Leslie Newlife

Taking Falls Seriously

Can you guess how many billions of dollars in medical costs are attributable to falls amongst adults over 65? $10 billion? $20 billion? Try $50 billion. Elderly falling image

While it’s fairly well-known that older adults are at a higher risk than other groups for experiencing a fall, as a senior or a caregiver to one, you may not quite grasp the magnitude of how falls affect older adults, their families, and the healthcare system overall.

More Seniors are Falling

Why do over a quarter of seniors experience at least one fall every year? The risk factors seem to be growing. In addition to general age-related muscle loss that can contribute to leg weakness, seniors are experiencing increasing rates of:

  • Chronic illness – long-term conditions including diabetes, arthritis, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and stroke can all impact balance, coordination, and mobility. With any of these factors at play, falls are more likely.
  • Medication usage – studies show that not only are four out of five seniors taking at least one medication per day, but many are also taking more than one medication, including those that may have interactions or side effects which can contribute to a fall, like dizziness or faintness.
  • Aging alone – as more and more adults seek to age in place, they oftentimes ending up doing so on their own. Even if caregivers or family members visit intermittently, seniors living on their own may attempt seemingly harmless activities that put them at higher risk for falling like climbing stairs while dizzy to get to bed.
  • More adults are becoming “seniors” – the Centers for Disease Control report that upwards of 10,000 adults turn 65 in the U.S. every single day. If simply being older is a risk factor for falling, it’s easy to see how more fall incidents are occurring.

Mortality Rates from Falls are Climbing

Even a seemingly benign fall can result in debilitating injuries like a hip fracture, head trauma, lacerations, sprains, and so forth. Not only can this affect mobility and activity levels, but fall injuries can negatively impact a seniors independence, their ability to live on their own, and their ability to drive.

But what about death? Do falls contribute to higher mortality rates among seniors. Recent research says yes.

A 2018 morbidity and mortality report from the Centers for Disease Control looked at the incidence rates of injuries and deaths from falls between 2007 and 2016. It found that the number of seniors who died from a fall increased by over 30 percent. That’s a huge jump.

Over 29,000 adults over 65 died as the result of a fall in 2016 up from just over 18,000 adults in 2007. Falls that result in injuries can lead to hospitalization and even surgery, both of which put older adults at higher risk for infection and other mortality-associated factors.

Serious Fall Prevention

Luckily, additional research has shown that even one fall prevention tactic can help lower a senior’s risk for death. These include:

Checking medications – it is critical that seniors and their caregivers check with all health care providers (family doctors and specialists) about medications. All prescriptions and over-the-counter medications (the types, dosages, and schedules) should be discussed with doctors to catch any potential interactions as well as look at side effects that could lead to falls. These even include dietary supplements. Common medications that may affect balance and alertness include blood pressure medication, sleep aids, and antidepressants.

Balance exercises – cardio and strength-training will always play a critical role in helping seniors maintain a healthy weight and stave off lifestyle diseases but balance exercises will lend themselves directly towards preventing falls. Seniors can use practices like yoga and Tai Chi as well as workouts with balance discs to strengthen core muscles, hone coordination and agility skills, as well as build balance confidence.

Upgrading the living environment – it often falls on caregivers to help seniors upgrade their living environment to remove hazards and add tools which can help prevent falls. This can include cleaning up clutter, clearing common pathways, and possibly even moving sleep quarters to ground floor rooms. Installing grab bars, railings, ramps, shower chairs and so on will also equip a senior with the devices they need to successfully manage tricky environments like bathrooms and stairways.

Scheduling regular checkups – additional factors like vision and hearing loss contribute to falls as well. Regular checkups for vision, hearing, and annual well-checks can help seniors and caregivers catch fall-related risk factors sooner rather than later and take early action. Regular checkups also allow seniors and their caregivers to discuss the details of any falls that have already occurred as well as concerning symptoms like joint pain, nerve pain, or shortness of breath that can contribute to falls.

The Concurrent Care Model Bridges the Gap in Care for the Severely Ill and Dying

Research demonstrates that offering hospice earlier in the course of illness can lead to improved health outcomes and improved patient satisfaction. Support ImageHowever, in the past, services like hospice and palliative care, were offered in isolation, forcing providers and patients to choose between them. The concurrent care model (or simultaneous care model) provides patients with advanced, serious illnesses the opportunity to easily transition from palliative care to hospice. This is why the concurrent care model might just be the innovative solution that population health managers are looking for.

