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4 Lifestyle Changes to Help with High Blood Pressure

Date: June 2, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
4 Lifestyle Changes to Help with High Blood Pressure

Around 46% of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, according to The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiologists. Around half of that percentage have it under control. There are lifestyle changes you can do in addition to medication to help with this condition.

4 Lifestyle Changes to Help with High Blood Pressure

4 Lifestyle Changes to Help with High Blood Pressure

 

High blood pressure is a common problem in seniors because your arteries harden and fatty deposits build up.

1. Dietary Changes

A big thing you can do to help yourself is to lessen the amount of salt you eat. There is a lot of evidence that salt is connected to hypertension. Also, limit how much alcohol and caffeine you drink.

Potassium can lower blood pressure, so add foods like bananas, pomegranates, sweet potatoes, and spinach. Olive oil, cocoa flavonoids, tea, and garlic should be added too.

2. Everyday Health Changes

There are small changes that you can make that not only help with your hypertension, but with your overall health. Sleep apnea has been connected to high blood pressure levels and other conditions. Get tested for sleep apnea if you have any suspicions.

Supplements are helpful too. You should find ones that are good for potassium, Vitamin C, fiber, Omega 3 fish oil, and coenzyme Q10.

3. Meditation

Keeping calm does fantastic things with blood pressure levels. Taking part in meditation, relaxation practices, yoga, slow breathing, and Tai Chi are beneficial to those with hypertension.

4. Biofeedback

This can help people deal with symptoms with a variety of different health problems, including hypertension. How it works is that a person does deep breathing with Resperate, which is a biofeedback device. It encourages slow, deep breath by giving feedback about the patient’s breathing.

Read more here.

Geriatricians Vs Primary Doctors

Date: June 2, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
How Ageism Hurts Seniors' Health

Do you know the difference between geriatricians vs primary doctors? Both are doctors, and both can help you stay healthy. Geriatricians focus on senior care. Sometimes they have individual offices, or they work as a consultant for primary doctors.

Geriatricians Vs Primary Doctors

Geriatricians Vs Primary Doctors

 

This type of doctor is more than just a specialty. The current state of primary care isn’t prepared for the influx of the senior population that’s coming. Some primary doctors are even unwilling to see older patients.

Especially, people with many different chronic illnesses, have dementia, or other related issues due to aging.

Primary care doctors are under stress because they have a broader population of patients to see and can’t give the time senior patients deserve. Primary doctors are also expected to see more patients and spend less time with them. Due to these constrictions, they don’t want to see time-consuming senior patients.

Where are all the Geriatricians?

 

You would think that because the geriatric field is wide open, young doctors would be rushing to it. Sadly, that’s not the case. Many geriatric fellowship programs don’t get filled up due to lack of interest.

Geriatricians don’t make a lot of money compared to doctors that get paid for seeing as many patients as they can or doing procedures. In fact, they make less than any other specialty doctor.

Why would young people go into this field, knowing that they have thousands of dollars in student loans?

This type of doctor is used to working in teams: working along with specialist physicians, social workers, nurses, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, pharmacists, and nutritionists. They also recognize that social factors like transportation, nutrition, and housing can affect seniors.

Primary doctors may lack this sort of experience.

What are Some Solutions?

 

While not all primary care doctors are ill-equipped to work with seniors, there still needs to be back up before primaries are drowning in patients.

It’s actually thought that family physicians should double as geriatricians due to their training, which has a focus on a holistic approach. This could be a possible solution for the lack of geriatricians. If you can find one with this training, you should hold onto them.

Geriatricians have three essential skills that other physicians usually don’t. The first being trained in aging-related physiological changes and clinical syndromes. They have training in team-based care and systems of care for older adults. Finally, they have a clinical focus on functional status and a holistic approach to managing health. This means they share decision making with the patient.

Geriatricians also understand that seniors are different than the average adult. They lose some of the mechanisms that help systems adapt to changes and stress. This makes medications react differently and makes them agitate more easily.

Another solution is to have these doctors make more money is to pay them based on how much they save programs like Medicare. When people see a geriatrician, they can prevent hospital visits, which will cost more. This would be instead of getting paid per patient.

Read more here.

8 Products that Make a Senior’s Day Easier

Date: May 26, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
8 Products that Make a Senior's Day Easier

There are everyday tasks that can grow difficult for seniors. Most of the time, it’s tasks that younger adults don’t think twice about performing. It can be frustrating and even depressing for seniors when they can’t do stuff that they could before with ease. Thankfully, people are smart and have come up with products that can make a senior’s day easier.

