Smart Senior

Seniors Facing Retirement

Well, what do you think? The days on the job are really exhausting any more, and there are times when just putting one foot in front of the other seems an impossible task. We all look forward to getting away from the 9 to 5, but it is scary too. So, what happens now?

Jonathan Clements writes (Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, November 22, 2006) an article called “Off Your Rocker:  For a Happy retirement, Don’t Swap Work for the Front Porch”.  His research brought out that people give scant thought to what they want do after they leave work force.  Everything else in our lives has been planned out carefully so why should this be any different?  Lack of planning about this momentous step can lead to depression, mental deterioration, declining health and possibly a shorter life.  Great!  We figure that this is going to happen anyway, but putting a time frame on it makes it all the more difficult to face.

We need structure.  No matter how much you hate your job it still gives your day structure, earns you occasional praise, provides a social network, and gives you a sense of purpose.  If nothing else it makes you truly cherish your days off.

After thirty or forty years of spending only a few hours a week together with your spouse, how are you going to handle all of this togetherness?  The potential for conflict is huge, and being together 24/7 is going to take some getting used to…an adventure or a catastrophe?

Have you given any thought to what retirement is all about?   After a few weeks of resting you will need to start exploring your options.   The article mentions a program called My Next Phase founded by Eric Sundstrum that offers coaching and Web-based programs for people approaching retirement.

People who are engaged and have something to do, tend to live longer and happier lives than those who sit on the porch or play endless games of golf.

The author suggests identifying your passions (something that you had to give up on when life happened), what is your purpose, what is your reason for getting up in the morning?  If your work was what gave you purpose, your need to figure out some new purpose or you will languish and die. How will you replace the stimulation of work?  You will need a new social network and you will need to work out what your new role at home will be?  Thoughtful questions, which is why more and more people are turning to the professionals to help them get their act together.  Retirement isn’t about waiting to die!  A second coaching program mentioned was Navigating Your Retirement, which is an online coaching program by Employee and Family Resources in

Des Moines

,

Iowa

.   The idea is to enter this new phase of your life as if it were on purpose.

Posture and the Senior Citizen

Mother always nagged at us kids to stand up straight.  In fact, we were encouraged to practice good posture by walking up and down stairs with a book on our heads.  Remember those days?

The concept of good posture is “in” again and more important than ever as we circle senior status. An article by Dr. Ted Mitchell (USA Weekend magazine section of The Herald on November 3-5, 2006) was a reminder that good posture not only looks good but can deter back pain.  He used the word POSTURE to outline a few basic back care needs.  P: put your shoulders back to keep your head and shoulders aligned.  0: out with obesity as excess poundage strains your spine.  S: sit up straight and look for chairs that offer lumbar spine support.  T:  Take a tall stance as this helps lengthen the spine.  U:  Understand the importance of good footwear.  Wear shoes that prove good support (no, high heels never quite cut it). R: Refrain from strain.  Stabilize your back before trying to lift something.  E:  Exercise your back.

Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis become more than buzz words as we get older.  There aren’t any of us, I am sure, who have looked at “old folks” with bent over postures and unsteady gaits that haven’t vowed that it would never happen to us. A hunched over posture can lead to pain, decreased mobility, and often pulmonary problems (due to the ability of the lungs to expand fully).

Prevention of osteoporosis is better than cure.  Exercise is one of the best ways to prevent problems with the muscles, joints and bones.  A moderate exercise program can help maintain strength and flexibility.  Exercise helps the bones remain strong.  Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and vitamin and mineral supplements can reduce and reverse loss of bone density.

Your physician and a physical therapist will set up a program to increase bone density with exercises that are designed to decrease the stress on your bones through improved balance, posture and the use of proper body mechanics.

Remember that good posture can help ease and prevent osteoarthritis pain in your back, hips and knees.  Good posture places less stress on your joints.

For further information: (www.seniornet.org/php/default.php?PageID=6047).  I also found a site called (www.triadpublishing.com/walktall.shtml) that discusses a program for postural correction, bone strengthening and balance rather interesting.  So, thanks mom, I will remember your kind words of advice and keep on walking tall.

