10 Reasons Why You Should Quit Smoking Cigarettes

Saturday, November 19^th is the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout event. Smoke from across the nation can use this day as a way to finally decide that they should quit smoking, or have it be the day when they actually quit. Either way, the goal is to create more non-smokers.

According to the CDC, as of 2014, approximately 17% of American adults smoked cigarettes. That equates to about 40 million adults. There have been many studies done showing the harmful effects of cigarettes, yet many adults continue to smoke.

With the Great American Smokeout just around the corner, we want to share 10 reasons why you should quit smoking cigarettes today:

1. The smoking rate has declined in the last 10 years; 21% in 2005 to 17% in 2014. More people realize the harm smoking does to their bodies.
2. Even with the drop in number of people smoking, almost 500,000 deaths each year can be attributed to smoking. This is 1 in every 5 deaths.
3. Smoking can hard almost every organ in your body and can cause many diseases.
4. Smoking is the cause of over a dozen cancers, including esophagus, lung, stomach, liver, kidney, cervix, bladder, colorectal and more.
5. Smoking causes 90 percent of all lung cancer deaths.
6. Smoking causes almost 2 dozen chronic diseases, such as stroke, cataracts, heart disease, pneumonia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, reduced fertility, arthritis and more.
7. Smoking may increase your risk of stroke and heart disease by 2 to 4 times.
8. Smokers are 12 to 13 times more likely to die from COPD than nonsmokers.
9. Within 2 to 5 years after you quit smoking your risk of having a stroke could fall to the same level as a nonsmoker.
10. Within ten years after you quit smoking your risk of lung disease drops by half.

If you haven’t seriously thought about quitting smoking in the past, now is as good a time as any. There are deadly consequences to people who continue to smoke. As each year goes by once you quit, you start to reverse the negative effects smoking had on your body. We have seen first-hand what a lifetime of smoking does to the health of a person. Use the Great American Smokeout event on November 19^th as your reason to quit.

At Assisting Hands^® Home Care, our goal is to provide our clients with the help they need to keep them safely in their own home for longer. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, our at-home care can accommodate your needs. You will have peace of mind knowing that they aren’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100. To learn more about our in home senior care, click here.

3 Ways to Prevent Heart Disease

According to the CDC, heart disease is the number one cause of death among men and women in the United States, killing over 600,000 people each year. That equates to approximately one in four deaths! Only American Indians and Alaskan Natives have a lower percentage at one in five deaths.

Although some heart disease is genetic, over 80 percent of deaths caused by heart disease are preventable. Just think what those almost 500,000 people who die each year might be doing today. Although prevention can start at any age, it is best if it is practiced when we are young. By having good habits throughout our lives, we may reduce our risk not only of heart disease other deadly diseases like strokes and cancer.

With World Heart Day falling on September 29^th, we thought we would call attention to heart disease and some prevention tips:

1. Have a healthy diet. Eating more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods is a good rule of thumb. By avoiding processed foods, you are also limiting added sodium and sugar in your diet, which will help to lower your blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
2. Get regular exercise. Whether you walk, run, bike, swim, or cross-train, it is important to get 2 to 3 hours of physical activity every week. Talk to your doctor before starting any type of exercise regimen.
3. Don’t smoke. If you don’t smoke now, don’t start. If you do smoke, stop. There are a variety of products and programs that can help a person quit smoking. If you tried to quit and it didn’t work, try again until it does. You can greatly reduce your risk of heart disease (and other diseases) by not smoking.

When you eat healthy foods and exercise regularly, you should be able to maintain a healthy weight. This will help you reduce your blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels, all of which are contributing factors to heart disease. It is not too late to make some simple changes to your diet and exercise routine so your senior years are happy and healthy ones!

At Assisting Hands® Home Care, our skilled caregivers will make sure the seniors in our care are eating and exercising appropriately. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, our at-home care can accommodate your needs. You will have peace of mind knowing that they aren’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100. To learn more about our in home senior care, click here.

3 Things to Look for When You See Your Dad

According to the latest CDC report on leading causes of death among males in the United States, the top two causes are heart disease and cancer. These two diseases make up almost a half of the deaths among males and are, by far, the biggest causes of death compared to any other diseases or accidents.

The CDC noted that heart disease kills 1 in every 4 men. Think about that statistic for a minute…1 in every 4 men will die of heart disease. How many men are in your family – your father, grandfather, uncles, or brothers? Based on this statistic, one of them will likely die from heart disease. In addition, half of the men who die suddenly from heart disease never had a symptom, even though they may have still been at risk. The biggest risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high LDL (bad) cholesterol and smoking. In addition, obesity, diabetes, lack of physical activity and excessive alcohol use are risk factors.

The National Cancer Institute identified several risk factors that, if avoided, may lower your risk of developing certain cancers. Like heart disease, potential cancer risk factors include smoking, obesity and excessive alcohol use, as well as diet, sunlight, radiation, and others.

What can you do to help prevent your loved one – and yourself – from developing these diseases? Try to reduce the risk factors. When you see your dad this Father’s Day, here are 3 things you can look for to see if he has these risk factors and help reduce them:

•             Check out your dad’s kitchen. Are there any fruits, vegetables, healthy grains or lean meat? Is the food fresh or is it expired? Take inventory and go shopping with or for him. If he doesn’t cook for himself and there is no one in the house to cook for him, prepare some meals ahead of time that you can bring with and put in the freezer. Make sure there are specific heating instructions on the containers so he knows how to heat the meal without zapping foil in the microwave or melting a plastic container in the oven. If your dad eats healthier foods, he should be able to reduce his weight, if that is a concern, lower cholesterol and possibly get diabetes under control.
•          Watch your dad.  Does he look like he has gained weight since the last time you saw him? Does he have a hard time going from a seated position to standing or is he off-balance when walking? Pay attention to the little things. He may need to get more physical activity to work on balance or reduce some weight. The combination of eating better and getting more exercise than what we’re used to can help us all feel better.
•           Check for bad habits. Is your dad a smoker or drinker? Smoking is a bad habit that needs to be given up, no matter what your age! That may not be so easy if your dad has been smoking for a long time or is very set in his ways. However, there are a variety of products and services available to help people reduce their nicotine intake and eventually quit smoking. Those may be options you can explore for your dad. If your dad is a drinker, do you know how much? Does drinking affect any medications he may be on? Excessive alcohol use is a risk factor for both heart disease and cancer, and can cause weight gain, mood swings, irritability, balance issues, forgetfulness and more!

In general, look and listen at your dad’s appearance and his surroundings. He was there for you to clean up wounds when you fell and kill spiders that you sure were going to ‘attack.’ Father’s Day is the perfect time to watch and learn from him, this time to help him!

At Assisting Hands Home Care we can provide your dad (or mom) with safe transportation to and from doctors and other appointments, grocery shopping or other errands. Whether you need someone to be with them during the day, in the evening or overnight, we can accommodate your needs. You will sleep better knowing that they aren’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100.