Category: Better Living

The Truth About the “Grumpy Old People” Stereotype

Posted on by Martin

We’ve all heard the stereotype and seen the videos, movies, and images that reinforce it: a grumpy old man yelling at kids to get off his lawn or a mean old lady living alone in a huge, creepy house on the hill. While these images are undoubtedly part of our cultural fabric, they’re also an unfortunate series of myths that is perpetuated on a regular basis. If we’re being honest, most of us have believed the “Grumpy Old People” stereotype at one point or another and many of us may still believe it today.

As it turns out, however, this stereotype is unfair and untrue. In recent years, research has come to light that suggests that, despite what our cultural norms may tell us, aging individuals often become happier and more open as they age rather than becoming angry and closed-off.

Here’s what you need to know.

Where the “Grumpy Old Person” Stereotype Falls Short

According to a recent study conducted by researchers at Northwestern University, it’s not at all uncommon for seniors to become more trusting, more open, more positive, and generally happier as they age. The researchers behind the study concluded that these findings were the result of the fact that seniors are more willing to trust other people than their younger counterparts were. This, in turn, led to increased happiness levels over time. How’s that for doing away with the “You darn kids get off of my lawn!” image?

In addition to making seniors happier, this increase in trust also had marked biochemical effects. Namely, seniors who were more willing to trust the people around them experienced elevated levels of oxytocin – the hormone associated with intimacy and attachment. Multiple studies have linked oxytocin with a decrease in dangerous conditions, like chronic pain, and have associated it with faster wound healing, lower stress levels, and even recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Many people who hear that seniors are more willing to trust other people immediately worry about seniors becoming so trusting that they place themselves at risk of elder abuse. Fortunately, studies have found that this is not overwhelmingly the case. In fact, researchers have found that trust and well-being are actually associated in a positive and mutually beneficial fashion and that trust is not ultimately a liability for aging seniors.

With this in mind, it’s clear that the “Grumpy Old People” stereotype is not a fair one and that, more often than not, people become more trusting, loving, and affectionate with age. In fact, seniors are often more agreeable in terms of “The Big Five” personality traits than their younger counterparts.

Understanding The Big Five

Most modern psychological studies are based on five personality traits, known as “The Big Five.” These traits are as follows:

  • Extroversion: Extroversion refers to a person’s level of social willingness, excitability, and expressiveness.
  • Openness: Openness measures openness to new experiences, new friendships, new imaginative pursuits, and the likes.
  • Agreeableness: A person who has a high level of agreeableness is highly altruistic, trusting, and kind.
  • Conscientiousness: Conscientiousness is a term that is used to refer to a person’s overall organization capabilities, willingness to set goals, and ability to be thoughtful.
  • Neuroticism: Neuroticism refers to measurements like moodiness and instability in emotional well being, including anxiety and depression.

While the Big Five are used to evaluate psychological study participants of all ages, a National Institutes of Health study conducted in 2009 recently revealed that, while 75% of seniors (ages 60 and older) experience changes in The Big Five personality traits, the vast majority of these changes were for the better. These findings back up the Northwestern study by proving that seniors generally become more agreeable as they age.

Another National Institutes of Health study took the evaluation of the Big Five one step further by looking at personality traits across all age groups on a global level. This study revealed that all cultures believe, to some extent, that young people are impatient and older people are inflexible and grumpy. The study also found that each culture evaluated was guilty of severely overstating these differences.

The takeaway? While our personalities do change as we age, there’s no scientific evidence to prove that we are guaranteed to become angry or closed-off with age. This proves that the “Grumpy Old People” myth is both undeserved and unfair. While cognitive impairment and dementia can certainly change a person’s personality for the worse, most seniors experience positive rather than negative changes in personality as they age.

Where the “Grumpy Old People” Stereotype Comes From

Studies that evaluate seniors on the basis of the Big Five do consistently find one negative effect of aging: the levels of “openness” seniors display generally declines as people get older. This is likely due to a variety of factors, including decreased mobility, embarrassment about memory loss, isolation, and even illness. Because decreases in openness are fairly common, it’s likely that this is one of the things that contributes to the stereotype that seniors are unwilling to try new things or are “set in their ways.”

Unfortunately, this stereotype is unfair. While many seniors are hesitant to try new things, it isn’t because they’re grumpy or mean – it’s often simply because they are experiencing some difficulty adjusting to a new life phase. While openness may decline with age, there are many things family and loved ones can do to help seniors become more open to new experiences once more. These include the following:

  • Locate a class the senior will enjoy. If a senior loved painting years ago and hasn’t done it in decades, accompanying him or her to a painting class is a great way to help the senior open up to new experiences. Often, the most difficult part of trying new things for seniors is getting over the initial hump, after which point the senior may be more than happy to go alone!
  • Providing plenty of interaction. One of the primary causes of decreased openness in seniors is isolation. As seniors become more isolated, their confidence and cognitive function begins to decline, which can make building new habits much more difficult. Ensuring daily interaction with a senior is one of the best ways to prevent this from happening.
  • Get moving. Exercise is good for everything – including a senior’s openness levels. To help the senior make new habits and meet new friends, consider helping him or her find an exercise class, such as yoga or water aerobics, that will be enjoyable.
  • Take it slow. Imagine how you would feel if someone forced you into taking a new class or hanging out with a new group of people. It would be uncomfortable, wouldn’t it? Because of this, it’s important to avoid forcing a senior into anything. Instead, take the entire process slow and be sure to respect the senior’s wishes and input as you move along.

While some seniors do certainly experience a decrease in openness with aging, the deaths of spouses, or illness, these steps can help family and loved ones encourage seniors to step out of their shells and experience life once more.

Bucking the Stereotype: How Preconceived Notions Hurt People of All Ages

Caregivers know that it’s fundamentally unfair to label an entire group of people blindly. While some seniors may be less open than others, it’s a far cry to say that all seniors are grumpy, closed-off, angry, and spiteful. It’s also blatantly untrue. Multiple studies have shown that aging individuals tend to become gentler, kinder, and more trusting with age. In light of this, it’s time to kick the “Grumpy Old Person” stereotype to the curb.

When we label an entire group of people according to untrue preconceived notions, we sell all the individuals within that group short. The truth is, there are plenty of seniors who see their golden years as the perfect time to give back to the communities they love, be it through volunteer work or community service. These seniors are often bright, happy, outgoing individuals who are, unfortunately, overshadowed by undeserved stereotypes.

In light of this, it’s clear that taking each senior on a case-by-case basis is the way to go. Additionally, by understanding that the seniors who do seem “Grumpy” are often suffering from difficult disorders such as dementia or depression, we can expand our compassion and begin to understand aging on a whole new level.

The Truth About How Being Alone Impacts Seniors

Posted on by Martin

Nobody wants to be alone. Unfortunately for many seniors, however, being alone is a reality of life. From people whose spouses have died to those with no family in the immediate area and few friends, isolation is a real issue, and it is one that can have disastrous consequences. Here’s what you need to know about the mental and emotional impacts of prolonged isolation on seniors:

What is Senior Isolation?

