Posts Tagged ‘assisted living hinsdale’

We would all agree that volunteering is good, but research from the past two decades has found that volunteering is also good for you. For seniors, donating time is especially beneficial, because there is a convincing relationship between volunteering and health: those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer.

Also, comparisons of the health benefits of volunteering for different age groups have shown that older volunteers are the most likely to receive greater benefits from volunteering. It seems volunteering provides them with physical and social activity and a sense of purpose at a time when their social roles are changing.

According to a report from Corporation for National and Community Service titled The Health Benefits Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research:

• a study of adults age 65 and older found that the positive effect of volunteering on physical and mental health is due to the personal sense of accomplishment an individual gains from his or her volunteer activities;
• another study found that volunteering led to lower rates of depression in individuals 65 and older;
• a Duke study found that individuals who volunteered after experiencing heart attacks reported reductions in despair and depression – two factors that that have been linked to mortality in post-coronary artery disease patients;
• an analysis of longitudinal data found that individuals over 70 who volunteered approximately 100 hours per year had less of a decline in self-reported health and functioning levels, experienced lower levels of depression, and had more longevity;

“This is good news for people who volunteer,” said Robert Grimm, Director of the Corporation’s Office of Research and Policy Development and Senior Counselor to the CEO. “This research is particularly relevant to Baby Boomers, who are receiving as well as giving when they help others. Just two hours of volunteering a week can bring meaningful benefits to a person’s body and mind.”

Volunteering provides many benefits to both mental and physical health. It increases self-confidence and provides a natural sense of accomplishment. It gives a senior pride and identity. Reducing the risk of depression is another important benefit of volunteering. A key risk factor for depression is social isolation.

Volunteering keeps a senior in regular contact with others and helps develop a solid support system, which in turn protects against stress and depression when going through challenging times. In addition, volunteering has also been shown to lessen symptoms of chronic pain or heart disease.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best: It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life – that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.

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.”

A good belly laugh sure feels good, doesn’t it? Medical experts have known for a long time that laughter promotes well being and reduces stress for all ages. For seniors, it also generates positive thoughts and lifts sadness and loneliness. It’s just good therapy. It’s also free.

Laughter has been proven to reduce pain. From Laughter Remedy, Paul McGhee, PhD. writes, “A nurse once told me of a Methodist minister who had been in a serious accident and had to spend several weeks in the hospital. He had a lot of pain, and was given shots to reduce it. The procedure was always the same. When the pain got bad enough, he would ring a buzzer near his bed, and a nurse would soon come to give him the shot. One day, he rang for the nurse and then rolled over on his side (with his back to the door), pulled his hospital gown up over his exposed backside, and waited for the nurse to come in. When he heard the door open, he pointed to his right bare buttock and said, ‘Why don’t you give me the shot right here this time?’

After a few moments of silence, he looked up. It was a woman from his church! The minister, realizing what he had done, started laughing. He laughed so hard that tears were coming out of his eyes when the nurse arrived. When he tried to explain what had happened, he began laughing even harder. When he was finally able to tell the nurse the whole story, what do you think he noticed? His pain was gone! He didn’t need the shot, and didn’t ask for one for another 90 minutes.”

Medical experts tell us that besides reducing pain and stress, laughter can boost the immune system, relax muscles, lower blood pressure, and cleanse the lungs.

According to Dr. William Fry from Stanford University, one minute of laughter is equal to ten minutes on a rowing machine. Laughter stimulates heart and blood circulation like aerobic exercise. Laughter exercise is especially well suited for seniors, sedentary people and those who are confined to a bed or wheelchair.

In the field of senior care, we know that laughter clubs are popular in assisted living or retirement homes. And why not? Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict, and nothing works faster or more dependably to bring the mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens burdens, inspires hopes, connects one to others, and keeps a senior grounded, focused, and alert. With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for seniors to deal with their problems, enhance their relationships, and support both physical and emotional health.

Here are five great quotes about laughter as medicine.

“You cannot be mad at somebody who makes you laugh. It’s as simple as that.”
Jay Leno

“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”
e.e.cummings

“Laugh at yourself first, before anyone else can.”
Elsa Maxwell

“I was irrevocably betrothed to laughter, the sound of which has always seemed to me to be the most civilized music in the world.”
Peter Ustinov

“You don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.”
Michael Pritchard

There is a nationwide public relations campaign going on to raise awareness of a little known government pension available to wartime veterans or surviving spouses. Many people are eligible for this, but they aren’t collecting because they don’t know about it.

According to VeteranAid.org, if you are a senior age 65 or older and served in WW II, Korea, Vietnam or the Persian Gulf or if you are the surviving spouse of someone who served, you may be eligible for a pension called the Aid & Attendance Improved Pension. This pension can provide up to $1,632 per month to a veteran, $1,055 per month to a surviving spouse, or $1,949 per month to a couple.

To qualify medically, a person must need the assistance of another person to perform daily tasks such as eating, dressing, undressing, taking care of the needs of nature, etc. Also qualifying are people who are blind or in a nursing home for mental or physical incapacity, or residing in an assisted living facility.

