Portland Seniors’ Alcohol Abuse

Portland Home Care - Guardian Angel Caregivers in Portland OR gives family members tips on helping yourself be a better family caregiver. If you need help caring for an elder or senior in your family, please call us at (503) 698-2020.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to seniors or senior care experts that drinking too much alcohol is bad for older adults, but studies also show that moderate amounts can have its benefits. It’s crucial to a senior’s health and well-being that home care experts and family caregivers understand both the positive and negatives for alcohol consumption to ensure that the senior receives only the highest level of elder care. Medical professionals cannot always readily detect alcohol abuse in a senior, but those providing home care are in a position to understand a senior’s routines and help encourage positive actions.

Positives
• Health benefits may exist for older adults who consume one alcoholic beverage per day if they are female, or up to two drinks as males
• Heart disease – those 50 and older who drink alcohol in moderation are less likely to have heart attacks or face premature death than those who drink heavily or abstain completely
• Diabetes – alcohol helps improves insulin sensitivity
• Dementia – moderate consumption of wine (not beer) reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia
• Psychosocial Effects – moderate alcohol consumption increases social interactions, health related quality of life and survival
• Nutrition – alcohol with meals can help increase a senior’s appetite and helps them consume the calories and nutrients needed

Negatives
• Blood alcohol levels increase more quickly in older adults
• Excessive consumption of alcohol can cause issues with balance, a decline in short-term memory, worsening of existing health problems and cause negative interactions with medications
• Not easily detected – the medical profession has not yet grown substantially concerned about the effects of alcohol upon senior care.

Portland Caregiving for Elderly Parents

Portland Home Care - Guardian Angel Caregivers in Portland OR gives family members tips on helping yourself be a better family caregiver. If you need help caring for an elder or senior in your family, please call us at (503) 698-2020.

Just a few years ago, workers were likely to need time away from work for parent-teacher conferences, running kids to medical appointments, and staying home to nurse sick children.

Today, workers are more likely to miss work because of the needs of their parents. “Elder care has begun to rival child care as a workplace issue, and companies have started to realize that such support props up not just workers but also the bottom line,” according to the Dallas Morning News.

The National Alliance for Caregiving estimates that one in six American workers cares for an older relative. Caregiving usually adds 18 hours to the 40 hours most workers clock at the office. That means that those workers are working a job-and-a-half. Some companies are now hiring geriatric care managers as resources for employees bewildered by the demands of parents who are no longer capable of living independently. Estimates are that one in five caregivers quits or looks for a less demanding job. And that makes businesses’ responsiveness to employees’ caregiving needs more than a nice thing to do; it makes it an essential thing to do.

Poverty and Our Elderly

Portland Home Care - Guardian Angel Caregivers in Portland OR gives family members tips on helping yourself be a better family caregiver. If you need help caring for an elder or senior in your family, please call us at (503) 698-2020.

At least five million people aged 65 and over remain in poverty, since costs are rising significantly faster than the annual Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA).

Between 2001 and 2008, Medicare Part B premiums will have soared by more than 93 percent while the COLA will have crept up just 19 percent, leaving many seniors on their own to cover all other rising costs. Part B premiums cover doctors’ visits, tests, and outpatient hospital care.

Although the COLA is intended to help seniors keep up with inflation, a recent study by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) that analyzed eight key expenditures found that people 65 and over have lost 40 percent of their buying power since 2000. Expenses such as home heating oil and gasoline have more than doubled since the beginning of the decade, while food staples such as potatoes and butter have increased by 47 and 39 percent, respectively.

A majority of the 48 million Americans aged 65 and over who receive a Social Security check depend on it for at least 50 percent of their total income, and one in three beneficiaries relies on it for 90 percent or more of their total income.

Source: www.HealthNewsDigest.com

Senior Depression

Portland Home Care - Guardian Angel Caregivers in Portland OR gives family members tips on helping yourself be a better family caregiver. If you need help caring for an elder or senior in your family, please call us at (503) 698-2020.

Depression and Seniors

Depression is a dark cloud that hovers over the heads of many seniors. As they get older, they are forced to deal with many changes in lifestyle, cope with their declining health, and watch while important people in their lives pass away. Recent studies also show that certain medical conditions can onset depression, and depression in itself can cause serious health issues in older adults.

