The golden years come with their advantages. There’s the newfound freedom, for example, and the chance to relax and revel in all that you have accomplished. But your retirement years also bring age-related challenges that can really put a damper on enjoying them. It’s important for seniors to place high priority on their health and well-being, but it can be difficult to know where to begin. Here are four ways that you can place yourself first.

Social Well-Being
Although retirement usually includes the benefit of having more free time, having extra time on your hands can also have its disadvantages, especially if you live alone. Too much idle or alone time can lead to boredom, unhealthy inactivity, and even depression. Here a couple of activities to consider if you’re feeling isolated or unstimulated.

Get a part-time job
Finding a part-time job in retirement has its advantages. Not only will you have a little extra cash coming in, but you’ll meet new people and feel a sense of responsibility that you may be missing from your working years.

Senior Citizen Groups and Clubs
Joining and participating in senior groups, clubs, and organizations is often free or inexpensive, and some will even provide transportation. You can find groups that are general interest as well as others that focus on specific activities and niches.

Ensure Home Safety
Making sure that your home is a safe place to be is important for anyone, but it’s perhaps especially vital for seniors who are more at risk of falling as well as those who live alone. Here are four simple ways to make your home a safer place.

Bathing
Installing grab bars is one way to provide added safety when bathing. You can also invest in hands-free toiletry dispensers that save you the hassle of slippery bar soap or handling bulky containers.

Air Quality
It’s impossible to know exactly what toxins may be lurking in your household air, but there are steps you can take to reduce them. You can protect your home’s air quality by replacing air filters regularly and having your HVAC system checked by a repairman.

Natural Cleaning Products
Because of the current social awareness of toxins found in many cleaning and hygiene products, it has become easier to find brands that make products using only natural ingredients. You can also easily mix your own natural cleaning products using things like vinegar or lemon juice.

Maintain a Balanced Diet
There are a number of things that can hinder seniors from getting proper nutrition. These include a lack of transportation, dwindling finances, and medications that cause nausea or reduce appetites. It’s important for you to make healthy food choices at all ages. Try eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and fiber, as well as drinking plenty of water.

Gentle Exercise
As a senior, it’s more important than ever to exercise regularly, and the good news is that you don’t have to put out a lot of effort. Just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week will suffice. Walking, yoga, or swimming are gentle and effective forms of exercise for seniors. If you don’t have access to a pool at home and don’t have your own transportation, you may be able to find a senior swimming group similar to the ones discussed above that offers transportation. Then, your exercise regimen could include a social outlet as well.

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A care home makes up for one of the best places to access assisted living services. There are many such services in the country, making it difficult to choose the right one. You have to consider many unique factors to ensure you choose the ideal service provider. Fortunately, this guide looks at ten things to consider before moving to a care home:

1. The Pricing Packages

A care home offers services at a cost, and you have to be aware of their pricing plans. Usually, each pricing plan comes with different offers and levels of assisted living benefits. Reviewing these plans will help you make an informed decision for your care home needs. You can request information such as the average cost of assisted living by calling the care home or vising their website. Ensure you ask all relevant questions about each pricing plan before investing.

2. Online Presence

A good assisted living service is available online because nowadays, the average person uses the internet to search for solutions. The service should be available on social media, a website, or any other internet-based platform. A simple search engine query should help expose all the relevant care homes in your location. The ones that come up high in the search results are usually the most reputable.

3. Location

Logistics is a crucial factor when choosing the ideal care home. People have different location needs, and you have to consider this in choosing the ideal home. Some prefer homes that are in urban areas, while others prefer those that are in reserved locations. The location also helps determine whether you have chosen a reputable service because unprofessional people tend to work in remote areas.

4. Regulatory Approval

A care home should run as a state-recognized and approved business entity. Usually, the evidence of this approval is available on the business’s website or product portfolio. Or, it can also be available through local state databases or records. The approval helps to show that you have chosen a professional service.

5. Medical Services Offered

People in care homes sometimes need various types of medical services. A good care home can address these needs and suits the need of different patients. Medical services can include prescription management, mental health initiatives, and more. You also have to determine whether the home has the licensing to offer such services.

6. Enhanced Assisted Living

Enhanced assisted living refers to the various technologies a care home offers to patients with special needs. A good example would be assistive devices that help deaf patients or those with memory loss. The devices help these individuals to navigate everyday obligations conveniently. While such resources are likely to increase the cost of medical care, they are crucial for assisted living purposes.