Senior isolation isn’t as simple as loneliness. While everyone feels lonely from time to time, seniors often experience a much longer-term and much more chronic version of this unpleasant emotion. This is because seniors often have spouses who are chronically ill or have died and, sometimes, they have little or no family in the area to help ease the emotional burden of those things.

Additionally, seniors generally have decreased mobility and are typically no longer working –both of which contribute to an isolated, sedentary lifestyle that can become a breeding ground for depressive symptoms.

On the same token, however, it’s important to remember that not all seniors who have given up many of their social pursuits are suffering from isolation. There is a definitive difference between people who are happy being alone and seniors who are experiencing legitimate senior isolation.

Isolation by the Numbers

According to the U.S. Census, upwards of 11 million people ages 65 or older were living alone in 2010 and those numbers have only ballooned in the years since then. Often, these seniors do not have family and friends nearby to provide care and company and their spouses have passed away. While living alone doesn’t automatically mean that a person will become isolated, it does present a huge risk for the senior in question.

Here are some recent isolation facts that may shock you:

  • Isolation increases a senior’s risk of dying from all causes. According to a study conducted in 2012, adults ages 52 and older had a higher risk of mortality when they lived alone. This is due, in large part, to a decreased social network to provide aide and fewer people to notice a decline in the senior’s condition.
  • Loneliness is dangerous for mental and emotional health. As a general rule, seniors who live alone suffer from more physical and emotional conditions than those who live with families or spouses.
  • Loneliness is a risk factor for dementia. Seniors who live alone have higher rates of cognitive decline and dementia than those who live with other people. This is due to the fact that seniors who live alone receive less cognitive stimulation and social interaction than their accompanied peers.
  • Seniors who live alone are at risk for elder abuse. Isolated seniors experience elder abuse at higher rates than their peers. This is due to the fact that there are fewer people around to notice the signs of elder abuse or to put a stop to the poor treatment.
  • Isolation rates are higher for LGBT seniors. LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) seniors are much more likely to suffer from isolation than their heterosexual peers. This is because these people are less likely to have children and may be estranged from their families-of-origin.
  • Isolation can lead to chronic illness. Seniors who live alone suffer from things like depression, chronic lung disorders, and mobility issues at much higher rates than their peers.
  • Isolated seniors believe life will only get worse. Pessimism is rampant in seniors who live alone. According to one study conducted by the National Council on Aging, seniors who lived alone were much more likely than their peers to express concern that their quality of life would only decline within the next five years. This negative outlook has a poor impact on the quality of mental and emotional health across the board.

When Living Alone Gets Dangerous

AARP reports that upwards of 90% of seniors feel strongly about living in their own homes for as long as possible. While this is an understandable desire for seniors around the country, upwards of 5 million seniors in the country right now need daily assistance with day-to-day activities, such as cooking, bathing, eating, taking medications and getting dressed. While some seniors are lucky enough to have a friend or family caregiver or a third-party in-home care aide to provide them with these services, many are not and these are the seniors who are particularly at risk.

While there are many seniors who can still live alone safely, the following risk factors mean that it is no longer wise for a senior to remain uncared for:

  • Difficulty with medication management. If a senior can’t remember to take medication or routinely forgets that he or she has taken medication and takes more, that person is at severe risk of overdose and unintended consequences and side effects.
  • Forgetfulness. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, roughly 25% of seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia live alone. This places the senior at huge risk as memory loss of any type enhances the likelihood of missed appointments and preventable accidents, like fires caused by stoves left on.
  • Difficulty completing the activities of daily life. If a person can no longer cook, clean, bathe, or eat without assistance, it’s no longer suitable for that person to live alone.
  • Poor nutrition. People suffering from memory loss often forget to eat. Alternately, they may forget that they have eaten and consume far too much food on a daily basis. These things place seniors at risk for malnutrition or weight gain and should be monitored closely by a third party.
  • Difficulty with finances. If a senior is having difficulty managing money to the extent that utilities are being shut off or the senior is at risk of being taken advantage of financially, it’s time for that person to live with assistance.

Reducing The Impacts of Senior Isolation

For people with a family member that may be experiencing senior isolation, there are many things that can be done to reduce the impacts. Follow these steps to get started:

  1. Understand the issue

The first step to decreasing senior isolation is to understand it. Is the person physically isolated from others because he or she lives in a remote area or is the person virtually surrounded by opportunities for social gain but simply unwilling to engage in any of them?

By understanding the root cause of the isolation, you can provide better solutions. For example, if a person is physically isolated due to their living situation, it may be wise for them to move to a more populated area or to move in with family members. If a person simply doesn’t want to participate, the key may be finding an activity he or she loves.

  1. Consider alternative solutions

One thing that is often incredibly helpful for seniors who are still able-bodied and lucid is a support pet. Pet therapy has been shown to reduce blood pressure and lower anxiety rates and, if it’s an option, the families and friends of isolated seniors may consider the involvement of a well-trained therapy animal.

  1. Provide mobility

One of the leading causes of senior isolation is a lack of mobility. Many seniors don’t drive and family and friends are often too busy to act as a chauffeur service. Fortunately, there are dozens of free or low-cost senior transport services available to help seniors regain mobility. These things can go a long way toward decreasing the dangers of senior isolation.

  1. Look for volunteer opportunities

Volunteering is a fantastic way for seniors to combat the effects of isolation. By getting involved in a cause that is important to him or her, a senior can meet new people, regain social connections, and become active in a community once more.

  1. Enlist technology

Even if it’s impossible for family and friends to be near a senior at all times, technology can help reduce isolation. Studies have shown that seniors who have regular phone or Skype contact with friends and family are generally healthier and happier than their peers. In light of this, don’t be afraid to dial up grandma or grandpa for a daily phone call. In addition to being fun for both of you, it can actually help improve a senior’s health.

Conclusion

While senior isolation is a dangerous problem that affects millions of people, these five simple tips can help concerned caregivers, friends, and family reduce the symptoms and lessen the effects of loneliness. Additionally, caregivers and family members who know about the causes of senior isolation are better-equipped to respond appropriately.

10 Ways to Have a Happy, Healthy Relationship with Food

Posted on by Martin

For many people with binge eating disorder, or similar conditions, developing a happy, healthy relationship with food is incredibly difficult.

Fortunately, there are many ways to fix your relationship with food and most often, they begin by being kind with yourself and setting realistic expectations. If you’re struggling with developing a healthy relationship to food, it’s important to remember to consult your doctor accordingly. Once you’ve sought proper treatment, though, you can take a series of small, daily steps that can help transform your eating experience. If you’re struggling with food and eating, here are some simple tips to help you get to a better place:

1) Be Realistic

If you’ve developed unhealthy eating habits over the years, it’s important to remember that change doesn’t happen overnight. In order to set yourself up for success, you need to be realistic about what you can and cannot do. This helps you avoid disappointment borne from unrealistic expectations. By setting small daily goals (noticing when you feel full after lunch, for example), you can ensure that you begin your new relationship with food from a place of compassion and understanding.

