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Everything You Need to Know About Hospice Care

Date: December 16, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Everything You Need to Know About Hospice Care

What do you know about hospice care? Do you think that it’s only for the end of someone’s life? That if your loved one needs it, it means they will pass soon? Is it a death sentence?

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Everything You Need to Know About Hospice Care

 

It’s not a death sentence. In fact, according to the CDC, hospice care has more than 1.3 million patients and 4,000 agencies. Though what hospice can offer is often discovered too late.

What Hospice Actually Is

 

Hospice is for those who are terminally ill or have a life expectancy of 6 months or less. While that sounds short and only for the end of life, people can live for a couple days or several years.

It’s a different style of care. Medicare defines hospice care as a “specially trained team of professionals and caregivers providing care for the ‘whole person,’ including physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs.”

Probably not what you were expecting huh?

Hospice is all about making a person as comfortable as possible and not directly treating an illness. It’s good for when all other options have been used, and you know that the end is coming but is not necessarily here.

It’s particularly good for those who wouldn’t be able to handle anymore treatments like chemotherapy. This is because you don’t have to stop treatments when you go on hospice, they just won’t do any extreme measures.

People Choosing This Line of Care Too Late

 

The biggest problem with hospice is that most people choose it too late. Relieving pain, the center of palliative care, should be considered earlier rather than later. You don’t need to be terminally ill to use it.

Read more here.

9 Signs of Caregiver Stress

Date: December 10, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
9 Signs of Caregiver Stress

Being a caregiver is hard. It’s emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausting. There are a lot of ways stress can sneak up on you. If you or someone you know is a caregiver, look for these 9 signs of caregiver stress.

9 Signs of Caregiver Stress

9 Signs of Caregiver Stress

 

It can be particularly hard if you are caring for someone who has cognitive impairments. You’ll find yourself repeating yourself often, getting frustrated, and wanting to snap. It’s hard to remind yourself that they aren’t doing this on purpose.

No matter what type of caregiving you do, it’s good to be aware of these signs.

1. Exhaustion

If you are always feeling tired, even after sleeping, then you have a problem. Another part of exhaustion is not being able to do basic daily tasks. If you find that getting up in the morning, making a meal, or showering takes too much energy, you could be suffering from exhaustion.

2. Change in Sleeping and Eating Patterns

Sleeping and eating are key functions that your body needs to survive. Stress can cause a change in your eating and sleeping patterns. If you notice that you are either sleeping or eating too much or not enough, that’s an obvious sign of stress.

3. Anger or Irritation

When you’re stressed out, your fuse gets shorter. If you notice you’re snapping more lately or even fully losing your temper, it could be due stress. Especially if it’s at your loved ones. This is because you are so run down and stretched thin that every little things seems to be an annoyance.

4. Anxiety

It’s easy to cross the line from worry into anxiety. If you start to obsess over every little concern or worry, then you are now in the anxiety arena. No worry should make you feel like you are stuck in place with no options. That’s the difference between worry and anxiety.

5. Depression

If you are feeling overwhelmingly sad, hopeless, and are crying all the time, then you may be suffering from depression. This can get bad enough that it interferes with your daily life.

6. Lack of Concentration

There’s a problem if you aren’t able to focus on anything and have a hard time finishing tasks. Things become overwhelming very quickly and you start to forget things.

7. Social Withdrawal

This when you don’t go out with friends and family anymore. You’d rather stay home and be alone. You eventually isolate yourself to the point of not leaving your house for days on end.

8. Denial

This is when you refuse to believe that your loved one is reaching the end of their life. You think things will be better, as if it’s getting over the Flu.

You may not even believe there’s a problem. This can cause you to not take the proper steps to care for your loved ones.

9. Health Problems

Stress wears your body out and makes it easier for you to get sick. If you can’t remember the last time you felt good, you should go to the doctor.

Read more here.

How Language Affects Medical Trials

Date: December 10, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips

Medical trials are the key to any kind of progress. The problem is that depending on the trial, there aren’t enough participants. Participants that speak different languages aren’t able to join the trials, due to translation issues.

How Language Affects Medical Trials

How Language Affects Medical Trials

 

Medical trials have a problem finding people because they can be risky and there isn’t a guarantee that it will help. But trials are the only way to know if medications or procedures are safe.

There are millions of immigrants that could be part of trials, but very few studies have translators.

This can be because some doctors are concerned about interpreters. There could be some key things that get lost in translation that can negatively affect the study.

