News
Exercise and Alzheimer’s: A Simple Walk Can Make a Difference
Sep 13th
From Homewatch CareGivers of Charlotte: With the Charlotte Alzheimer’s Memory Walk coming up (September 15), this is a good time to share research on how something as simple as taking a walk can not only raise money for Alzheimer’s research, but also protect against Alzheimer’s.
New research indicates that exercise gives some protection against memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease and one of them is as simple as a short walk.
Three studies were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association’s annual conference in Vancouver in July. According to one study, older adults that were normally sedentary who walked at a moderate pace three times a week for a year boosted the size of the brain region involved with memory. A second study found that twice-weekly resistance (weight) training helped women with mild signs of mental decline improve their scores on thinking and memory tests. The third showed that strength and balance exercises also improved memory.
“Getting up off your couch and exercising, I think is critical,” Dr. Dean Hartley, Director of Science Initiatives at the Alzheimer’s Association, said. “We believe there’s a heart-brain connection and we believe the more healthy you are the better you’re going to be.”
He says while this data is preliminary, it’s encouraging that both healthy More >
Online Forum for Male Caregivers
Aug 30th
Male Caregiver Community Highlights
The number of men who are stepping forward as family caregivers is growing and now they have a place where they can go to talk with each other and get answers.
Homewatch CareGivers has launched the Male Caregiver Community forum – an online destination for men who care for their loved ones. According to the National Family Caregivers Association, up to 44 percent of caregivers are men. That’s compared to only 19 percent in 1996. This forum gives men an opportunity to talk about caring for their loved ones in a comfortable environment. Men generally don’t sit around watching football and talking about dealing with their loved one’s dementia. But we’ve discovered that once they get started talking about it – they have a lot to say. “No one else is doing this,” Reynolds says. “Men tend to look for practical solutions and direct ways to solve problems associated with caregiving, while women are more emotional in their approach,” Reynolds says. “Men also ask for help sooner than women and this gives them a place to go to ask their questions.”
Check out the latest discussions from our new Male Caregiver Community online forum.
Check out the latest discussions from our More >
Lessons Learned From Ted Williams: Funeral Planning
Aug 28th
In today’s economic climate, funerals can be expensive, and many people do little to no planning for their funerals. Homewatch CareGivers of Charlotte brings to you this article about funeral planning.
Brandy Rankins ran community carwashes to pay for her mother’s funeral because there were no funeral and burial arrangements made in advance.
“When my mother passed with lung cancer several years ago, it was one of the most heartbreaking, difficult, and life-defining moments of my entire life. My mother not having any type of life insurance only added to that challenge,” Rankin, founder of Speaklife Ministries, said. “Cremation was the most affordable option, and despite being the youngest of my mother’s four children, I fought boldly against it because I knew that option wasn’t my mother’s will. We held three car washes and petitioned the community for monies to help us bury our mother. Doing that was the most humiliating thing I’ve ever experienced. Pride, logic, and embarrassment rose up within me, but ultimately I stepped out and chose faith.”
Rankin raised $4,800 in three days; the burial and funeral cost $4,600.
“I could say that if my mother had life insurance or we had made proper burial arrangements in advance, it could have More >
