Smart Senior

Senior Living: A Healthy Fathers Day

          

Days set aside to honor fathers and mothers don’t come around often enough, but when they do you want to go all out.   Still, it isn’t easy coming up with the “perfect” gift for someone who professes to have everything they need.  They don’t have everything they need, but for some reason it is like pulling teeth to figure that out.  I can tell you that the “perfect” gift is not in the mall and does not involve flowers.  Everyone has needs, material or otherwise, so put your thinking caps on.   Don’t make them fake enthusiastic thanks for pajamas and silky robes that never get worn.  You can do better than that.

Let your parents know how much you love them by giving gifts that show how much you care.   Health is important.   Membership at a health club, for example, may be all it will take to give them a little nudge in the right direction.  Start out by making a call to their health insurance company.  Many of them have special offers for seniors.  Round out the picture by filling a gym bag with comfortable clothing and motivational leaflets about why exercise matters.

What about groceries? A gift basket filled with food items may not seem very glamorous to you, but would be much appreciated by someone on a fixed income.   Groceries are expensive these days.  I’m not talking about wine clubs and fruit baskets delivered once a month but about day to day food items.  Specialty breads and cereals, coffee or tea, meats and vegetable are important to their health and well being.  This doesn’t mean that a box of chocolates or gourmet cookies can’t be slipped in with the perishables.    Select food items that are low in sodium and added sugars but still tasty and nutritious.  Use your imagination and puts together baskets of snack items, breakfast foods, tinned fish and meats, vegetables and favorite dessert items.  Research Meals on Wheels or other home meal delivery programs and have dinner delivered at least once a week.   Don’t forget a basket of treats for family pets either.  One could go bankrupt buying pet food these days.

Practical gifts for the home are welcome do.  Weather proofing the house, buying wood for wood burning stoves or fireplaces, or paying to have them checked and cleaned by a professional.  Snow and ice can be hazardous for older home owners.  Hire someone to shovel drives and walkways or gift with a lightweight snow blower.  Guys love snow and leaf blowers.

Clothing they probably have, but go through drawers and closets once in awhile to make sure that they are filled with warm socks and under garments. Even items of a personal nature have become quite costly so don’t let them feel that they have to make-do. 

Budget stretchers are equally important.  They may tell you that they are doing fine, but consider paying for their prescription medications.  Pay for their heating bills or gift with cab vouchers or bus service coupons?  Don’t be searching the mall for gift boxes of perfumes and sweaters that will never be worn when there are so many other ways to say “I love you.”

Senior Living: When Hearing Becomes an Issue

If you have ceased to enjoy group gatherings, are refusing dinner invitations, or find yourself avoiding telephone conversations, you may be allowing yourself to become socially isolated.    People who study aging remind us often that socialization plays an important role in successful aging.    Communication is the basis of all social interactions

Loss of hearing makes communication frustrating.   Attending discussion groups, idle chit chat over meals or catching up on family gossip by phone is what keeps you in the loop.  Not being able to hear is frustrating not only for you, but for the people who want to talk to you.  If you shut them out you have severed an important link.

You may have toyed with the idea of learning sign language, but it is hard and everyone else would have to learn too.  Communication is a two way process. Lip reading is a good option, but once again it takes time and effort to figure out the words, and you have to keep reminding people that they need to get your attention (without sneaking up and scaring you) and speak right to your face. 

Hearing aids are state of the art these days but many seniors reject them out of hand.  They refuse to wear them because they find them uncomfortable and leave them out more often than not.  People often lose hearing aids because they don’t wear them all the time.  Aids left on dinner tables or bedside tables often end up in the garbage.  Hearing aids are too expensive to be treated casually.   They need to be fitted by a professional and they need to be worn all of the time if you want to get used to them.  