Particularly Difficult in Alzheimer’s Trials

 

In particular, Alzheimer’s studies don’t include translators. These barriers are really noticeable by the amount of Spanish speaking people in the country. There are almost 6 million American seniors, 2.2 million are Spanish speaking and not good with English.

This will only get worse as the years go on. This is because the Hispanic population is growing.

Different ethnicities can be a scientific goldmine. It’s not know that all medicine will work on people of different ethnicities.

Read more here.

5 Steps to Have a Good Day

Date: December 10, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
5 Steps to Have a Good Day

Sometimes it seems it’s impossible to have a good day. It gets to the point where the whole world seems to be against you. You may want to call the day done, but there are ways to improve your day.

5 Steps to Have a Good Day

5 Steps to Have a Good Day

 

These steps are from Caroline Webb author of How to Have a Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioral Science to Transform Your Working Life. While these are geared more to working people, you can use them while working, while being retired, or in any other situation.

Webb’s definition of a good day doesn’t include a day free of distractions, stresses, or challenges. It’s when you can say yes to these 3 questions:

  • Did you spend your time and attention on things that matter?
  • Do you feel that you did a good job and had the support of others?
  • Did the day leave you feeling more energized than depleted?

1. Set Intentions for Your Day

Have you noticed that when you are shopping, everything can catch your attention? A short trip to Target suddenly takes hours? This is because your brain can only consciously perceive part of what’s going on around you at all times. You notice whatever matches things that are already on your mind.

By setting your intentions for looking for positive things for the day, you will see more positive than negative. If you are more focused on negative, then everything will seem much worse than it is. Your day will doomed from the start.

2. Practice Distancing

No matter how much of a positive outlook you have, things happen. It can be hard to not let it bring you down. Distancing is a simple technique that helps gain perspective when things go wrong.

There are a 2 different techniques to use. First, ask yourself “What will I think about this a month or a year from now?” It’s a pretty powerful question that can help shift your thinking when you are frustrated.

The other option is to pretend you are advising a friend. It’s usually is easier to help a friend solve a problem than your own. Even if it’s the same problem. So ask yourself, “What would I say if I were giving advice on this same situation to a friend?”

3. Plan Downtime

Research shows that you make better decisions when you give your brain a break. While that seems counterproductive, you will be more productive when you give yourself small breaks.

Ideally, you will take a break every 90 minutes.

4. Do One Task at a Time

Research has shown that multitasking makes us less productive. When we juggle multiple projects we mess up more.

5. Practice Gratitude

Mindset is the key to a good day. When you make a point to see good, your brain will start to look for positive things instinctively.

At the beginning of each day, try to notice 3 good things. Then at the end of the day, do the same thing.

Read more here.

Preventing Memory Loss in the Digital Age

Date: December 2, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Government is Taking on Robocalls

Many people are concerned that with the digital age, comes more memory loss. After all, we have so many tools now to help us remember, our brains don’t need to exercise memory. There is now a rise of memory athletes, those who can retain hundreds of numbers in seconds. Is this a new way of preventing memory loss?

Preventing Memory Loss in the Digital Age

Preventing Memory Loss in the Digital Age

 

Memory athletes compete to remember the most in the shortest time. They remember things like card sequences, names, faces, and dates of historical events.

They memorize these categories within seconds.

These athletes are causing people to wonder about memory in a world of digital databases. If we rely on them too much, are we losing our ability to remember?

All About the Brain

 

The brain is malleable. A study in 2000 showed that the hippocampus was larger in London cab drivers than in the wider public. The hippocampus is the area of the brain that plays a significant role in memory. The drivers may have a bigger hippocampus due to having to learn and remember the quickest routes through the city.

Scientists believe that the internet hasn’t been an integral part of our lives long enough to understand its long term effect on people’s brains fully.

Is Memory Training Helpful?

 

There is proof that memory training is beneficial and strengthens neural pathways.

It is possible that the more we rely on machines, the less efficient our memory processes become. It is believed that memory needs to be exercised just like our muscles.

Though we aren’t necessarily losing our memories as much as we are having a hard time finding them, this is because we don’t try to, or exercise, our brains as much.

Memories are also malleable because it helps us make sense of the world. So we can easily create false memories.

Not all is lost, though. We can strengthen our brains and memories with regular exercise just like with our muscles. You can do this by becoming a memory athlete yourself.

Read more about these memory athletes here.

Assisted Living: 4 Questions to Ask

Date: December 2, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
How the Aging Baby Boomers are Going to Change 2020

There is a lot to think about before deciding whether assisted living is the path for you or your loved one. It will be huge change for you and them. While at home care, like Seniors Helping Seniors NH, is a great way to live at home, sometimes that just isn’t an option.

