Blog - Page 6 of 22 - Green Tree Home Care

Staying active as you age is crucial for many reasons.

First of all, it can delay cognitive disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Secondly, it helps to keep your heart healthy which can also mean you stay at a healthy weight.

And then of course, staying active is really great for your mental health as well. Scientists show in several studies that endorphins are a group of brain chemicals released when we exercise. These chemicals interact with your brain cells to give you a sense of well-being.

This is why you usually feel great after an exercise regimen.

Additionally, staying active could be a great way for you to meet new people. Every human being needs meaningful human interaction to thrive.

Retirement and getting older usually means kids have moved away and you’re not talking to as many people any more during your day.

This is where staying active could fill in the gap and have you meeting people throughout your day.

So how exactly can you stay active?

Let’s explore some of those ways.

Staying active as you age – Tips and resources to help you get it done

Volunteer

Ah, you thought I was going to suggest some type of exercise first, huh? That will come later but I first wanted to talk about volunteering as a way to stay active.

When you no longer have to dress up and go to work, it can feel that there’s something missing in your life.

It’s common to see people become depressed and even develop health conditions that had been at bay right after retirement.

The truth is, we all need a sense of purpose.

And even though we don’t like to admit it, for most of us, a job gives us a sense of purpose.

If you treat volunteer opportunities like a job, it can become the thing you look forward to when you wake up each morning.

Apart from that, volunteering is a great way to meet new people and build relationships.

And let’s not forget the impact you’ll be making with your volunteer work!

Looking for volunteering ideas? Check out this post I wrote on volunteer ideas for seniors if you live in San Diego.

You could volunteer for/at:

Local events – They usually need help setting up and tearing down and all kinds of odd jobs. You can help here.
Hospitals are always looking for volunteers to fill in various roles.
Some cities have volunteer police departments that are staffed by seniors
Your local church, community center or charitable organization.

Sign up for an exercise class

A local gym or community center near you may have exercise classes you can sign up for.

Some of these places have deeply discounted prices for seniors. You might even find that these classes are free for seniors.

Signing up for a class that will start and end on specific dates will give you something to put on your calendar to look forward to.

Sign up for a local sports team

Are local sports teams looking for team-mates to play?

You can stay active by joining a local sports team.

Start a new hobby

Knitting and gardening are not the only hobbies out there.

Have you always wanted to learn to play an instrument?

This is your chance. Learning something new creates new pathways in your brain and can contribute to your cognitive health.

With more people getting online and at older ages, there are people who will appreciate your perspective if you started a blog, YouTube channel or podcast!

Join or start your own book club

Love books? Join or start your own book club around a genre of books or just any type of book in general.

The conversations that are stimulated around reading books can be very stimulating.

These are just a handful of ideas for staying active as you age.

Did any one of these spark some ideas for you?

Share it with someone else looking to stay active as they age.

You’re worried about Mom or Dad living alone.

You live far away and have a job that won’t allow you to provide the care they need.

And they want to be able to continue in the home they’ve known for years.

How do you reconcile all of these?

One of the best ways is to work with a professional and licensed home care agency.

But just like anything else, it’s important to count the cost before you hire a home care agency.

And perhaps you’re reading this because you’re worried that home care will be expensive.

If this is you, you’re in the right place.

In this post, I’ll go over 5 ways you could get the money you need to pay for home care.

5 ways to pay for home care

Medicaid

Depending on the state and whether your loved one meets income and medical needs requirement, Medicaid could pay for home care.

In those states where Medicaid does pay for in-home care, your loved one may have to have severe physical or mental limitations to qualify.

If you think your aging loved one meets these requirements, you can call Medicaid directly to find out what you’ll need to get that assistance.

Long term insurance

Ask your loved one or investigate to see if they have long-term health care insurance. This could pay for some of your home care costs.

The PACE program

PACE stands for Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.

It is a Medicaid and Medicare program that is aimed at keeping the elderly out of nursing homes.

In order to qualify, your loved one has to “in need of nursing home-level services”.

If you live in an area where PACE is offered and your elderly loved needs to meet the following criteria to be eligible.

You must have Medicaid or Medicare to join PACE
Age must be 55 or older
Must be able to live safely with the help of PACE
And as I mentioned above, they must need nursing home-level care

PACE will cover:

Home care
Adult day care
Nursing home care
Nutritional counseling
Occupational therapy
Physical therapy
Prescription drugs
Preventative services
Social work counseling

So if your loved one already has Medicaid or Medicare

Veterans Benefits

If your loved one served in any section of the United States Armed Forces, they may qualify for services including home care services.

