Seniors Site

By now, half of the senior population must already be feeling the heat and I’m telling you, it only gets hotter and hotter every year! Some say, it has something to do with climate change and weather is bound to get crazier still.

So where does that leave us seniors? Well, literally homebound and locked up where the good AC wind blows! I don’t know if my body temperature is directly affected by my wrinkly skin which I suspect, gets thicker by the hour, but there’s no way I can stand the heat especially during its so-called peak hours, that is 10am to 3pm, sometimes, even longer than that.

Actually, as a fact, hot temperature puts seniors at risk for hyperthermia. It is when the body can no longer stand the heat and just shuts off the body’s natural heat regulators which can lead to several heat related health conditions ranging from life threatening heat stroke to mild sunburn. Doubly so are the active seniors who prefers to work outside of home and engage in activities which will require them to be at the sun’s mercy. This includes gardeners, cycling junkies and those who just love to be outdoors all the time.

Hyperthermia is basically a general term for all heat related conditions. Apparently, it affects babies and seniors the most since their bodily functions are not at its best–yet or anymore. In a way, it is the cooling and heating mechanism of the body that is usually impaired and not functioning properly in a senior’s body that gets us in trouble. Also, those carrying excess weight—okay, more than what’s acceptable for an aging body—are at greater risk as well as those who consume alcohol on a regular basis.

As far as those with existing illnesses are concerned, those with diabetes should avoid extreme temperatures due to poor circulation. A person with diabetes has a body that doesn’t really adjust well to heat making them vulnerable to hyperthermia. Aside from that, seniors with diabetes tend to be more sensitive to heat than those without it. Health care providers strongly suggest that early precautions be given attention before it’s too late.

The simplest way to avoid hyperthermia is drinking lots of water as it effectively cools down the body. Better yet, go for ice cold water and double your water intake during summer. While you’re at it, try to avoid those with caffeine as it dehydrates your body. Cooling foods can also help you keep your body’s temperature at normal level. Examples of which are: melon, peaches, watermelons, cucumbers and lettuce.

When trying to lose weight, you most probably have heard 101 diet and exercise tips to make losing weight go faster. While maintaining an ideal weight and staying active is recommended for seniors to ensure quality of life, bear in mind that anything drastic will do you absolutely NO good and it may even be dangerous considering your age and health status. To avoid health risks, here are some diet myths along with their facts to guide you to healthy weight loss:

MYTH 1:  Targeted exercise is more effective than exercising the body as a whole.
FACT:  There’s no such thing as targeted exercise especially to a beginner and it can never be good for seniors. It is quite impossible to tell your body to burn fat in certain areas only. If you need to lose weight, aim for the overall body fat instead.

MYTH 2:  You need to lift weights in order to lose weight.
FACT: There are many activities you can engage in that will also make you lose weight and tone your body. Even a simple everyday cardiovascular exercise such as jogging or brisk walking can help you shed excess weight.

MYTH 3:  The more you sweat, the more calories burned.
FACT: When burning fats and calories, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to sweat the same amount. You only sweat because your body is experiencing a temperature above normal and it needs to cool down. Try exercising in an airconditioned room—you will still burn fats but not sweat a lot.

MYTH 4: Eliminate a certain type of food in your diet, like carbo.
FACT: That is not healthy! If carbohydrate is sooo bad for your body, you won’t see it in the food pyramid! Your body needs carbo just as much as your body needs all the nutrients it can get from your balanced diet. The key is moderation.

MYTH 5:  Eat a heavy meal before exercising; you’ll burn it anyway.
FACT: Oh you’ll definitely get a burn—heartburn, that is! While it is not good to exercise on an empty stomach, please take note that digestion takes time so a heavy meal is a big no-no. Take small snacks, enough just to fuel the body while you exercise.

MYTH 6:  ALL fats are made equal.
FACT:  Granted that most fats are bad for your aging body, there are certain kinds of fat that are recommended to keep your internal system well oiled and working in harmony with one another. As rule of thumb, oils found naturally in food are good, those manufactured are not.

