Health Archives - Page 3 of 5

The Question of Quality – 6 Things to Look For in a Community Care Provider

January 16, 2018 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Community care is aged care that is provided to you or your aged loved ones within the comfort of their own home. It is a common alternative to residential care, and allows an individual to retain a good measure of independence and control over their own life, while receiving assistance in the areas that they need.

With that said, choosing a care provider can be tricky, especially with so many to filter through. Let’s take some of the stress away from that decision by exploring six different things to look for in a community care provider.

The Level of Support Offered

Not all community care providers offer the same level of assistance with daily living. For example, some may come to clean the home, change the sheets and do some gardening – things that can get difficult with age. Others may come and bring meals, or cook for you, or perform minor maintenance activities around the house.

Others yet may do all of the above. Check in with some different providers and see what level of support they offer you, and see if they can tailor a package that’s right for you or your loved one.

Cost of Community Care

This is an important factor, as you want to be able to afford the best without breaking the bank. Ask some different providers for an outline of the expected costs of community care. It may be worth sketching out a rough budget of your income and expenses and seeing what you can afford. Did you know that the government offers subsidies for community care? This can make it more affordable than you think.

Attitude of Staff

This is really important. Working with aging people requires a great deal of tolerance, patience, compassion, kindness and acceptance. The last thing you want is someone without these attributes providing care for you or your loved one.

Ask to meet with some of the care staff before you choose a community care provider, ask them some questions and try to ascertain their attitude prior to picking a provider.

Allied Health Professionals?

Check in with the providers to see if they offer Allied Health professionals in their community care packages. These are highly qualified physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other specialists that can provide a great level of assistance for those who are aging. Not every provider will have them on the books, and keep in mind that you may incur additional expenses for these individuals.

Frequency of Visits

This is another important aspect of community care. How often are they able to visit you or your loved one? Ideally you will want to work out a schedule that is right for you, and enables you or your relative to live in relative independence for as long as possible before transitioning to residential care.

Do They Offer Social Support?

You may not realise it, but social connections are incredibly important as we age. Social interaction has a range of positive physical and mental health benefits, and the sad thing is that we often do less of it the older we get.

Some aged providers offer a simple drop-in service, where a friendly staff member can come and have a cuppa and a chat. See if the providers you’re investigating offer something like this.

To Sum it Up

So, work out a budget and check how much different community care providers cost, keeping in mind government subsidies. See what the level of support and frequency of visits are, and check to see if social support is provided. Finally, see if Allied Health staff can come to you for extra specialised care and always remember to get a feeling for the attitude of the staff.

Cardio Considerations – 6 Benefits of Kettlebell Training

November 20, 2017 by Painter Mommy 2 Comments

The Russians have given a lot to the world and have always been leaders in gymnastics and powerlifting. Kettlebells are a great tool for developing overall, functional strength and cardiovascular endurance. Try doing four sets of lap pulldowns versus kettlebell swings and you’ll notice a big difference.

There are plenty of benefits to using kettlebells, so begin incorporating them into your weekly workout routine.

Compact Equipment

The best thing about kettlebells is that you can get a complete full body workout combining resistance training with cardio. With a Kettlebell Set that can be stored in the corner of a room, you can do a variety of exercises, and work your entire body. But be sure to get the right form for some of the harder exercises.

Combine Your Strength and Cardio Workouts

Functional training is the best route to overall fitness. Depending on your goals, using kettlebells can be one of the best and fastest ways to achieve optimum fitness and physique. Kettlebells activate the use of stabilisers, enhancing mobility and the exercises increase coordination and motor skills.

It’s possible to lift weights in a traditional resistance program and not break a sweat, but after a kettlebell workout your entire body will know it has been pushed.

It Can Be Easier On Joints

Given that you’ve warmed up properly, using Kettlebells can be easier on your joints given the flow of the exercises. Rather than lifting, pulling or pressing dead weights repetitively, kettlebells incorporate a range of continuous motion that is more natural for the body.

Most Kettlebell workouts also incorporate full body exercises, so you’re getting a great workout while not necessarily only targeting one specific muscle group. Your core muscles, and legs will be activated for much of what you do as well.

Burn More Calories

If you’re time poor, which most city-livers are these days, then a 20-30 minute kettlebell workout can give you the same caloric burn as an hour or more of jogging. Combining your resistance training with your cardio, you can kill two birds with one stone and get in and out of the gym (or your home or office) faster and back to work, knowing that you’ve had a good workout.

