Elder Care Cafe

By the time most people reach their 50’s and 60’s, they have pretty much determined their spiritual stance. Some have attended church all their lives, others may have “found religion” somewhere along the path of life, and still others have no desire to attend church or seek any type of spiritual teaching. But, most people realize there is a high power at work in the universe, even if they don’t understand or agree who or what that higher power may be.

As seniors age, they are increasingly faced with their own mortality. Spouses and children die, long-time friends are gone, they are alone and facing the great unknown. They are also facing loss of health, loss of mobility, loss of independence, and loss of youthfulness.

Many churches and synagogues today try to address the needs of an increasingly aging population, but don’t always have the resources or capability to support the spiritual needs of the eldest of their congregations. A number of churches are trying to get beyond what the late Lutheran theologian Joseph Sittler called “shuffleboard geriatrics,” the fun and games used to distract seniors and keep them busy.

What seniors really want to know is, “What’s next?”

Now that they are facing their own mortality, they have serious questions about what they will face when they leave this earth. One person said the concept of mortality didn’t hit home until she had to go in for surgery and the physician asked her what she wanted done if she didn’t make it through. It suddenly hit her how close she was to dying. The thought had never occurred to her before.

This series regarding the spiritual issues in ones life, part of the 2009 healthy living initiative, is not meant to change anyone’s opinion, or push any particular religious belief.

However, if you are a caregiver or family member of the so-called “older older”, know that there are serious spiritual issues that your patient or loved one most likely have on their mind as they face the great unknown.

Is there some way you can address their growing need for answers, or do you have resources such as a church or synagogue that can help them through their last days and years? They need guidance and someone with whom to share their concerns and fears. You would do a great service if you could reach out and help give them the support they need.

What do you think? What resources have you used that has helped an elderly person with end-of-life issues and concerns?

A number of studies over the years have shown positive thinking can add at least 7.5 years to your life. No one knows why positive thinking increases longevity, but researchers believe it “increases the will to live, making a person more resilient to illness and more proactive about health.”

Those who looked forward to aging while they were young increased their life expectancy. In other words, it helps to grow old gracefully. Looking forward with interest rather than dread lessens the stress of aging.

Staying healthy and active helps the body age gracefully, but healthy thinking and healthy emotions adds an extra dimension to the aging process. Studies show just being cheerful made no difference in a person’s length of life; it takes the power of positive thinking.

You have a choice as to what and how you think. You can focus on the negative aspects of your life, or you can focus on the positive. Look for reasons to be happy every day, in spite of the circumstances around you. Know that there are better days ahead and plan for those days.

Throughout the years all of us have experienced situations that were unpleasant to deal with, difficult decisions were made, and circumstances that left us reeling.

It is how we think about what is going on in our lives and how we choose to live through the days and years that make a difference. We can become mired in the negative aspects, or look at the positive and move forward.

Think about your life and your attitude towards aging. What can you change about your thinking that will add years to your life?

The following is from an article written by Lisa Newton, founder of Iowa Avenue, a healthy-living social community. The article was posted on the Dumb Little Man blog in April, 2008. You can find the article by clicking here. Lisa lists 50 ideas on how to live a healthy life. 

Check it out - the article is well worth the read. Here is a short blurb, then I will get to my point.

“According to a study by Michigan States University, a healthy lifestyle is defined by four basic criteria:

• Not smoking
• Holding weight down
• Eating right
• Exercising

Of the 153,000 respondents, only 3% participated in all four of what are termed healthy lifestyle characteristics.”

I said all that to say this…

My reason in listing those four areas of healthy living is to announce that I am starting a series that will cover Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, hopefully for all of 2009. I realize that I am putting my reputation, such as it is, on the line by making this announcement. But, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that healthy living is key to living an optimal life.

Although this web site’s focus is on elder care and caregivers, healthy living can begin at any age. As we grow older and our lack of energy begins to drag us down, we need to realize it isn’t necessarily our age that is causing the energy drain, but our unhealthy lifestyle. The information we will present should apply to most any age group.

What I plan to cover, and to put into practice in my own life, is a three-prong cord:

Living a healthy lifestyle: body, soul, and spirit.

Every Friday we will discuss an aspect of a healthy body, such as healthy eating, exercising, disease prevention, etc. On Saturday, we will address the soul, and Sunday will find us examining our spirit.

Many people have their own belief system, and we are not here to change anyone’s mind about their own belief. We may look at various belief systems in the future, but only as it applies to healthy living. We will, instead, each consider our own belief system and how that can help us live healthier in the future.

Over the next year, you will hear portions of my story as I moved from active to sedentary, and the dismaying results. I would appreciate hearing yours.

As we progress through the year, I would love to hear what you have to say. What works or does not work for you as you attempt to live a healthy life? At what age did you realize you had wasted your years and decided to make changes in your lifestyle? Have you made those changes? If not, will you consider going on this journey with us?

