August 2019 - Green Tree Home Care

Fall activity ideas for seniors, already?

Hard to believe that summer is almost over, isn’t it?

Well, summer being over doesn’t mean we cannot stay active and engaged.

Getting involved in fall activities is fun for the whole family,will help your loved one be engaged and will help everyone get some exercise!

That’s just too many benefits to ignore.

So let’s jump right in and learn of some fall activities to put on your calendar.

Fall activity ideas for seniors

Go fruit picking – Local farms in your area will be harvesting right about now and will be thrilled to have you come fruit-picking.
Get lost in a corn maze – This is definitely fun for the little ones but you will want to make sure to stay close to your loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Go for a hayride.
Hit a local amusement park before it closes down for the season. And speaking of amusement parks, they usually have a lot of fun fall activities going on at the parks right before Halloween. Make sure to check those out.
Watch fireworks. This draws on the amusement park point above. They usually have shows you can watch for free if you’re willing to drive up close enough.
Take a hike. The weather is cooler and more conducive for taking hikes.
Try indoor mountain climbing. I always feel like this is a less dangerous alternative for those who love to take risks but who may not be physically up to climbing an actual mountain.

Even more fall ideas…

Take a drive through the country. Late evening drives are the best, aren’t they?
Make a meal together. Such a great memory-maker.
Grill outside while you still can!
Start an audio-book series that whole family can listen to.
Carve a pumpkin.
Go camping. Make sure this is safe for your elderly loved one. If they are prone to wander off, I would not recommend this activity.
Build a bonfire. Make sure to stay safe!
Find a natural water body and visit it. Rivers, lakes, waterfalls and the oceans always have a calming effect on people. At least it does on me!

And there’s 15 fall activity ideas for seniors!

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If you’re a caregiver, then you’re no stranger to stress.

The pressure of taking care of an elderly loved one who has a chronic illness causes stress.

And the cost of making sure your loved one is getting the best care possible can be stressful as well.

But perhaps you are the person who experiences more stress than most.

Is this because you are not “strong” enough?

As it turns out, a recent study shows that some people are more susceptible to stress.

How come?

Why some people may be more susceptible to stress

In the study I quoted above, the researchers exposed mice to a source of stress for 10 days. One group was considered “susceptible” while the other group was considered “resilient”.

After this, the scientists noticed that one group of mice avoided social interaction. And there was another group of mice kept interacting as normal.

When they looked into the brains of these mice, they found that while a group of brain cells called glial cells were normal in the mice that kept interacting, there were changes in the glial cells of the mice that avoided social interaction.

Very interestingly, it turned out the glial cells in the second mice had reduced amounts of a substance called myelin which is very important when it comes to brain cells working properly.

Caregiver stress: what does this mean for humans?

What could this research mean for humans?

While human beings and mice are vastly different, this study is important for a few reasons.

First of all, it shows us that people who have been exposed to multiple stressors over and over again are more likely to feel the effects of stress more than someone who hasn’t been through the same amount of stress.

Now, you’re probably saying “Gertrude, we knew that! That’s what’s called PTSD”.

And you would be absolutely right.

But until now, scientists did not have a biological reason to tie to PTSD.

With this research, scientists are beginning to uncover more about the biological basis for why some people get stressed easier than others.

And so, if you find yourself more stressed out as a caregiver because of a lot of previous stress, you now know that there might be a biological reason for all you’re feeling.

If this is you, continue to take care of yourself so you can take care of others and make sure you’re getting the help you need.

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Elder scams are on the rise.

Nobody expects a scam to happen to them until it does.

But it’s happening.

The elderly are scammed to the tune of $37 billion each year according to Bloomberg.

So what should you do when you find out your elderly loved one is being scammed?

In today’s post, I’ll share some tips on how to salvage such a situation.

Elder Scams: the signs to look out for

But first, how do you tell if something is a scam or not?

Your elderly loved one tells you they received a call or letter from a government agency asking them to verify personal information. Usually, these types of scammers will call and say they are from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or will erroneously say they are calling from the “Tax Department”. Once, they get personal information, that can use to it drain bank accounts and do whatever else they wish.

You elderly loved one says they received a call or letter telling them they’ve won some kind of lottery or sweepstakes and that the company needs a credit card so they can “save their spot”.

If you cannot find any information online about the company that is making calls or sending letters, there is a chance they are scammers.

More tech-savvy scammers will send e-mails with the logo of a legitimate organization such as a bank and ask for the other person to click on a link to verify something. A scammer once sent me an email with the logo of a bank I use asking me to verify some details. I almost clicked through until I decided to check the email address it had come from. It was not the usual one I got from the bank so I stopped and then called the company to make sure they really wanted this information from me. Turns out they did not need that information. Had I clicked on the link in the email, I could have been defrauded.