Assisted Living: 4 Questions to Ask

Assisted Living: 4 Questions to Ask

 

It can hard to think of what to ask when it comes to assisted living. There are so many aspects that are important, but you may only have so much time. Try to ask these 4 questions to start.

1. What Kind of Help Will Your Loved One Need?

This is a question you need to ask yourself.

Each community is different and have different amenities, services, and levels of care. They help residents with daily living activities like bathing, dressing, and taking medications. Some may not have a licensed nurse on staff, others will have some specialities.

You need to make sure to get a medical evaluation from a doctor so you know what’s going with them.

2. How Good is the Care?

Check to see if the community you are interested in provides assisted living. Then look closely at its inspection record. Depending on where you live and how complete the records are, you can find the inspection record.

You can also call your state’s long term care ombudsman and ask if the community has any complaints. Most common complaints include understaffing and delays in response to resident’s calls for assistance.

A lot of staff at assisted living communities are low paid, making only minimum wage. They aren’t really trained as well. You should ask how they would handle various situations like a fall or a complaint of pain or illness. See if you can talk to residents or their loved ones.

3. How Much Will It Cost?

Assisted living is costly and most is paid out of pocket. It can cost thousands of dollars a month. Dementia care costs even more.

Medicare doesn’t cover long term care. Medicare coverage varies depending on the state, but Medicaid requires you to run out of money before you get help.

Make sure to read the fine print of any community that you are interested. Some will offer packages for a fair price, others will offer a base amount with additional services you can get separately.

Ask what circumstances would cause the cost to rise.

4. Can Your Loved One Get Kicked Out?

Yes, that can happen. It is actually one of most common complaints. The most common reasons are lack of payment and that “care needs exceed the facility’s capacity to provide services.”

Again, read the contract carefully. Do not take verbal promises at face value.

Read more here.

Not Drinking During Midlife May Be Connected to Dementia

Date: December 2, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Not Drinking During Middle Age May Be Connected to Dementia

People who don’t drink when they reach middle age could have a heightened risk of dementia. A long term study of more than 9,000 people in London found that people who drank over the recommended limits for men and women, and those who were completely sober were at higher risk of the disease.

Not Drinking During Middle Age May Be Connected to Dementia

Not Drinking During Midlife May Be Connected to Dementia

 

The study was published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). It followed people who were between 35 and 55 when it began in the mid-80s.

Not drinking in midlife was connected to 45% higher risk of dementia compared to people who consumed a normal amount of alcohol a week. Long term abstainers and those who reported a decrease in alcohol consumption also had an increased risk.

Researchers measured during the years of 1985 and 1993. This is when the participants had an average age of 50. They were followed up for an average of 23 years, with cases of dementia identified through hospital, mental health service, and mortality records.

A total of 397 cases were recorded.

The Connection Between Alcohol and Dementia

 

The team of French and British researchers think that part of the increased risk of the disease in abstainers could be due to the greater risk of cardiometabolic disease.

Among excessive drinkers, they found a higher risk the more a person drank. With every 7 unit per week increase there was a 17% rise in dementia risk.

More research needs to be done with not only middle age, but with older people as well.

Read more here.

7 Serious Foot Problems

Date: November 25, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
7 Serious Foot Problems

Our feet don’t get enough credit. They literally hold us up. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to go anywhere. They also can give you clues to a bunch of different medical conditions like diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease. Here are 7 serious foot problems that you should be aware of.

7 Serious Foot Problems

7 Serious Foot Problems

 

Make sure to take care of your feet. Look for any of these symptoms or problems listed below.

1. Pain

Pain should never be ignored. Any type of foot pain should be checked out by a doctor. It could mean fractures to plantar fasciitis, which is the inflammation in the tissue that connects your heel bone to toes.

Pain in the morning could mean arthritis or plantar fasciitis. With both conditions, pain will go away as the day goes on because your foot loosens up.

Pain that gets worse throughout the day could mean a fracture. It will go away when you are resting, but come back harder when you put weight on it.

2. Discoloration

You probably ignore your feet when you check your body for skin cancer. It’s actually most commonly seen in the foot You will see a weird mole on the top or bottom of your foot or between your toes.

Melanoma can appear as dark spots underneath your nails.

If you find anything on you, you need to go to the doctor ASAP.

3. Numbness

This can be caused by a variety of health problems, going from bad circulation to alcoholism.