Call the Veteran Affairs Administration directly for details on how to access those benefits.

State and community-based services and waivers

Your state or local community may have services that allow your aging loved one to continue to thrive at home.

This can include financial assistance.

Your state’s and local department of health and human resources can help you locate these services.

Do you need home care? Or is it home health care you need?

Even though people have historically used these terms interchangeably, they are not.

You are probably doing the research and finding it overwhelming.

Which one do you need? What does each entail?

You’re in the right place!

In today’s post, we will look at home care versus home health care, what each one of them means and what you can expect depending on the path you need.

The Difference

Home care

Home care focuses on helping you or your loved one to age in place. As more people age and more choices become available, people want to be able to continue to stay in their homes instead of going to live in a nursing home or assisted living community. The benefits of choosing a professional home care agency that sends home care aides to your home include:

- You receive personalized care and assistance. Nobody is rushing off to help someone else.
- You can get help with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing up and toileting.
- Depending on the home care agency, you can also get transportation assistance.
- Light-housekeeping is also something you would be able to enjoy with the right home care agency.
- Companionship – Need to go to the store, a home care aide can help with that.

And so essentially, home care allows you to enjoy your life they way you’ve lived it for years…but with extra help so you can get it all done.

It is important to know that while home care aides typically have some training, they are not medical professionals and so cannot perform those duties.

If there is a medical condition for which you or your loved one needs the corresponding medical care, home health care is the choice you would make.

Home Health Care

Home health care is an excellent choice for you or your loved one if you have a medical condition that requires it and a doctor prescribes it.

That’s right.

In most states, you need a doctor to prescribe home health care in order to get it.

In this instance, you will most likely to be interacting with healthcare professionals such as registered nurses, physical therapists and certified nurses’ aides.

With home care, you can expect the following types of care:

Medication administration
Wound care
Physical therapy
Medical equipment monitoring
Nursing care – a registered nurse under the direction of a medical doctor will set up a plan of care for people recovering from an illness or who need in-home medical monitoring
Occupational therapy
Speech therapy
Medical social services – A medical social worker may be assigned to a case to be the case manager. In this case, they will help to coordinate all the services you or your loved one needs.
Nutritional support
Pharmaceutical services

And this is just a handful of services you can receive when you receive home health care.

As you can see, home health care is involves a lot more than home care.

How do I know if I need home care or home health care?

If you have recently been admitted to the hospital or had surgery and need extra care at home to help you recover, you will most likely need home health care.

Home health care is usually a short-term solution unlike home care which could be a long-term arrangement.

On the other hand, if you just need the type of care that allows you to continue thriving in your home and need minimal medical assistance, home care is the choice for you.

I hope this will be helpful to you and clarifies which type of care; home care and home health care; you might need.

“Check on your friends who are caring for their aging parents. We are not okay.”

This was a post a Facebook friend of mine created recently.

This friend is in her late twenties and is currently caring for her parents.

Her statement made me sad, however, her situation is very common.

According to the National Alliance on Care-giving and the AARP, 48% of caregivers are between the ages of 18-49 years old.

You’d like to enjoy your youth but at the same time, you have the responsibility of taking care of a loved one who depends on you.

What should you do?

How do you cope?

In today’s post, I’ll discuss some of the steps you can take to ensure you’re taking the best care of yourself while caring for your loved one.

Caring for the caregiver – Tips for younger caregivers

Join a support group

Whether you realize it or not, we all need support. We all do.

And especially when the responsibility of caring for an aging loved one is one you bear.

So look for support communities both online and offline where you can interact with other people going through the same things.

You will find resources in these communities you never knew about.

Plus there is the potential to form meaningful relationships that will help your mental health.

Speak to a counselor or therapist

Seeing a counselor or therapist does not mean there is something wrong with you.

Just like you get regular check ups for your physical body, it is good to get regular check ups for your mind as well.

This is where a trained mental health professional like a counselor or therapist can help you.

While there are several frameworks a mental health professional can guide you through, it does help to know that there is someone you can chat with about what you’re going through emotionally.

Look for resources from your local and state governments

Your local and state governments may have resources you can tap into.

As a caregiver, your ability to take certain jobs could greatly affect how much money you can make.