7. Team of Staff

The team of staff available at the care home is also crucial for the assistive living services they can provide. Ensure you have a broad perspective of each team member before settling on a specific service provider. Doing this will help increase the likelihood of receiving high-quality medical health attention or help. It also helps ensure that the facility well addresses each patient’s needs.

8. Offers and Incentives

The quality of incentives the care home provides is also crucial for the medical services to its patients. The offers and incentives should be transparent and suitable for patients with long-term needs. The reason is that most care home patients are patients who will live in the facility for long durations. The offers can include discounts and privileges such as vacations for loyal clients.

9. Affiliations

You should also consider a care home with excellent affiliations with entities such as medical facilities. The reason is that it helps guarantee the likelihood that you will receive high-quality care home services. The affiliations can include those that exist with traditional medical services.

10. Social Support Programs

The ideal care home also has excellent social support programs for its patients. The programs should include recreational, physical, and other forms of outdoor activity. It should also include custom programs for people that have specific care needs.

Conclusion

As you have noticed, there is more to receiving medical care than the average person can expect. You must consider various factors and details to ensure you get the best service provider.

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Experiencing back, shoulder or neck pain? Your body may be speaking to you and you just don’t know it. Getting older doesn’t have to mean accepting regular aches and pains. Depending on your day to day activity, environment, and mobility, your back pain can be sending loud and clear messages like:

You’re not active enough: This might seem counter intuitive, especially to older adults who are avoiding activity so they don’t “further injure” themselves or cause more pain. The reality is, low-impact exercise and activity helps to alleviate pain and soreness by stretching out your muscles and spine, boosting blood circulation, and reducing inflammation in your muscles, joints, and tendons. Along with keeping off excess weight.

You’re not sleeping well: A bad night’s sleep can undo any number of steps you took towards relieving back pain during the day. Older mattresses that don’t support proper spine alignment while you sleep can result in the pull and strain of your muscles and tendons and lead to bad posture during the day. Optimize on the natural curve of your spine while you sleep by simply using a pillow – on your side in a fetal position, try sleeping with a pillow between your knees. If you sleep on your back, place a pillow underneath your knees.

You’re stressed: Feelings of stress, anxiety or depression can physically translate into tense muscles that lead to back pain and thoughtless behaviors like eating poorly or not exercising, which exacerbate existing conditions. Aging seniors with complex medical conditions or cognitive decline are more likely to experience stress and anxiety as well as feelings of frustration and anger.

You’re not practicing self-care: Incorporating daily care routines into your life can make a huge difference in both your experience of back pain as well as your personal outlook on life. Self-care can be as simple as eating a healthy diet, stretching and exercising to care for your body, meditating, decluttering your environment, and practicing self-soothing techniques like rubbing lotion on your hands and feet before bed. Relieving back pain starts with you and your own self-awareness of what you need and deserve to live your best life.

You’re sitting down too much: Countless aging seniors will spend hours each day sitting down – at meals, watching tv, reading, and at the computer. Sustained inactivity and sitting in one spot for an extended period of time puts significant pressure on the spine and promotes bad posture, all of which lead to back pain and discomfort. Experts recommend not going more than 30 or 45 minutes sitting in one place without getting up to stretch, walk around, and change positions.

Get this!

According to a recent report published by the American College of Physicians*, people who experience moderate to acute back pain are actually more likely to experience relief when they try exercise, yoga, acupuncture or massage instead of taking pain killers. The comprehensive study revealed that most types of back pain go away over time whether they are treated or not and that drugs should be a last resort for alleviating pain, after mindfulness-based practices, exercise, spinal manipulation, even heat wraps.

http://annals.org/aim/article/2603228/noninvasive-treatments-acute-subacute-chronic-low-back-pain-clinical-practice

Joe Fleming

Co-Founder, Vive Health

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Oral diseases such as tooth decay and gum problems are very much apparent to many people in the recent years. In fact, nearly all adults experience having these problems in their day-to-day living. Although these are quite treatable, even preventable, still, a lot of people do not pay attention to their oral health.

As it happens, having healthy teeth, gums, and mouth requires effort and time. And one must really invest when it comes to achieving oral health in its optimal state. But while it is considered as an investment, healthy practices for your oral health is quite simple and easy to do. Also, not only that these practices are convenient to do, but they would not require you with many expenses. And in doing these practices on a daily basis, you would certainly achieve healthy teeth and gums.

Here are the 5 healthy practices that you may want to start now to prevent oral diseases:

1. Brush properly
It is already common knowledge that brushing your teeth is important. But keep in mind that the way you are brushing is equally essential as well. The truth is – when you do not brush properly, it’s almost the same thing as not brushing your teeth at all.

