Four new studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine link exercise with healthy aging.

In an editorial accompanying the reports, Drs. Jeff Williamson and Marco Pahor of the University of Florida, wrote: “Regular physical activity has also been associated with greater longevity as well as reduced risk of physical disability and dependence, the most important health outcome, even more than death, for most older people.”

In the first study, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School found that among women aged 70 and older, those who engaged in regular physical activity during middle age were more likely to show signs of better overall health, according to MediLexicon.

Another study linked resistance training to improved cognitive skills in older women. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups that undertook a particular exercise program for a year. Researchers from Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and University of British Columbia reported that those in the resistance training groups performed better on a cognitive test of selective attention and conflict resolution.

Exercise may be linked to reduced cognitive impairment in adults, according to the third study. Researchers in Germany followed a group of older adults for two years and found that moderate or high physical activity appeared to be linked with a lower risk of developing cognitive impairment.

The final study looked at the link between exercise and bone health. German researchers recruited and randomly assigned more than 240 women aged 65 and older to follow an exercise program or a wellness program for 18 months. Those in the exercise group appeared to have denser bones and a reduced risk of falls but not a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

These studies are just another clear indicator that seniors should stay as active as they can, as it will only be beneficial to their overall health and reduce mental decline. Although you may not be able to find the time to get your loved one up and out of the house, you can always find help at your local Home Instead Senior Care. CAREGivers are passionate about their work, and they can help motivate your loved one into participating in even the simplest forms of activity.

Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

Informal service work among baby boomers and others 45 and older is on the rise, according to a new report from AARP. The study found the number of boomers and older Americans engaged in self-directed volunteering – volunteering on their own, outside of a formal organization – increased from 34 percent in 2003 to 57 percent in 2009.

Additionally, seven in 10 boomers report they volunteer either on their own or through an organization, which is a 20 percent increase over the number of people who say they volunteer through an organization alone.

“We have long known that baby boomers stand ready to serve, but this data gives us new information about how they are serving,” said Thomas C. Nelson, AARP chief operating officer. “As AARP works to activate boomers and older Americans, we continue to track these trends so that collectively, the service community can better meet the needs of everyone interested in giving back.”

Among the study findings:

·         African Americans 45+ are likely to be very involved in volunteer work. More than half of those surveyed reported being very involved in religious or spiritual activities, and nearly twice as many African Americans reported being very involved in educational activities compared with non-Hispanic whites.

·         The frequency of charitable giving among 45+ adults has increased from 55 percent in 2008 to 72 percent in 2009.

·         Volunteers have many motivations for giving their time, but their chief motivation is feeling a personal responsibility to help others when they need it.

Many of these volunteering adults are putting their hard work towards caring for their aging parents as well. This can be a very stressful and tiresome task, especially if there are children and a full-time job to look after. Everyone could use an extra hand to ease the load of our daily lives, so for a very reasonable price, why not hire a Home Instead Senior Care CAREGiver? We are the number one trusted in-home care company, so you can guarantee that your loved one will be in caring hands.

Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

The full study is available online.

Education plays a key role in lifelong memory performance and risk for dementia, and it’s well documented that those with a college degree possess a cognitive advantage over their less-educated counterparts in middle and old age. Now, a large national study from Brandeis University finds that those with less schooling can significantly compensate for poorer education by frequently engaging in mental exercises, such as word games, puzzles, reading and lectures.

“The lifelong benefits of higher education for memory in later life are quite impressive, but we do not clearly understand how and why these effects last so long,” said lead author Margie Lachman. She suggests that higher education may spur lifelong interest in cognitive endeavors, while those with less education may not engage as frequently in mental exercises that help keep the memory agile.

Education early in adulthood does not appear to be the only route to maintain one’s memory. The study found that intellectual activities undertaken regularly made a difference. “Among individuals with low education, those who engaged in reading, writing, attending lectures, doing word games or puzzles once a week or more had memory scores similar to people with more education,” said Lachman.