Increase Your Flexibility

We should all be stretching and doing yoga regularly to stay and increase our flexibility. Training with kettlebells can also aid in developing your flexibility and your range of motion. But be sure to warm up properly, don’t jump into these exercises that push your range of motion with cold muscles.

Improve Your Awareness of Your Body

As you develop your range of motion, coordination and motor skills, you are also developing a better sense of the body you live in. Exercising can be mindless – just look at all those people on the treadmill – but when using Kettlebells you need to be focused and in tune with what you are doing.

This improved awareness will carry over into other aspects of your life and/or sport. Just as yoga and pilates improves your mind and body connection, so too can Kettlebell exercises and functional training.

Get someone to show you how to use them to begin with, the last thing you want is a stupid injury from not knowing what you’re doing that sets you back. Do a couple of group training sessions or book in with a personal trainer for a few sessions to get your technique and movement down and to learn some basic exercises.

Most gyms offer some free PT sessions with membership so make the most of them and learn how to use kettlebells. The rest you can do from the privacy of your own home, office or in the gym.

Image From: https://www.onnit.com/academy/kettlebell-cardio-for-cardio-haters/

5 Natural Remedies to Cure a Kid’s Earache

March 2, 2015 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored post…

An earache can sound like serious business for a parent: their kid’s in pain and while the cause may be something benign like Otitis (either of the middle ear or the outer ear), it still looks worrying. When a child complains of pain inside their ear, either because of a swelling of the eardrum (Myringitis), a cold, an infection, allergies, eardrum blisters, or injury, it’s time to look for remedies quick. Sure, a lot of ear infections that occur in children aged 2 or older will go away without the need for treatment – but what can a parent do in order to alleviate the pain caused by the earache in question. There’s always the option of calling a doctor or using pain relievers, but if those solutions are not accessible to you, or you would simply like to avoid them for whatever reason, we’ve got a handful of natural earache remedies for you to try out. No doctor needed! Bear in mind that if the pain persists, you are best advised to seek out professional medical advice.

Tip #1: Warmth + R&R

Since a lot of ear infections don’t necessarily require medical attention, one of the best ways to handle an earache is to simply encourage your child to rest. If you can get them to lie quietly in bed while you read them a story, color a picture book, or play a video game with them, that’s great. Do your best to engage the child in quiet, relaxing playtime activities. It’s generally not recommended to allow your child to go outside during bouts of ear pain, especially if the weather is cold. Furthermore, try to avoid or postpone travel at this time, most of all by pain. High altitudes may aggravate earaches caused by ear infections. In all of the above scenarios, whether they entail travel or rest and relaxation at home, it’s a good idea to apply a warm cloth to your child’s ear. The heat may help reduce the intensity of the pain and you can use anything from a washcloth to a blankie, a heating pad, a favorite toy, or a towel. Just make sure to have a replacement at hand when the first thing you’ve used has gone cold.

Tip #2: Help those ears feel better

Here are a few ‘tricks’ that have been tested by healthcare providers in soothing and/or alleviating pain caused by an earache:

Let gravity work its magic. Since most earaches are caused by inflammations, which, in turn, create pressure via an accumulation of fluid against the eardrum, gravity can help reduce some of that pressure. Try to get your kid to lie on one side while in bed, with the ear that hurts facing toward the ceiling. Some of the accumulated fluid and/or mucous might drain away from the eardrum.
Wiggle those ears. This tip especially works with kids who often get earaches because of chronic sinusitis and a stuffy nose. Pinch the lobe of the ear that hurts between your index finger and thumb and lightly tug at it. If you do this right, the Eustachian tube which has become clogged might pop open and have the fluid drained right out of it. Alternatively, you can encourage the child to yawn or swallow, much like they would when their ears need to be ‘popped’ when flying.

Tip #3: The important link between the ear and the nose

As mentioned above, sometimes kids can get an earache as a direct consequence of sinusitis. If it’s not that serious or a chronic ailment, if it’s simply a cold, try to get them to blow their nose. That, of course, may not be possible if it’s really stuffy, but you can always help them by squirting a drop or two of saline solution up one of their nostrils. As mentioned in the first tip, if only one nostril is clogged, try to get them to lie on one side, with the stuffy nose hole to the ceiling.

