Smart Senior

Independent Living: The Power of Technology

Hello world, here we come!   Contrary to popular opinion, seniors are open to thoughts and ideas that can make their lives easier. There is no turning back.  Technology is here to stay.  Once you embrace the idea that technology can help you stay in your own home longer, the sky is the limit.  Smart seniors are looking into technologies that will help them remain independent, engaged, well and vital. 

 

Cheryl Walker wrote about the power of technology in an article for the Washington Jewish Week (May 14, 2009).  It wasn’t very long ago that we still heard a good many seniors professing a lack of interest in what they called “new fangled gadgets,” but that didn’t last long.  After all, these were the same people who were excited when radio and television were first introduced.  .

 

While some seniors get defensive because they are apprehensive about learning how to use a computer, plenty of them are signing up for classes every day. Realistically they can handle anything. No fear they say, and no reason for fear.   

 

Computers are the first step when it comes to helping senior’s keep in touch with their friends and families.  It is a tremendous boon for those who are homebound.  They can shop, read the news, play games and interact with others in similar situations.  Seniors are now making up one of the fastest groups of users on the Web.

 

Despite the challenge of learning the technology, for many seniors using the Web, e-mailing, playing video games and updating their Facebooks have become everyday activities.   Technology expands to include the use of cell phone, home safety and security features, voice amplifiers, robotic vacuum cleaners, and systems to remind you to take your pills.  Car door and bumper guards protect those with depth perception problems, video door phones, and dozens of other technologies are available to help people monitor everything from health problems to home safety.

 

Yes, technology is here to stay.  Researchers are meeting the challenge and are busily developing products and services especially for seniors.  An article by Michelle Maltais (Chicago Tribune, January 2, 2010) asserts that seniors are getting more and more comfortable with technology.  Seniors are becoming savvier; many older people are learning how to use electronics and as a result companies are responding to their needs.

Gardening: You Are Never Too Old To Garden

 If house and yard maintenance have become more than you can handle, you have probably already entertained the idea of moving into a place with a smaller yard.  Love of gardening versus the amount of work involved makes this a big decision, but maybe you can figure out a way to combine the better of two worlds.  Dean Fosdick (Herald, Thursday, July 29, 2010) wrote an article called “You’re never too old to garden,” based on observations and implementations by author Sydney Eddison.  Ms. Eddison is 78 and wrote the book “Gardening for a Lifetime,” and feels that older people can remain active in their gardens as long as they recognize their limitations.

 

Nothing ever stays the same.  Creaky knees and replacement surgeries makes life a little more difficult, but turning your back on all of life’s challenges isn’t the answer either.  Yet something has to give.  The author faced the challenge by figuring out how to keep her big yard and her garden by researching ways to “garden wiser as you grown older.”

 

A few things she has learned and shared include:

 

• Everything doesn’t have to be perfect.  Every dead leaf in the fall doesn’t have to be racked up and bagged.  Dead leaves left under shrubs serve as nature’s mulch.

 

• Thin the perennials:  Perennials are a lot of work and demand more time and energy than the rest of your yard work put together.

 

• Switch to shrubs:  More value and less work and the birds and other wildlife love them.

 

• Shade gardening:  Shade tolerant plants are easier to maintain than sun worshipers.

 

• Miniaturizing your efforts:  Container gardens are nothing to be ashamed of. You can derive much of the same pleasure without the heavy labor involved with in-ground gardening.

 

Gardening and lawn care can be physically and emotionally rewarding.  Ms. Eddison relates a few other ways to overcome the physically taxing chores.

 

• Failing vision?  Use tools with brightly colored handles.
• Fear of falling?  Avoid uneven paving stones or hoses lying across your path.
• Back aches?  Consider ways to grow things vertically so that you don’t have to stoop.  Put things on wheels to avoid having to push and pull.
• Garden closer to your house so you don’t wear yourself just coming and going, and place some garden furniture at intervals so that you can rest, and pace yourself.

 

You don’t have to give up everything as you grow older.  If you have always enjoyed being surrounded by beauty, this is not the time to give up on yourself.  You don’t have to be older to appreciate the concept of streamlining your gardening chores, and her suggestions can be embraced at any age.  I am fascinated by the yards that have been certified as wildlife sanctuaries and think that they would lend themselves to the carefree look.  I have already ordered the book “Gardening for a Lifetime,” and am looking forward implementing some of her ideas about gardening as you grow older.

