Smart Senior

Senior to Senior: Aging in Place

Aging in place takes on a whole new meaning when you find yourself staring 70 or 80 in the face. If you are still of sound mind and reasonably sound body, you may be wondering “what happens now?” You still have options. Several friends have opted to move into retirement communities, but several others are saying, “no way,” they want to stay in their own homes. The thought of having friendships, amenities, and activities orchestrated by someone else is abhorrent to them. Denial? Perhaps, but those who opt to age in place like to think of it maintaining their independence. Being surrounded by “old” people makes them feel old, and they aren’t ready for that. Aging in Place means continuing to live in your own home, but you need to know that this isn’t a given, and it doesn’t happen automatically. Independent living, at any age, takes a certain amount of hard work. Sometimes life sucks, but that aside, it can be an adventure. Keep in mind that if you aren’t willing to do the work, the decision may be taken out of your hands. It behooves you to be an active participant. The idea is whether, or not, you can be realistic. Being stubborn and unrealistic is not a good look, and things may not go well for you. You must be willing to make a few adjustments or even entertain the idea of some lifestyle changes. Consult a certified aging in place specialist sooner rather than later. Follow recommendations on how to make your home senior friendly, and for heaven's sake, be open to hiring help. About 2/3 of retirees feel that they are already living in the best homes of their lives and only a few adjustments may be necessary. At least half have been living alone for some time and are okay with it. If this is what you want to do, be open to embracing technology, adopting safety measures, or even home sharing. AARP has a home guide with dozens of suggestions to help you live safely and comfortably in your own home.

Senior to Senior: Lifestyle Changes

Lifestyle change, what does that even mean? We all know that change is difficult, especially if you feel that what you have been doing for the past 70 (give or take) years has served you well. We don’t give change much thought until our doctors takes us aside to explain that unless we make certain changes, things will not go well for us. It could come at any time, as early as your middle years. It is the day when you realize that you can’t continue to party all night, diet yourself into oblivion, or burn your candle from both ends, unless you are willing to face the consequences. Your carefree, lackadaisical ways will catch up to you sooner or later. Your routine physicals will stop being routine, and you will have to face the fact that aches, pains, and chronic illnesses are here to stay. It’s a known fact that physiological changes occur, whether you are ready or not. Despite cultural hype about 40 being the new 30, and 80 being the new 70, aging happens. What really happens? Hormone levels drop. Systems slow down. Recovery periods become longer, and of course metabolism tanks. Years of careless behavior catches up to you. Lifestyle Change becomes the word of the day. Maybe, if you are lucky, you can put the skids on some of these changes, but not unless you accept that aging happens. Adopt a new lifestyle, the sooner the better. Eat for health instead of for cosmetic purposes. No one cares how fat or how thin you are except you, and perhaps your physician, if you are teetering on the edge of oblivion. Take care of yourself and do whatever it takes to maintain the strength, flexibility, and balance needed to keep you mobile and independent. You may have gotten away with destructive behaviors for years, but your luck is running out. Yes, people are living longer now than they did a half-century ago, but living isn’t really “living” if you aren’t mentally sharp and physically active.

Senior to Senior: Balance

Balance is defined as the ability of your body to maintain equilibrium when standing, walking, or performing activities of daily living. Let’s face it. Most of us have had some near falls when pulling on slacks, walking on uneven ground, or reaching for something on a shelf. Balance isn’t addressed nearly as often as strength training, aerobics, and stretching routines, but it is a real concern for seniors everywhere. Seriously, the sense of balance begins degrading in your twenties and goes downhill after that, and that is a very long downhill journey. We need balance every time we take a step. It’s what keeps us on our feet when walking and keeps us from wobbling when standing still. The process is quite complex, involving brain messages and multiple senses. Quite astounding, isn’t? Aging happens. Changes in vision, core strength, flexibility, and intricate changes in the ear canals all affect the way information is relayed to the brain. Poor balance is the reason that incidents of falls become more common as we age. The good news is that experts tell us that there are some things we can do to preserve and even restore the sense of balance. Yes, the dreaded “exercise” word comes into play again, but this time it isn’t about six-pack abs or training for a marathon. You will be pleased to know that balance exercises aren’t rocket science. The ones that come to mind involve standing on one foot while brushing your teeth or talking on the phone, and practicing walking heel-to-toe, with one foot directly in front of the other. If that isn’t challenging enough you can buy or check out senior exercise videos from the library. All of them include a segment on balance, it is that important. If you crave company, find a class at the YMCA or Senior Center near your home. Talk to your doctor. Conquer your fears. You can opt to use a cane, walking sticks or a walker, but if you can put that off a little longer, isn’t it worth the effort?

