Smart Senior

Senior to Senior: Walking Aids

Walking gets you out of the house. Walking is more important than ever these days as the need for fresh air and socialization drives us all. If aching joints make walking and/or hiking less enjoyable than it should be, you might need a little help. Have you talked to your doctor about using a cane or a walking stick? Canes and other walking aids do not necessarily scream “old” or “disabled,” but simply mean that you want to be as strong and independent as you can be. Not everyone who uses a walking aid is old, and not everyone who is old uses a walking aid. The main purpose of a walking aid is to provide physical support, but when you learn how handy having one at your side can be you will wonder how you ever got along without one. Tempting as it may be, you shouldn’t decide that you want to use a walker, cane, or walking stick on a whim. A walking aid is serious business and even trekking poles used by intrepid hikers need to be purchased with care. In order to get the maximum benefit, you need to be properly fitted, and you need to know how to use them. Really; we are talking about a professional evaluation and training. Many people use walking aids and it doesn’t reflect poorly on them at all. In fact, there was a time when canes were considered quite fashionable. Remember swashbuckling heroes in old movies? You may not need a cane to fight off the bad guys or feel a need for a “nip” from a hidden compartment, but there are dozens of ways to make this handy accessory work for you. Use your imagination: • To retrieve a dropped ball of yarn or snag a sweater from a high shelf • Scratch your back, wipe up spills, or use to exercise • Use it to make a point • Fend of aggressive wildlife There is a walking cane or a trekking pole out there for you; fold up’s, quad canes, hand carved or plain, decorative or all business. Consider a cane or walking stick to protect your joints, decrease pain, and improve mobility.

Senior to Senior: The Aging Housekeeper

It’s spring! Spring means different things to different people but one thing is a constant; “spring cleaning.” A generation ago spring cleaning was a given, and to ignore it was akin to blasphemy. Thankfully times have changed, but you may get a yen to roll up your sleeves when April showers announce the arrival of spring. You are not alone if you find yourself throwing open “newly cleaned’ windows and rearranging pantry shelves. Don’t be ashamed if you feel less passionate about cleaning than you used to; you have reason enough. Aching joints and flagging energy make housework much more difficult. But what do you do now? Cleaning services, as well as many other small businesses, have been shut down until sometime in the unforeseeable future. You might be bored enough by now to do a little cleaning yourself, perhaps not spring cleaning but, you know, cleaning. The trick is to figure out how to use your time and your flagging energy. Stiff fingers, aching joints, and decreasing energy have to be factored in as you age; you want things to be nice and fresh, but moving furniture and hands and knees scrubbing are out of the question. It’s time to redefine clean and just do what is necessary. Forget spring cleaning; your world isn’t going to end if your blinds don’t get cleaned until July or August instead of in April. If you haven’t done much of your own cleaning for a while you may have forgotten how much work these chores really are, so take it easy: • Schedule your tasks. Do more demanding chores when you have the most energy, and only do one at a time. • Stay put and use shopping and delivery services. • Acknowledge that some days you have more energy than others and plan accordingly. • Clean as you go. If you notice nose prints on the patio door, clean them now. Are you going to do spring cleaning this year? Probably not, but try to clean a little bit at a time and keep clutter to a minimum. Do enough that your cleaners don’t faint when they do come back.