Tip #4: Sometimes you don’t need antibiotics

Sometimes an earache is as painful as to warrant the use of over-the-counter painkillers, or even prescription analgesics, antibiotics, and eardrops. But this is not always the case. When you can safely rule out the possibility of an ear infection, try to drip a drop or two of olive or vegetable oil into your kid’s painful ear. Since this is not always an easy task to complete, try to do this as they are about to go to sleep, or even after they’ve fallen asleep. Have them lie down as soon as you’ve applied the drops, as you don’t want them leaking oil all over the sheets. It’s a good idea to slightly warm up the oil before applying it – just make absolutely sure the temperature is appropriate.

Tip #5: Nature’s miracles

If your child can tolerate any of the following solutions, with all their funny tastes and strong scents, then consider using them:

Ginger. It’s a great natural painkiller, which can also alleviate inflammation. Pour a few drops of ginger juice into the afflicted ear, or apply a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger root rubbed with ¼ cup of sesame oil and lightly heated around the ear with the ache.
Basil leaves. Crush a handful of fresh basil leaves and pour a couple of drops into the aching ear.
Onion or garlic. Both are great antiseptics and can substantially reduce an inflammation inside the ear.

Head Lice… AGAIN! No!!!!!

March 19, 2014 by Painter Mommy 1 Comment

For the past 24 hours, I have been battling on whether or not to mention this on Facebook or not. But this morning, I realized that I really need the support of other mother’s out there who have faced this problem and I want to stomp out the preconceptions of those who THINK like I did about head lice.

Back when we lived in New York, every month or so, my kids would come home with a letter from school saying that someone had head lice. I used to cringe thinking about how horrible it must be for a child to have bugs living in their hair. I figured that my OCD tendencies of keeping a clean house and keeping up with good hygiene for my children would keep us exempt from ever having to deal with it.

But then, I got the dreaded phone call from the school nurse asking me to come in right away to pick up my daughter, (5 or 6 years old at the time) because she had head lice. I literally PANICKED. The nurse showed me the tiny little bugs that were in her hair and the microscopic eggs that were attached to her hair shaft. There were only a few so the teacher told me that it had just started and that it was a very mild case… but STILL!

The crazy thing is, and for those of you who have dealt with head lice – know, that my own head immediately began itching and I was completely paranoid that I had it too. UGH!

I purchased the Rid treatment and began the tedious process of eliminating the lice and their eggs. But first… I cut all of our hair off so that it would be easier to treat. But this was not sooooo devastating because our hair was not that long in the first place. And yes, I cut my own hair too – that’s what OCD paranoia does. Ha Ha Ha

Removing the lice problem doesn’t just end with treating the hair either. You also have to remove all bedding and stuffed animals and wash in hot water. The mattress and floor have to be vacuumed thoroughly, etc. And you have to constantly check for lice and pick out any eggs for days / weeks afterwards. And let me reiterate that the eggs are MICROSCOPIC.

When we moved here to Florida, I thought the lice thing would be over. I have never gotten a note home about anyone ever having it. And after the first head lice situation, I TOTALLY warned my daughter about NEVER using other children’s brushes, hats, or hair items. I told her not to hug kids at school or church, etc.

So, when my daughter came into my room this past Monday night saying that her head was itching, the last thing I thought about was head lice. But I took a look at her head, just in case, and OMG… guess what I found????

The difference between this time and last time is that both of our hair is LONG now. UGH!!! My daughter immediately began crying and begged me not to cut her hair. I almost started crying too! MY OCD kicked into full swing and my own head began to itch uncontrollably. I panicked AGAIN!

It was already around 8:30pm at night so there was really nothing I could do at that point but send my daughter back to bed and begin to obsess over the thought of going through this nightmare again. I stayed up half the night thinking and obsessing and half the night having dreams about bugs crawling all over my body. Yeah, you know you would too! LOL

I mean, seriously… I am such a clean freak! How can this happen? Those of you that know me, know that I vacuum almost every day, I never have dirty dishes in the sink, my kids fingernails are always cut short, and I would definitely never tolerate a bug infestation! Come on people!

Head lice is known as that DIRTY thing that only people with poor hygiene get. Even I looked on it as something that could never happen to us. But man was I dead wrong! It has happened to us and now happened TWICE! HELP!

So, yesterday, I kept my daughter home from school, went to Walmart and spent $30+ on “the stuff” (lice treatment, comb, preventative spray, etc). From 6am till I collapsed in my bed, we worked on eliminating the dreaded problem. It was a bit harder because of her longer hair, but we made it work.

