August is Cataract Awareness Month

Right at Home, an international leader providing in-home companionship, personal care assistance to seniors and disabled adults who want to continue to live independently, is continually monitoring issues that impact our clients and their families from an emotional, physical and financial perspective.

August is Cataract Awareness Month. EyeCareAmerica defines cataracts thusly: "A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye, the part of the eye that focuses light and produces clear images. Inside of the eye, the lens is contained in a sealed bag or capsule. As old cells die they become trapped within the capsule. Over time, more cells die and accumulate, causing the lens to cloud and making images look blurred or fuzzy. For most people, cataracts are a natural result of aging. But eye injures, certain medications and diseases such as a diabetes and alcoholism have also been known to cause cataracts."

Prevent Blindness America observes that "cataract is the leading cause of blindness in the world. There are close to 20.5 million Americans age 40 and older with cataract. By age 80, more than half of all Americans will have cataract."

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs points out some of the leading causes of cataract in Americans:

• Injuries or inflammatory disorders involving the eye
• Systemic diseases such as diabetes
• Long term exposure to sunlight
• Poor nutrition
• Personal habits such as smoking
• Certain prescription medications such as corticosteroids
• Some hereditary disorders

The Department of Veterans Affairs further points out: "If you are age 60 or older, you should have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once every 2 years. Your eye doctor may recommend more frequent exams if you are at increased risk for ocular disorders such as glaucoma or macular degeneration, have systemic conditions such as diabetes or are taking certain medications. Early treatment for many eye diseases may save your vision."

The AARP offers some insight here into the value of protecting your eyes when in the sun; overexposure to UV light is a leading cause of cataract.

Right at Home wants you to protect your vision over the long term! Get your eyes examined regularly, protect your eyes in the sun and see a doctor immediately if you experience any problems with your vision.

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home companion and personal care and assistance to seniors and disabled adults who want to continue to live independently. Right at Home directly employs all care-giving staff, each of whom are thoroughly screened, trained, bonded and insured prior to entering a client's home. All ongoing care is monitored and supervised by more than 185 local independent franchises. Right at Home's global office is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with franchise offices located in 40 states nationwide, as well as in the U.K.. For more information on Right at Home High Point, contact Greg Brewer or visit www.rightathome.net. To sign up for Right at Home's free adult caregiving eNewsletter, Caring Right at Home, please go to www.caringnews.com.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month

Right at Home, an international leader providing in-home companionship, personal care assistance to seniors and disabled adults who want to continue to live independently, is continually monitoring issues that impact our clients and their families from an emotional, physical and financial perspective.

Immunization is widely regarded as one of the most significant medical advances of the past 100 years. The development of vaccines to combat illness has led to the near-eradication of devastating diseases such as Polio, helped millions of people fight off the Flu and provided our society with a bulwark against a number of other potentially dangerous conditions.

The Center for Disease Control notes:

"August is recognized as National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). The goal of NIAM is to increase awareness about immunizations across the life span, from infants to the elderly.

August is the perfect time to remind family, friends, co-workers, and those in the community to catch up on their vaccinations. Parents are enrolling their children in school, students are entering college, and healthcare workers are preparing for the upcoming flu season."

While immunization is an innovation that is nearly a century old, it can be argued that proper immunization is more important than ever. Globalization has shrunk the planet drastically; as international travel and trade increase, so do the number of disease vectors and pandemic risks. Staying current with immunizations is a vital component of staying healthy year-round, especially for children and the elderly. The CDC offers a helpful index of immunization schedules for people of all ages here.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently wrote a letter to the editor that was featured in the July 26th issue of USA Today. Click to read their take on the importance of immunization.

Right at Home strongly encourages you to check these schedules to make sure you and your loved ones are up to date on their immunizations!

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home companion and personal care and assistance to seniors and disabled adults who want to continue to live independently. Right at Home directly employs all care-giving staff, each of whom are thoroughly screened, trained, bonded and insured prior to entering a client's home. All ongoing care is monitored and supervised by more than 185 local independent franchises. Right at Home's global office is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with franchise offices located in 40 states nationwide, as well as in the U.K.. For more information on Right at Home High Point, contact Greg Brewer or visit www.rightathome.net. To sign up for Right at Home's free adult caregiving eNewsletter, Caring Right at Home, please go to www.caringnews.com.

August 1 is National Minority Organ Donor Day!

Right at Home, an international leader providing in-home companionship, personal care assistance to seniors and disabled adults who want to continue to live independently, is continually monitoring issues that impact our clients and their families from an emotional, physical and financial perspective.

Did you know that August 1 is National Minority Organ Donor Day? It's an important day to commemorate, as there is a severe shortage of organ donors in our country. According to Organ Donor.gov, "Each day, about 77 people receive organ transplants. However, 19 people die each day waiting for transplants that can't take place because of the shortage of donated organs."

Minority populations are particularly affected by long waiting lists and lack of available donated organs. The Office of Minority Health notes that "minorities make up more than half of organ donation waiting lists (54.2%), yet they comprise less than half of organ transplants performed (33.6%)."

There are a number of troubling statistics that illustrate the glaring need for far more minority organ donation. Consider the following, courtesy of MinorityNurse.com:

• More than 83,000 persons are currently on the national transplant waiting list.

• 16 people die each day waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.

• A disproportionate number of these people who are on waiting lists and dying--approximately 50%--are racial/ethnic minorities, including 23,558 African Americans, 13,059 Hispanics/Latinos and 5,158 Asians/Pacific Islanders.

• Patients in need of a transplant are more likely to find a genetically compatible match within their own racial/ethnic group.

• Minority donors account for only about 25% of the available donor pool.

The U.S Department of Health and Human Services sums up the situation well:

"Minorities overall have a particularly high need for organ transplants because some diseases of the kidney, hear, lung, pancreas and liver are found more frequently in racial and ethnic minority populations than in the general population...Some of these conditions that can result in organ failure are best treated through transplantation and others can ONLY be treated by this life-saving procedure. In addition, similar blood type is essential in matching donors to recipients. Because certain blood types are more common in ethnic minority populations, increasing the number of minority donors can increase the frequency of minority transplants."

Right at Home encourages you to learn more about minority organ donation. Please visit www.mottep.org, the website of the National Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant Education Program for more information about this critical issue and how you can help make a life-saving impact.

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home companion and personal care and assistance to seniors and disabled adults who want to continue to live independently. Right at Home directly employs all care-giving staff, each of whom are thoroughly screened, trained, bonded and insured prior to entering a client's home. All ongoing care is monitored and supervised by more than 185 local independent franchises. Right at Home's global office is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with franchise offices located in 40 states nationwide, as well as in the U.K.. For more information on Right at Home High Point, contact Greg Brewer or visit www.rightathome.net. To sign up for Right at Home's free adult caregiving eNewsletter, Caring Right at Home, please go to www.caringnews.com.