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The Senior Community Lifestyle
The Health Benefits – and Risks – of a Daily Cup o’ Joe
If you are part of the 83% of Americans who drink coffee every day, you’ve probably wondered what the real facts about its risks and health benefits are. We hear conflicting reports almost daily. Older adults are often warned that the risks are even greater for them....
Flu Shot Questions from Alzheimer’s Caregivers in Michigan
Flu season is making its way across Michigan again. Like the turning of the leaves, it is one thing we can count on returning every fall. For older adults and caregivers in Michigan, receiving the influenza vaccine is the best way to beat the bug. Because of our...
Can the Mediterranean Diet Keep Michigan Caregivers Healthy?
The physical toll the role of caregiver takes is well documented. Caregivers have weaker immune systems, increased risk of heart disease, and a greater chance of developing high blood pressure. All of these factors can lead to a stressed out, unhealthy caregiver....
How an Adult Child in Michigan Can Help Create a Safer Kitchen for Aging Parents
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), people over the age of 65 are 2.5 times more likely to be injured or die from a kitchen fire than the general population. That is a pretty frightening statistic if you are an adult child of an aging parent...
Respite: A Solution for Michigan Caregivers this Summer
If you are one of the one million family caregivers in the state of Michigan, a summer getaway may not seem very realistic. Especially if heading out of town to enjoy one of Michigan’s lakes or beaches with your own children means leaving your elderly loved one home...
Exercises to Help Older Drivers in Michigan
As the number of adults over the age of 65 in Michigan continues to climb, the average age of drivers on our roads climbs too. Contrary to the stereotype we see in the media about older drivers, they are not creating the greatest risks on the road. Teenagers still...
An Adult Daughter Juggling the “Caregiver Sandwich” in Holland Michigan
Dear Donna: My 91 year old mother suffers from advanced diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. Both make it difficult for her to care for herself. But she insists on staying in her home in Holland, Michigan instead of moving to senior living. She has lived there for...
Brain Pacemaker for Alzheimer’s Disease
Can a Pacemaker in the Brain Slow the Progression of Alzheimer’s? Almost 180,000 people in Michigan live with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. By 2025, The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that number will climb to 190,000 people. That is why families and...
Dear Donna: Dad is Lonely
Dear Donna: I’m concerned about my 83 year old father. He lives alone in his home in Grand Haven, Michigan since my mother died two years ago. I live in Saline, Michigan with my own family. Because of the distance and our kids busy school schedules, we only make it up...
Chair Yoga for Michigan Seniors
Yoga and Pilates are two forms of exercise that receive a lot of media attention. From Hollywood starlets toting Pilates mats around town to informal groups practicing yoga in Michigan’s parks, it seems as if the most fit people participate in one or the other. The...
Fall Prevention: Top 5 Tips for Michigan Seniors
Dear Donna: My father keeps falling. I live three hours away and have had to drop everything three times this month to race to his house after he had a fall. He says it is just a normal part of aging. I think there is more to it. What can we do? I will lose my job if...
Brain Aerobics: 6 Ways to Exercise Your Mind
Just like a good walking program or a water aerobics class can help you stay physically fit, brain aerobics can help enhance your mental fitness. So what can you do to give your brain a real workout? The experts from the Heritage Senior Communities share a few ideas...