Memory Loss & Maintaining a Sharp Mind as We Age

In many cultures, society’s most respected individuals are seniors—for the years of experience and wisdom they’ve garnered.

It is no wonder, then, that seniors find memory loss a daunting, frustrating and frequently depressing inevitability of aging. Everyone experiences memory loss as they age—regardless of whether or not one suffers from dementia. Fortunately, studies have shown that engagement in social and intellectual activities can slow the onset or development of dementia.

There are several types of dementia: Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Pick’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, among others. Quite often, the symptoms of depression in seniors may be perceived by others as symptoms of dementia. In The Vanishing Mind, authors Leonard L. Heston and June White explain how to differentiate between dementia and depression in seniors. Seniors suffering from depression may complain of memory loss and frequently talk about their disability, whereas those suffering from the onset of dementia may try to hide their memory loss, be averse to speaking about it, or not even realize they have dementia at all.

According to the Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CSHA), approximately eight percent of those 65 or over in Canada have some form of dementia. As Canadians age, the diseases are far more common. Thirty-five percent of Canadians 85 or over suffer from dementia.

To preserve a sharp mind, it is beneficial to stay stimulated. If seniors can maintain healthy social relationships—with partners, friends, family members and caregivers—and engage in stimulating activities such as reading and completing puzzles, they can prolong the onset of dementia, which often takes years. A 2002 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology revealed that “elderly subjects who participated in mental, social or productive activity had a lower incidence of dementia.”

There are products for entertaining and mentally engaging seniors—including the soon to be released Dakim Brain Fitness (www.dakim.com)—though such products are not necessities. It is just as beneficial for seniors to chat over a coffee with a friend, create a painting, work on a crossword puzzle from a newspaper or read a good book.

Getting It Right: Tips For Taking Medications Safely

Take one tablet, once daily.

It sounds straightforward, but it can often be just the opposite for elderly patients. Taking the right medications at the right dosages, and ensuring no drug interactions occur are frequently problematic for home care patients. Nevertheless, there are simple solutions home care professionals and families of elderly patients can use both to avoid related hazards—including falling—and to improve communication between nurses, physicians, patients and their families.

“Family members can take an interest, ask their grandmother or father for a list of medications, and check it out,” said Maeve Hiscock, a registered nurse in the Vancouver area. She suggests patients or family members should keep a current list of all medications, updated every three months, to give to nurses and physicians. It is also helpful to include a brief medical history and known allergies in this list.

Another important practice is to follow up with family physicians after hospital visits. Many patients who stay in the hospital either don’t have a family physician, or their physician doesn’t do hospital visits. During their stay, their physician is called a hospitalist. Hospitalists will send discharge reports—including a list of medications prescribed in hospital—to a patient’s physician. Following up with the family physician can ensure there is no confusion over changes in prescriptions or dosages.

Simplicity is key. “Use one pharmacy only,” insisted Hiscock. If patients haven’t told their home care nurses or their physician about all of their current medications, their pharmacist may be the one to notice a dangerous drug combination, or missing or duplicate medications.

There are also online resources to check for drug interactions, including www.drugdigest.org. The process is easy, though Hiscock points out that many elderly patients do not have internet access. Such websites may be better resources for family or health-care professionals wanting to ensure the safety of their loved one or patient.

Ultimately, communication is essential in senior care. “Home care workers are one of the best sources of education, providing information and encouragement… a lot of the time the community health workers become like family members,” said Hiscock. While physicians may only see a patient sporadically, home care workers are often involved in the everyday well-being of seniors, and can ensure patients and family members exercise caution with medications.

Home Support & Personal Care

Karp Homecare provides all of these support services:

General hygiene i.e. oral care, personal grooming, dressing

Bathing and Toileting assistance

Escort to/from appointments

Ambulation (approved exercises)

Turning/repositioning i.e. as required

Recording activities and possible changes in client’s health

Provide safety and security

Provide friendly companionship, emotional support

Play games i.e. cards, board games, reading

Ask A Question

Have a question Answered by one of our Vancouver Senior In Home care professionals:

Fall Prevention Exercises

Keeping your leg muscles strong and having good balance helps prevent falls. Before you start any exercise program be sure to consult your doctor.

Try to do these exercises everyday for best results.

CHAIR SQUATS

Stand in front of a sturdy chair. In a controlled and steady motion, sit into the chair, then stand up. Work towards not using the arms on the chair and standing back up without resting. Remember to breathe throughout.

