When you or a loved one is growing older, the idea of a location change may come up. However, you may have the desire to remain in your home own for as long as possible. Discover the benefits of living at home. 

Maintain your independence 

Aging in place means you get to continue living a much more independent lifestyle. You have all your belongings, get to choose what activities you want to do, have visitors at any time of day, and eat what and when you want. 

Be more comfortable 

Aging in place means you get to maintain all the comforts of home. Nursing homes can mean smaller living spaces and altered schedules that coincide with the other residents. Live life at your own pace and in your own space by opting to stay at home. You can sleep in or get up as early as you want, and plan your day according to what you want to do instead of having to coordinate with many other residents. You can still receive all the healthcare you need from the comfort of your home. If you believe you need a bit of support around the house, there are numerous options to bring in help. If you are taking care of elderly parents or considering your options for living at home, having a daily helper can relieve some concerns. 

Stay in close proximity to family and friends 

Perhaps the greatest thing about aging in place is the ability to have family and friends visit anytime. In your current home, you likely have some neighbors you know and trust. Your family certainly knows where you live, and hopefully they are in close proximity. Nursing homes and retirement centers may have limited visiting hours and a check-in process, so although feasible, it makes it a bit more difficult to have visitors come and go leisurely. 

Increase your level of safety 

When you live in your own home, you are less likely to be exposed to illnesses and diseases. Your immune system weakens as you age, making you more vulnerable to contracting illnesses or diseases from others.  If you are taking care of an elderly parent and are concerned about their safety, you can take extra steps to make them feel more secure in their own space. For example, medical alert systems offer special necklaces and bracelets with a call button should an elderly person be home alone and need some medical help when out of reach of their phones. You can also install doorbell cameras to clearly see who is at the door before answering it. 

These are common issues for older people. You may share the often-heard wish — “I want to stay in my own home!” The good news is that with the right help, you might be able to do just that. Staying in your own home as you get older is called “aging in place.” This article contains suggestions to help you find the help you need to continue to live independently. 

How to plan ahead 

Planning ahead is hard because you never know how your needs might change. The first step is to think about the kinds of help you might want in the near future. Maybe you live alone, so there is no one living in your home who is available to help you. Maybe you don’t need help right now, but you live with a spouse or family member who does. Everyone has a different situation. 

One way to begin planning is to look at any illnesses, like diabetes or emphysema, that you or your spouse might have. Talk with your doctor about how these health problems could make it hard for someone to get around or take care of him- or herself in the future. If you’re a caregiver for an older adult, learn how you can get them the support they need to stay in their own home. 

What support can help me age at home? 

You can get almost any type of help you want in your home — often for a cost. You can get more information on many of the services listed here from your local Area Agency on Aging, local and state offices on aging or social services, tribal organization, or nearby senior center. Services include personal care, household chores, meals, money management, and health care. 

Common Concerns 

• Getting around – at home and in town 
• Finding activities and friends 
• Safety concerns 
• Getting help during the day 

Resources to help you 

• Reach out to people you know 
• Learn about community and local government resources 
• Talk to geriatric care managers 
• Look into federal government sources

Source: www.nia.nih.gov

Tips for Living with Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease affects everyone differently. Whatever your case gives you, there are habits you can work into your daily routine to help you deal with your symptoms and live life more fully. 

Exercise Regularly 

When you have Parkinson’s, exercise can help give you more flexibility, better balance, less anxiety and depression, improved coordination, and added muscle strength. Talk to your doctor before you start any kind of physical activity. 

Be Fall Savvy 

Balance problems can make falling a real concern when you have Parkinson’s. As you move around, especially during exercise, be smart. 

Sleep Well 

Sometimes, Parkinson’s can stand in the way of restful shut-eye. Parkinson’s disease can cause sleep problems or abnormal dreams. 

Eat for Health 

It’s common for Parkinson’s disease to come with things like bone thinning, dehydration, weight loss, and constipation. You can head off many of these symptoms if you keep close tabs on your nutrition. 

Be Proactive About Improving Your Quality of Life 

The most important step you can take is to seek help right from the beginning. Education and support will help you deal with any challenges ahead. 

Expand Your Team 

• Physical therapy to help you with your movement. 
• Occupational therapy to make daily activities easier. 
• Speech therapy to improve your speaking and swallowing. 

Source: www.webmd.com 

The Parkinson’s Caregiver:  7 Ways to Help Your Loved One 

For most of us who aren’t natural-born caretakers, we need some time to learn the best ways to help a spouse or partner deal with a challenging diagnosis. Here are tips on how to be a better caregiver from experts at the Johns Hopkins Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center. 

Be Honest with Each Other 

A trap some caregiver-patient partners can get into is one person becoming the “nurse” while the other is demoted to helpless patient. That’s not productive and can end up being harmful if, for example, the caregiver takes on responsibilities that the person with Parkinson’s is perfectly capable of doing. As a caregiver, try to start an open dialogue for tough (but important) conversations with your loved one where you come to an agreement about when the loved one truly needs help. 