2) Eat Mindfully

So much of unhealthy food relationships can be traced back to unmindful eating. More often than not, people eat alone, in their cars, in front of the television, or while doing something else like reading or typing. To do away with this, focus instead on eating mindfully.

This means sitting down to eat, eating slowly, focusing on tasting every bite, and not doing other activities like driving or watching television when you eat. Doing this can help you recognize the physical cues that tell you when you’re full and can help you lose weight naturally.

3) Focus On Moderation Rather than Blacklisting Foods

We’re human and we know that when we’re not supposed to do something, we often want it more than ever. To avoid this and foster a healthy relationship with food, focus on enjoying everything in moderation rather than forbidding certain foods.

One of the biggest steps to developing happy relationships with food is simply ensuring that you’re enjoying your favorite foods in moderation. To put this another way, if you love pasta (and there’s no medical reason you can’t eat it) enjoy it in moderation on a weekly basis rather than telling yourself you won’t eat it and then binging on it during a burst of emotional eating. This prevents you from developing dangerous food cravings and makes eating fun once more.

4) Eat Only When You’re Hungry 

This seems too obvious to be true, but it’s an important tip. Many people at compulsively – meaning they eat when food is available or when other people are doing so. What’s more, some people eat more when the people around them eat larger meals. To avoid the unhealthy weight gain and blood sugar spikes this creates, focus instead on eating only when you’re physically hungry. Doing this can help you avoid emotional eating and ensure that you’re making healthy food choices.

5) Stop When You’re Full

You’ve got a plate of something delicious in front of you. It’s only natural to want to eat the entire thing, right? Unfortunately, doing this can lead to unhealthy eating patterns. Our bodies’ satiety signals start quiet and get louder and louder until they’re screaming at us.

Unfortunately, however, many people don’t notice that they’re full until they’re uncomfortably “stuffed.” To avoid this, focus instead on paying attention to your body’s signals after every bite of food and getting to a place where you’re okay with the idea of leftovers. You don’t need to clean your plate at every meal, so focus instead on stopping when you’re full. Doing this can help you maintain a healthy weight and develop healthier eating patterns.

6) Eat Breakfast

There are several unhealthy food myths flying around the universe. One of the particularly problematic ones is that skipping meals can help you lose weight and be healthier. While it’s true that not eating breakfast may help you lose weight (in a very unhealthy way), it’s also true that people who eat breakfast on a regular basis have better memories, lower cholesterol, and higher energy levels. They also typically weigh less than people who skip breakfast.

With this in mind, it’s important to begin your day with a healthy breakfast. Be sure to eat one that includes balanced levels of proteins, fats, carbs, and low sugar levels. This can help maintain your energy levels throughout the day and ensure that you avoid the dreaded mid-morning crash.

7) Make Your House a “Safe Zone”

If your pantries are stocked with junk food, it’s going to be difficult to avoid problematic cravings. For this reason, keeping your house free of problematic foods can help you avoid emotional eating patterns and develop healthier food relationships, instead.

If you’ve noticed that your house is a junk food zone, focus on cleaning your cupboards of excessively processed, sugary, or fatty foods and replacing them with healthy alternatives like nuts, dried fruits, nut butters, fruit, healthy dips like hummus, and whole-grain crackers. This simple step can help ensure that you’re not falling victim to emotional eating and that when you do need a snack, you’re reaching for healthier alternatives.

8) Pay Attention to Portions

Paying attention to portions goes hand in hand with mindful eating habits. If you sit down in front of the television with an entire bag of chips, for example, the likelihood that you’re going to overeat is much higher than it would be if you got a small handful sized portion, placed it in a bowl, and sat down to eat at the table. If you have difficulty avoiding overeating, consider purchasing snacks and treats in individual serving-sized packages (available at stores like Costco) or always serving yourself from a bowl rather than the package or bag.

9) Don’t Eat For the Scale

When you eat according to the numbers on a scale, you’re inherently depriving yourself of nutrition, healthy meals, and enjoying your food. Rather than eating for weight loss or gain, focus on eating what makes you feel good.

Your meals should be balanced, healthy, made from whole-food ingredients, and eaten in a conscious, mindful setting. Doing this helps ensure that you’re eating for the health of your body rather than for the number on the scale.

10) Allow Yourself to Enjoy Eating

One of the main traits of people who have healthy, happy relationships with food is that they allow themselves to enjoy the act of eating. All the other tips on this list aren’t worth anything if you can’t allow yourself to enjoy the act of sitting down to eat a delicious meal.

Instead of scarfing your meals, eating on the go, or grabbing something quick every time you feel a hunger pang, focus on truly making time for your meals. Give yourself at least a half hour to enjoy your lunch every day and, whenever you can, focus on making your meal times private, uninterrupted, and leisurely. Enjoying your meals in a peaceful, leisurely setting can help you avoid bingeing and can translate into better food choices.

Conclusion

While the relationship between eating and food can be difficult for many people, there are plenty of surefire ways to ensure that your relationship with eating is as healthy as possible. By following these tips, you can make better food decisions, avoid emotional binges, and set yourself up for healthy eating patterns for life.

Debunking 15 Crazy Home Care Myths and Misconceptions

Posted on by Martin

How much do you know about in-home care?

While the popularity of in-home care continues to grow, many people aren’t sure exactly what home care entails or how to secure in-home services. Fortunately, these problems are easy to fix! By debunking the most common home care myths and misconceptions, you and your loved ones can ensure that you’re getting the most that home care has to offer.

15 Home Care Myths Most People Believe

Home care: it’s important, life-changing, and very, very misunderstood. These 15 myths are the most common that surround the home care industry. Here’s what you need to know about them:

1) Home care is only for very sick people

Home care myth #1While home care can certainly be helpful for terminally ill people, not all home care recipients are very ill. In fact, there are two very distinct types of home care services: medical and non-medical care. Medical care is often utilized by people who are recovering from an illness or injury or for people who need help coping with chronic conditions.

Non-medical care, on the other hand, offers help with activities of daily living (ADLs) like eating, bathing, personal care, and transportation. Non-medical home care aides may help their clients shop, prepare meals, clean, or complete housework. In some cases, non-medical home care simply provides companionship, which can be helpful in avoiding depressive symptoms and elevating an individual’s mood.

2) Home care is very expensive

myth-02For families that have never utilized home care, the thought can be intimidating. Many people believe that hiring an in-home care aide will be far too expensive, but fortunately they’re wrong! According to a 2010 survey conducted by the Home Instead Senior Care Network, the average family overestimates the cost of hiring a non-medical home care aide by about $6 an hour.

This means that hiring in-home care is actually far more affordable than most people believe. In stark contrast, Genworth’s Cost of Care Survey from 2011 states that the price of a private room in a nursing facility has jumped about 3.4% – to a total of more than $77,745 annually! With those numbers in mind, it’s clear that hiring in-home care may actually be more affordable than a nursing home.

