There may come a time when your parents aren’t able to take care of themselves. If that happens, it’s only natural that you’ll want to make sure their needs are met and they’ll be taken care of by a loving caregiver. Quite often that turns out to be you. After all, who loves your parents more than you do? Following are a few tips on how to care for an elderly parent in your home. Get the Home Ready It’s only natural for your parents to want to live in their own home, but it may become necessary for you to care for them in your house instead. In most cases, it would be easier to move them into your home than for you to pick up and move into theirs’. However, there will be a disruption in your schedule, and most likely in the house as well. You may have to deal with such things as the rearrangement of your furniture, and possibly change your sleeping and bathroom schedule. In order to deal with the coming changes, it may be a good idea to consult with a home health care professional and go over what your parent will need and how to go about providing it for them. Your parent may require a wheelchair or hospital bed, which will mean reorganizing your home to make room for specialized equipment. Remove Obstacles Depending on how much care your parent needs, or what type of special equipment is necessary, you will most likely have to remove some obstacles in order to make your home accessible to them. If your home is multi-level, your parent may either be limited to one level, or you will have to install an elevator, a ramp, or some other means to get them from one level to another. At the very least, you will have to make sure the space between furniture will be able to accommodate a wheelchair. The bathroom may require the installation of specialized bath or toilet equipment, and the kitchen may have to be made handicap accessible. Educate Yourself  One of the best ways to make sure your parents are well taken care of in your home is to educate yourself as to what type of care they may need and how to provide it. Ask your parent’s doctor to give you advice on what you should be doing to make your parents comfortable. You should also ask them to recommend a home health care agency in case you reach the point where you can’t provide the proper care yourself. You should contact the home health care agency prior to actually needing their help. They will be able to give you advice on how to provide care to your parent, and will also be able to help you realize when it’s time to seek additional, professional help. Exercise Is Important  It is accepted within the medical community that getting regular exercise will help a person get healthy and stay that way. Even though your parent may need care, they should still exercise as much as possible. Doing so will help them be able to help you. Consult with your parent’s doctor about a proper exercise regimen. You may have to assist your parent in doing the exercises. Keep in mind that even though it may be time consuming, or even psychologically painful to watch your parent struggle, the physical exercise will help them remain healthier longer. Independence  One of the hardest parts of having your parent move into your home where you will provide necessary care is the loss of independence, both for you and your parent. Keep in mind that they have lived a long life, and in that time they not only took care of themselves, but raised you, as well. Giving up their independence probably won’t be easy for them. You must learn to be patient. The fact that your own autonomy is threatened will most likely be hard to accept, too. Depending on the amount of care that’s required your independence may be affected for an extended period of time. Time Away  Due to the fact that–no matter how you look at it–prolonged care of your elderly parent in your home is traumatic, for you as well as your parent. It cause disruptions of the lives of everyone concerned, and that can lead to a lot of stress. Because stress can cause health problems you should try and arrange a little time away from your home, and the person you’re caring for. It is important to give yourself a break once in a while. In order to do that, you may have to get someone else to come into your home for a short period to stay with your parent. A sibling or your own child could provide you with a break. You may even want to consider hiring a home health aide to help out once in a while. In the same way that it’s important for you have a break from the stressful routine, your parent could use a change of pace once in a while, too. A stroll through the mall or a drive in the country will give them a chance to see something besides the inside of your home and enjoy themselves for a little while. Guest post from Finley Crest. Finley writes about senior care for SeniorCare.net. Read more »

Toothpaste is a very common compound that we put in our mouths every day, yet many people don’t know what exactly is inside of toothpaste, or even what it does. Here’s a little primer on toothpaste that will help you understand and appreciate what you put in your mouth each day. Toothpaste serves a number of functions when it comes to oral hygiene. Certain components in toothpaste are actually a little abrasive and they’re designed to remove the soft plaque and food particles that accumulate on your teeth. These abrasive agents actually make up about 50% of what’s in your toothpaste. The word “abrasive” may be alarming to some people because it conjures up images of sandpaper, grit and other harsh materials. Although the action of the abrasives in toothpaste operates on the same principle that sandpaper does, the degree of abrasion is relatively small. Students in a dental hygienist program learn that any surface abrasion to the enamel that occurs is quickly repaired through a process known as remineralization. Remineralization is the process by which your body naturally adds new minerals to the tooth surface to protect, rebuild and restore the enamel. Remineralization won’t be sufficient to repair serious gouges, chips or cracks in the surface of the enamel, but it will rebuild any damage a mild abrasive might possibly cause. Some toothpastes may also include ingredients in addition to fluoride that promote remineralization of the enamel. To avoid long-term damage from brushing, use a soft bristled toothbrush only (unless your dentist recommends otherwise), and change your toothbrush every three months, or sooner if the bristles show signs of wear or damage. If your toothbrush bristles are crushed and splayed by the time you change toothbrushes, you’re probably applying too much pressure to your teeth when brushing. After the abrasives, your toothpaste contains fluorides that can aid in the process of remineralization and cut down on the incidence of tooth decay. Your dentist will recommend the use of fluoridated toothpaste in most circumstances, and not all toothpastes have fluoride. If your dentist has recommended fluoride toothpaste, check the label of your paste carefully to ensure that it contains fluoride. The fluoride in the toothpaste should offer sufficient protection against tooth decay, provided that you brush your teeth regularly and you take good care of your teeth. Your toothpaste also probably contains a surfactant, which is a foaming agent. The foaming agent helps distribute the toothpaste more evenly around your mouth. Some people don’t like the foaminess of certain