Start with: 10 repetitions Goal: Two times a day

LEG EXTENSIONS

Sitting up straight in a supportive chair, slowly straighten out your leg and lower it back down. Work towards holding your leg out for ten seconds, while breathing normally.

Start with: 10 repetitions Goal: Three times a day

HAMSTRING CURLS

Hold on to a sturdy chair back or grab bar. Stand up tall with your eyes forward. Keeping your knees together, bend one knee so that your heel comes up toward your back. If this is difficult, only lift your foot up as high as is comfortable.

Start with: 10 repetitions Goal: Three times a day

Karp Home Care Vancouver is committed to providing priemium in home care to the elderly, ill or injured. For more information call 604-420-7800

What is the difference between an at-home nurse, and a home care aide?

Q: What is the difference between an at-home nurse, and a home care aide?

A: The difference between an at-home nurse and a home care aide lies in the difference in the services they provide. An at-home nurse is a registered nurse who is licensed to administer medicine, manage IV pumps or ventilators, and to help manage clients’ medical issues and/or diseases.

In contrast, a home care aide is a professional, who is also educated on the needs of a senior, but who is not licensed to provide medical care. A home care aide can assist with toileting, and with preparing meals, and essentially all non-medically related challenges a senior faces.

Karp Home Care Vancouver is committed to providing priemium in home care to the elderly, ill or injured. For more information call 604-420-7800

How do I know if long-term care, or home care, is the right option for me?

Q.How do I know if long-term care, or home care, is the right option for me?

A.The difference between long-term residential care and home care comes down to your specific needs; if you have health issues, and need assistance in managing your medical issues, long-term care may be the right option. However, if you are just in need of assistance with learning how to live on your own as an older adult, and need assistance with personal care, home care may be the appropriate option for you.

A simple gauge to determine if home care is right for you may be to ask yourself these questions: How do you fair with brushing your hair, or bathing? Do you have difficulty with using the bathroom? How do you manage eating on your own, or preparing your own meals? If your answer to any of these questions leaves you feeling uncertain about your abilities to manage these activities independently, you may want to consider home care. Home care services are an alternative to long-term care, which allow you to continue to live independently, yet provide the assistance of a qualified home care worker coming to your home a couple hours a day to aid you with mealtimes, general hygiene, or to even lend a hand with grocery shopping.

Karp Home Care Vancouver is committed to providing priemium in home care to the elderly, ill or injured. For more information call 604-420-7800

Water Provides a Low-Impact Workout

If you are looking for a great way to improve your physical fitness and well-being try exercising in the pool. Water exercises are great because they are low impact and a lot of fun. There are many exercises that can be performed in a pool. Aqua running with a water belt, exercises with a pool noodle and pool dumbbells are just some of the tools available for exercising in a pool. You can also swim lengths and your local pool may even have weekly water aerobic classes that you can participate in.

The benefits of swimming have been recognized for many years. Swimming is an excellent form of aerobic exercise. If performed three times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes you will improve your cardiovascular endurance and, coupled with good nutritional habits, you will burn off some of that excess body-fat! Besides the aerobic benefit, it is one of the few aerobic sports that emphasizes upper body conditioning while also improving flexibility. The other benefit is that, because gravity is eliminated, there is less potential for injury to the lower extremity joints, muscles and tendons.

If swimming lengths is not your thing try a water belt used for aqua running. A water belt fits around your waist and helps you to partially float so that you can perform a running motion in the water. This form of running closely patterns the form used on land. Water provides a resistance that is proportional to the effort exerted, much like running into a stiff wind. For variation, this exercise can also be performed in a cross-country skiing motion. The benefit of pool exercises is that the water allows you to move freely. Also, the water provides added resistance without the stress or impact on your joints and soft tissues.

Water aerobic classes often use pool tools such as water dumbbells, pool noodles or even empty capped milk jugs. These devices are great for performing strengthening exercises as they provide resistance from being submerged into the water. Milk jugs are especially great for pool exercises because they are effective and very inexpensive. A good aquatic class will provide an aerobic workout and it will also effectively strengthen the major muscle groups of the body.

For people with lower back pain or with injuries to their lower extremities exercising in a pool is often the best way to restore muscle strength, endurance, and joint range of motion. Exercising in the water is also great for sport-specific rehabilitation. Many athletes have returned to their pre-injury form ahead of schedule due to the effectiveness of water rehabilitation.