All people brush their teeth and gums in several ways. But the most recommendable way of brushing is by gently stroking the toothbrush in a circular motion towards the teeth. Through this way, the plaque will be removed from all sides and corners of the teeth.

Additionally, keep in mind that unremoved plaque will result in hardening which contains numerous bacteria that are not good for your oral health. And once it hardens, this will eventually lead to the calculus buildup and other oral health problems like early stages of gum diseases.

2. Treat flossing as important as brushing
Practicing teeth whitening at home is much more prevalent than flossing as a routine for many people. In fact, 8 out of 10 individuals are found to neglect flossing and this is as bad as not brushing at all. Apparently, dentists and specialists require everyone to floss at least once a day. And whether you do it in the morning or the evening, it does not matter just as long as you floss.

Originally, flossing is a very effective way of dealing with the left plaque and food in between your teeth that are not pretty reachable for all kinds of toothbrushes. And thanks to floss, you can easily remove them and prevent your teeth from having buildups.

But today, new studies and reports suggest that flossing is not only ideal for removing the left plaque and food. As it happens, flossing is also found a great way to stimulate the gums and reduce inflammation. And these benefits are really helpful if one wants to pay attention to their oral health. Hence, it is recommended to treat flossing as important and as necessary as brushing.

3. Quit smoking
Another reason to quit smoking permanently is due to the fact that smoking actually does a lot of damage to your teeth and gums. As you may know, smoking kills. And one of the first things that smoking do to you aside from weakening your immune system is its capability of damaging your oral health.

Since smoking weakens dramatically the immune system, your immunity will no longer be able to prevent several infections to your body including your mouth and gums. Also, when your gums became damaged, it will be difficult for your teeth and gums to recover and heal quickly as smoking can only worsen the conditions.

Also, smoking causes nicotine stains on your teeth. Not only that these stains are unpleasing to look at, but they are also quite difficult to remove, especially if the mouth is already subjected to smoking for quite a long time now. In addition, smoking causes your breath to smell really bad. Hence, smoking does not provide anything good for your overall oral and physical health. And you must quit it now before it worsens your state.

4. Limit sugary and acidic foods
Sugar is as bad as smoking. But while sugar is known to be everyone’s ultimate guilty pleasure, sugar erodes the enamel of your teeth. And this not good for your oral health.

Apparently, when you take high amounts of sugar and sugar-rich foods, these components convert into acid to your mouth. And once the conversion has been successful, it then promotes the production of plaque and bacteria in your mouth. So, not only that sugar can damage your teeth, but it can also lead to various oral health complications.

However, it is quite difficult for some to stop taking sugar-rich foods like fruits and coffee. And if this is the case, then you must try to be mindful instead. It won’t actually hurt you to regard and consider what you’ve been eating, especially if you are really firm to change your oral health practices.

5. Visit your dentist at least twice a year
These healthy practices will definitely help you achieve much healthier teeth and gums. But even so, your oral health is still prone to several risks and potential diseases. And even if you are the most diligent brusher and flosser, the risk of having oral diseases is still at large. So, the best way to complement your healthy practices is to visit your dentist at least twice a year.

Your dentists know what’s best for your teeth and gums. And they will also tell you the condition of your oral health.

All in all, your oral health is as important as your physical health. This is where your daily supplementation starts. So, you must really take good care of it. And through these 5 healthy practices, you will surely decrease the risks of various oral diseases and even prevent them from happening in the future.

Josh Elizetxe is the inventor and founder of Snow. He is an accomplished philanthropist and successful entrepreneur with several 8-figure exits. His latest focus is on disrupting the $65 billion oral care market with revolutionary, patented products supercharged by celebrity partnerships.

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According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the disease affects five million Americans. However, this number doesn’t reflect the many more Americans that are affected by Alzheimer’s indirectly. This includes family and friends that take on the great responsibility of caring for a loved one with the disease. Many of these caregivers have numerous considerations to keep in mind, and one of these is altering and modifying the home to provide better comfort and safety.

Let’s look at some home preparations and modifications you can make if you need to accommodate a loved one with Alzheimer’s.

Safety and Comfort.

The first consideration should be thinking about is how you can reduce the risk of your loved one tripping, falling, or becoming confused or disoriented.

● Remove objects that can be obstructive in high-traffic areas. Avoid having stuff on the floor or low tables and furniture that can be easy to miss.
● Lock cabinets that might contain hazardous chemicals and materials.
● Keep dark corners of the house well-lit and illuminated. This includes stairwells and basements.
● Check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
● Ensure your loved ones don’t have easy exits where they can wander out.

