Stay Fit, Stay Sharp: In home care linked to health benefits

Physical fitness obviously curbs obesity, helps heart health and eases arthritis, but a new study out of Finland says that regular exercise also combats the effects of Alzheimer’s. The findings state that at-home, tailored workouts might help those with the disease slow disability and prevent falls while also prolonging independence and delaying nursing home relocation. The study, published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association, chose more than 200 patients with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s who were living at home with a caregiver and showing signs of physical decline. From there, three groups were studied for one year: those who participated in home exercise, those who went to a day care center for group exercise and those in a control group who received usual care through Finland’s national health care system. Who fared the best after 12 months? The at-home group. Enter companies such as BrightStar and Right at Home*, which offer in-home care for elderly loved ones. During the year-long study, the patients in the home group had fewer hospital admissions and roughly half as many falls as those in the control group, allowing the money spent on at-home care to offset the cost of pricey hospital visits. With services ranging from companionship and homemaking all the way to in-home medical care, the booming elderly care industry offers a myriad of services to ease the effects of diseases like Alzheimer’s, such as one-on-one exercise, and make the growing elderly population much more comfortable.