by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Apr 30, 2017 | Healthy Aging
Setting up a medication management schedule is the best way to keep an older adult on-track with the prescription and over-the-counter medicines. One of the biggest challenges is finding ways to stay organized. From monitoring when refills are due to setting up a pill organizer, these tips can help Michigan family caregivers.
Helping a Michigan Senior Manage their Medication Schedule
- Use a pill organizer. Plastic medication organizers labeled with the days of the week aren’t expensive, and can be a life saver for seniors. By reaching for a single dose of medicine instead of the entire bottle, it’s easier to keep track of what medication they’ve already taken and what dosages remain for that day. Take some time at the start of each week to help your senior loved one set up their pill organizer. This not only keeps them organized, but will also allow you to see when their prescriptions will run out. If your loved will be away from home, a pill organizer makes it simple to bring their medicine with them in a purse or a pocket without having to worry about bulky, hard-to-open bottles. There are also several tech products that can be used to dispense medications at dosage time. Some even send text alerts to family is a dosage has been missed.
- Set up automatic prescription renewals. The days and weeks can fly by. Before you know it, your loved one is low on medication. An easy way to ensure that they are never without it is to set up automatic renewals with their pharmacy. You’ll get a phone call or a text message when the prescription is ready to be picked up. You can make it even easier for yourself by having the prescriptions mailed to you at home, though this perk will likely depend on your senior family member’s insurance plan.
- Talk to your loved one’s doctor. The addition of a new pill or vitamin can be a smooth transition or it can be a rocky one. If it’s the latter, be sure to let the doctor know immediately how your senior loved one is feeling so that adjustments can be made in their dosages. Make sure to read the insert from the pharmacy so you are aware of any potentially serious side effects.
- Ask for help. If you lead an on-the-go lifestyle, then you know how easy it is for something small to throw off your schedule in a big way. You likely know or have your aging loved one’s schedule of medications written down on a list somewhere. Be sure to share that list with others. It might be a trusted neighbor or a family member who is comfortable being a back-up caregiver.
At Heritage Senior Communities, medication management is handled by a registered nurse. Families and their loved ones will have peace of mind knowing that their daily regimen of medication is being carefully supervised. Its amazing how a little bit of organization can go such a long way when it comes to managing medications!
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Apr 10, 2017 | Healthy Aging
A life well lived. Contributions to mankind. Your family. Your stories. The way each of us creates a legacy is as unique as the way we live our lives.
Some of us preserve family history through our stories, while others build businesses and leave them to their heirs. Some leave money to charitable organizations and others leave a legacy through the student lives they’ve touched with a career in teaching.
No matter how humble or grand your legacy turns out to be, it’s important to note that the actual planning of your legacy is entirely fulfilling on its own. That qualifies it as something that’s good for you and good for your health.
Here’s how that works.
5 Ways Legacy Planning is Good for Your Health
One way to think of a legacy is the need to be remembered for the special impact you’ve made in the world. And as each of us well knows, our lives are unique, making our legacies just as unique.
As unique as each legacy might be, however, there are 5 different ways that planning a legacy might be good for anyone, no matter who they are or what they do.
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Legacy planning validates your unique brand of living.
By planning how you want to be remembered, you’re giving credence to the idea that you’re unique and special life matters. In other words, legacy planning is a form of life validation, a way of celebrating what you’re all about while you’re still around to join the party.
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Thinking about your legacy helps you lead a purposeful life.
Planning your legacy also helps you guide your life. Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner said it well in their book, “A Leader’s Legacy:”
“By asking ourselves how we want to be remembered, we plant the seeds for living our lives as if we matter.”
Some people start planning early on in life. Indeed, discussions about your legacy can take place over a lifetime. Maybe you began thinking about the type of mark you wanted to make on the world when you were in your 30’s. Or maybe you and your circle of friends first began thinking about legacies when you all started becoming grandparents.
Whatever the case, it helps you direct your life in purposeful directions.
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Planning promotes self-reflection.