Another option is closed caption.  You know what that is.  Many television sets have a closed caption option.  A written translation appears on the bottom of the screen so that you don’t miss any of the dialogs or lose track of the story line.   How many of you are taking advantage of that?  It is great tool, but in all of my years working with seniors I only saw one or two people use it.

Captioning telephones have also been around for a long while, but I have only seen them in use once or twice.  Captioned phones are available for nearly everyone now and they are no longer deemed mysterious or complicated. Captioning telephones are modern technology at its best.  It can be difficult to understand people talking on the phone under the best of circumstances so you are not alone.   A captioned telephone looks and works just like a regular phone except that a built in display screen spells out everything the other party is saying during a conversation.  If you feel that you have missed a part of the conversation you can read the words on the screen without being embarrassed of asking the other person to repeat themselves.  Research Captioning Telephones and find out if they could add a little something extra to your life.  Keep your lines of communication open.

 

Senior Living: Self Help the Old Fashioned Way

 

Don’t knock gizmos and gadgets.   Whether your parents are getting older, or you are an independent senior yourself, you are undoubted wondering what you can do to make your life easier and your home safer.  Even if you are in good health you may find that activities of daily living are not as easy as they used to be.  Bending, stooping, climbing stairs or even just opening a pickle jar may be a challenge.

Remodeling your house or moving into a retirement community would be the ideal solution, but it is not for everyone.  You should be able to stay in your own home, without compromising your health and well-being, and be able to do it without spending money that you don’t have.   However, you do need to be aware that your house could be sabotaging your bid for independent living.  Don’t delay.  If you don’t know where to start, ask for help.  An evaluation by a professional will be money well spent, and may even be covered by your health insurance.  An occupational therapist can make practical and economical recommendations that will make your home a better place to live.    The idea of safety proofing your home or buying anything that sounds high tech can be daunting, but small changes can make a big difference.  

Family members and friends often ask what they can get for you or what they can do to help you.  Next time, tell them what you would really like.  Instead of mumbling into your hand that you are fine and that you don’t need or want anything, give them a list.  Believe me, your children and your friends will be pleased to know that they can do something useful.  Really, they hate buying bathrobes and dusting powers as much as you hate getting them.  Let them know how much you would appreciate a subscription to a taxi service, safety strips for your bathtub, an alarm pendant, or a dozen other items that you need but never get around to buying for yourself.    Do you still need some ideas?

• Get rid of wobbly television tray tables or end tables in your living room.  I have seen far too many older people use furniture to support themselves on as they move around their apartments.  This is never a good idea.

• Replace easy chairs that are hard to get into and out of.  You need solid arms supports and firm cushions.   When you were younger it was all well and good to sink into a bean bag chair, but nowadays you could be stuck there for days.

•  Replacing a slippery round doorknob with a lever will make it easier for you to open doors (there are also door knob lever adaptors that will fit right over your existing doorknob).  Lever faucet handles for sink and bath are easier to manipulate if your hand strength is less than it should be.

• An occupational therapist will introduce you to tools such as the”reacher” (a long pole with a grabber at the end) to help your reach for items high or low.  Dozens of products such as the Good Grip Jar Opener by OXO are available to help you out in the kitchen.  You wouldn’t think something so simple could mean so much.  Inexpensive bottle openers, pill dispensary units, specialty toothbrush and floss holders.  If you have a need you can find just the right gizmo or gadget to fill your needs.

Where there is a will there is a way.  Look for answers and accept help.  Independent Living could be right at your fingertips.

Senior Health: Home from the Hospital after Joint Replacement Surgery

 

Joint replacement surgery is pretty common these days.  You probably know of at least one person right now who is either planning on or recovering from a knee or hip replacement.  It could even be you.  

The decision to have any elective surgery is a big deal, especially if you are a senior.  Much time and though is given to getting ready for the big day and you are undoubtedly anticipating the outcome.   Less thought is given to how you are going to manage immediately after returning home from the hospital.