The crazy thing is that I did not find ONE LIVE BUG ANYWHERE. There were only eggs in her hair… but those eggs hatch. The treatment doesn’t prevent that. It only helps with removing the eggs. Thank God there were not too many and I will definitely continue to monitor her head on a daily basis. But man, Oh man… what a stinkin’ nightmare!

I want to publicly thank my mom Georgette Papandrea for spending the entire day with me, yesterday, helping me with laundry, doing the treatment on my own head (even though we found that I don’t have it), keeping the little boys entertained, and even organizing and putting together socks that I had stowed away in a bin for all the unmatched socks. What a blessing that was!

I still have not alerted the school about the lice because I do not want my daughter to be looked down upon or known as the “dirty lice girl”. But now that I have written out my experience and thoughts, I am getting the courage to do so. I mean there could be a child in my daughter’s class who is carrying it and doesn’t know it. I DO NOT want my daughter to get re-infected.

I am hoping that me writing this will help other parents to see that lice does not always happen to the stereotypical people. It can happen to ANYONE – even the cleanest person. Lice actually PREFER clean hair so that their eggs will stick better to the hair shaft… Go figure.

Anyway, I am really looking forward to hearing your feedback on this one. Have you dealt with head lice in your family? Did you have the same fears that I did? How did you deal with them? Did you keep it a secret? And for those of you who have not dealt with head lice, does my post change your preconception of who can get it? I would LOVE to hear your feedback and always appreciate your words of encouragement and support.

Busy People Guide for Time and Cost Efficient Dieting

January 2, 2014 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

This is a Sponsored Post

Although it sounds incredible, it is indeed possible to shed the extra pounds without spending a fortune. You do not have to keep waiting for months to enjoy a slimmer waistline because there are healthier, cheaper and more effective ways to lose weight. You do not have to look for special meals or sign up with exorbitantly priced weight loss planners to see the changes in the weighing scale. You simply have to inculcate some healthy eating habits and lifestyle changes and stick to a well balanced healthy diet.

Watch what you eat: To begin with you can consider maintaining a food diary to keep a record of whatever you eat and drink throughout the day. This is very helpful in long term weight management and you can correctly identify the reasons why you overeat or situations which prompt you to hit a vending machine. You should also make an effort to learn more about foods which can help you lose weight and consciously include these in your daily diet. For instance, eating fresh fruits and vegetables can be one of the most effective and inexpensive ways of dieting. You should read nutrition labels on packaged foods before consuming them; this ensures that you do not eat high calorie unhealthy and fattening snacks. You can get vital dietary information from this practice and this is sure to benefit you when it comes to dieting.

Limited portions: The best way to cut down on calorie intake is to limit the portions of meals you eat. You need to choose a diet plan that focuses on offering healthy diet meals which are both calorie controlled and portion controlled. When you control the serving size, you automatically control the calories. If you are unsure about portions and right choices of food, sign up with result yielding weight loss programs like Nutrisystem. Nutrisystem focuses on delivering portion controlled meals that are nutritionally balanced. You can cut down the costs of meals using their discount coupons available during all seasons.

Avoid empty calories: Staying away from liquid calories is a good and cheap way of starting a diet fast. This strategy always pays off and is absolutely painless. You must avoid sweet beverages which contribute unwanted calories. Moreover, when you stop buying sodas and such other aerated drinks, you actually save a lot of money in the process too. You should instead focus on drinking more water throughout the day. Water contains zero calories and helps to keep you feeling full for a longer time.

Stay active: There is no better solution as far as weight loss is concerned than being physically active. You should include an hour of exercises every day and for this, it is not always necessary to work out at the gym. You can keep yourself active by performing regular mundane household chores like gardening or sweeping the floor. You need to be committed to your exercise schedules to notice positive changes in your weight.

It is therefore possible to eat healthy and lose weight without having to register for an expensive weight loss program or take up membership in an expensive gym. Super expensive health foods may be effective, but not as effective for losing weight as regular home cooked meals. You must understand that weight loss cannot be achieved through a magic pill; weight loss pills have adverse side effects. There is no sense in putting your health at risk by ingesting such dietary pills to lose weight. Short term diets are not the right solutions; you should think in terms of lifestyle changes to make a diet work.

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Author Bio: Jessica Robert is a fitness enthusiast who actively blogs on interesting diet and fitness related topics. You can read her most recent post here: http://thedietcircle.com/nutrisystem/.