How to Maintain Mobility while Getting Older

About 27.5% of people globally do not get enough physical activity, according to a 2018 study in The Lancet Global Health of nearly two million people.

Sufficient physical activity was defined as at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week.

Livestrong’s recent article entitled “Why Your Mobility Worsens As You Age, and What to Do About It” examines the habits that experts want you to apply:

Remain Active. Try to build activity into your day and keep moving. One of the simplest and best exercises is walking. Start small and work up to longer sessions, until you reach 30 minutes a day. If you do not have the time for a full walk some days, do what you can because every bit counts.
Mix Up Your Moves. While it is great to find a workout you like, doing the exact same exercises every day is not ideal for joint mobility. It is better to do exercise sessions that look different on different days of the week. You can and should repeat your workouts from week to week. Experts say a combination of activities, such as strength training, cycling, running and yoga, will move your joints in all the ways possible.
Take Standing Breaks. If you have a desk job, you are spending a lot of time at your desk. A way to counteract being sedentary at your desk is to move frequently. If you are at a desk job, you can stand up on your feet and/or walk once an hour for five minutes. This sitting engages large skeletal muscles and, when consistently performed throughout the day, activates thousands of muscular contractions, the researchers note. Standing up more — no matter your age — is important, even if you have done a workout that day.
Stretch! Stretching that targets your shoulders, spine, hips, and calves can fight chronic stiffness that plays into mobility losses in older adults. Stretching — both with static (bend and hold) stretches as well as dynamic (flowy) ones — is a super opportunity to move your joints in ways they otherwise might not all too regularly. Many yoga workouts also include a flexibility and mobility component.

However you decide to bend and stretch, concentrate on challenging yourself, but do this without pain.

Pushing yourself too hard into stretches may damage your joints and contribute to injury.

Remember that the goal is to feel a gentle, pleasant stretch in your muscles. If it does not feel good, listen to your body and pull back a bit or totally avoid that stretch.

Reference: Livestrong (Jan. 20, 2022) “Why Your Mobility Worsens As You Age, and What to Do About It”

Do We Know the Impact That Omicron Variant has Impact on Seniors?

Most research shows that the omicron variant produces mild symptoms among fully vaccinated adults and children. The Deseret News’ recent article entitled “It’s too early to see how the omicron variant affects the elderly” reports that thus far, anecdotal data and case reports suggest the omicron variant creates severe COVID-19 symptoms and hospitalizations in unvaccinated adults and unvaccinated children.

Dr. Abdi Mahamud, the WHO’s incident manager for COVID-19, said it’s still unknown exactly how the omicron variant will affect the elderly, both vaccinated and unvaccinated. It could be similar to vaccinated adults, by producing mild symptoms. However, it’s not clear so far.

“We all want this disease to be milder, but the population it affected so far is the younger. How it behaves in the elderly population, the vulnerable — we don’t know yet,” Mahamud said

“It’s too early to determine,” Mahamud said. “We’re optimistic, but I think we shouldn’t over-interpret the data coming from South Africa.”

Evidence currently suggests that the variant offers symptoms similar to the common cold. Experts still recommend that everyone receive the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots, as well as a COVID-19 test, if symptoms develop.

In addition, The Kansas City Star reports that doctors at the University of Kansas Health System say that the highly contagious omicron variant poses a risk to senior citizens in the Kansas City area and beyond. They echo the WHO’s advice to get a booster shot.

They say it’s especially critical for older adults to avoid the worst effects of the virus.

“[Seniors] are going to be the folks who struggle the most with omicron because their immune systems may not have the same memory, they may not have the same ability to respond back,” said Dr. Steven Stites, chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System at a briefing on Wednesday. “So omicron can be especially a threat.”

In December, the New York Times reported that one in every 100 of the nation’s seniors has died of COVID-19. Despite being one of the most vaccinated age groups, adults 65+ comprise roughly 75% of all pandemic deaths in the U.S.

“That is a staggering thing to say out loud as someone who has practiced medicine for 35 years,” said the University of Kansas’ Stites.

Reference: Deseret News (Dec. 30, 2021) “It’s too early to see how the omicron variant affects the elderly”

Should I Get a Medical Alert System?

Many seniors live on their own without grown children nearby to assist them when they have a medical emergency. These individuals can really benefit the most from a medical alert system.