 You can choose to return to your own home, transfer to a hospital rehabilitation unit, or go to a nursing home/rehabilitation center.  My cousin just had a second knee surgery.  She went directly home after her first surgery but opted to try the hospital inpatient rehabilitation center unit this time around.  She agreed to share a few of her observations and opinions:

In-patient Hospital Rehabilitation or Transitional Care Unit:  “For me, two weeks was far too long.  The P.T. was good, but I was able-bodied enough to do most everything for myself.  I was able to bathe and dress myself and after a couple of days able to walk the halls with my husband.  It was easier not having to worry about meal preparation and going for out-patient sessions but I was happy when it was time to go home.”

Home Care:  “I think the visiting nurse and therapist cost less than the hospital stay.  They were at the house often enough to check on me and, of course, guide my husband and myself through therapy.  It seems that I was as far along doing it that way as I am now.  It is important and necessary to have someone at home to assist you.  You do have to be self motivated enough to do therapy sessions on you own as the therapists only come once or twice a week.  They expect you to make progress but it is not their job to stand over you with a whip.

The positive part of being in your own home is that you can maintain your usual schedule and sleep in your own bed.”      Both choices were positive experiences for her.  Your choice will depend on how much returning to your own home means to you.

You get specific instructions on how to get ready for surgery but getting your house ready for your return home is up to you.    Arthritis Today (www.ArthritisToday.org) featured an article (March/April 2013) by Emily Delzell about preparing yourself for your return home.  The information is pertinent whether you go directly home or if you go home from a rehabilitation center.    These are things that you already know but may not have thought about in awhile.  So here we are again:   ditch the throw rugs, get rid of the clutter, and have things that you use everyday within easy reach.  This means everything from books and magazines to cooking utensils. You don’t want to be reaching, stooping, crawling under or doing anything that might put you in an awkward situation.  You will probably be using a walker or crutches so make allowances for that as well as keeping a chair or stool in the kitchen and bathroom.   I am not going to remind you about shower benches and grab bars because you should have them whether you are having surgery or not.

You are not going home to rest.  You are going to have to work hard.  Therapy sessions may only be scheduled once or twice a week but that doesn’t let you off the hook.  You will need to exercise every single day.  This is important even though the urge to slack off will be hard to resist.  Take pain medications as directed so that the pain doesn’t get out of hand, and so that you can run through your exercises as ordered. Get out comfortable loose fitting clothing.  It might not be a bad idea to buy a few items in a size larger to accommodate swelling and difficulty dressing.  PT/OT will outfit you with gadgets for reaching and grabbing, sock aids, long handled shoe horns and elastic laces for your shoes.  Have some ice packs on hand and don’t balk at wearing compression hose.  You should be ready to get to work as soon as you get home.

Speak with your health care team if the pain is more than you can handle or if a fever, swelling or redness becomes a problem. Shortness of breath, chest pain, or anything that doesn’t feel right should be handled as an emergency.  Take care of yourself.  Even a minor surgery is a huge insult to your body it might take you longer to get back on track than you expect.  Your team will tell you if you are on track.  Please feel free to share comments and observations from your own experiences.

 

Senior Living: Toilets for People With Special Needs

 

Walk in tubs, shower benches, and grab bars come readily to mind when considering a bathroom remodel, but let’s not forget the toilet.  Being able to manage toilet hygiene is a big deal for a senior who wants to be independent.  Transferring on and off a toilet seat, standing up, sitting down, and basic hygiene   sounds pretty basic to most people, but when weakness associated with chronic illness or other disabilities are factored in, the priority changes.   I am familiar with raised toilet seats, toilet seat frames that attach to standard toilets, and power seats to assist with standing, but today even more options are available.

