Seniors Site

This is probably the most horrible news one could ever receive but unfortunately, senior abuse is not at all uncommon and they really do happen—a lot. No matter where you choose to leave your senior, there will always be a chance of them getting abused without you knowing it. What’s most painful is that the trust that was once there is now broken. Not to mention the trauma your senior must have acquired during the whole ordeal. Indeed, an experience like this striking any family is something we all have to avoid at all cost.

But how would you know? In rare occasions, a senior may report these cases themselves to proper authorities but again, this is not always the case. Usually by the time an abuse case concerning a senior reaches the police, it’s way too late. Reasons for not reporting vary widely from one senior to another, the most common of which are the inability of the senior to do things on his own and poor judgment to matters concerning their own welfare. Some of them admitted to authorities that they were either ashamed or too frightened to call for help even if they already did recognize danger. Most reported cases of senior abuse came from concerned neighbors and close friends who are quick to identify these warning signs.

Regular contact with your senior is the most effective way to prevent abuse from happening. If other people are aware that you have been checking regularly, they will think twice before doing something bad. It will also be for your senior’s best to check up on their affairs once in a while especially their finances which apparently is the most vulnerable—and very targetable—area of their life right now. Here are some of the most common warning signs that you should be looking for when you suspect senior abuse:

·    Discrepancies in their financial affairs and assets. Unscrupulous people will try to “milk it” as long as they stay undetected. They will apply tactics and other methods of persuasion just to get their hands on the senior’s money.
·    Signs of malnutrition. When you notice they are dropping weight like crazy then it’s time to intervene. When a person loses weight, there’s always something wrong with the picture, either he is not getting enough food to nourish his body or he is not receiving proper medical care while the body takes in all the blow.
·    Physical injuries or telltale signs of physical abuse. Take note of bruises, cuts, welts and broken bones. While it is normal to acquire these things when doing everyday chores, they should be explainable.
·    If your senior is living with someone who abuses them, your senior is bound to exhibit a different kind of attitude whenever that person is around. Also, signs of emotional withdrawal is noted when a senior is subjected to abuse.

Imagine driving almost your entire lifetime, dodging every traffic ticket there is, knowing the road even if you drive blindfolded and virtually conducting your everyday tasks and jobs inside your car. As an evidence, one look inside your old, trusty car and one would know what kind of business you’re running nowadays. Above all these, the connection between you and your car have grown through the years and come to think of it, your relationship with your car even surpassed that of your first spouse! If you feel this way, then you’re certainly not alone for there are thousands of senior drivers unable to will themselves away from their cars and would rather drive even if the situation has become more dangerous for them to do so.

There have been several posts in this blog about safe driving for seniors but nothing beats a refresher course conducted by the experts. Due to many road incidents concerning senior drivers, and also the great concern expressed by their family and friends, organizations who look after the welfare of older adults are now moving to make the road a safer place for seniors nowadays. We all know how age-related physical changes can affect one’s driving skill, no matter the amount of years-experience they acquired. Not only are these seniors putting themselves in a very dangerous situation but also they pose a great threat to pedestrians, other drivers and the road in general. This is how important a refresher course is to driving seniors.

Various organizations such as AAA, and AARP offer materials, seminars and short courses to assist driving seniors and hopefully make them “fit for the road” once again. There are also online courses for those who are unable to physically make it to classes and workshops and it was said to be as helpful and accurate as the ones taught in classes. However, class instructors encourage seniors to participate in real classes since it provides interaction between the instructor and the student. Included in these classes are age-appropriate and defensive driving tips that are perfectly suitable for seniors. Also, instructors encourage seniors to accept their limitations early on to avoid difficult situations from happening.

Driving schools are now offering refresher courses that actually put seniors behind the wheel to show them how to properly drive and work with their limitations such as changing lanes or staying in appropriate speed lanes. Some programs go as far as evaluating the driver medically for easy-spotting of problems. Most organizations offer them for free while others can go as high as $20.

There’s a new trend in town and it is infecting seniors worldwide. They are fun and addicting and boy, they really take the blues away!

If you are a senior who finds so much time in your hands with too little things to do, it’s about time to try your hand at blogging and see how far it can get you. It can be a great past time, hobby or even an income generating activity to fill up those vacant times you seem to have nowadays. Soon you’ll find yourself deeply engaged to blogging that it will be quite impossible to pry you away from that computer! The good news is, now you’ll have more reasons to blog since experts say it might even be good for your aging brain.