People suffering from heart attacks and heart disease fall into both of the above categories; studies show that depressed people newly- diagnosed with heart disease are twice as likely to have a heart attack or require bypass surgery. Unfortunately, according to a John Hopkins study people who are depressed are more likely to have a heart attack in the next fourteen years, and are four times more likely to die within six months than those who are not depressed.

Depression has links to diabetes and cancer as well. 84% of diabetics have reported depressive episodes, while many were treated for depression six months before their diabetic diagnosis was made. A National Institute of Aging Study has found that the chronically depressed are 88% more likely of developing cancer at some point during their lives.

Depression is a major issue when it comes to the home health of seniors; it truly is a killer that impacts the mortality of older adults and must be treated as seriously as any other chronic disease.

Sources: http://www.mcmanweb.com/perfect_storm.html
http://seniorhealth.about.com/cs/mentalhealth/a/depression_2.htm
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/detecting-depression

Decline in Nursing Home Population

Portland Home Care - Guardian Angel Caregivers in Portland OR gives family members tips on helping yourself be a better family caregiver. If you need help caring for an elder or senior in your family, please call us at (503) 698-2020.

Decline in nursing home population defies conventional wisdom. Here’s why.

Over the past 20 years, a significant number of senior citizens, particularly among the “oldest old” – persons 85 and older – have been choosing to stay in their homes rather than move to nursing homes, according to a new study by The Lewin Group.

Several trends contribute to the decline:

• Disability rates among seniors declined between 1984-1999, and the poverty rate declined as well, giving seniors more care choices.
• The average stay in nursing homes declined from 2.9 years in 1985 to 2.4 years in 2004 because of changes in Medicare and other forces.
• Alternatives to nursing homes continue to be developed, such as assisted living and home-based services.
• Long Term Care insurance is increasingly available. Today, 10 percent of persons 65+ own an LTC policy. In the ‘80s, virtually none did.
• States are providing more home and community-based services.

Read the entire report here: www.lewin.com.

Prostrate Cancer in Men Over Fifty

Rates of prostate cancer vary widely across the world. Although the rates vary widely between countries, it is least common in South and East Asia, more common in Europe, and most common in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is least common among Asian men and most common among black men, with figures for white men in-between. However, these high rates may be affected by increasing rates of detection.

Prostate cancer develops most frequently in men over fifty. This cancer can occur only in men, as the prostate is exclusively of the male reproductive tract. It is the most common type of cancer in men in the United States, where it is responsible for more male deaths than any other cancer, except lung cancer. In the UK it is also the second most common cause of cancer death after lung cancer. Around 35,000 men in the UK are diagnosed per year; where around 10,000 die of it. However, many men who develop prostate cancer never have symptoms, undergo no therapy, and eventually die of other causes. That is because malignant neoplasms of the prostate are, in most cases, slow-growing, and because most of those affected are over 60. Hence they often die of causes unrelated to the prostate cancer, such as heart/circulatory disease, pneumonia, other unconnected cancers or old age. Many factors, including genetics and diet, have been implicated in the development of prostate cancer. A 2008 study found that finasteride reduces the incidence of prostate cancer rate by 30%.

Overview of Prostrate Cancer

Senior Exercise and Its Benefits

The Benefits Of Exercise For Seniors
By Kenneth Snodin

Fact is as we grow older, we need to keep in shape more than the younger generation. With age the capabilities of the entire body system, muscles, organs, and mind, deteriorate and need more care than before. The changed lifestyle that you adopt in younger age comes in handy later in life. It then becomes simply a matter of shifting from the earlier exercises to a seniors exercise regime.

Many places, like YMCAs have separate sections for seniors exercise . They take special care by providing them with swimming pools, sauna baths, and hot tubs, which are more suitable for seniors than an exhausting workout. Seniors exercise coupled with some multivitamin tablets and sufficient water intake is more than enough for seniors. At their age, seniors cannot be expected to undergo the stress of a 15 miles’ treadmill run or a bench of 350. The idea of a personal trainer at that age is another option that should be considered if it is affordable. A personal trainer for seniors exercise will guide you through with his expertise.

When we are young we feel that all talk of a regulated diet, change in lifestyle is irrelevant. We ignore it at a great cost to us. The realization comes when, as seniors, we find it difficult to even do the simplest of exercise which appeared mundane earlier. Read the full story.