Senior to Senior: Aging Artists and Gifts From the Heart

Gift giving is a crap shoot these days. Everyone wants gift cards, money, or the latest gadgets. What ever happened to gifts given from the heart? It takes a senior to know that a gift from the heart means more than any breakable gadget or toy ever will. Homemade cards, hand knit scarves, paintings, or journals are all worth their weight in gold. Many seniors stopped crafting because family members joked or made snide remarks about “grandma’s little hobbies,” but times have changed. There are many people now who would love to have warm hats, mittens, scarves and blankets. So now, while you are sitting at home wondering what to do with your time, you can discover or rediscover hidden talents that you haven’t thought about for years. If stiff arthritic fingers have made handwork difficult, you will be pleased to know that new ergonomic products are available to make crafting easier. Not only that, but experts feel that rest is not always the answer. Needlework is now looked upon as a form of therapy. Hand work can keep stiff hands mobile and give you a sense of pleasure as well as accomplishment. Ease back into it slowly: • Take frequent breaks • Stretch painful hands and wrists • Stick with easier projects “Why bother, “you say. “Nobody appreciates homemade items anymore.” Not true. Think of ways you can use your crafting skills to help those less fortunate. You can make a difference. What is busywork to one person is “love from the heart” to another. Craft for charities: lap robes, prayers shawls, baby sweaters and afghans will indeed be appreciated by those in need. Don’t know how to knit, crochet, or quilt? Why not learn. You may not be able to go to a class right now but you can find books and even lessons on line. What could be more fun than that? Someone needing a warm blanket isn’t going to mind a dropped stitch or two, and they certainly won’t complain if stitches aren’t perfectly spaced. A special thank you to those who are sewing face masks for individuals and organizations everywhere.

Senior to Senior: The Aging Gardener

Gardening is going to be big this year. You’ve been told to avoid crowds and stay home, so what are you going to do? What could be better and more rewarding than gardening. Why bother, you say, when produce is readily available in stores. It’s not the same. Remember seed catalogs? Page after glossy page of vine ripened tomatoes and succulent berries. Planning your garden was half the fun. Why not try gardening again? It’s the right time. The ground is beginning to soften, the sun is warm on your shoulders; perfect. Disavow yourself of the notion that you are too old to garden. Surely you aren’t going to let a few allergies, arthritis, muscle aches, and a little back pain keep you from doing something truly fine. Gardening is therapeutic. Gardening is spiritual. Gardening is practical. Sit down with a pencil and a piece of paper and jot down all of your “issues,” and figure out how to work around them. You don’t need a huge garden. You aren’t feeding a family of eight; this is just for you. It’s personal and can be as large or as small as you want it to be. • You can garden in a window box, a hanging basket, on a trellis, or in a container. • You can use a raised bed set at a comfortable height or pulleys to raise and lower baskets; make it easy on yourself. • Have a nearby convenient water supply, no heavy buckets or hoses. Seeds, plants, and bulbs have been known to thrive under the best or worst of circumstances. Your garden will do just fine no matter how you approach it. Nurseries and seed catalogs offer a variety of pants and seeds suitable for your gardening needs. Work around aches and pains. You will go nuts shopping for new tools. Not the traditional heavy hoes, rakes, and shovels but ergonomic tools designed to make your job easier. You don’t have to give up gardening because you are older. Many nursing homes, hospital and community centers offer horticultural therapy programs. Just being in a garden or a room with plants calms the nerves, soothes the spirit, eases pain and makes you at one with the universe.

Senior to Senior: Aging Hands

If your hands are painful and stiff in the mornings, you are not alone. Degenerative joint disease, also known as osteoarthritis, may be making everyday tasks difficult. You have been using your hands since the day you artfully picked up that first Cheerio and stuffed it in your mouth. You’ve never looked back. The repetitive motions that made you so good at your job put you at risk for injuries to your hands and wrists. By the time you reach 70 or beyond, your hands have taken quite a beating. Manual labor isn’t the only type of work that can cause these injuries. Nurses, teachers, surgeons, scientists, computer programmers, checkout clerks at grocery stores are just a few of the career opportunities that but your hands at risk. You will know if you are one of them. It starts out innocently enough; first tingling and numbness and then pain. Treatment includes rest, splints, pain medications, and the all too familiar cortisone injection. The Doctor will tell you to stop doing the activity that caused the discomfort in the first place, but of course you can’t do that because you have to work. As you age you are left with an uncomfortable stiffness and loss of hand strength; at this point the problem has become chronic. This brings us to where we are now; looking for ergonomic devices that are designed to reduce fatigue and discomfort. You now know that your hands will never regain their original strength or be pain free, but you can still learn how to make most of the dexterity that you have left. • Take frequent breaks when using your hands • Use warmth and gentle exercises to increase flexibility • Use assistive devices such as doorknob grippers, key turners, and other tools with fat handles and grip pads. • Avoid doing anything that involves resistance, such as forceful squeezing, grabbing or twisting objects Your hands are important; treat them well and they will serve you well. Do not ignore pain, swelling or tingling. Learn what exercises you can do in the morning that will improve function and reduce pain throughout the day.

