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Guest Blog: Why You Need a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner

It is no surprise that baby boomers are entering the elderhood phase of their lives, which often means seeking medical care or advice for themselves or for their aged parents. The role of the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP) is quickly becoming more relevant as America’s older population is expected to grow from 15% to 24% over the next 30 years. With life expectancy increasing from 68 years old in 1950 to 79 years in 2013, the expertise of the AGNP is more valuable than ever as healthcare faces this “Silver Tsunami.”

AGNPs are trained to provide care across the continuum of adulthood from young adults to the frail elderly as a reflection to changes made to the national certification exams in 2013, which combined the adult and gerontological specialties into one certification. However, many AGNPs and still-certified Gerontological NPs choose to specialize in the elderly population, (those older than 65) with specific focus areas or competencies related to the aging adult.

Nurse practitioners who specialize in adult and gerontological care can further their specialization by choosing a primary care or acute care concentration. No matter the setting, the AGNP provides multi-disciplinary care to treat the entire individual, not just their health concerns. As there are many facets of aging to consider, the AGNP addresses the physical, psychological and social aspects of aging not only to treat conditions, but to educate patients and the community on preserving function and preventing injury or further decline. Depending on the state in which they practice, AGNPs typically work with a supervising physician under standardized procedures in order to assess, diagnose, treat and prescribe medications.

Many studies have shown that patients are very happy to receive care from nurse practitioners in a variety of settings, including palliative care. Education regarding options for end-of-life care is typically managed by AGNPs in the acute care, post-acute care, home care, long-term care and primary care settings. As educating patients and populations is a cornerstone of the nursing profession, advanced-practice nurses such as AGNPs offer expert knowledge to guide patients and their families through the challenging maze of end-of-life planning. The role of the Adult-Gerontological Nurse Practitioner has never been more valid or necessary as the U.S. begins to feel the surge of the silver tsunami.

Catherine Burger, BSN, MSOL, RN is a board-certified nurse executive leader and contributing writer for www.registerednursing.org.

By Jim|2024-04-23T11:15:10-05:00June 4th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

Guest Blog: 3 Reasons How Counselling Can Be a Life Saver for Many Seniors

Many of us face loads of issues in different aspects of life. It can be heed to our career, studies and personal affairs. However, we all are somehow dependent on a counsellor to sort out our emotional difficulties, overcome our problems and make appropriate changes in our lives. Counselling can help people of any age, but the counselling needs of a teenager are almost going to be a lot different than those of an adult. Ageing includes life changes and transitions like retirement that you may want to talk to someone about. Many famous counselling centers, such as Lakewood senior care, help seniors stay home with custom assistance which works together to create a network of services and support for seniors in a community. They focus on providing a safe, pleasant, home-like environment for their residents. Their goal is to treat every person with respect and the dignity they deserve. They urge us to focus that why counselling plays an essential role in the life of seniors. Hence, this is proven as under.

Stimulate seniors to have a positive mindset:

For most people, retirement is a thrilling time to progress, engage themselves in entertainment, or spend additional time with their loved ones. Others may feel less passionate and admiration what to do with their time. Even if they are excited to retire and have plans for how to spend their time, the adaption can still be a shock to the system. Part of ageing is losing people that you know. For some, that means losing a friend, family, or partner. Counselling can help them work through their grief and thoughts related to ageing, death, and dying. Counsellors provide therapy that changes our thoughts, emotions, and behavior.

Talking to a counsellor can help seniors consider their choices and reflect on their careers. It can also give them a more accurate sense of what they should want to focus on during retirement. This also builds a positive sense of humor in adults, and they start observing things firmly. Better advice and guidance promote positivity in their thinking and professional life.

Address speculative affairs formerly:

A clash from the past would be sorted out when a person reaches seniority in a perfect world. However, many seniors are still getting their hands-on on issues that ensue long ago. A time-honoured family dispute could turn down your loved one’s fretwork of support. Remembrance of a horrifying experience can cause seniors to segregate themselves from the ones left over. Your beloved may not be ready to transverse some of these problems with close family members, but they are likely to open up to a counsellor who can help them take steps towards relief.