Let us begin today to make 2009 our best year ever by living a healthy lifestyle all year long!

As 2008 winds down, and the promise of new beginnings and fresh starts appears on the horizon, this site will begin a series of posts regarding healthy living. Not only is living a healthy lifestyle important to people of all ages, it is especially vital to senior citizens.

There are a large number of diet plans, exercise choices, inadequate and dangerous fads, and false information floating around the world. We will attempt to bring you the most up-to-date and safest choices available for senior citizens and those who love and care for them.

When someone decides to change their lifestyle, making one change at a time seems to assure greater success in the long run than does jumping in headfirst and trying to do everything at once. Therefore, we will begin taking positive steps to a healthier lifestyle one step at a time.

The focus will remain, as always, on the elderly and those who care for them. Most of us interested in this site are no longer spritely and agile. We will take our exercise as we are able, and enjoy the food we are allowed. Many are on diets specified by their physicians or other health professionals. They should continue to follow the advice of their health care professional.

In our household, one person follows the diabetic diet suggested by the American Diabetes Association. Even within that parameter, there are ways we can increase our awareness of what is good for us and what is not.

We will not only look at our physical health, but emotional and mental health as well. Living a healthy lifestyle encompasses body, soul, and spirit.

Have a safe and healthy holiday season, and we look forward to spending 2009 in increasingly good health.

Do you have any specific living-a-healthy-lifestyle topics you would like us to cover? In what ways do you practice a healthy lifestyle that may help the elderly?

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced yesterday that, worldwide, cancer will bypass heart attacks as the number one cause of death by 2010. The rising use of tobacco in developing countries, causing an increase in lung cancer deaths, is sited as the reason for the increase.

It is estimated that the number of cancer cases and death will more than double by 2030. This is particularly the case in China and India where 40 percent of the world’s smokers now live. Other reasons for the rise are the ability to better diagnose cancer and the growing population - the more people in the world, the greater the number of people smoking.

WHO officials were joined at the news conference by officials from the American Cancer Society, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Cancer Institute of Mexico.

You can find further information regarding this announcement at the American Cancer Society website.

If you know someone who smokes, show them this article, Smoking Compromises Quality-of-life in Old Age, from the American Cancer Society. The article states not only does smoking decrease a persons lifespan, it makes the years they do have less enjoyable.

I know people who have quit smoking, and I know others who have not although they have tried. Lung cancer due to smoking is a serious issue - and one that is preventable.

An interesting and enlightening study by the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) recently found that seniors who have money, good health, are optimistic, are not stressed, do not smoke and only drink moderately, live longer according to an article in SeniorJournal.com . 

The article, written in a rather you-got-to-be-kidding tone, makes the point that if an elderly person is rich and in good health, of course he or she would be optimistic and stress free. Wouldn’t we all?

The GSA said it was the first study of its kind. Probably because most of us could figure this out ourselves. At least now we know it’s official.

Now you know what you need to do as you strive to live a long and healthy life. As this year lumbers to an end, and the time for setting goals and New Year’s resolutions rises before you, take a few moments and plot your course for the coming year. 

In 2009, you have fifty-two weeks ahead of you to increase the odds that you can live a long and healthy life. The ball is in your court - what will you do with your time, energy, and resources to increase your life span this coming year?

According to recent statistics, women are four times more likely to have osteoporosis, a debilitating disease in which bones become fragile, thus more likely to break. After the age of thirty-five, women lose approximately one percent of their bone density. That percentage doubles or quadruples in some women. Unfortunately, loss of bone density leads directly to osteoporosis.

Because nearly 80 percent of those who develop osteoporosis are women, it is important that all women are aware of the steps necessary to slow or halt bone loss. Now available is a special x-ray that determines whether patients are at risk of osteoporosis. The x-ray is fairly accurate and able to evaluate the density of the bone.

Osteoporosis means bones have lost a certain amount of density causing a much higher risk of fractures of the hip, spine, or wrist. Bones become brittle over time and that can place someone at high risk for fractures.

Bone mass peaks around the age of thirty and then begins to decline. Typical at-risk women are those who are in their first couple of years of menopause when they lose more bone density than they gain. Also at risk are those who:

• were at some risk before menopause
• were on steroids for a long time due to illness
• had no high level of estrogen for quite some time due to illness
• were athletes with low body fat leading to low estrogen levels
• were women with anorexia leading to low estrogen levels

Bone density tests available

A low radiation x-ray test is now available for at risk women. The x-ray tests the wrist, the lumbar spine, and the hipbone, and measures how many grams of calcium and other bone materials are packed into a bone segment. The x-ray looks at the strength and thickness of the bone. The more dense the bone, the less likely it will break.

A quick and easy bone density test is also available and can be done at a local pharmacy or women’s health center for free or at low cost. This test does not go into the depth of the x-ray, but is less expensive and allows a woman to know whether she should seek further tests.