Snowshoeing For Seniors

Winter is here! You can either opt to stay indoors for the season or you can join a group for some fun outdoor activities.  Parade Magazine (Seattle Times, November 26, 2006) author Michael O’Shea writes about snowshoeing as being winters answer for those of you who like to hike.  Snowshoeing is the fastest growing winter sport and it is popular with the senior set. My husband and I started out alpine skiing many years ago, and later switched to cross country skiing, but of the three disciplines snowshoeing has become our favorite. There is nothing quite as beautiful as walking in the mountains on a clear winter day.

Snowshoeing is easy.  After just a brief introduction by your leader (or you can just figure it out by yourself), you will be ready to experience the joy of a snowy winter day.  No pressure and no huge commitment to do anything except enjoy yourself.  Chances are, your local senior center will be offering group outings, with hikes ranging from beginner to moderate levels.  These outings include transportation and a guide to help you get started.

Snowshoeing is a low-impact aerobic activity that works all of your muscle groups and burns more than 600 calories an hour (it is a little bit more strenuous than just walking, but you are having such a good time that you hardly notice).

If you can put one foot in front of the other you can snowshoe.  The shoes no longer look like tennis rackets and are quite compact (streamlined and lighter weight).  They come in three basic types: for recreational hiking (that is for us), for aerobics/fitness use, and for serious hiking/backpacking.  Poles are optional, depending on if you want to work your arms, shoulders and back for an upper body workout at the same time.  Dress in layers because you will generate a lot of body heat as you walk along, but you don’t want to get cold either.  Tips to remember:  Take a hat, tissues, lunch, plenty of water, layered clothes, sunscreen and sunglasses.

Voice Recorders for Seniors

A commercial on television caught my eye the other day and prompted me to look into the world of voice recorders for seniors.  The reviews are mixed on My Lil’ Reminder but the ones’ who scoff the loudest are the ones who have never forgotten where they have parked their car, confused the directions given by the nice man at the garage, or mixed the number sequence of a phone number.  My Lil’ Reminder is actually a tiny digital voice recorder that is simple to use, records for 20 seconds, and is small enough to fit on your key chain.

Memory loss can be related to a number of things and some of them are as simple as depression, stress and lifestyle factors such as not exercising.  This doesn’t mean that you should despair and be afraid to go anywhere.  With the right combination of treatment, nutrition, and exercise, it is possible that memory loss might be delayed, halted, and even reversed.  Don’t accept memory loss as inevitable.

The key for helping seniors maintain their memory and mental function is to keep the mind active and challenged.  See your physician and opt for treatment.  In the meantime there are a number of different devices that may prove useful in moving through your day to day activities.

A few ideas might include things like using memory aids in the form of notepads, voice recorders and alarms to help you keep track of information.

General FINDIT Key Finder (Dynamic-Living) is a tiny device that attaches to any commonly lost household item and will beep if you clap your hands.  You know, the remote, your car keys, your coffee cup… we’ve all misplaced some of these things.  Another Key Chain Recorder (Dynamic Living) is a compact memo recorder that fits on your key chain and allows you to record a short message that can be played any time you push the button.  Pill bottles that talk and remind you when to take medications is needed, watches that serve as medical reminders and other assistive devices can be researched through Dynamic Living (1-888.940.0605).  For more information access: (www.nau.edu/ihd/aztap/geriatric/article7.shtml).

Fun and Games for Seniors

Fun, games, and seniors are terms that are never heard in the same breath.  Why not?  Do toy manufacturers feel that people get too old to have fun?

Please remember that playing the piano is a great exercise for the fingers.  It is one of the few activities in which fingers are individually stretched and strengthened.  So don't give up on the idea of playing the piano  just for the fun of it.

I was just reading about a new video game for kids in the Parade section of the Seattle Times (December 10^th, 2006) called I Can Play Piano by Fisher-Price.  It is a color-coded, three-octave keyboard that plugs into the TV, where moving images guide kids through a series of popular tunes.  Eight songs like The Entertainer, Fur Elise, theme songs, dance songs and popular music are included (plus additional cartridges are available).

I’ve always wanted to play the piano and I even tried a little when my daughter was taking lessons.  Alas, I wasn’t very good at it and even now don’t have time for the hours of practice that I would have to put in to achieve even a modest success.  But that doesn’t mean that the desire doesn’t still lurk in the corners of my heart.  So, why wouldn’t a “made simple” video game work for an adult too?