The “Midlife in the United States” study evaluated more than 3,300 men and women between the ages of 32 and 84 on performance in two cognitive areas.

Almost 40 percent of the participants had at least a 4-year college degree. As expected, those with higher education said they engaged in cognitive activities more often and also did better on the memory tests, but some with lower education also did well, Lachman said.

“The findings are promising because they suggest there may be ways to level the playing field for those with lower educational achievement, and protect those at greatest risk for memory declines,” said Lachman.

Just as it has been proven before, keeping the mind active greatly reduces memory decline, and helps fight dementia and Alzheimer’s development. Luckily, Home Instead Senior Care is here for your loved one who may be suffering from memory loss. Our CAREGivers promote active minds through activities such as puzzles, board games, reading, and even chess.  Extra special care is taken when it comes to dementia/Alzheimer’s care; you can trust that your loved one is in good hands, while also enjoying their self.

Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

Winter’s icy sidewalks and frigid temperatures can be challenging for anyone, but they pose extra hazards for the elderly.

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths for adults over age 65 in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 1.8 million people age 65 and older were treated in emergency departments for falls in 2005, and 15,800 died from their injuries.

Age-related changes in vision, reflexes and response times make falling more likely. Some medications can also impact equilibrium, a Health Day article notes.

To prevent falls, avoid icy, slippery walkways. If it’s necessary to go out, wear comfortable shoes with anti-slip soles. Anyone using a cane should make sure the rubber tip is in good condition.

Seniors are also less able to regulate their body temperature, putting them at increased risk of hypothermia. About half of the 600 Americans who die annually from hypothermia are over 65, the CDC says. Keeping the thermostat set to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, even when no one is home, can help prevent this.

Seniors should avoid strenuous activities, if possible. However, if it’s necessary to shovel snow, limber up by stretching and take frequent breaks. It’s also important to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Even though people may feel less thirsty in winter than summer, those over 60 can get dehydrated more quickly than younger adults.

Although it is the winter, the CAREGivers at Home Instead Senior Care are still active throughout the season. When something needs to be done, for example, shoveling the driveway, or any required activity outside, a CAREGiver will be there to help your loved one. Give us a call and get mom or dad the help they need right now.

Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

A growing number of studies indicate that group medical visits are gaining popularity and can improve the quality of patient care. Last year, an American Academy of Family Physicians survey found that 8.4 percent of doctors offered shared appointments, up from 5.7 percent in 2005.

An aging population and a decrease in the proportion of doctors practicing primary care are driving the trend, according to the Wall Street Journal. Group appointments allow patients and doctors more time together – sometimes 90 minutes or longer, compared with 15 minutes for many one-on-one visits.

Such arrangements may be ideal for older patients, particularly those with chronic conditions who must follow strict or complicated treatment regimes. Doctors often focus sessions on particular medical conditions or chronic diseases, and they may lecture groups on preselected topics.

Group visits are offered for both physical exams and follow-up appointments. In addition to facilitating a group discussion, doctors may conduct brief one-on-one examinations in private rooms, while other healthcare professionals attend to the group.

A growing number of studies indicate that patients cared for in groups tend to fare better than those treated one-on-one, the article notes. Some studies show that diabetics treated in groups achieved greater improvements in key barometers of health, such as blood sugar levels.

With the trend toward group appointments increasing, CAREGivers may begin to help arranging such visits with our Home Instead clients. This new idea could be an excellent way to increase the overall health of seniors, as well as create a social and friendly environment when attending the doctors. Home Instead’s CAREGivers already go the extra mile to help your loved one live at home, and this shows how devoted they actually are.

Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

Senior citizens watch an average of more than 200 hours a month of television, which increases their risk of death from cardiovascular disease, a new study reports.

Those age 65 and older watch television more than any other age group –an average of 210 hours, according to Nielsen’s Anywhere Anytime Media Measurement initiative. The average American watches about 153 hours of TV at home.