Know Techie’s recent article entitled “Should every senior citizen own a medical alert system?” gives us some reasons why every senior citizen should have a medical alert system.

A medical alert system is a simple device that monitors a person in their home and sends an electronic signal, if the emergency button is pressed. At the call center, a medical professional responds to the call. If the person can’t talk, help is sent.

Alert System Features. A medical alert system for seniors should have the following features:

Ease of use
It should be comfortable to wear and water-resistant
Have a long-lasting battery and GPS
24/7 live assistance; and
Automatic fall detection.

It is also important to look at the alert’s attractiveness because some elderly fear the stigma associated with the medical alert system.

Promotes Peace of Mind. A caregiver and/or a family member will have peace of mind. If anything happens, they will have access to immediate assistance. This can improve a senior’s quality of life.

Emergency Help. Every minute matters in an emergency. A medical alert system will ensure that the seniors can access medical help right away. Every call center has experienced health experts to handle any situation.

If you don’t have a caregiver, the thought of having continuous monitoring can give you peace of mind.

Reference: Know Techie (Dec. 11, 2021) 30

Does Lack of Clutter Help with Dementia?

Researchers in Great Britain looked at whether people with dementia were better able to carry out tasks, such as making a cup of tea, at home surrounded by their usual clutter or in a clutter-free environment. The researchers were surprised to find that participants with moderate dementia performed better when surrounded by their usual clutter.

News Medical Life Sciences’ recent article entitled “People with dementia may not benefit from a clutter-free environment” also noted that the different environments made no difference to those with mild and severe dementia. These patients were able to perform at the same level in both settings.

Professor Eneida Mioshi, from the University of East Anglia’s School of Health Sciences, said: “The majority of people with dementia live in their own home and usually want to remain living at home for as long as possible. So it’s really important to know how people with dementia can be best supported at home – one possible route would be by adapting the physical environment to best suit their needs.”

He also noted that as dementia progresses, seniors will gradually lose their ability to carry out daily tasks due to changes in their cognitive, perceptual and physical abilities. The professor went on to say that participation in daily tasks could then be improved, by adapting the individual’s environment.

“To this end, we wanted to investigate the role of clutter in activity participation, given the potential to use de-cluttering to support people with dementia to continue to be independent,” Professor Mioshi explained. “Environmental clutter has been defined as the presence of an excessive number of objects on a surface or the presence of items that are not required for a task.”

Mioshi also said it’s generally assumed that an individual suffering from dementia will be better-able to carry out daily tasks, when their home space is tidy and clutter free. However, he noted that there’s been very little research on this hypothesis.

Occupational therapist and PhD student Julieta Camino carried out the study with 65 participants who were grouped into those with mild, moderate and severe dementia. The participants were asked to carry out daily tasks, including making a cup of tea and making a simple meal, both at their own home and at UEA’s specially designed NEAT research bungalow – a fully furnished research facility that feels just like a domestic living space.

The researchers looked at their performance of activities in both settings, and also measured the amount of clutter in the participants’ homes. The NEAT home setting, however, was completely clutter free. They believed the complete absence of clutter in the research facility would play a beneficial role in helping people with dementia with daily living activities. However, we were wrong. Overall, those with moderate dementia, in particular, performed daily tasks better at home, despite the fact their homes were much more cluttered than the research bungalow.

Moreover, it didn’t seem to make any difference how cluttered the participant’s home was. The only factor that contributed to how well they could carry out tasks at home was their level of cognition – with those with severe dementia encountering the same difficulties to perform the tasks at home and in the research facility.

Sian Gregory, Research Information Manager at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We can sometimes make assumptions about what might help someone with dementia who’s living at home, like de-cluttering so they can concentrate on tasks like making a cup of tea. But, as this study shows, our ideas might not always be right.

“Challenging assumptions is so important for careers to understand how to help someone with dementia to live well in their environment. That’s why the Alzheimer’s Society funds a variety of studies like this one to evaluate what actually works for people living with dementia today, as well as finding treatments for the future.”

Reference: News Medical Life Sciences (Nov. 26, 2021) “People with dementia may not benefit from a clutter-free environment”

Alexa, How Can You Help Seniors

Amazon’s new programs run through Alexa Smart Properties, which allows organizations to control a centralized Alexa system, according to MSN’s recent article “Amazon announces Alexa program for hospitals and senior care.”