For those who got interested in blogging, let’s cover the basics first. Blogging is when you write for a blog and get your entries published realtime. Its functionality is very much similar to a website, only made simpler for normal people like you and me. For beginners who would like to test the waters first, you can sign up for free in blog platforms such as Wordpress and Blogger. After a little while, you can opt to buy your space and register it for more flexibility. It’s simple enough to learn and baby steps will work out just fine as most blog owners did when starting out. Typically, a blogger would write about their interests since they are the easiest to work on. Some notable blogs maintained by seniors are about cooking, fishing, barbequing and other hobby-related stuff. There are also senior blogs which chronicle their lives including its pain and joy as it happens. Interaction is highly encouraged in senior blogs.

With that said, we now move on to the benefits of blogging to seniors aside from the interaction and social aspects of it. Studies show that blogging has been the best alternative for traditional mind sports like chess and crossword puzzles. It helps an aging mind to stay sharp and focused. Furthermore, blogging requires constant researching to come up with quality articles to post, this in return makes seniors keep up with current events. Blogs provide a great way to connect and meet people who happen to be interested with the very same things you do too. Most of all, blogs allow you to share valuable life lessons through writing and posting. In a way, earning you recognition and fame for a job well done.

You’re in your midlife, she’s in her senior years, now you are having a hard time connecting to her. Does this scenario sound familiar? Probably yes, since it is a very common communication problem between a senior parent and her adult offspring.

Experts say the problem stems from the fast-paced life we seem to be leading now. Due to the demands of an average adult life, it is easy to leave your family behind, especially if they are already slowing down and are not able to keep up with the pace anymore. Even with the advances in technology today which enable us to connect with each other even if we’re miles away, it seems that it’s never enough to establish a good connection with an aging parent. Counselors recommend children of aging parents to build a good foundation, relationship-wise, early on so communication problems would be avoided later in life.

Light exchanges are highly encouraged between a parent and a child. This way you’ll be able to get to know each other more in a way that a child could determine what tone of voice to use and what words work for the parent. If you are sensitive enough, you eliminate the possibility of miscommunication. On the other hand, imposing to your parent is never good at any age and let me tell you, this is a trap most adult with aging parent fall into unconsciously. When you care about the person, you don’t impose.

It is important to share yourself too. How else can you earn trust if you cannot trust someone too? It need not be anything painful but hobbies and routines you’ve grown to love can also be shared with your aging parent to establish a common ground—a crucial part of an effective communication. Moreover, if you aim to improve your relationship which is by the way the most important step in communicating with seniors, it has to start somewhere. Shared hobby can be your easiest point of entrance. If you are unable to establish this kind of mutual relationship and time is pressing tremendously on your side, then get someone close to your senior parent whom he or she trusts with his life to act as a mediator. It will also help you if you can remember to be his child first before a life planner even if you’re the one supporting him financially right now.

When approaching a senior, never be the bearer of bad news all the time otherwise your senior will turn defensive everytime you come near. There are many things under the sun that you can discuss with your parent other than committing her to an adult care facility or submitting her to yet another lab test or even her declining health. These topics are all but depressing. Make it a habit to try cheering them up everyday.

If you are a caregiver or you have been living with a senior for quite sometime now, are you sure your senior is healthy and not on the verge of malnutrition? Sometimes seniors tend to forget about how important good nutrition is for them and just eat whenever they feel the need to, unfortunately when a senior is experiencing too much pain or is suffering emotionally, the last thing on their minds would be eating and nutrition. It now depends on their housemates to monitor their nutrition more than ever.