Educate Yourself 

Investigate educational materials that can help you understand the disease and its likely progression. You can start with nonprofits, like the National Parkinson Foundation. If your loved one is receiving care at a center for Parkinson’s disease, you will likely have access to a library of literature you can use. It’s very important to get accurate information because Parkinson’s is a complex disease, and what works for one person may not work for the next. All of the national groups are great resources. 

Attend Doctor’s Appointments 

Even if, at the beginning, your loved one is capable of getting him or herself to appointments, go along to ask questions, take notes, and share your unique perspective on symptoms or other issues that your loved one may not bring up, such as sleeping problems or mood disorders. Keep a running list of questions to bring with you. It’s also helpful to have a calendar (paper or digital, whatever works!) to keep track of physician and therapy appointments. You can also use a calendar to track medications and keep notes about any side effects.

Stay on Top of Insurance 

If you were always the one who handled questions of insurance coverage, great — but if not, you may want to familiarize yourself with the terms of your health insurance. You’ll need to know details about if and to what extent your plan covers prescriptions, therapy sessions and other unexpected items. 

Be Observant 

Watch for changes in symptoms, abilities and moods. You should also carefully note your loved one’s changing abilities, especially after changes in medication or therapy. A person with Parkinson’s may be able to do plenty that he or she did before, such as working, doing things around the house, going out with you or with friends, and undertaking normal activities. But that can change in subtle ways that the person may not always realize — for example, that he or she shouldn’t drive anymore, or that there’s a risk of falling or getting hurt. It can be tough to remind your loved one of things he or she can’t safely do. An expert tip from the Johns Hopkins Parkinson’s team: “Consider asking a social worker or therapist for advice on how to approach your loved one.” 

Be Flexible 

Your loved one’s symptoms may vary over time and even from day to day. Be patient and flexible if, say, you had plans to do something that are now being derailed by a bad day. Try to give your loved one the best possible chance to do certain tasks independently before stepping in to assist out of frustration. 

Be Sure Medications Are Taken 

This is crucial: If your loved one is forgetting his or her medicine, he or she may not be functioning as well as possible. To avoid making mistakes or having to bug or nag your loved one, develop a tool you both agree works, such as a smartphone reminder or a hard-to-miss wall calendar. Being consistent with medication can make a difference in both of your lives and lifestyles. 

Source: www.hopkinsmedicine.org 

Parkinson’s Kit to Consider 

Research has found that three out of four people with Parkinson’s do not receive medications on time when staying in the hospital and that when this occurs two out of three will experience unnecessary complications. 

The Parkinson’s Hospital Kit includes: 

• Medical Alert Wallet card 
• 1 Nurse Fact Sheet 
• 10 sheets of the Medication Form 
• ID bracelet 
• Duopa Info Card 
• Deep Brain Stimulation Card 

To learn more about this kit, visit 

www.parkinson.org 

Aging takes a toll on the body and on the mind. For example, the tissue of aging human brains sometimes develops abnormal clumps of proteins that are the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. How can you protect your brain from these effects?

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center have found that older adults may benefit from a specific diet called the MIND diet even when they develop these protein deposits, known as amyloid plaques and tangles. Plaques and tangles are a pathology found in the brain that builds up in between nerve cells and typically interferes with thinking and problem-solving skills.

Developed by the late Martha Clare Morris, ScD, who was a Rush nutritional epidemiologist, and her colleagues, the MIND diet is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets. Previous research studies have found that the MIND diet may reduce a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease dementia.

Now a study has shown that participants in the study who followed the MIND diet moderately later in life had reduced cognition problems, according to a paper published on Sept. 14 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Some have the ability to maintain cognitive function despite the accumulation of these pathologies in the brain, and our study suggests that the MIND diet is associated with better cognitive functions independently of brain pathologies related to Alzheimer’s disease.

“Some people have enough plaques and tangles in their brainsto have a postmortem diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, but theydo not develop clinical dementia in their lifetime.”

Klodian Dhana, MD, PhD, Study Lead Author and assistant professor, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Medical College

Based on the frequency of intake reported for the healthy and unhealthy food groups, the researchers calculated the MIND diet score for each participant across the study period. An average of the MIND diet score from the start of the study until the participant’s death was used in the analysis to limit measurement error. Seven sensitivity measures were calculated to confirm the accuracy of the findings.

“We found that a higher MIND diet score was associated with better memory and thinking skills independently of Alzheimer’sdisease pathology and other common age-related brainpathologies. The diet seemed to have a protective capacity andmay contribute to cognitive resilience in the elderly.”

Klodian Dhana, MD, PhD, Study Lead Author and assistant professor, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Medical College

Try a MIND diet recipe – Tuscan White Bean Soup

There’s good evidence that what you eat can make a difference in your risk of cognitive decline and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Here’s what to do about it. The research is in: Eating certain foods (and avoiding others) has been shown to slow brain aging by 7.5 years, and lessen the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This isn’t some trendy diet of the moment. Born as a hybrid of two existing eating styles with decades of research at their backs — the DASH diet and Mediterranean diet — university researchers developed the MIND diet to emphasize foods that impact brain health.