 

 

 

 

Senior Education: Now is The Time to Learn a Foreign Language

I have wanted to learn a foreign language for a very long time, but have never had the time or the courage to give it a try.  I took Latin in High School and French in college but because both were “required studies” they never really gelled. I think the problem might have been that I was shy about speaking up in class and afraid of making a fool out of myself.  At any rate, I neither enjoyed the process nor exhibited any natural proclivity for the subjects. Needless to say that was quite a turn-off, but maybe that is why it still remains a challenge to me.   Still, I am hopeful and I’ve decided to take the bull by the horns and enroll in a Spanish Language class at my local Senior Center.  I am thinking that taking a class at the Senior Center will be as close to a no pressure situation as I am likely to find anywhere.

 

I love researching things and have been reading articles about other people’s experiences along these lines.  An article featured in the Chicago Tribune (October 19, 2005) by Clair Alschuler called “Finally, there’s time for that language,” caught my eye and served to spur me on.  The gentleman interviewed felt that a lack of time could very well be all that is keeping people from pursing lifelong interests, such a foreign language.  At 73, he started taking classes and has since progressed from beginner to intermediate in less than a year.  If he could do it, why can’t I?

 

This gentleman is not unusual among retirees and older Americans.  An AARP survey indicated that a large number of people over 50 were either very interested or extremely interested in mastering advanced skills, such as speaking a foreign language.

 

The reasons people gave for having an interest in languages included:  frequent travels, more free time to devote to learning, an interest in one’s ethnic background, and of course the Baby Boomer’s desire for further mental stimulation.

 

People who have retired and have finished raising their own families have more time on their hands.  Many use this time to pursue hobbies or learn new skills.  When they were working they were too busy to pursue language studies or learn other new skills because they were working full time and were just plain too tired.

 

Baby Boomers want to stay healthy as they age, and many are taking language or other studies to ward off the mental decline that is often associated with aging.  They are very much interested in staying sharp.  There is evidence that learning a second language is one way to help retain mental sharpness.  Older people who learn and do a variety of activities seem to retain their mental acuity better than those who do no.

 

Foreign language study requires the brain to pay attention in order to remember and process new information.  Those who attend classes (versus home study) also benefit from the social interaction.

 

It is generally accepted that it is much easier for children to acquire new language skills, but that doesn’t mean that others can’t learn as well.  Older students may have more trouble memorizing words and learning new syntax, but their maturity offers other advantages.  Older students have intellectual qualities that help them understand analogies and generalizations betters, and this can help them in learning grammar and vocabulary.  So, what do you think?  Is there something that you have always wanted to do, but felt you couldn’t because you didn’t have time? 

Senior Wellness: What Does It Take To Get A Good Nights Sleep?

Sleep researchers have us all convinced that lack of sleep contributes to all sort of dastardly maladies. Sleeplessness is blamed for depression, aging, weight loss or weight gain, or even a heightened risk for a multitude of major illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and diabetics.  A good night’s sleep, on the other hand, appears to be the panacea that rejuvenates the body while sharpening mental processes.

 

These are rather scary thoughts if you are one of the insomniacs of the world.  These same researchers come up with dozens of tips and suggestions for improving the quality of sleep.  I have tried many of them without a great deal of success, mostly because I find myself reluctant to give up my evening gym workout or my cups of caffeine-laden tea (decaf and herbals really aren’t my cup of tea, literally speaking).  I even find myself reluctant to darken my room, close the bedroom door, or reducing anything else that comes under the category of leveling background noises. Several of my friends have been tested for sleep apnea.  All of them were diagnosed with the condition and were given the recommended paraphernalia, which they used or didn’t use depending on their commitment.  I am thinking that I am probably one of those too, but I am sure that I would strangle myself if I had to sleep with a CPAP machine strapped to my face.  It looks like I am doomed to endless tossing and turning, and perhaps a really short life.

 

 Needless to say, I was drawn to an article that I found in the PR Newswire (New York: December 1, 2009) that discussed the idea of proper care and selection of bedding, as being one way to assure a good nights sleep.  While many articles provide tips for falling asleep, not many of them talk about the importance of mattress and bedding selections when it comes to sheer comfort.  This obviously could be part of the equation. 

 

When we were kids we could sack out on the floor, on the ground, on a cot or even the backseat of a car, and sleep like the dead.  It isn’t so easy now that we have a few more aches, pains, and worries to contend with.  The article compiled a number of ideas to consider when selecting sleep accessories.

 

·        Clean up or replace your pillows. Over time, your pillows can contain dust mites, which can play havoc, especially if you are prone to allergies or have asthma.

 

·        Do this pillow test:  Fold your pillow in half.  If it doesn’t spring back quickly to its former shape, it is time for it to go.  Most down-alternative pillows need to be replaced every year, real-down every two to five years.

