Presidio Home Care

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.

08/20/2025

How often should you replace your plastic food containers?

How often to replace these depends on how often they've been used, how well they've been maintained, and their overall condition. Be sure to read up on the manufacturer's recommendations, as they differ from container to container.

Look over your plastic food containers every one to three months to assess their conditions. If you spot any of the following, it's time to replace them:

1. Stains and odors. If your food container has staining paired with an odor, the container may harbor bacteria or food residue. This can affect the safety of new foods that are stored in the container.
2. Poorly-sealed lids. If a lid becomes warped over time, the integrity of your container has been compromised. It may no longer do a good job of keeping food fresh or preventing food from leaking.
3. Damage from the dishwasher or microwave. Your plastic container may start to degrade, melt, or crack from dishwasher or microwave damage. Chemicals may leach into your food, making it unsafe for consumption.
4. Wear and tear that's visible. If your food container has cracks, holes, and other forms of wear and tear, it's time to throw it out. These types of defects make thoroughly cleaning your container difficult.

08/15/2025

Our new blogpost is out: "Listeriosis Prevention for Older Adults."

Listeriosis is a foodborne illness brought on by the bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes. Listeriosis can lead to serious complications such as meningitis, encephalitis, sepsis, and other illnesses. Although some populations may experience only mild or flu-like symptoms, older adults are more susceptible to listeria infections.

Read our blogpost to discover the best listeriosis prevention strategies: https://www.presidiohomecare.com/post/listeriosis-prevention-for-older-adults

Listeriosis is a foodborne illness brought on by the bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes. Listeriosis can lead to serious complications such as meningitis, encephalitis, sepsis, and other illnesses. Although some populations may experience only mild or flu-like symptoms, older adults are more susceptib...

08/12/2025

Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that we intake between 25 to 38 grams of fiber a day, depending on age and gender. The average American consumes 15 grams of fiber or less a day. Here are four ways to incorporate eating more fiber into your diet:

1. Replace refined grains with whole grains. Whole grains retain their fiber, minerals, and vitamins because they are minimally processed. Start with simple swaps like enjoying brown rice instead of white rice and whole wheat bread instead of white bread.
2. Instead of drinking fruit juice, eat whole fruits and vegetables. Whole fruits can provide crucial fibers. Fruits high in fibers include raspberries, blackberries, pears and guavas.
3. Keep the peels on your fruits and vegetables. Peels generally contain more fiber and antioxidants than the pulp. Edible peels include apple peels, apricot peels, pear peels, cucumber peels, zucchini peels, potato peels, and many more.
4. Instead of snacking on processed foods, snack on nuts and seeds. High-fiber nuts and seeds include sunflower seeds, almonds, and pistachios.

08/05/2025

The average U.S. household wastes 30% - 40% of purchased food. Take these four steps to conserve our resources, save money, and help with food waste reduction.

1. Preplan your grocery shopping list and stick to it at the store so you only bring home what you need.
2. Opt to purchase "ugly" fruits or vegetables from the grocery store. These are safe to eat but oftentimes left behind at the grocery store.
3. Adjust the temperature settings on your fridge, if needed. Set the temperature of your fridge to around 40°F and the temperature of your freezer to 0°F to keep foods fresh.
4. Delineate a space in your fridge to place foods that will go bad soon. Check this space often to ensure that you are consuming these foods.