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Help for unpaid family caregivers.3/29/2022 The elderly are living longer and their caregivers are getting older.  It is estimated that 19% of the nation’s unpaid family caregivers are 65 and older according to the 2020 Caregiving in the U.S. report by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. Caregiving can be very challenging for anyone, but especially so for older caregivers who may be dealing with their own health issues, like arthritis and recuperation from surgeries. In fact, many find themselves providing physically demanding care to their parents who are very likely in their 90s. What Caregivers Need to Know 1.MMBe Prepared Once you are dealing with the pressures of caregiving it’s hard to find time to make a plan. If you expect to become a caregiver or expect your current caregiving duties to increase, do your research now. Talk with doctors and nurses about what will be expected of you. Make a plan that is manageable and provides time for your own care and responsibilities. 2.MMYou Are Not Alone While caregiving is rewarding it is also demanding. Too many caregivers become so overwhelmed they forget to seek help. Even if family members or friends are unwilling there are organizations like VNANNJ with special services for caregivers. 3.MMGet Connected For assistance with caregiving duties through programs such as In-Home Caregiver Education and Support, House Calls For Groceries, Friendly Visitors, and others offered by Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey, visit: VNANNJ Caregiver Support. And for more information about being a family caregiver, visit: AARP Caregiving Care Guides. Get to know Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) now, and all the home health services available to you and your loved ones, before you have a health emergency. We are proud to be the longest-serving VNA in the state of New Jersey, so we know a thing or two about helping seniors. The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is a leading provider of comprehensive home health care services in Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren Counties in Northern New Jersey. Established in 1898, generations have known that just one call to VNA opens the door to quality, patient-centered home health care solutions that allow patients to remain in the comfort of their homes with dignity, health, and independence.
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Are beans the secret to longevity?3/22/2022 People with the greatest longevity in the world have these things in common.  Blue Zones are the areas around the world where people live longest while remaining in good health. These octogenarians live in very different places and in different cultures but they all have similar diets and lifestyles. Here are some of the important things they have in common. What They Eat It appears that the cornerstones of every Blue Zone diet are beans of many types, which are incredibly nutritious. The good news is that beans taste great and can be prepared in many delicious ways, like soups, stews, and salads. It seems the old saying is true – ”Beans, beans for every meal, the more you eat, the better you feel!” People in Blue Zones also eat a diet rich in greens, root vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. This is often referred to as "The Peasant Diet" due to the lack of meat. More and more studies show that a plant-based diet is excellent for long-term health. How They Move People in Blue Zones walk. A lot. They don’t spend time in the gym but they get regular, low-intensity exercise like daily walks that appear to help reduce their chance of having heart disease and certain cancers. And rather than become sedentary, they maintain a lot of physical activity into old age, like stretching, bending, and squatting that keeps their joints flexible and bodies mobile. How They Start Their Day Cultures with longevity tend to wake up every day with a goal. Most often that goal includes being social. It may be babysitting their grandkids, volunteering, mentoring, or harvesting their garden. The important thing is not so much what the goal is, but that they have a purpose, which gives meaning to their day and to their life. How They Relax Blue Zone people all have some cultural custom that helps them to decompress. For some, it’s daily group prayer, or meditation, for others it may be a ritual happy hour at their local coffee bar or cafe. Every day includes time to wind down and enjoy socializing. What They Avoid The longest living people in the Blue Zones have avoided sugar, salt, and packaged foods most of their lives. They also avoid screen time and social media in favor of in-person connections. While aspiring to all the habits of the world’s longest-living people may not be reasonable for all of us – especially those of us who sit in front of a screen all day for work – we can adopt many of these common habits for better health. For more information, and to join The Blue Zones Project for a healthier lifestyle visit: bluezonesproject.com Get to know Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) now, and all the home health services available to you and your loved ones, before you have a health emergency. We are proud to be the longest-serving VNA in the state of New Jersey, so we know a thing or two about helping seniors. The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is a leading provider of comprehensive home health care services in Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren Counties in Northern New Jersey. Established in 1898, generations have known that just one call to VNA opens the door to quality, patient-centered home health care solutions that allow patients to remain in the comfort of their homes with dignity, health, and independence.
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5 Tips to Keep Your Brain Young3/15/2022 Cognitive impairment is not inevitable. Here are some tips for brain health.  It’s no secret that aging carries a risk of memory loss and cognitive ability. Recent studies show that retirement may actually worsen that risk. Today, the average American lives to about age 79. That’s a dramatic increase in lifespan over the last hundred years. This has led to a big increase in cases of cognitive impairment as more people age for longer. Here are some things you can do to help maintain cognitive function and keep your brain fit. 1. Use Your Brain When you stress your muscles they respond by building new muscle to handle the stress. The same applies to your brain. Read, take classes, volunteer to use your skill set, and expand your comfort zone to stress your mental capacity. Social media does not count. 2. Exercise Regularly Using your muscles promotes brain health by building new nerve cells and increasing blood flow, bringing more oxygen-rich blood to your brain. 3. Feed Your Brain Food is medicine. How many times do we need to say it? Shop the perimeter of your grocery store, filling your cart with brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Avoid packaged foods that are almost always high in salt, fat, and sugar. It might help to picture that what goes into your mouth is what fuels your brain. Eat accordingly. A good diet will also help to lower blood sugar, reduce cholesterol, and reduce the inflammation that leads to many health problems. 4. Stop Excess Stop smoking and excessive drinking, self-medicating, and social media. If you need help to stop, find supportive friends, family, or groups who will stop with you. Mutual support and socialization are good for your brain. 5. Challenge Yourself When older adults retire they sometimes need to find a whole new lifestyle. For some, it’s a welcome challenge, but some withdraw and become isolated. Seek out new challenges. Get engaged in brand-new activities that will challenge your skill set. This is exercise for your brain, and your brain will thank you. Get to know Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) now, and all the home health services available to you and your loved ones, before you have a health emergency. We are proud to be the longest-serving VNA in the state of New Jersey, so we know a thing or two about helping seniors.
