Smart Senior

Senior Living: Don't Forget Who You Are

The words identity and crisis are often associated with privacy invasion and financial ruin, but there is another form of identity crisis that older people face when too many changes occur at the same time.  An identity crisis of this magnitude is as terrifying as anything the outside world can throw at you.

Your identity is personal. Any radical change in your lifestyle has the potential of turning into a crisis, an identity crisis.  Who are you really? You become accustomed to being someone’s spouse, a parent, an employee, or a boss. You identity is wrapped up in what you do; until a change occurs.   You lose your spouse, your children leave home and/or you retire from the workplace.  Change makes you have to reevaluate your self worth; it is tough when you realize that you aren’t as indispensible as you thought you were.  You relished your role as spouse, parent, employee or employer because your job defined who you were. Your job, even if you hated it, made you feel good about yourself because you constantly faced challenges and were always learning new things. It was awesome, but what happens now?  

A sense of identity hinges on these very premises; you still need to feel challenged, you still need to learn new things, and you still need to feel you have accomplished something by the end of the day. It isn’t enough to putter around the house, meet friends for lunch, or doze in front of the fireplace. You need to find something to do with your time that makes you feel good about yourself.

How do seniors find projects that interest them enough to make them feel good about themselves? How do they find a new identity?   Do you experience a vicarious thrill when you read articles about an 80 year old activist being thrown in jail for storming a nuclear power plant, or read about a 94 year old excelling in track and field?  You don’t have to be that motivated, but at least take their lead and find something to be passionate about.  What are you going to say when someone asks “what you do?”

 

 

Independent Living: Adapting The Home to Accommodate Decreasing Vision

Everyone panics a bit when the topic of remodeling comes up; visions of dollar signs and a lot of hard work come to mind, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

What if I told you that a trip to your favorite home improvement store for a few cans of paint and a handful of light fixtures would be good way to start? You don’t have to spend a fortune to take those first tentative steps toward making your home (or the home of a parent) a safer and more inviting place to live.

Visual impairment is one of the top reasons for loss of independence. Overall light levels for seniors needs to be 25-50% brighter than one might suppose, so for heaven’s sake get rid of those 40 and 60 watt bulbs and start exploring various ways to increase the amount of light in the house.

 Explore the world of light bulbs and light fixtures. Ask about fluorescent fixtures, incandescent bulbs, track lights, and natural lighting. You goal will be to provide bright but gentle overall lighting while decreasing glare and minimizing shadowy areas.

Be especially mindful of good lighting in the bathroom and kitchen. Stairwells and entry ways can never be bright enough, and embrace the idea of motion sensors.  Little things like the reflection of light bouncing off a polished wood table, a shiny counter, or glass framing a work of art can be positively blinding to someone with sensitive eyes.  Overall lighting in rooms and in outdoor areas such as garden or backyard will make a home inviting and functional.

You are probably wondering why I mentioned cans of paint.  Have you ever noticed the way light bounces off from a wall painted with glossy paint? It really does, and the same applies to floor tiles. Think about decreasing glare by repainting walls with low gloss paint in warm inviting colors, and by using low gloss floor tiles.

Use contrasting colors to differentiate one area from another.  For example: door frames should be different colors than walls and other trims. Floors and walls should be of different colors and handrails should be readily visible against a wall.  Little improvements can make a difference.

What do you think? A trip to the hardware store and you can get started with a few cans of paints, window treatments, and light fixtures. You will be so pleased with the results that you will be ready to take on more do-it-yourself projects in the future.  Please share your ideas and success stories for home improvements on a budget.

Senior Health and Fitness: Why Walk?

 Why walk when you can drive, take the bus, or beg a ride from someone else?  Interesting question don’t you think?  What happens if you have to park a quarter of a mile away from the door, or if there isn’t a scooter to borrow when you get there?  We aren’t talking about transportation here, but about your ability to walk when you get where you are going. Did you know that 60 % of adults over age 65 walk less than one mile in a week?

What is going on here…clearly the ability to walk without assistance is critical to independent living. For some reason, many older adults feel that fatigue and shortness of breath are an inevitable part of aging.  Is this what you believe? Do you need a therapist to convince you that this is wrong?

