Home Care CareGivers

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Seniors are discovering Medical Travel (Tourism) to other countries for medical surgeries.

For a many of reasons, the elderly are going overseas for many types of necessary procedures and surgeries .

While the United States medical costs go up and health insurance  provide less funds it is important to go to a more cost effective place.

Med Tourism agencies could arrange what ever services you need to get to and from another country, which Dr., clinic and transportation needed.

Care-To-Go Travel Companions are ready to escort you to and/or from the place for the surgeries or procedures.

For complete information on Med Tours and Travel Companions  contact Care-To-Go at 1-800-818-0407 and see www.CareToGoTravel.com

Phoenix Care-To-Go CareGiver points to article on Flue Shots

A recent comprehensive review of clinical trials suggests that there has been LITTLE evidence to demonstrate the flu vaccines used in the past 40 years are safe to use to prevent flu effectively in people aged 65 years and over.

Ironically, elderly people are among the most vulnerable and they are in the priority group to receive flu vaccine as the medical industry and government health agencies keep telling them that flu vaccine is the best preventative against flu.

Tom Jefferson of the Cochrane Collaboration in Rome, Italy and colleagues conducted a thorough search of studies based on previous vaccine trials.   Of the 75 studies reviewed, the researchers were able to identify only one recent randomized controlled trial with "real" outcomes.  All the other studies in the review except one were considered of low quality and open to bias, Wiley-Blackwell, the journal publisher says in a press release.

Read Complete Article

Contact Care-To-Go for Phoenix Home Care CareGivers and Phoenix Travel Companions for Seniors 800-818-0407

Phoenix based Care-To-Go reports on increase of Boomers and the need for more home care and CareGivers

Care-To-Go serving Scottsdale, Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Sun City can be reached at 800-818-0407 and on the web at www.Care-To-Go.com

The elderly care industry looks to be prosperous for years to come thanks to America’s aging population. But, before it can experience that growth, it first has changing customer dynamics and a recession to deal with.

The U.S. Census Bureau projects a 147% increase in the senior population over the next 40 years to a total of 86.7 million.

The present 65 and older population is 37.3 million, 14 million of whom are reportedly disabled. By 2050, the Bureau believes 21% of Americans will be senior citizens, a 9% increase over the present number.

There is no doubt the population is aging and that will greatly increase the demand for elderly care services, says Lauren Shaham, vice president of communications at the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. She also believes the personalities and values of the baby boomers will change the way elderly care services are administered.

“This is a group of people used to defining their own terms and getting what they want,” she says. “We believe there will be more services provided at home, and those services will be very flexible and very tailored to individual needs and wants.”

Shaham says the number of patients in nursing homes has been in decline for the last two decades and will continue to decrease. She says the future role of nursing homes will likely be in providing care mostly for the very ill, but also as temporary care providers for those recovering from difficult operations who may not yet be ready to return to their homes.

Though there may be high demand for elderly care services in the future, nursing homes and home health providers are concerned about the effects of the recession right now. Read Entire Article

Memphis Business Journal – by Kyle Duck

Care-To-Go Travel Companions are always on the lookout for interesting travel deals and ideas.  The following article for travel agents reveals Top 30 Themed Cruises for 2010.  Traveling Caregiver assistance can make a vacation for a senior an enjoyable and safe event.

Tapping into themed cruises that precisely match your client’s interest, hobby or passion is equivalent to adding a “must-have” ingredient to your recipe for sales success.

Themed cruises often include private onboard events or activities not open to regular cruise guests. So, “the cruise isn’t sold based on price, it’s sold on a specific experience,” stresses Susan Schaefer, independent affiliate of America’s Vacation Center, Brentwood, TN. “Your client isn’t looking for the lowest price, so you aren’t competing with pricing when selling a themed cruise.”

Read entire article

Care-To-Go Travel Companions can be reached at 800-818-0407 or on the web at www.CareToGoTravel.com

Care-To-Go Travel Companion reveals anti-theft tip for checked bags.

Checked bags for air travel must be available for inspection by TSA after you check them. Most bags are left unlocked per airline instructions.  This often results in valuable items being stolen between you checking them at departure and you retrieving them at your destination.

The following is an article from the TSA explaining locks that they can open with a master key.  Hopefully, all the other baggage handlers along the way will not have access to your bags. 

TSA screens every passenger’s baggage before it is placed on an airplane. While our technology allows us to electronically screen bags, there are times when we need to physically inspect a piece of luggage. TSA has worked with several companies to develop locks that can be opened by security officers using universal "master" keys so that the locks may not have to be cut. These locks are available at airports and travel stores nationwide. The packaging on the locks indicates whether they can be opened by TSA.