What is The Concurrent Care Model?

The concurrent care model is a practice model that bridges the gap in care for the severely ill and dying. It offers curative care alongside palliative or hospice care, easing the transition from curative and palliative care to hospice. End-of-life programs that have adopted the concurrent care model have seen improvements in the quality of care that their patients receive.

Quality improvements include:

  • Fewer days spent in the intensive care unit
  • Improved patient and family interaction with providers in discussing palliative and hospice care
  • Improved communication between physicians and hospice providers
  • Earlier referral and earlier access to an end-of-life program

Timely Hospice Care May Improve Quality

Timely hospice care can reduce the physical and emotional stress of those experiencing a serious life-limiting medical condition, for both them and their loved ones. It seems reasonable that offering patients curative care “concurrently,” may help ease the transition from palliative care to end-of-life care. The heart failure and palliative care organizations both recommend early palliative care as a critical strategy to improve the quality of life of patients living with the advanced stages of heart failure.

The Concurrent Care Model May Benefit Hospice Providers

Concurrent care may benefit hospice providers, though there are some barriers that stand in the way, specifically financial. Like any service, there is a reimbursement threshold for nonprofit providers, which could result in an increase in hospice spending. Additionally, when patients are transferred to a hospice program earlier, they typically have more advanced care needs. In other words, your program must have the man power and ability to care for patients with more critical care needs.

Dental Care in Seniors and the Shocking Statistics

by: Sarah Morris

Dental care is often neglected by many for different reasons. Most people brush off dental care because of the need to go to dentists. A lot of people are actually afraid of going to the dentist and refuse dental care altogether even if they need them. What’s alarming, however, is that a lot of people, especially seniors, actually need proper dental and oral care. If you’re an older adult or someone who knows an older adult, this article can hopefully enlighten you to pay closer attention to your overall dental health. Dental Care Image

Are you aware that by 2060, adults in the United States who are 65 and older will comprise 24% of the population?  That is equivalent to 98 million older adults. Nearly 20% have completely lost their teeth, and it is twice as prevalent among seniors beyond age 75. Unfortunately, these can cause a lot of problems – including difficulty speaking, digesting food, or even just the fact of appreciating everyday meals.

If you’re handling a senior’s care, especially if you strive to help them become more independent, proper dental care should be a part of your care plan.

Seniors and Dental Care: What are the Statistics?

The above are just some of the hard numbers you ought to be aware of when it comes to seniors and their dental health. If you are in Florida, a Farnham Family Jacksonville Dentist can help you or a senior you know to meet your dental health needs.

Here are some more statistical facts about dental health among seniors that you may want to know:

  • Dental cavities in permanent teeth: A total of 93% of older adults who are at least 65 years old have had dental cavities in permanent teeth. While this is a popular subject in toothpaste advertisements, cavities do pose a significant threat that may hinder an elderly person’s enjoyment and satisfaction with their everyday lives. This is especially given cavities can cause not only tooth loss, but pain as well. Remind seniors in your care that they should prioritize brushing their teeth and using dental floss, especially if they’re able to do so. If they need assistance from you, strive to make sure brushing their teeth is part of your routine.
  • Tooth loss: It might be of interest to note that older adults over 65 years old have an average of 18.90 remaining teeth. If seniors under your care have dentures, be sure to help them clean the dentures properly and have them checked regularly, especially if they’re due for replacements. Try to make sure your seniors are given proper means to care for them as well to maintain their durability.
  • Treatment needs: While the nature of oral health has improved over the past few years, 23% of older adults over 65 have yet to see a doctor in the last five years. In fact, only around 50% of seniors in this age group have visited the dentist within the past year. While a lot might find dental visits trivial, it’s extremely important Dental Care Imageseniors under your care have their visits to the dentist regularly. Aside from mitigating the above, this will also allow you and the dentist to find ways to treat early stages of other dental issues before they can hinder the daily lives of seniors under your care.
  • Periodontal disease: While the prevalence of periodontal or gum disease in older adults has decreased, there are still some disparities in some groups. For instance, 17.20% of older adults aged 65 and above actually have periodontal disease, and 10.58% of the same population group have moderate to severe versions of the disease. If you have seniors under your care, do encourage them to stop smoking as this is a cause of periodontal disease. Encourage them or aid them in practicing their oral health maintenance properly, especially with the assistance of a dentist’s advice.
  • Oral cancer: Around 49,700 people in the United States are diagnosed with oral cancer, a disease that affects both the pharynx and/or the mouth. While not a lot of seniors have oral cancer, it’s still important to make sure you’re on top of your game to help them avoid situations that may lead to this. Aside from practicing good oral health habits, you should make sure they get regular visits to the dentist, and you’re aware of dental conditions that may hinder with their daily lives.