To qualify financially, your countable family income must be below a yearly limit set by Congress.

For example, a claimant’s physician must declare the veteran as housebound and in need of assistance from another individual which may include services offered by assisted living. Also the veteran must have served at least 90 days Active Duty with one day of the 90 during a war period.

If you think you may qualify for Aid and Attendance Pension, contact your local or regional Veterans’ Administration. There are a number of papers to collect and fill out, but patience now may make a significant difference in you or your loved one’s quality of living.

To gather information, some helpful websites are http://www.veteranaid.org/ or http://www.vetassist.org. In addition, some law firms specialize in filing for the Aid and Attendance Improved Pension.

Back in the day, bowling was the rage for the WWII generation.  Everyone, it seemed, was on a bowling team or in a league. People had dates “going bowling.” Remember bowling shirts and personalized bowling balls?  These things are still popular, of course, but the sport is less common today.

Until now! Enter Nintendo’s Wii games. That same generation is embracing Wii games, particularly bowling. The players are now in their 70s, 80s and 90s, but they remember the moves.

According to the Dallas News, Nintendo says it doesn’t know how many seniors account for the 9.3 million Wii consoles it’s sold since introducing the game, which retails for $250.

But Wii bowling is the darling of retirement and assisted living communities. Wii players sit or stand in front of a big-screen TV and use a wireless controller that translates their arm motions onto the screen. Because they can sit while bowling, players with disabilities or painful arthritis are able to play.

And they play – with gusto. In popularity, it’s edging up on Bingo.

With Wii’s emphasis on gentle motions, balance, and coordination, the game system disguises mild physical activity under a heap of outlandish fun. Seniors can get all the enjoyment of a real bowling game without having to worry about throwing out their back while hauling around a heavy ball.

In addition, the game has become a draw for grandchildren most of whom think it’s pretty cool that Grandma or Grandpa play Nintendo.

Tips on setting up a Wii bowling league:

1. Pass out flyers announcing the start up of a Wii Bowling League, lessons included.
2. Pick at room at the community where there’s plenty of rooms for chairs, and refreshments and playing area.
3. Prepare a sign up sheet and make a big board so everyone can see the teams’ scores.
4. Every League Night, the organizer needs to let everyone know who is playing who and when.
5. As people show up, have them sign up and pick their teams and then pick their team names. Decide a time when the teams will play. If it’s a large group, you may need to have two teams play at 5 p.m. and another two teams play at 6 p.m. and so forth.
6. When it’s down to the last four teams, plan a Championship Tournament. Decorate the room with balloons and have fans wear their team’s colors and make up name tags with the Leagues’ name on it.
7. Encourage everyone to root for their favorite team by blowing paper horns and ringing cowbells. Everyone will have such a great time that they won’t be able to wait till the next league starts.

Seasonal flu is especially dangerous for seniors over 65 and others with weak immune systems. The viral infection can exhaust the body making it easy for life-threatening complications such as bacterial pneumonia to take hold. It can also worsen the symptoms of conditions like heart disease, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

With seasonal flu, seasons vary in terms of timing, duration and severity.  Each year in the United States, on average, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized, and the combination of flu and pneumonia is the cause of at least 36,000 deaths. Ninety percent of these deaths are people over age 65.

However, this flu season could be worse because of the virus 2009 H1N1. The Center of Disease Control (CDC) expects both 2009 H1N1 flu and seasonal flu to cause illness, hospital stays and deaths this season and is preparing for an early and possibly severe flu season. However, the 2009 H1N1 (earlier referred to as “swine flu”) is a new influenza virus first detected in people in the United States in April 2009.

Swine flu is a virus infection which can cause a wide range of symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting. Like seasonal flu, swine flu can vary from mild to severe. Severe disease with pneumonia, respiratory failure and even death is possible with swine flu infection.

Certain groups may be more likely to develop a severe illness from swine flu, such as pregnant women and people with chronic medical conditions. Flu viruses generally spread when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled through the air and land on the mouth or nose of people nearby. Flu viruses can also spread when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or an object and then touches their own mouth or nose (or someone else’s mouth or nose) before washing their hands.

Everyone age 50 and older should get the seasonal flu vaccine as soon as possible. Most seniors do not appear to be at high-risk for the H1N1 (Swine) flu, but they should get the H1N1 vaccine when it’s available to them. However, seniors who have health conditions associated with a higher risk of flu complications should get the H1N1 vaccine as soon as possible.

Three recommendations from the CDC:

• Get a yearly seasonal flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against seasonal influenza. Ask your doctor if you should get a 2009 H1N1 vaccine.
• Take everyday preventive actions such as hand washing and covering the mouth during a cough or sneeze.
• Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor recommends them. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing.

Does a person with dementia lose his or her old personality? Sometimes. Does it seem like a different person inside the same familiar body? At times, it can. Do family members sometimes mourn the loss of a parent or brother – even though the person is still clearly with them? Yes, they do.

