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There is no single explanation for how and why some people live so many healthier and more active years than others.  But there is a place where more people live longer and healthier than any other place on earth: Okinawa, Japan.  And recently, scientists have been studying this group of seniors to see if we could learn to live a longer and more productive life. Home Care Assistance has developed a revolutionary and proprietary approach to senior care based on these centenarian studies.

The Balanced Care Method™ is based on studies of the extraordinarily long-lived elders in the Okinawa region of Japan. Life spans of over 100 years are not unusual in Okinawa. More important, people in their 70s, 80s and beyond enjoy incredible good health and independence. Excellent physical health, mental awareness, and inner calm are common among the studied elders The Balanced Care Method™ seeks to capture some of the lifestyle factors that go towards creating such long-lived and healthy people. Its philosophy can be summed up in two words: moderation and variety.
Components of Balanced Care Training include:

• Healthy Diet
• Physical Activity
• Sharp Minds
• Social Ties
• Calmness and Purpose

The Balanced Care Method™ is an evidence-based program built on studies that demonstrate that only one-third of our healthy longevity is based on genetics and two-thirds on lifestyle factors within our control.
Home Care Assistance caregivers throughout North America are trained in the Method, offering the first senior care solution with an emphasis on balance and longevity. By working with specific lifestyle behaviors, Home Care Assistance caregivers extend and enhance the lives of seniors, helping them live longer, happier, more balanced lives.

Naps Increase Brain Power

By Home Care Assistance, 1:46 pm on March 21, 2011

Napping might just seem like something we do as we get older – our bodies grow increasingly tired and they just can’t stay awake like they used to. Little did I know, these naps are actually beneficial to our brainpower.
According to aarp.com, research from the University of California, Berkeley is showing that naps actually make you smarter and can boost your ability to learn. Naps are the brain’s way of making room for new information.
Matthew Walker, a Berkeley professor of psychology and the lead investigator of the recent sleep study, explains that just 60 minutes of shut-eye can increase the learning ability significantly.
Americans should take note from the Europeans, who make a poignant effort to schedule naps (or siestas) into their busy workdays. The research is suggesting the advantages of this biphasic sleep schedule, wherein a good night's sleep and a solid midday siesta could increase intelligence.
On the other hand, all-nighters, which college students and busy mothers alike have the tendency to pull, can decrease our ability to learn by 40%.  Certain brain regions shut down due to sleep deprivation.
Walker’s study supports his hypothesis that sleep clears the brain’s short-term memory storage, making way for more information.
So don’t denounce your naps anymore. They should be an important part your day.

Baby Boomers Joining Social Media, Too!

It seems to me that everyone from my 11-year-old neighbor, to some of our current Home Care Assistance caregivers, have joined the social media world in one way or another. I admit, I myself have a Facebook page, Twitter account and blog. Social media has become not just another hobby, but an integral part of staying in touch with others and staying afloat in the professional world.
What I didn’t know is that baby boomers are now joining social media, along with the rest of the world, at an increasingly high rate. According to CBS.com, “Social media use among internet users aged 65 and older grew 100 percent last year, so that one in four (26 percent) people in that age group online are now logging onto Facebook, Twitter and the like.”
The reason for this huge increase: Boomers’ desire to stay in touch with their kids and grandkids who are becoming increasingly distant. A letter, the telephone, even email will not suffice for keeping in touch with mom and dad, grandma or grandpa. These outlets of communication have become archaic, compared social media’s current capabilities.
Social media as a business tool is the second reason for its increased use. Boomers can use it to search for and receive advice concerning local doctors. They also use it to promote themselves and their own professional endeavors. Age is only a number when it comes to using social media for business purposes. It is a trend affecting every age group.
Specifically, one aspect of the article that caught my attention is the rate in which elderly caregivers use social media compared to other boomers. "(Elderly caregivers) use social media for 150 minutes per month and view 70 percent more pages than the average internet user," says Matt Carmichael of Advertising Age Magazine while examining a study by gerontologist Laurel Kennedy. "They are driven to these sites by several primary reasons: To validate and reinforce their feelings; To simplify and customize their lives because using social media to keep up with friends and family can help keep things streamlined; and for information and advice" (CBS.com). Caregivers are turning to social media for support throughout the caregiving process.
I see social media in almost every facet of my daily life. Of course, there are both positive and negative aspects of it. It will be interesting to see how the presence of social media affects the home care industry even more in the coming years.

Latest Dietary Guidelines

The latest Dietary Guidelines were recently released by the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. Included in the Guidelines are key recommendations that we can all benefit from. Not surprisingly, the basic foundation for good nutrition is very much aligned with our Balanced Care Method, Home Care Assistance's proprietary caregiver training program with an emphasis on healthy nutrition!

The new Guidelines recommend that older adults increase their intake of Vitamin B12. As we've shared previously, Vitamin B12 deficiency is a common occurrence among seniors and can cause weakness, confusion, depression or fatigue. Fish, meat and dairy products, as well as fortified cereals and vitamin supplements, are all high in B12.



A sampling of the 2011 Dietary Guidelines
Drink water instead of soda and other sugary drinks.
Increase physical activity.
Make fruits and vegetables half of the food on your plate.
Eat more seafood and fish in place of meat and poultry.
Switch to fat-free or low-fat milk and dairy products, or soy milk.
Choose packaged food like soup or crackers, with low amounts of sodium, fat and sugar.
Avoid oversize portions.
Eat less salty, fatty, sugary snack foods.
For more information on the Guidelines, visit http://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/


Eat your way to a better day!