by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Oct 22, 2014 | Caregiving, Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
Falls continue to be one of the leading causes of fatal injuries for older adults in this country. It is why finding ways to prevent them continues to be a focus of so many aging-related researchers. One study that might be of interest to our readers was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in June. The article, Effect of Structured Physical Activity on Prevention of Major Mobility Disability in Older Adults, explored how walking might help seniors beat or decrease their odds of being injured in a fall.
What Role Does Walking Play in Fall Prevention?
The goal of the project was to evaluate the potential link between older adults levels of physical activity and the role exercise could play in preventing disability. While seniors are often afraid a more active lifestyle will increase their odds of experiencing a disabling fall, this study took the opposite approach. Researchers posed a different question. Could higher levels of daily physical activity be considered a sound fall prevention practice?
The two-year long study was made up of 1,635 people between the ages of 70 and 89 years of age. Older adults chosen to participate in the project were considered to be sedentary by scoring low on a senior fitness scale. Each of them was able to walk one-quarter of a mile unassisted when the study began.
During the trial:
- Participants came to a research center once a month for education on a variety of topics related to healthy aging.
- A sub-group of participants was randomly assigned to also participate in a twice-weekly fitness program at the center. This group underwent supervised stretching activities and walks. In addition to the organized exercise activities, members of this sub-group also exercised on their own three hours each week.
- Every trial study member was assessed twice each year during the study to see if they could still complete a quarter-mile walk.
At the study’s conclusion, researchers found that those who were also enrolled in the exercise subgroup were 18% less likely to have suffered any short-term physical disability during the trial and 28% less likely to have had a permanent disability.
Talk with Your Primary Care Physician First
If you or a senior loved one lead a sedentary lifestyle, the results of this study should be motivation for making a change. Talk with your primary care physician first. Ask them for their help in determining the safest way to begin increasing your level of physical activity.
Heritage Senior Communities is pleased to announce that our newest community is set to open this month in Holland, Michigan. The Village at Appledorn West will offer adults over the age of 55 one- and two-bedroom independent living apartments. The campus will also be expanded to include assisted living in the spring of 2015.
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Oct 16, 2014 | Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
More than 46 million people in this country live with arthritis. 300,000 children also live with the disease. It can have a debilitating effect on those who suffer from it. In addition to the physical toll it takes on those who live with this diagnosis are the financial consequences. The Arthritis Foundation estimates that arthritis and complications from the disease add up to over $124 billion each year. Those numbers include the cost of care, lost wages, and other related expenses. There are a variety of forms of arthritis, but the most common is osteoarthritis (OA). As cold weather makes its return to Michigan, the symptoms of OA often worsen.
What can you do to help a Michigan senior you love find ways to treat joint pain that doesn’t involve medication?
Natural Remedies for Osteoarthritis Pain during a Michigan Winter
Inflammation in the joints can be incredibly painful. While exercising is one of the best ways to prevent inflammation and stiffness, the bone-on-bone contact arthritis creates can make it too painful to move.
Here are a few natural remedies that might help you or your senior loved one enjoy a better quality of life this winter:
- Monitor your diet. Everything from toxins in the air to stress and sugar can contribute to inflammation. It is nearly impossible to avoid it all. There are some foods, however, that have been proven to help fight inflammation. A few healthier ones include raisins, kale, sweet potatoes, ginger, cherries and walnuts.
- No impact exercise. One of the best ways to prevent swelling in your joints is to stay active. There are no-impact exercises that still provide a full range of motion workout. Some suggestions to consider are water aerobics, tai chi and chair yoga.
- Alternating hot and cold. Arthritis suffers often find that alternating cold packs with hot ones can provide relief. The heat source can help decrease stiffness in the joints while the cold pack can help with the pain and swelling.
- Hand and finger dexterity. For many with arthritis, joints in their fingers and hands are the most painful. There are several inexpensive products that can help. You can purchase a home paraffin wax machine for under $30 that will help relieve joint pain. Another way to keep joints in the hands limber is to take part in activities that require dexterity such as playing cards, sewing, drawing, and knitting.
We hope these remedies to help decrease the pain and symptoms arthritis sufferers in Michigan experience during the winter!
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Sep 16, 2014 | Caregiving, Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
In our hustle and bustle world it is sometimes easy to only look forward in life. We are so busy worrying about our “To-Do List” for the day that we forget how important it is to preserve our family history. This week, we thought we would share a few ideas to help adult children in Michigan work with family elders to record their family’s legacy. This can also be a great project to involve grandchildren in, especially those with strong technology skills.
Interviewing Family Elders
One way to document your roots is to video interview the eldest members of the family. Here are a few tips to make that easier:
- Many cameras and smart phones have video features. Have someone with a steady hand document a variety of family members asking their elders questions about their childhood and the family’s roots.
- Avoid asking yes or no questions. Open-ended questions usually elicit the best responses. Your senior loved ones may be a little more anxious at first, but after a few questions they will likely open up and forget about the camera.
- Try to involve of variety of family members to both ask and answer questions.
- Be sure to save each interview as it is recorded so you don’t risk losing it if the project takes a while to complete.
Here are some sample questions to ask during family interviews:
- What’s your earliest childhood memory?
- Where did you live when you were born? What was your home like?
- How did your parents meet?
- Where did your father work?
- Did your mother work?
- What chores did you have around the house?
- How did your family celebrate holidays when you were a child?
- Who was your childhood best friend?
- How did you meet your spouse? Who introduced you?
- How did you learn to drive?
- What was your first job? How did you spend your first paycheck?
- Where did you get married? What was the wedding like?
- What was your school like?
- Did you get to play sports or be involved in after school activities?
- What were your favorite school subjects?
- Who were your friends?