3) Caregivers aren’t trustworthy

Home Care Myth #03Any reputable in-home care service provider will do its absolute best to match seniors to caregivers who display similar interests and personalities. Additionally, most caregivers are required to pass measures like background and competency tests before interacting with clients. This helps ensure that the senior is matched with a quality caregiver that can meet the senior’s needs while also being trustworthy and reliable.

4) Home care is for people who lack independence

Home Care Myth #04Hiring an in-home care aide doesn’t mean sacrificing your independence! In fact, in many cases, the introduction of an in-home care aide can actually help an individual maintain independence. By handling things that may be difficult, like cooking and cleaning, an in-home care aide can help make daily life easier and support the senior’s efforts to live independently for as long as possible.

Additionally, in-home caregivers can help clients maintain independence by preventing common nonfatal injuries like falls and fractures, which the CDC reports are the leading cause of injury death among those 65 and older.

5) In-home care is basically adult babysitting

Home Care Myth #05Think again! While many seniors worry that hiring an in-home caregiver means having a watchful and disproving attendant around at all times, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In many cases, seniors form strong bonds with their in-home caregivers, which creates an environment of fun and closeness every time the caregiver visits.

6) Home care isn’t helpful for people with low or moderate needs

Home Care Myth #06If you only need help conducting your shopping, but you can manage your housework and personal care just fine, don’t write off home care just yet. Home care is a widely varied market and there are professionals available to help you, regardless of what your needs may be. Whether you need an hour or 40 hours of help each week, you can find a caregiver that will provide this for you.

7) I don’t need home care – my family is already helping

Home Care Myth #07As you age and your needs become more pronounced, the burden on friends and family can quickly become overwhelming. Hiring an in-home caregiver can allow your family and friends to participate in your care without stretching themselves too thin. The introduction of an in-home care aide ensures quality care, relief for family and friends, and a balanced care plan for everyone involved.

8) Home care is only for seniors

Home Care Myth #08Just like home care isn’t only for people with limiting illnesses or disabilities, it’s not only for seniors. Home care is often utilized by parents with newborns or people recovering from surgical procedures. Home health care can be individualized to fit your unique needs, so you’ll always have access to a provider that can give you exactly what you need for your unique situation.

9) Home care is dangerous

Home Care Myth #09While we certainly don’t recommend undergoing surgery at home, home care aides are trained professionals. If you require in-home medical care, you’ll be matched with a medical caregiver who can help administer a plan of care that is safe and medically sound.

For individuals who need high levels of in-home care, it’s often possible to secure the assistance of an in-home RN or other highly trained medical personnel. This ensures that your in-home care is just as safe as it would be in a hospital.

10) Seniors who need 24/7 care aren’t qualified for home care

Home Care Myth #10Again, home care is highly individualized. This means that clients who need high levels of home care can find providers to offer it while those who need lower levels of home care will be matched accordingly. Home care agencies often put together 24/7 care teams and can work with you to ensure that you get exactly the services you need.

11) Home care doesn’t accommodate long-term needs

Home Care Myth #11For seniors or other individuals with long-term care needs, home care can be a fantastic option. By matching the individual in need with a qualified individual or team of in-home caregivers, it’s easy for in-home care to accommodate long-term care needs.

12) The client has no say over who the in-home caregiver is

Home Care Myth #12Just like all things, it’s possible that finding an ideal in-home caregiver may take some experimentation, but you as the client always have the final say. If you find that a caregiver and you don’t get along well, that you don’t trust or feel comfortable with the caregiver, or that the caregiver isn’t meeting your needs, you always have the option to replace the caregiver with one who works better. This ensures that you always find a great in-home care match and that you’re satisfied with your in-home services.

13) An in-home caregiver will replace the role of my friends and family

Home Care Myth #13While an in-home caregiver can certainly provide a much-needed break for friends and family, it’s untrue that the presence of in-home care will replace the importance of friends and family. An in-home caregiver can supplement the care your friends and family provide, while at the same time deferring to the care preferences that you and your family agree upon.

14) An in-home caregiver will take over my loved one’s care plan

Home Care Myth #14In-home caregivers are ideal for providing an extra set of hands and some medical expertise. Aside from that, however, they don’t dominate the in-home care situation. Depending upon the need of the client, an in-home caregiver will work with the client and his or her family to develop a care plan that meets the client’s needs while also working closely with the family and the client to ensure that the family feels involved to their desired level. This helps ensure an active role in the care of a loved one and prevents an in-home caregiver from providing more services than are needed or wanted.

15) In-home caregivers don’t care about their clients

Home Care Myth #15While it’s important to hire a reputable in-home caregiver from a reputable home care agency, most caregivers enter the business specifically because they care about clients and want to do everything in their power to serve them.

When the match between a caregiver and a client is good, caregivers and clients often become friends. Most caregivers care deeply about their clients and will do everything in their power to help their clients feel happy, healthy, and independent.

The Case for in-Home Care

As long as people need personalized, individualized services, the popularity of in-home care will continue to grow. In order for this to happen, however, it’s important that we dispel the most common myths that surround home care. From its target population to its use for younger individuals, it’s important to know exactly what home care is and isn’t in order to use in-home care services as effectively as possible.

13 Easy Ways To Help Fight Off A Cold

Posted on by Martin

The Cold and flu are mostly harmless medical conditions which are not considered as serious illnesses, but they are also one of the top productivity killing health conditions due to the amount of rest required and almost a week long symptoms. The cold is mostly seasonal (winter) and viral, so antibiotics are of no use which is also a good sign. The good news is, there are very easy and simple remedies as well as precautions that can not only help fight off a cold, but can also keep it at a safe distance. Listed are some very simple remedies and precautions that can really help.

1. Build a Stronger Immune System

The best defense against a viral disease like cold and flu is a stronger immune. If your immune system can attack the virus and win over it, you are safe. So the logical step when you are getting into the winter is to take some immune-building nutrition like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, selenium, iodine and zinc. Out of these, Vitamin C is well known for its cold-preventing properties.

All the listed nutrients and vitamins are immune-boosting and can prepare your immune system to counter the upcoming viral attack. You can find multiple supplements in the market with these immune boosting nutrients.

2. Wash, wash and wash…

Well, this is common knowledge, but let us restate it again. Studies claim that washing hands frequently can significantly decrease the risk of contracting cold & flu. Make it a habit to wash your hands whenever you are exposed to a place with a lot of people. Wash your hands at least 5 times a day especially before and after the meal.

3. Add Ginger Tea to Your Daily Diet

Adding 2 to 6 cups of ginger tea to your daily diet can not only help in preventing cold & flu, but if you have already contracted cold, it can help in limiting the duration of sickness. This is due to the anti-viral properties of ginger and its immune-boosting micro-nutrients. You can also add more ginger as an ingredient in your food.

4. Use Herbs

Use of herbs is a top and most commonly used natural remedy around the world. Herbs are also a common alternative medicine in Chinese and other South East Asian cultures for centuries. If you are not comfortable with using supplements for immune boosting nutrition, a great alternate is to use herbs that are known for building a stronger immune. A mixture of herbs like astragalus, rhodiola and cordyceps can do wonders in prevention as well as to heal you faster.