This can definitely put a financial strain on the family and be stressful.

Your local and/or state government may have resources like respite (so you can take some time off for yourself) or financial incentives for people like you. It’s worth doing your research on these types of resources.

Discuss your situation with your boss

It doesn’t hurt to discuss your situation with your boss and come to an agreement about what your work hours and responsibilities should be.

During this time, you may still need to depend on your job for an income to support yourself and your loved one.

Remote work is becoming more and more acceptable in the workplace.

If your work is something you can carry out from home, discuss it with them.

If remote work is not something they’re willing to consider, how about switching your hours?

Here’s the deal: if there is anything that can be done about your work situation to support your caregiver role, don’t hesitate to ask.

You just never know what could come out of that conversation.

What financial provisions does your aging loved one have? Find out.

Do they have a retirement fund? A savings account? Some other financial investment that could support your care-giving role?

How about healthcare plans like Medicare and Medicaid?

Ask your loved ones and work with them so that you can use this money to support them as well.

Take time out to do things for yourself.

I know.

This suggestion is a difficult one.

Between your work life and taking care of your loved one at home, where are you supposed to find the time to take care of yourself?

This may require some creativity on your part.

You may ask a friend or another family member to help out.

You could depend on respite services for help.

Or you could hire a professional home care service like our care aides at Green Tree Home Care to help you out.

Whichever path you choose, you have to realize that doing things for yourself will rejuvenate you so you can be a better caregiver.

Those are my tips for younger caregivers.

Are you a younger caregiver? Do you know someone who is? Did you find these tips for younger caregivers useful?

Share this post with someone so they know they’re not alone.

The weather has gotten colder!

And even though we don’t get snow like most of the East Coast, we’re experiencing our share of cold weather.

As a caregiver, it’s important to be prepared for this weather as well as watch out for any cold-related illnesses like pneumonia.

Adults over the age of 65 are more likely to get pneumonia.

The good news is that, it can be prevented.

In fact, the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends two pneumococcal vaccines for adults older than 65.

CDC’s suggestions are to:

Get a dose of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) first. Then get a dose of the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) at least 1 year later.
If you’ve already received PPSV23, get PCV13 at least 1 year after receipt of the most recent PPSV23 dose.
If you’ve already received a dose of PCV13 at a younger age, CDC does not recommend another dose.

In today’s post, we’ll take a look at what you can to do prevent pneumonia.

Pneumonia in the elderly

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that is caused by various micro-organisms including pneumococcal bacteria and the influenza virus.

The micro-organisms are more likely in thrive in an immune-compromised system.

When a person has a comprised immune system, they are not able to fight off infections easily. In those instances, any bacteria or virus present begin to multiply vigorously and this ends up in disease.

One of the environmental factors that can compromise a person’s immune system is the cold weather outside.

And when you add other risk factors such as age and other pre-existing health conditions, pneumonia becomes a scary prospect.

Thus as a caregiver, it is important for you to be on the look out for your loved one so that you can prevent it.

Steps to prevent pneumonia this season

Make sure your loved one is up-to-date on their vaccines for pneumonia and influenza. As I mentioned above, the CDC recommends it for people above the age of 65.
Make sure your loved one has warm clothes to wear during the colder parts of the day.
Cigarettes and cigarette smoke contributes to pneumonia. Thus, it’s important to stay away from cigarette smoke or encourage your loved one to quit smoking.
Ensure that heating is working in your loved one’s home. In San Diego, the nice weather makes most of us forget about heating for our homes. However, it’s important during the colder months. A space heater can be a temporary solution but the sooner you are able to provide heating for your loved one, the better.
Other people are sick during this season, wash your hands regularly if you will be around anyone who is sick.
If your loved one has on-going medical issues such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease, it is important to manage it properly. These existing medical conditions can compromise the immune system and contribute to severe pneumonia.

Pneumonia in the elderly is serious enough that the CDC has recommendations regarding it.

Thus as a caregiver, you cannot take it lightly. Taking the steps I’ve outlined above will help your loved one stay healthy this season and will ultimately save you and your family from needless medical costs.

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One in 10 women struggle with osteoporosis when once they hit 60 years.

That ratio goes up to 1 in 5 once a woman hits 70 years old.

That ratio sounds dreary and makes it look like there is nothing you can do about keeping your bones healthy.

But that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

There are steps you can start taking today, regardless of your age, that will improve your bone health and reduce the effects of osteoporosis.