Leaving a legacy requires self-reflection, which is good for the mind and spirit. Both are linked to better overall health.
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It increases your social activity.
Legacy planning can be inward (self-reflection) and then it can also be outward (sharing your legacy). Both forms do great things for your psyche.
When you share your legacy, the social connections you develop are good for your heart. Let’s say your legacy is rooted in your lifelong support of pets and the Michigan shelters that care for them. You touched the hearts of many pet owners through your dedication to volunteering over the years.
By deciding that’s going to be your legacy, you’re apt to increase involvement with those activities, thereby promoting a more social lifestyle for yourself. Social connections are increasingly important to health as we age.
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Legacy planning encourages you to pursue your passions.
When you’re passionate about something, you may not let advancing age stop you from enjoying it. Your relentless pursuit of passions can serve as an inspiration to others. That’s a fine legacy to leave!
Whether it’s ballroom dancing, yoga, or playing the piano, a passion can have a significant positive influence on your health. Passions involving physical activity will keep your body healthier longer, and those involving mental acumen will keep your brain healthier longer.
Plan Your Legacy by Sharing It with Others
Choosing to share your legacy with others is a key part of legacy planning. Through connecting with friends, spending time with family, or reaching out to the community, you’re not just planning your legacy; you’re creating it as you go.
Leaving a legacy is especially important to older adults with memory loss. If your aging parent in Michigan has dementia, you may be interested in learning more about StoryCorps and their efforts to help with legacy building for people with memory loss.
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Mar 22, 2017 | Healthy Aging
Since childhood most of us have been encouraged to drink our milk. You probably already know that the calcium and vitamin D it contains are good for keeping bones healthy. But because vitamin D doesn’t occur naturally in very many foods, it is easier to develop a deficiency. This is especially true for those who live in northern climates, like Michigan, where people spend less time outdoors during winter months.
Health Problems Linked to Low Vitamin D
Over the past decade, scientists have discovered a variety of ways that a vitamin D deficiency can negatively impact our health as we age.
Here are a few of the problems associated with a vitamin D deficiency:
- Earlier Stages: The earliest problems caused by a vitamin D deficiency include muscle pain, gait disturbances, fatigue and overall muscular weakness.
- Advanced Deficiency: A more serious deficiency in vitamin D can lead to deep bone pain and fractures. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to greater risk of coronary and vascular diseases, as well as prostate, breast and colon cancer.
What can you and the senior you love do to keep vitamin D levels where they need to be?
Here are a few suggestions:
Overcoming a Vitamin D Deficiency
- Food Choices: Consume foods rich in vitamin D. Healthy options to consider are fresh or canned salmon, milk, tuna, and mushrooms. Other foods often enriched or fortified with vitamin D include soy products, breakfast cereals, orange juice, eggs, and some dairy.
- Sunlight: Limited sun exposure might also help. While it is important to exercise caution and limit exposure to small amounts without sunscreen, sunlight often improves vitamin D levels. Talk with your physician to see if 20 minutes of sun exposure a few times a week might be beneficial.
- Supplements: While most doctors and nutritionists like to see essential vitamins and nutrients coming from healthy food choices, most also recognize that vitamin D can be tough to maintain strictly through diet. Ask your doctor for a recommended daily dosage.
Finally, one resource you might find helpful is a booked called, The Vitamin D Solution. It was written by Dr. Michael Holick, a leading vitamin D expert.
The Wellness Model at Heritage Senior Communities
Residents who call a Heritage Senior community home benefit from our Wellness Model approach to living. Our Assisted Living Centers use this blend of social and health services to maximize the overall “wellness” of each resident. Through it we address issues ranging from a healthy diet to spiritual needs.
Photo Courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Feb 2, 2017 | Healthy Aging
You can’t turn on the television or pick up a magazine without hearing how a well-balanced diet is the key to good health and a better quality of life. But what might surprise you is how many people in this country suffer from malnutrition. And our seniors are among them.
