ABF Home Health Services, LLC

11/04/2025

We hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween and a good start to November! What was the best Halloween costume you saw this year?

10/24/2025

It’s finally Friday! How was your weekend? Do you have weekend plans? This is the last Friday before Halloween!

10/22/2025

It’s hump day! We got this!

10/20/2025

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Are we ready to take on a new week?

10/18/2025

Today, October 18th, is World Menopause Day. Menopause is a natural phase in a woman's life, typically occurring between the ages of 45 and 50, when menstrual periods cease. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness about menopause and to inform about available resources and support.

Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop producing reproductive hormones. It can be naturally occurring or medically/surgically induced, known as induced menopause.

There are three stages of menopause: premenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. Premenopause can begin up to ten years before menopause and is characterized by a gradual reduction in estrogen production. This phase may last from a few months to several years and is associated with symptoms such as irregular periods, mood swings, and hot flashes.

Menopause officially begins when menstrual periods cease for 12 consecutive months. During this time, the ovaries stop releasing eggs, and estrogen levels decline. After this point, an individual is considered to be in postmenopause, which lasts for the remainder of their life. Symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness may continue or emerge during postmenopause. Additionally, decreased estrogen levels can increase the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.

Some common symptoms of menopause include:
- Irregular periods (heavier or lighter than usual)
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Vaginal dryness
- Urinary urgency
- Emotional changes (irritability, mood swings, depression)
- Dry skin, eyes, and mouth
- Breast tenderness

Menopause is a natural part of aging, as reproductive function gradually diminishes over time. Awareness and understanding of this transition can help individuals better manage symptoms and health risks associated with menopause.

You can follow the links below for more information and resources;

https://menopause.org

https://www.endocrine.org/menopausemap/support-resources/index.html

SWHR's Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide was created to support women through major menopause milestones.

10/17/2025

Happy Friday, are you excited and ready for the weekend? Have you embraced spooky month? Or is that not your thing?

10/15/2025

October celebrates National physical therapy month,which aims to spread awareness about physical therapy. Physical therapy is also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession that focuses on improving physical function, mobility, and pain management. It’s usually used to help people recover from injuries, manage chronic conditions and improve their overall physical well being.

People can be referred to physical therapy for treatment, or they can seek it out themselves for quality of life improvement. Physical therapy can help strengthen parts off your body such as muscles, bones, joints, your heart, lungs, and even your brain and skin. Just like with any type of physical activity, there is a small risk of injury, or aggravating an existing injury.

It’s important you work with and communicate with your physical therapist to make sure your doing everything safely. You can follow the links below for more information, and don’t hesitate to reach out to your P*P or another medical professional about adding physical therapy to your treatment.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/physical-therapy

10/15/2025

It’s hump day! We are halfway through the week! We got this!

10/14/2025

Earlier, we discussed the importance of Awareness Month for Visual Impairment. This message will outline ways to support individuals who are visually impaired and provide guidance on resources and assistance they may need in the event of vision loss.

To begin, when communicating with individuals who have vision impairments—whether online, via text, or in person—it's important to ensure your content is accessible. Avoid using emojis or use them sparingly, as screen readers often interpret these literally. Providing descriptive alt-text for images on social media platforms also enhances accessibility, allowing those with visual impairments to engage fully with your content. When in the presence of someone who is blind or has low vision, avoid moving objects or rearranging their environment, as they rely on their familiar spatial awareness.

Additionally, consider the readability of digital content by adjusting text size and font. According to BrailleWorks.com, over 2 billion people worldwide experience difficulties reading standard documents due to blindness or vision impairment. While users can modify text size on their devices, it is helpful to provide documents and materials in accessible formats—such as larger fonts, tactile Braille, or audio recordings—using available resources to accommodate different needs.

