging parent or loved one needs home care in San Mateo, call Home Care Assistance, we can be reached at (650) 462-6900.