If you have already contracted cold, you can choose other anti-viral herbs like red root, licorice, isatis, and lomatium.

5. Pick up the Symptoms Early

Detecting symptoms early can make a lot of difference to the severity of the cold & flu. As soon as you contracted the virus, symptoms appear immediately. Research shows that the counter measures within 12 hours of contraction can cure cold quickly. Common symptoms are runny nose, body ache, cough, mild temperature, congestion, sore throat and fatigue.

6. Vitamin C

We have already discussed that Vitamin C is good for cold-prevention, but it can also effectively shorten the duration of a cold. If you are suffering from cold, drink orange juice which is full of Vitamin C. Other food sources of vitamin C include leafy green vegetables, strawberries and kiwis. If you are taking supplements, make sure to follow the recommended daily dosages published by National Institute of Health that are 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men.

7. Keep Warm

While you are resting, make sure to keep warm and use blankets or turn up your thermostat a little. Warmth can also keep your body in relaxed state and will help you with rest.

8. Increase the Use of Fluids

Keeping yourself warm often means sweating along with runny nose if you have already contracted the cold virus. To counter the dehydration, make sure you are drinking lots of fluids. Dehydration can increase the severity of the cold virus and also make your sore throat dry making it more painful. Fluids like orange juice, watery fruits and vegetables, soups, teas and plain water, all work great in countering cold virus.

9. Steam Treatments and Hot Shower

Steam treatments and standing under the hot shower can help loosens mucus and provide a relief to dry nasal passage. It is also one of the oldest but effective cold treatments in the books. For sinus-clearing, give yourself a steam facial by covering your head with towel and putting a hot water bowl under your face. Let the steam get into your nasal passage to help relax the nasal passage.

Taking hot shower is also a nice treatment. Many people avoid bath during cold, but it is an effective way to clear a cold quickly. Make sure to let the hot water run for sometime before getting under the shower to build more steam. It not only helps in decongestion, it provides your body with required heat and relaxation. Make sure to dry yourself thoroughly including your hair before leaving bathroom.

10. Gargle with Salt Water

This is another common and among the oldest treatments for sore throat, and still very effective. During cold, dry and itchy throat is the most irritating symptom for many. Gargle with salt water provides an effective relief due to antiseptic properties of salt while water hydrates the throat. Make sure to gargle with the salt water 4 times a day. Add little baking soda to the solution if you find the taste unpleasant but do not swallow.

11. Eat Honey

Honey also has excellent anti-viral properties and immune boosting nutrients. It can also provide soothing effect to the itchy and dry throat. You can add a spoon of honey to your daily diet, or for more effectiveness, dissolve it in a hot cup of tea or water.

12. Rest

Many studies claimed that rest can limit the duration of cold if you have already contracted it. In fact, it is rated as a better cure than many anti viral medicines or other natural remedies. The simple science behind this belief is that your body needs a lot of energy to fight off virus, and by providing rest to your body, all the energy is directed towards fighting the virus. Make sure to get a proper rest if you don’t want to keep cold for a long time.

13. When Do You Need to See a Doctor?

In most cases, you can deal with cold & flu on your own following simple precautionary measures or natural remedies, but in some cases, it is advised to visit a doctor. While mild temperature is normal, but suffering from 101 degrees for more than 3 days is alarming. You also need to visit doctor if your temperature rises above 103 or you suffer with earache, bloody mucus, shortness of breath and if the symptoms lasts more than 7 days.

 

 

 

How to Have a Healthy Thanksgiving

Posted on by Martin

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, everyone is busy coming up with a menu for the big feast. Thanksgiving is famous for being all about overindulgence and eating, but it can be a stressful experience for those who need to be careful about what they eat, such as seniors and diabetics, or even just for individuals who are highly health conscious, since Thanksgiving meals tend to be rather high in unhealthy substances such as sodium, sugar and fat.

Of course, it is not a good solution to completely skip the festivities just because you are afraid of weight gain or if you are worried about there not being anything that you are able to eat. Believe it or not, it is actually possible for you to enjoy the holiday and stay healthy at the same time. Here are some simple but effective tips for you to enjoy a healthy thanksgiving.

Making Healthier Food Choices

Watch your portions

If you can, try to limit yourself to just one plate. This helps to prevent over-stuffing yourself. Sample small portions of each dish, and avoid going back for seconds if you can. In the case that you are tempted to return for seconds, wait for about 20 minutes to half an hour first. This is because it takes a while to feel full, and after waiting for about 20 minutes you may find that you no longer want to go for seconds.

Don’t gobble down your food

Since it takes a while for you to feel full, try to eat slowly. If you gobble all your food down, you probably won’t feel satiated even after you have cleared your plate. This increases your likelihood of going back for seconds even though you have in fact already eaten a lot.

Have breakfast in the morning

Some may think that it is a good idea to skip breakfast in the morning in order to save up calories for the big feast. This is a common misconception. By skipping your morning meal, you will be ravenous by the time the Thanksgiving feast comes around, and you are likely to end up overeating. To avoid this, you should have a small breakfast so that you will have more control over your appetite. Including some protein and fiber in your breakfast will also help to take the edge of your appetite.

Stay properly hydrated

Ensure that you drink adequate water throughout the day. Not being properly hydrated will result in thirst, which is often mistaken as hunger pangs. This will cause you to overeat as well.

Make healthy substitutions

Thanksgiving dishes tend to be richer and more filling than your everyday fare, but here are some healthy substitutions and choices you can make in order to have a healthier Thanksgiving meal. These are especially ideal for seniors and diabetic, and for any individuals who need to watch their diet.

  • Instead of eating the dark meat with skin, opt for the white meat without the skin. When you make this substitution, the same 6oz portion of turkey can have a difference of 190 calories and 17g of fat.
  • Use fat-free chicken broth to baste the turkey, and in your gravy.
  • Don’t add the marshmallows on your sweet potatoes. You can choose to add other spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg to keep things flavorful. This helps to reduce your caloric intake by about 100 calories.
  • Skip the pecan pie for dessert. Instead, you can go for healthier dessert options such as a pumpkin pie. This cuts more than 100 calories from your Thanksgiving meal.
  • Use fruit purees instead of oil in your baked goods.
  • Try using plain yogurt or fat-free sour cream when making your creamy dips, mashed potatoes, or casseroles.
  • Make your own cranberries, instead of going for the jellied cranberry sauce. This saves you more than 100 calories.

Healthy Thanksgiving activities

Aside from making healthier food choices, you can also choose to engage in some healthy Thanksgiving activities in order to neutralize the effects of the rich and calorie-dense meal.

Socialize during the meal

Instead of focusing on the food, engage in conversation with your friends and family. After all, you can’t talk and eat at the same time!

Volunteer to help clean up

Instead of spending your time finishing up the leftovers or going back for seconds or thirds, why not volunteer to help your host clean up? This not only helps to take your attention away from the food, but the physical act of cleaning up itself will also help you to burn some calories. Not to mention, your host will definitely appreciate the gesture.