“Early on in the pandemic, hospitals and senior living communities reached out to us and asked us to help them set up Alexa and voice in their communities,” Liron Torres, global leader for Alexa Smart Properties, said in an interview with The Verge.

“Hospitals wanted ways to interact with patients without using protective equipment, and senior living communities wanted to connect residents with family members and staff,” Torres says.

The program allows senior living facilities to employ Amazon Echo devices to send announcements or other messages to residents’ rooms. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many facilities relied on printed out sheets of paper slipped under resident doors to communicate changes in protocols, like around meals or quarantines. However, the Alexa program now lets them send messages immediately into patient rooms.

“Staff can be more available for other tasks,” Torres says.

Senior facility residents can also place calls through Alexa to family members or friends, without having to rely on a staff member. Approved contacts would also be able to call in through Alexa. The facility could enable calling for a list of contacts approved by the resident and family members when they arrive.

Two networks of senior living communities, Atria (which is nationwide) and Eskaton (based in California), are adding Alexa to some facilities, Amazon announced.

In hospitals, the Alexa Smart Properties program allows nurses to speak with patients through the calling and intercom-type drop-in features without having to enter patient rooms. Patients could ask questions, or nurses could see how a patient is feeling with this feature.

“This enables hospitals to increase productivity and be able to save on medical supplies,” Torres says.

Hospitals can also send information and announcements to patients through Alexa.

Reference: MSN (Oct. 25, 2021) “Amazon announces Alexa program for hospitals and senior care”

What are Latest Trends in Senior Care Facility Design?

iAdvance Senior Care’s recent article entitled “The Newest Trends in Senior Care Facility Design” interviewed Christine Cook, NCARB, principal with the Dallas-based design boutique three. She explained that she’s seeing several new trends that are shaping the industry.

“Owners and operators are working to connect through lifestyle choices, in combination with a healthcare amenity, to reach the target pool of prospective residents. ‘Active aging’ and ‘purposeful lifestyles’ resonate favorably with both residents and their families. This shifts the perception away from residency as need-based or compelled to a feeling of joining the community by choice,” she remarked.

Other design trends include more tailored residential apartments and cottages. There is also an increased demand for amenities, both on-site and within walking distance.

“Also, it is foundational to ensure consistency of the design aesthetic and quality of materials across the continuum-of-care, from independent living to assisted living and memory care,” says Cook.

Cook also said that many existing communities are decreasing their skilled nursing offerings. They’re customizing assisted living and memory care environments, tailoring them to the residents’ needs. “Most new communities are not incorporating skilled nursing at all.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has also prompted an increased focus on cleanliness and practical material selection. “Escalating cleaning protocols are demanding increased attention to the selection of finishes,” says Cook.

“Materials must be durable and resilient, otherwise replacing them when they wear out will have to be cost-effective — think modular cabinetry or tile flooring. We have also had to address plans for processional arrival sequences at entryways, modifying and limiting them to ensure there will be no security breaches with respect to disease migration.”

She’s also seen an uptick in requests for no-touch access controls for resident and staff-only areas. Cook notes that there’s also a market preference for larger balconies and full-height windows to allow for more natural daylight. Designs that reinforce healthy connections to nature, like balconies doubling as outdoor great rooms, can prompt residents to be more inspired and engaged.

However, Cook says that owner-operators frequently describe two common challenges: Keeping occupancy rates high and attracting and retaining high-quality, mission-focused staff.

Cook thinks that several trends will continue to define the senior care market in the future. These include increased demand for pocket-park communities, which usually consist of 10 to 12 cottages that are organized around or near an activity center. These communities are often developed in association with a larger senior care community or health provider.

Reference: iAdvance Senior Care (Oct. 12, 2021) “The Newest Trends in Senior Care Facility Design”

Is a Cup of Joe Help Healthy for Seniors?

Nutrition experts and medical researchers are finding all kinds of reasons to recommend indulging in a cup of joe— most based on the fact that coffee is the single greatest contributor to total antioxidant intake, says AARP’s article entitled “Five Surprising Health Benefits of Coffee.”

“Coffee is abundant in bioactive compounds that promote health,” says Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic. As she explains, research published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that these compounds may improve the gut microbiome (made up of healthy bacteria that aid in digestion and boost immunity) and reduce what’s called oxidative stress, which occurs when free radicals outnumber antioxidants in a way that leads to disease-causing cellular damage in the body. “The beans also have a deep rich hue, and we know that the deeper the color of a plant, the more benefits we can expect for health.”