8 Products that Make a Senior's Day Easier

8 Products that Make a Senior’s Day Easier

 

These objects range from products for the kitchen to products for entertainment, but all of them will make a senior’s day easier.

1. Kitchen Mama Electric Can Opener

Opening cans can get harder as people get older. Between pain from arthritis and loss of mobility control, opening a simple can becomes a huge time sucker. This electric can opener can be the solution to all that.

You press a button, and it will go around the can, and then it’s done. The blades cut into the side of the can so it doesn’t touch your food and doesn’t leave sharp edges.

It has a 4.2-star rating on Amazon.

2. Hamilton Beach Open Ease Automatic Jar Opener

Like cans, jars can be difficult to open too. An automatic jar opener will make a senior’s life so much easier. All they would have to do is push a button, and this product will open the jar for them. It can open a variety of different sizes and styles of jars.

It has a 3.7-star rating.

3. Simolio Wireless TV Headphones

Is a senior in your life having a hard time hearing the TV? Headphones like these could be the solution. They are wireless headphones that will clarify voices and cancel outside noises, so it’s easier to hear. It uses rechargeable batteries.

The automatic signal control technology changes the volume as needed to prevent any hearing damage. Their effective distance is up to a hundred feet. You can even customize how the sounds come out thanks to different balance controls.

It has a 4.2-star rating on Amazon.

4. Universal Big Button TV Remote

A big problem seniors have with technology is how small the buttons can be. It can be hard to read which button is the right one to push. This remote can control your TV and cable box. It features only the essential buttons needed to watch TV.

It has six buttons that are bright and backlit. The buttons are an on/off button, mute, and volume and channel controls. It also comes with a wrist strap in case a senior has butterfingers.

It has a 4.2-star rating.

5. Magnifying Floor Lamp with Adaptor

Sometimes reading can be hard if you don’t have enough light and can’t see the text. A magnifying floor lamp will fix all that. This lamp will magnify any object up to 6 times your normal eyesight. This will make reading, sewing, and crafting so much easier.

It uses LED to make the lamp as bright as possible and can last 100,000 hours. The neck of the lamp is flexible so that it can be put in any position.

It has a 3.9-star rating.

6. RoboVac Vacuum Cleaner

Who likes to vacuum? Not many people. Using a robotic vacuum cleaner will make anyone’s life more comfortable, especially seniors. It works quietly yet has a powerful suction. It can go around the house for a hundred minutes. It even knows when it needs more power and will use an even stronger suction.

It has an anti-scratch glass top and infrared sensor to see where objects are. It can even sense edges so it won’t fall down the stairs. It has a charging base, AC power adapter, cleaning tool, extra filters, side brushes, and instructions.

It has a 4-star rating.

7. MedCenter Talking Alarm Clock

This clock reminds seniors when it’s time to take their medications up to four times a day. It will also let seniors know what the time and date are. It’s designed to be easy to see, set up, and loud in case there is anyone with hearing impairments.

It has a 4.1-star rating.

8. Carex Pill Crusher

Sometimes pills are just too hard to swallow, and this product can help make it easier to take medication. The design is meant to be easy to hold and use. Not a lot of strength is needed. It will turn pills into a powder so medication can be mixed in with food.

It has a 4.1-star rating.

Why Won’t People Wear Their Hearing Aids?

Date: May 26, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Not Getting Hearing Loss Treated Can Lead to More Isolation

Do you have anyone in your life that needs hearing aids? It’s not an uncommon tool that’s needed as you get older. Despite this, there is a trend where people who are hard of hearing are refusing to wear their hearing aids.

Why Won't People Wear Their Hearing Aids?

How Many Seniors Need Hearing Aids?

 

Around a third of adults between 65 and 74 need hearing aids. Half of those that are 75 and older need these aids as well.

Only around 20% of these people who can benefit from the aids actually use them.

Why Won’t People Wear Their Hearing Aids?

 

A big part of this trend is that people don’t want to get aids adjusted by an audiologist. Without an adjustment, the aids won’t work as well.

People who use prescription hearing aids or over-the-counter personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) don’t like the stigma that comes along with using these aids. They could also be bad with technology and not want to be seen as a stereotypical old person. Finally, it could be a matter of not being able to afford the extra cost of an appointment.

A lot of people don’t buy them because they can cost anywhere between $2,200 to $7,000. On top of the price, both Medicare and private insurance don’t cover hearing aids.