Dental Care, And How It’s Helping Your Seniors With Independence

A lot of people tend to dismiss the idea of dental health because of a lot of things. Some of these include being afraid of dentists, or thinking they can take care of their teeth in general. However, if the above were to be put into consideration, it’s important to remember that when dental health care is neglected with seniors, it can have consequences to their quality of life.

  • If possible, try to check with your healthcare provider if there’s things in place to help promote the provision of dental health care options for the seniors under your care. These range from free checkups to convenience in terms of getting medicine and aid for particular concerns. If not, try to see if there’s a way for you to apply for these. This at least provides you with a mechanism to help seniors in your care.
  • As a caretaker, it’s important to remember there’s actually ways improper dental care can be an inconvenience to the seniors under your care. These include not only pain and discomfort, but even an inability to speak or eat – which can severely hinder them from doing tasks they normally do everyday. Also try to be aware of symptoms of things such as oral cancer, so you can seek help immediately.
  • As a caretaker, it’s important to prioritize your seniors’ dental care primarily because it serves a major role in helping them consume food to keep them healthy and strong. We have to make sure mechanisms that support this continue to work so they won’t be inconvenienced. These include proper maintenance of dentures, cleaning of teeth, and making sure their mouths don’t have risky infections.
  • It’s also important to coordinate with the dentist in this regard, as their advice can be extremely important while seniors under your care are growing. They can make adjustments to particular routines and give advice on what certain medicine or treatments to do in order to maximize comfort and care.

Conclusion: Dental Care Matters Across All Ages

With the above numbers in mind, it helps to understand that taking care of your teeth isn’t just something you do when you have the time or when there’s trouble brewing in your oral health. Regardless if you have cavities, toothache, or just an “ordinary” and “painless” day, it helps to make your conversations and appointments with your dentist part of your routine. As an older person or as someone who knows an older person, it also helps to be familiar with these statistics to remember just how important dental health is for a person to be able to perform a lot of daily tasks properly.

Understanding Different Perspectives When Marketing to Seniors

Our life experiences shape our view of the world. For example, in today’s age, we think nothing about the introduction of trains. The only time we are Media Imageaware of them is when we are stopped at a crossing waiting for it to pass. Yet imagine those who were alive when trains were first introduced. That population marveled at this mysterious technology that advanced transportation to speeds never before experienced in the history of the world. Trains also literally changed our view of the world. Prior to the introduction of the “Iron Horse”, travel was difficult at best. Most of the population never traveled more than 20 miles from where they were born. The train made us a mobile population, allowing for the West’s growth and for commodities like lumber and grain to be transported back east.

That is a much different perspective from those who were born after the introduction of the train. It was taken for granted. Our Baby Boomer population has experienced many of these revolutionary changes in only a few decades. We remember what the world was like before man walked on the moon and Polio was a common curse among the young.

Those kinds of past experiences give seniors a much different perspective on the world and marketers must be keenly aware of the differences. Although social media is becoming more popular a medium among the aging population, it would be a big mistake to assume that it is being viewed in the same fashion as the younger population. Certainly, new technology has been assimilated by everyone. It’s always amazing to see toddlers adeptly typing away on their parents’ iPads. It is a familiar tool to them. When the IBM’s and Commodores’ were first introduced in the 70s, many first adapters did not know how to type on a keyboard. Yet, out of necessity, they quickly learned.

Still, seniors have not entirely abandoned things they are innately familiar with. They still read magazines and respond to direct mail. Much of their time spent reading still entails books and newspapers. Just visit any library and observe the patrons and observe their behavior. Dollars to donuts, the average age of those reading magazines and taking out books skew to the older generation. News and information are also still derived from passive media like TV and newspapers.