Functionality and Design

Making your house function better for Alzheimer’s patients means helping them avoid unnecessary disorientation, fear, or depression. The following are some tips:

● Remove clutter or scattered objects that might overstimulate. For example, instead of having five pairs of shoes for your loved one to choose from, leave only one pair. This might eliminate an unnecessary episode of confusion when getting dressed.
● Rearrange furniture in a simple and straightforward way. The way the furniture is arranged can dictate the atmosphere of the room. For example, if the only chair is facing the television, you might have them constantly sitting in front of the TV.
● The Huffington Post suggests that creating a personalized space with familiar objects and smells can be a great way to keep an Alzheimer’s patient comfortable. At the same time, you should avoid having busy patterns on furniture or curtains, confusing colors, or rugs that can cause tripping.

Stimulation and Socialization

It’s important for your loved one to get plenty of socialization and interaction with others. In a typical household, people are working or living their own lives as they juggle the responsibility of caregiving. Living at home without much visitation can often lead to patients becoming isolated and withdrawn. Try to arrange frequent visits by friends and family members. Consider taking loved ones with you if you have to run errands, going for short walks, or involving them in everyday activities.

How to Modify or Renovate Your Home

In order to maintain safety or functionality, it’s often important to do modifications to your home. One of the most common home alterations is improving or renovating bathrooms and kitchens. This is because these are two areas of the house that can be most hazardous and require a little more navigation.

For Bathrooms

Renovations for bathrooms cost an average of about $8,820 depending on the work to be done. Some common and important improvements for Alzheimer’s-friendly bathrooms include installing grab bars and handrails, swapping out a bathtub for a shower, and adding lighting and non-slip flooring.

For Kitchens

You might consider a kitchen modification as well. It will vary in complexity depending on your current setup. When restructuring your kitchen for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, consider faucets, accessibility of appliances, kitchen counter height, mobility, and difficulty of navigation.

Caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s is a great responsibility. Ensuring their safety and comfort at home will not only make their lives better, but it will make yours easier and remove unnecessary hazards and stress. Having confidence that your loved one is comfortable and at ease will take a big weight off your shoulders. Your loved one will be happy to be living at home. The Boston Globe reported that Alzheimer’s patients that remain at home live longer and better lives.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

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Hearing loss can have a profound effect on a person and their quality of life. Hearing loss can lead to a withdrawal from social situations, signs of depression and other effects on the health of an individual. Therefore, it is imperative that any loss in hearing be treated as soon as possible. In order for hearing loss to be treated, an individual must recognize that a loss of hearing has occurred. Some hearing loss can have a gradual onset, so the person with the hearing loss may not be fully aware that treatment is needed.

According to the National Academy on an Aging Society, millions of Americans suffer from hearing loss. Those suffering from hearing loss range in symptoms from very mild to severe or near total hearing loss. Of these, 43 percent are those individuals aged 65 and older. However, hearing loss can affect all ages with some 5 percent of children having some form of hearing loss. The causes of specific hearing loss are varied, with some created due to occupational stress, or life choices, or those brought about because of aging.

Audiologists and hearing aid specialists at Hearinglife.com lists the types of hearing loss as:

• Conductive Hearing Loss
• Sensorineural Hearing Loss
• Mixed Hearing Loss

Conductive hearing loss is a result of some form of obstruction in the ear. This type can be temporary and usually corrected via medical procedure and occasionally the application of a mechanical aid.

Sensorineural hearing loss is damage or some other issue affecting the auditory nerve or inner ear. This category encompasses hearing loss due to aging or disease. Correction usually involves the application of assisted hearing devices as this loss is usually permanent.

Mixed hearing loss is attributed to directed sound at excessive volume, such as that found in headphones and in occupational settings. Corrective measures also require the use of a mechanical or assisted hearing device. Based on statistics performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mixed hearing loss is a widespread concern affecting over 22 million Americans each year. As suggested by the professionals for Kaiser Permanente Health System, they symptoms of hearing loss appear as:

• Muffled Hearing
• Requiring Higher Than Normal Volumes
• Frequently Misunderstanding Spoken Words
• Ringing or Pain in the Ear or Fluid Leakage
• Off Balance or Feeling of Spinning

Any of these, and potentially other symptoms, can occur with hearing loss. Even before hearing loss is suspected, it is generally accepted that hearing should be tested regularly in order to quickly diagnose and treat any hearing loss before it becomes significant to the detriment of the individual and their quality of life.

