Taking medication as the doctor prescribes is crucial to improving health. However, 26 to 59 percent of older adults do not adhere to instructions, according to a 2003 study published in Drugs and Aging.

“It is very important for physicians and nurses to move past educating patients about the need for medication and focus on teaching behavior strategies,” said Vicki Conn, associate dean of research and Potter-Brinton professor in the MU Sinclair School of Nursing. “Implementing these strategies can help older adults take their medications, resulting in better health and well-being.”

The University of Missouri researchers found that behavior-changing strategies have a greater impact on medication adherence than reinforcing the importance of taking medication to patients. Effective strategies include reducing the number of doses taken daily, prescribing medications so they can be taken at the same time as other medications and encouraging the use of pill boxes. Giving patients clear, easy-to-read instructions for the medications also proved to be effective.

There are many reasons older adults have difficulties with medications, Conn said. Vision changes can interfere with reading medication bottles, and arthritis can make it difficult to handle pills and containers. However, the majority of adherence problems are not related to physical health. For example, many people simply forget to take their medications.

“There are approaches to overcome almost all problems,” said David Mehr, co-author of the study. “It makes a huge difference in patients’ adherence and health if they have some type of organized system for taking medication.”

Failure to take prescribed medications can result in costly health interventions, including expensive tests and unnecessary additional prescriptions, Conn said.

Home Instead Senior Care’s medication reminder service can play an important role in helping clients organize their medications.
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.

Reaching the age of 100 may become ordinary for most American babies born since 2000, according to a new report. Life expectancy has been steadily increasing in developed countries such as the United States, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan.

Researchers at the Danish Aging Research Centre at the University of Southern Denmark predict society will stop looking at life in three phases (childhood, adult and old age) and instead start dividing old age into  a “third age” (young old age) and a “fourth age” (oldest old).

Sign on San Diego recently looked at what this means. While there isn’t much data on health of people over age 85, many are optimistic that earlier detection and better treatment of conditions like cancer and heart disease will make life healthier for people in their “fourth age.” The New England Centenarian Study found that one-fourth of 169 centenarians studied were free of any significant cognitive disorders. About 15 percent lived independently in their own homes, some held jobs and most were uncommonly healthy until the end of their lives.

The New England study found that most centenarians share several characteristics: emotional resilience, self-sufficiency, intellectual activity, a good sense of humor, religious beliefs, strong connections with other people, low blood pressure, appreciation of simple pleasures, a zest for life, don’t currently smoke or drink heavily, may play musical instruments, and follow an anti-inflammatory diet.

Researchers involved with the New England study have developed the “Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator”  Web site that uses scientific data to estimate how old a person will live to be based on answers to 40 questions related to health and family history.

An increased life expectancy will also lead to an increase in population, especially in the sector of older adults. The elderly will soon out-number younger and middle-aged people, so there will be greater demand for care and assistance in living out the rest of their lives comfortably and healthily. That is what companies like Home Instead Senior Care are here for; we are the leading home care company in the world who will help your loved one 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.

“Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights!” Explores High-Profile Cases & Offers Expert Advice

The highly publicized estate battles of several deceased celebrities have cast a bright spotlight on the importance of having the proper estate planning. Although mega-rich celebrities seem to be affected overwhelmingly by these brutal family squabbles, the new book

“Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights!” is designed to help every family, regardless of income level, avoid the financial pitfalls that drained bank accounts and created huge family rifts for the dozens of superstars profiled in the book.

“Trial & Heirs” uses real stories to help readers steer clear of the same celebrity “estate errors” as they plan for their own “heirs.” The stories cover well known legal fights over famous fortunes: including the recent battles over Michael Jackson’s estate, along with other celebrities like Ted Kennedy; Anna Nicole Smith; Brooke Astor; Heath Ledger, Ray Charles; Princess Di; Jimi Hendrix; Frank Sinatra; Martin Luther King Jr.; and Rosa Parks… as well as many others that most people aren’t even aware of.  The book gives readers a front row seat in the courtroom while the authors replay the “tabloid drama”, point out what went wrong in these riveting cases, and teach readers how to avoid similar errors.

“Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights!” was written by co-authors Andrew Mayoras and Danielle Mayoras, legacy expert attorneys with strong reputations and extensive experience in estate planning, probate, elder law, and litigation. The husband and wife team are two of the co-founders of The Center for Elder Law, The Center for Special Needs Planning, and The Center for Probate Litigation.