Care-To-Go Travel Companions can be reached at 800-818-0407 and on the web at www.CareToGoTravel.com

Blood Pressure Worry: It’s Linked to Dementia

Phoenix, Scottsdale, Caregiver reports that Blood pressure worry can be linked to dementia in the elderly.

HEALTHBEAT: Study will put to test growing evidence linking high blood pressure to dementia

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer
WASHINGTON January 25, 2010 (AP)

If the cardiologist’s warnings don’t scare you, consider this: Controlling blood pressure just might be the best protection yet known against dementia.

In a flurry of new research, scientists scanned people’s brains to show hypertension fuels a kind of scarring linked to later development of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Those scars can start building up in middle age, decades before memory problems will appear.

The evidence is strong enough that the National Institutes of Health soon will begin enrolling thousands of hypertension sufferers in a major study to see if aggressive treatment — pushing blood pressure lower than currently recommended — better protects not just their hearts but their brains.

"If you look … for things that we can prevent that lead to cognitive decline in the elderly, hypertension is at the top of the list," Dr. Walter Koroshetz, deputy director of NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, told The Associated Press.

Age is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia that affect about one in eight people 65 or older.

Scientists have long noticed that some of the same triggers for heart disease — high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes — seem to increase the risk of dementia, too. But for years, they thought that link was with "vascular dementia," memory problems usually linked to small strokes, and not the scarier classic Alzheimer’s disease.

Now those lines are blurring as specialists realize that many if not most patients have a mix of the two dementias. Somehow, factors like hypertension — blood pressure readings of 140 over 90 or higher — that weaken arteries also seem to spur Alzheimer’s disease-like processes.

One suspect: Scarring known as white matter lesions. White matter acts as the brain’s telephone network, a system of axons, or nerve fibers, that allow brain cells to communicate with each other. Even slightly elevated blood pressure can damage the tiny blood vessels that nourish white matter, interrupting those signals.

Care-To-Go, Phoenix, Scottsdale, home care, caregivers can be reached at Care-To-Go.com and 800-818-0407

NEW TRAVEL COMPANION SERVICE DEDICATED TO HELPING ELDERLY TRAVEL

Phoenix, January, 2010 – According to the Assisted Living Federation of America, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of persons aged 85 and over and that number is expected to increase by an additional 33.2 percent in 2010. With this increase in the elderly population, families are looking for ways to connect with their loved ones who live in other cities without sending them alone.

Families have found that navigating the transportation systems can be challenging. Many people may not know the availability and advantages of Professional Travel Companions.

Families on the hunt for ways to connect with family members that can not travel alone because of aging years, illness or injury will be excited to know that a Travel Companion can fly with Mom, Dad or Grandma from other parts of the country to Phoenix or from Phoenix to any destination.

There are many benefits of having highly trained Travel Companion fly with your loved one. They are there to serve as professional companions and as strong advocates as well as traveling caregivers for the entire trip.

ABOUT GARY AND BETH BATES AND CARE-TO-GO TRAVEL COMPANIONS

Captain Gary Bates of TWA and American Airlines retired and wife Beth Bates, provide years of travel experience and loving caregiving.

“After caring for people in airports and on board airplanes over the years, we realized there is a real need in for seniors to have professional Travel Companions accompany them on flights.”, States Gary and Beth Bates of Care-To-Go.

Captain Gary Bates, world traveler and travel consultant and Beth Bates understand the need to escort seniors traveling for their relaxation, enjoyment and safety.

The husband and wife healthcare duo have a passion for helping the elderly maintain their independence and lifestyle including traveling to family events, medical facilities or to re-locate to another city.

Care-To-Go can be reached at 800-818-0407 and on the web at www.CareToGoTravel.com

Care-To-Go Travel Companions endorsed by Phoenix Airport Chaplin and Travelers Aid for people needing a Travel Companion and traveling Caregiver.

It is always great to receive acknowledgement for Travel Companion services provided to seniors and people needing assistance.

The Phoenix Skyharbor airport receives lots of requests to assist travelers.  Sometimes it is confusion and sometimes it is a request for more complete travel assistance.

The following is an excerpt from Rev. Al Young, Chaplain, Sky Harbor Interfaith Chaplaincy

“In my opinion, Care-To-Go is providing a service that increasingly is needed as the U.S. population ages and air travel is complicated by new technology and security restrictions. A travel companion is just what some people need to make them comfortable venturing out on a visit to family or friends.

May you have good success with the service.

Sincerely,

Rev. Al Young

Chaplain, Sky Harbor Interfaith Chaplaincy”

To schedule a Travel Companion from Care-To-Go, call 800-818-0407 or visit the web, CareToGoTavel.com

Phoenix Travel Companion, Scottsdale Travel Companion, Saint Louis Travel Companion available plus numerous other parts of the country.

