(NewsUSA) – Grandparents and grandchildren have much to learn from one another, and such valuable relationships should be cultivated. However, not all grandparents are fortunate enough to have the health to chase after youngsters.
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), approximately 17 percent of American adults experience some level of hearing loss. Age and hearing loss are strongly related — 30 percent of seniors from 65 to 74 years old suffer from a hearing disability. For adults 75 years of age or older, hearing loss jumps to 47 percent.
Taking the grandkids to the pool can turn dangerous if grandma can’t hear possible cries for help. Fire alarms and smoke detectors become useless when the kids are napping and elderly grandparents can’t hear the warning. Driving puts the children at risk if the grandparents cannot hear oncoming traffic or car horns.
The NIDCD reports that only one out of every five people who needs a hearing aid actually wears one. This is largely due to the extravagant cost of most hearing aids.
“I found that I saw too many patients with hearing loss going home without a solution because they couldn’t afford hearing aid prices,” says Sreek Cherukuri, MD, a board-certified ear, nose and throat physician based in Chicago, Ill.
Cherukuri’s response was to develop inexpensive, but effective, hearing aids. “With today’s technology, a quality hearing aid shouldn’t cost more than a digital camera or iPod,” Cherukuri says.
MDHearingAid, found at www.mdhearingaid.com, isn’t just a reliable source for the best affordable hearing aids, it’s also a good source for expert consumer information.
“You should see a physician and get the best hearing aid you can afford. We offer an excellent choice for those who cannot afford a custom hearing aid,” Cherukuri says.
Senior citizens should fully enjoy the benefits of their ripe age, and not fear putting anyone in danger. This includes plenty of quality time with grandchildren.
For more information on hearing aids, hearing loss or cost-efficient alternatives, visit MDHearingAid.com.
Is Your Child at Risk With Grandpa?
How to Survive College Move-In Day Pain-Free
(NewsUSA) – College move-in day is full of aches and pains. There are, of course, the heartache and worries that accompany what for most parents is their children’s first time away from home. On top of that, there are the back, neck and arm pains that are incurred as you haul TVs, shoe collections and clothes up five flights of stairs to your new student’s college abode.
While nothing but time will calm fears about your child living alone for the first time, the maker of Absorbine Jr. products, W.F. Young Inc., gives the following advice to parents of new college students about making the big move as painless as possible:
* Expect to be separated from your child. It’s true: at some point during move-in day, you actually will have to be separated from your child. Often, however, this will happen before you officially leave campus. Your child may have a special schedule to go to that has separate events from yours. Expect this to happen and, if need be, brace your new college student for it.
* Use a cart or dolly. Many universities provide carts to help students and parents move their belongings, but unless you’re a real early bird, you’ll have to wait to get one. Use your college smarts, and buy a cheap dolly from a home improvement store instead.
* Lift with care. Before you lift something heavy, stand with your feet apart and planted on the ground. Use your legs, not your back, to lift the object, unless you want to spend the first night away from your child in a health clinic or hospital.
* Take breaks. If constant trips up a dorm’s narrow stairs make you tired, stop and rest with a bottle of water. Small breaks through the day will keep you awake and alert.
* Don’t move alone. If you need help moving something heavy, have your son or daughter ask another student. Now’s the time for your child to make new friends!
* Plan for pain relief. Pack over-the-counter products like aspirin and Absorbine Jr., a liquid whose botanical extracts can help relieve minor moving-related aches and pains.
Parents and college students should keep Absorbine Jr. around, anyways. Sports and exercise can cause sprains, bruises and muscle aches. Also, Absorbine Jr. helps relieve the itch of athlete’s foot — a common infection to dorms and dorm showers.
For more information, visit www.absorbinejr.com.
"Sandwiched" Caring for Kids and Parents? Here’s Help!
(NewsUSA) – On one hand, you have aging parents less able to care for themselves every day. On the other, your own children with schedules so difficult you can’t find a spare minute. And you’re caught in between.
You’re not alone. You’re part of the over 20 million Americans “sandwiched” in between generations, caring for both your own children and your parents.
As a “sandwiched” caregiver, you often bear the brunt of the financial and emotional strain that occurs when the needs of your aging parents must be balanced with those of your children.
If you are faced with this situation, an abundance of resources are available to help when you can’t always be there:
* Eldercare Services: The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging’s mission is to help older persons, and those with disabilities, live with dignity and choices in their own homes and communities as long as possible. A variety of tools may be found at www.n4a.org.
* Mom’s Meals: Mom’s Meals brings convenience and good nutrition to independent seniors by preparing, packaging and shipping fresh-made, ready-to-eat meals directly to a customer’s door. Whether still in their own home, homebound after a health crisis, or even in an assisted living facility, these meals are created by chefs and dietitians to meet the nutritional needs of seniors, and include options for low-sodium, low-fat or low-carb diets. Visit www.momsmeals.com or call 866-971-6667.
* National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers: Having difficulty assessing your parents’ medical needs and finances? Check out www.caremanager.org. It will help you identify local programs and services to meet those needs.