And while these are good rules of thumb to follow, scammers do get savvier with their techniques each year.

A combination of keeping your guard up and not falling for anything that is too good to be true is a key to preventing scams.

What should you do?

Scammers got your loved one, what should you do?

Report elder scams

First of all, it is likely that your elderly loved one wouldn’t want to tell you that they were scammed. In fact, according to the FBI, older Americans are less likely to report a scam.

However, reporting it can help to retrieve their money.

It will also put an end to this activity so that other seniors don’t suffer.

If you know the person who has scammed your loved one, it is your responsibility to call the FBI and report them.

Call the financial institution involved

If the scammers stole money, the financial institution will more than likely refund the money following their own investigations.

Help your loved one understand elder scams

Help your elderly loved one by educating about elder scams.

Tell them about the warning signs.

Send them this post to read!

Preventing a scam is better than salvaging it.

However, if they have this information after the first time, you will reduce the likelihood that this happens again.

Get a fiduciary

If you live far away from your loved one but you need someone to help them manage their money properly, you could hire a fiduciary.

A fiduciary will make sure to pay the bills, manage investments and other financial assets.

This should put your mind at ease that someone will take your loved one’s hard-earned money.

To learn more about what a fiduciary does, READ THIS POST.

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Preventing falls in the community for the elderly should be a topic that is discussed more often.

However, usually when you read information about preventing falls, the focus in on the home.

But chances are that your loved one also spends time outside the house.

And although we cannot always control what happens in the community, there are precautions to take to help your loved one stay safe in the community.

In today’s post, I’ll share a few tips that will help to prevent falls in the community.

Preventing falls in the community for the elderly

Safe footwear

Wearing the right footwear is key to preventing falls in the community for the elderly.

Shoes should have:

A good tread on the bottom to encourage friction so a person is not likely to trip. Worn shoes which don’t have a good tread will cause your loved one to trip easily.

Orient your loved one to the area

This is especially important if your loved one will be visiting a place for the first time.

Let them know of any obstacles in the way or sudden elevations (eg. a step) so they don’t trip over those.

If it helps and where appropriate, you could visit the premises ahead of time to note those problem areas so you can prepare your loved one for them.

Glasses and contacts

If your loved one uses glasses or any other visual aid to help with a visual impairment, encourage them to put them on.

Communicate with event organizers

If you know someone on the event organization team, it might help to communicate with them ahead of time so they can make sure electrical cables are out of the way and fluid spills are wiped up immediately.

Sometimes this is impossible.

But if it can be helped, communicate ahead of the event.

Use mobility aids where necessary

Anything that makes mobility easier for your elderly loved one while they are in the community is great for staying safe in the community.

Easy communication devices

Say your loved one is walking their dog and falls down in a secluded area.

Do they have access to a communication device that will help them get in touch with someone immediately?

Several companies now have devices that the elderly can hang around their necks or otherwise gain easy access to.

You could encourage your loved one to have such a device on them in case this happens while they’re on their own.

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Reducing your risk for heart disease is not just for the young.

As an older adult, there is a lot you can do to reduce your risk for heart disease so you can enjoy your loved ones longer.

In today’s post, I’ll be sharing guidelines from the American Heart Association that will help you keep a healthy heart.

8 ways to reduce your risk for heart disease as an older adult

Get active

If you get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity, this is enough to keep heart disease at bay.

This translates to 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week.

It doesn’t matter what you do.

You could dance, walk, run or swim. It’s really up to you.

So if you’re getting at least 30 minutes of exercise into your day, you are doing great.

Eat healthy

The key here is to keep your plate colorful.

Vegetables and fruits will help you achieve this goal.

And there are so many ways to prepare your vegetables beyond just eating a salad.

You could saute them and turn them into a stir-fry dish.

You can pair them with your favorite meals so they are more palatable.

Personally, one of the ways I’ve been ensuring that I get my daily dose of vegetables is to prepare a green smoothie out of them.

I will usually combine spinach, celery, an apple and a bit of ginger to make a smoothie that tastes great and gets me on the healthy bus.

Bottom line: you can get creative with vegetables and fruits so you don’t get bored and give up on them.

Control cholesterol

Cholesterol is called a silent killer for good reason.

There is no way to tell if a person has high cholesterol or not just by looking at them.

In fact, there are people who have high cholesterol because of their genetics.

The best way to know your cholesterol levels is for you to check with your doctor.

In those results, you want to see if your LDLs (low density lipoproteins) are high or low. If they are high, it’s important to pay attention to that.