“Here we have common problems that could easily be avoided,” says co-author Andrew Mayoras, a probate litigator who writes the popular Probate Lawyer Blog.  “We want to teach people about the importance of proper legacy planning, because these fights don’t just happen to the rich and famous,” he says.  Andrew says because his job is battling in the trenches of probate court, he sees first-hand the devastation caused by poor planning.  “If by writing this book we help keep families from feuding in court, then we’ve accomplished our mission.”

Co-author Danielle Mayoras agrees. “As an estate planner and educator, the most frequent question I’m asked is:  ‘How do I get my parents to talk about these issues?’  This book is the answer,” says co-author Danielle Mayoras, a professional speaker, attorney, and credentialed professional gerontologist. “Our goal was to take a difficult topic that no one wants to talk about and make it fun and entertaining with the use of famous stories.”  Danielle says they want to spark people into action to protect their families and legacies through the proper estate planning.

The book will soon be released from Wise Circle Books and is listed at $19.95.  It is already getting rave reviews from many who have seen advance copies, including: Hollywood producers Karen Baldwin and Ken Wales, national radio talk show host Danny Fontana, famed Hollywood publicist Michael Levine and more.

For more information and to read a free preview of “Trial & Heirs:  Famous Fortune Fights!” visit TrialAndHeirs.com.

To schedule an interview with Andrew and Danielle Mayoras, please contact Toni Burge at prmedia.contact@gmail.com or Todd Brabender at todd@spreadthenewspr.com.

Older adults with type 2 diabetes can reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke with as little as three months of physical activity, according to a recent study.

Dr. Kenneth Madden, a geriatric specialist at the University of British Columbia, studied adults between 65 and 83 with controlled type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol to see how increased activity might affect stiffness of the arteries.

“The theory is that aerobic activity makes your arteries less stiff and makes artery walls more elastic,” he said. Half of the participants received three months of vigorous physical activity (one hour, three times a week) and the other group did no aerobic exercise.

Researchers found that arterial stiffness in study participants who exercised decreased 15 to 20 percent.

Dr. Beth Abramson, spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, said almost everyone can benefit from active living. She said the foundation recommends older adults – with the consent of their physicians – need 30 to 60 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week.

Dr. Madden said that the exercise requirements may be viewed as controversial because of participants’ ages, but the exercise level was safe and well tolerated.

“There seems to be a knee-jerk reluctance to getting these older adults to exercise, yet we used a vigorous level of activity and didn’t have any trouble keeping participants in our study. They enjoyed the activity,” he said, “People always underestimate what older adults can do.”

Dr. Abramson recommends seniors choose activities they enjoy, such as walking, gardening, golfing, dancing or joining a yoga or tai chi class, Medical News Today reports.

I have to agree with Dr. Madden, in the fact that people do tend to underestimate what older adults are capable of. They just need to be given the chance with a watchful eye on hand. Home Instead Senior Care will provide this for your mom or dad who still lives at home, or no matter their living conditions. Caregivers are responsible for keeping our clients living a healthy lifestyle in every aspect, and that includes physical activity, even if it is limited. Home Instead will ensure mom or dad stays active even in their old age; who knows, they may even become more in-shape than yourself!

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.

In Canada, baby boomers are going the extra mile in caring for their aging parents. This is being revealed in a new poll conducted by Investors Group, showing they are helping with everything rom a drive to the doctor’s office to making financial and health decisions.

69% of Canadians aged 43 to 63 still have at least one living parent/parent in law. And among this group a third of them still provide care in one form or another.

“Taking care of your parents is nothing new, but we are definitely seeing its effect on boomers’ resources as they approach retirement,” says Jane Olshewski, Manager, financial life planning at Investors Group. “As this group and their parents grow older, more and more boomers will need to learn how to cope with these duties.”

Although some caregiving boomers are spending an average of nearly $6,000 per year on their parents, financial support is only one aspect of the mixed bag of responsibilities that boomers have taken on to support their parents. According to the poll, everyday activities such as companionship (65%), transportation to appointments or social events (64%), home maintenance (56%) and household chores (55%) mingle with weightier matters like help with their parents’ banking and investment activities or financial decision-making (61%) and ensuring that their health-care needs are met (55%).

Instead of a money crunch, the poll found that caregiving boomers consider the demands on their time and emotional resources to be more stressful. Six-in-10 caregivers believe that their parents expect this type of assistance, and the majority (51%) of caregivers say that their parents’ emotional demands are a source of stress. Four-in-10 identify their parents’ demands on their time as a strain, which may not be surprising since a third of caregivers say their responsibilities result in lost time at work.

Among those providing help to their parents, roughly a third are also parents themselves. Four-in-10 of these ‘sandwich’ boomers describe these combined duties as a source of additional stress.