The whole idea of the game is to trick you into thinking that you are having fun while learning something that you want to learn.  The method is designed to help “children” develop an ear, eye, mind and appreciation for music while learning how to play the piano and read music in a fun, easy way.  Every time you play you get a score and visual feedback on how well you played (do we ever outgrow the need for some positive feedback?)

When you read about the “Piano Wizard method,” a video game approach that integrates a tutorial with a fun, interactive gaming environment, think about grown-ups too. (www.pianowizard.com/i-can-play-piano/fisher-price.php).

Joint Care Exercises for Seniors

Painful and stiff joints, unfortunately, are a part of the aging process.  When it hurts to move, the last thing that you feel like doing is exercising, right?

Wrong!  If you have osteoarthritis, going for a swim or doing some strength training is actually the best thing that you can do for yourself.  The object is to keep the muscles that support, surround and stabilize your joints strong.

Arthritis is a progressive disease so there is no cure, but exercise can help you mange the condition, and retard the frequency and intensity of flare-ups.

So, nice as it sounds, inactivity does actually make it worse. The pain, which limits motion, feeds into a vicious cycle.  Limiting movement results in more pain and stiffness and so on and so forth.

Exercise will give you more energy, keep your weight under control (carrying excess weight puts more of a strain on your joints), improves sleep and even relieves depression because you feel more in control of your body.

Your doctor and your therapist will map out an exercise program with you using resistance training and aerobic exercises.  You can improve your health even if you have never exercised before.  Consult your doctor, start slowly and easily, eat properly and no excuses accepted.  For further information: (www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI).

Housekeeping Help For Seniors

Housework isn’t any more fun now than it was 20 years ago.  The only good thing is that we have more gadgets to lighten our load.

The folks who designed the Roomba (irobot) robotic vacuum cleaner have come up with another great invention (they must have a woman at the head of this team) called the Scooba.   Scooba is a floor washing robot (boy, could my kitchen use one of these, right now).  The small electronic creature (as described in the Herald newspaper on December 3^rd, 2006), maps out its route and scurries around, spraying a mixture of water and cleaning fluid before sucking it up.  Scooba does not recycle the dirty water and has to be emptied manually, but heah…clean is clean.

The robots are for people like you and me, who hate housework but can’t quite seem to justify an expensive cleaning service.

As we get older, time becomes more precious to us and we don’t want to spend our time mopping and vacuuming.   Granted, vacuuming and mopping are full body workouts, but if your joints complain what are you going to do?  Your joints will respond better to exercises like walking and water aerobics, which are more fun anyway, so you should listen to your body.  Let cool machines like the Rhoomba and the Scooba be your friends.  For further information: (www.irobot.com

Kitchen Tools for Seniors

Christmas and baking seem to go together and guess who is expected to keep the family traditions alive?

I am ashamed to admit that brownie mixes and cookie dough that is already pre-formed is the norm at my house.  I would do anything to help out a senior who would like to fill my house with holiday cheer.

Creating holiday goodies can be a real challenge for arthritic joints that can get very sore in the process.  Adrienne Greer Foley in the Arthritis Today magazine (November/December 2006) writes about ways to make your baking chores easier.

Look for gadgets with large handles and for ones that cut down on the stress on your joints when you press down, bend fingers or use repetitive motions.  Adrienne described several new products on the market that you might want to look at.

Zyliss Mix and Measure Set (www.zylissusa.com) are measuring cups that let you read the measurements from above instead of having to bend over or try to hold them steady at eye level.  Now that sounds like a winner to me!

Non-Skid Mixing Bowls (www.williams-sonoma.com). These are light weight mixing bowls with non-skid rubber rings on the bottom, so that you don’t have to use your hand to hold the bowl while you are stirring.

Kaiser’s Upright Rolling Pin (www.kaiserbakeware.com) has up-right, offset handles that promote a natural grasp (your hands are perpendicular to, rather than parallel to the counter.  The force to roll this pin comes from the muscles around your elbows, instead of putting pressure on your hands.

Kitchen Aid Immersion Blender (www.kitchenaid.com) is a plug in stick that can be gripped comfortably and vertically.  It works like a motorized whisk or chopper.