One of the best ways to reduce cholesterol is to eat foods that are low in cholesterol.

Eating fruits and vegetables are an excellent start.

Including foods that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids such as mackerel, salmon, herring, oysters and anchovies are a good start as well.

In some cases, your doctor may also prescribe cholesterol-reducing medication for you.

Stop smoking

If you smoke, this is a good time to quit. Smoking is linked to several heart diseases and quitting reduces your risk of heart disease.

If you’re having trouble quitting, talk to your doctor about medication that could help you on the journey.

Lose weight

It goes without saying that if you’re eating well and exercising, you will lose and maintain a healthy weight.

Control your blood sugar

Blood sugar is important for your body.

However, if it cannot reach the cells and organs of your body-a situation that happens in diabetes, it can affect your heart.

Sticking to several of the activities on this list will help to reduce and control your blood sugar.

Where necessary, your doctor will prescribe insulin or another diabetes medication to help you control your blood sugar.

Control your blood pressure

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against your blood vessels.

Stress and unhealthy eating are strongly linked to high blood pressure.

You can control it by eating well, exercising and reducing the amount of stress you put your body through.

Get enough sleep

Even Superman needs sleep.

Getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night is essential to keeping your heart healthy.

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Are brain supplements good for you? Do they work?

Supplements and vitamins are a dime a dozen these days and it can be hard to differentiate what is real from what is not.

This is especially true if you’ve tried to research solutions to help boost your elderly loved one’s brain health.

So which supplements do you trust and which ones are just a fad?

In today’s post, I will go over which brain supplements researchers show to be effective.

Brain supplements are not for everyone

An important note is that while one may enjoy excellent benefits from a supplement person, another person may see none.

This is due to a number of factors.

Genetic make-up. Research scientists still discovering that your genetic make-up can affect the efficacy of a drug. There is more and more talk of personalized medicine where treatments are tailored to individuals instead of everyone receiving the same drug.
Underlying health issues. Before you start using any supplements, it’s helpful if you could talk to your primary healthcare provider. Supplements still contain organic chemicals interact with the drugs you already take and so may cause you to react adversely or see no benefits.
Sometimes, a supplement may only work when the person is deficient in that particular supplement. If you’re not deficient in it, you may see no benefits.

And apart from these, the truth is that certain supplements are hyped by marketing companies; but have no research to back them.

Thus in researching and buying brain supplements, it is important to do your due diligence.

Brain supplements – Results from research

Omega-3 fatty acids, gingko biloba and ashwagandha are a handful of brain supplements that researchers have studied.

Omega-3-Fatty Acids

You will find omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil. According to this study published in Psychopharmacology, older adults with mild cognitive impairment who were given fish oil over a 12-month period showed improved brain function over a similar group of older adults who did not take the supplements.

It’s important to not that while the scientists saw this improvement in people who had mild cognitive impairment, they did not notice any increased benefit with people who did not have brain impairments.

Gingko Biloba

Researchers in this study found the Gingko Biloba benefited people had dementia.

Most people in the study tolerated the drugs well.

Ashwagandha

Ayuverdic medical practitioners (a type of traditional medical system practiced in India) use ashwagandha a lot.

Researchers show that Ashwagandha has effects on the heart, different glands in your body as well as on the brain.

While all of these supplements show positive effects on brain health, researchers still have a long way to go in studying them.

In fact, few negative side effects have been reported for the three supplements I’ve discussed here. Nonetheless, it is always important to check with your doctor or healthcare provider before you start taking a new supplement.

So are brain supplements safe for you?

It depends on many factors but so far, research supports a handful of them.

15 Fall activity ideas for seniors

Fall activity ideas for seniors

Even more fall ideas…

Caregiver stress more often? Science may have an answer.

Why some people may be more susceptible to stress

Caregiver stress: what does this mean for humans?

What to do when you find out your elderly loved one is being scammed

Elder Scams: the signs to look out for

What should you do?

Report elder scams

Call the financial institution involved

Help your loved one understand elder scams

Get a fiduciary

Preventing falls in the community for the elderly

Preventing falls in the community for the elderly

Safe footwear

Orient your loved one to the area

Glasses and contacts

Communicate with event organizers

Use mobility aids where necessary

Easy communication devices

8 ways to reduce your risk for heart disease as an older adult

8 ways to reduce your risk for heart disease as an older adult

Get active

Eat healthy

Control cholesterol

Stop smoking

Lose weight

Control your blood sugar

Control your blood pressure

Get enough sleep

Are brain supplements good for you?

Brain supplements are not for everyone

Brain supplements – Results from research

Omega-3-Fatty Acids

Gingko Biloba

Ashwagandha