MYTH 7:  Smorgasbord on healthy foods.
FACT:  Again, moderation is the key to losing weight. Even if you are munching on something healthy, you won’t shed a stone if you continue to gorge yourself with food.

MYTH 8:  Eating after 6pm will make you fat.
FACT:  It’s not the “eating” part that is the problem, it’s the way your body processes food. You can still eat after 6pm, just as long as it is easily digestible by your body as the body’s metabolism tends to slow down during these hours.

MYTH 9:  Herbal weight loss products and preparations are safe.
FACT:  There are no hard and fast rules for losing weight except that there is a somewhat higher success rate in doing it the healthy way, that is, exercise and balanced diet. If you are going to introduce something new to your body, it is best to consult your doctor first.

MYTH 10:  Skip meals to lose weight.
FACT:  A big NO. By now, you should know that skipping a meal is unhealthy. In fact, seniors are recommended to have 8 small meals all throughout the day to satisfy the body and at the same time, be able to maintain an ideal weight.

Ever wonder what it feels like to live in a community wherein you are free to roam the area but at the same time, monitored—The Truman Show-style? It can be unnerving, yes, but believe me, you are better off in this type of housing than in doldrums of a retirement home.

Of course, the type of retirement setting solely depends on the needs of the senior who will move and live there, but for active seniors who do not wish to be bound between a recreational room and their own assigned room, retirement communities are your best bet. Luckily, retirement communities are mushrooming all throughout America and there bound to be one near you.

If that got you interested, here are my tips in choosing the best retirement community for you:

•    Start local. Retirement communities are becoming more and more popular these days since most seniors who are left alone with no one to care for them are usually active enough not to be thrown in a retirement home. If you choose to stay local, there is a big chance you’ll end up with your longtime friends there.
•    Do a quick background check on the community. Almost all retirement communities are fairly new, so it is best if you do a little background check on the owners and their financial stability.
•    Make sure they have all the services you need—or at least nearby. Your medical needs should be a priority, the community should be in close proximity to a hospital in case an emergency happens, if not within the community itself.
•    Ask for a sample contract, if possible, along with a detailed breakdown of fees. Sometimes, this is where lines become blurred so you need to be very careful with these details. Go over it with a lawyer if you must.
•    Ask to be toured, get friendly with residents. This is the only way you’ll be able to get a good feel of the community—being one of them for a few hours. Pay attention to what your gut tells you as they are, most of the time, right on the spot.
•    Check its amenities and programs for residents. Since you are paying for your stay, might as well enjoy it! There should be an activity director in the area whom you can ask for these things.
•    Assess your own financial standing. Living in a retirement community can be expensive—way more expensive than a boring retirement home! If you plan to stay longterm, you should be able to pay for it.

I don’t know about you, my elderly friends, but I have been having memory problems for as long as I can remember. My mom used to tease me about the time I almost forgot to pick up my wedding dress had she not reminded me—she being the organized one, me being the careless bride. I had always depended on her to remind me of the things I needed to do:  kids’ vaccination day, doctor’s appointments, baseball games, etc. Annoying as it was then, you could just imagine how lost I became the moment I realize she can no longer fulfill this duty for me.

Along the way, I have tested and learned the best ways to help me remember and by sharing them, I hope to help seniors who are having trouble remembering as well. I know how frustrating it can be so here are some of my favorites:

1.    Concentrate. If someone is talking to you and you know there is something important in what the other person is saying, never let your mind wander, instead ask questions, clarify things. This will help you remember what was said.
2.    Write it down. Better yet, put them all together in one place. It can be a little notebook or a planner. You know a piece of tissue only works for one-night stands!
3.    Visualize. I have always believed that there are two kinds of people:  creative and critical thinkers. If you are the former, it will help you tremendously if you visualize a situation rather than focusing on details.
4.    Associate. Names are the hardest to remember! My trick is when I meet a person, I try to associate his name to the nearest, silliest thing I can think of. If he is a Rainier, I associate him with a reindeer.
5.    Designate a place for everything. Problem with missing keys? Set a wide-mouthed fishbowl right beside the door and put all keys there. Disappearing remote control? Place them all on the nearest end table. And how about your eye glasses? Buy a neck strap.
6.    Put out-of-place reminders around your work table or your house. My top favorite would be a large paper calendar—those with screaming, big numbers enough to catch your neighbor’s attention. This is for remembering schedules, appointments etc.
7.    Post-its. It may not be the prettiest things to see scattered around the house but the neon yellow colored sticky paper never fails to remind!
8.    Take advantage of what technology has to offer. Google for one has a calendar that comes with their email account, free to use upon signing up. It sends notification via emails so you don’t have to access them all the time just to see your “things to do”
9.    Prioritize. Sometimes things get so crazy, it becomes harder to remember. If this is the case, learn how to prioritize.
10.    Adapt a routine. If it’s a regular thing you need to keep, like taking your meds, adjust your everyday schedule and create a routine to keep you reminded. It’s like programming your body based on time and day.

For all seniors’ information, flu season starts from November to March—and that is according to CDC or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now that we have just ended August and officially started September, we seniors, being the most vulnerable group for flu, should be armed and prepared!

It is important for us seniors to know what we are facing exactly and how bad it can be if and when flu strikes. The only way to get us armed and ready for it is understanding its basic facts. Below are some things you need to know when dealing with flu.

•    Flu is caused by influenza viruses, hence the name. It primarily attacks the respiratory tract and can cause complications to a person.
•    Its mode of infection is through droplets from an infected person to another nearby person by way of coughing or sneezing. That is why it is highly recommended for an infected person to cover mouth and nose when they feel a cough or a sneeze coming.
•    Older people 50 years and above are at risk for flu, especially those with weakened immune system.
•    Incubation period is usually 5-7 days which mean you get infected at day 1 but symptoms will only show a week later. Furthermore, transmission is possible at day 1 and all throughout your sick days.
•    Ask your doctor if you are safe to have a flu vaccine. Some people are not recommended to have them due to health restrictions.
•    There is a vaccine for flu virus. Generally, seniors are recommended to get vaccinated prior to the flu season, usually around October or earlier, if it’s available. Its effectivity lasts up to a year, then you should submit yourself to another shot yearly after that.
•    You should also have your caregiver vaccinated, better yet, anyone who comes in close contact with you just to be sure you won’t be able to infect them or vice versa.
•    If flu virus is dominant in your area, avoid public places where people gather in one closed area. Wear a medical mask if you need to go out and mingle with other people.
•    Viruses mutate and adapt to its environs. That is the reason why catching a virus this year won’t guarantee you of immunity for years to come. Aside from that, viruses are made up of different strains. A strain may infect you today and yet another the next day.
•    Anti-viral drugs can treat influenza. If you belong to high risk groups, it is important to see your doctor upon first sign of infection to avoid life-threatening complications from happening.

Let’s face it, not all retirement plans end in a successful fruition. Some seniors I know, or those nearing retirement are quick to admit, it really takes a lot more than careful planning. Worse, if luck is not on your side, market shares drop unexpectedly, leaving you with last minute, frantic calculations of your liquid assets and those unattended extra something you can quickly turn into cash, i.e assets you failed to notice then when you were living comfortably.

Sadly, I have heard stories from friends—and I am sure, you have heard them too—seniors delaying retirement for 5 or so more years just to make sure they won’t experience a “dry spell”—something that is far from amusing when you are well into your retirement age..

Lucky are those who were granted to work some more years but how about those who already went on with their retirement only to realize they needed to go back to work? Here are some tips for landing a better retirement job because for me, going back to work while retired need not be a pain at all!