It has been a long hard winter for many, especially for seniors who have wisely stayed indoors. My 75 year old cousin came to the realization that not only was she tiring too easily, but that she was experiencing shortness of breath when she had to walk more than a short distance.  This realization was new and she didn’t like it at all.  Her doctor and her physical therapist had both recommended walking programs, but because she always been healthy and fairly active she had never felt the need.  

She actually owned a treadmill but the time to use it never seemed right. It sat in the basement for years. The right day finally arrived. The treadmill now has a place in the family room where she can walk and watch television at the same time.  She is on a mission, and because of this mission she is doing very well.  The other day she proudly reported that she had walked across a huge parking without getting short of breath.  Now that’s an accomplishment. She was thrilled and already feels confident that she will be able to attend her granddaughter’s graduation, navigate the airport corridors, and walk around campus without feeling like a third wheel.

 Walking is the easiest and best form of exercise for those who aren’t yet ready to commit to a gym program.  Speak to your doctor before embarking on any exercise program. If you haven’t walked in a long while you can ask for a Physical Therapy consultation. A professional will be happy to evaluate your needs and design a program to get you moving again.

The rules are so easy:

• Start slowly. If you try to do too much too soon you are doomed to failure. The idea is to enjoy the process. Don’t be discouraged if you can only do 5-10 minutes at first.

 

•  Pick a time that is best for you. Most people find that mid morning or early afternoon is best, especially if they deal with morning stiffness or late day fatigue.

 

•  Thirty minutes may seem like an impossible goal.  Stay within your comfort zone. It is okay to break your walk up into shorter segments.  

•  Warm up and cool down slowly. A few extra minutes at the beginning and end of a workout can ease stiffness and protect your muscles.

Clearly the ability to walk is one of the keys to independent living.  Spring is here. Celebrate it by taking a walk.  What works for you? Share the secrets for your success.

 

 

 

 

Senior Health and Fitness: Walking Tall

Last week we talked about the importance of good posture. Today we are going to talk about how it relates to “walking tall.” Obviously I am not talking about a trip to the mailbox or a stroll around the block but a real walk. An acceptable walking speed is important for seniors who want to maintain their independence. Many people over 70 do not walk fast enough to even do a standard treadmill test (standard treadmill protocol is about 3 miles an hour) and this is not acceptable.  My 75 year old cousin started a treadmill walking program a couple of weeks ago and she is doing really well; she has almost reached her 30 minute goal level and is getting ready to add a little more intensity.   Her husband is walking too, but because he has more medical issues and whines a lot is starting at a much lower level. The last I heard he was tolerating 6 minutes, which might not sound impressive but it is still something to be proud of.

Although walking doesn’t require a great deal of skill, you do benefit from a good walking form.  Proper posture (here we go again with the posture again), is important so stop trying to lead with your nose. Factor in an arm swing and a decent stride and let the benefits begin.

Lace up a good pair of walking shoes before you hop on the treadmill or close the front door behind you.  Stand still for a minute.  Stand tall with your eyes forward, back straight and shoulders pulled back. This posture will raise your rib cage and free your hips so that you can breathe walk with less effort.

What about those swinging arms? Some people carry it to extremes and its looks so silly that you say “I’m not going to do that.” Well, they have a reason for all that but we’re not going to go there because we aren’t talking about speed walking, yet. Just relax let your elbows bend at about a 90 degree angle and let your arm swing from the shoulder. If you still feel goofy just let your arms hang in a relaxed position.  Concentrate on moving them back and forth in sync with the opposite leg. As your pace increases you will find yourself swinging a little more aggressively but don’t worry about that now, just think about walking tall.

The stride: If you aren’t a walker you may be walking so slowly that you don’t even have a stride, but it will come. Take a comfortable step forward and let this become your working stride.  Land comfortably on your heel and roll onto the balls of your feet. You will be pushing off with your toes. Do not try to accelerate by leaning forward; instead concentrate on one step at a time. It won’t be long before that heel to toe motion and the straight back will become automatic.  When you can do a half a dozen smooth steps you will be ready to try to walk to the end of the block or a quarter mile on the treadmill.

 Don’t worry about finding a walking partner yet and above all don’t get frustrated when you get passed by aggressive walkers and runners. Take a minute and watch them. What are they doing that makes them cruise along so effortlessly?  It is the posture thing isn’t it?  If you need additional help speak to a medical professional or a trainer at your gym. If you can walk tall you will soon discover the joy of walking.