Dr. Mauk’s Boomer Blog
Each week, Dr. Kristen Mauk shares thoughts relevant to Baby Boomers that are aimed to educate and amuse.
Dr. Kristen L. Mauk, PhD, DNP, RN, CRRN, GCNS-BC, GNP-BC, FAAN
3 Hidden Signs of Mobility Problems
While you don’t have to be overly observant to recognize that difficulty walking can spell trouble for your mobility, you may not necessarily be on the lookout for less subtle signs that can serve as red flags too. Check out this quick list of three hidden signs of mobility problems:
Avoiding Stairs
Are you opting to take the elevator more than normal? How about spending more time on the ground floor of your home to avoid using a staircase? Stairs can be one of the most difficult environments to traverse when mobility problems are starting to set in.
Stairs require extra leg strength, coordination, and balance. Avoiding stairs, whether conscious of it or not, could be a red flag. Same goes for exercise. If you are finding excuses to skip regular exercise because of mounting difficulties with getting around, it’s time to seek assistance.
Frequent Falling
While falls aren’t all that uncommon for seniors (one out of four seniors experiences a fall every year), frequent falling could indicate mobility difficulties. Even if you have not yet experienced an injury due to a fall, the fact that you fall even more than once a year could shed light on underlying risk factors negatively impacting your mobility including motor impairment and balance problems.
Chronic Illness
You may think that only chronic illnesses which directly affect your leg strength and coordination would impair your mobility, like Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis, however, you would be wrong. Conditions including diabetes, arthritis, and even heart disease can play a role in reducing your ability to quickly and safely move with ease.
Heart failure, for example, can leave your short of breath when you walk or stand for long periods of time. Diabetes can affect nerves in the legs and feet and arthritic joint inflammation can make walking painful.
Researchers have found less common risk factors that also increase an older adult’s chances of developing mobility problems. These include drinking or smoking, recent hospitalization, having symptoms of depression and experiencing memory and critical thinking problems.
Mobility difficulties do not need to be the end of the line for you. Advancements in technology, design, and engineering have revolutionized the assistive devices people with mobility problems can use. Utilizing equipment to help keep you mobile like motorized scooters, walkers, canes, and specialty wheelchairs can play an important role in both your health as well as your outlook on life.
Guest Blog: Adult day programs giving a new life to the adults
Those who had enjoyed a considerable amount of independence in their youth, the time has come when they need help from others as they were migrated to old age. Life is never static, and it keeps on changing from time to time because change is the integral and inherent part of life. Once you cross the fancy days of your youth and step into adulthood, life becomes more challenging than ever. It took a big leap when you get older and started calling by the people as elderly.
The adult day care homes came up as a hope for many adults who are living a lonely and concise life. They have given them many reasons to enjoy their adulthood, keeping aside all their worries and tensions of life. Many daycare homes in the USA have gone to the extent of providing a friendly and composite environment that even doesn’t get in their homes. The adult day programs in Atlanta offer a welcoming environment to the adults by connecting them back to mainstream society and expanding their outreach. They provide support and a needed break for someone who cares for a loved one who is no longer independent.
Every adult is welcomed in an adult day care home.
The adult day care homes take care of every adult regardless of their religion, race, and ethnicity. Caregivers in the Atlanta adult day care homes are not the ordinary people infect they are the one who is not doing this just as a job but it’s is their passion and nature to help elders and share their pain and joy. All the adults staying in the adult day care homes spent their day with loads of fun and doing meaningful activities.
It is not that adult daycare homes only provide emotional or medical support to the adults; they also facilitate adults by organizing musical events and taking them to cultural festivals. Some of them hold weekly performances by local musicians and local entertainers. They also give them the opportunity for interactions with pets and children, cooking projects, take them to nature walks, games, parties, and yoga classes.
Who joins adult day care homes?
- Adults in their 50s – 90s with some physical or cognitive behavioral problems.
- Older adults who don’t wish to stay home alone all through the day.
- Older adults can benefit from social interaction and a structured environment.