Causes of numbness can be due to peripheral artery disease (PAD), diabetes, Neuropathy, and skin breaking down. PAD narrows the arteries that reduces blood flow that causes numbness. Neuropathy is a complication of nerves and can cause numbness.

4. Swelling

Swollen feet can happen after standing for long periods of time, but they are also a sign of injuries like stress fractures and tendon tears. It could also mean that something is wrong with your veins or arteries.

You should have a podiatrist check your circulation by feeling your pulse and doing tests.

5. Cold Feet

Everyone’s feet get cold every once in a while, but constant cold feet could be caused by insufficient blood flow. Risks of poor circulation is smoking, high blood pressure, heart disease, and history of strokes.

If the coldness is with toes that turn colors, either white or blue to red, it could be due to Raynaud’s disease. This is a common condition where the blood vessels spasm and constrict in response to cold temperatures.

6. Itching

Having itchy feet could mean athlete’s foot. You should look for a white, scaly, or flaky rash. You could also have cracks between your toes that itch, sting, or burn.

Athlete’s foot happens when sweaty feet are put in tight shoes. It’s also contagious and can be spread through other surfaces like towels, floors, or other shoes.

It can also lead to fungal toenails, which can get worse as you age. The body can’t fight infections as well as you get older.

7. Gait

If you notice a difference in how you walk, you should go to your doctor right away. Neurological problems could be the cause. It can range from a stroke and multiple sclerosis, to a herniated disk in your back.

If you aren’t stable while walking, it can lead to more falls and more injuries.

Read more here.

7 Foods That Help With Joint Pain

Date: November 25, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Does Inflammation Affect Bone Healing?

Joints are one of the most important aspects of your body. Having achy knees or sore shoulders can really ruin your day. You may be taking supplements to help with joint pain. Did you know food can help too?

7 Foods That Help With Joint Pain

7 Foods That Help With Joint Pain

 

According to researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 14 million people have joint pain.

But these foods may be able to help.

1. Pineapple

It’s rich in vitamin C and helps with inflammation because it has bromelain. Bromelain is as helpful as ibuprofen for osteoarthritis pain and rheumatoid arthritis.

2. Salmon

Studies have shown that omega-3 fish can help with symptoms from arthritis. It blocks COX and LOX enzymes which causes inflammation.

The body doesn’t produce omega-3s, so it’s good to have it in your diet.

3. Turmeric

This is the yellow spice that flavors curries. Curcumin, that’s found in turmeric, has been shown to help suppress cancer, reduce blood pressure, and help with inflammation.

It can help with joint deterioration and inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis.

Though turmeric can act as a blood thinner, so check with your doctor before including it in your diet.

4. Ginger

Gingerol is an active substance in ginger. It’s good at reducing joint pain and inflammation.

One study showed that doses of highly concentrated gingerol reduced knee pain due to osteoarthritis by 40%.

5. Hot Peppers

Hot peppers like serrano and habanero are full of capsaicin. This has a good effect on longevity, cancer prevention, inflammation, and pain.

The hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin it has.

6. Garlic

Garlic reduces inflammation and stimulate the body’s immune cells. Though heating it may decrease its effectiveness.

7. Cherries

They are full of antioxidants. This is good because inflammation causes oxidative stress, and antioxidants help with that.

They can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Read more here.

Older Adults are the Happiest in America

Date: November 25, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
You Need to Laugh More, for Your Health

Despite popular belief, older adults are the happiest in America. They are being more socially active than the stereotype of older people suggests.

Older Adults are the Happiest in America

Older Adults are the Happiest in America

 

A certain amount of unhappiness comes with old age. Older bodies start to ache more and social circles shrink. But overall, seniors are more content with what they have than younger adults.

This is because they have learned to lower their expectations and accept what they have.

This research is based on periodic face to face interviews with a national sample of Americans from 1972 to 2004. The group was made of around 28,000 people aged 18 to 88.

The Study

 

Happiness was not always a straight line. It went up and down depending on economic times of the country. Overall, seniors were the happiest at every stage.

There were differences of happiness between all the different races in younger people. But, this faded with age.

In general, the odds of being happy increased 5% every 10 years. 33% of Americans said they were happy at age of 88 compared to 24% of those who are 18 or in their early 20s.

Being Social

 

A different study from the University of Chicago found that 75% of people between 57 to 85 did 1 or more social activity every week. This can include socializing with neighbors, attending religious service, volunteering, or going to group meetings.

Those who were in their 80s were twice as likely as those in their 50s to do at least one of these activities.

Read more about the study here.