Plan a post-meal walk

After enjoying your scrumptious meal, go for a post-meal walk together. A brisk walk will help you to burn some calories. It is also a great opportunity to get some fresh air and to bond with your friends and family.

Plan to work out the next morning

Most people will feel bloated the lethargic the day after Thanksgiving. Instead of lazing around the house, plan a work out. The knowledge that you have committed to burn off the extra calories the day after allows you to feel less guilty when indulging during your Thanksgiving meal. What’s more, knowing that you have an early-morning workout the next morning might keep you from reaching for that additional glass of wine!

If you are worried that you will not have the discipline to keep to your morning workout, schedule a fitness date with a friend for that morning. You can then keep each other accountable, and you won’t be able to bail!

References

http://www.acefitness.org/acefit/fitness-programs-article/3303/ACEFit-workout-advice-and-exercise-tips/

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20545918,00.html

http://www.webmd.com/diet/10-tips-for-a-thinner-thanksgiving

http://greatist.com/health/fit-healthy-thanksgiving-tips

http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/healthy_cooking_101/shopping_cooking_guides/healthy_thanksgiving_guide

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/healthy-thanksgiving-tips/

10 Easy and Natural Exercises to Help Keep Your Brain in Shape

Posted on by Martin

One of the most common myths about aging is that memory loss and impaired brain function is inherent in the process. While aging is inevitable, cognitive decline is not and there are many simple steps seniors and older individuals can take to keep their brains in tip-top shape for years to come. By adopting these simple exercises and habits, it’s easy to keep your brain sharp and alert at any age.

1) Journaling

Did you know that something as simple as journaling can help keep your brain sharp? Since writing involves carrying out a physical action to form letters and make meaning, the simple act of hand-writing something has been shown to sharpen mental function, activating and honing the parts of our brains that are responsible for memory and language formation.

This is not true for typing on a keyboard, however, since the act of pressing a key doesn’t trigger the same brain activity.  In order to get all the brain benefits writing has to offer, try to make it a daily practice. You don’t have to spend hours writing, either – a simple 15 or 20 minutes of jotting down your thoughts every morning is more than enough to trigger enhanced mental function and keep your brain sharp.

2) Take short naps

In addition to being good for your body, a short nap is also fantastic for your brain. According to a study conducted by Rosalind Cartwright ad Dr. Alon Avidan, chairmen of the psychology department at Rush University and director of the sleep disorders program at UCLA, respectively, a power nap of 15-20 minutes each day can improve memory and overall cognitive ability. Be careful to keep your naps short, though, so that you don’t fall into a deep sleep and risk throwing off your circadian rhythms for the following night’s sleep.

3) Stay hydrated

The human brain is roughly 85% comprised of water and you can bet that if you get dehydrated, it’s going to affect your brain function first and foremost.  With that in mind, drinking plenty of water (at least 8-10 glasses a day, and more for seniors who take diuretics) is a great way to stay mentally sharp and keep the brain functioning well at every stage of life.

Staying hydrated doesn’t just mean water, though. According to one study, drinking plenty of fruit and vegetable juice can protect against Alzheimer’s disease, so if you want to reduce the risk of cognitive decline it’s wise to supplement your water intake with plenty of high-quality juices.

4) Play music

Most people know that learning and practicing a musical instrument enhances overall brain function but few people know that learning to play an instrument is one of the best ways to create new neural pathways and to enhance the body’s dopamine levels, both of which lead to better moods, decreased depressive symptoms and enhanced mental function.

5) Shake up your routine

Switching up your daily routine is a little bit like alternating your physical workouts. When you change what you do at the gym everyday, your body has to work more efficiently and stay on its toes, which creates better physical function and produces better fitness results.

The same thing goes for the brain – by switching up your daily routine, you keep your brain alert and functioning at a high level. You don’t need to turn your days on their heads to do this effectively, either. By simply making small changes to your routine a few times a week, like showering in the evening rather than the morning or checking your emails at a different time, you can produce new brain connections and feel more alert and focused throughout the day. While they may seem small, simple changes to your daily routine can be surprisingly effective at encouraging your brain to stay sharp and active.

6) Get enough sleep

Getting enough sleep is a lot like getting enough water – it’s absolutely imperative to your brain’s overall function. During deep sleep, the brain solidifies and stores memories, which means that getting enough sleep is absolutely imperative to fending off memory loss and normal cognitive decline. Poor or inadequate sleep leads to poor memory and learning and can contribute to new or worsening dementia-like symptoms.

Additionally, not getting enough sleep can make you feel sluggish, sad, forgetful or confused, which makes it tough to execute your daily tasks effectively. To reap all the benefits of a great night’s sleep, shoot to get at least 7-9 hours per night.

7) Get enough aerobic exercise

Some scientists believe that regular aerobic exercise helps improve memory. This means that activities like jogging, brisk walking, or swimming are some of the best ways to keep your brain healthy and functioning well. To take advantage of everything exercise has to offer, aim to squeeze in at least 30 minutes of mild to moderate activity every other day. This will help keep your brain sharp, improve your thinking skills, and help keep your body limber and healthy.

8) Eat a varied diet

You are what you eat and it’s impossible for the body to function well without adequate nutrition. With this in mind, it’s important to eat a low glycemic diet that’s high in fiber and good fats and proteins. This creates a steady digestive process and provides the brain with a reliable, adequate stream of energy on which to function, thereby optimizing mental function and creating a sharper and more alert mindset all day.

9) Enjoy moderate caffeine intake

While the medical wisdom surrounding caffeine intake has always been tumultuous, more evidence is stating that mild caffeine intake may protect the brain from cognitive decline. According to current science, drinking between 2-4 cups of coffee or caffeinated tea each day can help protect you from cognitive decline while also providing an important boost of antioxidants that help protect your body from harmful free radicals.

10) De-stress

Stress is very damaging for the entire body – including the brain. Because stress floods the brain with harmful chemicals, it can actually interrupt the formation of new memories. With this in mind, it’s important to limit sources of stress wherever possible. Practicing a calming activity like yoga or tai chi can be a great way to do this, as can a daily walk or spending time with friends. While it may not seem like an obvious danger to your brain, stress can impair mental function more than many people think.

While aging is inevitable, getting mentally dull doesn’t have to be. With these simple exercises, you can keep your brain sharp and ensure high-class mental function for many years to come.

Telling The Difference Between Normal Forgetfulness and Dementia in Seniors

Posted on by Martin

As we age, it’s not uncommon for us to experience so-called “senior moments” – moments of temporary forgetfulness or absent-mindedness. In some cases, this is a normal side effect of aging and, in others, it’s a symptom of the beginnings of dementia. Many people, however, aren’t exactly sure how to tell the difference.

In some cases, dementia can begin to crop up as early as the 40s or 50s and in some cases it appears much later in life. Often, people wonder if forgetting where they placed their car keys or if they already returned that important call is a symptom they should be concerned about. While some symptoms may be dangerous, some instances of forgetfulness are simply the result of busy lives and too little “me time.”

So, how do you tell the difference between early signs of dementia and normal age-induced forgetfulness?