Australian researchers tracked the lifestyle habits of 8,800 adults and found that every hour spent in front of a television daily was associated with:

·         An 11 percent increased risk of death from all causes.

·         An 18 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death.

·         A 9 percent increased risk of cancer death.

Compared with people who watched less than two hours of television daily, those who watched more than four hours a day had a 46 percent higher risk of death from all causes and an 80 percent increased risk for cardiovascular-related deaths, Senior Journal reports.

While the study focused on television watching, the findings suggest that any prolonged sedentary behavior may pose a risk to one’s health.

The human body was designed to move, not sit for long periods of time, said lead author David Dunstan, Ph.D., of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia. “What has happened is that a lot of the normal activities of daily living that involved standing up and moving the muscles in the body have been converted to sitting,” he said.

Older adults clearly need to stay more active as they age, and if they are also in need of extra help living at home, there’s no better way to get moving again than through Home Instead Senior Care. Our caregivers encourage our seniors to get up off the couch and doing things, even if it is just minor exercise.

Home Instead’s outstanding caregivers provide personal care to your loved one, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

A new study has affirmed that patients with cancer are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, and patients with Alzheimer’s disease are less likely to get cancer.

“There were still people who had both Alzheimer’s and cancer, but it was significantly less common than we would expect,” says lead author Catherine M. Roe, Ph.D., of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “If there truly is an inverse association, it gives us one more way of finding out what’s going wrong in both cancer and Alzheimer’s, and that could lead us to new ways to treat either condition.”

Hints of a disconnect between cancers and neurological disorders have been building for years. The effect was first noticed in patients with Parkinson’s disease, who get cancer less often; later studies have suggested that multiple sclerosis sufferers may have fewer tumors, and that Down syndrome patients who live to middle age or older have reduced incidence of cancer.

For the new study, scientists followed 3,020 people aged 65 and older enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study, a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Study that gathered extensive health data on its participants. Researchers monitored the subjects for an average of five years to see if they developed dementia and for an average of eight years to see if they were hospitalized for cancer. As the study began, 164 patients already had Alzheimer’s, and 522 patients had been diagnosed with cancer.

During the study, 478 people developed dementia and 376 developed invasive cancer. Those who had Alzheimer’s disease at the start of the study were 69 percent less likely to be hospitalized for cancer treatment than those who did not have Alzheimer’s when the study began. Caucasian people who had cancer as the study began had 43 percent less risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The latter finding, however, was not apparent in minority groups.

To make sure that doctors or caregivers treating Alzheimer’s patients weren’t just too overwhelmed to notice the start of cancer, researchers also monitored cancer incidence in patients with vascular dementia. Scientists think this condition is caused by lack of blood to the brain.

While these new developments take place over the next few years, Alzheimer’s and Cancer patients could use all the help they can get. Home Instead Senior Care specializes in Alzheimer’s and Dementia care for its seniors, and there’s no better company in the world for you to turn to if you find yourself overwhelmed with today’s busy schedule. Put your loved one in hands you know you can trust, and lift some of the load off of your shoulders.
Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness commended a new report called Cargiving in the U.S. 2009, which revealed new information on the nearly one-in-three American adults who serve as a family caregiver.

The study offers a national profile of people who care for adults, the elderly, and children with special needs through interviews of 1,480 randomly chosen caregivers. It follows the same format as similar studies that were conducted in 1997 and 2004, but this is the first time caregivers of children and adults over the age of 18 were surveyed.

The report echoes the findings of NAMI’s own depression survey and schizophrenia survey, which include the perspective of caregivers for people living with these serious mental illnesses. All these reports suggest that caregivers face daily stresses that can impact their own health and other relationships. For example, NAMI’s depression survey, released in November, found that while almost one-half (48 percent) of caregivers for people with depression have been diagnosed with depression themselves, only about 25 percent were engaged in treatment at the time of the survey.