Most counselling techniques are based on respect, empathy, and support. It is critical for the profession of geriatric counselling to foster a culture in which mentally healthy older persons are seen as “normal.” Counsellors must convey the concept that old age is not problematic in and of itself and does not necessitate counselling. However, when symptoms exceed an older adult’s capacity to function, counselling should be considered regardless of age. Some therapists and counsellors focus on dealing with seniors. They are informed about the unique challenges that impact you and others your age.

Dealing with medical issues:

Mental health mainly deals with our thinking, feelings and behaviors. From the time we are born through childhood, and adulthood, until old age, we can get stressors in life, leading to changes in thinking, feeling, and behaviors, leading to mental health problems. A counsellor will help the person and guide the person in various ways. One of the ways is counselling, where the person is taught to develop specific coping skills and help them become better at dealing with stress. There are also other methods like medications that help a person recover faster and those who are incredibly suicidal or homicidal very agitated. They may require inpatient management. Positive mental health allows seniors to realize their full potential to cope with destresses in life and work productively.

Counsellors advise people to maintain positive mental health, have a positive connection with others, and get enough periods of sleep. As time passes, you may have health issues that change how you do things. Many circumstances associated with getting aged may alternate your daily routines and capability. Even if you haven’t been treated with a condition, your vision, hearing, memory, and physical strength will likely decline as you get older.

Positive deliberation is not about expecting the best to happen. It’s about accepting that whatever happens, happens for the best.

By Jim|2024-04-23T11:14:54-05:00June 2nd, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

Healthy Eating Habits for Common Health Conditions

Having a healthy diet is important to your wellness as a whole, but when you have specific health conditions, it may be time to inspect how changes to your diet can impact your well-being. Check out these areas of health that recommend specific diets.

Heart Health

Your cardiovascular health is incredibly important to your overall health. As heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, having a diet that promotes heart health is crucial. Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and healthy protein will aid in your heart health. Choosing whole-grain options and minimizing processed foods, salt, and alcohol in your diet will also be beneficial to your cardiovascular health.

Creating a diet plan with your doctor can help you understand what foods help or harm you in the long run, as well as help you understand the importance of maintaining a healthy diet. You should monitor your heart health frequently as you age to ensure the swift identification of any changes to your cardiovascular wellness.

Eye Health

As you age, the health of your eyes changes. Between glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy, it’s incredibly important for you to have your eye health top of mind. Introducing eye-friendly nutrients into your diet can ensure the longevity of your eye health. Lutein, which you’ll find in dark leafy vegetables, along with vitamin c, vitamin e, and omega-3 fatty acids, can all play an important role in the health of your vision.

Aside from your diet, reviewing your corrective lenses on an annual basis is a small task that can yield great results for your overall health. This can include making sure you update your prescription eyeglasses often so you can quickly identify any changes to your vision. Catching these changes early on ensures you take the right steps in adjusting your lifestyle for the sake of your eye health. Prioritizing your vision and making a diet conducive to the optimal health of your eyes can help ward off the onset of many age-related eye problems.

To keep the health of your gut top of mind, creating a gut-conscious diet is imperative. This diet should include probiotics, prebiotics, fiber, and fermented foods. Incorporating foods like this should increase the good bacteria found in your gut which helps ward off illness. If you have any of the above-mentioned autoimmune disorders in your family history, it is important to take care of your gut early on and learn about the ways you can make your health as optimal as possible.

Staying on top of your health will always need to be a top priority. Understanding any conditions you have, or could have in the future based on your family history, helps you create a prevention plan. Diet, exercise, and environmental changes are all things you can alter for the sake of your health. Prioritizing your wellness will always be a necessary step for the longevity of your life.

By Jim|2024-03-29T10:11:51-05:00May 29th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

Guest Blog: Everything You Need to Know About Tooth Discoloration in Seniors

A perfect smile with pearly teeth can be a real confidence booster. However, as you age, you might experience teeth discoloration. Therefore, it becomes important to understand what causes the discoloration of teeth in the elderly and what you can do about it.