What good are the aids though if seniors can’t afford to get them adjusted? People on Medicaid and Medicare were 41% less likely to use services like an audiologist than people with more money.

Why They are Important

 

Hearing aids do so much more than just letting you hear better. Hearing loss can cause emotional, physical, and financial damage. It’s been tied to cognitive decline, dementia, falls, and higher health care costs. Overall, those who don’t wear aids have worse health compared to people with good hearing.

Read more here.

Diet Soda Raising Older Women’s Stroke Risk?

Date: May 19, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
6 Surprising Reasons You're Thirsty

You know that drinking a lot of soda is bad for you. When you have a craving for soda, you probably reach for a diet one. If you are an older woman, you may want to think twice. A new study shows that diet soda and artificially sweetened fruit juices are raising older women’s stroke risk.

Diet Soda Raising Older Women's Stroke Risk?

Diet Soda Raising Older Women’s Stroke Risk?

 

The study tracked around 82,000 postmenopausal women. These women drank two or more diet drinks a day. They saw their overall stroke risk rise by 23% compared to others who didn’t drink as much.

They studied these women for around 12 years. After three years, they were asked how much diet sodas and fruit drinks they had over every three months.

They didn’t keep track of the brands of the drinks or any artificial sweeteners they used.

Two-thirds of the women in the study admitted to drinking diet sodas not often, less than once a week or never. Only around 5% were found to drink a lot (2 or more a day) of artificially sweetened drinks.

 

What Does Diet Soda Do?

 

Why the concern? Blocked arteries are the main reason. Drinking a lot of diet drinks has been linked to a 31% percent greater risk for an ischemic stroke. A clot triggers this.

The study did take into consideration other risk factors, like their blood pressure, smoking history, and their age.

Drinking a lot of soda can raise cardiovascular risks in different ways. Women who drank two or more diet beverages a day saw their risk for developing heart disease go up 29%. They were also 16% more likely to die early from any cause.

Obese women and black women with no history of heart disease or diabetes pushed clot-driven stroke risk up to twofold and fourfold.

The author of the study does want to acknowledge that the association doesn’t mean causation. Though the findings held up even when taking into account the nutritional value of the participants’ diet.

It’s not known yet if these drinks affect men or younger women, however.

So what does this all mean? Diet drinks aren’t as tame as we thought them to be. If you can, you should probably start limiting your sugary drink intake.

Read more here.

18 Quick and Healthy Meals for Seniors

Date: May 19, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
How to Build Healthy Habits

It’s easy for seniors not to get enough nutrition. Grocery shopping or cooking can be too hard to do. They may be sick of eating alone or meals don’t taste the same. Luckily, there are 18 quick and healthy meals for seniors that are easy to make.

18 Quick and Healthy Meals for Seniors

18 Quick and Healthy Meals for Seniors

 

Make sure to keep in mind their food restrictions and recommendations before making meals.

1. Warm Oatmeal and Berries

You can use either frozen or fresh berries in a crockpot at low heat. A small amount of butter, a small serving of oats and water should be added.

Cover the crockpot and leave it on for a few hours or overnight.

2. A Hard Boiled Egg

This, along with fresh fruit or whole wheat toast, will make a healthy meal.

3. Whole Grain Pancakes or Waffles

If you can, find a brand of pancakes or waffles that has chia seeds because they contain essential fatty acids and proteins. For protein, you can have some walnuts or almonds.

4. Yogurt Parfait

Mix yogurt, nuts, and fruit together. It’s a great combo of healthy fat, Vitamin C, and carbohydrates.

5. Power Toast

This is whole wheat toast with peanut butter or almond butter on it.

6. Poached Egg

Have an egg on top of whole wheat toast and steamed asparagus. For flavor, use a little bit of butter on the top.

7. Quinoa Salad

Saute pre-chopped stir-fry vegetables like onions, red peppers, or mushrooms in olive oil. Mix pine nuts or pecans and cooked quinoa in too and use Italian dressing for flavor.

You can eat this warm or cold. Just make sure to refrigerate.

8. Eggs and Red Potatoes

With some butter in a skillet simmering, add chopped up potatoes and have it cook over medium heat for two minutes. After that, pour scrambled eggs over the potatoes and add peppers. Toss it around until the eggs are hot.

9. Cottage Fries

Cut up parboiled red potatoes and put them in a skillet with extra olive oil. Add vegetables and grated sharp cheddar cheese. Cover the food, let it steam over medium heat until done.