Older adults are at high risk for malnutrition for many reasons. If you are a caregiver for a senior loved one, it’s important that you learn more about nutrition and how to recognize when an older adult isn’t getting the vital nutrients they need.
The Effects of Malnutrition
A poor diet can lead to a host of health complications for seniors, including a weaker immune system, slower healing capabilities, and muscle fatigue. The Alliance to Advance Patient Nutrition reports that 1 in 3 patients admitted to the hospital suffer from malnutrition.
Individuals who don’t have access to good nutrition are three times more likely to develop an infection after surgery than their peers who eat a healthy diet. This puts them at a high risk for being readmitted to the hospital.
Recognize the signs of malnutrition
The most basic cases of malnutrition involve either too little food or a diet that is devoid of nutrients and full of empty calories. However, the Mayo Clinic reminds us that food isn’t the only culprit when it comes to malnutrition. A combination of physical, social, and psychological issues can lead to poor eating habits for seniors:
Older adults who have health problems may eat an improper diet. For example, individuals living with dementia can forget to eat or have trouble preparing proper meals for themselves. A senior with a health issue like diabetes or heart disease may be placed on restricted diets by their physician. While this is necessary, they might not understand what foods they can safely eat so they end up not eating much as a result.
In our society, food is often enjoyed in the company of friends and family. Single seniors might find that eating alone is not very enjoyable. Or they might lose interest in cooking for themselves, and eat convenience foods which are typically high in sodium and low in nutrition.
There are many causes of depression in older adults. Some of the more common ones include grief, loneliness, and poor health. These factors are known to diminish a person’s appetite.
How to Help a Senior Loved One Prevent Malnutrition
If you know a senior loved one is at risk for malnutrition, here’s how you can help:
- Sign up for a meal program. Meals on Wheels is a program that ensures older adults are receiving proper nutrition each day. Call your local agency on aging to learn more.
- Register for food benefits. Seniors who need help paying the bills may be eligible to sign up for government food benefit programs. The AARP Benefits QuickLINK makes it easy for individuals to see for what benefits they are eligible.
- Consider a move to senior living. If a senior loved one is struggling to maintain a healthy diet, another option is to consider a move to a senior living community. Three well-balanced meals and nutritious snacks are typically included with monthly rent.
A nutrient-rich diet is one of the basic building blocks for good health. Ensure that your senior loved one has proper access to healthy food so that they can enjoy their best quality of life.
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Dec 23, 2016 | Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
If a Michigan senior loved one’s physician has told them their blood pressure is creeping up, you are probably looking for natural ways to help them manage it. Taking proactive steps now might mean they are able to avoid taking medication for high blood pressure down the road.
Because lifestyle plays such an important role in controlling blood pressure, it is possible to avoid or reduce the need for medication by making some changes.
9 Ways to Control High Blood Pressure without Medication
- Weight Management: First on the list is getting to and maintaining a healthy weight. We all know it can be tough, especially for older adults who might not be as active. But what seniors and their family caregivers should know is that a weight loss of just 10 pounds can reduce your blood pressure.
- Commit to a Healthy Diet: The DASH eating plan is gaining in popularity with physicians trying to help patients manage their blood pressure naturally. DASH is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is a method of eating that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. DASH puts the emphasis on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy products. Research shows the DASH plan can lower your blood pressure by up to 14 mm Hg.
- Limit Alcohol Intake: People aren’t always aware the role alcohol consumption can play in driving up blood pressure. Drinking alcohol can increase blood pressure while also reducing the effectiveness of blood pressure medications. Limit your alcohol consumption to no more than one drink for women and men over the age of 65, and two drinks for men younger than 65.
- Avoid Caffeine: Drinking caffeinated beverages may cause an increase in blood pressure. But it’s not the case for everyone. To see if caffeine might be raising your senior loved one’s blood pressure, take their blood pressure before they consume something with caffeine in it. Wait 30 minutes and take it again. If their blood pressure increased by 5-10 points, they may be sensitive to caffeine. Limiting their intake may help control their blood pressure.