Read on to learn more.

Signs it’s just Forgetfulness

If the following things apply to you or a loved one, it’s likely that the scatterbrained behavior is the result of normal aging:

  1. You remember what you forgot later. If you forgot where you put your keys or were trying to remember the name of the street your daughter lives on but couldn’t, don’t worry. As long as you remember the information later (be it 5 minutes or two hours later) you’re probably fine. The ability to eventually recall information differentiates age-induced forgetfulness from dementia, which renders people unable to remember misplaced information at all.
  2. You can be reminded of forgotten information. Have you ever lost your train of thought during a conversation only to be reminded of what you were saying by a friend? This is an example of “normal” or age-induced forgetfulness. All people get forgetful at some point, but when simple reminders from friends or family can help you pick up where you left off, it’s likely that you’re simply experiencing normal forgetfulness.
  3. Tools help you remember. If you forget to take your medication unless you set a cell phone reminder or write yourself a note, the forgetfulness is likely nothing to worry about. People who use post-it notes or electronic reminders to trigger certain behaviors are likely experiencing “normal” forgetfulness. On the other hand, people who don’t remember what their reminders are there for may be displaying symptoms of dementia.
  4. Forgetting things occasionally. Did you just meet someone new and you’re having a tough time remembering their name? After you’ve been reminded once or twice, the information should be easier for you to retrieve. If it’s not, the forgetfulness may be a symptom of dementia. When people repeatedly forget the same thing despite being reminded of it time and time again, it’s likely that they are suffering from the early stages of dementia.
  5. Forgetfulness is associated with being busy. If you forgot to return a phone call or make your way to a meeting because you were having a busy day, it’s probably normal forgetfulness. When we’re excessively busy, we only have room for so much information in our minds and, naturally, some things get pushed out. If you’re usually on top of things but tend to get forgetful when you’ve got too many balls in the air, fear not. This is probably normal forgetfulness. This is especially true if you remember what you were supposed to be doing later.
  6. Being able to execute self-care. If you had a crazy day and forgot five things but can still settle into a nice bath or feed yourself well at the end of the day, you’re probably experiencing normal forgetfulness. Very poor hygiene or missing meals, on the other hand, is a sign of dementia and a warning sign for Alzheimer’s.

Signs of Dementia

Forgetfulness that is related to dementia is very different from “normal” forgetfulness and can be characterized by the following symptoms:

  1. Difficulty with simple tasks. If you or a loved one has a hard time remembering to pay bills, pick up spouses or children or carry out normal hygiene procedures like brushing teeth and bathing, it’s likely that this forgetfulness is a sign of dementia. This is also true for people who lose weight due to forgetting to eat or for people who gain weight because they eat many meals and forget about previous ones.
  2. Inability to remember previous memory loss episodes. Forgetting the name of the street you live on and then remembering that you’ve forgotten is one thing. Forgetting previous incidents where memory loss has been a problem, however, is an entirely different situation. If you notice that a friend or loved one is having difficulty remembering times when memory loss has been a problem, it’s likely that this is a sign of dementia.
  3. Difficulty in familiar settings. While it’s normal to get lost in new places, it’s not normal to get lost on your way home. If you notice that a friend or loved one is forgetting how to get home or to the store or cannot remember which room is the bedroom or which car belongs to him or her, these are signs of dementia.
  4. Frequently forgetting words. While it’s normal to grapple for the right word, it’s not normal to forget words altogether. If you notice that a friend or loved one cannot remember simple words, slurs words or forgets important information like a loved one’s name or birthday, it’s time to seek help. This is also true if a loved one garbles information, repeats the same words or phrases multiple times in a conversation or tells the same story over and over.
  5. Poor judgment. If forgetfulness has reached the level where the individual is making forgetful judgments that place health or safety at risk, like going out in the winter without a jacket or leaving the stove or gas on at home, there’s a high possibility that you’re dealing with dementia-like symptoms.
  6. Difficulty making decisions. If a person you love is having a hard time making simple decisions like what to eat or where to go or if they become frustrated over simple issues, it’s likely that this is dementia-related forgetfulness. Additionally, if a person you love seems to have “Forgotten” how to act in social situations or acts out in dangerous or inappropriate ways, it’s likely that these are signs of dementia.

What to do When Signs of Dementia Appear

If you’ve noticed that a loved one seems to be displaying signs of dementia, it’s important to enlist the help of a doctor. When memory loss becomes frequent or severe, it can place a person at serious risk of injury or death.

A doctor will assess the patient’s memory history and any present risk factors, such as family history of dementia and medications. Once a diagnosis has been made, the doctor will treat the person for memory loss symptoms and may be able to recommend some care measures that will help alleviate the symptoms of memory loss and make life safer and more enjoyable. Additionally, early diagnosis is important to get ahead of memory loss symptoms and ensure that proper care is received.

Although memory loss is a frightening prospect, there are many ways to determine the difference between normal forgetfulness and dangerous Alzheimer’s symptoms. If you notice any of the dementia symptoms in yourself or a loved one, seek medical care immediately in order to produce a positive outcome.

7 Smartphone Apps That Will Help Monitor Your Health

Posted on by Martin

There’s no doubt about it – we live in technological times. Fortunately, much of our modern technology is dedicated to making our lives better. From meal planning apps to activity trackers, today’s technology is great for staying healthy and active. If you’re interested in turning your smartphone into a pocked-sized health center, download the following apps:

1. Amwell App

Have a question you’d love to ask a doctor but can’t get in for an appointment? No problem – Amwell allows users to consult a medical provider any time he or she needs a medical consultation. Simply open the app, tap through a few choices, pick a specialty and a provider within that specialty and get an immediate video conference with a doctor.

Although this service doesn’t replace the care of an in-person doctor, it can be a great way to address minor medical concerns from anywhere you may be right now. This app is available as a free download for both iPhone and Android users.

2. Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock App

You know how it feels – you wake up after 8 hours of sleep and you’re still drowsy. Waking up drowsy makes the entire day difficult and can impair everything from memory to overall cognitive function. If you’re waking up drowsy and you’re not sure why, it’s possible that you’re waking up during the wrong stage of your sleep cycle – most likely while you’re in a deep sleep.

This makes you feel drowsy upon awakening and contributes to low-functioning days. To ensure that you wake up rested and refreshed, try the Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock app, which monitors movements during sleep and wakes you up during a period of light sleep when you’re likely to bound out of bed feeling refreshed.

The app eliminates the risk of oversleeping by featuring a customizable window of 90 minutes. This means that users can input an “earliest possible” and “latest possible” wake time and the app will wake you up during the lightest sleep phase during the time window, so you’ll never have to worry about being late. Additionally, the app offers sleep graphs and charts, so users can track weekly and nightly sleep patterns and cycles. Available to download on iPhone for $4.99 and Android for $1.99.

3. Drugs.com App

The Drugs.com app is a great place for people who need dependable information about medications. All users need to do is click into the app and locate the medication they’re curious about. The app searches the extensive Drugs.com database and gives users the generic and brand name forms of the medication, the drug’s information, potential interaction dangers and much more.