However, moderation is the key. Three to five eight-ounce cups of coffee — or up to 400 mg of caffeine — per day can be part of a healthy diet. That is plain black coffee, not cappuccinos, lattes and macchiatos. Those are high in calories, sugar and fat. Let’s look at five health benefits of coffee that give you even more reason to enjoy your next cup.

Lowers Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes. A large review of studies published in Nutrition Reviews found that your risk of developing type 2 diabetes drops by 6% for each cup you drink per day. That’s because coffee is packed with phytochemicals that may act as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, insulin-sensitivity boosters and more. The same goes for decaffeinated brews. A study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine found that those who drank two to three cups of filtered coffee a day — as opposed to unfiltered coffee (made with a pod, an espresso machine, or a French press) had a 60% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who drank less than one cup of filtered coffee a day. Those drinking unfiltered coffee didn’t see such a reduction in risk.
Heart Protection. A review of three major studies published recently in Circulation: Heart Failure found that drinking one or more cups of plain caffeinated coffee a day may reduce your risk for heart failure. (Decaf didn’t yield the same benefits.) Among those without diagnosed heart disease, researchers found that drinking up to three cups of coffee a day was associated with a lower risk of stroke, death from cardiovascular disease and death from any cause.

If possible, though, drink filtered coffee because unfiltered coffee contains two compounds that raise LDL cholesterol in some people, and high levels of LDL cholesterol increase your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Boosts brain health. Some research suggests that regular caffeine consumption may offer brain health benefits. In one study of people ages 65 to 84, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, those who drank a cup or two of coffee daily had a lower rate of mild cognitive impairment than those who never or rarely consumed coffee. Other studies suggest coffee may also protect against Parkinson’s disease. However, some research shows that having over five or six cups a day may have an adverse health impact on the brain.
Improves your mood. Drinking coffee may reduce your risk of depression by nearly one-third, according to research from Harvard Medical School. The effect may be related to coffee’s anti-inflammatory properties. Coffee also has phytochemicals that feed the good bacteria in our guts. The good bacteria may produce or enhance other compounds that act on the brain and have beneficial effects on mood.
Maximizes workouts. Downing a cup before exercise can make a difference in your workout because coffee improves circulation, endurance and muscular strength. It also may reduce pain, according to a review of research published in 2019 in Sports Medicine. However, it is important to recognize that coffee can also act as a diuretic.

Reference: AARP (Sep. 20, 2021) “Five Surprising Health Benefits of Coffee”

Can Exercise Prevent Dementia?

Market Watch’s recent article entitled “How exercise can help prevent dementia” points out that although there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, and an estimated 3% of all cases are entirely genetic, recent research suggests that some lifestyle interventions could slow its progression.

Dr. Dean Sherzai, a clinical neurologist and co-director of the Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Loma Linda University in California, has developed a five-component lifestyle intervention therapy he uses with patients.

“We have people coming to us with early signs, or so-called subjective impairment, and then we have people a little more advanced, classified as having mild cognitive impairment, or MCI,” Dr. Sherzai explained. “We give them interventions, give them advice on changes they can make to their lifestyle components and we look at what happens.”

Of the five components in Dr. Sherzai’s lifestyle intervention, exercise is the one he typically recommends starting first.

“Whenever we apply behavior change to a population, we’re looking to create sustainable habits with small successes people can see right away, and nothing is better than exercise. It’s easy to implement, measurable and precise, with a fast return,” Dr. Sherzai said.

After only a couple of weeks of regular exercise, Dr. Sherzai’s patients often feel better, get better sleep and their lipid and blood glucose profiles improve. He says that these are some of the indirect ways exercise reduces risk for Alzheimer’s, because each of those factors are associated with higher rates of the disease. The doctor also mentioned three direct links between exercise and improved brain health:

Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which delivers more oxygen and nutrients;
Exercise simultaneously flushes inflammatory and oxidative elements out the brain faster; and
An increase in a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which Sherzai says, “is almost like growth hormones for neurons, but specifically for the connections between neurons.” Maintaining these neuronal connections is a key in preventing Alzheimer’s disease.

Brain scientists agree that exercise is good for preventing cognitive decline but they don’t yet know if any one type is better than another. It is something that scientists are starting to research. For now, a number of studies have shown that both aerobic and resistance training have major cognitive benefits.