The October 2012 AARP bulletin (www.aarp.org/bulletin) mentioned some smart toilet features in an article by Candy Sagon.    The idea of a smart toilet has been around for awhile, but I found the model that she highlighted quite interesting.  If you have traveled in Europe you have probably seen bathroom bidets, chuckled a bit, and even wondered what they were for.  Think about the bidet for a minute.  Ms. Sagon writes about an attachable bidet seat.  The seat can be installed on your toilet and it can wash and dry you, front to back.  You may scoff and think this is a little over the top but if you have ever struggled to help someone clean themselves after using the toilet, you might think this a pretty good idea.  

This won’t sound so far fetched if you think back to when hands free toilets were first introduced.  At first they were a source of amusement but they have become pretty common place now.  Universal design and smart homes are introducing ways for people with chronic health issues to manage personal hygiene on their own.  There are even self monitoring sensors that will take charge of raising and lowering toilet seats.    Bathroom remodeling can be so much more than a pair of grab bars.  Some toilets go so far as to weight you, record body temperature, take your blood pressure and do a urinalysis.  The future is here now.

Senior Health and Fitness: Winter Walking

 I love fall and winter!  I wouldn’t like living where the weather is the same all year around.  The beauties of spring, summer, winter and fall are magical and need to be experienced to be believed.  The magic ends when accidents happen.  We can’t ignore the fact that incidents of slips, falls, and automobile accidents increase dramatically during the fall and winter months.   It is hard to resist taking a walk on a beautiful fall or winter day, but soggy leaf piles and roads covered with snow and ice can be treacherous.

 Be careful whether you walk for exercise or just need to get safely from point A to point B.  You can’t stay indoors all winter long.  You can’t let winter hold you hostage.  It is important to be prepared and be extra mindful of your surroundings.  With a little extra effort you can keep on walking and enjoy the crisp sunny days. 

Be careful.  It is slippery out there.  Every block will present a new challenge.  Ice-free sidewalks are okay, but walking on packed snow requires more caution.  Take your time, walk slowly and take shorter steps on icy or snow covered sidewalks and streets.  Be extra wary of car traffic.  Inexperienced drivers may not be able to stop at crosswalks or may skid out of control when applying the breaks.

 It is dark later in the mornings and it gets dark earlier at night.  Do your walking during the nicest parts of the day (if you can).  I’ve had to move my 7-8 p.m. dog walk up to 2:30 in the afternoon and that is quite an adjustment for me.   Keep warm.  Dress in layers, wear gloves, and a warm fuzzy head cover. 

Trade your sneakers in on good supportive walking boots or trail shoes.  They will provide better traction, and if you pick your route carefully you should be able to enjoy a nice winter outing.  Consider a walking stick with an ice-pick tip and remember that you can get slip-on traction devices that will fit right over your shoes.   If you are walking for exercise you might want to reverse your normal route so that the wind will be at your back on the way home.  Facing the wind when you are already exhausted can turn a pleasant outing into a nightmare.   Don’t put your exercise routines on hold during fall and winter months.  If you don’t feel comfortable walking out of doors try mall walking, join a gym, or buy walking videos that you can do in  your own living room.  Enjoy the pleasures of walking every month of the year.

Senior Living: Housework for the Weary

I hate housework.  Women have been responsible for house cleaning since the beginning of time, but I doubt that very many of them have ever loved it.  There are a few that view scrubbing and moping as a form of meditation, but by-in-large housework seems like a waste of time and energy. 

Coming to terms with the idea that self-worth is not determined by how white your sheets are or whether you can eat off your kitchen floor is difficult though.  Generations of women have been beating themselves up striving for perfection.  

Creating order out of chaos is certainly a good thing, but is it important enough to view every task as if the world would end tomorrow if it weren’t done?

 Hundreds of books and articles can be found to support your personal theories about housework.   Help is available if you are tired of trying to keep up.  You can learn how to create a semblance of order without obsessing.  Learn how to feel good about yourself by checking in with (www.flylady.net) or by reading the book “Side-tracked Home Executives” by Pam Young and Peggy Jones.