There are many varying factors why seniors may have overlooked their health. It can be due to the fact that some seniors live alone thus they don’t see the need to cook real food and opt to dine elsewhere. It can also be due to digestive problems which limit food choices for older adults while others find it hard to keep up with food preparation due to mobility problems. These reasons alone can tell you how vulnerable seniors are to malnutrition. Below are signs you need to look for when you are in doubt about your senior’s health:

·    Loss of appetite. When trying to determine whether your senior is eating right, don’t just ask them because if they were not, they won’t know the difference. Try spending time with the beloved senior and dine with them. Notice their appetite when served with their favorite foods as well as their reaction when invited to dine out.
·    Sudden weight loss. Drastic weight loss in a span of 3 months is not at all normal. Weight loss can be a sign of many different health conditions, emotional and otherwise. Consult a doctor immediately when you see this sign.
·    When visiting a senior, check their pantry and refrigerator just to have an idea what they have been eating these days. Check expiration dates and for spoiled foods. Throw away items that may endanger the senior’s health when mistakenly eaten and do the honors to replenish their stock with nutritional foods.
·    A dead-giveaway of malnutrition is the skin, particularly its tone. It should have healthy and hydrated look to it.
·    Positive disposition. Sudden change in the senior’s outlook in life can signify of something that others should be alarmed of. When a happy person suddenly turned lethargic and withdrawn, it’s about time you interfere.
·    Seniors with mental problems are often nutrition-neglected so do the best you can by making sure your senior gets everything his or her body needs.
·    The medications they take can also affect the way they taste foods, often making them lose appetite and do without eating altogether. When you notice this effect, discuss this with their doctor at once.

Along with aging comes physical changes that most of the time, seniors find them embarrassing to handle. Unfortunately, no matter how much we loath these changes which signify advance age, they will come. For seniors, it seems that the only thing we can do for this inevitable predicament is to delay them as much as possible, face them when they come and just make the most out of these changes. In other words, if we like to stay “likeable”, we must do damage control when the need be.

One of these physical changes that seniors suffer is dental problems. Although dental problems are not an imminent danger to one’s health, it can bring about embarrassing situations if not taken cared for beforehand. Also, it is most important for seniors to keep in touch with their dentist especially as they age further. This is because many mouth problems may indicate other underlying health problems that can be more serious and threatening to our health.

If the only thing that’s been hindering you to visit your doctor today is the fear that he or she may pull all of your damaged teeth out, then fret no more. Today, every dentist worldwide goes for restoration as they possibly could because they know all too well how a toothless grin can affect one’s self-esteem. Needless to say, a senior should not hesitate to go to his or her dentist to get the mouth job done. Here are some few good reasons why you need to see a dentist today:

·    It is common for seniors to suffer dry mouth or xerostomia. Seniors should be aware that dry mouth can cause tooth loss and other oral problems like sores, sore throat and gum disease. Dentists say that the number one contributing factor of dry mouth in older adults is the medication they take.
·    Receding gums is closely related with your weakening bones. When your jaw bones shrinks, the gums follow suit. Furthermore, gum diseases especially when they are left untreated for years now, can encourage your gums to recede in a much faster phase. This can lead to tooth loss and root decay.
·    Tooth discoloration or darkening teeth on the other hand is more of a lifestyle condition which can worsen overtime. To stay away from tooth discoloration, experts advice seniors to avoid beverages that can darken your teeth such as coffee and tea. Smoking also induces tooth discoloration.
·    Gum diseases are usually caused by our own oral hygiene. If it had been poor then your gums are now prone to gum diseases that proved to be very troublesome when they manifest. Plaques for one, can cause tooth loss to affected seniors.

Looking for the perfect gift to give to your loved-ones? Are you tired of hunting for the perfect gift and has been contemplating with the one you have right now? Why not try gift baskets?

Gift baskets have everything you need in a gift. It is practical, useful and one hundred percent personalized for the person in mind. Gift baskets are sure to delight a recipient of any age but most especially elderly loved ones.

Basically, a gift basket is composed of variety of items most suitable for the recipient. To make it more personalized, you must know a little something about the person you are about to give gift to. On the other hand, if in doubt then opt to go for pre-made ones available in most specialty stores such as gourmet food shops and gift shops. You can also choose to work around a theme or a holiday, whichever is most applicable at the moment. Here are some gift basket ideas made specifically for seniors:

·    Food baskets. This is, by far, the most recommended for seniors instead of giving them something that they won’t ever need. Food baskets encourage seniors to eat healthy–granted that the items you include in your gift baskets are indeed healthy. Your food baskets could be fresh fruits, teas, pastas, and even chocolates. Just make sure that it won’t harm their health.
·    Organic bath gift baskets. Not that seniors don’t take a bath but most of the time, they tend to use those that are most convenient or readily available for them at the moment. By sending them a basket full of organic bath products, it will save them time and effort in buying these products for themselves. Organic bath products are great for seniors’ skin because theirs are prone to dryness and irritation.
·    Spa gift baskets. Seniors need to relax too. With a spa basket, it’s like giving them the ticket to do so. Think Zen when gathering up products for your Spa basket. Include products such as bath salts, body oils and body scrubs.
·    Gardener’s gift basket. Most seniors make gardening their hobby because it is fun and very rewarding. If you are planning to give your favorite senior a gardener’s basket, you must first know their “gardening level” and what kind of garden he maintains (herb, flower or fruit) so your items will fit them perfectly.
·    Treasured memories gift baskets. This can be a scrapbooking basket which includes basic and elaborate scrapbooking materials or a stack of photos and a beautiful album to hold all of it. If this is a grandma, don’t forget to send the kids too so they can work on it together.

To get your gift baskets together, here’s a step-by-step how-to:

·    Determine what kind of gift basket you are going to give then decide on its theme.
·    Find a suitable “basket” to hold your items. It can be a large bowl for food and pasta baskets or a pretty bag if it’s a spa gift basket.
·    Find a suitable filler to make it more attractive. It can be a crinkled color paper or paper shreds.
·    Get two major “highlights” and a couple of smaller ones for your gift basket. Smaller ones are placed in front while bigger items should be at the back so everything is seen at once.
·    Wrap it up with a translucent wrap and tie it with a ribbon. Gift baskets can also go without a wrap so it’s your call whether you want it or not. Either way, gift baskets are a delight to receive.

Stress can strike at any age. In fact, it can strike at any time without the person even knowing it. It was even recorded that a person is most likely to suffer at least one period of depression brought about stress in his or her entire lifetime. Furthermore, stress can be in forms of physical and psychological, the later being the more sneaky and destructive of the two.

Many have survived stress fairly unscathed, unfortunately, seniors are only a small number of it. Experts say that stress and depression in younger people are easier to detect since the person involved is most likely to recognize the signs at once while older adults, due to many stressful events they face everyday tend to overlook these telltale signs and dismiss them as part of the situation at hand. Some of the known stressful events which seniors put up with everyday are chronic aches and pain, illnesses and diseases, loss of a loved-one and financial status of the person. Here are some tips for seniors to reduce stress today, although it won’t guarantee a hundred percent no stress, it can alleviate and prevent it even for a bit:

·    Exercise is good for your mental and physical health. Even if you are not going for a hot bod, regular exercise makes a person feel good inside and out because for one, it releases toxins from the body and two, it activates the happy hormones.
·    Planning ahead will help you tremendously. When you plan, you’re well-prepared when the anticipated incident happens. Also, it will help you spot those potential problems that could occur along the way.
·    Get enough rest and sleep. It’s okay if you are having a hard time sleeping, you don’t have to push yourself too hard to sleep but instead, rest and don’t think about it. Just rest. It will help you refresh the mind for better understanding of things.
·    One of the most telltale signs of stress is when you suddenly feel short of breath as if there’s someone sitting right on top of your chest. When this happens, it’s time to back down a bit, breath deep and release tension.
·    Sometimes, anticipating bad things to happen is not pessimism. When you anticipate, you must be able to use it for planning your actions instead of dwelling on it for too long. You anticipate, plan and move on. While you’re at it, come up with backup plans too.
·    Counting your blessings will help you find peace of mind amidst chaos. Always do this in times of need.
·    Never take on a job that is too demanding for your age. Aging has its own limitations. Even if you feel much younger than your real age, it doesn’t mean you must use them all up.
·    Do things that are important to you. These activities can make you happy so you should stick with them.

Remember that happiness is a choice and when you choose to be happy, you’ll keep stress at bay. It’s okay to feel lonely every once in a while but the sooner you move on, the better it is for your own health.

Taking the first step in exercising is quite hard. Not only it seemed daunting, but also it can be challenging for an aging body such as ours. But once you get hooked on it, there’s no stopping you. When you think getting started is hard, wait until somebody points out those exercise hazards you’ve been taking unconsciously.