The following article confirms that a Home Care CareGiver can relieve a family so that a daughter can be a daughter again and leave the care giving to a professional caregiver from Care-To-Go, www.Care-To-Go.com.  Care-To-Go also provides Travel Companions to assist elderly travel.

Typical Caregiver Is a Woman in Her Late 40s Taking Care of an Elderly Parent, Study Finds

By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Dec. 11, 2009 — About one in three adults in the United States cares for a loved one who is elderly, sick, or has special needs. And two out of three unpaid caregivers are women, a new report finds.

More often than not, caregivers are raising families and working outside the home in addition to caring for aging parents, chronically ill spouses, or children or grandchildren with special needs.

The report, commissioned by the National Alliance for Caregiving in collaboration with the AARP and the insurance group MetLife, resulted from interviews with nearly 1,500 caregivers chosen at random. Similar interviews were conducted in 2004 and 1997.

Some 65 million American adults are providing care to loved ones independent of traditional parenting roles, Elinor Ginzler, senior vice president of Livable Communities Strategies for AARP, tells WebMD.

She says the typical caregiver is a woman in her late 40s caring for a parent, most often her mother, who is in their late 70s or older.

“Caregiving is traditionally women’s work,” she says. “And women are usually juggling work and family responsibilities while they are providing this care.”

Old Age, Alzheimer’s Major Reason for Care

The survey found that:

· 70% of caregivers were taking care of loved ones who were 50 years old or older. 

· Caregivers provided an average of 20 hours per week of care. 

· Caregiving lasted an average of 4.6 years. 

· Older care recipients generally needed help because of deteriorating physical health (76%). More than half (51%) still lived in their own homes and 29% lived in their caregiver’s home. 

· Old age was cited as the main reason for needed care, by 12% of respondents, followed by Alzheimer’s disease (10%), mental or emotional illness (7%), cancer (7%), heart disease (5%), and stroke (5%).

Ginzler says nearly three out of four caregivers who responded to the survey had paid jobs outside the home, and two-thirds said they had missed work as a result of their caregiver responsibilities.

She says the findings highlight the need for more support services for caregivers.

AARP has long pushed for a $3,000 tax credit for caregivers, and 56% of the survey respondents ranked a tax credit as important to them.

Health Care Debate Includes Caregivers

The tax credit is not a part of the sweeping health care legislation now being crafted by Congress, but Ginzler says the bill under consideration does include provisions that would help family caregivers.

Among the most ambitious is the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act, authored by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. The act provides for a national, voluntary insurance program to help Americans pay for long-term care.

Under the proposed plan, workers who do not opt out of the program would pay premiums through payroll deductions for disability and long-term care insurance.

The House version of the health care bill also provides additional funding for the National Family Caregiver Support Program, which aids family and community caregivers, Ginzler says.

Although more support services would help many caregivers, government and community assistance programs may elude many others, says Donna Schempp, who serves as program director for the Family Care Alliance.

That’s because many people don’t recognize themselves as caregivers, even though they are.

“A husband or wife who takes care of a sick spouse or an adult child who takes care of a parent may not think of him or herself as a caregiver,” she tells WebMD. “As a result, they may not think to look for resources that can help them.”

Even those who do seek help may not find the kind of support they need most, such as day care services or other resources aimed at easing the caregiver burden.

“Most caregiver support programs focus on teaching skills to improve patient care,” she says. “While this is certainly important, it is also important to teach caregivers the skills they need to take care of themselves during a very stressful time.”

How Seniors Can Fight the Flu
by Rubyna Bhayani

As a professional senior care provider, the responsibility of protecting seniors from the flu becomes ever important during the winter season. Providers can easily pass along to their seniors simple tips towards staying away from the flu, fighting the illness, and preventing the spread of the flu.

* Wash Your Hands–The simple act of cleaning your hands can prevent germs from spreading or reaching your senior. Encourage your senior to wash their hands or carry hand sanitizer.

* Avoid People Who Are Sick–As much as a senior may love to see their grandchildren or children, if any party is sick, it is best to just stay out of close contact until no longer contagious.

* Stay in Bed–If you are a sick senior, try to not push yourself by going out on errands. Not only can rest help a senior recover faster, but you will also prevent others from getting sick.

* Sleep, Exercise, and Eat Healthy–Some of the best ways to fight the flu can easily be by getting a full night’s sleep, being active, and eating foods and drinking liquids beneficial to your health.

* Keep your hands out of your eyes, nose and mouth–One of the most common ways germs can spread is by rubbing your eyes, nose or mouth after touching a doorknob or other item that is contaminated.

* Cover Your Nose and Mouth–When sneezing or coughing, it is always better to cover your mouth and nose to prevent your flu-like symptoms from spreading to others.

For professional Phoenix Home Care choose a CareGiver from Care-To-Go.com

CareToGoTravel.com

Contact Beth Bates at 480-284-8611 or 800-818-0407