 

 

·        There are special pillows designed to cater to side, back or stomach sleepers, which I wasn’t aware of.  These pillows are especially designed for each sleeping style in order to assure that your neck and spine are properly aligned.

 

·        Go natural.  Natural fibers are best for breathability and temperature regulation.  Down is wonderful but down-alternatives are a good second.

 

·        Add a good mattress pad.  An uncomfortable mattress can lead to back and shoulder stiffness or pain.  A top quality pad can transform most mattresses into a comfortable sleep surface.

 

·        Freshen up.  Wash your pillowcase at least weekly or more often if you perspire heavily.  Wash your bed linens at last once a week and air them out daily before making your bed.  They also suggested fluffing your comforter in the dryer every now and again.

 

What do you think?  Splurging on better quality sleeping products might go a long way toward a restful night, and if you still can’t sleep you prop yourself on one of those pillows and read in comfort.  Perhaps sleep is over rated anyway. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aging: Older Really Can Mean Better

 Isn’t it nice that experts are telling us that there is an upside to getting older?  Charlie Brown, writing for The Washington Post (February 9, 2010) writes about people well into their 80s and 90s who are going to yoga and Pilates classes, volunteering, taking college classes, and doing all sorts of things that used to be considered young person pursuits.

 

Think about it!  One of the highlights is that older people have developed a sense of perspective.  I guess this is what is known as being able to see “the big picture.”   This perspective and the wisdom that older people bring to every encounter is significantly enhanced as the years go by, and it comes at a time when they are able to actually use it to give something back to their communities.

 

You have often heard the old adage about being older and wiser and it is true.   An article by Steven Swinford (Sunday Times, London (June 27, 2010) discusses studies that have discovered that the human brain can improve with age, which dispels the notion that mental faculties peak in the twenties.  It also follows the studies that indicate that mental and physical exercise also boosts brain power.

 

An older person’s judgment is what makes the difference.  Older people have more experience, which gives them the ability to think through problems logically and sensibly.  While a younger person is jumping all over the place looking for solutions, older people can draw from experience and are less apt to be swayed by emotion or impulse.

 

Sports that require repetitive action and learned muscle responses are still an option. Today, as people get into their seventies, they are more active. You may have exhibited peak performances early on, but it is often not until later in life that you can demonstrate how discipline, thinking, and strategy enter into the picture.

 

Language skills continue to improve, not to mention skills that depend on strategy and learning.  Not only do you have experiences to build on but the brain stores new learned patterns, so don’t let anyone tell you that it is all down hill.  Despite slower brain speed, older people solve problems more efficiently than they did when they were younger.

 

 If you just look at aging as a series of losses you start thinking in terms of negative rather than positive attributes, and then you are doomed.  The key is to use that perspective and that wisdom to look at new occurrences as brand new opportunities.  As people age they retain vocabulary, IQ and expertise, which can actually improve with time.

 

Independent Living: Are You Communicating With Your Family?

Communicating with friends and love ones could very well be the key to independent living.   Receiving and sending information keeps us in touch with the world around us, whether by reading a newspaper, writing a letter or e-mail, or talking on the phone.  Your family wants to hear from you and they want to hear that you are okay.  If you can share a little bit of yourself, even if just telling them what you had for dinner or what social activities you enjoyed that day, they are less apt to worry about.  If you don’t speak up, nobody can hear you.

 

Silence is not golden.  For many seniors, the printed word is the traditional and most familiar form of communication.  You can write old fashioned letters but if you are developing arthritis in your fingers your penmanship skills may be deteriorating.  Learning how to use a computer is much more fun and your grandkids will think you are really cool, even if all you can do is use it for e-mail.  It is a beginning and it is a great way to keep in touch with your world.

 

Unfortunately, low vision or vision loss is fairly common among seniors.  There are some products on the market that can enhance vision.  Some are small and inexpensive and some are large and costly but well worth the money.  Communication is that important.

 

Reading magnifiers are available in all sizes.  Some are small and hand held and others are large enough to cover a whole page.  There are even bifocal magnifiers.  Some clip on or can be attached to your reading glasses.  For anyone with severe vision loss there are tabletop electronic readers that either hook up to your television or stand alone models with a screen attached.

 

There are a variety of products available to help the vision impaired see to write as well as comfortable designed pens for easier gripping.  For people who can operate a keyboard, large print typewriters (never too late to learn how to type) and computer programs that provide large font options are available.

