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Tag: attitudes about aging

Living Your Best Life: The Expo for Seniors 2018

Posted on by Arise Cares

The annual Expo for Seniors will take place this Saturday, August 18th at the River’s Edge Convention Center in Downtown St. Cloud. The event begins at 8 AM and runs through 12 PM.

 

One of the main goals of the expo is to provide education for adult children and their parents about senior services.

Expo for Seniors

Now in its 16th year, the Expo for Seniors is Central Minnesota’s largest event that offers products and services for older adults. And – as it is every year – it is free to attend! You can view each of the event guides from the last 16 events here.

Expo for Seniors

There will also be a free breakfast provided, free health screenings, and over 100 booths showcasing healthcare, housing, finance, fitness, safety, and more. The event is sponsored by The Good Shepherd Community, CentraCare St. Benedict’s Community, and Times Media.

 

In following with this year’s theme – Living Your Best Life –  the keynote speech will be presented by Ron Culberson. Ron is a speaker, author, and humorist and has written four books – including Do it Well, Make it Fun –  on living life to the fullest. He worked as a social worker Counseling manager, and Senior Director of Quality Services in a large hospice organization for ten years. Culberson works to show people how to make the most out of their lives by reducing stress, enhancing relationships, and improving the way they live.

 

Join us in living your best life at the Expo for Seniors this Saturday, August 18th. Call 320-258-9364 for more information, or visit the event’s website – Expoforseninors.com – to learn more.

Aging Differences Between Men and Women

Posted on by Erin Perry

Much of how people age depends on genetics, environmental factors, and lifestyle and nutritional choices, but did you know that much of the aging process can depend on gender as well?

Men and women age differently. For example, men and women have consistently different bone structure. The opening in the skull around the eyes in men is much larger than it is women. Because there is less bone support in that area, men typically have more hollow, deep-set eyes that tend to develop more bags in comparison to women as they age. What other aging differences are there between men and women? Let’s take a look:

Life Expectancy

Across the world and across generations, it seems that women often outlive men. Doctors and scientists have attributed differences in life expectancy to a variety of factors. Women are less prone to heart-related diseases and smoking-related illnesses compared to men because these diseases and conditions occur later in life for many women. This can be attributed to a woman’s supply of estrogen, which helps make arteries strong and flexible. Women also tend to make healthier lifestyle choices and get screened and tested for health issues more frequently and far earlier in life.

Life Choices

From more physically-demanding or more labor intensive career choices to high-adrenaline recreational decisions, men have been shown to make riskier decisions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), unintentional injuries are the third leading cause of death in men, whereas it is sixth for women. This is in part due to the frontal lobe—a part of the brain that deals with responsibility and risk calculation—which develops more slowly in men.

Hormonal Differences

Some of the greatest differences between men and women occur at the hormonal level. This can be seen in the differences between menopause and andropause. For women, menopause occurs around the age of 50 and happens when a woman stops menstruating and stops producing estrogen. For men, hormonal differences occur less drastically and overtime. Testosterone levels decline slowly and, unlike menopause, men can still reproduce and create sperm well into their old age.

Stronger Social Ties

Long-lasting and strong relationships have been shown to benefit the life expectancy and increase the quality of life in most adults. A 2010 study at Brigham Young University suggested that people with strong social connections have a 50% lower chance of dying than those with fewer social connections. A stronger social network or a strong bond with another person can promote better emotional health and a happier disposition. Friends often hold each other accountable for physical, mental, and emotional checkups.

Gender is one of the biggest factors in terms of how men and women age. Between gender, genetics, environmental factors, nutrition, and lifestyle habits, it’s a fact of life that people age differently.

Choose to Age Well with These 6 Healthy Living Tips

Posted on by Erin Perry

The beginning of the year is an excellent time to develop and recommit to goals that will help you better yourself. This year, focus your resolutions on healthy aging habits and aging well. With the help of your home health care assistant, see how you can lead a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle while being at your healthiest and happiest self.

Lead a Healthy Lifestyle
Regular physical exercise will help you maintain muscle mass and flexibility, and staying physically fit throughout your adult life will help decrease the chance that you will develop chronic health conditions. Get into a regular routine of exercising and staying fit, and engage in a lifelong sport that you enjoy like golf, dancing, cycling, or jogging.

Exercise Your Brain
The more you challenge your brain, the better it performs. Staying mentally active is just as important as staying physically fit. Challenge yourself to learn something new every day, learn a new language, join a discussion group, regularly participate in puzzles and mind teasers to exercise your brain.

Watch What You Put in Your Body
Many experts agree that most of your health is related to what you put into your body. Engage in a healthy diet. A good rule of thumb to follow is to eat a rainbow. More specifically, choose nutrient-rich foods like brightly colored fruits and vegetables that will add some variety to your diet. Seek out heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and limit your red meat and whole-fat dairy product intake. Choose whole grains over processed and refined grains. Choose bone-healthy calcium and Vitamin D options. To develop a more personalized diet, consult your healthcare professional.

Watch Your Stress Levels
The most common symptoms of aging—wrinkles, loss of energy, high blood pressure, heart disease, adrenal failure, loss of sex drives, poor memory—are really symptoms of stress and unhealthy lifestyle choices. Limit stress-inducing habits and eliminate smoking and limit our junk-food and drinking intake. Cut out negative and abusive relationships. Free yourself of regrets and emotional demons. And find a healthy and meaningful way to cope with stress.