toothpastes. If this describes you, try different toothpastes to see if you can find one that doesn’t produce quite as much foam. Other ingredients that are commonly found in toothpastes include antibacterial agents that help to reduce bacterial colonization in the mouth. These anti-bacterial agents will provide a temporary reduction in the bacteria population, and will contribute to better breath and a cleaner mouth. Keep in mind, however, that there are more than 600 different kinds of bacteria in your mouth, and no anti-bacterial agent is universal. In other words, the anti-bacterial ingredients in toothpaste won’t be effective against all kinds of bacteria that grow in your mouth! More recently, toothpaste manufacturers have begun to include tartar control agents and whiteners in toothpastes. Whitening toothpastes often contain peroxide, which will kill some types of bacteria, but it has only a mild whitening effect in the concentrations used in toothpaste. Whiteners usually contain extra abrasives that are designed to penetrate stains on the surface of tooth enamel. These are generally not more effective than regular dental cleaning, and will not change the natural color of tooth enamel the way a bleaching agent can. Last but not least, you’ll find flavoring and coloring agents that are designed to make the toothpaste palatable to the tongue and pleasing to the eye.   Read more »

What is Depression? Anyone who has suffered from a bout of depression knows that the word entails more than just “getting the blues.” Suffering from serious depression can be like floating aimlessly in a vacuous, dark abyss with absolutely no grounding in reality. Even normally active, creative and reasonable people can become depressed, and for a number of reasons, including imbalanced brain chemicals, trauma or major life episodes. Studies show that more than 15% of the American population experiences some episode of major depression in their lifetimes. Depression is more than just a few bad days in a row; it’s a long stretch of time wherein the person may feel severely sad, hopeless, meaningless, numb or worthless. How can pets help? You’ve had a bad day, bad week or bad month, and all you want to do is lie in bed with the blinds closed, sinking into a weightless space. This, however, is much harder to do if an eager puppy is licking your hand in the morning and begging you to throw a ball for him, or if you’ve got the soft purring of a kitten softly waking you to the world. Caring for a pet reaps all sort of mental and physical benefits, like lifting mood, increasing social activity and encouraging exercise, all things that go a long way to decreasing feelings of depression. Pet ownership may not be ideal for some extremely severe cases of depression, in which a person is unable to care for him or herself, but having a little creature around can be greatly beneficial for those with mild or moderate depression. Love & Self-Worth People who are depressed often feel sad, down and listless. A pet’s loving devotion easily quells these feelings. Your dog isn’t going to judge you for your eating habits or anxiety, and will always be excited to see you. Even when you leave the house for fifteen minutes, your loyal pooch will be wagging his tail and greeting you with loving eyes when you return. How could this kind of companion not make someone feel special, important and loved? Simply having a pet that relies on you for its survival and well-being can greatly increase a sense of self-worth and purpose. Having a pet also helps shift focus away from the depression toward the care of the animal. A famous saying defines happiness as having “something to do, someone to love and something to look forward to.” Having a pet takes care of all three, providing activity, unconditional love and a reason to get out of bed tomorrow. Companionship & Social Interaction Isolation and loneliness are two common factors and symptoms of depression. Not feeling good often makes you want to stay indoors, away from the harsh glare of other people, and this tends to be a self-perpetuating cycle. However, keeping a pet automatically means you will rarely be alone, and pets provide great reprieve from getting too lost in your own head. There’s a reason why dogs are man’s best friend. Wherever you are, your pet, especially your dog, will want to be, too. Just simply being constantly around another living creature, be it cat, guinea pig or parrot, can provide immense comfort and feelings of well-being. Furthermore, studies show that people who have pets tend to interact more with their neighbors; pets can be a safe, easy way to foster conversation around unfamiliar people. Exercise & Activity It’s a widely held scientific belief that exercise is the best natural mood lifter possible. Exercising releases endorphins, which are hormones that make you feel good, help regulate bodily activity and reduce stress and pain. Woody Allen one said, “Eighty percent of life is showing up.” Just getting outside, moving around, buying pet food or otherwise letting your pet lead you into an active lifestyle goes a long way to reducing depression. Just as your pet needs exercise, her owner does, too. Having a pet can prompt a person being dragged down into immobility to stay active, a key ingredient of warding off depression. Commitment & Happiness One of the most important things about having a pet is your prolonged commitment to taking care of it. You don’t just get a cat to let it starve to death, and usually people who have pets intend to keep them their whole lives. For people who have a tendency to become depressed, it’s easy to lose sight of the regular rhythm of life, though there may be bright spots amid the dark clouds. Having a pet helps keep mood levels steady, and provides a reason for continuing with daily activities, even when the blues hit hard. On those days when it seems like a better idea to shun the world, it won’t seem that way to your pet, who still depends on your for food, water, love and exercise. Likewise, when your buddy gets sick, it’s up to you to have your veterinary technician cure his ills and restore him to his full, loving capacity. Committing to a pet is committing to keeping yourself and your companion moving forward through the hard times. Of course, having a pet won’t solve all of life’s problems or prevent the curveballs, but the feelings of love, worth, well-being and happiness that arise from constant interaction with an animal can sure make the dreadful times a little easier to bear. In general, people with pets tend to be happier and healthier. Pet Therapy And if you don’t have any pets, or you’re not sure you can take on the full responsibility of pet ownership, you probably know someone who will need a pet sitter from time to time. Most pet owners love sharing their pets, and would be happy to let you come over to play with the puppy or take the dog for a walk. If not, there are different types of pet therapy opportunities offered by organizations like the American Humane Association and Delta Society. The simple act of petting a furry coat or playing with a small animal can often provide the much-needed connection, love and inspiration for those with depression. Getting a regular dose of innocent animal attention can truly work wonders in lifting mood. Nancy Woo is a freelance writer covering various topics from art and music to health, media and technology. Read more »