Archive for March 2013
Excersise and Older Adults
March 11, 2013
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has recommended four types of exercise for older adults and seniors who want to stay healthy an independent!
- Strength exercises – Strength exercises build muscles and increase metabolism. This helps keep your weight and blood sugar in check.
- Balance exercises – These will help build leg muscles and prevent falls. According to the NIH, U.S. hospitals have 300,000 admissions for broken hips each year, many of which are seniors, and falling is often the cause of those fractures.
- Stretching exercises – By stretching, you gain more freedom of movement, which allows you to be more active during your senior years. Stretching exercises alone however will not improve your endurance or strength.
- Endurance exercises – Endurance in any activity is a plus—walking, jogging, swimming, biking, even raking leaves—all of these things increase your heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time. Try to build up your endurance gradually by starting with as little as 5 minutes at a time
For more information, please visit www.nih.gov
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10 Signs of Caregiver Stress
March 4, 2013
1) Denial – about the disease and its effects on the person who’s been diagnosed. “I know Mom’s going to get better.”
2) Anger – at the person with Alzheimer’s or others that no effective treatments or cure currently exist and that people don’t understand what’s going on. “If he asks me that question one more time, I’ll scream.”
3) Social Withdrawal – from friends and activities that once brought pleasure. “I don’t care about getting together with the neighbors anymore.”
4) Anxiety – about facing another day and what the future holds. “What happens when he needs more care than I can provide?”
5) Depression – begins to affect the ability to cope. “I don’t care anymore.”
6) Exhaustion – makes it nearly impossible to complete necessary daily tasks. “I’m too tired for this.”
7) Sleeplessness – caused by a never-ending list of concerns. “What if she wanders out of the house or falls and hurts herself?
8) Irritability –leads to moodiness and triggers negative responses and reactions. “Leave me alone!”
9) Lack of concentration – makes it difficult to perform familiar tasks. “I was so busy, I forgot we had an appointment.”
10) Health Problems – begin to take their toll, both mentally and physically. “I can’t remember the last time I felt good.”
For more information, please visit the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org
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