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Background

Constipation is the most common bowel problem in older adults. The definition varies by patients and health care providers, but generally it means less frequent bowel movements than usual, and those which are hard, dry, and difficult to pass. Constipation is a preventable and treatable problem. Changes that occur with normal aging, such as peristalsis in the gut slowing down or decreased physical activity, predispose older persons to constipation.

Risk Factors/Warning Signs

Constipation is often due to a combination of causes. Some of the risk factors include decreased activity, medications (such as certain pain pills, iron supplements, and calcium supplements), depression, neurological conditions (dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, and spinal cord injury), dehydration, low dietary fiber, metabolic disturbances (such as hypothyroidism), undergoing dialysis, obstruction, and decreased access to the toilet (Halter et al., 2009). The range of “normal” for bowel movements is three times per day to three times per week. A decrease in number of stools that is “normal” for the person and the occurrence of hard, dry stools that are difficult to expel are typical signs of constipation.

Diagnosis

If constipation is severe enough for the person to seek medical care, the patient may complain of abdominal pain and even have symptoms similar to other problems such as an appendicitis or diverticulitis. These more serious ailments can be ruled out through x-rays, CT scan or MRI. The diagnosis is based on clinical presentation, history, and physical examination. It is important to determine the onset and duration of the constipation, along with functional and nutritional status.

Treatments

Before starting a bowel program to prevent constipation, the existing problem should be dealt with. A physician may prescribe laxatives, suppositories, and/or enemas to get the stool moving and eliminated. Many such products can be obtained over the counter as home remedies, but severe and recurrent problems should be referred to the primary care provider for further examination of the cause. After starting with a clean bowel, interventions should focus on lifestyle and dietary modifications. All natural means should be tried first before adding medication to the regimen. This includes regular exercise, establishment of a regular routine for toileting (assure privacy), and encouragement of a high-fiber diet with adequate fluid intake (unless contraindicated)(Joanna Briggs Institute, 2008). Medications may be considered for those who do not respond to lifestyle changes. Residents of nursing homes appear to respond to stimulant laxatives (e.g., senna, bisacodyl) or Miralax. Enemas should not be used on a regular basis because they promote lazy bowel function. Most older persons can avoid constipation if they remain active, have proper nutrition high in fiber, and drink plenty of fluids.
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.

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Are You Working Out Too Much?
While it is great to work out throughout the week, you may be pushing yourself too much. Consider how much you work out each week, or even what type of workouts you are doing. Take it easy on yourself and opt to work out three times a week that includes light cardio and calisthenics. As you work out, take note of how you feel during each task. You should still be able to carry on a conversation as you work out. If you feel short of breath, then try and tone back your workout activity.

Hire Professionals Whenever Possible
Don’t overwork yourself in retirement by taking on home tasks that you don’t need to perform. When in doubt, hire a professional. If you aren’t in a senior living community yet, considering investing in a home protection plan to help with home maintenance. You may even want to consider hiring a housecleaner to come in once a week to take care of those bigger cleaning tasks, such as laundry or cleaning the bathroom.

Discover How Much Sleep You Need
Did you know that sleeping too little, or even too much, can affect your energy levels? Everybody is different, so try and mix up how much you’re sleeping each day to figure out what you need to have enough energy throughout the day. It may also be worth considering sleeping less at night, then taking advantage of a nice nap during the middle of the day. You’ll feel refreshed and ready to take on the afternoon activities.

Squeeze in Raw Vegetables Whenever Possible
A tried and true way to get the nutrients you need is to eat your veggies, but that may be easier said than done. Vegetables come packed with vitamins and minerals that the body needs to stay active and healthy. Squeeze in some vibrant veggies wherever you can, or even opt to have a green drink every morning in case you are unable to meet your vegetable quota throughout the day.

Add Vitamin D Into Your Routine
Vitamin D is much more beneficial to your body than just for bone health, it is great for your skin and can help give you a ton of energy you may otherwise be missing. If you aren’t getting enough vegetables containing Vitamin D in your daily diet, such as spinach and kale, consider taking a daily vitamin. You can even invest in a liquid vitamin or powder to mix into your morning coffee or smoothie.

Breath in the Fresh Air
Take some time to take walks outside and breath in the fresh air. According to the Journal of Environmental Psychology, even spending short periods of time outdoors has been directly correlated with greater vitality. Whether you take a walk, drink your morning coffee on the porch, or even just take a moment to enjoy the sunshine as you take out the trash, try and spend some time each day outdoors.

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