- What was your favorite job and why?
- Who are some of your heroes?
- Do you remember the day President Kennedy was shot?
- What days in history do you remember the most?
- How old were you when you got your first television?
- Were you an Elvis fan? How about The Beatles?
Finally, ask senior loved ones what they want future generations of the family to know. Is there any one thing they think is really important?
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Sep 7, 2014 | Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
As the population across the state of Michigan ages, there are more grandparents alive today than ever before. In fact the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that by the year 20130, one in every five people in this country will be over the age of 65. For the first time in history, people over the age of 65 will outnumber children under age five.
Grandparents Play Key Roles in Grandchildren’s Lives
This shift in demographics means more and more families are enjoying intergenerational connections and relationships. Where in past generations children often lost their grandparents in their earliest years, today’s younger generation often has both grandparents and great-grandparents to enjoy. That allows grandparents to play more pivotal roles in their grandchildren’s lives.
Intergenerational Activities to Use to Celebrate Grandparents
Grandparents Day is an officially-recognized national holiday celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day. Celebrating grandparents and “grand friends” can help to further build bonds.
If you are trying to come up with ideas to help your parents and your children enjoy National Grandparent’s Day together, we have a few suggestions to help you get started. These are organizations dedicated to helping build stronger families ties across the generations.
- The Legacy Project has a site full of activities grandparents and grandchildren of all ages can enjoy together. Projects range from scrapbooks to handprint flowers and butterflies.
- American Grandparents Association is another resource devoted to celebrating the generations. They have activities and projects your family can enjoy all year long.
- Ways to Celebrate Grandparents on Grandparents Day is a quick read with some easy-to-do suggestions for activities including creating a family tree.
- Activity Village also has helpful resources for Grandparents Day. Their site includes printables, coloring pages, and crafting ideas.
- The Holiday Zone is another site with printables, poems, puzzles, songs, plays and more.
Do you have any ideas to share for celebrating the family elders?
We’d love to hear them in the Comments below!
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Sep 2, 2014 | Caregiving, Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
By now we’ve all read about the therapeutic value a furry friend can bring to older adults and those living with chronic illnesses. Organizations like ReCHAI have demonstrated just how much pets can do to help reduce stress, promote mobility and reduce loneliness in older adults.
So what kinds of pet should you consider for the Michigan senior you love?
Here are a few ideas:
- Dogs can help your loved one get up and moving. They promote mobility and also help to improve social interaction. After a few laps around the neighborhood, a dog will likely have made a few new friends. Studies have shown have a dog to care for and walk can also help decrease blood pressure and rates of depression. While a puppy might be a little too high energy for an older adult, your local shelter will likely have more middle-aged dogs looking for a good home.
- Cats are ideal companions for older adults who live in apartments or condos with more limited space. They typically need less care and can adapt to a smaller environment.
- Birds aren’t always thought of as pets for seniors. If you visit an assisted living community or a dementia care residence, however, you may find yourself reconsidering that idea. Many have aviaries for residents to interact with every day. Watching and listening to birds has been found to reduce for seniors and those living with dementia.
- Fish can also be great pets for helping to reduce anxiety. Just kicking back and watching fish swim around can be very relaxing. They are also low maintenance and less expensive to feed and maintain than other types of pets.
Choosing the Right Pet for a Senior
There are a few additional things to consider in your search for a pet for a Michigan senior loved one. They include:
- Be sure to take in to account all of the costs of a pet from food expenses to veterinary care and grooming.
- How much care a pet requires is an important consideration. Can your aging loved one safely walk a dog in the ice and snow?
- Depending upon where your senior loved one lives, space and association restrictions need to be consider.
Finally, consider talking with a veterinarian in your area to see what suggestions they have. They likely see older adults and their pets every day and can offer advice.
Related Stories:
Dogs for Depression: How Pets Benefit Older Adults
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Aug 28, 2014 | Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
If gardening has been a pastime for many years, you’ve likely reaped the health benefits it offers. Improvement in the pain of arthritis, reduced stress, and increased flexibility are just a few. Unfortunately, gardening can become a little more challenging as the years go by. Aging sometimes puts older adults at greater risk for a fall or for a heat-related illness. If you or a Michigan senior you love enjoys gardening but is struggling to do the things they used to, these tips and tools may be of help.
Here are a few tips to make it easier to keep your garden growing without jeopardizing your health:
- The warm up. Gardening is hard work. Bending, lifting, and pulling weeds is a real physical work out. Be sure you take time to warm up your muscles and joints before heading out in to the garden.
- Raised flower beds. Safely getting up and down from the ground to plant flowers and pull weeds is often a struggle for older gardeners. One solution can be to have raised beds built in the yard. Height can be adapted to what feels easiest for you or the senior gardener you love.
- Time out chairs. Strategically placing benches, garden stools and chairs throughout the yard can allow you to take frequent, quick rests. That is important in avoiding both a heat illness and a fall.
- Use a wagon. Wheel barrows are a lot of work when you get older. They often require gardeners to lift the load they are trying to transport to get the wheels rolling. Instead of a wheel barrow, consider buying a wagon with large wheels. It puts less stress on your neck and back.
- Adapted garden tools. The Arthritis Foundation has a list of Handy Garden Tools that earn high marks for their ease-of-use. The list includes long-handled garden tools, water caddies and more.
- Paint the handles. If you live with a vision impairment, one tip that can make gardening easier is to paint the handles of all of your garden tools a neon or vivid color. It will make it easier to find where you laid them in the grass.
Finally, remember to use good judgment to stay safe in the summer heat. That includes gardening in the early morning or evening hours and avoiding the mid-day sun. Also be sure to wear sunscreen and a hat, and keep a bottle of water with you.
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