- Adults who are abandoned by their family and they are forced to live alone.
- Adults whose children are not living with them because either for work or study, they have to live outside the town or country.
Loads of Surprises
It is not that the adults living in the Adult Daycare homes are entirely cut off from their families and friends. This is not the case with every adult day care home because many Adult daycare homes provide surprise adults’ by suddenly calling their family members and close friends for a quick meet up or gathering.
As much as adults miss their family members, their family members also miss them equivalently.
Learn and earn schemes
Money adult Daycare homes also provide learning and earn schemes to the adults who want to do something big in their life. It doesn’t mean that if you are elder or older, your professional life is over. Many adults are still willing to work after their retirement from their professional life. The adult Daycare homes provide equal opportunities for adults.
6 Ways to Keep Seniors Safe During the Holiday Season
The holidays are just around the corner. While it can be the best of times for many, it can also be the worst of times for some. On the one hand Holiday Season means turkey, gifts and family. On the other hand, it can also mean cold, ice, darkness and loneliness.
Here are a few tips on how you can help your mom, dad or yourself stay safe during the holiday season.
1. Get the flu shot
Up to 85% of flu related deaths happen to those over the age of 65. The Center for Disease Control suggests get the flu vaccine is the best way for seniors to avoid getting the flu. It’s often free under Medicare, Medicaid, insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act and many private employer and school insurances.
2. Avoid isolation
Winter conditions have a tendency of keeping folks indoors, especially less mobile seniors, making isolation a real risk.
Check up on your parents frequently. Make sure they’re not missing any medical appointments, they’re getting their medications, their fridge is full and they’re connected to their support system. Arrange transportation if necessary.
3. Walk safely outdoors
Icy conditions and uneven walking surfaces dramatically increase the risk of outdoor falls. Consider crampons for extra grip and stay indoors during winter storms. You may also want to look into getting a medical alert system with GPS and fall detection to get immediate help in the event of a fall, injury or medical emergency.
4. Avoid depression
The winter blues are a real thing. Shorter days, lack of sunlight, cold weather can all lead to depression. Make your parent’s home a brighter place with therapy lamps. Stay in regular contact with them, include them in family plans, arrange for them to meet with friends and to exercise frequently.
5. Keep the heat on, but keep it safe
Make sure all heat sources are used safely.
Space heaters should have three feet of clear space around them – no curtains, blankets or clothing touching. Have the local fire department install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors – it’s often free!
6. Prepare for power outages
A power outage in the winter months can be especially dangerous for immobile seniors. Make sure your parents have a flashlight or battery operated lanterns. Arrange an alternate place for them to stay if they have no heat or light.
Guest Blog : Ways to Make In-Home Care Easier
Being responsible for another person when they’re unable to care for themselves is an emotional and physical challenge. Whether it’s a parent, grandparent, or in law—it’s not easy. If there is a way to help ease the burden, it’s a good idea to do it. Here are three adjustments that will make in-home care easier.
1. Remove potential hazards
Whether you care for someone who has dementia or someone who can’t walk, it’s important to remove anything that could be dangerous to them.
Health Care Associates mention a few hazards to think about:
● Throw rugs
● Clutter
● Slippery or steep steps
● Poor lighting
● Pets
● Unstable chairs
● Extension cords
● Low toilet seats
● Sidewalk cracks
● Sloping driveway
While you may not have control of all of these hazards, it’s a good idea to eliminate the risks when possible. Being aware of the potential risks will help you to know which areas you need to keep an eye on.
2. Delegate the big tasks
As a caregiver, your priority is taking care of someone. However, it’s common for caregivers to feel like they have to take care of everything. Instead of trying to manage everything yourself, find ways to take the pressure off of yourself so that you’re able to focus on what matters most.
For example, if you’re not a professional cook or an appliance repair professional, don’t try to be—consider meal delivery or appliance services. Instead of feeling guilty for not doing everything, lighten the burden so that you’re able to do your job without unnecessary stress.