The lesson to marketers here is, before you put your budget into electronic and social media, consider other options that are more familiar to your targeted audience like mailing lists and printed media. You may be surprised by the results.

10 Things You Can Do After 60 To Stay Happy And Fit

by: Emily John

Aging is an inevitable process that all of us have to go through. From being a baby to being grandparents all of usHappy Seniors image have to get there at some point. After a certain age, our bodies start to weaken and those hormones don’t work the way they used to. The need to take care of ourselves, including our mental and physical health, increases when we reach an older stage.

As we reach an age of 60, we face some of the major life changes such as retirement, loss of loved ones, children leaving us, etc. However, being happy and fit is extremely important even at this age as studies suggest that people who are happier are less likely to develop serious diseases such as heart diseases or diabetes when they hit 60s, compared to people who aren’t happy with their lives.

If you’re in your sixties or are reaching that number and want to make changes in your lifestyle to be happier and fitter then you have landed on the right page.

Given below are ten things you can do to stay happy and fit when you begin to get old:

Get Some Exercise

Exercising is the best way to increase strength, vitality, and agility. Moreover, it can also help improve sleep and keep the mind healthy. A Swedish study suggests that exercising helps add years to your life.

Exercising helps strengthen the bones and muscles that weaken over the years. Weak bones and muscles can cause serious injuries, which is why it is important to strengthen them.

It even helps relieve pain due to arthritis. However, if you have such health issues then it is important that you first speak to a doctor before you exert any pressure on your bones or muscles as it can backfire.

Moreover, exercise can also help maintain and control weight, prevent diseases such as diabetes, lower blood pressure, boost metabolism and improve the immune system.

Exercise even has profound effects on brain and can boost memory, cognitive skills. Some studies also suggest that a light workout can help avoid dementia.

It’s never too late to exercise. In fact, many studies suggest that exercising at an old age can have more benefits at times. You only need to make sure you’re physically active.

You don’t have to start extreme. It’s okay to go slow. You can start with a morning walk.

Take Care of Your Nutrition

Eating a nutritious diet is a vital part of staying fit and being healthy. As you age your taste buds evolve and metabolism changes. How your body processes and digests foods changes as well which is why it’s crucial to make sure what you’re putting in your body is healthy.

Avoid sugary foods and reduce the consumption of refined foods. Incorporate organic whole foods that are high in fiber in your diet. This will help keep your colon healthy.

Also, eat lean meat for good quality protein. Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated and wash the toxins out of your body.

You should also take care of your illnesses. For example, if you have diabetes then make sure to keep an eye on your sugar consumption. Same goes for hypertension where you need to reduce the consumption of sodium.

 Get Plenty of Sleep

Sleep is extremely important for your health. As you age getting a good night’s sleep gets difficult. With growing age problem like insomnia, daytime sleepiness and trouble sleeping become a common occurrence.

Developing healthy sleeping habits can be a way around such issues. Avoid using electronics one hour prior to bedtime. Make sure that your room is dark and quiet. You can try using scented candles to make the environment more pleasant. Having a warm bath prior to bedtime can also help get a good sleep.

Plan Retirement

Let’s face it, we have to retire sooner or later. You must plan to retire at the right age so that you don’t have to work very hard when you can’t.

Retirement can be tough as it involves taking away a huge part of your daily routine that is now left with a void to fill. This void, if not filled properly, can leave you depressed.

Try finding a job after retirement. There are plenty of jobs you can do after retirement that are not very taxing. Now thanks to PowerJackMotion linear actuators and other such tools, even the construction industry is a good place for seniors to have a career in.

 Spend Time with Family

Family time is extremely important for your well being. Studies suggest that people who socialized with family are happier and enjoyed life more compared to people who don’t socialize much. Humans need attention and there is no better way to get it than to turn to your friends and family.

Make sure that you socialize with at least one person everyday. If you are widowed, divorced or single then consider going out on a date. There are several dating sites that may help you out with it.

 Join a Support Group

Support groups help you get in touch with people of similar interest or problems. These groups can help you open up. It’s a good way to relax and make new friends.

 Make New Friends

Old age can be tough as we lose most of our loved ones and people close to us. This can leave a void in our life. The best way to fill this void is to let others enter our life.

Try making new friends to fill this void. You can use support groups, social media or dating sites to find new friends.