Housework should be easier as family size dwindles, but for some reason dust and clutter persist.  Many older homemakers come to the realization that there is more to life than a spotless house.  Arthritis and other chronic conditions also enter the picture and housework becomes more of a challenge every day.

There is more to downsizing than buying a smaller house.  Shopping around for a new place to live takes on a whole new perspective.  This time around you won’t fall prey to the lure of floor to ceiling stair cases, split levels, or difficult to clean ceramic countertops. You will be practical this time.  You will look for easy to clean shower stalls, cupboards that go all the way to the ceiling and reachable windows.   Treat yourself to a few pieces of good equipment, like a vacuum that really sucks or a mop that actually absorbs.  Get rid of knickknack shelves and nix the idea of windows with tiny individual panes.  You should know the drill by now.

Think positively about tools that actually make cleaning easier.  Investigate the possibilities of magic reach extenders, toilet wands, power kitchen scrubbers, robot vacuum cleaners and floor scrubbers.  Touch-less trash cans, shelves that slide out to meet you, and front loading washers and dryers (some even come on a pedestal that raise them up off from the floor for easier reach).  Shop wisely, use wrinkle release products and forget ironing.

Let modern technology be your guide and stop obsessing.  Use your time for volunteering, physical fitness, educational pursuits and artistic endeavors.  No one will remember in 100 years if there were dust bunnies under your bed.  They will remember your sense of humor and your joy of life.

 

 

Senior Health and Fitness: Walking Safely After Dark

Walking is a good exercise.  Many walkers find walking a dog both motivating and gratifying.  If you walk your dog two or three times a day it becomes a routine.  Actually, anything that you do more than once (or even just once) becomes a routine to a dog.  This means putting on your walking shoes and heading out the door morning and night.

I am always pleased when I read newspaper articles about walking.   This time of the year, it is especially gratifying to read articles that stress safety concerns, especially if you walk after dark.  During fall and winter the pleasant after dinner walk becomes rather unsettling.

 In case you haven’t noticed, it is dark out there.  Visibility is poor.  Drivers can’t see you.  The street lights are not as bright as they should be, and there are an unbelievable number of people out driving after dark.    You probably wonder why they aren’t home having dinner or settling in for the night, I do, but nevertheless they are out there and often driving quite rapidly down quiet residential streets.

Last night, driving home from the gym in the dark, I counted 2 bicyclers, 2 people crossing in the middle of the street, and 8 people walking dogs.  Guess what they all had in common?  They were all wearing dark clothing.  If we didn’t know that the locals were often out there, we might have missed them (or hit them).    Age doesn’t have anything to do with it, but many dog walkers are older people.   I am afraid for them, even though I admit that I am not always as careful as I should be either.   Many of us are guilty of using poor judgment when it comes to our safety when we go out after dark.  

Theresa Goffredo (www.goffredo@heraldnet.com) wrote an article for the Herald about the importance of making yourself visible.  We all know this, but I think we’ve already established that we don’t do it.  The only people I have seen using lights, light reflective materials and reflected tapes are joggers.  Good for them.

Whether you are doing a one mile circuit for exercise or just going to be out for a few minutes is immaterial.  It only takes a second for a pedestrian accident to happen.   What can you do to ensure that your walk will be a safe venture for you and your dog?  The article in the Herald focused on dog walking, but the information is prudent whether you are walking with your dog, a human friend, or alone.  They key is to be visible.

Before you step outside tonight, enjoy a shopping spree at your local sporting good store.   Shop for yourself and for your dog.  Light colored clothing, flashing lights and strips of reflective tape at the very least.   A pet store will have collars with blinking lights or at least one that will reflect light.  Be safe, keep your dog on a short leash and take this walking business seriously. Movement, reflections and dancing bright lights will catch the eye of any driver.  It just makes good sense.