- Tobacco and Secondhand Smoke: We all know by now that smoking contributes to lung cancer and heart disease. What many people don’t realize is that smoking can raise your blood pressure by as much as 10 mm Hg for a full hour after you smoke. So smoking all day long might mean your blood pressure stays high throughout the day. Even breathing in secondhand smoke can contribute to high blood pressure.
- Exercise: Getting 30-60 minutes of physical exercise most days of the week can help to reduce your blood pressure. And the good news is your senior loved one will see results within a few weeks. Talk with your aging family member’s physician for recommendations and advice on beginning a new exercise program.
- Restrict Sodium: One sneaky contributor to high blood pressure can be foods with hidden sodium. Reading food labels to determine serving sizes and sodium will help. As will avoiding fast foods and processed foods. Your loved one’s physician can tell you how much salt and sodium they should be eating each day.
- Reduce Stress: Most of us know stress isn’t good for us. It can contribute to high blood pressure and cardiac disease. Learning how to better manage stress can help reduce blood pressure. Walking, swimming, yoga and meditation are all good stress busters.
Finally, one tool you might find helpful in exploring ways to manage an older loved one’s risk is the High Blood Pressure Risk Calculator. It takes many factors in to account ranging from gender to lifestyle to determine a person’s risk. Then it calculates how lifestyle changes can positively impact blood pressure.
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Dec 20, 2016 | Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
Many younger adults think arthritis is a chronic but not very serious condition older adults live with. The truth is it can be a debilitating disease for people of all ages. This degenerative disease is caused by abnormal wearing down of the cartilage that cushions joints in the body. The pain it inflicts on damaged joints can be quite severe.
While there are prescription medications that can help, the side effects of these drugs aren’t clear. It may make seniors reluctant to take them, especially on a longer term basis.
Newer research that is garnering more attention for its effectiveness at treating the symptoms of arthritis is the ancient Chinese exercise known as Tai chi. Because a Michigan winter can be tough for people with arthritis, we thought the older adults who read our blog would be interested in learning more.
What is Tai Chi?
Many people have heard of Tai chi or noticed people practicing it in a local park, but aren’t quite sure what it is. This ancient Chinese practice is a graceful form of exercise and stretching. It uses a series of movements performed in a slow, focused manner. Deep breathing is an important element of Tai chi.
Each movement flows seamlessly in to the next one without pause. This keeps the body in constant motion. People new to this form of exercise are surprised at how much strength and stamina they can build from faithfully practicing it.
Tai Chi as a Treatment for Arthritis Pain and Symptoms
Because Tai chi is low impact, it puts little stress on muscles and joints. This is why it is considered to safe for people of all ages and fitness levels, including those who live with osteoarthritis.
Researchers at Tufts Medical Center in Boston looked at the role Tai Chi can play in treating the pain and symptoms of arthritis. Their study was made up of 40 adults age 55 and older who reported knee problems due to osteoarthritis. Participants were divided into two groups:
- One group practiced Yang-style tai chi
- The control group received wellness education and completed stretching exercises.
After 12 weeks, the group that practiced Tai chi reported a significant improvement in knee pain and increased function when compared to the control group.
How to Begin Practicing Tai Chi
As is true of any new form of exercise, the first step is to speak with your physician to gain their insight and approval. Once they’ve given you the green light to get started, there are a variety of options.
- Call the Michigan senior center nearest you or your local fitness center. Many offer classes on a regular basis.
- The Arthritis Foundation has a list of Tai chi DVDs that you can order. They range from spine stretches to shoulder and neck exercises.
- Search a platform like You Tube or Vimeo for free videos you can watch and learn. This might be a good way for a beginner to get started without spending any money.
Wellness programs like Tai chi are a part of daily life at Heritage Senior Communities in Michigan. We extend an open invitation for you to visit us and learn more about our commitment to keeping the older adults who call our communities “home,” healthy and thriving.
Photo Courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net