10. Southwest Omelet

Put a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and beat two eggs. Put in the eggs, pepper jack cheese, and natural salsa or chili sauce. When it’s firm, fold the eggs over and serve with sliced avocado.

11. Salmon Wrap

Use canned Alaskan boneless salmon on a whole grain wrap. You can add chopped avocado, tomatoes, greens, and plain yogurt. Wrap it tightly and cut in half.

12. Baked or Grilled Alaskan Salmon

Top the salmon with tomatoes, sweet onions, dried or fresh basil, chopped garlic, and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Wrap the fish in aluminum foil and put it in the oven at around three hundred degrees.

13. Lamb and Potatoes

Make the ground lamb into meatballs. Cut red potatoes into small pieces and cut some garlic too. Put everything in a skillet over medium heat.

14. Shrimp and Pasta

Start with putting a bit of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Add cut fresh herbs, garlic, and some shrimp. Once done put it on top of pasta with some chopped fresh tomatoes.

15. Liver and Fennel

Put liver slices in a skillet with extra virgin olive oil. Add fennel, onions, and cabbage. Cover until the liver is tender.

16. Beans and Rice

Cook a can of black, pinto, or white beans. You can serve with brown rice, oats, or barley.

17. Shrimp and Fresh Greens

Saute fresh vegetables in a pan with olive oil. Add cocktail shrimp and serve with a berry vinaigrette salad dressing.

18. Southwest Chicken Salad

Cook boneless, skinless, chicken breast on medium heat in a skillet with extra virgin olive oil. You can add salsa if you want. You can use it for wraps, salad, or soup.

Read more here.

Could You Have a Food Allergy and Not Even Know It?

Date: May 19, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
7 Ways Your Oral Health Affects Your Body's Health

You probably thought you figured out all your allergies when you were a kid, but actually, you can get more allergies as you age. Getting older can cause your stomach to make less gastric acid. This can make deficiencies in nutrients like zinc, vitamin D, or iron, which can cause the immune system to change. Could you have a food allergy and not even know it?

Could You Have a Food Allergy and Not Even Know It?

Could You Have a Food Allergy and Not Even Know It?

 

Around 1 in 10 people have food allergies and get them as adults. As mentioned, a food allergy is an immune system response to food, causing itching, hives, swelling, low blood pressure, anaphylactic shock, or a respiratory reaction. These can be life-threatening.

How Can You Find Out if You Have One or Not?

An allergist uses a skin prick test and pricks your skin with tiny allergen laden needles to see how your skin reacts. Blood tests are another option. Even though the testing is easy, many older adults don’t get these tests. They think they know how to handle it or that they don’t have an allergy.

Food Intolerance or Food Allergy?

 

It’s easy to confuse a food intolerance for an allergy. One study guesses that 25 to 30% of adults self-diagnose themselves with allergies.

A food intolerance makes a digestive reaction to food like cramping, diarrhea, gas, or bloating. These are common and not life-threatening. 30 to 50 million adults in the U.S. have a level of lactose intolerance.

The most common allergen adults get is shellfish. Around 7.2 million adults in the U.S. have this allergy. Other common allergies that adults get is milk, peanuts, tree nuts, finfish, eggs, wheat, soy, and sesame.

It can be hard to identify a food allergy in adults 50 and older. This is because the symptoms aren’t as obvious as when people are younger. It’s easy for professionals to mistake an allergy for problems with medication, sleep issues, viruses, autoimmune diseases, general aging, or stomach issues like irritable bowel syndrome.

Living with Food Allergies

 

Living with a food allergy requires constant vigilance on your part. You can’t just avoid the food. It could be an ingredient in foods you never thought of. It could also be in supplements. Eating out can be tough because you need to find a meal that’s safe for you.

Make sure to read the ingredient list on foods and supplements. Avoid cross-contamination if others in your house eat the food you are allergic to. Wash dishes before using them, and if you can afford it, have separate appliances like a toaster for example. Also, make sure that your family knows about your allergy that way, no accidents happen.

Read more here.

South Korea is Dealing With an Elderly Crime Wave

Date: May 12, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
South Korea is Dealing With an Elderly Crime Wave

When you think of criminals, do you ever think of seniors? Probably not, right? Well, there is a surprising amount of crime being committed by the elderly in Asia. We’ve already talked about how Japanese seniors are committing crimes and being sent to jail. Now South Korea is dealing with an elderly crime wave.

South Korea is Dealing With an Elderly Crime Wave

South Korea is Dealing With an Elderly Crime Wave

 

According to official statistics, there’s been a 45% increase in the last five years in crimes committed by people 65 and older. Serious crimes including murder, arson, rape, and robbery rose around 70%.