3. Practice self-care daily
Self-care is at the top of the list for caregivers. It’s important to remember that the better you take care of yourself, the better you can take care of another person. Many caregivers have a hard time when caring for their own health.
According to Caregiver.org, these are all common for caregivers:
● Sleep deprivation
● Poor eating habits
● Failure to exercise
● Failure to stay in bed when ill
● Postponement of or failure to make medical appointments for themselves
If you’ve experienced any of the same issues, try to nail down the reasoning behind the problem. What makes you feel like you can’t do those things? Have you tried reaching out to others? Set goals around your health and don’t be afraid to reach out to friends and family for help.
7 Simple and Effective At-Home Workouts for Older Adults
Exercise and nutrition are important aspects of a healthy lifestyle and should be the focus of our everyday life. As we age, our body slows down, muscles become weak, and metabolism takes a hit. Simple activities like playing with grandkids, taking the stairs without getting winded or getting off the couch with little or no grunting can be challenging. Therefore, it’s important for the elderly to be physically active and make exercise a regular routine because it has some serious health benefits. For effective and easy home workout sessions buying a few home fitness equipment’s would be smart move.
Health Benefits of Exercise in Older Adults
Older adults have different reasons to stay in shape than the younger generation. Physical fitness is important for them to live a healthier, longer and more joyous life. The health benefits of exercise in seniors include:
- Independence
Exercise is one of the best ways to remain independent for older adults. Regular exercise keeps them active and helps with walking, cooking, eating, dressing, and using the restroom on their own.
- Improves balance
Regular exercise helps improve balance, so the older adults can do the activities they enjoy without straining or risking a fall.
- More energy
Exercise promotes the release of endorphins. These essential neurotransmitters are associated with pain mitigation and a sense of well-being. They help in combating stress hormones, promoting healthy sleep, and making them feel more lively and energetic.
- Prevents diseases
Old age makes them vulnerable to diseases such as osteoporosis, heart diseases, depression and diabetes. When they adopt a healthy and more active lifestyle, they can prevent these diseases or reduce the severity of the symptoms.
- Improves brain function and mental health
Seniors leading an active lifestyle is known to have improved cognitive health. A study from the Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation revealed that regular exercise reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia by nearly 50%.
At-Home Exercises for Older Adults
The best part of at-home exercises is that they are all about function; they are not very different from everyday movements, and yet you can get to make the most out of them. These exercises can be done with basic equipment like dumbells and resistance bands or with objects around the house. However, we recommend you to use a yoga mat for padding and also to reduce your chance of slipping. If you are not confident, ask someone to supervise you and provide support when needed.
- Walking
Walking is one of the most accessible and least stressful forms of exercise. Generally, 10,000 steps per day are recommended for a healthy lifestyle. But if you have difficulty walking or pain in the joints, settle down for a smaller number. Walking strengthens your muscles, lowers your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and colon cancer.
- Dumbbell strength training
Strength training is known to reduce the symptoms of osteoporosis, diabetes, back pain, and depression. It also helps you manage your weight, contributing to higher metabolism and better glucose management. Regular workout and strength training helps you in maintaining balance and stamina.
Some of the best dumbbell strength training exercises for improved balance and flexibility include:
- Tricep extension
- Bent-over row
- Overhead press
- Bicep curl
- Front raise
- Stretching Exercises
Stretching exercises help relieve some types of chronic pain. These exercises also increase flexibility. However, be mindful of your hip and knees while doing stretching exercises.
- Leg & Arm Raises
Leg and arm raises are simple yet effective ways to incorporate workouts for seniors at home. They not only improve strength but also help with balance. You can use a chair for support when doing leg raises. And if you want to increase the difficulty level of arm/leg raises, add a resistance band to your workouts.
- Resistance band workouts
Resistance bands are stretchy rubber strips used to add resistance to workouts. They are affordable, user-friendly, and hence are a great at-home workout for seniors. These resistance band exercises strengthen the core, improve mobility, posture, and balance.