•    Start local. There are jobs you can find without going too far from your own home—you just have to look for them and in some instances, be creative enough to spot opportunities. You can even inquire with your last place of work for job openings or part time jobs. If you did good during your working years, there is a big chance they will hire you again.
•    Aim for part-time jobs, if possible. You still need to somehow enjoy your retirement years, which means a work should not occupy 100% of your time anymore. You just don’t have the energy for that anymore and you are wasting valuable time if you do. Having part-time jobs is enough to tide you over, along with other monetary aid you’re supposed to be receiving.
•    Look for temporary jobs. Companies are now hiring for projects on a temporary basis. Jobs like this are usually not critical of age and would hire base on expertise. Aside from that, temporary jobs pay as much as regular jobs, sometimes even higher.
•    Join community programs. Government indeed takes care of their people. You just have to get out there and join. While you can volunteer for programs, paying jobs are also available.
•    Expand your horizons. All you need is a little background on something and you’re off to something big—on your free time! Join free seminars and watch online instructional videos for free. Learning something new will help you land a job that is both enjoyable and fulfilling.

As much as we seniors would like to keep our kids nearby for the rest of our lives, doing so is quite impossible, not to mention inappropriate. As soon as they find a way, they fly away from home, some even as far away from home as possible. Our children’s dreams cannot be hindered by our wants and needs, in order to fulfill their own dreams, they needed to find their own way and hopefully, not forgetting their way back home.

However, expressing love and care for someone living far away from us is indeed difficult, especially if we were never given a chance to be with them in the first place. Considering these things, I would say that long-distance grandparenting is much more difficult than having a grownup child living miles away from you. The hardest must be connecting with your grandchild.

But, as grandparents, we should know that it is not impossible to connect with our grandkids, know us as a person and eventually make us part of their lives, if we only persist. Do take note though that, family counselors strongly suggest that grandparents should make the move while their grandkids are still young and no later than that since kids are more receptive and emotionally “open” to people than teens tend to be. Aside from that, a grandchild knowing you as a grandparent since childhood makes the bond much stronger and the communication lines more open.

Seniors who successfully maintained a good long distance grandkid-grandparent relationship recommend that you do the following:

•    Be there as much as possible. While it is quite impossible for you to be there for them physically, you should make the child feel comfortable enough to contact you when he or she feels like it or whenever needed.
•    Take advantage of what technology has to offer. There are many ways to make yourself available for your grandkids. Learning the ropes online will tremendously boost your chances of connecting to these younger ones. Try popular social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook especially if your grandkids are teens. You are most likely to find them there.
•    Staying in touch. You must remember that in a child’s world, everyday is a new adventure. Vanishing for a month or two means you missed a whole lot in your grandchild’s life and sadly, this would mean you have to start all over again.
•    Bonding time is still important. Even if you make it a point to call them every single day, nothing beats spending time with them physically. Invite them over during vacations or visit their place if you have time. Planning a trip with them can also make the two of you closer.

Sometimes—especially in cases of severe depression attacks—it becomes harder to appreciate the things that come with aging. Really, not everybody can be happy with wrinkly skin and failing health right? These are the times when we have to remind ourselves that there still are things not only getting better but worth being proud of with age. Below is a list of things seniors can use to remind themselves how lucky they have become over the years!

•    Life’s lessons. This, you can never learn in a couple of years! You need to have seen it all to be able to really pinpoint life’s lessons which you can pass on to willing ears, that is, your grandkids.
•    Expertise. Younger people will seek your expertise over matters you have grown old doing. In a way, making you rise above everyone else.
•    Patience. Unless your bladder is telling you otherwise, you can afford to wait, no matter how long it takes.
•    Seeing things in different perspectives. Life today made everything look like 2 dimensional, even the problems we face. Seniors often see more than what is being offered to them.
•    Grandkids. It’s quite a feeling when you see your family growing before your eyes.
•    True friends. Real, lasting relationships are hard to find. Upon reaching your golden years, it is certain you have a friend or two with you whom you trust with your life.
•    Respect. Unless you start acting silly, getting respect from people you barely know won’t be hard. You just have to act the part.
•    Sexual satisfaction. As you age, lust takes a backseat and you begin to understand how satisfying real sexual encounters can be.
•    Independence. Old people cannot be questioned about the decisions they make. Only their kids can do that!
•    Better instinct. Due to extensive experience, your instincts must be honed to the fullest! You recognize the bad from the good in a snap, no need to wait for the “Holy whisper”.
•    Unfazed by risk. Nothing can scare you at this point. Not even death.
•    Happiness. By now, you must have found your happy place, your source of happiness.
•    Contentment. It’s quite hard to not be contented with what you have right now, especially if you did it all over the years.
•    You are now the role model. Just imagine how it feels to be looked up to. Back then, you find your role models, now you get to be the role model!

