Posts Tagged ‘older adults’
Preventative Care for Ages 50+!
April 22, 2013
Some great information from WebMD Medical Reference.
- High blood pressure can lead to heart attack, stroke, and eye and kidney problems. Get your blood pressure checked at least once a year, even if you think you’re OK.
- Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. The risk goes UP after age 50.
- Once you turn 60, talk to your doctor about a bone mineral density scan – it checks your risk for osteoporosis, or bone thinning.
- Twenty-seven percent of Americans, 65 and older, have diabetes. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney disease, even amputation.
- Quit smoking — or don’t start. Eat healthy and exercise regularly to keep a healthy weight. And always practice safe sex.
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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 
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: aging, anti aging, Coventry Assisted Living and Memory Care, healty lives, older adult health, older adults, senior living | No Comments »
A few fun facts about Seniors and Health from MedIndia
April 8, 2013
1. Currently people over 65 years number 483 million in the world and by 2030 the number will reach 974 million. By the year 2025 approximately 18% of the world population will be seniors.
2. There are 72 men for every 100 women in the age group ‘above 65 years’ and there are 45 men per 100 women in the age group ‘above 85 years.’
3. The number of people over 50 years who access the web is growing every day. It is estimated that 19% of the web users are over 50 years.
4. In the United States on Nov 1st, 2005 there were an estimated 67,473 centenarians (people aged 100 or older).
5. There are immense benefits of increasing the life spans of people in our community. Kevin Murphy and Robert Topel made some interesting estimates on insurance pay-outs if we increased our longevity. Reducing the death rate from heart disease or cancer by 20% would be worth around $10 trillion to Americans. This would be more than one year’s U.S. Gross Domestic Product.
6. As per the Guinness Book of World Records – Jeanne Louise Calment was the oldest human who lived for 122 years and 164 days. She was born in France on February 21, 1875, and died at a nursing home in Arles, southern France on August 4, 1997.
7. In the United States, seniors account for 40% of all prescriptions although they form only 15% of the population.
8. Older people are more prone to loneliness and depression and have a higher rate of suicide. In 1997, 20% of all U.S. suicide deaths were by individuals aged 65 and older.
9. Keeping physically active can slow the ageing process. Exercise is the mantra to keep young and feel good. A study published in 1995 that tracked 9,777 men between 20 and 82 years found that physically unfit men who became fit had death rates 44% lower than those who remained unfit.
10. Regular exercise prevents bone loss and incidence of fractures; it increases the muscle strength and hence the balance and co-ordination.
References:
1. World Health Network
2. USA Today
3. National Center for Health Statistics
* Read more: Top Ten Facts About Senior Health | Medindiahttp://www.medindia.net/health_statistics/health_facts/senior-health-facts.htm#ixzz2LwYT56LI*
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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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