Take Care of Your Looks

Take care of yourself and pamper yourself. Go to a spa and get a massage. It will help you relax and provide you with other benefits as well.

Go to a salon to get a haircut; in fact, don’t shy away from getting a makeover. You’re never too old to look good. Looking good can help you feel confident and make you happy.

Pick Up New Interesting Hobbies

Look forward to something new every day. Do what you could not do earlier due to time constraints or other such reasons and make it a point to do it now.

This will keep you occupied and give you a sense of achievement and purpose.

Learn to Cope and Be Grateful

This is one of the most important things on our list. Stop taking things for granted and appreciate the good things in your life. Look around yourself, appreciate your family and be grateful for the blessing that you have.

Learn to accept the things you can’t change and just let the happiness come from within. You don’t have to depend on others to make you happy.

Tips to Start Using Social Media for Your Retirement Community

You have decided that you are ready to get started on social media marketing. You want your retirement community to get noticed and hopefully bring in a few more residents. You also want to help families stay connected, even though they are separated by distance.

Social Media ImageUnsure of getting started? Here are some tips to help.

Choose one or two platforms to get started. Most marketers recommend starting with Facebook and Twitter, though there are many others to choose from, depending on your angle. However, the important part is to choose one or two and become active on them. Once you

have the hang of them, you can branch out to others. If you try to join too many at once, you will burn out trying to keep up with all of them.

Don’t forget to respond to any comments and messages. If you are on Twitter, thank your followers for any retweets that you get. This really puts you ahead of your competition because most don’t follow through.

Really show your followers that you care. Answer questions that they have. Thank them for any reviews that they give. If they need some assistance, do what you can to help. These people will remember you when they need something.

Come up with a marketing schedule and stick to it. Decide how often you want to post. Aim for at least one or two times a day, though if you have time, more would be better. Look through the calendar. Are there events and holidays that you want to emphasize in your marketing? Do you want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas on that day? Schedule posts and tweets about the holidays through the entire month of December?

Do you have a bingo night coming up? You can post weekly to remind your residents about the event, plus you can post bingo tips and much more. You can do the same with almost any event that may be in your calendar. You can even post summer and winter tips during those months. The choices are endless.

Getting started with social media can be very intimidating. While you may want to join every site, that is never a good idea. Stick with one or two until you get the hang of it and then add another one. Then, make sure that you come up with a marketing campaign and stick to it. The more often that you post (relevant things), the better off your business will be.

Balancing Caring for an Elder While Raising Children

Senior Citizen with child image

At some point in most people’s lives, you’ll have to care for a family member. Whether it’s becoming a parent and raising children or helping care for a family member who has a disease or disability, there are times where you may have to step up and be there for a loved one. But are you in a situation where you have a child who is 7 and a parent who is 70 and find yourself having to care for both?

People who fall into this category of having a living parent over the age of 65 and are raising a young child or supporting an adult child are nicknamed the “Sandwich Generation.” Being stuck in this position requires a delicate balance so you don’t become overwhelmed, allow your children or parents to not get the full attention they deserve, or forget to take care of yourself. Here are a few tips to take control of the “sandwich generation” role.

Plan Ahead

The first step before caring for both children and parents simultaneously is to do a lot of research and plan ahead. Whether you think you’ll have to deal with this situation or not, the earlier you begin thinking about it being a possibility the better. Sometimes life throws the unexpected swiftly into your lap when you least expect it and you’ll wish you considered the possibility sooner. Most of the major decisions will be centered around your parent as you likely already have your family schedule for you and your children set before taking on the care of a parent. There are many considerations when deciding how to take care of a parent:

  • Is your parent fit to live on their own or will they have to relocate to somewhere where they can receive care, whether by a professional or yourself? Look into home care options before deciding on moving your parent into an assisted living facility to see if that fits your family’s needs.
  • Why will they be needing care? Is it a physical disability, deteriorative brain disease such as dementia or Alzheimer’s, or are they just growing older and just need help with things they can’t handle on their own? Each case is going to be different and require different areas of focus, so it’s important to figure out these details early on.
  • If they aren’t already enrolled, find the insurance option that works best for the situation you have to set up for your family, whether it is the right type of Medicare coverage, or if their situation requires long term care insurance.
  • No doubt your parents will likely be on one or several medications as they get older, so staying on top of their health needs early on will help in the decision making process for caring for them when the time comes.
  • As far as their finances are concerned, you have to also consider if they are able to manage money-related decisions and pay bills on their own. If they cannot, then you have to look into getting power of attorney so you can handle affairs for them.
  • Lastly, consider your own financial situation. There are plentiful options out there for caring for or providing a home for you parent, but every option will have a financial consideration as well. Find out what you will have to pay for in order balance caring for your parent with your existing family situation.