We often find ourselves examining the way we eat and make a painstaking effort to adjust them to the way they are supposed to be. Healthy eating says eat more fruit and veggies and avoid red meat as we grow old since the former will give our body more fiber and the latter to prolong our lives—whatever that means. Even if we don’t understand half of it, we faithfully follow them to a tee. However, what we fail to give attention to is those bad after-meal habits we have grown to adapt. Here are some of after-meal habits you must avoid:

•    Walking it off. I remember back then when walking after a meal was highly recommended. It was supposed to boost your metabolism making you burn calories faster. Boy, did I walk! The only reason I stopped doing that is that I came to a point wherein I resist the urge to run instead of a leisure stroll or walk—which I know would be very bad for my health if I do. For an aging body, walking after a meal hinders nutrient absorption so you might want to wait a little while after a meal before you go for a walk.
•    Smoking. I know how good smoking feels right after a meal. For some reason, it makes the “eating experience” complete, however, it also encourages a routine which, in time, would be the hardest to break. Also, your body is in “absorb” state after a meal which makes it more vulnerable to absorbing chemicals from a cigarette stick.
•    Sleeping or napping. I, personally, am guilty of this. The older I get, the harder it becomes to resist sleeping or napping it off after a meal. I believe that when the body is in sleeping or resting state, it slows down every known bodily function including your metabolism and digestion. Considering this, you must conclude that sleeping right after a meal can never be good for your health.
•    Drinking tea. Seniors with iron deficiency problems must avoid drinking tea before, during and after meals since it blocks iron from being absorbed by the body. While drinking tea along with a fatty meal is highly recommended, please be aware that teas in general do block certain nutrients. Considering your aging body’s needs, you need all the good nutrients you can get.
•    Exercise. This, I swear:  exercising right after a meal is not good! Snacks are okay but a meal.. it can never be good. After a bout of cramps, my fitness instructor advised to wait for at least an hour after a meal before engaging to such strenuous activity since the body is still busy processing the food you have just eaten.

A caregiver’s job is 24/7, which means no ifs, no buts and sadly, it rarely gets better, instead most cases only gets worse overtime. If you are a primary caregiver to a spouse or a parent, you most probably know how hard it is emotionally, mentally and most of all, physically.  There are many aspects of your personal life that gets sacrificed, especially the social aspect of it. No matter how dedicated you are in fulfilling your duties, at some point, your body and mind are bound to crave a little time of your own. This, should not bother you as it is perfectly normal for a caregiver to feel that way. Believe it or not, giving in to the temptation will certainly improve the way you see things and will definitely renew you as a person.

So, how exactly can you do that when you don’t trust just about anyone to do the job for you, albeit temporarily? What you need is a respite care service. Respite care services are temporary, time-limited care services available for caregivers who have problems taking breaks since their seniors need round-the-clock care. Respite care services come in many forms. They can be done in-house or out-of-home, both have their own sets of pros and cons depending on the caregiver and the senior’s needs and comfort.

In-house respite care, as the title may suggest, is when someone comes in your home to relieve you of your duties. It can be a family member willing to sit in with your senior for a while during your absence or a volunteer from local caregiving communities. Skilled assistant, on the other hand, can be paid to look after your senior while you’re away. In an in-house respite care, there is no need to move your senior out of the house which can benefit seniors who are bedridden or have limited range of motion. However, you are not only leaving your senior at this person’s mercy but also your home so you must be very careful in choosing the right person to trust.

Out-of-home respite care is basically moving your senior to a place or facility where you can leave him or her for a couple of days in case of emergency or when you need to go out and there’s no one to look after the senior if he stays at home. There are day care programs for seniors which is ideal if you are looking for a respite care service for only a day or opt to avail respite care services from a residential respite care facility which caters to cared-for seniors needing a place to stay and sleep for days to weeks.