According to Mayo Clinic, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends routine bone density testing for women age sixty-five or older, or sixty with increased risk of osteoporosis. It typically takes two or more years before a retest can show any significant changes.

Historically the only way to tell if a woman had osteoporosis was after a fracture. Now there are tests that reveal the density of the bone and alert women if they need to seek further care.

Fractures are a serious health issue

Fractures due to loss of bone density are a serious health issue for postmenopausal women. According to recent statistics, there are 1.2 million fractures per year. Of the 300,000 hip fractures, 20 percent of the women will die within six months of the fracture, 5 percent placed in a long-term care facility, and 50 percent plagued with limited ability the rest of their life.

The typical at-risk woman usually is white or Southeast Asian, has light skin and light hair, smokes, has a personal or family history of fractures, has had no periods for a long time causing reduced estrogen level, has a family history of osteoporosis, is typically a mother or grandmother, or is athletic or anorexic.

At-risk women should consider bone density screening earlier than menopausal age. Depending on the test results, they may need to improve their bone density.

What women can do now

Typically, women can increase or at least reduce the speed of bone loss by including extra calcium in their diet, taking supplemental calcium, and exercising to strengthen their bones.

Weight bearing exercise plays a part in prevention of osteoporosis, especially if the woman is postmenopausal. Walking three times a week helps postpone bone loss.

Generally bone cannot be regenerated. The above steps can slow or prevent bone density loss, but cannot replace bone.

Most women believe that if they are on hormone replacement therapy and calcium, they will have no problems with osteoporosis. That is not the case; they must take action to slow the loss. As with any other health issue, early detection brings awareness and the ability to slow or prevent osteoporosis.

Have you had a bone density test? Which type of test did you have? Have you taken steps to increase bone density?

Today is World Aids Day, when bloggers across the universe unite to spotlight the continuing challenge to educate and test those who have, or may have, AIDS.

Joining with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of HIV/AIDS Policy’s AIDS.gov, bloggers know awareness leads to action. If we can touch even one person and convince them to get tested or help someone learn about AIDS prevention, than we have done a great deed.

According to statistics, nearly half of all AIDS cases in the U.S. involve people 13 to 24 years of age. More than 250,000 others are estimated to be HIV positive and not know it. More than 1 million are estimated to have AIDS.

Worldwide, there are an estimated 33 million people with AIDS. It affects every country, city, and town around the world.

Encourage at risk young people to get tested for the AIDS virus. You may save not only one life, but many lives. AIDS is going largely unchecked in the world today. Education, prevention, and testing are the best options to eradicate AIDS.

The day before Thanksgiving, Edna Parker, the oldest living person in the world at 115, passed away.

After reading of Edna’s demise, I searched for longevity stats to see what the national life expectancy is at this time. I found the site About.com. Longevity, and was surprised to come across an article titled Life Expectancy Declines in the United States.

Apparently, there are certain regions of the US where life expectancy is declining. The largest decline is in the southern part of the US including Appalachia, the whole Southeast, Texas and along the Mississippi River. The areas that have gained the most life expectancy are in the Northeast and the Pacific Coast according to the article.

The decline is attributed to chronic disease, the most prominent of which is cardiovascular disease, the number 1 killer in the US. Cancer and diabetes deaths in women have also increased.

If the decline continues, some people believe our children will see a shorter life expectancy than their parents for the first time in history.

With my Dad currently at eight-six-years-old and his sister now ninety-one, we definitely have longevity in our family. Their older brother died of complications from diabetes in his seventies, and my father was diagnosed with diabetes in the 1980’s. Currently he takes four injections of insulin per day, which helps stabilize his blood sugar.

People should take the effects of chronic disease seriously in this country. With a proper diet and healthy lifestyle, longevity can continue to increase. Even if someone has been diagnosed with a chronic disease, modern medicine has taken great strides in managing symptoms and prolonging death in most cases.

The statistics do not need to decline. Our children can and should outlive us. The present push for healthy living should continue, and hopefully, we will see the South rise again - in longevity stats, that is.

What do you think? Can the South rise again? Will the US win the battle against obesity and chronic disease in our lifetime?

The senior citizen set is currently undergoing the Medicare Part D enrollment process that ends December 31, 2008. To aid seniors in making informative decisions, Medco Health Solutions, Inc. has released a free guide called “What’s Your Gap? Three simple steps to make the most of your Medicare Part D coverage and delay the Coverage Gap.”

The guide presents an easily understandable process to aid seniors in making the best decision “about prescription drug savings opportunities, where to look for hidden savings, and clarifies many misconceptions about the Coverage Gap” according to an article in Senior Citizen News at Senior Journal.com.

A new national poll found most seniors are in the dark about the Coverage Gap. With Medco’s guide, hopefully more seniors, or their caregivers, will have the information they need to make the best possible choices regarding their prescription coverage.

Do you have a clear understanding of the Coverage Gap? What other steps should be taken to help seniors understand prescription drug options?