Some resistance band workouts for seniors include:
- Triceps press
- Bicep curl
- Leg press
- Lateral raise
- Band pull apart
- Weight Training
Lightweight training helps prevent osteoporosis and increase muscle strength. Simple exercises such as wall push-ups can improve muscle mass, increase endurance and strength.
- Chair Yoga
This low-impact form of exercise is great for improving muscle strength, mobility, balance and flexibility. Chair yoga is less stressful on muscles, joints, and bones and hence a better option than conventional forms of yoga.
Chair yoga has been shown to improve mental health in seniors while improving sleep quality, lowering instances of depression, and helping seniors experience a general sense of well-being. Some popular chair yoga exercises for seniors include:
- Seated cow stretch
- Overhead stretch
- Seated cat stretch
- Seated twist
- Seated mountain pose
To lead a better quality of life, it’s important that you stay active. One way to do it is through regular exercise. Try the above at-home exercises for seniors and develop an exercise routine that works best for your health needs and capabilities.
Author Bio:
Sancket Kamdar, a certified weightlifting coach, and a successful entrepreneur founded
SF HealthTech with a single goal in mind – to bring high quality, international standard exercise equipment to help fitness enthusiasts and athletes reach the next level of fitness. When he’s not working on new equipment ideas and designs, he loves to create educational content about health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness. He also writes to help budding entrepreneurs on running and growing a business, based on his experience.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia seen in older adults. An estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages had Alzheimer’s disease in 2012. Nearly half (45%) of people over the age of 85 have AD. By 2050, the number of individuals age 65 and over with Alzheimer’s could range from 11 million to 16 million unless science finds a way to prevent or effectively treat the disease. One in eight older adults has AD, and it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States (Alzheimer’s Association, 2012). Those affected with AD may live from 3–20 years or more after diagnosis, making the life span with this disease highly variable.
Risk factors
Advanced age is the single most significant risk factor for AD (Alzheimer’s Association, 2012). More women than men have AD, but this is because women live longer than men, not because gender is a risk factor. Family history and heredity are also identified risk factors for AD, as are head trauma and poor cardiac health.
Warning Signs
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by progressive memory loss. The person affected by AD is gradually less able to remember new information and memory lapses begin to affect daily function. It is a terminal disease that over its course will eventually leave a person completely dependent upon others for care.
Diagnosis
Initially, the clinical progression of the disease is slow with mild decline; however, deterioration increases the longer the person lives, with an average life span of 8 years after diagnosis (Cotter, 2002; Fletcher, Rapp, & Reichman, 2007). The underlying pathology is not clear, but a growth of plaques and fibrillary tangles, loss of synapses, and neuronal cell loss are key hallmarks of AD that interfere with normal cell growth and the ability of the brain to function. Absolutely definitive diagnosis is still through autopsy, although clinical guidelines make diagnosis easier than decades ago when less was known about the disease. Primary care physicians generally make the diagnosis through a thorough history, physical exam, cognitive testing, and labs. New criteria for diagnosis include staging the disorder and biomarkers (beta amyloid and tau in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood) (Alzheimer’s Association, 2012b). An MRI of the brain may be ordered to rule out other causes of symptoms.
The clinical course of AD is divided into several stages, depending on the source consulted. In the early course of AD, the person may demonstrate a loss of short-term memory. This involves more than common memory loss, such as where the keys were put, and may involve safety concerns such as forgetting where one is going while driving. The inability to perform math calculations and to think abstractly may also be evident. In the middle or moderate phase, many bodily systems begin to decline. The person may become confused as to date, time, and place. Communication skills become impaired and personality changes may occur. As cognitive decline worsens, the person may forget the names of loved ones, even their spouse. Wandering behavior as well as emotional changes, screaming, delusions, hallucinations, suspiciousness, and depression are common. The person with AD is less able to care for her- or himself and personal hygiene suffers. In the most severe and final phase, the person becomes completely dependent upon others, experiences a severe decline in physical and functional health, loses communication skills, and is unable to control voluntary functions. Death eventually results from body systems shutting down and may be accompanied by an infectious process. Although there is no single test, and the diagnosis may be one of exclusion, early diagnosis is important to maximize function and quality of life for as long as possible. Persons experiencing recurring and progressing memory problems or difficulties with daily activities should seek professional assistance from their physician.