Users can also create a personalized drug list to check for possible interactions and to identify potential generic forms that may be less expensive. Additionally, this app allows users to look up unknown pills by inputting the pill’s shape, color or imprint. As the leading online drug database, the Drugs.com app is a great way for people to take charge of their medication. The app is available for free to iPhone and Android users.

4. Whole Foods Market App

If you’re like most people, it’s likely that you’ve found yourself eating junk food for dinner simply because you couldn’t figure out what to cook. With the Whole Foods Market app, this problem is a thing of the past. This app allows users to access more than 3,500 online recipes and search recipes according to special dietary needs, course, ingredients and type of cuisine.

The app also allows users to compile a healthy shopping list directly from the recipes. Finally, users can use the app to find recipes that use the ingredients they already have lying around the kitchen. Ideal for users who want to eat healthy without breaking the budget, the Whole Foods Market app is a free download for both iPhone and Android users.

5. My Diet Coach App

Trying to lose weight? Don’t go it alone. The My Diet Coach app is exactly what it sounds like – a diet coach that fits into your pocket and offers motivation, reminders and goals right in your pocket. Use the app to track your meals, keep notes about which foods to eat and which to avoid, keep exercise and food logs, take photos of your progress and set fitness goals.

To make this app even better, it gives users virtual prizes when pre-set goals are met. Losing weight is hard enough on its own and My Diet Coach offers just the right level of motivation and encouragement to keep you going strong. This app is available for free to both iPhone and Android users.

6. Moves App

Currently, the average American sits for at least eight hours a day. This sedentary lifestyle is rife with health problems, including poor mental health, increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and depression and an increased risk of suffering from physical disabilities. With all of that in mind, it’s obvious that moving more is an important part of maintaining optimal health at all life stages.

Moves is an app that helps encourage users to move more on a daily basis. The app tracks all types of movement – including walking, running, biking or yoga – and displays the activity as a virtual storyline that allows users to track their progress. The app also tracks caloric intake and displays walking and jogging routes as paths on a map.

Users can use the app to compare daily progress and to track how much they move each week. Ideal for people who want to set activity goals and be more active each day, Moves is a great app for getting healthy and staying that way. Moves is available for free to both iPhone and Android users.

7. Lumosity Mobile App

Lumosity is a popular web-based service that offers brain games that function on the idea of neuroplasticity – the concept that our brains can be improved throughout life by building new neural pathways that affect emotions, behavior, and memory. The Lumosity app is a pocket-sized training program that is designed to help users stay sharp and increase their cognitive abilities at all life stages.

The app works by creating a series of fun, personalized games that exercise different aspects of the brain – such as memory, attention span, and multi-tasking. The app also allows users to track performance and set goals in order to gauge progress and improvement. The Lumosity App is available for free to both iPhone and Android users.

While you could play Angry Birds or Candy Crush on your smartphone all day, that these apps are a better use of your screen time. Whether you’re looking to lose weight, sleep better, move more or give your brain a workout, these great health apps can help you meet your goals and be healthier every day.

 

 

Help Protect Seniors From Falling at Home

Posted on by Martin

Picture this. Your loved one, an elderly person, has had a fall at home, at the mall, or anyplace else. Let’s not consider the severity of the fall for now, but what is the first thing you would think? What is the first thing you would do? Most people would simply assume that the senior is having some problems with mental health or eyesight, hence impairing their ability to coordinate balance and movement. Some may also assume that the senior simply had a moment of clumsiness and just offer tips to prevent falls at home. These are not impossible conclusions. They do make perfect sense, but it is important to know that there can be other underlying reasons for the fall. Simply jumping to conclusions and attributing the fall to mental health problems could result in the underlying health issue not being picked up on, and left to worsen over time.

The Massachusetts General Hospital Study

Dr. Farrin Manian is a clinician educator in the Massachusetts General Hospital’s division of general medicine in Boston. He is also the principal investigator of a Massachusetts General Hospital study regarding infections and falls in the elderly.

The study involved 161 patients who were treated in the Massachusetts General Hospital emergency room for a fall. All 161 of these patients were later also diagnosed with an underlying infection. Of these, 44.1 percent had a urinary tract infection, 39.8 percent had a bloodstream infection, 23 percent had a respiratory infection and 5.6 percent had an infection of the heart valve.

Initially, experts did not suspect an underlying infection in more than 40 percent of the patients. This may be due to the fact that many of these patients only had one or no common signs of an infection (common signs of an infection include a rapid heart rate, an abnormal white blood cell count, and fever). As such, it is apparent that it is highly likely for the underlying infection to be missed if family members or caregivers do not know what exactly to look out for when dealing with an elderly person who has had a fall.

Other research has also suggested that between 20 percent and 45 percent of falls are caused by infection, although this is often not picked up on. This is because most relatives, health care workers and caregivers don’t associate falls with possible illness. Instead, most people would attribute it to clumsiness or other mental health issues.

How exactly does an infection cause falls?

Now you may be wondering how exactly an infection could lead to a fall. There may not seem like there is an obvious link between the two, but the explanation is simple really. According to researchers involved in the Massachusetts General Hospital study, infections can lower blood pressure. This will result in feelings of lightheadedness and dizziness, which then increase the person’s risk of falling. This effect is worsened in elderly persons because illnesses can also increase confusion in older people, especially in the cases of those who are also suffering from dementia.

According to Dr. Farrin Manian, he was inspired to conduct the study because he had realized, over the years, that some of the more serious infections he had treated were in people who had come to the hospital because they had had a fall.

Prevalence of falls amongst elderly persons

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2.5 million elderly persons end up in American emergency rooms each year as a result of falls. Of these 2.5 million, less than a third require hospitalization consequentially. The death rate of these falls has also increased between the years 2004 and 2013, from 41 deaths per year for every 100, 000 people to 57 deaths every year for the same number of people.

With such a large number of cases of elderly falls every year, it is important to be informed that there could be a huge range of causes behind the falling – it might not just be a bout of clumsiness or failing eyesight.

Is there anything I can do to help my loved ones?

Of course, it is important to maintain regular health checkups to ensure that no infections or other health problems go unnoticed. This can also prevent any falling due to undetected bouts of infection, which is important because serious injuries such as fractures may result when elderly persons take a fall.

However, if your loved one has already had a fall, it is essential that you don’t jump straight to conclusions and assume that the fall was due to clumsiness, eyesight problems, mental health problems, or other reasons. It is important that you consider all possibilities, and get a full health checkup conducted if possible, so as to detect any underlying health problems. It would also be useful to ask the senior how he or she felt before the accident. If he or she reports feeling lightheaded or dizzy before the fall, it is possible that there is an infection, which should be checked out right away before things get worse.

 

http://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=394614&full=1

http://www.webmd.com/news/20151009/infections-not-clumsiness-cause-many-falls

https://www.rt.com/usa/318158-infection-falls-emergency-elderly/

http://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-washington-post-sunday/20151011/281608124265604/TextView

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151009155255.htm