* National Association for Home Care & Hospice. If your parents have become unable to fully care for themselves, yet they would prefer to remain independent, home health care may be the answer. The site www.nahc.org helps navigate the options.
Time Is Everything This Mother’s Day
(NewsUSA) – Moms everywhere seem to share the same problem: There’s not enough time in the day to get everything done. With endless work and family demands, finding a spare moment is nearly impossible.
Grand Slam tennis champion and mom Kim Clijsters is no exception. The 2005 US Open Championship winner returned to the game in 2009 following a two-year absence after the birth of her first daughter, Jada. Between diaper changes and feedings, Clijsters managed to become the first unranked wildcard to win a Grand Slam event in over 30 years.
Clijsters successfully defended her title and went on to win the 2010 US Open.
The secret to her success? Timing. Citizen Watch Company recently signed Clijsters as its newest Brand Ambassador for the Citizen Signature timepiece. For Clijsters, donning a Citizen Signature Ladies’ Diamond timepiece is more than a fashion statement. It’s the key to finding time to hit the courts or be home with Jada.
“I am very proud to be an Ambassador for the Citizen Watch Company,” said Clijsters. “Citizen has had a long affiliation with tennis as the Official Timekeeper of the US Open, so a partnership with Citizen is a natural choice for me. Passion has always been a critical part of my tennis game, just like the passion that Citizen has put into The Signature Collection.”
Make life for busy moms a little easier this Mother’s Day with the gift of time. All Citizen Eco-Drive watches are powered by light and permanently rechargeable, so Mom doesn’t have to worry about replacing a battery a few months down the road.
And with fashionable touches including mother-of-pearl dials and diamond-embellished cases, working around the clock has never been so stylish.
For more information, visit www.citizen-signature.com.
Ultrasound: An Essential Part of Prenatal Care
(NewsUSA) – For many moms-to-be, a first ultrasound is a life changing experience — it can also be a life saving moment for the child they’re carrying.
While ultrasounds have been used in prenatal care for many years, new technology is changing the face of obstetrical care. Today, doctors can use 3D and 4D imaging capabilities along with “conventional” 2D ultrasound, allowing them to examine everything from a baby’s developing brain to its arms and legs. They can even see a fetal heart the size of a dime.
These new capabilities can help doctors detect problems that could put babies at risk.
“Thanks to early detection through prenatal care, medicine can often save at-risk babies who would have been lost a generation ago,” said Dr. Jacques Abramowicz, Frances T. and Lester B. Knight professor, director of Ob/Gyn Ultrasound and Co-Director of the Rush Fetal and Neonatal Medicine Center in Chicago. “But we can only make a difference if moms take the initiative to see their doctors and see them early in their pregnancy.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 4 million American women will give birth this year, and nearly one-third will experience some kind of complication. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration says babies born to mothers who receive no prenatal care are five times more likely to die and three times more likely to be born at low birth weight than those whose mothers receive prenatal care.
Prenatal care provides a wide range of support, including medical care, education and counseling. Ultrasound is often a critical part of that all-important care.
By providing pregnant women “with important information and sometimes an early warning if there could be a bump in the road ahead, ultrasound aids physicians in making better diagnoses, which helps moms make better choices for their babies and themselves,” said Janice Blackwell, vice president, Ultrasound Global Marketing, for Philips Healthcare.
Tips to Help Kids Protect Their Teeth from Sugar
Sugar can be difficult to pass up, especially when you’re a kid. Today’s children are regularly subjected to sugary diets and uninformed eating habits. Although parents may not be giving their children foods that are high in sugar intentionally, there are steps that can be taken to help kids avoid the pitfalls of sugar, such as obesity and dental disease.
• Monitor snacking choices. Provide healthy foods to eat. Ration empty-calorie foods such as sugar-packed sweets. Instead, offer healthy alternative snacks such as fresh vegetables and fruits and low-fat yogurt with no added sugars.
Prepaid College Tuition — The ‘It’ Gift This Holiday Season
div img class=”category-img” src=”http://ftper.newsusa.com/Thumbnail/PrepaidCollegeTuition_NG.jpg” alt=”" width=”180″ //divdiv class=”category-listcontent”div class=”category-body” id=”ArticleBody” style=”display: block” (a href=”http://www.newsusa.com”NewsUSA/a) – This holiday season, contributing to a child’s college education can be the gift that lasts a lifetime. Parents and grandparents alike want to give …/div/div
Keep Kids Learning During Winter Break
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Reinforce School Lessons at Home for Better Learning
As an adult, you may know that lessons learned in high school or college can quickly go by the wayside. Studies have shown that children struggling in school score higher on achievement tests in June than they do at the end of the traditional summer break. Even more concerning are findings that indicate how these learning losses can add up with each passing year. In fact, by the time they reach middle school, some students may experience a 2-year lag in reading achievement.
Lessons in Retention: Parents Can Help Young Minds Learn at Home
(NewsUSA) – As an adult, you may know that lessons learned in high school or college can quickly go by the wayside. Studies have shown that children struggling …