Dementia can lead to symptoms and behaviors that can seem worse than cancer, heart disease, and other more ‘body-centered’ illnesses, but let’s not lose heart. The person inside that familiar body is still the person we love. That person and, in fact, all of us have common psychological needs.

Tom Kitwood, the late Alzheimer’s researcher, suggests that people with dementia, like all people, have six psychological needs and that as we care for people with dementia, we should strive to fulfill those needs every day.

As you care for someone with dementia – whether it’s caused by Alzheimer’s or another disease or condition, consider finding ways to fulfill these six psychological needs – every day:

1. Attachment – We need to feel attached to another person or to a group. We want to feel connected to someone or something.
2. Love – Everybody needs it. To love someone; to be loved and accepted; to love an activity, a food; to love God, self-love/self-respect.
3. Comfort – We all need to feel comfort. We need to be warm, dry, and clean; to have a full-stomach and not be thirsty; to have quiet when we want it; to have our anxiety calmed; to have a sense of tenderness, closeness, and bonding with others.
4. Identity – We need to have others know who I am or who I was. We want to be individual, to be special, to have our own identity. We want our individuality to be recognized in our food preferences, our clothing, our activities and recreation. (Tell and re-tell your loved one his or her own ‘life-story.’ It may prompt something good.
5. Inclusion – We want to feel we are a part of something, to belong to a group, to be a member, to not feel left-out.
6. Occupation – We want to be occupied (to have something to do); to help others; to occupy ourselves with ‘work’ that, if at all possible, has meaning and purpose. (Give your loved one ‘jobs’ like folding laundry, setting the table, help with dinner, etc.)

Visit The Birches Assisted Living web site to learn more about dementia care.

October. It seems there are pink ribbons everywhere not to mention walk/runs, fundraisers, Sing for the Cure, Walk for the Cure, Taste for the Cure, all in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. These important events raise money for research, and it is working. Today, there are two and half million breast cancer survivors in the United States.

Over the past twenty years, great improvements have been made in the treatment of breast cancer. As a result, the number of breast cancer survivors continues to rise. The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates (2009) for breast cancer in the United States are:

• 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer
• 40,170 deaths from breast cancer

Unfortunately, the chance of getting breast cancer goes up as a woman gets older. Women 65 years or older comprise half of the new breast cancer patients annually.

There are many conflicting reports about treatment of elderly breast cancer patients. If a 90-year-old is diagnosed, are surgery and chemotherapy too debilitating to contemplate? In many cases, physicians have a hard time knowing what to advise. In juggling decisions about treatment, clinicians and their patients are hampered by lack of clinical trial data relating to older women. But age is just one factor. Also vital to treatment decisions are functional ability, frailty and tolerance.

For instance, a 70-year-old woman in poor general health has a 9-year life expectancy, whereas a 79-year-old woman in excellent health has a 14.6-year life expectancy. The 79-year-old in good health stands to gain more from aggressive treatment than the 70-year-old woman in poor health. But it is also true that the 70-year-old woman in poor health may choose to accept the risk of aggressive treatment if it would result in even a modest extension of her life.

As stated before, there is documented evidence that older women get less intensive treatment. If there were more research about the biology of breast cancer in the older woman, it would help with decisions about tolerance, effectiveness and personal preferences.

For all women, the American Cancer Society’s recommended guidelines for early detection in all women without symptoms include:

• Mammogram: Women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health.
• Clinical breast exam: After age 40, women should have a breast exam by a health expert every year.
• Breast self-exam (BSE): BSE is an option for women starting in their 20s. Women should report any changes in how their breasts look or feel to their health professional right away.

Too often, the term “aging,” invokes negative images which can stigmatize older adults. But more and more, leaders in the healthcare field, the media, and seniors themselves are focusing on the positive elements of healthy aging over a lifetime. Perhaps the aging Baby Boomers have wrought this change, but it is indeed refreshing to think of post retirement years as a time to consider new roles, new relationships and creative ways to communicate.

Let’s think of the advantages older adults have. At last there is time to stay engaged in one’s social life which can lead to greater health and longevity. I’m convinced isolation and loneliness age people faster than the years going by. Remaining social, especially being helpful to others, promotes wellness by keeping older adults physically active and mentally connected.

Another advantage is a senior’s vast accumulation of experiences, skills and knowledge. It’s like a very deep toolbox. From showing a grandson how to use pliers to adjusting, yet again, to setbacks and losses, older adults have the benefit of knowing they have coped before and will again. Many seniors have developed solid confidence because of this wisdom. It’s almost as if they now truly believe, “If I got through that, I can get through this!”

More older adults see their lives as valuable resources that should not be wasted by passivity. Even older adults with physical limitations can find activities and social events that suit their needs and challenge them to remain engaged.

In conclusion, thinking of aging in positive terms can help prevent the well-known pitfalls of lost ability, relationships, and autonomy. By remaining engaged socially, mentally, and physically, older adults can make post retirement some of the “best days of their lives.”

Visit The Birches web site to learn more about how we engage our residents. http://www.birches.net