Making it Work

Once you have weighed the options and pull the trigger on how to handle the situation, it’s all about managing your time, energy, and resources to pull it off. For families dealing with this every day (having children as well or not) it’s not a simple transition and requires diligent planning and execution. First things first: delegate duties where you can so you aren’t bearing the full burden. If you have siblings, talk to them in the planning process to decide who can do what and when. If you aren’t taking a parent into your home, having a sibling or two who can divide up visits to your parent who needs care and duties needed to be handled will solve several potential problem areas:

  • Your parent will have interaction with their kids more frequently than if you were solely trying to fit visits into your schedule.
  • You won’t have to take as much time away from your own family to manage parental care.
  • You will be less likely to overwhelm yourself or be stretching yourself thin.

When you are planning how to make your own situation work, consider investing in a babysitter or nanny depending on your financial situation. It could do wonders for balancing time as you’ll know your children aren’t being ignored in lieu of care for your parent.

If your parent continues to live on their own or you choose to set them up in an assisted living facility, set up regular schedules visits to see them so it gives them something to look forward to and bring the entire family so they can see their grandkids and vice versa. Back at home, the same goes for family time with your kids. Set up dedicated family dinners, movie nights, and other activities that are anticipated and solidified. Even if balancing the care of them and your parent gets a little hectic, you have some solidified plans that happen no matter what.

Nowadays, you also have the benefit of using modern conveniences and technologies to make your situation easier. Though it is often just assumed that seniors and new technology don’t mix, the number of seniors using smartphones and other technologies has been growing and this can benefit their situation greatly:

  • If your parent is unable to drive anymore, using travel apps like Uber and Lyft are affordable and easy to use to help your parent get around.
  • Ordering delivery through Grubhub makes getting food easier, and many grocery stores now offer delivery services as well.
  • Using smart home technology can empower an older parent by letting them take control in even more aspects of their lives and having family members just a video call away makes them feel less isolated.
  • If your parent is living with you while under your care, smart home technology can help you balance your role as caregiver and parent as well because there are so many technologies that allow you to observe your parent and children through cameras installed in your home, instantly viewable from your smartphone at any time.
  • Even light switches, outlets, appliances, locks, and more can be controlled via an app so you can rest easy if you are at work and worried where your parent or child is or dread that an oven or other appliance might be left on, presenting a fire hazard.

These technologies allow them to still have independence in decisions they make in their lives as well, even while needing care in other areas. Your personal care situation might involve a lot of travel on your part as well. If the parent who needs care doesn’t live near you or you share the burden with a sibling or other family member and have to visit them from afar, or even if you have to travel with your parent often, there are a lot of considerations. Look into different airports and what they offer and think about possibly getting a credit card that has benefits designed to make travel easier and might work for your financial situation:

  • Call ahead before your flights and find out if they have assistance options such as expedited screening for seniors or services like providing a wheelchair prior to boarding and after the flight for your senior parent.
  • Research ahead of time to find out about airport services such as family restrooms, play areas, and wi-fi access to help out while traveling with children.
  • Look into getting travel or airline specific credit cards that have benefits such as priority boarding, free lounge access, or even automatic trip-cancellation insurance, which can help financially and help you juggle your family duties during frequent travel.

Finding the Balance

There is a lot of work ahead of you if you’re part of the sandwich generation, but there’s also a silver lining as well. Many people who deal with handling this say that seeing their parent being able to spend more quality time with their children is a wonderful benefit that comes from this challenging circumstance. If you parent is suffering from a deteriorative brain disease, being able to spend time with their grandkids will help exercise their brains and keep their spirits high.

Also, by caring for your parent as they grow older, you’re teaching your children important lessons about the value of caring for family. And a piece of advice that goes for any mom or dad even before also caring for a parent as well is to always find a way to make time for yourself. A good way to keep from being overwhelmed is to always find time to enjoy a personal hobby, a date night with your spouse, pray or meditate, or other activity to keep from going under while you bear this burden.

