3 Common Challenges for People with a Chronic Disease

Managing chronic illness is nothing new for older adults. In fact, AARP reports that over 70% of adults 45+ have at least one chronic condition, and 20% are reported to have three or more. Most commonly older adults suffer from obesity, heart disease, depression, diabetes, cancer, and emphysema, though as you age, rates of conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia rise as well.

Medication Management
Many chronic conditions are managed in part by a fixed medicine schedule aimed at keeping symptoms at bay and even reversing recent damage. Unfortunately, prescriptions and supplements for a chronic disease can be numerous and complex. Take, for example, a patient with advanced Parkinson’s Disease who also has seizures, arthritis, and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). They may need to have seizure medicines crushed up and administered with applesauce, Parkinson’s medication applied as a patch to a different part of the body every day, topical arthritis aids applied to their joints, and then additional liquid supplements and over-the-counter medicines thickened and given orally multiple times a day.

The Mayo Clinic reports that upwards of 50% of patients with chronic disease don’t actually take their medicine as prescribed, leading to countless hospitalizations and alarming mortality rates. For a number of reasons including confusion, complicated medicine schedules, cost, health illiteracy, lack of caregiver support, and communication barriers between doctors and patients, it’s no surprise that many suffering from chronic illness are unable to adhere to their prescribed treatment plans.

Experts recommend that patients with chronic conditions use pill organizers to sort and manage daily medicines as well as alerts - be they smartphone apps or alarm clocks. Alerting caregivers when medicine hasn’t been taken has also been shown to increase adherence rates for patients. Continuing a dialogue with medical providers is also key as they can help simplify medicine schedules by altering frequencies or dosages, and provide greater insight into side effects, drug interactions, and more.

Completing Basic Daily Tasks
Whether it’s neuromotor changes like you see with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease, peripheral neuropathy like is common with diabetes, joint stiffness and pain like with osteoarthritis, or confusion and disorientation like someone suffering from dementia may experience, varying symptoms of chronic disorders can negatively impact a person’s ability to complete daily tasks. Dressing, showering, brushing teeth, eating, toileting, etc. are all key markers of basic functioning, however, they often become more and more difficult as a person’s disease progresses.

Patients and their caregivers can benefit from adaptive equipment and ease-of-use tools which simplify everyday tasks and empower greater independence and self-reliance. The best grabbing aids, for example, will allow a person to reach up to a shelf or down to the floor to pick things up (i.e. keys, jars, etc) without having to bend or stoop over, or awkwardly strain up and possibly lose their balance. Additional tools might include bed rails, shower stools, dressing aids, and mobility aids like walkers, canes, or knee scooters.

Organizing Care Networks
Sometimes a chronic condition will qualify a patient for in-home health care which simply means medical professionals like nurses, physical therapists, home health aides, and speech therapists can come to the home to administer treatment and train caregivers. Unfortunately, the rules for receiving this type of skilled care are strict and not every patient with a chronic condition will qualify. Broadening the care network and finding ways to coordinate friends and family to pitch in becomes of utmost importance.

Some free online tools like CaringBridge.org and LotsaHelpingHands.com help people set up online signups, care calendars, meal trains, and other resources to organize a network of friends and family who can help with caregiving tasks like transportation to appointments, picking up prescriptions, making meals, etc. New hospital and family caregiver laws, like the one that passed in California in 2015, are also requiring hospitals to communicate with family caregivers when their loved one is discharged from the hospital. Hospitals must provide counsel and training about continuing care at home, medication management, and even skilled tasks like dressing wounds and managing incontinence.

This is a guest blog post.

All You Need to Know About the Vampire Facial

Have you ever wanted a rejuvenated look but was too scared to go under the knife and commit fully to the procedure? Well, you might've missed out on a brand new treatment called the Vampire Facial.

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This method is being used by many celebrities throughout the world and it utilizes non surgical techniques, making it a great option for those who are scared of going under the knife. In this article, we’re going to introduce you to what they are exactly and let you judge whether they’re the good choice for you.

What Exactly Is a Vampire Facial?