Tooth Discoloration in Seniors

Teeth naturally are not perfectly white, and the color may vary from person to person. It ranges typically from white gray to light yellow in hue. However, in rare cases, it may be a bit more yellow or brownish despite good dental health. This visible color is of tooth enamel. It is the hard substance that protects the underlying delicate tissue of the tooth.

Enamel is the hardest substance in the body and shields the teeth. The purpose of enamel is to protect the surface of the teeth from erosion or stains. It further defends the teeth from sensitivity caused by very hot or cold foods and drinks.

As you age, the outer layer of the enamel on your teeth gets worn out to reveal the natural yellow color of dentin. Since the enamel does not have living cells, once damaged, it cannot grow back. Other than aging, there are other factors that contribute to tooth discoloration in seniors. Here are some of them:

1. Disease and medication
A number of diseases and treatments, including procedures like chemotherapy and radiation, can affect the teeth color. In addition, infections may also cause the natural teeth color to fade. Medications like tetracycline, doxycycline, antihistamines, and drugs for hypertension are also known to cause teeth discoloration.
2. Poor dental hygiene
Not brushing the teeth properly and skipping flossing can lead to yellow teeth as it will allow plaque to develop.
3. Foods, drinks, and tobacco
Certain foods and drinks like coffee, tea, wine, fruits, and vegetables can lead to teeth stains.
4. Excessive fluoride
Use of excessive fluoride, often found in teeth whitening products like toothpaste or mouthwash can cause yellowing of teeth.
5. Genes
Genetics can also be a major factor. Some people have more yellow tooth color than others, while others have thinner enamel.

How to treat discoloration in old age

Enamel, once destroyed, cannot be repaired. Therefore, the first thing you can practice is prevention. Nevertheless, teeth discoloration with age is unpreventable. Some of the treatments to get rid of teeth stains are mentioned below.
– Practice good dental hygiene and brush your teeth properly.
– Avoid foods or drinks that may cause staining.
– You may consult your dentist and consider bondings or veneers to hide or remove yellow teeth.
– Your dentist may be able to help you through teeth whitening procedures.
– Over-the-counter whitening agents can be the saviors in some cases.

Author Bio: Dr. Anu Isaac, DMD, runs a successful dental practice in Salem, MA. As the founder of Coral Dental Care, she is dedicated to creating healthy, beautiful smiles for her patients and also to educating dental and non-dental community with her engaging articles on all things related to oral health, recent dental innovations, and latest treatment modalities.

By Jim|2024-03-29T10:11:37-05:00May 27th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

Guest Blog: Acupuncture: How It Works and the Various Benefits It Brings

Acupuncture is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine that is based on the theory that a blockage or disruption in the flow of the body’s life force, or qi, can lead to health problems. Acupuncturists use small needles inserted into precise places on the body to balance energy, facilitate healing, and calm the body.

To say the least, acupuncture has a rich heritage. Documents detailing the practice date back to the first century BCE, but other archaeologists believe it dates back even further: maybe as far as 8,000 years ago.

It is a process where professional acupuncturists shallowly insert extremely thin needles into particular spots in the skin tissue in an attempt to unblock or alter divert the flow of energy. Acupoints are the names given to these points. Acupoints are counted in a variety of ways, although most systems count around 350-400 of them. Medical acupuncture is used for a variety of purposes, including pain reduction, and is now covered by many insurance policies.

To put things into perspective, let’s dive a little deeper.

How Acupuncture Works?

Endorphins are pain-relieving and pleasure-producing substances discovered by scientists in the 1970s. According to research, correctly conducted acupuncture can release endorphins, which can help with pain and nausea. It’s unclear how these small pegs trigger an endorphin surge.