10/14/2025

October is World blindness awareness month;

Blindness is defined by the Cleveland clinic as the inability to see, or the lack of vision. The range of blindness can range from the most severe, inability to see any light, and unable to correct that vision with any assitiance devices such as glasses or surgery to the other end of the spectrum, with is called, partial blindness, or low vision. Where the Individual still has some vision.

In the US, about 1 million people or blind, and this is expected to double in the next twenty years. Blindness can be caused from a birth defect, injury, nutritional deficiencies, or a disease.
If your experiencing any symptoms such as blurry vision, eye pain, floaters and flashers, sestiviety to light, or a sudden loss of vision or appearance of black spots in your vision. Are all cause for concern and You should see your optometrist.

If you start experiencing vision issues, there are some treatment options depending on the type of kindness occurring. For those whose vision cannot be treated, there are rehabilitation options that aim to improve the individuals quality of life. You cant prevent of cure some kinds of blindness, but there are things you can do that can lower your risk of developing blindness. These things include having regular checkups, keeping stable blood sugar levels, wearing protective gear and sunglasses when in situations that may harm your eyes. As well as maintaining a healthy diet and life style, and avoiding infections of the eye by keeping anything that goes near them clean and sanitary.

You can use the links below for more information;
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24446-blindness

https://afb.org/blindness-and-low-vision/visionaware

Braille Works offers large print, audio, braille, & accessible PDFs that meet requirements like ADA, Section 508, WCAG, & more!

10/13/2025

October is Breast Cancer awareness month,

Breast cancer is a form of cancer that is characterized by rapid cell growth in the breast tissue, including symptoms such as new lumps, changes in the breast size or shape. Skin changes such as Dimpling, noticeable changes or unusual discharge are all cause for concern. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the united states after skin cancer.
Anyone can get breast cancer, as everyone is born with breast tissue. Luckily the survival rates for breast cancer has been increasing, the death rate steadily declining. Proving why awareness and funding is so important. Because of these advances, it can be caught earlier thus making it easier to treat and more likely to be cured.

There are several symptoms of breast cancer, and the mayoclinc list them as such;

-A breast lump or thickened area of skin that feels different from the surrounding tissue.

-A ni**le that looks flattened or turns inward.

-Changes in the color of the breast skin. In people with white skin, the breast skin may look pink or red. In people with brown and Black skin, the breast skin may look darker than the other skin on the chest or it may look red or purple.

-Change in the size, shape or appearance of a breast.

-Changes to the skin over the breast, such as skin that looks dimpled or looks like an orange peel.

-Peeling, scaling, crusting or flaking of the skin on the breast.

You should have regular checkup and screenings, what age that should begin depends on your family history and your medical history. Certain risk factors may increase the risk of someone developing breast cancer, however your genetic makeup and your environment have the final say. Having a family history of breast cancer, yourself or loved ones having a history of breast conditions. Starting your period at a younger age, before 12, or beginning menopause at an older age, after 55 years old, los both effect your risks. Certain menopause hormone therapy, radiation therapy, and obesity are all risk factors for breast cancer. Having regular checkups, a healthy lifestyle and diet, and limiting certain menopausal hormone therapy can all help prevent breast cancer from developing, or at least be caught early on.

If you do develop breast cancer or wish to try preventive treatments, there are both surgical and medicinal treatment options, often used together. Surgical options can include removing the breast cancer only, removing all of the breast tissue, also called a mastectomy. Medicinal treatment includes radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. All of these treatments, can be done in different combinations and intensity, all depending on the indivual and the course of action their treatment team chooses. One top of all of those options Palliative care is also important to include, adding an extra layer of support, focusing on making the individual comfort level and improve their quality of life.

If you’re concerned for you or a loved one about breast cancer, its important to speak to a medical professional about it. You can also follow The links below and learn more;

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer.html

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/breast-cancer/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20352475

Thanks to breast cancer awareness, research and new treatments, more people are living with breast cancer. Read on to find out more.

10/13/2025

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Are you ready to start a new week?!