And we’ll be talking about those steps in today’s post.

12 tips to keep your bones healthy

Add more calcium and vitamin D to your diet

Calcium and Vitamin D are essential nutrients that help your body to produce new bone cells. Increasing your intake of either or both of them will improve your bone health dramatically.

Eat low-fat yogurt and Greek yogurt.
Green vegetables like broccoli, bok choy and kale are rich in calcium. Add those to your diet as well.
At the grocery store, you will find certain foods that are fortified with vitamin D and calcium like orange juice and certain cereals. If you tend to buy those food items, buy the ones fortified with these nutrients.
Taking a calcium or vitamin D supplement is a good idea too!
Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Apart from vitamin D and calcium, fruits and vegetables contain so many more nutrients that improve other systems that support bone health.

Increase weight-bearing and muscle-building exercises

Exercise can improve your bone health as well.

Walking doesn’t seem like an impressive exercise type-but it is effective. A brisk 30-minute walk around your neighborhood is a good way to improve your bone and overall health.
Dancing is another great exercise that will keep your bones healthy. Sway away my friend.
Add some resistance to your exercise. If you walk, use dumb-bells to increase the resistance. You can also use resistance belts and other equipment that make your exercise just a little harder but not stressful.
Mix it up. Sometimes, one exercise type becomes boring. You don’t have to do just that. Try a new activity and add more spice to your life and health to your bones.

Develop healthy habits (and drop bad ones)

There are certain habits that will simply get you in a lot of health trouble.

If you’re trying to improve your bone health, those bad habits have to go.

I’ve already mentioned some of the good habits you can develop above. Here are a few bad ones to drop.

Quit smoking. Ask your doctor about different ways to quit if you’re finding this difficult.
Reduce or eliminate foods that are salty or high in sugar.
Reduce your alcohol intake and keep it to 3 drinks or less per day.

Know your risks

It’s important to know your risk for osteoporosis or any other bone disease.

If you know your family health history and there is a history of osteoporosis, chances are that you have a high risk for it.

Certain lifestyle habits like drinking, smoking and high sugar diets could contribute to osteoporosis as well.

Even if you’re genetically predisposed to osteoporosis, adopting the healthy habits I just talked about will go a long way to reducing the effects of the disease.

In addition to all this, it’s important for you to talk to your doctor or healthcare provider about your risks.

They can work with you to come up with a plan that will keep you healthy for a long time to come.

Staying safe when you have a risk for osteoporosis

A person with osteoporosis can easily fracture their bones.

Thus, it’s important to keep your home safe if you have a risk for or have been diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Read this post to learn more about keeping your home safe for you and your loved one.

Make sure to have your vision and hearing checked each year.
Keep night lights in hallways you or your loved one use at night.
Get rid of any loose items such as clothes, toys and rugs that someone could trip over.
Keep an alert device handy so you can call someone should you fall and need help to get up.

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According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, more than 40 million people provide unpaid care for their loved ones each year.

If you have a friend who is a caregiver, then you already know by now that they are worth 1000 gifts for all the work they do.

But that would cost us a lot so sticking to one gift at the end of the year is usually a good idea.

The year is coming to an end and so are the holidays and perhaps you’re thinking about a gift you could buy for your friend who is a caregiver.

In this post, I’ll share some ideas on gift ideas for your friend who is a caregiver.

Let’s get right into it.

Gift ideas for your friends who are caregivers

Massage gift cards

Care-giving can require a lot of physical activity. Thus, even a minute of massage is appreciated by caregivers.

If you can find a gift card to a massage parlor, your caregiver friend will love you forever.

Spa day

Continuing on with the theme of relaxation, you can give your friend the gift of a spa day. A day of relaxation will help your caregiver friend recuperate and be rejuvenated enough to care for their loved one.

Home spa kit

And in case, they don’t want to brave the traffic or bad weather to get to a massage place or full-on spa, you could get them an at-home spa kit so they can relax at home.

Send them to see their favorite show

Is your friend into the theater arts or do they have a favorite band? Send them off to enjoy one of these experiences!

Books

Books can help anyone escape into a place of fantasy and enjoyment…even if it’s just for a few hours.

So whether it’s a year’s subscription to an audio book service like Audible or a book series you know your friend will enjoy, books are wonderful gifts.

Household help

Apart from the gifts that help your friend relax, they will also appreciate household help.