4 Reasons Senior Care Demand is on the Rise

Senior caregiver imageby: James Fleming

If you are a caregiver or know a senior who utilizes caregiving services, you may have heard that the demand for senior care is not just on the rise, it’s on a very rapid rise. From 2006 to 2016 alone, jobs in healthcare settings grew a whopping 20 percent. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that home health jobs will grow faster than any other industry in the entire country in the next 10 years.

The silver tsunami has begun to crest and huge demographic shifts are starting to take place as more Boomers age into the “senior” bracket. Advancements in research, medicine, and technology are also helping people live longer. Experts estimate about 1 out of 4 65-year-olds can expect to live past the age of 90.

So in addition to the increase in the sheer number of seniors, why is the demand for senior care so rapidly rising?

More Seniors Looking to Age in Place

Consuming healthcare services used to mean a trip to the doctor, a hospital visit to address an in illness, and eventually moving to an assisted living facility or nursing home that could better address your health needs. Nowadays, however, seniors want to do all they can to remain in their home for as long as possible. In fact, AARP found in a recent survey that 3 out of 4 adults over the age of 50 want to remain in their own homes and communities as they age.

This trend of aging in place goes hand in hand with the expansion of senior care demand as older adults are looking for more home-based care services to take advantage of. Personal caregivers, unpaid family caregivers, home health aides and nurses, even phlebotomists and x-ray techs can come into the home now to do everything from assisting with activities of daily living to drawing blood and conducting mobile imaging scans.

High Rates of Chronic Illness

Increasing rates of chronic illness among older adults naturally translates to an increased need for care services. Did you know that roughly 25 percent of all adults over 65 have diabetes? Or somewhere around 100 million adults have high blood pressure? Similarly, jaw-dropping rates of cardiovascular disease and obesity are robbing seniors of their independence and longevity.

Chronic disease requires constant coordination between patients, caregivers, primary care physicians, specialists, and insurance companies. Senior care plays an important role in helping older adults with chronic illness organize their care and treatment plans to improve their own health outcomes.

More Proactive Health Monitoring

Senior care in large part is about a care network advocating on behalf of a patient. Few actions are as significant when it comes to senior health as being able to monitor and track health metrics at home. That might include checking blood sugar regularly, measuring and recording blood pressure readings, over even cataloging daily exercises.

Not only does this empower seniors to do more for themselves when it comes to their health, but it equips them and their caregivers with the tools they need to take quick action if something comes up. Notice an upward trend in daily blood pressure readings? Is exercise dropping your blood sugar too low? It’s time to talk to a doctor and act on early warning signs before something worse develops.

Growing Prevalence of Alzheimer’s

If you don’t yet know someone affected by Alzheimer’s, chances are in the next 10 years you will. Almost 6 million adults currently live with this debilitating disease according to the Alzheimer’s Foundation and between 2005 and 2015, deaths from Alzheimer’s skyrocketed over 125 percent. By the year 2050, they estimate that 14 million people will be diagnosed with it.

As the oldest demographic in America continues to expand, it’s only reasonable to expect that more and more people will need senior care services due to Alzheimer’s. Assistance with everything from getting dressed to grocery shopping, taking medicine, toileting, eating and more will be needed for so many seniors with this type of cognitive decline and there will be less and less family caregivers to pick up the slack.

In addition to these four major factors at play, a revamped healthcare industry that works towards providing more value-based care (instead of fee-for-service care) will also influence the rise in senior care demand.

Activities of Daily Living for Seniors to Help Keep Joints Mobile

by: Sarah Morris

When you’re at an age when you can call yourself a senior or if you know someone who might need the assistance Senior Reading Imagewhen it comes to helping their bodies adjust properly as they age, you might want to try out physical exercises. The physical changes as a result of aging can be a bit tricky to adjust to, but the changes can be bearable given enough preparation and time. There are activities for daily living for seniors that can help keep their joints mobile and let them continue and enjoy their daily life.

It might help to understand that injuries are common and can be fatal to older adults. For instance, numbers in the United States alone indicate that 20% of falls actually cause serious injuries, such as head injuries and broken bones. Not only that, over 3 million seniors are actually treated in the emergency room because of injuries from falls.

Senior Health: How Do You Keep Joints Mobile?