Senior Living: Safe Driving Made Easy

Every time I back up my car or change lanes, I whisper a silent “thank you” to my yoga instructor.  Her mission in life seems to revolve around making sure that we (her older students) have flexible spines and open shoulder joints.   I don’t think any of us would dare develop a dowager’s hump or a stiff neck.  We are indeed lucky to have her in our lives.

Knowing that you have a full range of motion will make you feel more confident when you drive.   Confidence and comfort are very important if you are going to drive safely.    I know you don’t like to hear it, but not everyone should be driving.  The good news is that modern technology has been kind to us, and as a result most of us will be driving for years to come.   Determination is not enough though.  It is up to you to determine, in advance, whether you should be behind the wheel.

Safer driving practices are not something to be scoffed at.  Rules of the road remain the same, but like it or not, it has become a real jungle out there.      Safe driving courses will review current rules of the road, teach you defensive driving techniques, and suggest ways to operate your vehicle safely.   When it is time to renew your license consider a medical examination, an eye examination, and a class to update your driving skills.   These recommendations do not mean that someone is out to get you; it just means that you care enough to want to do your very best.

An article in the September/October Arthritis Today magazine (www.ARTHRITISTODAY.ORG) by Sharon Anne Waldrop discusses inexpensive changes that you can make to take the pain out of driving.  In addition to a yoga routine to increase flexibility, she suggested adaptive mirrors to help you see better without swiveling your neck.  She also mentions large key handles and thick steering wheel covers, but I thought her idea to consult a driver rehabilitation specialist (www.driver-ed.org) was the best advice offered.  Specialists can recommend ways to maneuver vehicles if joint and/or pain issues are making driving difficult for you.

Be open to change.  Just because you have been driving for 60 years or more does not mean that you can’t learn new techniques.    If you are proud of your sterling driving record, take the class anyway.   Show off if you must, but be open to having a professional evaluate your driving skills.   Check with your local senior center.  The classes offered by AARP (www.aarp.org) are excellent, and are offered frequently in locations near you.  Your insurance company will be so impressed that they will even give you a discount on your insurance rates.   Taking a class does not mean that you are admitting defeat; it means that you are smart enough to do the right thing.  

 

 

Independent Living - Adaptive Technology: How Far Can You Reach?

How far can you reach?   Is a back zipper just beyond your fingertips, are the buttons on a shirt sleeve too small to manipulate, or is an elusive sock just beyond your reach?  However are you going to take care of yourself if getting dressed in a major undertaking?  Hiring a personal companion is always an option, but have you explored the world of “assistive technology?”     You are probably thinking that you can’t afford a “smart house,” but technology isn’t always complicated and it isn’t always expensive.  You may not be aware that something as simple as adding a long handle to an item that you use everyday, could give you back a measure of independence that you thought you had lost.

Dorothy Foltz-Gray wrote a short piece for the September/October 2012 Arthritis Today magazine (www.ArthritisToday.org) about how adding a long handle to anything from a shoehorn to a dustpan could make simple tasks much easier.  A longer handle helps you compensate for the decreased range of motion associated with arthritis or other age related disabilities.

If you are not creative about making something out of nothing, and many of us aren’t, you will be pleased to know that there are thousands of assistive technology devices on the market.   You may just be looking for a simple way to extend your reach, but if you want to be able to flood your house with lights with a clap of your hands, go for it.  Some devices are “high tech” and involve sophisticated electronic components, while others are “low tech” and you can make them yourself.  They are all designed by clever innovated individuals who want to help you be as independent as possible.

If you are struggling with getting dressed in the morning or doing even minor housework, you will be pleased to find ergonomic tools that will make your tasks easier.   You can shop the catalogs or you can consult an expert.  Occupational Therapists are skilled in evaluating needs, suggesting appropriate tools, and teaching you how to use them.  Discuss your particular concerns with your health care provider and ask for a referral.  Your goal is to be as independent as possible.   Accepting and using assistive devices is one way to make that happen.