Senior to Senior: Staying Healthy

When do you officially recognize that you are growing not only “older” but “old”? It has more to do with health than anything. After years of being as “healthy as a horse” you finally realize that even that horse has a shelf life. Things can happen quickly when you reach the point of no return and you may not be prepared. Your doctor wants to see you every six months instead of yearly, and it seems he always finds something wrong. Issues surface that you weren’t prepared for; loss of a loved one, a stroke, that first fall, a heart attack, or diabetes. How in the world do you prepare for these eventualities? Four of my friends wrote in their Christmas letters that they had at least one fall this last year. Fortunately, no major injuries were reported, but it was a wake-up call for all concerned. Falling is one of the biggest challenges because like it or not bones become more fragile, feet painful, balance precarious, and senses not as sharp as they once were. All these things combine to make you feel older than you want to admit. I guess the key is to just be careful, although I still struggle with this, and imagine you do too. Move slowly when getting up and making sure you are balanced before you start walking. Safety precautions are always important: • Staying physically fit with regular exercise • Have eyes and ears tested regularly; wear your glasses and hearing aids all the time • Be aware that almost any, it seems most, drugs can make you drowsy or dizzy • Get enough rest • Use a walking stick or walker if you need them • Safety proof your home There are no guarantees with anything but if you learn to slow down, be mindful and careful, and take your health and well being seriously you can at least stay ahead of the game. Protect your health by participating in your community, exercising body and mind and practice safety at all times you can protect yourself and keep the “old” feeling at bay.

Senior to Senior: Bathroom Safety: The Perfect Gift

When the kids ask you what you want for Christmas, instead of mumbling “I don’t need anything,” tell them that the best Christmas present in the world, beyond the pleasure of having them home for the holidays, would be for them to help safety proof your bathroom. You can either shop together or they can bring good ideas and theme related presents. According to the CDC bathrooms are the most dangerous rooms in the house (wet and slippery floors, poor lighting, pitfalls of getting in and out of tubs, and narrow doors). If you don’t know where to start, you can have an occupational therapist do an in-home assessment, and make a list. Seriously, wouldn’t you rather get decorative grab bars, grab-bar rated towel bars, quality mats or non-slip tiles, or new sets of colorful towels, than another bathrobe this year? Just a few other ideas: • Adjust the water heater so that it stays at a comfortable non-scald 120 degrees. • Order a shower system that has an adjustable showerhead and a hand held wand (some shower tools need to be installed professionally but many projects are of the do it yourself variety). • Most bathrooms are not easily accessible because they are small and have narrow doors. Have your handyman son exchange the inward swinging door to one that swings out, or consider a sliding or pocket door. • Good lighting is a must. Have fun shopping with your daughter for nightlights and a new bathroom lighting system. There are a many gadgets and pieces of equipment that you can find either at your local hardware store or a medical supply store. Last but not least is to shop for a medic alert system, now is the time. Now, wasn’t that fun? A project for the whole family. They will feel good about themselves and you will have had fun. When they go home, they won’t be obsessing over the fact that mom and dad are looking older and frailer this year, because they will have done something positive to assure your safety and your well-being.

