Posts Tagged ‘Coventry Assisted Living and Memory Care’
Anti-Aging Diet Tips
April 16, 2013
A few Anti-Aging tips from www.webmd.com!
1. Try for at least 3 oz. of whole grains a day – such as oats, quinoa, barley, wheat, or brown rice. They are rich in fiber and they also lower your risk for type 2 diabetes.
2. Be sure to snack on nuts – they help to reduce your risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol. By eating even 1/4 of an ounce of nuts a day — about 4 almonds — it will do the trick.
3. Limiting sugary foods and drinks (that are high in calories and low in nutritional value) also help! By eating too much sugar, you can send your blood sugar levels on a roller coaster of up’s and down’s.
4. Eat at least 3 cups of fat-free or low-fat dairy a day. Options such as milk, yogurt, or cottage cheese have calcium and fortified vitamin D, which are essential for strong bones and staying active for life.
5. In place of red meat, add more beans and lentils! Beans and lentils are low in fat and rich in protein, protective antioxidants, and fiber. They are also inexpensive and easy to cook 
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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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5 Myths about Exercise and Older Adults
February 25, 2013
Myth 1: There’s no point to exercising. I’m going to get old anyway.
Fact: Exercise and strength training helps you look and feel younger and stay active longer. Regular physical activity lowers your risk for a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer’s and dementia, heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and obesity.
Myth 2: Elderly people shouldn’t exercise. They should save their strength and rest.
Fact: Research shows that a sedentary lifestyle is unhealthy for the elderly. Period. Inactivity often causes seniors to lose the ability to do things on their own and can lead to more hospitalizations, doctor visits, and use of medicines for illnesses.
Myth 3: Exercise puts me at risk of falling down.
Fact: Regular exercise, by building strength and stamina, prevents loss of bone mass and improves balance, actually reducing your risk of falling.
Myth 4: It’s too late. I’m already too old to start exercising
Fact: You’re never too old to exercise! If you’ve never exercised before, or it’s been a while, start with light walking and other gentle activities.
Myth 5: I’m disabled. I can’t exercise sitting down.
Fact: Chair-bound people face special challenges but can lift light weights, stretch, and do chair aerobics to increase range of motion, improve muscle tone, and promote cardiovascular health.
For more information, please visit www.healthguide.org
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Knowing the Basics – What is Alzheimer’s?
February 21, 2013
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Often times the symptoms develop slowly and get worse over the course of time, becoming so severe that they interfere with daily tasks. It is not a normal part of aging, and though the greatest known risk factor is increasing age, the majority of people are over 65 years old.
Alzheimer’s gets worse with time, as it is a progressive diseases. Most people live on average eight years after their symptoms become noticeable, but survival can range from four to 20 years, depending on health conditions and age.
There is no cure of Alzheimer’s, but treatments for symptoms are available and research continues. And although treatment will not stop the progress of the disease, it does temporarily slow the worsening of symptoms and improves the quality of life for those along their journey of memory loss.
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“Dear Abby” – A Voice for Alzheimer’s
February 18, 2013
Pauline Philips, the woman we all knew as “Dear Abby”, was never afraid of bringing difficult topics in front of the public for discussion, including Alzheimer’s disease.
In 1980, long before her own diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease, she put dementia in the spotlight when she published a letter from a woman searching for guidance, whose 60-year-old husband had was suffering from memory loss.
Pauline responded to the women by directing her towards the Alzheimer’s Association – an organization that at that time, was a newly formed group. They helped provide assistance to people with the disease and their families, as well as raise awareness and advocate for state and federal help. They also worked to increase government funding for research.
Pauline spent many years bringing the topic to readers across the country, and in 15 years after she put Alzheimer’s on the map, she began showing signs of the disease.
The difference she made was profound. She encouraged people to talk about the disease and she helped to change and shape lives through information. She also let those living in fear of the Alzheimer’s know they were not alone, and by spreading awareness, she was a fundamental part of increasing the research budget from 2 million in 1980 and 450 million today.
For more information please visit the Alzheimer’s Association website, at www.alz.org.
How To Stay Young At Heart
January 29, 2013
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Instead, let the doctor worry about these things since that is what you pay for!
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, or whatever else makes you happy. Never let the brain idle. When you keep your mind active, you help keep it healthy.
4. Eat what you want, even if you’re the only one eating! Never be afraid to be the first in line.
5. Laugh often, long and loud.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, around the block, to another city or around the world, but NOT to where the guilt is.
9. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that takes our breath away.
For more information, please visit: http://modernsenior.net/
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Top Five Myths about Alzheimer’s
January 28, 2013
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the top ten myths about Alzheimer’s:
Myth 1: Memory Loss is a natural part of aging.
Truth: Alzheimer’s is more than occasional memory loss.
Myth 2: Alzheimer’s disease is not fatal.
Truth: Alzheimer’s disease has no survivors because it destroy brain cells and slowly, but surely, takes a way person’s identity and their ability to connect to others, think, eat, drink, or live.
Myth 3: Only older people can get Alzheimer’s.
Truth: Alzheimer’s does not discriminate to those only with old age. It can hit in your 30’s, 40’s, or 50’s.
Myth 4: Drinking out a aluminum cans or cooking in aluminum pots and pans can lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
Truth: Studies have shown no such correlations, and experts today focus on other areas of research.
Myth 5: Aspartame causes memory loss.
Truth: As of 2006, with over 100 laboratory and clinical tests being performed, there has not been any scientific evidence that connects Aspartame to memory loss.
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Living with Early-Onset Alzheimer’s
January 25, 2013
When living with early–onset Alzheimer’s’, people face unique challenges, from job decisions, to financial issues, and future care. However, if you can talk openly about these issues, you and your family can prepare for the future in the best way possible. It is important to remember that you are not alone, and just because you have early-onset Alzheimer’s doesn’t mean you can’t stay active and involved. The disease will affect many different people in many different ways, so remember your symptoms will vary and the Alzheimer’s Association can help you and your family should you want support.
Here are a few tips on living with early-onset Alzheimer’s, from www.alz.org
1) Expect to have good days and bad days
2) Share your story – educate others and express yourself
3) Discuss changes in relationships with a counselor
4) Talk openly about the changes the disease is causing
5) Get involved. Volunteer in your community. Become an advocate.
6) Talk to your employer about adapting your job hour or duties
7) Get professional legal and financial help
8) Maintain your health and reduce stress
9) Take steps to make your home a safer place
10) Stay active. Keep making memories with your loved ones. Use your experience to enlighten.
Alzheimer’s Facts and Figures from 2012
January 23, 2013
Some astounding figures by www.alz.org
-Today an estimated 5.4 Million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s Disease
-Someone develops Alzheimer’s ever 68 seconds
-Alzheimer’s Disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States
-An estimated 1 in 7 people with Alzheimer’s live alone
-The US has more than 15,000,000 Care Givers
-In 2011 these Care Givers provided over 17 Billion hours of care, valued at 210 billion
-If Alzheimer and Dementia Care Givers were the only residents of a single state, it would be the 5th largest state in the country
-Since 2000, deaths from Alzheimer’s have risen over 66%, while other major diseases have gone down
-Alzheimer’s costs the nation 200 billion annual
“Join the cause – As Alzheimer’s disease threatens to bankrupt families, businesses and our healthcare system, scientists are coming closer to finding better treatments that could drastically alter the course of the disease. Now is the time to join us and speak up for the needs and rights of people with Alzheimer’s and their families, and help persuade Congress to address those needs through legislative action.”
Visit www.alz.org for more information.
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