It’s been tough to look into the practice. This is due to two key factors. The first is that various practitioners utilize different numbers of acupoints, prescribe varying amounts of sessions, and hold those sessions for varied lengths of time, which makes comparison difficult. The second problem for researchers is that people’s ideas and expectations, as well as how they feel about their therapist, may influence how effective the therapy seems to be in improving their diseases.

Benefits of Acupuncture

Most people are aware of acupuncture’s remarkable results on chronic pain relief and improved quality of life in people suffering from musculoskeletal ailments. This ancient therapeutic practice offers a slew of other physical, mental, and emotional advantages that few people are aware of. Acupuncture has a number of unexpected advantages, including the following:

Migraine and Headache:

Many people suffer from headaches on a regular basis. According to certain studies, stitching can give excellent, short-term relief for persistent tension headaches. Researchers have found that needle treatments for migraine headaches can be helpful even if they are not put in the right acupoints, and that they may have a larger impact than traditional medication therapy with fewer side effects.

Insomnia and Sleep Problems:

Acupuncture stimulates your body’s natural production of melatonin. This hormone governs your sleep-wake cycles when it is present in ideal proportions. It is typically underproduced today, owing to our contemporary lifestyle and bad sleeping habits, resulting in insomnia, frequent night awakenings, and constant exhaustion. If this continues for an extended period of time, it is a breeding environment for future health issues. Acupuncture can help you regain your natural ability to fall — and stay — asleep quickly.

Joint Pain:

Several studies and research suggested that acupuncture may be able to enhance the physical function of the knee in people with knee osteoarthritis in the short and long term. The connective tissue in the knee breaks down in this disorder. Acupuncture was also found to be effective in reducing knee discomfort in those with osteoarthritis of the knee, but only in the short term.

Energizes You:

Acupuncture can help you overcome lethargy or brain fog, whether you need a physical or mental energy boost to battle fatigue. An ideal set-point may be obtained and all organs can work properly by fully harmonizing the body’s energy environment. As a result, you may feel at peace, allowing you to get a better night’s sleep and become pain-free. Increased physical stamina and ability for clear and creative thinking result from stimulating the proper cerebral pathways.

Improves Digestion:

Acupuncture may cure practically all digestive issues by supporting the healthy functioning of the digestive system and its organs, as well as the rebalancing of possibly defective energy fields. While a lot of people walk towards dieting, we feel it is not sustainable. Acupuncture can assist with acute gastrointestinal disorders as well as severe symptoms of long-term persistent illnesses that have not been effectively treated, such as gallstones, Crohn’s Disease, or inflammatory bowel disease.

Enhances Fertility:

Acupuncture supports our reproductive systems and the appropriate synthesis of male and female hormones, making it a feasible option for couples struggling with infertility. Acupuncture may help a pregnancy develop smoothly, and it can even help the child’s position in the uterus be optimized for a natural and problem-free birth, protecting the mother’s fertility and physical reproductive health.

Maintains Blood Pressure:

In today’s world, rising blood pressure is an issue, especially with high-stress occupations and rising obesity rates. Regular acupuncture treatments, in combination with conventional therapy for the cardiovascular system, can help lower blood pressure. The technique supports appropriate cardiac function and blood flow, and it can be more successful in controlling blood pressure than medication.

Manages Menstrual Pain:

Acupuncture may help with dysmenorrhea, or painful periods, as well: Participants who got acupuncture reported as much relief from painful periods as those who took NSAIDs like ibuprofen or aspirin in a short research from 2013. In a 2008 research of 649 women, 15 acupuncture treatments spread out over three months were shown to be more effective than standard care in lowering menstruation discomfort and enhancing quality of life.

Final Takeaway

Acupuncture is widely accepted as a safe and effective treatment for a variety of ailments. Acupuncture sessions can last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, with the needles in for roughly 20 minutes. While the needles are implanted, some people may experience discomfort or pressure, while others may experience distinct feelings. Consult a professional acupuncturist if you’re not sure where to begin. An expert can show you where to apply pressure and how to do it correctly. For more information, you can reach out to us. We are always happy to help.

By Jim|2024-03-29T10:11:23-05:00May 25th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

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