Guest Blog: Reasons The Elderly Benefit From Aging in Place
In the movie classic, The Wizard of Oz, little Dorothy knew then what has become a staple in the lives of elderly seniors today; “there is no place like home!” Dorothy, the main character in the movie, was swept away by a tornado from her home to a far away fantasy land. The only way back home was for her to follow the directions of the Good Witch Glenda’s magic spell which required Dorothy to click her red shoes together three times and think of the phrase, “there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home!” Afterwards, she woke up from a deep sleep in her own bed and in her own home.
Today, roughly 90 percent of older adults aged 65 and over prefer aging in place rather than moving to an assisted living facility or nursing home according to a study conducted by AARP. Like Dorothy, these older people know what Dorothy knew then, that “there is no place like home”, and they plan to stay in their homes as opposed to living in a long term care facility.
What Does Aging In Place Really Mean?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines aging in place as “The ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.” Although aging in place is the new trend for senior living, changes to an elderly senior’s body due to aging, may pose a problem. However, with a few low-cost home modifications, the goal to age in place is easily achieved and the benefits from doing so are rewarding.
There are however, some seniors living with medical conditions and other limitations that may prevent them from performing normal activities of daily living on their own. If this is the case, they may need to seek assistance from a home care provider or a family member. With in-home care assistance for routine daily life activities, aging in place is still achievable in spite of those limitations.
3 Common Reasons Elderly Seniors Should Age In Place
Elderly seniors choosing to age in place are doing so for any number of reasons. Even though assisted living facilities have been on the rise since 1979, over a million Americans are opting out of that option. Here are five common reasons why:
1. The growing high cost of living in an assisted living facility!
According to LongTermCare.gov, the average cost for a one bedroom at an assisted living facility is over $3,000 a month. Of course, this price may increase if additional services beyond the basic ones mentioned in the contract are needed. For example, if the resident requires assistance from a healthcare provider or home health aid. This service could add an additional $1,600 a month. Therefore, staying in your own home will definitely save money, even if you had to hire a personal care provider. In most cases, an elderly person’s medicare will cover part or all of the cost of home healthcare.
2. Aging in place is more comfortable!
Living in your own home is much more comfortable. All the treasures you hold dear are in your long term home. In fact, the American Society On Aging found that 56 percent of seniors 65 to 74 years old and 63 percent of those 75 years old and older reports that the “emotional” value of their home is worth more to them than the sales value. This is most likely because their home may be the same home they raised their children in and the memory recall is priceless.
3. Aging in place offers more independence!
Maintaining an independent lifestyle is very important to the elderly population. The ability to go where you want, when you want is a very liberating feeling and doesn’t diminish your quality of life. Responsible adults do not like being told what they can or cannot do. In assisted living facilities, meals are served at a certain time of day, activities are scheduled around their schedules and outside visitors are monitored which can be intrusive.
Just like little Dorothy, “there is no place like home” for today’s elderly seniors choosing to age in place. The benefits for doing so are very rewarding. Aging in place offers elderly seniors an opportunity to save money to enjoy life’s extra pleasures as well as allows them to enjoy the comforts of living at home. In addition, aging in place allows elderly seniors to maintain their independence.
5 Great Benefits of Rub for Inflammation and Minor Pain
Content Body: Whether you are an athlete or a regular office-goer, every human body is prone to two issues: inflammation & minor pains. Strained, overworked, and strained muscles these fundamental problems can be relieved by simple muscle rub cream. In most cases of minor aches, muscle rubs work by rushing blood to the affected areas. However, when the user is tackling inflammation, rubs can provide cooling, soothing sensations to ease it. The third primary work of muscle rubs is to penetrate herbs to encourage the healing of muscles. These rub creams are prepared to loosen up tight, loosen up and tired muscles so that they can perform at their full potential.
- Reducing Swelling & Inflammation
Cooling rubs, especially ones prepared using CBD oil, are the first choice of people facing inflammation-related skin issues. Meanwhile, warming muscle rubs are usually applied for the sole purpose of improving blood circulation in certain areas.
