Advice for families and caregivers Arthritis means joint inflammation and refers to over 100 different diseases of the joints. These diseases are chronic and cause swelling and sometimes pain and heat in the joints, resulting in reduced mobility. More than 50 percent of seniors 65 and older have one specific form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, in at least one joint. One…
When someone has a hearing loss, the first step in coping with it is simply acknowledging its reality. This may not be easy to do, but you can’t take effective measures to minimize the impact of a hearing loss if you deny it. You are not alone. Help is available. When someone has a hearing loss, the first step in…
May is National Arthritis Awareness Month. For seniors with arthritis, participating in low impact, joint-friendly activities can improve pain, mood, and quality of life. If you have arthritis, participating in joint-friendly physical activity can improve your arthritis pain, function, mood, and quality of life. Joint-friendly physical activities are low-impact, which means they put less stress on the body, reducing the…
It is an unfortunate fact of life that women are more likely than men to have eye-related problems. Two-thirds of blindness and other visual impairments worldwide occur in women. Glaucoma, cataracts, and Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) are more likely to be an issue for women. There are various reasons for this: women generally live longer than men and women…
For most of my life, I took my body for granted. As a young woman, when I ate a piece of cheesecake, my metabolism devoured it with a fiery determination. When I exercised on January 1st, my overindulgence on New Year’s Eve was a distant memory. All of my senses were assumptions and my memories were set in stone. Then,…
How does occupational therapy differ from physical therapy? Occupational therapy during early stages of memory care Occupational therapy during late stages of memory care Occupational therapy is a treatment that incorporates meaningful activity to promote participation in every day life. [Occupational Therapy] Occupational therapists work with seniors in different settings including assisted living facilities, nursing homes, adult day care centers…
Cutting back on salt is a very important step we can take to reduce our risk of hypertension (high blood pressure)—and to actually lower it if our numbers are already too high. But we Americans do love our salt. Will our food taste bland if we leave the salt box in the cabinet and hide the salt shaker? Check out…
Age can bring changes that affect eyesight and it’s more than just minor day-to-day inconveniences. Here’s a look at some common eye problems and when you or your loved one should seek help. This article, from the National Institute on Aging, part of NIH, covers the following information: How Can You Protect Your Eyesight? Common Eye Problems Tips for Healthy…
April is Occupational Therapy Month. Spring is here and it’s time to get moving! For seniors, occupational therapy is designed to help them live a more productive and independent life. Here’s a look at the benefits. As you age, you want to be able to maintain both an adequate level of autonomy and the ability to perform activities of daily…
According to this article in AARP, It’s never too late to experience the benefits of yoga. And it can be particularly helpful for seniors to help build strength and reduce anxiety. Thirty-eight years ago, cardiologist Dean Ornish, M.D., made headlines with his claim that yoga and meditation, when combined with improvements in diet and exercise habits, could reverse heart disease.…