The whole procedure is rather simple compared to surgery. First, a blood sample is taken and Platelet-Rich Plasma, also known as PRP, will be separated from it. The areas to be treated will be injected with a hyaluronic acid filler that will help sculpt and change the shape of the face.

After that portion of the procedure is finished, the PRP is injected to promote collagen and fatty tissue production while improving blood flow and refreshing the look of your skin.

The effectiveness of the facial is owed solely to the PRP portion of the therapy. PRP is what promotes those rejuvenating effects you will experience after getting this treatment. The plasma helps stimulate collagen located in your face while at the same time encouraging your body to regenerate new skin cells.

What Are the Benefits of the Vampire Facial

One of the major benefits of the vampire facial is the skin rejuvenation and revitalization. After receiving the treatment, you will automatically notice an increase in your skin's tightness and firmness and some areas will look less saggy. Aside from the cosmetic benefits, the vampire facial comes at a far more reasonable price than many other facial treatments. Not to mention that these treatments also use artificial, synthetic materials which may leave you with unwanted consequences.

In regards to safety, the vampire facial has almost no side effects and your body will easily accommodate to the filler material since it came directly from you and your body.

What is the Price of the Treatment?

The whole process, including extraction of PRP and the process of injection that takes place almost immediately after can cost anything from 800 to 1500 dollars, depending on where you choose to take the procedure. Bigger cities like New York or Los Angeles will require you to pay slightly more than you would in some smaller ones. The recovery period is only a couple of hours after the procedure.  During that time, you might experience a reddened face but nothing dramatic.

Many new patients decide to go for this treatment over a surgical procedure because of the low risk and less dramatic results it offers. The recovery time is also considered quite low which will allow you to get back to your usual routine much faster. The procedure itself takes a small amount of time and the pain is almost non-existent. This is probably the best, non-invasive to rejuvenate your face and improve your appearance.

This is a guest blog entry.

5 Bath Accessories That Benefit Your Health

A warm bath at the end of a long day can do wonders to help relax tense muscles and bring you peace of mind, but did you know that with the right accessories it can also benefit your health? Don’t miss this essential guide to bath accessories that are good for your body and mind:

Essential Oils
The oils extracted from various plants like lavender, sandalwood, bergamot, peppermint, and rosemary, have been used homeopathically for centuries to aid all types of ailments including headaches, anxiety, and brain fog. A warm bath serves as a great carrier for an essential oil which can benefit your mental clarity and calmness. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil straight to your bathwater, or if you are taking a shower, add a few drops to a washcloth you leave on the shower floor (the essential oil will aerosolize when hot water runs over it).

Back Scrubber
Straining to scratch and scrub hard to reach parts of your back can seem impossible and cause you to awkwardly twist and contort your body. This might do more harm than good leading to tense and inflamed low back muscles and neck pain. Using a back scrubber solves this issue by giving you an extendable loofah-like scrubby on an ergonomic handle or belt with which to rub and clean your back. Different types of scrubbers for your shower or bath can be found online or in many drugstores and grocery stores.

Dry Brush
Dry brushing prior to your shower or bath can do wonders for your appearance and health. As a type of exfoliator, a dry brush helps to slough off dead skin cells and built-up impurities on the surface of your skin that are clogging up your pores. As well, the long, upward strokes up your legs and arms towards your heart help to stimulate lymphatic drainage, boosting your immunity and encouraging the flow of lymph which helps to pull toxins out of your tissues. Experts recommend dry brushing while standing nude in the shower and then rinsing off before you take a bath to experience the best effects.

Music
Listening to soothing music while you soak in the tub can have more powerful effects on your mental well-being than you may know. Music bears a unique connection to specific parts of the brain linked to emotion and research has shown its ability to play a positive role in your health. Researchers at McGill University, for example, reviewed 400 research papers covering the neurochemistry of listening to music and discovered that it aided mood and stress management and even gave the immune system a boost.

Shower Chair
For older adults especially, easy-to-use equipment that both simplifies the bathing process and helps prevent falls is a must for staying safe and mobile. Shower chairs can provide a much needed non-slip seat on which to sit when legs feel weak or tired, grab bars help to support and stabilize you when standing or sitting in the bathtub, and non-slip tape or textured mats on the floor of the bath or shower can prevent you from slipping when the water is running or soap bubbles build up.