 

If you use a telephone to keep in touch there are a number of products designed to compensate for vision, hearing and cognitive deficits.  If you have trouble grasping a phone, hand clip phone receivers are available as well as speaker phones.  There are even augmenting devices for people who have difficulty speaking.  Explore all of your options.  If you don’t communicate your thoughts and your needs people are going to assume that you can’t, and don’t be surprised if they start making decisions for you.    If communicate with your family and others on a daily basis you will put many of their fears to rest.

Senior Fitness: Seniors Can Zumba Too!

The Latin inspired dancercise craze now has a Zumba Gold version for the senior set and the classes are packed.  Zumba is an energetic group floor exercise that blends Latin style music with easy-to-learn dance moves.  A typical Zumba class includes all of the elements of a real workout: a warm-up, a main routine, and a cool down period.  The dance steps are simplified so that they are easy for everyone, regardless of age or ability. 

 

Ziumba Gold has many features that make it ideal for people who are older, but it is not just aimed at people of advanced years. The new Zumba program (Zumba Gold) is aimed at people who might not be able or ready to take part in a regular Zumba class.  Zumba Gold is friendlier for people who are getting older, people who have limited mobility or simply people who have not done Zumba before (or have two left feet, such as myself), and need to ease into it gradually. Group classes provide a way to combine exercise with socialization.

 

 Seniors who want to exercise, want to have fun, and love music are encouraged to give it a try.   Group exercise classes motivate you to be more active and stimulate you mentally.  You will want to attend regularly so that you keep up with the group, improve your stamina, and learn new steps to keep it interesting.  .

 

As we age, our bodies change.  We slow down a bit and a few more aches and pains creep in, not to mention problems with blood pressure, increased body fat, loss of muscle mass, and bone density issues.  Zumba Gold takes all of these issues into consideration and strives to provide a program that will improve your balance, strength, flexibility and cardiovascular function.

 

Zumba routines require a lot of movement on your part so your clothes should be loose and comfortable.  You will work up a sweat and you will be most comfortable with good athletic support (for women, a good sports bra) and good supportive shoes.  Otherwise a water bottle and a towel should do it.  No dance or experience of any kind is necessary to get started.  You will be encouraged to go at your own pace as you let the music carry you along.  If you are shy, you can find instructional DVD’s to watch and practice with before your first real class.  This is something that you will ultimately want to do in a group setting because it is more fun, and you will feel more like you are dancing at a party than exercising.

Aging and Mental Acuity

One of the greatest fears associated with aging is losing the ability to think quickly, remember accurately, and reason clearly. We are all concerned about moments of memory loss, and we all wonder if this is a sign of dementia or other cognitive impairment. For years scientific studies indicated that mental skills declined in a rather predictable fashion.  More recent tests are starting to challenge these predictions. New studies have now concluded that healthy seniors can work, drive and live independently much longer than previously assumed.  Adults, it seems, can function much better in life than we give them credit for.

 

Memory loss is often more about your ability to retrieve information, or about being able to filter out irrelevant material than about actual cognitive decline.  I’ve always used the term sensory overload.  There is so much information bogging us down and distracting us that it makes it difficult to remember what we want to remember.

 

Earlier studies exaggerated mental decline, but it is now thought that older adults compensate easily for the modest changes that occur.  We can’t ignore that cognitive decline may happen, but we don’t have to live in fear of the aging process either.  Most researchers agree that a challenged, stimulated brain will retain and regenerate brain cells, which mean that your mental acuity will remain intact for a very long time.  Society has long underestimated the competency of older adults and older workers.

 

For example; one lady admitted that she had never had a good memory.  As you get older, people giggle and label any miscue as being a senior moment, but this particular individual didn’t feel that her memory was any worse than it had ever been.  I can relate to this theory because I have never been good remembering numbers but this has nothing to do with my age at all, and it doesn’t mean that I can’t deal with everyday life situations.    

 

Researchers still stress that it takes seniors longer to learn new information and that they are less able to multi-task.  Learning a foreign language at 60 is definitely more challenging than at age 20. Obviously it is important to challenge the brain with new experiences, but studies stress that it is important to do so in a social setting.  Connecting and interacting with others is an important as the learning itself.  While the brain does lose cells with age, recent studies conclude that it can still grow new cells and add new connections.  The good news is that brain function appears to be improving.  As a whole people are functioning at a higher level, for longer, than ever before. 

Senior Living: Can Families Come Together Again?