“Our research shows that boomers don’t mind making these sacrifices, but many people may not be prepared for the volume or the emotional weight of these responsibilities,” says Olshewski.

This is where Home Instead Senior Care comes in. Home Instead is the leading provider of home care, taking up all your caregiving needs. No longer will you have to worry about keeping mom or dad at home, or going to visit just to keep them functioning through daily activities. Our caregivers go through numerous hours of training to ensure mom or dad gets paired up with the right companion who is able-bodied and friendly.
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.investmentexecutive.com/client/en/News/DetailNews.asp?Id=51031&IdSection=3%am987�t=3

A new research study shows that people can slow the inevitable decline in fitness that accompanies growing old by staying lean, exercising and refraining from smoking.

While the findings, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, are not surprising, as other studies have drawn similar conclusions, they have broad implications, given the increasing number of older adults and the explosion in the sedentary, overweight and aging population.

“The Social Security Administration actually has an aerobic capacity threshold. If you’re below the threshold, you are considered disabled,” said study author Andrew Jackson of the University of Houston. This means more people could potentially qualify for disability benefits at a younger age, further draining an already strained economy, a HealthDay article reports.

The study found that reductions in cardio respiratory fitness became much steeper after the age of 45, accelerating even further with increases in body-mass index, smoking and lower physical activity levels.

“We’ve known that, as you age, your aerobic capacity goes down, and the exercise physiology literature indicates it’s a linear relationship. We found that this is not the case,” said Jackson.“It makes sense to me. When things aren’t working right, we tend to go down at faster rates. This was true for both men and women (although the rate of decline was faster for men than for women).”

Jackson said the data showed that if people maintained a healthy lifestyle, their aerobic capacity was higher as they aged. This could delay the age at which health problems begin.

“If people are very overweight,inactive and smoke, they might see these health problems in their 50s and 60s,whereas people who maintain a healthy lifestyle, it’s going to be more like their 70s, 80s and possibly even their 90s,” he said.

The study reinforces the importance of a healthy lifestyle,which is something CAREGivers can work with their clients on achieving through healthy meals and exercise. Home Instead Senior Care CAREGivers are trained to promote healthy lifestyles for our clients.

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 ofin-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. And remember, to us, it’s personal.

Surfing the Internet may be a way for older persons to preserve mental skills. Researchers found that older adults who started browsing the Web experienced improved brain function after only a few days.

“You can teach an old brain new technology tricks,” said Dr. Gary Small of Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles. With people who had little Internet experience, researchers found that after just a week of practice, there was a greater extent of activity in the areas of the brain that make decisions.

“Which makes sense because, when you’re searching online, you’re making a lot of decisions,” he said. “It’s interactive.”

Researchers studied 24 neurologically normal adults, ages 55 to 78, who were asked to surf the Internet while hooked up to an MRI machine. Before the study began, half had used the Internet daily, and the others had little experience with it.

After two weeks, researchers compared a baseline MRI scan with new ones.Those with prior experience showed a much greater extent of brain activation in the baseline scan. After at-home practice, however, those who had just been introduced to the Internet were catching up to those with experience, a Health Day report notes.

This can be a great option for seniors looking for something fun to do, especially if they have never experienced the World Wide Web for the first time. Home Instead Senior Care hires youthful caregivers who are familiar with today’s uses of the internet, and they could even get mom or dad started!
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.

New research published in the October 27, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, suggests that those with both diseases actually have a slower rate of memory loss than people who had only Alzheimer’s disease.

“This result was surprising,” said study author Caroline Sanz, MD, of INSERM, the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research in Toulouse. “Our initial hypothesis was that diabetes would increase the rate of cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease.”

The study followed 608 people with mild to moderate Alzhimer’s disease over four years and tested their memory and thinking skills twice a year. of the 608, 63 people had diabetes. As the study began, the average score on the cognitive test for all candidates was 20 points. over each of the six-month testing periods, the group dropped an average of 1.24 points, but for those with diabetes the scores declined by 0.38 more than those without diabetes.

Researchers say it is not clear yet why the rate of memory loss was slower for people with diabetes. “One possible explanation is that diabetes in the elderly differs from that in younger people and in addition, elderly people with diabetes may be more likely to receive cardiovascular medications such as drugs for high blood pressure than people who don’t have diabetes,” Sanz said. “These drugs have been reported to decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and also the rate of cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Other possible explanations for these findings may relate to differences in brain lesions in those people with diabetes compared to those without diabetes.”

The study was supported by the French Ministry of Health and the Toulouse University Hospital.

This is an interesting find because it may be signs that elderly people suffering from diabetes have a much higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This could lead to earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and may be a good reason to have cognitive memory check-ups.

Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease that still has no cure; all we have is available treatment options, the best being mind-provoking activities. Do you have a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s disease who could use extra help, a companion to keep their mind active while also caring for their needs to live at home? Home Instead Senior Care is here for you.

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.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161521.htm

A person’s aptitude with special relationships between objects may provide an early indication of Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers at the University of Kansas.

David K. Johnson, KU professor of psychology, and colleagues from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that testing a person’s aptitude with spatial relationships between objects – the skills needed to complete a jigsaw puzzle, for instance – could give an earlier indication of Alzheimer’s disease than conventional methods involving verbal memory.

“We saw that there were not only verbal memory changes – the classical, hallmark features of Alzheimer’s disease – but there were a lot of other cognitive declines as well, most notably visuospatial defect,” said Johnson. He described visuospatial skills as the ability to interpret complex visual stimuli and know how to interact with them and use them for a particular task.

“For instance, one test that went into this is where someone looked at squares and triangles and circles and Xs randomly strewn about a page, and they get to study that for 30 seconds,” explained Johnson. “Then we take away the page and ask them to draw it from memory. Even if we put that piece of paper and leave it there in front of them and ask them to copy it, they’re still having trouble interpreting that visual stimulus.”

Researchers tracked 444 volunteers over the course of more than 25 years, assessing each for global cognition, verbal memory, working memory and visuospatial skills. Of the volunteers, 134 developed dementia and 44 were confirmed to have Alzheimer’s disease.

Reviewing the data, Johnson and his colleagues determined that visuospatial skills, or aptitude with spatial correlations between objects, declined measurably three years before clinical diagnosis.

“We’re desperate to find a treatment that can halt or even reverse Alzheimer’s disease,” said Johnson. “We’re pretty far away from that right now. What early diagnosis allows us to do is hopefully identify individuals that we can target new drugs for – and try to understand the biological underpinnings of the disease. If we can detect a person early enough, we have a much better chance of interfering with the disease, because by the time someone actually receives a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease there’s unfortunately pretty significant damage done already.”

It seems there is still a long road ahead on the path to finding a cure to Alzheimer’s disease at this time. The best we are able to do is find an early diagnosis so as to try and find the best treatment methods possible for our era. In the mean time, though, someone needs to care for those already suffering the full effects of the disease, and that can be a very difficult thing to deal with. Fortunately there are companies like Home Instead Senior Care that specialize in the care for your loved ones that have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.

The American Society on Aging has recognized Home Instead, Inc. as the Small Business of the Year for it’s exclusive CAREGiver training program designed by The George G. Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Center, Inc.- world renowned dementia and Alzheimer’s experts.

This program and other professionally developed and recognized Alzheimer’s training programs are used throughout Home Instead Senior Care’s offices. They provide CAREGivers with the latest in Alzheimer’s education and home care techniques, so you can be assured your loved one is with a trusted professional. CAREGivers are trained to:

• Maintain a safe environment
• Manage changing behaviors
• Provide nutritious meals
• Provide mind-stimulating activities
• Create social interaction
• Supervise daily activities

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 number of people applying for and collecting Social Security benefits increased 19 percent this past year as a result of rising unemployment, declining savings and a large number of boomers reaching retirement age.

During the 12 months ending Sept. 30, some 2.6 million Americans began collecting Social Security benefits, up from 2.2 million during the 2008 fiscal year. Stephen Goss, Social Security’s chief actuary, said this is the highest increase ever.

New applications for Social Security retirement benefits increased nearly 21 percent between October 2008 and September 2009. According to AARP Bulletin Today, job losses and a weak labor market spurred more people who needed the money to start taking their monthly benefit, which is available as early as age 62.

“What’s going on with these people taking benefits – are they looking for a job, or working part time and taking benefits – that’s something we don’t know yet,” said Richard Johnson of the Urban Institute.

People who take Social Security benefits before the full retirement age of 66 get a reduced monthly benefit.

Sara Rix, a policy adviser for AARP, said people need to think seriously about the consequences of taking early retirement benefits and consider the options, such as cutting back expenditures or picking up a second job. “Collecting a benefit at 70 almost doubles what they’d get at 62,” she says.

Sara brings up a great point of baby boomers picking up a second job. Although times are still very tough, it may be the only choice, especially if you have mom or dad to care about as well. But you have to remember that you are not alone these days, and help is just a phone call away. Are you a working caregiver who needs to lighten the load on your life, especially if you feel you cannot spare as much time to care for mom or dad anymore? Look no further than Home Instead Senior Care.
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.