Treatment
Treatment for AD is difficult. There are several medications (such as Aricept, Namenda, Razadyne, and Exelon) that may help symptoms (such as memory), but they do not slow the course of the disease. There is currently no cure; however, research continues to occur in pharmacology, nonpharmacology, and the use of stem cells to manage symptoms and perhaps one day eradicate the disease.
Treatment will focus on symptom management, particularly in the areas of behavior, safety, nutrition, and hygiene. Behavioral issues such as wandering and outbursts pose a constant challenge. Many long-term care facilities have special “memory care” units to care for Alzheimer’s patients from the early to late stages of the disease. These units provide great benefits such as consistent and educated caregivers with whom the patient or resident will be familiar, a safe and controlled environment, modified surroundings to accommodate wandering behaviors, and nursing care 24 hours a day. Additionally, nurses are present to manage medications and document outcomes of therapies. However, many family members wish to care for their loved ones at home for as long as possible.
Thus, another important aspect of care in AD is care for the caregivers. Howcroft (2004) suggested that “support from carers is a key factor in the community care of people with dementia, but the role of the caregiver can be detrimental to the physical, mental, and financial health of a carer” (p. 31). She goes on to say that the caregivers of persons with AD would benefit from training in how to cope with behaviors that arise in these patients and how to cope with practical and legal issues that may occur.
Research has shown that ongoing skills are needed by family caregivers to deal with the progressive decline caused by AD. In fact, “a 63% greater risk of mortality was found among unpaid caregivers who characterized themselves as being emotionally or mentally strained by their role versus noncaregivers” (National Conference of Gerontological Nursing Practitioners & National Gerontological Nursing Association, 2008b, p. 4). Adapting to stress, working on time management, maximizing resources, and managing changing behavior were all skills caregivers needed to develop in order to successfully manage home care of their loved ones. When interventions and resources were not used by caregivers in the early stages of the care recipient’s AD, the risk of a healthy patient being institutionalized due to caregiver burden was higher (Miller, Rosenheck & Schneider, 2012). Caregivers needed not only to acquire knowledge and skills, but also to make emotional adjustments themselves to the ever-changing situation.
Such findings suggest that nurses should focus a good deal of time on educating caregivers of persons with AD to cope with, as Nancy Reagan put it, “the long good-bye.” Scientists continue to explore the causes of AD and hope in the near future to be able to isolate the gene that causes it. In the meantime, results from a fascinating longitudinal study (called the Nun study) on aging and AD, which used a group of nuns who donated their brains to be examined and autopsied after death, has suggested that there is a connection between early “idea density” and the emergence of AD in later life. That is, essays the nuns wrote upon entry to the convent were analyzed and correlated with those who developed AD. It was found that those with lower idea density (verbal and linguistic skills) in early life had a significantly greater chance of developing AD (Grossi, Buscema, Snowdon, & Antuono, 2007; Snowdon, 2004). The nun study has allowed researchers to examine hundreds of brains so far in nuns who died between 75 and 107 years of age and discover other important facts such as a relationship between stroke and the development of AD in certain individuals, and the role of folic acid in protecting against development of AD (Snowdon, 2004). Scientists from a number of fields continue to research the causes and possible treatments for AD and the Nun study project is continuing at the University of Minnesota. Snowdon’s research suggests that early education, particularly in verbal and cognitive skills, may protect persons from AD in later life.
Adapted from Mauk, K. L., Hanson, P., & Hain, D. (2014). Review of the management of common illnesses, diseases, or health conditions. In K. L.
Mauk’s (Ed.) Gerontological Nursing: Competencies for Care. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Used with permission.