 Families are coming together and rediscovering each other again.  Between children caring for aging parents and adult children coming back home again; the term “sandwich generation” has taken on a whole new meaning.  Susan Newman (Work & Family Life, June 2010) discusses the plight of the “boomeranger.”  Initially the term referred to college kids returning to the nest, but now it is just as likely to include a 50 year old parent, a 75 year old grandparent, and a midlife adult with a family in tow, or a 28 year old still trying to figure out what they want to do next.  Taking care of one’s own children, your children’s children, and elderly parents has brought our family life full circle again, and it isn’t going to be easy.

 

Fortunately the stigma of returning home or living with other family members has vanished.  There is still a generation gap but it isn’t as obvious as it was in the past.  For the most part, family members who live together enjoy their lives and find that their lives are less stressful and more manageable.  Needless to say, members of the sandwich generation are experiencing a whole new set of stresses and obligations that may seem difficult to imagine, yet at the same time they are reaping the benefits that come from a sense of belonging.

 

The main challenge of multigenerational family living is figuring out how to meet both individual and family needs.  An article by Diana Sholley for The Sun (San Bernardino, California; May 29, 2010) gives suggestions to families looking for new ways to fit peacefully together.  She goes beyond just figuring out who is responsible for what chores.  Her suggestions include:

 

·        Making it a partnership arrangement and tackling major issues up front.  All members need to give input about how to make the arrangement work.   It isn’t all about what you can get out of the arrangement, but of what you can contribute in order to make it work.

 

·        Ask for help.  The whole family needs to work together.  Adults help children and children help adults.  Pool resources and get outside help when things are too tough to handle alone.

 

·        Make family unity the key.  Rules, routines, traditions all work to draw the

      family unit together.   Work and play together. 

 

• Find common interests and build on them in order to develop deeper relationships.

 

·        Keep lines of communication open.  Recognize the difference between “my time,” and “our time,” and make sure that each family member gets plenty of both.  Take everyone’s needs into account and learn how to bridge communication gaps between all.

 

·        Distinguish between private space and shared space. Recognize that everyone needs time to be alone.

 

Once personal space issues are addressed you can make your home a place where each generation can live as independently as possible.

What's In A Name: What Should We Call People in Their Middle and Later Years?

Name calling and labels matter at any age.  Older people write to advice columnists because they don’t like being called by their first names, or they don’t like being called “honey” or “dear,” and they don’t like references being made about their age.  I always thought that was rather silly until I met an ARNP at my doctor’s office who kept using the phrase “people in your age group”, instead of talking about me, and I didn’t like it.  So, I guess labels and names do make a difference.

 

A magazine article by Marilyn Gardner, a columnist for The Christian Science Monitor (August 8, 2007), had some interesting feedback about how older people felt about the names being used for people over 50.

 

We resented being called babies, or kids or teens or even young adults as we moved through life and it isn’t any different now.   The names in themselves help define how we feel about ourselves and can be given a negative or a positive spin.  I guess it depends on whether the speaker is smiling when they use them.  Nevertheless the question remains about what we should call people in their middle and later years.  People are very careful these days about being politically correct and not offending anyone, so surveys have been conducted to determine how seniors feel about being “labeled.”

 

The top choice for a neutral or general term was “older,” but as most of us still don’t think of ourselves as “old” it is a hard pill to swallow.  The second generic term settled on was “seniors,” although not to be used for people younger than 65.

 

The term “baby boomers,” is no longer acceptable because people of that generation aren’t babies any more.  “Boomer,” they decided, was deemed to be okay.  “Seniors” was thought to be acceptable, but most participants disliked the term “senior citizens.”

 

 The term “Elder” was okay because it is associated with respect as in council of elders.   “Elderly”, on the other hand, is the term that grated the most because it was thought to sound impersonal, not to mention that it brings up the image of frailty and decline. 

 

Journalists feel safer using references such as “people over 50,” or people “65 and up,” but 65 years olds are far from feeling that they need to be put in any age category. The problem is that generalizing and labeling everyone brings up negative images.  Even adding the word “still” when describing someone implies that their looks or activities are a little out of the ordinary.  It is like the first time that someone said you “still” looked good, instead of just telling you look good, and then tacked on “for your age.”   References to age aren’t funny anymore and what about when someone describes an older person as spry, chipper, sweet, or feisty?  Using the world “senior moment” subtly implies that simple forgetfulness is relegated to older people, when anyone can have a memory lapse. 

 

The search goes on for better words to describe a whole new generation of vibrant and interesting people.  People don’t want to be lumped into an age group anymore, especially when the term older can refer to anyone from age 50-100 or more. Words do matter and they should be used carefully to convey a sense of dignity and respect.  People who are older want to be taken seriously and treated in the same manner as anyone else.