Guest Blog: How to Ensure the Safety of the Elderly in Rehab Centers
Rehab centers have proven to be a breath of fresh air for individuals who have fallen prey to alcohol or drug addiction. They help people cope with their life-endangering habits and transform themselves to become a better person, thus, enabling them to live a happy and healthy life all over again. Rehabs are designed carefully to deal with people with various addictions, particularly elders. From installing a quiet hand dryer to creating the room door, everything is customized to ensure the safety and wellbeing of inhabitants.
Letting go of any sort of addiction is never easy. When dealing with older adults, we need to be extra cautious owing to the fact that the ageing process makes them prone to other health issues as well. Here are a few tips to keep in mind while trying to maintain the safety of elders intact in a rehab center:
Higher a Highly Trained Staff:
The staff has a significant impact on adults’ safety and rehabilitation process. The more trained they are for the tasks, the better results will be yielded. A nurse who has experience working with younger people in a rehab center might not be fit for the task when treating older patients.
You need to ensure that your staff is professionally trained to work with ageing adults battling with addiction. Since they have different needs, their mind and body will react differently to medication. They will respond differently to therapy techniques. The behavioral changes might be hard to handle at times, but having trained staff will help deal with patients more appropriately and will ensure their health is monitored carefully.
Focus on the Environment:
When dealing with addiction among older adults, we need to pay special attention to our surroundings. Bringing comfort within the physical environment is crucial for the healing process to begin. Staying away from the problematic environment and living in a structurally designed environment accelerates the rehab process.
Inpatient rehab is the safest option for adults. The constant surveillance and support from the professionals make the detox and treatment process productive. Besides, being able to interact with someone battling the same issue as you, gives you the strength to pass the hurdles and bring out the best in you. Focusing on the environment of the rehab center is an essential step toward giving someone a new life.
Offering Aftercare Programs:
Since the goal of rehab facilities is to eradicate the alcohol or drug addiction from the patients completely, it is recommended to lend support to them even when the treatment time period is completed. Offering the aftercare program increases the success rate of your treatment. Going back to the previous environment brings a lot of stress to the patients since they will be living with all the trigger points around them.
Keeping them engaged with therapies, alumni programs, or sober living options ensures their safety and brings them physical and mental wellbeing.
Focus on Your Patients
Getting rid of an addiction is never easy. It is a lot of hard work, consistency and committed support of professionals that make it happen. We know that ‘old habits die hard’; dealing with older adults in rehab is more difficult than dealing with the younger ones. Make sure your rehab facility is fully equipped with everything that is needed for successful treatment and therapies. Keep the safety of your patients your priority for better outcomes of your treatment processes.
Guest Blog: 5 Ways Seniors Can Improve Their Quality Of Life
Research indicates that Americans are living longer than any other period in history. The best way to ensure your quality of life in your senior years is by addressing mental and physical health. Here are some tactics that can help make your golden years even more exciting.
Be Active in Your Healthcare
Not only do you need to make sure you have a primary care physician familiar with your health history, you also need to make sure you stay up to date on how you’ll pay for regular checkups, appointments with specialists, and medication. This includes keeping an eye on your Medicare plan and making changes to it as necessary. You may want to consider signing up for a Medicare Advantage plan, which offers perks that regular plans don’t cover. For instance, a Humana Medicare Advantage Plan offers benefits like a Nurse Advice Line, which saves you from the time and hassle of visiting your doctor for every little ache and pain, and enrollment in SilverSneakers, which will help you stay active throughout your golden years — another critical component of your quality of life.
Exercise Regularly
The body isn’t able to repair itself as quickly when we become older — not to mention, the loss of muscle mass contributes to mobility issues. Not only can regular exercise improve both of these concerns, but it can also regulate blood pressure and sugar management, boost mood, strengthen the immune system, improve gastrointestinal function, enhance cognitive ability, prevent heart disease and diabetes, and make it easier to manage weight. There’s no need to push yourself too hard. Even simple walking for 30 minutes four times a week is enough to get going. Seniors can also work out at home with exercise videos, fitness apps, and Wii games.
Eat Well
Eating a healthy diet is crucial at every stage of life, but takes on an even more important role as our bodies change with age. Your doctor may recommend a specific diet that tailors to your unique health needs — if you need to consume more protein or calcium, for example — but in general, you’ll need to eat foods that make your microbiome happy. Not only will eating probiotic-packed and fermented foods help you stay regular, you’ll actually feel happier and more energized overall by taking care of your gut health, since doing so ramps up your body’s production of the feel-happy chemical serotonin.