Senior to Senior: Fear of Falling

Fear of Falling Who knew that a tiny wobble, a momentary loss of balance, could be life changing. If you happen to mention your “fall” to your nearest and dearest, they will hover around you with worried expressions on their faces. It’s time to push back. Do whatever it takes to protect yourself and your independence. Falls are the leading cause of injury in adults over 60. My cousin stubbed her toe, lost her balance, and crashed against the oven door the other day. She is fine, but of course the oven door will never be the same. Shaken but not injured, she regrouped and made it to her recliner. She didn’t want, or need, to use her Medic Alert button but she let her family know what had happened. Of course, they overreacted, but that’s to be expected. Seniors are vulnerable to falls. Everyone talks about the changes the body undergoes when entering teen years, but it is nothing compared to what happens when you get older. We are now talking about muscle weakness, decreased balance, and changes in vision. You don’t have to swaddle yourself in bubble wrap, but you can pay attention to changes that are occurring. Be proactive; learn what you can do to protect yourself. Physical decline is an inevitable part of life. Loss of muscle strength and flexibility due to chronic conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, and neuromuscular diseases make you vulnerable. Not to mention that some of the medications that you may be taking can cause dizziness, drowsiness, or even a drop in blood pressure. Pay attention. Senior proof your home and much as you hate the idea, adopt an approved exercise program. Learn how to manage any chronic conditions and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Fear of falling is paralyzing, almost as bad or maybe worse than the fall itself. To a young person a fall can be embarrassing and painful, but to a senior with fragile bones, it can threaten everything they hold dear. Still, a fall doesn’t have to be a one-way ticket to a care facility. Face your fears, seek medical advice, and make prevention a priority.

Senior to Senior: Aches and Pains

We all have them. Adults begin noticing aches and pains in their mid-to-late 40’s. We worked through them then, but now, at double that age, we know that they are here to stay. We learned to grin and bear it over the years, but it gets harder and harder as time goes by. Experts tell us to “use it or lose it,” which makes sense I suppose, but it is hard when just rolling over in bed takes effort. Some folks opt for frequent doctor appointments, medications, physical therapy and massages, but others are eager to wing it on their own. At first it was just an odd achy sensation between the shoulders, but as time went by you may have noticed that your head, neck, and shoulders felt incredibly heavy. Just standing up straight took a conscious effort. The reasons may be varied, but you need to know that it isn’t just fatigue weighing you down. The slouch is a warning sign. Yah, slouching, the word mom used back when she made us walk around with a book on our heads. She knew the importance of good posture way before it was a “thing.” Back pain seems to be a given when you reach a certain age, as is generalized stiffness and joint pain. It may get to the point where it interferes with your activities of daily living. Your doctor, after doing a zillion tests, will tell you that you need to exercise and stretch those stiffened muscles in order to increase flexibility and reduce pain. Your job will be to maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, wear comfortable low-heeled shoes, and proceed with caution. This requires considerable work on your part, but the results can be quite satisfying. Alternate treatments like yoga and other stretching exercises are worth a shot. Aches and pains are here to stay, but you needn’t just grin and bear it. Talk to your doctor, accept a physical therapy referral, and take their advice. Before trying to medicate all your pains away, find out what you can do, and then Do It! Do it forever….