“We know from our own studies that caregivers make significant sacrifices to care for their loved ones living with mental illness,” said Michael Fitzpatrick, NAMI executive director. “The findings of this new report will help us anticipate the needs of caregivers so that we can improve NAMI’s education and support programs.”

NAMI offers a variety of peer education and support programs, including those specifically for caregivers. Family-to-Family is a free, twelve-week course for family caregivers of individuals with severe mental illnesses. The course is taught by trained family members and more than 115,000 family members have graduated from this national program. The course is also available in Spanish.

NAMI Basics is an education program for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illnesses. The course is taught by trained teachers who are the parent or other caregivers of individuals who developed the symptoms of mental illness prior to the age of 13 years.

If you are finding yourself overly stressed with caring for a loved one, especially one that suffers a mental illness, then Home Instead Senior Care is here for you. There is no doubt that your loved one requires extra care, so why not let Home Instead take the load of your shoulders so you can take care of other concerns in your life? The NAMI is clearly here to help you and your family with problems like the above study found. Home Instead is here to make sure that stress never meets you by taking extra special care of your loved ones, all while they live at home.
Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

SOURCE: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/174618.php

The disability rate among U.S. seniors is on the rise, a surprise considering the rate had been falling since the 1980s.

Researchers at the University of Toronto and the University of California, Berkeley, said the trend, if it continues, could seriously impact quality of life for seniors in the coming decades. The findings are troubling, the study authors add, because they suggest the steady decline in disability rates among older adults may have ended.

The study identified a 9 percent increase between 2000 and 2005 in non-institutionalized adults 65 and over reporting difficulty with basic activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing and in-home mobility.

“The combination of increasing disability rates plus a growing population of older adults emphasizes the importance of prevention of the many chronic conditions giving rise to disability in the first place,” said lead author Esme Fuller-Thomson of the University of Toronto. “There is evidence, for example, that the doubling of obesity rates over the last three decades may be linked to rising disability in older people, yet the obesity problem is largely preventable.”

While people are living longer, many also are living sicker, the authors said.

This is a sign that these people need all the help they can get. There’s one company out there that goes the extra mile to make sure seniors, especially those with disabilities, are taken care of, and that company is Home Instead Senior Care.

If you have a loved one or know of someone who is in need of help with daily living, please do not hesitate to call us. Home Instead Senior Care will provide outstanding caregivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

People over 50 should be immunized against seasonal flu. That’s the most important step most older people can take to get safely through the flu season, says Karen Hall, M.D., Ph.D., a University of Michigan Geriatrics Center specialist.

According to a report in SeniorJournal.com, older people who come down with flu-like symptoms should stay home, but promptly contact their primary care physician to carefully monitor their symptoms. They may be priority candidates for antiviral drugs, usually best started within 48 hours of the flu’s onset, to make their flu less severe and complications less likely.

”If you have a high fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches, don’t wait. Call your healthcare provider and describe your symptoms,” says Hall. “Anyone with shortness of breath or chest pain should go to an emergency room.

”It’s important to get vaccinated against seasonal flu now, or as soon as possible,” says Hall, as seasonal flu is already circulating in the community.

The University of Michigan provides the following tips to avoid catching the flu:

•  Wash hands or use a hand sanitizer frequently.
•  Avoid touching your nose, eyes and mouth.
•  Practice good health habits: Get plenty of sleep, eat nutritiously, and drink fluids and exercise.
•  Avoid crowds and contact with people who are sick. If grandchildren or other children in your    life have a flu-like illness, avoid seeing them until about 72 hours after they’ve stopped having symptoms.

Following are tips for persons who have flu-like symptoms:

•  Stay home and get in touch promptly with your doctor.
•  Get lots of rest, use acetaminophen or ibuprofen to ease symptoms and remember to drink plenty of liquids.
•  Avoid social contacts that are not essential. Remember, you are infectious two days before coming down with symptoms and until you have had no fever for 48 hours.