2009 Lifestyle Enhancements for Seniors

When making New Year’s Resolutions, seniors don’t need to make drastic changes; even small modifications to their lifestyle can improve their health and well-being for next year and all the years to come.

Overall Health

Giving up a vice is another common New Year’s resolution, but one that can be greatly beneficial if a senior’s addiction happens to have an impact on their health. Cigarette smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption can decrease a senior’s overall quality of life; so those who put it behind them in 2009 will have a much better year!

When making their New Year’s resolutions this season, seniors should look to making 2009 into a better, healthier year. To go about this they should consider their exercise routine, nutritional habits and overall health.

Exercise

It is recommended that seniors over the age or 65 exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. They can choose moderately intense cardio activities to raise their heart rates to get the greatest benefit. They should also incorporate exercises that increase balance, flexibility and strength into their weekly routines. Seniors should not focus their efforts on weight loss, or set any specific goals other than simply improving their overall health.

Nutrition

In 2009, seniors should choose foods that offer them optimal levels of nutrition to strengthen their immune systems, prevent the onset of chronic illnesses and generally improve their health. To help prevent high blood pressure and water retention, seniors should minimize their intake of salt and sodium; monitor the amount of fat consumed to avoid high cholesterol; and cut back on sugars and dry foods. There are certain vitamins and minerals that seniors should begin incorporating into their diets, like vitamin D and calcium to prevent osteoporosis and strengthen bones; fiber to decrease constipation; and increase water intake to get at least 8 glasses of water per day.

Alzheimer’s Care in Portland

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. This progressive and terminal brain disorder has no known cause or cure. It slowly steals the minds of its victims, leading to memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, personality changes, disorientation and the inability to communicate.

Known Risk Factors

* Age: The single greatest risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is age. Approximately 5 percent of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74, and almost half of those 85 years and older are estimated to have Alzheimer’s.

* Genetics: The majority of Alzheimer’s cases are late-onset, usually developing after age 65, and this form of the disease shows no obvious inheritance pattern. However, in some families, clusters of cases are seen. A gene called Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) appears to be a risk factor for the late-onset form of Alzheimer’s. There are three forms of this gene: ApoE2, ApoE3 and ApoE4. Roughly one in four Americans has ApoE4 and one in twenty has ApoE2. While inheritance of ApoE4 increases the risk of developing the disease, ApoE2 substantially protects against it. Some current research is focused on the association between these two forms of ApoE and Alzheimer’s disease. Familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) or early-onset Alzheimer’s is an inherited, rare form of the disease, affecting less than 10 percent of patients. Familial Alzheimer’s Disease develops before age 65, in people as young as 35. It is caused by one of three gene mutations on chromosomes 1, 14 and 21. More information visit http://www.ahaf.org/alzheimers/

Click on link below for Memory Games and Exercises

http://www.ahaf.org/alzheimers/resources/memorygames.html

Senior’s Computer Challenges

Q1 – Why should seniors use the computer?
A1 – Access to a computer and internet can allow seniors a new method to learn about senior resources, complete enjoyable activities, stay in touch with long-distance relatives and generally pass their time.

Q2 – If a senior’s looking to purchase a computer, is it better to buy a new or refurbished version?
A2 – As long as the features are available that a senior requires, it doesn’t really matter whether the computer is new or used. For ease of use, it can be better to purchase a more basic model, with fewer elaborate features that the senior will not require. Do keep in mind that problems could more likely occur with a used computer, which can complicate a senior’s usage since they may not have the problem-solving and technical skills needed to trouble shoot the issues.

Q3 – What’s the best way for a senior to learn how to use a computer?
A3 – Seniors can learn using online tutorials, taking community courses, studying related books or with the help of a knowledgeable family or friend. They should be taught using simple step-by-step instructions, that allow them to practice each necessary skills on its own.

Q4 – What specific challenges might seniors face when using a computer?
A4 – After learning the new skills, seniors might expect all actions to occur as per their step-by-step directions, not knowing that with technology, things don’t always happen this way. When something different happens, seniors may naturally assume that something is wrong with the computer and become concerned when they don’t now how to fix it. Seniors may also find challenges if they have issues with eyesight or dexterity, which are required to interpret what appears on the screen and to use the mouse.

Q5 – How can families support seniors in their computer endevours?
A5 – Families can be patient and supportive, answering senior’s questions in a manner that addresses their learning style, with respect.