Senior to Senior: Have a Plan

New retiree or old, you might be wondering what comes next. Are you totally invested in filling every minute, or are you sitting in a chair doing nothing? If you are the former you know all about having plans, but if you find yourself in the “do nothing” category, you may be struggling. It’s not too late to make plans; not the usual end-of-life stuff, which should be a given, but a plan for “living.” Everything has changed. Your workdays have come and gone, and if you have turned family responsibilities over to someone else, you are probably bored. Being bored is deadly. If you don’t have a plan for living, others are going to make them will for you. Before you know it, well-meaning friends, family, and perhaps social service folks, are going to want to intervene. What if you could deflect their interest by saying, “No thank you. I have other plans.” “Having plans” is a polite way of saying that you have a life. You shouldn’t have to fake an illness in order to excuse yourself from a boring activity. Not to mention that if you fake an illness, well-meaning friends will leap to all sorts of conclusions. They may think you are having a stroke or are a little bit daft. Before you can protest, you may find yourself in an ambulance trying to explain yourself to well-meaning EMT’s. Most people are nosey and won’t be happy with a generic “plans” excuse. You need to do better than that. If you really don’t want to go to the mall or attend another baby shower, you need to have a real plan to fall back on. What’s it going to be? What are you interested in? There must be something that you always wanted to do. Keep in mind that your plan must be real, not just a cover story. Your plan doesn’t have to be awe inspiring. It can be as simple as finishing a craft project, going to the library, writing in your journal, reading a book, or meeting a friend for coffee. Just the idea of having a plan can serve you well.

Senior to Senior: Fun and Activity

Fun and activity, strange bedfellows, you might be thinking. Whether you exercised as a young adult or not, you probably have some rather pointed opinions about the subject. Seniors grew up before going to the gym and running marathons became the “thing” to do. You stayed fit by hard work and didn’t think much about it. Hard work is not really an option now, but our bodies still need and crave exercise. “Use it or lose it” is not a myth; losing anything is not an option. Hard work, if you remember, was satisfying, but seldom fun. The same could be said about lifting weights, pumping iron, or training for a marathon. By the time you reach 60, 70, 80 or beyond, your obsession with weight loss and six-pack abs are less important. Still, researchers tell us that to stay healthy and active we need to keep moving. Physical manifestations happen; hips, knees, feet and decreasing endurance make it harder to put one foot in front of other. You are not alone if you just want to give up. What can you do to make physical activity more interesting? Activity doesn’t necessarily mean going to the gym. All activity counts. How about dancing? You must admit that dancing is a fun way to keep in shape while improving your balance and coordination. On top of that, many dances can be done without a partner. If music doesn’t do it for you, try exploring the world of yoga and tai chi. If you like the quieter Zen experience, you will be pleased to know that strength, balance, flexibility and coordination come into play here too. Too much like exercise and not fun. If you have always been a sports enthusiast, you might try a low impact sport that is kinder to the aging body. Sports, ugh, you say. How about yard work and gardening? Explore the world of raised garden beds or container gardening. Commune with nature and enjoy home grown tomatoes and strawberries. Last resort: dust off the bike hidden in the back of the garage or go for a walk; just keep moving.

Senior to Senior: Walking Adventure

Walking is the simplest and easiest exercise that there is, even for the “oldest of the old.” What does that mean for seniors who are reaching that undefinable age? Studies show that strolling even one hour every week (10 minutes a day) will keep you healthier longer. Walking, even strolling, is linked with prolonged life in older adults. There are tons of recommendations about how much exercise is needed at every age, but it seldom addresses true seniors. Our youth-oriented society perpetuates the idea that you have to run, or at least walk very fast, to make exercise count, but what happens if you just can’t? They seem to forget that most older people, no matter how well intentioned, cannot run marathons anymore. Face it, at 70 or 80, with sore feet, joint pain, and chronic medical issues, slowing down is a given. The focus now is on how to slow down without stopping altogether. Now that we know that even a stroll is beneficial, let’s rethink walking. Think about walking as an opportunity to meditate, talk with God, connect with likeminded friends, or finally taking the time to smell the roses. Going for a walk shouldn’t be a chore, it should be a privilege. Walking can be more than exercise; it can be an experience. Explore the possibilities and think of it as an adventure each time you step out the door. • Pay attention to your surroundings. • Walk at the park, on a trail, or just around your neighborhood. Carry a guidebook and really look at each tree, flower, bird and butterfly. • Refresh your sense of history by reading signs and plaques. • Visit an art gallery; there is nothing like looking at the world through the eyes of an artist. • Follow your nose. Smell the newly mowed grass or be enticed by the aroma of fresh brewed coffee or baking bread. • Love the feel of sun on your face; sit awhile on a bench and just be. Invite a child to join you. Teach. Learn. Relax. Smile if you find yourself enjoying yourself; the whole world will smile with you.

