Exercise Can Save Your Life and Save Your Money!
Also of note: Today, like all ages, many older people can be overweight. Maintaining a healthy weight is a worthy goal, and exercise helps. Even if a person doesn't lose weight, it's good to know that a March 2017 study published by the European Society of Cardiology reported that exercising is even more beneficial than losing weight for obese individuals of every age. However, some older people who are overweight sometimes hesitate to take part in an exercise class, fearing that they will be injured, or unable to keep up, or that they will be embarrassed by their appearance. Today, there are programs especially for overweight people to help them exercise in a positive, safe environment.
July 02, 2017 Nuala Duignan #Healthy Living #Health & MedicalGrowing Awareness of a Senior Epidemic - Loneliness
April is Volunteer Month—a great time to consider the benefits of volunteer service for seniors!
Make donating your time and talents part of your plan for healthy aging. Almost everyone has something to offer others. Look for new opportunities, or continue a long-time volunteer job. Even if your health condition changes, you can make adaptations to continue your valuable service. "I have arthritis and I can't drive anymore," reports one senior volunteer. "But I still volunteer at my local hospice in assisting with fundraising activities and also in sharing my skill of playing piano for the patients". " To see their faces light up as I play music to them leaves me feeling uplifted and having had a worthwhile day".
Bathroom Safety - A Shower Chair or Bath Bench
More than one in three persons over age 65 fall each year at home, often in the bathroom while attempting to shower or bathe. Standing up while showering or attempting to safely climb in and out of the bathtub can be difficult tasks for people with balance and physical limitations. In fact, up to one-third of elders have difficulty getting into or out of a bathtub or shower.
September 01, 2016 Nuala Duignan #Fall Prevention #Healthy Living #Health & Medical #AgeingSeniors and Medications
Put a system in place for obtaining and taking medications. If possible, use a single pharmacy for all prescriptions. The pharmacy may be able to help simplify the management process that adjust medication refill dates so that all prescriptions are 'due' for a refill at the same time may be an effective strategy.
July 10, 2016 Nuala Duignan #Health & MedicalFive Ways to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
The Institute of Public Health’s report Making Diabetes Count (2007) estimated that there were about 143,000 people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in Ireland (based on in 2005 figures) and predicted that this number would increase by 37%, to 194,000 people, by 2015.
July 06, 2016 Nuala Duignan #Health & Medical #Healthy Living #AgeingDepression in Winter
The darker January days offer reduced hours of mood-boosting sunlight. Some people who regularly experience feelings of sadness and anxiety during the winter months are diagnosed with a particular type of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
May 05, 2016 Nuala Duignan #Healthy Living #Health & MedicalDepression in Winter
The darker January days offer reduced hours of mood-boosting sunlight. Some people who regularly experience feelings of sadness and anxiety during the winter months are diagnosed with a particular type of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
May 05, 2016 Nuala Duignan #Healthy Living #Health & MedicalGift Ideas for the Elderly
In an effort to reduce your stress when shopping for your parents or grandparents, Right at Home has put together a brief guide to gift ideas for the elderly. We’ve taken into account budget, lifestyle and interests. After all, the Christmas shouldn’t be about the stress of finding the perfect gift; they should be about the joy you feel when watching someone you love open it.
December 01, 2015 Nuala Duignan #Ageing #Health & MedicalCan hand-grip be used to determine ageing and predict illness?
Are all those candles overcrowding the birthday cake? No problem. You might be younger and healthier than you think! Warren Sanderson, a Social and Behavioural Sciences Professor at Stony Brook University, New York and researchers in Austria showed that the strength of a person’s hand-grip can distinguish different rates of ageing and wellbeing.
September 25, 2015 Nuala Duignan #Ageing #Health & MedicalThe Dangers of Consuming Too Much Salt
It’s next to impossible to avoid salt in your diet. Used as a common preservative, it can be found in most items on the shelves of your local supermarket – and it’s easy to ignore your intake until your doctor tells you otherwise. However as we age, it’s important to be more proactive about our health, which also means being more proactive about our diet.
September 25, 2015 Nuala Duignan #Health & MedicalManaging High Blood Pressure With In-Home Care
To most of us, blood pressure is a bit of a mystery! We go to the doctor, the doctor puts a cuff on our arm, inflates it, listens, and jots down a set of numbers. Then we're told that everything is fine—or, if we are getting older, more likely we are told that we have high blood pressure, also called hypertension.
High blood pressure raises the risk of heart-related problems, stroke, kidney disease, vision loss and even cancer. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells us that more than 1,000 deaths each day are related to hypertension. Up to one-third of all American adults have this condition—yet only half of them have it under control. High blood pressure can be managed with a combination of medications and lifestyle choices such as a healthy diet, exercise, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol.
Stroke - would you recognise the symptoms in time?
If a person shows signs of a stroke, it is crucial to seek medical help immediately.
August 01, 2014 Nuala Duignan #Health & MedicalImproving Sleep for Family Carers
When adequate sleep becomes a nightly struggle it drains energy and can drastically affect a person’s health, mood and daily functioning. Sleep deprivation is common among family caregivers because of the physical and emotional stress of caring for another, often while maintaining the responsibilities of children, work and home.
May 23, 2013 Nuala Duignan #Health & Medical #Carer Help #CaringDementia care home helps residents reconnect with the 'good old days'
A dementia village in Bristol.
February 20, 2013 Nuala Duignan #Ageing #Alzheimer's and Dementia Support #Community Involvement #Health & MedicalDementia carers encouraged to sing while they work
A new scheme is looking at the power of song to help people suffering from dementia.
February 20, 2013 Nuala Duignan #Alzheimer's and Dementia Support #Healthy Living #Health & Medical #Caring