I guess I don’t have any more excuses do I?  Oh, and you don’t have to have arthritis to appreciate these handy kitchen tools.  Give a set as a gift and get one for yourself too.

Seniors And Driving

Studies show that older drivers have a higher accident rate per mile than every other age group, except drivers 20 and under.

Decreased response time, vision problems, medical conditions, and medication side effects are often key factors in driving safety.  However, driving is important to seniors and it is true that many folks can and do drive safely into their 70’s, 80’s, and beyond.  Are you one of those people?  What should you do make sure that you are a responsible driver?

General tips for safe driving suggested by: (www.healthtalk.umn.edu/print/healthtalk/kare/seniordriving/home.html).

Have your vision and hearing tested regularly.

Know the medications you are taking and what their side effects may be.

Stay physically fit.

Do not drive under stressful conditions.

Plan your route in advance.

Drive the appropriate vehicle for you.

Sign up for driving classes (yes, even if you know how to drive) at your local recreation or senior center

Check into the 55 Alive programs offered by AARP.

An article by Jennifer Saranow and Gina Chon (Wall Street Journal on Thursday, November 2, 2006) discusses Electronic gadgets to help drivers drive comfortably and safely.  Several of the gadgets that caught my eye had to do with parking and backing up. I finally mastered parallel parking but if I have a choice of driving straight forward into a parking space rather than backing into one...well, straight ahead wins hands down.  We all have just a little  fear of backing up  and encountering something  in our blind zone.”  HitchCAM Corp (www.hitchcam.com) has designed a tiny camera (VideoMirror) that  is         mounted behind your vehicle.  When your car is shifted into reverse, a video display automatically appears from the side of the mirror and gives you an image of the area behind your car.  The display retracts back into the mirror when the car is shifted out of reverse.  This camera enhances safety by putting this information in your natural line-of-sight so that you see what is around you while parking, backing up or hitching a trailer.  For further information look at: (www.donnelly.com/products/cameravisionsystem/videomirror.asp).

A similar product is the EchoMaster Reverse Sensing System.  All vehicles have blind spots.  Sensors mounted in your vehicle’s rear bumper help you when maneuvering out of tight parking spaces, reversing in the rain or dark, gauging distance, or detecting toys or other obstacles in your blind spots.  The Reverse Sensing System engages as soon as you put your car in reverse and scans behind your vehicle to detect objects in your path.  The EchoMaster informs the drivers with an adjustable volume warning tone.  For further information read: (www.pepboys.com/parts_supplies/accessories/echomaster.html).

Driving is a huge responsibility at any age.  Don’t put yourself or anyone else at risk when help is available.

Endurance Training for Seniors

We might as well round off our fitness series by discussing endurance.  Endurance is a combination of aerobic capacity, cardiopulmonary performance and stamina.   Big words you say?  What it means is that whether you are training for a big race, walking your dog, or learning how to use that new walker (at any age) it is endurance that makes it possible to do what you want to do for as long as you want to do it.  These wise words are from Marilyn Moffat who wrote Age-Defying Fitness just for you.  You may have already noticed that as you age you have to work harder to maintain the status quo, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t hang in there.

Raising your endurance level will make it easier to work on your stamina, balance, strength and flexibility.  There are two types of endurance: muscular endurance that allows you to do things like climbing a flight of stairs, and cardiovascular endurance which enables your lungs, heart, and circulatory system function efficiently so that you won’t get short of breath or excessively fatigued as you go about your daily activities.

Your doctor and your physical therapist will teach you how to monitor your heart rate and figure out what your target (optimal) heart rate is. Your heart rate is a reflection of how hard your heart is working (and yes, even folks who have had a heart attack do endurance training).  Your heart and lung functions decline because of age related changes, disease processes and little or no exercise, but you can help yourself by embarking on an endurance program.

Over time, aerobic conditioning will improve the performance of your heart, circulation and lungs.  Endurance training will include walking (jogging, running, skating) depending on your base level of fitness. Other suggestions include: bicycling, jumping rope, water jogging and aerobic exercise classes, stepping, skiing, rowing or a circuit program (the sky is the limit here, find something that you love and just do it).

Source:  Age-Defying Fitness by Marilyn Moffat, PT, PhD, FAPTA and Carole B. Lewis, PT, PhD, FAPTA (2006)