Any help they can get with cleaning their home, laundry, folding, yard maintenance and household repairs go a long way.

These days, you can buy gift vouchers for such services from local providers or from marketplaces like Amazon.

Food

Everybody needs to eat!

You can buy groceries or prepare meals for your friend.

If you can’t do this yourself, you can purchase a meal delivery service for your friend.

Hobby-building

Is your friend into any hobbies? Do they like to crochet, paint, knit or play a sport?

You can support that hobby with a thoughtful gift!

These are just a few gift ideas for your friends who are caregivers.

Caregivers are some of the most-overlooked and under-appreciated people. And so, show them you care these holidays by surprising them with one of these gift ideas.

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While elderly incontinence is common, it is not a normal health condition.

In fact, because it is so common, people will not see a doctor or health practitioner until it’s too late.

In today’s post, we will go into why you should see a doctor about you or your loved one’s incontinence and what you can do to manage the condition.

Let’s delve right into it.

Incontinence defined

What exactly is incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine.

According to the National Association of Continence, over 33 million people struggle with incontinence.

If you or your loved one are going this right now, it can feel embarrassing.

It is also common for people to feel like they have lost control when they’re faced with incontinence.

But, the good news is that, incontinence can be managed and even treated if you take the right actions.

Causes of incontinence

Urinary incontinence can be caused by several factors including:

Stress – For people who have weak muscles in their urinary tract, coughing, sneezing or constipation could cause incontinence
Weak bladder muscles
Enlarged prostate
Prostate cancer
Childbirth – Women who have had complications of childbirth or had many children may struggle with incontinence.
Infections in the urinary tract
Surgery – Certain surgeries that involve the bladder, prostate or a part of the urinary tract can lead to incontinence as well.
An obstruction along the urinary tract may also lead to incontinence. This obstruction could be a tumor or a urinary stone.
Neurological disorders can also lead to urinary incontinence. Conditions like Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis or a spinal cord injury can affect the action of nerves in the urinary tract and that can lead to incontinence.

Why you should see a doctor about elderly incontinence

As you may have deduced from the above, it’s important to see a doctor so they can rule out any serious cause.

Thus, my advice to you is that the moment you or your loved one notice incontinence, make plans to see your primary health practitioner. They will then likely refer you to a urologist or geriatric doctor.

If it is a tumor, your loved one may need to undergo treatments.

If it is an infection, antibiotics can be prescribed to deal with the issue.

For older adults that have chronic urinary incontinence or who have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, behavioral therapy may prove helpful in helping to control the condition.

Whatever the case is however, if you or your loved one is struggling with incontinence, don’t think you have to struggle alone.

Talk to your doctor and plan a course of action.

Managing elderly incontinence

Talk to someone. It is hard to navigate big changes like urinary incontinence for your elderly loved one.

It’s important to be honest about those feelings and talk to somebody about it.

Also, get the right supplies. These days, you have access to a wide array of incontinence products on the market. In fact, there are products that feel just like underwear but which will keep your loved one dry. There are also special bedding supplies that will help keep your loved one dry at night. Talk to your local medical supplier about what will suit your family’s needs the best.

Remember to keep them safe. A urinary accident can lead to a small puddle that can cause falls. If your loved one is not comfortable using adult diapers, create a communication system so that it can be cleaned up quickly.

And don’t forget to continue to provide excellent perineal care.

Make it easy for your loved one to travel to the bathroom when there’s a need.

If your loved one has prescriptions for incontinence, it’s important that you encourage them to follow the regimen to prevent further complications.

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You’ll be caring for your loved one at home on a hospital bed.

And this is your first time caring for someone in a hospital bed.

How do you even navigate it so that your loved one is comfortable and taken care of?

In today’ post, I will share some best practices on caring for your loved one who is in a hospital bed.

I will also share some times on how to take care of yourself while you care for your loved one who is in a hospital bed.

Let’s dive right into it.

Caring for a loved one in a hospital bed at home.

Take stock of your own feelings

Before we even get into talking about taking care of your loved one in a hospital bed, let’s talk about you.

How are you doing?

Bringing a loved one home to a hospital bed is no mean feat.

By now, you’ve spent a lot of money to ensure your loved one is getting the right bed that will help them be comfortable.

Perhaps, your loved one’s diagnosis and whether or not they’ll live is weighing on you.

Or maybe you’ve had to rearrange and make improvements to your home just to accommodate the hospital bed.