I would like to think that exercising is a constant challenge for the body. In this day and age, it seems that nobody is getting an adequate load of physical work hence the need to really go out of your way just to satisfy your body’s needs. Also, upon observation, I find that the body indeed memorizes your everyday physical demands such as when you hop on the bus, your body will instruct one-by-one all those involved parts of your body to complete the task. Notice how your right or left hand automatically reaches out for the bars to support your body when climbing, or how your left or right foot automatically steps up the ladder. These “automatic” actions are your body’s most comfortable movement and sadly, exercising is not because you don’t do it everyday unless you’re an athlete or exercising is a way of life for you.

It is highly recommended for seniors to train under the watchful eyes of a certified fitness instructor, no matter how proud you are of your capabilities. Everyday, the fitness world undergoes evolution and new equipments are introduced for the market to test. It only goes to say that new equipments pose new challenges as well and if there’s no one to keep an eye on you while you train, you’ll only increase your risk of being injured by these machines. Here are some points you need to consider while exercising:

·    Be very weary of new and complicated machines. When a new equipment comes in, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to use them at once. Give it some time and observe how people use it. When trying it out for the first time, be sure that your physical instructor is right there beside you.
·    Cardios are intense and it can be very challenging to a weary body. When a routine is making your body unable to support its weight, then might as well stop while you can. Cardio is done to make the heart go faster and so does your body’s metabolism rate, overdoing it will defeat the purpose all together.
·    Maintain a proper form when exercising. Many have fallen in this unavoidable trap just because longtime gym-going fellows think they already have perfected their forms while in reality their bodies only adjusted to the demand but never adapted the proper form. Lifting too much weight which your body finds it impossible to accommodate will only result to irreversible injuries. Lift only that is proper for your body.
·    Targeting your abdominals when you already have back problems is serious. Instead go for exercises that strengthen the whole core, namely the sides, back, and abdominals. Crunches are too strenuous for your back, opt for other alternatives instead.
·    Always remember to do warm-ups and cool-downs before and after doing routines.

Are you having trouble with your legs when trying not to move or when relaxing? Do normal day-to-day activities like sleeping and sitting still giving you problems most of the time? Do you experience unpleasant sensation, more like there’s crawling, creeping and burning feeling inside your entire leg but for sure it’s not cramps? Then you might be experiencing RLS or restless leg syndrome.

You would know that it is indeed a restless leg syndrome if these sensations manifest only when your legs are kept immobile for quite sometime. These sensations will only demonstrate when the leg starts to relax and would only go away when you move your entire leg such as jiggling and shaking. Unfortunately, the relief is temporary as it will only go back when you try to relax once more. In other words, a senior can only keep them at bay if they will not stop moving for longer periods of time which proves to be impossible especially when trying to sleep or traveling long distances. It was also believed to be worse in nighttime and better in daytime. Furthermore, it can also occur in different parts of the body especially the arms.

Although restless leg syndrome is mostly associated with seniors, younger adults—even kids—experience them too but it seems that this condition progresses as the years go by so ultimately, symptoms and frequency intensify as we grow older. RLS in itself is not an immediate health risk but it can severely affect a senior’s life since suffering from this condition will prevent sleep from happening. Lack of sleep will cause daytime drowsiness and impaired concentration—all of which are very hazardous to seniors’ life.

Evidently, there is no known cause for restless leg syndrome but experts believe that this is a nervous system disorder which affects the neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters process the brain signals and control muscle movement. It also acts as the middle man for your brain and skin that when the skin experiences a sensation, it will process the sensation into a message which the brain would then understand. Aside from this basic fact about restless leg syndrome, other suspected causes are:  Iron deficiency, hereditary, diabetes and too much alcohol in the blood. It was also noted to be present in the last trimester of pregnancy when a woman’s body is in a lot of stress.

As of this moment, healthcare providers have no recommended preventive measure for seniors suffering from RLS. Furthermore, there is no discovered cure yet. However, some lifestyle adjustments are highly recommended for RLS sufferers such as:

·    Seek massage therapy options available for you. This is done to help you relax and encourage good blood circulation.
·    Regular exercise also help in overall muscle stimulation so it only goes to say that engaging in one will be very beneficial for seniors.
·    It was noted that when the patient cuts back on caffeine intake, the condition improves although the link is not yet established. This noted improvement was also seen when known aggravators such as alcohol and nicotine were not introduced into the system for days.
·    Your healthcare provider may prescribe medications to alleviate the symptoms. Take them when needed.