Many older Americans grew up in a time and culture when smoking was not only commonplace, it was heavily advertised to them and even encouraged, being portrayed as a habit that was glamorous and sophisticated. Pick up a stack of magazines from the 50’s or the 60’s and not only will you see many, many glossy, full page advertisements trying to entice readers into buying cigarettes with beautiful models and exotic locales, you’ll probably be quite surprised to see that many of those advertisements even feature doctors, nurses, and other health professionals lighting up cigarettes while speaking glowingly about the health benefits of whatever particular cigarette brand the ad is trying to sell to you.
We all tend to see the holidays as a fun time of year when we gather with friends, family, and other loved ones to come together and celebrate time honored traditions. We share meals, raise glasses, and enjoy each other’s company and bask in the shared warmth of good cheer and feelings. For many of us, these traditions include favorite and seasonal foods, perhaps with recipes passed down through the family over generations. After all, who doesn’t look forward to things like brined turkey, sweet potato pie, green bean casserole, and other dishes unique to our families and regions?
No one wants to end up confined to a bed and become a bedridden patient, for any reason. But the sad reality is that things like illnesses or infirmity brought about by the aging process may incapacitate someone, preventing them from moving or standing, which causes them to spend most, if not all, their waking hours laying in bed. For obvious reasons this is incredibly depressing and mentally taxing. If you have a loved one who is bedridden, consider going out of your way and making time to purchase and gift them something to cheer them up and let them know you’re still thinking of them.
Gift giving for seniors, as an age group, can be particularly challenging. After all, having lived their lives and collected many possessions over the years, there’s often not much they want or need, WIth some creativity, however, you’ll be sure to have them smiling when they unwrap their gift.
While we’re all familiar with the basic form of a wheelchair, that is to say, a chair with wheels mounted to the sides to aid in mobility for people who have difficulty or are unable to walk under their own power, most people do not know that there are actually numerous types and designs of wheelchairs, each with their own unique features to serve any number of unique mobility situations.
A poll from the University of Michigan in 2022 found that over half of adults aged 50 or older have helped with at least one care task for another adult over the age of 65. Whether these tasks were health related, personal, or anything else, they all represent a significant investment of time, energy, and emotion for the person giving the care, even if they love their charge very much and have given their help freely.
One of the saddest realities facing us in today’s world is that many senior citizens are unfortunately vulnerable to financial scams. According to a Bloomberg report, the elderly demographic in the United States collectively loses $37 billion annually as a result of scams.
Of all the myriad ways available to keep your brain healthy and supple as you age, one surprising method that few of us might ever think of is video games. While video games have been maligned over the years as a source of concern for parents worrying about their children becoming lazy or mindless junkies, the truth is that a study by the University of Montreal found that subjects who played video games had more gray matter in their hippocampus after playing. The hippocampus is an important part of the brain, as it is primarily in charge of the various memory functions, such as short-term, long-term, and spatial.
As the holidays approach us rapidly, it is important to remember a few helpful tips that will make everyone’s lives easier when senior loved ones come to your home for an extended visit. Your elder loved ones may have a few or several needs that you will need to address to make sure their visit is as fun as possible for everyone involved, not to mention easy and stress free. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind for this coming season.
The aging process brings many joys, such as seeing children and grandchildren grow, having more time to spend on leisure activities and hobbies, and focusing on the parts of life that matter most. But for 18% of adults aged 65 or older, depression looms as an ever present threat to steal those joys. Depression is a treatable medical condition and should never be considered a normal part of aging. While aging may make treatment complicated, relief from symptoms is always possible.
While we often ask and also hear the question “How are you doing?”, it’s most of the time just another way to greet someone. Detailed answers to the question, ones that really go into detail about how someone is actually doing, especially in regard to their health, work, or personal life, are rarely expected or given.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, most always shortened to COPD, affects millions of Americans, and is more common in older adults. Research has shown that approximately ten percent of Americans aged 75 or older are currently living with COPD, but the actual percentage may be much higher as many cases of COPD go undiagnosed. COPD is a progressive disease, meaning it worsens over time, and it is one for which there is currently no cure. Fortunately, there are treatments available to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.
October is American Pharmacists Month, which makes it the perfect time to recognize the important role that pharmacists have in serving the health needs of our senior citizen population. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 7 out of 10 adults between the ages of 40 and 79 use at least one prescribed medication, and around 1 in 5 take at least five medications.
We humans are social animals, and we thrive on contact with one another. Communication is a fundamental aspect and facet of relationships and the way we all interact and bring meaning to each other. Unfortunately, all too often, that communication breaks down and becomes more difficult as loved ones age and their health and capacities decline. For those adults aging through their twilight years, the prevalence and complexity of communication disorders increases with the onset of diseases and conditions that result in cognitive decline, such as strokes, or dementias like Alzheimer’s disease.
The last thing that any hospital patient and their family wants, no matter the age, is a sudden and unexpected return trip to the hospital or the emergency room. In-home medical care can help seniors released home from the hospital with things like medical treatment, therapy, and help with the essential daily activities of life.
For those of us who are dealing with trouble sleeping, some small comfort can be found in the fact that you’re not going through it alone.
Things evolve as we age, two of which are our health and our finances. And addressing these changes will usually require certain adjustments.
Fall is a wonderful time of year to plan outings in just about any part of the country. The cooler, more predictable weather makes outdoor excursions more fun for the whole family.
As an adult child with parents in their elderly years, it can be incredibly rewarding and enriching to give back and spend time caring for them after all the years they spent caring for you as you grew up from a child to the adult you are now.
We’ve all had the experience of feeling ambitious and deciding that today is finally going to be the day we sort through that big box of loose family photos, snapshots and images cataloging the life of you and your loved ones throughout decades. But soon the project stalls, whether due to the sheer number of photos, or coming across unfamiliar faces and places from times long past.
At Senior Helpers, we have cared for thousands of seniors over the past 20 years. Our caregivers are the key to delievering exceptional care. By choosing Senior Helpers for a loved one, you’re not just getting exceptional care for any of their needs, but you’re gaining a genuine, in-home connection designed to give them the absolute best quality of life.
There is an endless supply of movies about fictional disasters and apocalyptic world ending scenarios that all let audiences vicariously experience big thrills and chills with the escapist entertainment they provide. But here, in the real world, there is absolutely nothing entertaining or enjoyable about disasters. Climate change fueled weather systems put countless lives across the nation in jeopardy with alarming frequency.
It is natural to worry about the health of yourself or your loved ones as they age through their twilight years. Aging increases the risk of many debilitating conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, cancer, dementia, and more. The good news is that none of these are foregone conclusions. By adopting and maintaining a few key good behaviors, you can decrease the risks of developing them, and increase the chances of living a longer, healthier life. It’s important to encourage and cultivate healthy lifestyle changes, and it’s never too late to start.
You or one of your loved ones may have recently been referred for a neuropsychological evaluation. It’s only natural to be intimidated or overwhelmed by the prospect of undergoing one, but any discomfort or anxiety can be soothed by information and education about what the test is for and what to expect.
The week of the 18th through the 24th this September is Falls Prevention Awareness Week. This is an important subject, as the rate of falls experienced by older adults has unfortunately only been increasing in recent years. Falls are the number one cause of preventable injury in senior citizens, and many seniors who experience an injury from a fall begin to suffer from loss of independence and a general decline in quality of life.