It sure sounds like a lot doesn’t it?

If you’re in that space, I recommend joining a support group that will help you cope with the feelings. You can also speak to a mental health professional about your feelings.

Don’t be shy of expressing how you feel and processing your own feelings so you can better support your loved one.

Factors to consider in caring for your loved one in a hospital bed.

Space

Do you have the space for the bed? If you don’t see where you could fit a hospital bed right now, it may be time to make the space for it. This may require getting rid of other things in order to create the room for the hospital bed.

Supplies

Do you have the right supplies? This will depend on several factors and one of those factors is whether your loved one is mobile or not. If there are not mobile, you will have to think about giving them bed baths, preventing bed sores, keeping them safe and how you’ll be helping them move about on a daily basis.

Privacy

Make sure you don’t forget curtains for privacy. If the room your loved one will live in has windows, it will be helpful to get curtains so you can help them maintain privacy. And those forget to draw them open for sunshine and fresh air as well.

Family activities

Will your loved one be able to engage in family activities from their room/bed? Being bedridden doesn’t mean your loved one cannot be involved in family activities. In fact, this will improve quality of life for them. So have them in a where children and grandchildren can come and enjoy time with your loved one while they can.

Get help if you need it

Don’t forget to get the help you need. This may involve drawing up a time-table with family members or hiring professional home care help for your loved one. Whatever the case maybe, realize you don’t have to go through this alone. There are others who can come alongside you to support you on this journey.

Advanced directive and wills

If your loved one is still able to make decisions, this might be the time to tie up any loose ends when it comes to advanced directives and wills. If this type of documentation has not been made clear and your loved one is terminal, this is a good time to set those things in order.

Taking care of a loved one on a hospital bed at home is tasking, to say the least.

However, the points I raised above will help you get ready for this major life change.

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What is Dowager’s hump? And how can you prevent it?

Dowager’s hump is the slightly rounded hump you might observe at the back of an person’s neck. Dowager’s hump can happen irrespective of age and while both men and women develop it, we mostly see it in women.

Sometimes people call this a “roundback” or in more severe cases, a “hunchback”.

The medical term for Dowager’s hump is kyphosis.

Kyphosis is caused by continual curving of the spine towards the front of the body.

And so daily activities like being hunched over a computer all day at work or doing work that involves bending the neck excessively can cause the condition.

Another cause of kyphosis is osteoporosis; a condition which predominantly affects women.

It may also be a congenital problem.

For most people who develop kyphosis later on in life, it is most likely due to bad posture or osteoporosis.

In most instances, kyphosis is painless.

For some people however, it is painful.

And even for those with painless kyphosis, a severe spinal curvature can cause other problems later on in life.

So what can you do about it?

How can you prevent or even reverse Dowager’s hump?

That is what we’ll be covering in this post.

How to prevent Dowager’s hump in the elderly

Avoid bad posture

For most of us, work is unavoidable.

Mechanics, nurses, teachers and office workers all have to do some kind of work that involves bending the neck for long periods of time.

So avoiding work is definitely not an option.

However, there are exercises you can practice on a daily basis to prevent the eventual problem of kyphosis.

Examples of exercises you can do are as follows:

Stand up and stretch at least once an hour to take the stress off those neck and back muscles that you’ve been engaging.
Extend your neck backwards and turn it from side to side to get rid of the pain that comes with bending over for so long.
With the help of a physical therapist or a fitness professional, you can learn how to do push-ups to relieve some of the pressure on your back.

General exercise also helps to keep your muscles and bones healthy.

A healthy diet helps

A balanced diet that delivers all the necessary nutrients to your body is key to a healthy body.

For people who are more prone to osteoporosis, this will mean that you eat meals that are high in calcium in Vitamin D.

A diet that contains a lot of fruits and vegetables is also helpful.

Doctors have found that the phosphoric acid in certain sodas for instance can cause brittle bones. Tea and coffee seem to have similar effects at high levels. This can make a Dowager’s hump worse. So, if you can avoid drinking sodas excessively, this will be helpful in the long run.

If you’ve already developed Dowager’s hump, it’s important to realize that even though you may be doing all the exercises and taking the right steps, it will still take a while to see improvements.

Don’t get discouraged.

Continue to practice good posture, practice exercises that strengthen your back and neck and maintain a balanced diet.

Doing this things can prevent and even reverse Dowager’s hump.

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