Presidio Home Care

10/27/2025

As certain breast cancer treatments contribute to reduced bone density, paying attention to maintaining bone health can be particularly important for breast cancer survivors. There are lifestyle changes you can make to protect your bone health after treatments:

1. Aim to intake 1,000 - 1,200mg of calcium per day, depending on your age. Good sources of calcium include leafy greens, dried beans, calcium-fortified cereals and juice, and dairy.
2. Bone loss can be slowed with weight-bearing exercises. The stress of supporting your body weight triggers cells to build more bone. Consider engaging in 30 minutes of walking, gardening or strength training each day.
3. Refrain from drinking alcohol and smoking. Consuming alcohol and smoking can interfere with bone growth and impair calcium absorption in the body.
4. As consuming excess sodium can increase calcium excretion, limit your sodium intake. When grocery shopping, select low-sodium canned goods such as tuna, soups, and sauces. Flavor meals with lemon juice and herbs instead of salt. Watch out for hidden sodium in breads, processed meats and snacks.

10/21/2025

Although dandruff usually begins in young adulthood and lasts through middle age, it can occur at any age. Common causes of dandruff include an oily scalp, stress, and skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, and cold weather.

1. Use a shampoo that's specially formulated to treat dandruff. Let your hair type inform how often you need to shampoo. For example, if you have an oily scalp, you might need to use dandruff shampoo more often.
2. Manage your stress. Practice mindful meditation, yoga, or deep breathing when you feel stressed. Stress can compromise your immune system, release hormones like cortisol, and contribute to an oily scalp.
3. Low humidity in cold weather can strip your scalp of moisture. This can cause dandruff to flare up. Consider using a humidifier to add moisture to the air.
4. To manage scalp eczema and scalp psoriasis, be sure to avoid irritants such as hot water, harsh soaps and harsh shampoos.

10/16/2025

When you're receiving chemotherapy for cancer, symptoms of dry mouth may be present. Dry mouth may increase your risk of dental caries or mouth sores, since saliva's natural functions are reduced. Here are four tips for managing dry mouth:

1. Refrain from consuming caffeine or alcohol, which can suppress saliva production. Additionally, both are diuretics that promote water loss through urine, causing your body to feel dehydrated. Drink water, tea, or coconut water instead.
2. Stay hydrated by aiming to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water each day. Incorporate hydrating foods into your diet.
3. Keep your mouth clean. When your mouth lacks saliva, flushing out bacteria and foods is more difficult and this can lead to oral health issues. Be sure to brush your teeth after meals and before bed with a soft toothbrush.
4. When eating, keep water nearby so that you can sip on it between bites to prevent trouble swallowing. Top solid foods with liquids so they are easier to consume. Top proteins with broths, top fruits with yogurt, or top carbohydrates with healthy blended soups.

10/13/2025

Presidio's Home Care Aides know how important it is to create a safe, caring environment for patients undergoing breast cancer treatment. The training our team receives enables them to provide effective support in a gentle manner.

Many breast cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, can cause nausea. Disturbances to the digestive tract can activate the vomiting center in the brain. Check out our new blogpost on our website, "Managing Nausea and Vomiting in Breast Cancer Patients," to learn how to learn about ways to calm your nervous system.

https://www.presidiohomecare.com/post/managing-nausea-and-vomiting-in-breast-cancer-patients

10/06/2025

As temperatures cool down, now is the time to spend some time in nature! There are many benefits to enjoying natural environments:

1. When you spend time under the sun, your body produces its own vitamin D. Vitamin D enables our bodies to absorb calcium and keep our bones healthy.
2. Exposing yourself to natural light promotes better nighttime sleep. It helps align your internal clock with the light and dark cycle of your external environment.
3. Being in green spaces is linked to improved mental health. Cortisol levels, blood pressure, and heart rates are lower in these spaces than in urban environments.
4. Nature inspires creativity. Nature soothes the mind but captures your attention with natural stimuli such as sounds and sights that can give you new perspectives.

10/03/2025

The porous structure of kitchen sponges can trap moisture and even food particles, making them an oasis for bacterial growth. As such, sponges should be cleaned after every use. Here are four easy ways to clean your kitchen sponge:

1. Submerge your sponge in a small bowl of white vinegar for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove your sponge, rinse it with hot water, wring out the water, and let it air dry before your next use.

2. Bring one cup of water to a boil and fully immerse your sponge in the water. After your sponge boils for about 5 minutes, move your pot away from heat and let both the water and the sponge cool. Then, remove your sponge, wring out the water, and let it air dry.