If you are just starting out on an exercise program remember that all programs can be tailored to your individual needs based on your age and fitness level. Always start with a program that is comfortable for you and slowly progress from there.

Karp Home Care Vancouver is committed to providing priemium in home care to the elderly, ill or injured. For more information call 604-420-7800

Aerobic Exercise Helps Reduce High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is defined as the amount of pressure exerted by blood on blood vessel walls as it passes through the vessel.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, causes the heart to do extra work in order to pump blood throughout a person’s body and is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease such as stroke, heart failure, angina, renal failure, and myocardial infarction or heart attack. The recommendations for exercise for those with mild hypertension are generally the same as those for healthy adults. Endurance, or aerobic, exercises are preferred, with a frequency of 3-5 days/week, duration of 20-60 minutes, and intensity of 60-85% of maximum heart rate. However for those with severe hypertension or markedly elevated blood pressure, the intensity should be lowered to about 50-70% of maximum heart rate. A person should exercise cautiously when performing any types of weight lifting, however, circuit training has been shown to result in a modest drop in blood pressure. Most people with hypertension will benefit from lifestyle modifications including dietary changes and weight loss to help manage the disease.

Karp Home Care Vancouver is committed tp providing priemium in home care to the elderly, ill or injured. For more information call 604-420-7800

Exercising for Seniors (Part 4 of 4)

Exercise Bands Provide a Tubular Workout

Exercise tubing is a great tool for resistance exercises, and can allow you to perform strengthening exercises for your upper body without having to leave your own home.
Upper body strength is important for maintaining good posture, can make breathing easier, and will ensure you can perform activities involving lifting, pushing, and twisting, well into older adulthood. Strengthening your upper body into older adulthood can become difficult without the access to weights; however, exercise tubing, which can be purchased at any major sports or department store, can be used at home, or even away when traveling on your summer vacation. They can be used by people at any level, and are therefore particularly accessible for the older adult. For the exercises that involve securing the tubing into a door jam, instructions on how to do so are usually included with the tubing.

The One arm chest squeeze is a good exercise for the chest and shoulders. To perform the one arm chest squeeze, place your exercise band around a post or door jam at shoulder height. Stand facing the band and turn your body a quarter turn to the right. Start with your left arm extended to the side, level with your shoulder. Bring the band just past your navel, squeeze your chest muscles on the left side and slowly return to the starting position. You should feel this exercise in your chest, and in the front of your shoulders. To make this exercise more comfortable, stand closer to where the band is secured. Perform two sets of 10 repetitions, with a break in between your sets; your break can be as long as you feel you need, but 45 seconds should be sufficient.

Two arm rows work to isolate the muscles of your upper and mid back, and can also be performed with an exercise band in a door jam. Place your exercise band around a post or door jam at chest level. Stand with your body straight, and arms extended. Pull your elbows and shoulders back as if you are rowing a boat. Squeeze your upper and mid-back muscles and return to the starting position. Ensure that you are performing a controlled movement, using only your arms, ensuring you do not swing your back. You can decrease the intensity by standing farther away from where the band is secured. Perform two sets of 10 repetitions, with a 45-second break between your sets.

To perform Tricep Pushdowns, place your exercise band around the top of a door. Hold the band near the ends, with your hands apart. Push the band towards the floor, extending your arms until they are straight. Squeeze your triceps (the muscles in the back of your arms,) and slowly return to the starting position. To decrease the intensity, keep your hands near the end of the band; to increase, raise your hands a few inches on the band. Make sure you stand closely to the door to ensure that the band does not slip off of the door. Perform two sets of 10 repetitions, with a 45-second break between your sets.

These exercises can be performed in conjunction with lower body, and cardiovascular, exercises. Pay attention to your body when performing these exercises; it’s great to feel a challenge, but pay attention if your body is telling you to modify the exercise. To prevent any over-exertion to your muscles, do some light stretching before performing any exercises; if you are feeling short of breath, take longer breaks in between sets. Performing these exercises two to three times weekly is sufficient; however, if you find you are feeling particularly fatigued from the exercises, make sure you are taking a minimum of a 24-hour break in between your workouts, and progress at a rate that feels comfortable, yet challenging, for you.

Karp Home Care Vancouver is committed tp providing priemium in home care to the elderly, ill or injured. For more information call 604-420-7800

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