Improve Quality of Sleep
Research suggests that seniors can benefit from quality and quantity of sleep more than they did in their younger years. There are several tactics that can make it easier to get ample shuteye, since it can be a challenge for the elderly. This includes increasing daytime light exposure, ditching caffeine and alcohol in the evening hours, exercising early in the day, making your bedroom a cool and dark respite, unplugging from electronics at least one hour before bed, and consistent bed- and wake-up times.
Stay Social
It’s important to stay social in order to keep your mental health in check. Some easy ways to stay socially engaged include connecting with friends via social media, joining a club or senior center, volunteering, helping out your family (such as babysitting the grandkids so your adult children can enjoy a date night), and taking up a part-time job.
It’s important that you have an established primary care physician and that you visit him or her regularly. You’re more likely to prevent illness and disease when you’ve got a health care schedule in place (as well as a plan to pay for it). A pro can also direct you to other specialists and help guide you through the financial side of care, too.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Guest Blog: Dentures & Denture Care: Instructions and Tips for Seniors
Dentures are a way to restore a senior’s self-confidence and allows them to eat food
normally again. For seniors and loved ones caring for seniors, proper cleaning and
care of dentures is an important part of a senior’s daily routine. With good oral
hygiene practices, storage, and regular check-ups with your dentist, you can ensure
your dentures and healthy smile last you many years.
Introduction to Dentures
Missing teeth can lead to a variety of health conditions, including accelerated tooth
decay of neighbouring teeth, and bone loss in the jaw. For seniors, missing teeth can
also interfere with speech, eating, and nearby teeth can shift out of alignment. In
some cases, all of the teeth need to be extracted and replaced.
Complete dentures replace the entire upper or bottom arches of teeth, while partial
dentures replace one or a few missing teeth.
Dentures are acrylic, metal, or nylon replacements for missing teeth. Partial dentures
clip to your natural teeth, while full dentures fit over your gums to stay in place.
When Are Dentures Necessary?
Full and partial dentures may not be the ideal solution for everyone. For those with
one or more missing teeth, dental bridges may be a viable option. However, fixed
dental bridges are permanently cemented in place, so you must maintain impeccable
dental hygiene to make them last. This is one of several reasons to consider
removable full or partial dentures. At St Albans Dental Practice, we design a custom-
fit solution to restore your smile.
Denture Care Tips
Proper care for dentures and your personal oral hygiene is vital. This keeps your
dentures functional, visibly appealing, and free from stains. If taken care of properly,
dentures can last for many years. Here are some useful tips to keep your dentures in
great condition:
● Maintain Good Oral Hygiene
It is important to take good care of your natural teeth as well as your dentures. When
you remove your dentures, clean your tongue, cheeks, remaining teeth and gums
with a soft-bristled brush. This can keep your mouth healthy and guard against
odour.
● How to Clean Your Dentures
Each time you eat, it is a good idea to remove your dentures and rinse them with
water. Remember to be extremely careful when handling your dentures. According to
the Mayo Clinic, you may use a towel or some water in the sink to ensure the
dentures won’t break if they are accidentally dropped during cleaning. Gently clean
your dentures with a soft-bristled toothbrush at least once daily to remove food
particles and debris. Soak dentures overnight in water and a denture-soaking
solution. This keeps them bacteria-free and prevents them from drying out,
maintaining their shape.
● Eating with Dentures
The ability to enjoy a greater variety of foods is one of the greatest benefits of getting
dentures. However, learning to eat with them usually takes time and practice. If your
dentures are new, it is common to feel discomfort while eating. Many patients find it
easier to keep a softer diet such as mashed potatoes, gelatin, pudding, yoghurt and
smoothies during the first few weeks. As your diet becomes more solid, it helps to
cut your food into smaller pieces. Over time and with practice, you will be able to
enjoy your favourite foods again.
● How to Remove Dentures
Denture removal should be done with great care, using a gentle rocking motion. This
process will also take a bit of time to perfect. Never use anything other than your
fingers to remove your dentures. Place your finger between the upper denture and
your cheek and press down gently where the denture meets the gums. Always try to
use even pressure to loosen your denture.
When to Visit Your Dentist
Book regular appointments with your dentist to have your dentures examined and
cleaned professionally. Your dentures should feel secure. Schedule an appointment
if they feel loose or click when you speak. Often discomfort is also a sign that
something is wrong. Natural changes to your bone structure will eventually make it
necessary to make adjustments. If your dentures are visibly worn, it may be time to
get them replaced.
Author Bio:
High Oaks Dental Practice is a Private and NHS Dentist in St Albans. Using
the latest technologies, High Oaks Dental provides wide range of dental treatments
with all the comfort and caring manner. To achieve a confident smile, visit our
website or call us on 01727 893 430.