Rubs with cooling effects can also reduce swelling and inflammation caused to any muscle due to injury or overuse. It is the active ingredients like MCT oil, lavender, and menthol that make these cooling rubs so effective for inflammation.
Most of these rubs that are thick in the state can tackle acute pain, cramps, and scars as well. What makes such rubs ideal to use is the fact that they are suitable for all sorts of skin types, even for sensitive and dry.
- The Natural Rubs Are Good For Your Skin.
Along with helping you cool down the inflammation and helping you with pain, natural rub creams are actually good for your skin too. Natural rubs contain ingredients valuable ingredients like clary extract, willow bark, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Saccharide Isomerate, and Tilia Cordata (Linden) Flower Extract.
All these ingredients help your body in reducing inflammation, pain, and stiffness. Similarly, some rubs have black pepper and ginger in them, that help in warming muscles, joints and tendons naturally.
The foremost benefit of using natural products is that you’re not applying lab-developed chemicals but only nature’s boons provided to humans. In other words, you’re lowering the risk of irritation, blistering, swelling, and other side effects.
Other side effects in rather basic creams include severe redness, nausea, ringing in the ears, rashes, dizziness, and allergic reaction. So, it is better if you’re consulting a proper doctor before using any rub available in the market. If your city is still observing lockdown, then telehealth is a safer option.
- Warming The Muscles/ Painkillers
The most basic combination every rub contains is cassia oil, camphor, and menthol. This master combination provides pain relief and vasodilation. Vasodilation is the process of drawing blood rush into the skin capillaries that create warmth sensation.
While using a rub for warming up a muscle, make sure it has basic ingredients cayenne, ginger, rosemary, and lemongrass. Named elements are essential to create a gentler sensation of warmth.
Many studies have found that many rubs are effective as acetaminophen and fast-acting as pain relief in the cases of acute tension headaches. So, if you have a home care consultant as him/her to throw those painkillers away and start using rubs straight away. Nonetheless, if you’re not using the services of a home care consultant, read here why you should for your business?
- Accelerates Healing Process
We’ve established how rub creams help to rush blood to a muscle it is applied to with ingredients like camphor. Health benefits of improved blood circulation include reduced inflammation and quicker healing time.
Some leading rub creams also have capsicum that blocks pain impulse transmitter nerve receptors. The whole process not only reduces the pain but also speeds up the healing process.
Capsicum is also used in medicine as it reduces the aches induced from gastrointestinal, arthritis, and even cancer.
Another basic ingredient that boosts the healing process is methyl salicylate that numbs the skin, reducing aches and stiffness.
- Unlocking Skin Cells
Your skin is the largest organ of your body. It regulates temperature, plays a vital role as a protective water barrier, controls fluid loss, and keeps your health balanced internally. There is an intricate blood supply that human skin is supported by. Our skin also has nerve endings that carry signals like pain, temperature, touch, etc., to the brain.
The rub creams we use carry medication through our skin layers directly into the blood. Certain compounds in the rubs help in penetrating skin barriers by widening the closed channels for a longer time.
Not just that, the rub creams also help the skin in absorbing drugs quickly through the unlocking of the skin cells closed naturally.
Ending Note
So, these are some expected benefits of the rub creams used basically to reduce inflammation and minor pain. The medical world is increasingly getting close to topical drugs instead of pills and injections. The reason behind this new trend is thought to be the fact that rub creams have lesser side effects than their counterparts. Rub creams are a safer option, especially for kids and senior citizens.
However, it is highly recommended that one use the natural rub creams as much as possible as they have lesser side effects.
CBD rubs are the most recommended rub creams as the cure for inflammation if your state has legalized it. They are safest, have all the required ingredients, and are very economical compared to other options.
Author Bio
For the past year, Sami J has worked as an author at Clariskincare.com. CLARI Skin Care is a growing company that is owned and operated by women and focuses on providing skincare beauty and body products. She has evolved a passion for content writing through beauty. Beauty and skincare are her main interests, which is what lead her to start writing within these industries.