Senior to Senior: Living With A Disability

Having a disability is not a given, but as you age, the chances of arthritis, diabetes, stroke, a broken hip, a knee replacement or a dozen other afflictions are waiting in the wings. As you age your body ages too; your feet hurt, your back is sore, you have less strength in your hands, your balance is a little off, and vision and hearing are declining just a little (or a lot). Disabilities happen. Statistics reveal that 34% of people over 65 have at least one physical disability. As I move forward, I find that number remarkably low. I mean, look around you. How many people your age have remained unscathed? How are the disabilities associated with aging going to affect your life? Even short-term disabilities such as recovering after a knee or hip replacement will be challenging, but the rest of nature’s little surprises will be equally puzzling. It’s not fair, but it is what it is. Whether you have endured a stroke, a cardiovascular incident, chronic respiratory problems, diabetes, arthritis or the like, you will need to persevere. You may never be as good as new but you can be good, maybe even better, than before. Adjusting to a disability is difficult and you will likely need help. Instead of stumbling around in the dark, you will need to ask questions…lots of questions. Start by asking your doctor to introduce you to an Occupational and a Physical Therapist. These are the people who can make you better, stronger, more adaptable, and safer. You may have to learn a whole new way of doing things; temporarily or permanently, but you are not alone. It is time to link up with a support group. Your Senior Center, Division on Aging, or your doctor can help you with this. You can learn to adjust to a new normal, but it won’t be easy. Take the time to learn everything you can about your hip replacement, your diabetes, your arthritis, your vision loss or whatever, and act accordingly. You can do this!

Eating Alone

 

Why do seniors eat out so often? Vintage friends, myself included, admit that they have lost interest in cooking.   It’s a shame really, but cooking for one or two isn’t as rewarding as it used to be.

Favorite tv shows and movies would have us believe that family gatherings are the norm, but let’s face it, many seniors eat alone.   Not only that, by the time dinner time rolls around, many of us are too tired to care whether we eat or not.  

Cooking for one or two is neither fun nor inspiring, although cookbook authors expect us to give it our all. Cook gourmet and set a fine table they say, but how often do you feel like doing that?

Food doesn’t taste the same as it used too. Special diets, fatigue, multiple health issues, lack of exercise, medicines, and the monotony of eating alone have all combined to tamp down the joy. We still know that nutrition is important but what do we do to make therapeutic dining happen? 

How about eating what you want, when you want, and where you want? It really is okay to eat breakfast for dinner or leftovers from dinner for breakfast (laugh). If you are a morning person, make breakfast the most important and nutritious meal of the day. If you aren’t, make a point of filling up your crockpot.

You have to eat whether the spirit moves you or not. Try eating out on the deck for a change of scenery or give yourself permission to listen to the radio or watch television. There is no right or wrong way to nourish your body or your soul.

Do whatever it takes to make you slow down and enjoy your dining experience. If you are the least little bit tech savvy bring your phone or laptop to the table and chat with a friend via Facetime while you eat.

Keep snacking to a minimum and take good nutrition as seriously as you do any other part of your wellness routine.

Suggestions welcome. What do you to make solitary dining more pleasurable?

Assisted Living at Home

 

Wanting to be independent is a human condition. Since the day you took your first step you wanted to “do it yourself.” Wanting to be independent doesn’t change when you get older, but how you do it does.

Articles galore. Independent living sounds like a good thing, but you’ve been putting it off. You eat right, you exercise, and you’ve kept socially active. All the right things, but to be truthful, it is getting harder.  

What are you going to do? Life is still good but, (there is always a but), how do you really want to spend the rest of your life?

Hopefully by now you have already seen the wisdom of a one-story house, or have at least started renovating your mansion.  An elevator, a lift and a few grab bars can go a long way toward independent living.   

The big decision is whether you want to stay where you are, move in with one of your kids, or consider assisted living options.

Do you still want to stay in your own home? You are not alone if you said “yes.” 94% of older adults want to stay in their own homes. By now, thanks to the pandemic, you already know whether you can stand a quiet life on your own.

If you are nearing or have already passed the 80-year milestone, there is no time to waste.  Talk to your family, enlist the aid of your health care providers, talk to the professionals in your life, and then get started.

 Doctors, lawyers, contractors, Senior Centers, Agencies on Aging, and Home Care businesses can help you assess your home, health care, financial stability, and individual needs. Yes, you will need to pay for services deemed necessary, but they aren’t exactly free anywhere else either.

Think about what you want and about what you are willing to spend to make it happen.  Times a wasting.