In layman/woman’s terms, your immune system is a group of biological structures and processes in your body that protect you from disease. It’s not just one thing; it’s a group of many that is referred to as a system. AARP Bulletin recently published an article about the aging immune system, and we highly recommend you read it.

As we age, the immune system naturally doesn’t work as well; there is research evidence that our senior bodies just don’t produce as many immune cells as they did when we were younger.

Personal Help With Fitness

This question arose recently in a discussion with some close senior friends. We were on a ZOOM call, still in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, with no end in sight. We were talking about our health issues, including how to get enough exercise when we couldnt go to our favorite gym. My sister and I had a personal trainer, until COVID19. We couldn’t continue because the gym closed.

We all know, or have been learning about, the close relationship between physical health and mental health. We know good physical health, including exercising is essential to maintain good mental health. It’s also just good common sense.

And we don’t have to be planning to enter a competitive event to make use of a personal trainer. So why work with a PT if you are a senior citizen, not an Olympic athlete? We discovered there are several reasons.

Physical Activity=Good Health

Research is now saying that being physically active can slow the onset of dementia, like Alzheimer’s disease. USNews and World Report recently reported on a study conducted at Columbia University; Dr. Yian Gu was the lead researcher, and said, “We recently published a paper using information of both current and past physical activity and found they both are associated with lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The current study is a step further to show that physical activity is also protective against brain volume loss.”

Studies over the past few decades have shown an association between physical activity and good health, both physical and mental. Recent studies are more conclusive, although Dr. Gu gave a word of caution. She said the study in question shows a relationship that is not causative; that is, the research does not prove physical activity causes good health, only that there is a relationship between the two.

Why Seniors Need Others

Seniors, indeed all human beings, need social relationships to remain healthy emotionally as well as physically. We know that anecdotally, and research has also shown that to be the case. When social needs are not satisfied, both mental and physical health problems result. As the senior population increases, the need for us to be healthy and enjoy life also increases.

Researchgate.net found there are four themes in studies of seniors and their social needs: diversity, proximity, meaning of the relationship and reciprocity. So what are those four themes?

As this message is being written, Planet Earth is in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Seniors are among the most vulnerable groups for experiencing complications from any virus and becoming seriously ill. Those over the age of 60 must stay home and away from people; we don’t know who may have the virus and not know it; as a result our habits must change, and that includes how we shop for groceries.

Sometimes we seniors need some reminders, and that’s the purpose of this message. In this day of staying at home and away from people, we still have daily tasks we must address. And grocery shopping is at the top of the list. Whether we order online or have someone shop for us, we have to make a list so we don’t end up with a bunch of groceries we don’t need and won’t use, and also so we indeed get everything we want for the week (or however long it is between shopping trips).

Falls.. Leading Cause of Death for Seniors Falls for people over the age of 65 can be fatal. Amazingly, 28%-35% of people aged 65 and over fall between 2 and 4 times every year. The issue is that a lot of these falls cause fractures and interestingly 87% of fractures in the elderly are due […]

treatmesothelioma.com exists to not only inspire hope during these unbearable times but to also provide palliative care and comprehensive information through our website, resources, and educational videos.

The health industry continues to increase premium costs. This is why some insurance companies chose to opt out of ObamaCare in 2016. They were simply not willing to live with consumer-friendly requirements that bit into their profits. Ryan’s plan, “…would erode much-needed coverage and shift costs to many who live on fixed incomes and continue to struggle in the shadow of the Great Recession.” AARP Bulletin, January-February 2017

A full repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) would eliminate all the Medicare benefits created by the law, including free preventive services (flu shots and screenings for cancer and diabetes), savings on prescription drugs and the future of Medicare with a slow-down of spending, fraud, waste and excessive payments.

How Senior Years Can Be Happy

Victims of AD need more structure in the Moderate stage. The generally experience sleeplessness, wandering, late-day confusion and agitation which are all part of the same problem. BAI Beacon states, “The damaged brain has to work much harder to understand the environment and be able to function.” (Ibid) People with AD tend to lose their sense of smell and need food that is well or highly seasoned; their eating is disrupted and the challenge for the caregiver is to find and prepare food that is appealing to their care receiver.

Persons in the Moderate stage of AD may resist bathing and need help to dress. They struggle to find words to express what they want to say. They begin to experience illusions and delusions.