Try a MIND diet recipe – Tuscan White Bean Soup

Load Up on Vegetables

Eat your vegetables. Researchers found that green leafy vegetables like kale, collards, spinach, or lettuce were specifically shown to lower the risk of dementia and cognitive decline.

Make Berries Your Sweet Treat

In a 20-year study of over 16,000 older adults, those who ate the most blueberries and strawberries had the slowest rates of cognitive decline. Researchers credit the high levels of flavonoids in berries with the benefit. Treat yourself to two or more berry servings a week for peak brain health.

Snack on Nuts

Nuts may be high in calories and fat, but they’re packed with fat-soluble vitamin E, known for its brain-protective qualities

Grab a handful at least five times a week instead of processed snacks like chips or pastries. Check the list of ingredients and opt for the dry-roasted or raw, unsalted kind without extra sodium, sweeteners, or oils. (Hint: No-stir peanut butter has stuff added.)

Cook with Mostly Olive Oil

Another Mediterranean diet staple is olive oil. Researchers recommend using it as your primary cooking oil and avoiding butter and margarine. New to olive oil? Look for “extra virgin” olive oil (skip anything labeled “light”) and choose a bottle that’s opaque or dark glass since light causes it to go bad faster.

Embrace Meat-Free Meals

Brain-healthy eating encourages consuming meat sparingly (red meat makes an appearance fewer than four times a week in the ideal MIND diet). Beans, lentils, and soybeans, which pack protein and fiber, make a worthy substitute. They’ll keep you full and are rich in B vitamins, which are important for brain health. In one study analyzing the diets of older adults, those who had the lowest intakes of legumes had greater cognitive decline than those who ate more.

Have Fish Once a Week

Constantly forgetting the name of that person you just met? Adults aged 65 and older who ate fish once a week or more scored better on memory tests and tricky number games than those who had seafood less often. But if fish isn’t your favorite, there’s good news: MIND diet researchers couldn’t find proof that having it more than once a week added extra benefits for the brain.

Feel Free to Savor a Glass of Wine

While too much alcohol is unquestionably harmful to the brain and overall health, studies suggest that light to moderate drinking may lower the risk of dementia. And it may delay the onset of Alzheimer’s by two to three years. One possible reason is: Alcohol seems to help blood flow, making it less sticky and less prone to potentially harmful clotting. Given the risks of alcohol, it’s probably not a good idea to start drinking it just for the possible brain benefit. But if you enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, you can continue the habit on the MIND diet.

Source: mayoclinic.org

Welcoming a new year is a special time of looking forward to new beginnings, fresh outlooks on life, and celebrating all of those accomplishments you’ve achieved in life thus far.

Play party games

If you’re gathering with a group of people, party games are fun entertainment that brings everyone together. You can find dozens of free games online, or print New Year’s Eve “BINGO!” cards.

Prepare good luck foods

Around the world, people celebrate the new year with certain foods. Why not incorporate some into your tradition? The Spanish and Portuguese eat twelve grapes at midnight to symbolize the twelve months of the new year. In Greece, a pomegranate is smashed on the floor in front of a door to break it open, revealing seeds symbolizing prosperity and good fortune. In Chili, lentils are eaten when the clock strikes midnight and in the southern United States, eating black-eyed peas is thought to bring good fortune in the new year.

Celebrate a new tradition

In the United States, it is common to watch a ball drop at midnight. However, the world is full of other New Year traditions you can try. In Ireland, bread is banged against walls and doors to chase out bad luck and spirits.

Have a theme party

Pay tribute to decades of the past, and dress up as a flapper from the roaring 20s, put on your bobby socks and poodle skirt for the nifty 50s, or wear your hair in a beehive for the swingin’ 60s.

Noisemakers

Invite everyone to bring or make their own noisemakers and go wild with them at midnight.

New Year’s nostalgia

Go for a walk down memory lane. Bring out photo albums and talk about family New Year’s celebrations of the past or other memorable family gatherings.

Locate local events

If you want to get out of the house for New Year’s, reach out to your local senior centers, institutions, religious centers, or YMCA/YWCA to learn about events in your area. There could be a parade, fireworks, or party being hosted near you.

Write down your New Year’s resolutions

Do you keep meaning to schedule a yearly annual checkup? Is it time to declutter the home and minimize some of your belongings? A new year is a perfect time to get motivated to finally do some of those things you’ve been meaning to do all year. Consider resolutions like exercising, eating healthier, volunteering, challenging your brain, visiting an old pastime, and spending more time with family.

Have a movie night and watch films set around New Year’s

Get in the spirit and watch a New Year’s themed movie.

New Year’s Day brunch

If staying up until midnight is way past your bedtime and not possible, celebrate New Year’s Day at noon instead! As you are counting down to noon, hold up your glass of orange juice or milk, and say “cheers” to a new year!

Source: www.medicare.org