It’s important to remember that because older adults aren’t getting younger, their physical health should not be ignored. Mobility aids for disabled individuals and other assistive tools exist to make sure they have ways to keep themselves active despite existing physical conditions. Here are some examples of daily activities that will certainly help older adults to keep their joints mobile:Senior Activity Image

  • Do some raises to exercise the limbs every now and then: One of the best activities to help with joints is to actually do raises to help your limbs. Try grabbing a chair and stand behind it. Try raising your leg straight back without pointing your toes or bending your knees. Hold that position for a second and then gently bring the leg down. Try to do this with your other leg. Every few days, increase the second you hold that leg by a second, and repeat the process 10 to 15 times with each leg. You can also apply this to side raises, which works with the same principle.
  • Try a few finger and hand exercise: These exercises are extremely useful for flexibility. Try to pretend there’s a huge wall in front of you. Have your fingers climb up the wall until they’re above your head, and hold them together. Wiggle both sets of fingers for 10 seconds before walking them back down. Afterwards, try to touch your hands from behind the back. You can do this by trying to reach for your left hand with your right hand behind your back, and hold this position for 10 seconds before switching arms.
  • Wall push ups and shoulder rolls for chest and shoulders: Both these exercises are also very simple to do. For shoulder rolls, you can do this while standing or sitting. Simply gently rotate your shoulders up the ceiling, and then back and down. Afterwards, do the same but ending with a roll forward and then down. For wall pushes, stand in front of wall at arm’s length that doesn’t have any doors, windows or decorations. Slightly lean forward with your palms on the wall. Keep your feet firm as you bring your body forward slowly towards the wall. Keep this position for a few seconds before slowly pushing yourself back outwards.
  • Walk short distances every few hours: Don’t underestimate the power of walking! It’s actually a great way to make sure your muscles are active but not with intensities that are too high to maintain. Walking sessions are also extremely easy to organize, as there really aren’t as much tools needed – unless, of course, if you need a walker for assistance. Just a walk around the neighborhood every morning or evening or even just around the house to get basic things such as books to read or journals to write on are great ways of keeping joints mobile.
  • Try to use assisted living tools for assistance: If you can’t handle the physical strain of doing exercises for prolonged periods of time, make sure assisted living tools are close by so you can make sure you have assistance when you need it the most. This isn’t a sign of weakness, but rather a lifeline to make sure nothing bad happens to you during the course of your living at home and keeping yourself mobile.
  • Stretching eases the muscles into working for the day: Stretching isn’t just done after a workout. Stretching sessions and easy body movements can help you ease your muscles into “working” for the day, so you won’t get them all tensed and hurting after a few minutes of walking around. Proper stretching techniques are geared towards relieving tension off your muscles and joints so you are feel comfortable. As such, these are also best done in the morning and before you sleep.

The Bottom Line: Daily Activities to Maintain Mobility


It’s important that older adults or seniors get opportunities to be mobile and exercise their bodies to avoid stress on their joints. Especially that their joints are extra sensitive at their age, motivating them to do these tasks every day can make their life easy and comfortable.

More Reasons Your Retirement Community Should Be on Social Media

Even though you might not think about seniors when you think about social media, the truth is that it can be a powerful method to reach new seniors to fill up your retirement community. You could really be missing out if your community is not active on at least one site.

Here are some more reasons why your retirement community needs to be on social media.

Social media is free to get started and use. Free advertising can only be a good thing. You can start your business profile for free to begin posting and tweeting away. In fact, you can even start to build relationships with others without spending a dime!

You should be on social media to stay ahead of the competition. If you are not on social media (and others are), you are going to lose out to those who are online. When making decisions, people are looking online for social media profiles, as well as reviews. This also helps to make your business look more legitimate.

If you decide to spend a little money with paid advertising, you can really target those that you want to. By targeting older people and their families, your advertising dollars can be spent more wisely. You may also want to advertise to caregivers who may be overwhelmed trying to keep their loved ones home. They just might change their mind.

Though social media marketing may feel like a waste of time, it is not. In fact, you need to be on it simply because your competition is. If you are not, your community won’t feel as real as some of the others who are posting things regularly!

The best part of social media is the cost. It is free to get started. If you do decide to try paid advertisements, by targeting the right people, you don’t have to worry about wasting any money. In fact, you will see results pretty quickly for even just a few dollars.