Western Pennsylvania Healthcare News

Covering healthcare news in the Pittsburgh region and beyond.

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The Top Ten Fears of Elderly Adults

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Father-Daughter-WalkingMany of the fears that aging adults experience relate to the biggest challenge they say they face: staying active. According to a recent survey conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care network, seniors worry about the future, beginning with the loss of their independence.*

  1. Loss of independence.
  2. Declining health.
  3. Running out of money.
  4. Not being able to live at home.
  5. Death of a spouse or other family member.
  6. Inability to manage their own activities of daily living.
  7. Not being able to drive.
  8. Isolation or loneliness.
  9. Strangers caring for them.
  10. Fear of falling or hurting themselves.

[Read more…]

Salute to Senior Service—Search on for State’s Outstanding Senior Volunteers

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The Home Instead Senior Care® offices serving seniors in the Greater Pittsburgh Area, has announced the Salute to Senior ServiceSM program to honor senior volunteers for the tireless contributions they make to their local communities.

The program will include a search for the most outstanding senior volunteer in each state and culminate with the selection of a national Salute to Senior Service winner during Older Americans Month in May. Nominees must be 65 years of age or older and volunteer at least 15 hours a month. Nominations will be accepted at www.SalutetoSeniorService.com through March 15, 2012. Nomination forms also can be requested at ckoehler@homeinsteadinc.com. State Senior HeroSM winners will receive plaques, and their stories will be posted on the SalutetoSeniorService.com website. In addition, $5,000 will be donated to the national winner’s nonprofit charity of choice. According to research conducted by the Home Instead Senior Care® network, 52 percent of seniors volunteer their time through unpaid community service. Nearly 20 percent (one in five) of seniors surveyed started volunteering when they reached the traditional age of retirement – 65 or older. Furthermore, 20 percent of seniors who volunteer say that their community service is the most important thing they do. [Read more…]

Seniors’ Economic Struggles Continue This Holiday; Santa Program Provides Assistance

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Be a Santa to a Senior®, the popular campaign that has delivered 1.5 million gifts to needy seniors throughout North America during the past seven years, again is helping older adults cope in tough economic times.

The area offices of the Home Instead Senior Care® network, the world’s largest provider of non-medical in-home care and companionship services for older adults, has partnered with area community organizations, senior service agencies, churches, health organizations and retailers to provide gifts and companionship to seniors who otherwise might not receive either this holiday season. The local offices together serve seniors and their families in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington and Westmoreland Counties.

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The 50/50 Rule: Solving Family Conflict

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Helping You Help Siblings Overcome Family Conflict

Does your job as a senior care professional sometimes seem like that of a referee? If you feel that you’re always trying to resolve a family dispute, you’re not alone. This guide is designed to help adult siblings and their aging parents deal with those sensitive situations that arise among brothers and sisters as their parents age and need assistance.

The downloadable guide covers a variety of sibling caregiving topics such as:

  • How do siblings divide the workload?
  • What’s the best way to build teamwork between brothers and sisters?
  • How can they reach agreement as a family on important topics to avoid family conflict?

Download the guide:
The 50/50 RuleSM brochure (PDF 950KB)

The 50/50 guide is designed to help adult siblings and their aging parents deal with those sensitive situations that arise among brothers and sisters as their parents age and need assistance.

CAREGivers from Home Instead Senior Care can make a difference in the lives of older adults and their families by providing support with activities of daily living.


Free Home for the Holidays Web Conference Will Help Local Family Caregivers Tune Into Trouble

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The holidays are a good time for family caregivers returning home to their loved ones to tune into the signs that an older family member or friend may need extra help to remain safe at home.

To learn more about those signs, register for the free Home for the Holidays web conference, moderated by a representative from the Home Instead Senior Care® network, hosted by the American Society on Aging (ASA), and co-sponsored by the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC).

The hour-long web conference will be available in the U.S. and Canada, and offered on two dates and times: Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time, or Monday, Dec. 5, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. To register, go to www.caregiverstress.com/familyeducation.

“It’s easy for busy family caregivers to overlook the subtle signs that a senior loved one needs assistance,” said Lucy Novelly, owner of one of the Home Instead Senior Care offices serving the Greater Pittsburgh area. “But during the holidays, when many return to their childhood homes, the difference between your last visit and now can highlight those red flags.”

[Read more…]