Those with cognitive dysfunctions committed some of these crimes. A man in his 70s was arrested for allegedly assaulting a courier because of a late package. When police arrived, it seemed like the man forgot that he got the package two days earlier.

Problems for South Koreans Seniors

 

Like with Japan, South Korean seniors are living longer, but they can’t support themselves. 60% of elderly Koreans don’t qualify for the national pension. This wasn’t introduced until 1988 and was not made compulsory until the late 90s.

In 2017, half of South Korean Seniors were living in relative poverty.

A key part of the crime problem is loneliness. With no job or way to contribute to society, people start to feel disconnected. This can lead to animosity towards others, depression, and antisocial behavior.

According to Cho Youn-oh, who is a professor and criminologist at Seoul’s Dongguk University, the isolation and feeling that they have nothing to lose could lead them to lose control and behave poorly.

People who have connections to society tend to have better control over themselves.

The Strain on the Country’s Prison System

 

Like with Japan, the prison system is struggling with the influx of senior prisoners. This is because they bring a variety of health issues and usually have to be separated from the rest of the population.

That is because they are weaker than the younger prisoners and are likely to get into fights due to cultural differences.

Read more here.

5 Ways to Strengthen Your Memory

Date: May 12, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
5 Ways to Strengthen Your Memory

As you get older, it can be hard not to worry if you start to forget things. It’s easy to jump to conclusions and begin to worry if your forgetfulness is a sign of dementia. General forgetfulness is normal, but there are ways to strengthen your memory.

5 Ways to Strengthen Your Memory

5 Ways to Strengthen Your Memory

 

Fear and anxiety can make it harder to remember because they stress your brain out. These ways to strengthen your memory may be awkward at first but will get easier over time.

1. Practice Active Attention

What does this mean? Basically, it’s paying attention with a purpose. Instead of just focusing on something, like reading, for example, think about how it makes you feel, does it raise questions for you, what stands out?

Don’t start thinking about what you are going to do next.

2. Allow No Distractions When Learning Something New

Remember what it was like when you were in school? There were little to no distractions allowed so that you can focus on learning.

Take that idea with you today. When you are learning something new, turn off your phone, don’t have the TV on, and keep your area clean. Politely tell people to leave you alone while you are working.

Also, take breaks every ten minutes or so to give your brain a break.

3. Be Organized with Storage

If you are constantly losing items, then maybe it’s time to get organized. Keep things in specific places, like putting keys in a bowl or on a hook.

Use labels for boxes that way you can take a quick glance and find what you are looking for.

This way you can retrace your steps with ease.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Repeat Info Outloud

This may seem embarrassing, but it can help. Repeat the info to yourself once or twice after hearing it. Then do it again thirty minutes or an hour later.

Saying it out loud sharpens your focus with the material.

5. Write Things Down

Make flash cards, take notes, write a summary or a list of key points. Writing is another way to repeat information and makes it easier to remember. Plus, you have something you can look at later.

Read more here.

Using Antibiotics Early Could Reduce the Risk of Sepsis

Date: May 12, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Using Antibiotics Early Could Reduce the Risk of Sepsis

People are hesitant to prescribe antibiotics because they wipe out all bacteria, both good and bad. Using antibiotics early could reduce the risk of sepsis in elderly patients who have urinary tract infections (UTI).

Using Antibiotics Early Could Reduce the Risk of Sepsis

Using Antibiotics Early Could Reduce the Risk of Sepsis

 

This discovery is from the Imperial College London and Public Health England and published in BMJ.

The researchers say the results from the study show evidence that helps doctors make clinical decisions about when to prescribe antibiotics.

The team looked at records from 157,264 patients over the age of 65 in England who have had a UTI. 87% of patients had been prescribed antibiotics right away, 6% were delayed up to a week, and 7% didn’t get antibiotics at all.

Only 0.2% of patients who got antibiotics right away developed sepsis within 60 days. Patients who had their antibiotics delayed or didn’t get any at all were eight times more likely to develop it.

Research also showed that 1.6% of patients who got medicine right away died within the following 60 days. Risk of death for patients who had their prescription delayed increased by 16%. Patients who didn’t have any medicine had over double the risk of death.

The researchers stress that the study only shows delayed antibiotics are connected with an increased risk of sepsis and death. It doesn’t cause it directly. There could be other factors included in their risk of sepsis.

Read more about the study here.