Senior to Senior: Reading-Exercise Your Brain

Exercise your brain by reading a novel or two or three. If you are a reader or love your book clubs you will understand. Reading for the brain is like exercise for the body. You can exercise your brain by playing an instrument, learning a new language or taking up a new hobby but reading is more fun and books are everywhere. Reading is good for you. Just 6 minutes of reading had been shown to reduce the heart rate and ease muscle tension; that’s called relaxation. From preschool to old age, it never changes. One of the best ways to grow and stimulate you brain is to read often. If you don’t always have time to curl up with a good book, you might explore the world of audio books. At first your brain will cringe as you force it to concentrate on something new, but the brain is resilient. Soon you will be able to listen as you walk, as you do housework, or while counting repetitions at the gym. Start by listening to a book that you have already read; as with any other form of multi-tasking, it takes a while but the brain soon adjusts to doing more than one thing at a time. You really can walk and chew gum at the same time, so don’t limit yourself. I prefer light fiction during walks and road trips. The main thing to remember is that narrator’s matter, a good narrator is everything. You have a choice of venues; old fashioned cassettes, CDs and Downloads. If you drive long distances to work or walk for exercise, whether on treadmill of around the neighborhood, you will find listening to audio’s an excellent way to alleviate boredom and learn something at the same time. You can find everything in audio form; books on the best seller list, self-help books, learn a language books, fiction, non-fiction…read whatever you are passionate about. What a fun way to exercise your brain and give you a topic to discuss at your next club meeting.

Senior to Senior: Smart Gardening

You know it is spring, temperature aside, when the first seed catalog arrives in the mailbox. Sheer excitement! The full color pictures of ripe red tomatoes, luscious fruits, and healthy vegetables are tempting indeed. Are you going to stick with your old standbys, or is this the year to try heirloom tomatoes or purple carrots? The joy of gardening never goes away but it takes time, energy, and a certain commitment that only a senior can truly appreciate. It may be time to focus on quality rather than quantity, and of course think about how to generate the most satisfaction with the least amount of pain. Yes, pain. If you are in your seventh or eighth decade you are well aware that spending hours bending, reaching, squeezing and straining mean more pain than gain. Whether your passion is flowers or a thriving vegetable garden is moot, you want to plan a garden that works for you. Keep in mind that any garden can be adapted to meet your needs. • Assess your physical needs. • Consider potential problems and figure out how to work around them. If you can’t bend over comfortably consider a raised bed. If you get short of breath plan a garden that is close to the house and keep everything you need within easy reach. Sit whenever possible. • If you are housebound you can plan a garden using containers and window boxes. Grow plants like tomatoes, beans, peas, cucumbers and many flowers vertically by using a trellis. If you can still manage a traditional garden go for it, but let modern technology help you out. It is still gardening if you use seed tapes, pelleted seeds, or even transplant seedlings from a nursery near you. Take advantage of all of the special “enabling” or “adaptive” tools that are readily available. Learn to use your head not your back. Gardening is still gardening if you change your approach. You can experience the joy and reap the benefits with a small garden that requires less work. It’s called “smart gardening.”

Senior to Senior: Shoveling Snow

Winter is nearly over, but it seems that Mother Nature isn’t ready to call it quits. Having over two feet of snow dumped in our yard last weekend was a real wake-up call. This may not sound like a lot of snow if you live in the Midwest, but in Arizona it is a different story. We were not only housebound but we were tasked with clearing 2 ½ feet of snow from our deck and driveway. As seniors we are all aware that shoveling snow can be hazardous to our health. We read about people having heart attacks all the time, but not much about all of the other ways you can hurt yourself. I am referring to soft tissue injuries, lacerations, fractures, low back pain, strains to shoulders, injuries to arms and hands, as well as slips and fall. Pretty scary, but if you can’t stand being in the house any longer you may find yourself throwing caution to the wind. This is just a reminder to be careful and take a few simple precautions. • Check with your doctor and know if you are healthy enough to be doing this yourself • Dress appropriately • Warm up your muscles before you go out there. • Pace yourself, and take frequent breaks. Take your time and keep your cellphone handy, just in case. When possible push the snow instead of lifting it. Do not throw snow over your shoulder or to the side using a twisting movement. Ouch. I had to use a broom, a squeegee mop with a sharp edge, and a regular (not snow) dig- a-hole kind of shovel. What was I thinking? I’ll be ready next year though, and hope you will be too. I plan on looking for an ergonomic grip that can attach to any long-handled tool. The longer grip means you can stand up straighter to avoid awkward and painful bending. A little bit of care can go a long way. You can enjoy yard work and even snow shoveling if you think about what you are doing.