Sherzai recommends exercises involving the legs, whether that’s walking, running, cycling or weightlifting he says that’s because, “your legs — not the heart — are the largest pump in the body.”

Reference: Market Watch (Sep. 28, 2021) “How exercise can help prevent dementia”

Does My Brain Improve as I Age?

Money Talks News’ recent article entitled “2 Ways Your Aging Brain Actually Improves Over Time” explains that our ability to gather new information and to concentrate on the most important things in any given situation may get better with age, according to new research out of Georgetown University Medical Center. The findings were published in the journal Nature Human Behavior.

As part of the study, researchers examined three distinct components of attention and executive function in group of about 700 participants:

Alerting — a state of enhanced vigilance and preparedness in order to respond to incoming information;
Orienting — the shifting of brain resources to a particular location in space; and
Executive inhibition — in which we inhibit distracting or conflicting information, allowing us to focus on what is important.

Study co-author João Veríssimo, an assistant professor at the University of Lisbon, Portugal, explained:

“We use all three processes constantly. For example, when you are driving a car, alerting is your increased preparedness when you approach an intersection. Orienting occurs when you shift your attention to an unexpected movement, such as a pedestrian. And executive function allows you to inhibit distractions, such as birds or billboards, so you can stay focused on driving.”

They looked at individuals from 58 and 98, the ages when cognition tends to change the most during the aging process. The researchers found that while alerting abilities declined with age, the other two abilities improved. Those two abilities help us with several key parts of cognition, such as:

Memory
Decision-making
Self-control
Navigation
Math
Language
Reading

The researchers say orienting and inhibition appear to be skills that can get better over a lifetime the more they’re practiced. However, it appears that alerting — a basic state of vigilance and preparedness — can’t improve with practice.

Study co-author Michael T. Ullman, a professor in the Georgetown University Department of Neuroscience and director of Georgetown’s Brain and Language Lab, commented, “People have widely assumed that attention and executive functions decline with age, despite intriguing hints from some smaller-scale studies that raised questions about these assumptions. However, the results from our large study indicate that critical elements of these abilities actually improve during aging, likely because we simply practice these skills throughout our life.”

Reference: Money Talks News (Sep. 6, 2021) “2 Ways Your Aging Brain Actually Improves Over Time”

Will Congress Provide more Dollars for Elder Care?

For millions of Americans taking care of elderly or disabled loved ones, resources are very costly. Government assistance is provided through Medicaid, but it’s just for those with the lowest incomes. Many who qualify don’t get the help because many states restrict the number of eligible recipients, resulting in long waiting lists.

NBC News’ recent article entitled “Democrats want billions to pay for elder care. Republicans say the price tag is too high” reports that Democrats have earmarked roughly $300 billion to expand home-based care for seniors and the disabled in the $3.5 trillion spending bill dubbed the American Families Plan. The bill would offer states incentives to lift their income caps to 300 times the poverty level, or about $38,600 per person. Democrats say it would enable an additional 3.2 million people to be eligible for home-based assistance.

However, Republicans are launching an all-out messaging campaign that accuses Democrats of a “reckless tax and spending spree” and saying the American Families Plan would lead to higher inflation and a suffering economy. Democrats say they aren’t afraid of the cost or of Republican claims about inflation. Research shows that the elder care proposal is one of the most popular components of their agenda among likely Democratic voters. Two-thirds of voters said expanding access to home-based care for the elderly and the disabled was important, and 48% strongly favored the expansion.

Progressives have said $3.5 trillion is too little to transform the economy. Moderate Democrats point to the risk of inflation.

U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), who is a member of the House Women’s Caucus, cared for her dad, who suffered a stroke, her mom, who had Alzheimer’s and three young children when she was running for Congress. She said elder care is a priority.

“Even though I had resources and options, it was really, really challenging to me. That story plays out for parents and women across this country every day,” Clark said in an interview. “It is long past time that we recognize how fundamental the care agenda and the care economy is to our economy in general.”

Democrats also would like to pass provisions to guarantee that home health care workers make a living wage through reporting guidelines and by requiring a minimum wage, which would be set by region.

Reference: NBC News (Aug. 21, 2021) “Democrats want billions to pay for elder care. Republicans say the price tag is too high.”

Estate Planning Blog Articles

Estate & Business Planning Law Firm Serving the Providence & Cranston, RI Areas

How to Maintain Mobility while Getting Older