Foster Relationships You Enjoy

Social isolation is a major indicator of unhappiness and depression. Engaging in healthy, active, and meaningful relationships. Remember the importance of cultivating and maintaining relationships and staying socially active as it has been linked to reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Be Responsible About Screenings
Physicals and wellness exams are important as you age, but getting specific screenings for heart disease, cancer, and heart diseases, as well as vaccines for pneumonia, shingles, and the flu—which kills thousands of older adults every year—is essential to your health. A simple screening can catch a disease in its earliest stages.

For more information on healthy aging, read 50 Tips for Aging Gracefully from Ecumen.

Choosing a Home Health Agency

Posted on by Erin Perry

“Of all the lessons I’ve learned through my years of caregiving, the most important is to keep the love connection going. Just tell them that you love them again and again and again. You will never say it too much- ever.”

– Joan Lunden, journalist, author, mother of seven and long time caregiver to her mother.

You love your parents. You are so thankful for all they’ve done for you through the years. You want to help them as they age, but the caregiving task is getting to you. You’re trying to get ahead but you feel like you’re running on a treadmill. You are burnt out physically and checking out emotionally. How do you show your love to your parents and provide them the care they need?

If you’re struggling to keep up with caregiving and keeping your life balanced, it’s time to step back and look for other options. One of the best options in this transitional time of life is home health care. When making this decision, it’s critical to know what to look for in a home health agency.

10 Questions to Ask Home Health Agencies

Home Care Agency

  • How long has your agency been providing home care services?
  • What certifications and licenses does your agency have?
  • What are your financial procedures? Do you have documents explaining costs and payment plans?

Caregivers

  • How are caregivers selected? Are background checks run on all of the staff?
  • What are your requirements for caregivers? Do they go through ongoing training and development?
  • Are caregivers supervised? If so, what is done to ensure workers are given the best possible care?
  • Are caregivers available at any time (24 hours a day, seven days a week)?
  • Who is all involved in making changes to the care plan?

General Care

  • What services do you provide?
  • Do you have nurses and other health professionals evaluating the home care needs of my loved one? How are the needs assessed?
  • How is my loved one’s care plan documented? Can I see an example?
  • Who can we contact if we have questions or concerns about the care? How do you addresses problems if they arise?
  • Do you have caregivers that can meet my special language or cultural preferences?
  • What processes do you have in place to react to emergencies?

Once you’ve asked these questions, follow up with a request for references. A great home care agency should have a long list of doctors, clients, nurses, and families that are eager to share their experiences with the agency.

Arise Home Health Care has been providing quality home care services for over 15 years across central Minnesota. Learn more about the Arise story and services, or contact us for a conversation about your unique caregiving needs. We would happily answer any questions you may have about home health care and our agency.

Elder Care: The Emotion of Aging

Posted on by Erin Perry

“Aging is out of your control. How you handle it, though, is in your hands.”

– Diane von Fürstenberg, formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg, a Belgian-born American

Diane is widely known in the fashion world (a world that doesn’t always accept aging open-heartedly) but her words are correct; aging is out of our control. Nevertheless, we can address the emotions and the attitudes that come along with aging ourselves. Often times as we grow older, focus is shifted and directed solely on our physical aspects. What is more important is to care for an entire person — mental health and emotions included.

Mental health has an impact on the emotions, attitude, and even physical health of a person. “The presence of depressive disorders often adversely affects the course and complicates the treatment of other chronic diseases,” (Read The State of Mental Health and Aging in America1).  In a previous blog, we discussed the impact of loneliness imposed by isolation on the care of seniors, including a personal story of how companionship from a home health aide had a positive effect in another’s life.

Loneliness is not the only mental health issue that seniors face. Contrasting popular belief, anxiety is prevalent among aging seniors. The issue isn’t in the forefront of discussion because the most common issues emphasized for seniors are related to  physical health over mental health (Read Older Adults3).  According to research, depression and anxiety often go hand-in-hand. “Almost half of older adults who are diagnosed with major depression also meet the criteria for anxiety,” (Read The State of Mental Health and Aging in America1).

There are a variety of reasons that could lead to a less than cheerful attitude in seniors towards the changes associated with aging. Living in chronic pain, mounting stress from depression and anxiety, or side-effects from medications could all impact mood and attitude (Read Sources of a Senior’s Bad Mood2).

Senior Home Care

There are several resources that provide tips to help caregivers assist the seniors in their lives in the resources listed below. Senior home care can play a huge role providing the necessary social support for aging seniors. According to a study conducted by the CDC, “Social support serves major support functions, including emotional support (e.g., sharing problems or venting emotions), informational support (e.g., advice and guidance), and instrumental support (e.g., providing rides or assisting with housekeeping).” This social support is linked to a reduced risk of mental health, physical illness and mortality (Read The State of Mental Health and Aging in America1).

It is important to make care choices that will consider all areas of life, including emotional health. Arise is committed to providing a service that honors emotional health and protects the dignity, individuality and independence of seniors. If you want to learn more about how we can serve you and your family, contact Arise for more information.

Resources:

  1. “The State of Mental Health and Aging in America” <http://www.cdc.gov/aging/pdf/mental_health.pdf>
  2. “Sources of a Seniors Bad mood” <http://www.agingcare.com/Articles/seniors-bad-mood-154967.htm>
  3. “Older Adults” <http://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/older-adults>
  4. “Mood Changers: 5 Ways to Coax a Smile from Grumpy Elders” <http://www.agingcare.com/Articles/get-grumpy-elder-to-smile-156228.htm>
  5. “Tips for Family” <http://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/older-adults/tips-family>