3. Use water to rinse your sponge and put it on a microwave-safe plate with the water still on the sponge. For 90 seconds, microwave your sponge on high. Carefully remove the hot plate and allow the sponge to cool. Wring out the water and let it air dry.

4. Alternatively, you can wash your sponge in the top rack of your dishwasher. Be sure to run your dishwasher on the longest cycle and use the highest heat dry setting.

09/27/2025

Frequent handwashing can help you stay healthy and reduce the risk of infections spreading. However, constant scrubbing of your hands may lead to dry skin. Here are three things you can do to prevent dry, cracked skin on the hands:

1. Choose hand soaps with gentler formulas. Consider soaps without sulfates and parabens that contain ingredients like shea butter, glycerin, and vegetable oils.
2. Control the temperature of the water you use to wash your hands. Hot water can strip away your skin's natural oils and disturb its lipid barrier. Wash your hands with lukewarm water instead.
3. Apply moisturizer immediately after washing and drying your hands to trap moisture in your skin.

09/16/2025

How should refrigerator crisper drawers be used?

Crisper drawers are refrigerator drawers that are designed for the storage of fresh produce. Used the right way, they can help you preserve the freshness of your produce and minimize spoilage. Most modern refrigerators have two crisper drawers that come with humidity control.

Crisper drawers can provide a more humid environment for your produce than the rest of your refrigerator. Most drawers can be adjusted to high humidity or low humidity settings. If you have two crisper drawers, consider setting one drawer to high humidity and the other to low humidity. Store thin-skinned vegetables that are likely to wilt quickly such as lettuce, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, and herbs in the high humidity drawer so the retained moisture can slow them from drying out and wilting. Store apples, melons, peaches, pears, and kiwis in the low humidity drawer. These fruits give off ethylene, a gas that speeds up ripening. Crisper drawers with low humidity will allow this gas to escape and slow the rotting process.

09/12/2025

Our new blogpost is out: How to Modify All Areas of the Home for Fall Prevention

According to the National Council on Aging, falls are the leading cause of injury when it comes to adults 65 and older. Although fall risk increases with age, falling is not inevitable. The best ways to lower your risk include staying active, medication management, and home modifications.

Read our blogpost for room-by-room modifications you can make to promote safety within the home:
https://www.presidiohomecare.com/post/how-to-modify-all-areas-of-the-home-for-fall-prevention

Falls are the leading cause of injury when it comes to adults 65 and older. Although fall risk increases with age, falling is not inevitable. The best ways to lower your risk include staying active, medication management, and home modifications. Modifying your home for fall prevention involves chang...

09/10/2025

How long can groceries be left in a hot car?

According to the USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service, perishable foods should not be left inside a car for more than 2 hours. When the temperature outside is over 90°F, perishable foods cannot be left inside a car for more than 1 hour.

Here are three tips for keeping your groceries safe:
1. Plan to head straight home after grocery shopping. This way, you can minimize the time cold foods spend outside of the fridge.
2. Pack an insulated cooler with ice packs in the trunk when you go grocery shopping. This way, if you need to make an unexpected stop before heading home, you can keep your perishables in the cooler.
3. Grocery shop with insulated bags. Insulated bags can help keep food items cold for a longer period of time and slow melting and spoilage.

09/02/2025

The bladder is an organ that is crucial for removing toxins from our bodies. By maintaining good bladder health, we can prevent inflammation, infections, and other health issues from arising. Here are four easy steps you can take to keep your bladder healthy:

1. Use the bathroom promptly when you need to go. Holding in your urine can put excessive pressure on your bladder and weaken your muscles, and even lead to infections.

2. Find a comfortable position when urinating. This will allow you to completely relax the muscles around your bladder so that you can thoroughly empty your bladder.

3. Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Do daily pelvic floor exercises to strengthen your muscles and allow them to better support your bladder and your bowel.

4. Practice healthy habits. Drink lots of fluids, especially water, so you can keep a regular bathroom schedule and consistently be flushing out the toxins in your body. Limit the amount of caffeine and alcohol you intake to prevent irritation to the bladder.

08/28/2025

According to Harvard Health, only about one in ten Americans meet the recommended fruit intake levels recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Learning how to select the best fruits at the store can help motivate us to enjoy more delicious, healthful fruits. Here are four tips to picking perfectly ripe fruit:

1. Smell the fruit. Choose fruit with fragrant and sweet aromas.
2. Touch the fruit. Ripe fruits usually will have a slight give when you gently squeeze them. Refrain from purchasing fruits that are too soft, as they might be overripe.
3. Check over the fruit's appearance. Look for smooth skin with fewer blemishes and bright colors that are even throughout.
4. Know when to purchase what. Choosing in-season produce that is local will often yield fruits with the most delicious flavors.