Archive for the ‘wellness tips’ Category

The commercial, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up,” is no joke. For seniors, falling rarely just happens but rather results from multiple causes that occur over time. As people age, their muscles and bones can weaken, balance can be affected, and certain medications and medical conditions can make falling and fractures more likely. Seniors who are also more prone to diseases like osteoporosis are more susceptible to experiencing a fall.

According to SeniorAdvice.com, every year more than 1.6 million older adults go to the emergency department for fall related injuries. Falls are the main cause of fractures, loss of independence, hospital admissions and death.

Hip fractures are the most common and serious type fall related injuries. After such a fall, only half of older adults hospitalized with hip fractures can return home and live on their own. About 80 percent of hip fractures occur in women. Women lose bone density at a faster rate than men do. The drop in estrogen levels that occurs with menopause accelerates bone loss, increasing the risk of hip fractures as a woman moves beyond menopause. However, men also can develop dangerously low levels of bone density.

The fear of falling causes older adults to avoid physical activities, such as walking and exercise. But the truth is physical activity can help prevent falls. Some seniors who are concerned with falling go to physical therapy which can help improve balance, maintain physical health and prevent falls.

Bone fractures in senior citizens are not only traumatic but can lead to more serious problems later on, but there are some ways to decrease the probability of falling by following some simple guidelines.

Preventive Measures from the National Institute on Aging:

• The doctor can perform a bone mineral density test that measures bone strength. Some medications can increase bone strength which can prevent likelihood for falling.
• Take part in healthy amounts of physical activity which will improve balance, muscle tone, joint flexibility, or even slow osteoporosis.
• Test vision and hearing since defects in sensory functioning can make one less stable overall.
• Be aware of the side effects of medications which can affect balance and coordination.
• Limit the amount of alcohol consumed which can also affect balance and coordination.
• Use a cane or walking stick if needed, and always be careful when walking on unstable or slippery surfaces
• Wear the right footwear that has rubber soles or low heels.
• Hold the handrails when going up and down stairs and only hold items in one hand so that you can keep a hand on the rail at all times
• Use good judgment – stay away from situations that could cause a fall such as a freshly washed floor, trying to reach something that is too high.
• Research home monitoring systems that will allow for access to help after experiencing a fracture
• Install good lighting with light switch access both at the top and bottom of staircases.
• Keep areas where you walk clear.
• Be sure that carpets are firmly fixed to the floor or apply no-slip strips to slippier surfaces such as wood and tile.
• Install handrails on both sides of the stairs or inside the bathroom.
• Place non-skid mats and strips on surfaces that get wet within the bathroom.
• Keep night lights for easy navigation in the dark in hallways, near the bed, and in the bathroom.
• Keep a telephone near the bed.
• Keep electric cords and wires near the wall and out of paths of travel.
• Tack down carpets and rugs firmly to the floor.
• Be careful!

Is it a given that the older a person is, the more medications he or she takes? Not necessarily, but people are more likely to develop one or more chronic illnesses with advancing age. It’s wonderful that appropriate medication can help seniors live longer and more active lives, but there is a safety concern. Taking multiple medications increases the risk for drug interactions, mix-ups, and the potential for side effects.

According to Pfizer, the effects of aging cause older adults’ bodies to process and respond to medicines differently than those of younger people. Age-related changes in the liver, kidneys, central nervous system, and heart are among the contributing factors causing elderly people to be more vulnerable to overdose and troubling side effects.

Also, age-related challenges like memory loss or poor eyesight can make it harder to follow instructions for taking medication.

If a person is seeing several doctors at once, there’s a chance these doctors may not all be communicating with each other, and the person may not be reporting all medications at each visit. This lack of communication among doctors leads to what is called “a prescribing cascade,” according to AARP. This means a doctor may prescribe medication to treat what he or she believes is a medical condition, when in fact the medication will really be treating a side effect of another drug that the patient has neglected to report.

The more medications the patient is on, the more risks there are for side effects and risky medication interactions. There are two kinds of interactions:

• Drug-drug interactions happen when two or more medicines react with each other to cause unwanted effects or make either medicine’s effects more or less potent. Such interactions may also be caused by alcohol, nutritional supplements or herbal products, and nonprescription medicines as well as prescription medications.

• Food-drug interactions happen when medicines react with foods or beverages. For example, grapefruit juice should not be taken with certain blood pressure – lowering medications. And dairy products should be avoided with some antibiotics and antifungal medications.

Medication Dos and Dont’s from WebMD:

• Do take each medication exactly as it has been prescribed.
• Do make certain that all doctors know about all medications being taken.
• Do let doctors know about using any over-the-counter medications, vitamins, supplements and herbs.
• Do use the same pharmacy to fill all prescriptions. Their computers are a boon to accurate tracking.
• Do keep medications out of the reach of children. Use the childproof safety caps.
• Don’t change the dose of schedule with consulting the doctor.
• Don’t use someone else’s medication.
• Don’t crush or break pills unless told to do so by the doctor.
• Don’t use medication past its expiration date.
• Don’t store medications in places that are too hot or too cold. The bathroom cabinet may not be the best place for medications.

Optimal daytime alertness requires about eight hours of sleep in every 24-hour period. We all know that, but for many millions of people, it “ain’t necessarily so…” Picture a TV commercial of an adult coming awake with a gentle smile, sitting up and stretching, thinking of the exciting day ahead. Well, that’s TV. In reality, some people struggle with sleep their entire lives. Others can fall asleep anywhere, anytime. But as people age, sleep can become a nightly aspiration that is frustratingly just out of reach.

For seniors, there are four common symptoms of sleep problems: waking too early, excessive daytime sleepiness, difficulty falling asleep, and trouble staying sleep.

Reasons for poor sleep in the elderly are chronic medical illnesses, medication effects, psychiatric disorders, primary sleep disorders, social changes, poor sleep habits and/or circadian rhythm shifts. And this is not just inconvenient; there can be serious potential problems. Loss of sleep can lead to falls and accidents. Sleep apnea may have serious cardiovascular, pulmonary and central nervous system effects.

For all of these reasons, sleep problems in elderly people should not be brushed aside; seniors with such dilemmas should be properly evaluated and treated.

According to helpguide.org, no matter what age, a person’s sleeping well is essential to physical health and emotional well-being. In fact for seniors, a good night’s sleep is especially important because it improves concentration and memory formation. It allows the body to repair any cell damage that occurred during the day, and it refreshes the immune system which helps to prevent disease.

A National Sleep Foundation poll of older adults found a close relationship between the health and quality of life of older adults, and their sleep quantity and quality. It found that the better the health of older adults, the more likely they are to sleep well. Conversely, the greater the number of diagnosed medical conditions, the more likely they are to experience sleep problems.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends six tips for better sleep:

• exercise in the afternoon,
• avoid stimulants such as caffeine for at least three or four hours before bed,
• go to bed at the same time every night and wake at the same time each morning,
• use the bed only for sleep or sexual activity,
• avoid alcohol in the later evening, and
• try taking naps, but remember that sleep in the daytime affects sleep at night.

If you can’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet relaxing activity such as reading or listening to music. When you feel sleepy, get back in bed and try again. If not successful in 20 minutes, repeat.

And it won’t hurt to remember Benjamin Franklin’s famous saying: “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”