The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is a leading provider of comprehensive home health care services in Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren Counties in Northern New Jersey. Established in 1898, generations have known that just one call to VNA opens the door to quality, patient-centered home health care solutions that allow patients to remain in the comfort of their homes with dignity, health, and independence.
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 “The hospice team played a very large part in granting my mother’s final wish and probably mine as well. She died at home, peacefully, surrounded by family and close friends.” – Caregiver The idea of hospice is difficult for some to accept, but at VNA, hospice care is intended to enhance the quality of life for people with terminal illnesses by attending to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of not only the patient but also of their family. Hospice is intended to make a difficult time less stressful, less painful, and more comforting. Here are some things that you may like to know should your loved ones ever be in need of such care.
“Based on my experiences with the Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey, I see it as a family of the most professional doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, coordinators, administrators, and home health aides healthcare has to offer.” – Patient Family Member Get to know Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) now, and all the home health services available to you and your loved ones, before you have a health emergency. We are proud to be the longest-serving VNA in the state of New Jersey, so we know a thing or two about helping seniors.
The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is a leading provider of comprehensive home health care services in Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren Counties in Northern New Jersey. Established in 1898, generations have known that just one call to VNA opens the door to quality, patient-centered home health care solutions that allow patients to remain in the comfort of their homes with dignity, health, and independence.
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Top 10 Foods to Fight Aging3/1/2022 Foods rich in antioxidants are shown to help fight disease, cancer, and aging. Here are the top 10.  Antioxidants are molecules that fight free radicals in your body. But what does that actually mean? Free radical damage, also known as oxidative damage, produced from our body’s own cellular processes contributes to the aging process. There are many natural foods that have significant sources of antioxidants to fight free radical damage. Think of them as anti-aging agents. Here are ten of the best antioxidant foods to include in your daily diet. 1. Dark Chocolate. The antioxidants in dark chocolate have been linked to many health benefits like reduced inflammation. 70% cocoa content or higher is recommended. Dark chocolate can be bitter but milk chocolate contains a lot of milk and sugar which eliminates the health benefit so it must be dark chocolate. 2. Pecans. A good source of healthy fats, minerals, and antioxidants, pecans are also high in calories, so just a few as a snack will do the trick. 3. Blueberries. Packed with antioxidants and only 1 calorie per berry, blueberries have been shown to have many health benefits, including aiding weight loss and delaying age-related decline in brain function. 4. Strawberries. A rich source of vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants, strawberries are also low in sugar despite their sweet taste. The brighter red they are, the higher the health benefit. 5. Artichokes. While not common to many American diets, artichokes are rich in antioxidants and well worth adding to your diet. Look for steamed (not fried) artichoke recipes which raise their antioxidant content, and avoid buttery dressings, opting for healthy olive oil dressing instead. 6. Concord and Purple Grapes. The skin and seeds of these grapes are especially full of antioxidants and have been shown to help reduce blood cholesterol and type 2 diabetes while benefiting brain health. Red and green grapes contain fewer antioxidants. 7. Black Raspberries. A great source of antioxidants, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and manganese, black raspberries have been linked to lower risks of cancer and heart disease, likely due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. 8. Red Kale. The health benefits of kale are so well-known that it has become a synonym for a healthy lifestyle because it is one of the most nutritious greens to be found anywhere. It is rich in calcium, vitamins C, A, and K, and of course, antioxidants. Red kale is higher in antioxidants than the green variety. 9. Red (Purple) Cabbage. Like kale, red cabbage is rich in vitamins C, A, and K, and its high level of antioxidants provide its red color. Raw or stir-frying red cabbage is best, while steaming it may reduce its antioxidant content significantly. 10. Beans. All types of beans contain antioxidants and are good for us, but according to a study reported on WebMD, those highest in antioxidants are red beans, followed by red kidney beans, pinto beans, and black beans. Simply tossing beans into a salad is an easy and delicious way to get more into your diet. Top Tip: Fill your shopping cart from the fresh produce aisle before any other area of the grocery store. Eat well to be well. Get to know Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) now, and all the home health services available to you and your loved ones, before you have a health emergency. We are proud to be the longest-serving VNA in the state of New Jersey, so we know a thing or two about helping seniors. The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is a leading provider of comprehensive home health care services in Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren Counties in Northern New Jersey. Established in 1898, generations have known that just one call to VNA opens the door to quality, patient-centered home health care solutions that allow patients to remain in the comfort of their homes with dignity, health, and independence.
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