In addition to mental wellness and relaxation, baths offer myriad health benefits including helping to clear nasal congestion, alleviate muscle aches, cleanse and hydrate skin, and even induce sleep when taken right before bed. It’s important to remember that you want your bath water to stay between lukewarm and very warm; water that is too hot can actually increase your heart rate, make you excessively sweat, and potentially dehydrate you.

This is a guest blog entry.

What Really Happens to Your Body When You Quit Smoking

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in America, resulting in heart disease, lung cancer, and stroke. Despite the common knowledge that habitual smokers live an average of 12 years less than non-smokers, many people still feel daunted by the thought of quitting even though they’re anxious about the risks.

If you’re looking to kick the habit, don’t expect just to stop overnight. Instead, consult your doctor and ask for a nicotine alternative to help your body adjust. These days, there are numerous options available to former smokers, including gums, patches, and e-cigarettes. Quitting can be hard, even if you are using a vaporizer, so ease the process with a treats e juice.

However you decide to give up smoking, you’re probably wondering what will happen to your body after you quit, so here’s what to expect in those first days and weeks as a non-smoker.

Heightened Senses

As early as two days after your last cigarette, the nerves that control your sense of smell and taste start to heal. As a result, you will notice you have a heightened sense of smell and are able to taste flavors you’ve probably been missing for years.

Withdrawal Symptoms

If you stop feeding your body nicotine altogether, you will start experiencing withdrawal symptoms around three days after you quit, such as headaches, irritability, and cravings. Nicotine withdrawal is far from pleasant, which is why most people struggle to stop smoking. If you decide that going cold turkey isn’t for you, then you may decide to use a nicotine replacement to help your body readjust.

Less Coughing

After your first month as a non-smoker, you will realize you are coughing far less. This is because your lung capacity is improving and the damage caused by inhaling toxins and carcinogens is beginning to heal. You may find it easier to exercise and find you don’t get out of breath so easily.

Increased Body Temperature

Because smoking damages your heart and blood vessels, smokers often feel cold due to poor circulation. In the first few months after quitting, you will notice that your body feels warmer as your blood circulation improves. After your first year as a non-smoker, your risk of developing coronary heart disease has decreased by half, which has dramatic implications for your long-term health.

Lower Health Risks

Although smoking can be incredibly detrimental to your health, many of the risks can be lowered or eliminated by stopping smoking altogether. According to medical professionals, after 15 years of not smoking, your risk of developing heart disease or pancreatic cancer is reduced to the same level as a non-smoker; and after 20 years, your chances of dying from all smoke-related causes drop to the equivalent as someone who has never smoked at all.

So, while stopping smoking can be a momentous challenge, it’s worth knowing that your efforts will have a considerable impact on your health, almost immediately. Although it’s helpful to view the whole picture and see that your goal has an end-result, try to go one step at a time when you first quit. Treat each hour, day, week, and month without cigarettes your own personal victory, and soon it won’t feel like such a struggle.

This is a guest blog entry.

Underarm and Forearm Crutches as Mobility Aids

Whether you have a chronic disability in your lower extremities or you sustained an injury to your lower-limbs, crutches are your go-to tools to help with your mobility. Research shows that strains and ankle sprains account for a majority (36%) of lower extremity injuries in the United States. Mobility aids are needed to facilitate ambulation while recovering from these type of injuries.

According to the University of California - Disability Statistics Center, 6.1 million people in the United States make use of devices, such as crutches, canes, and walkers to help with their mobility.

Crutches can facilitate your movement and ambulation by letting your upper body carry the weight of your lower limb. Physical movement while recovering from an injury can improve the blood circulation in your injured limb and speed up healing. It also helps in improving lung and kidney functions, thanks to better perfusion, and prevents the loss of calcium from your bones as a result of prolonged immobility.

Crutches can also help you do some tasks on your own. In fact, statistics show that compared to wheelchair users, the chance that a crutch user has in landing a job is more than double. It allows you to navigate to places where wheelchairs cannot.

There are several types of crutches you can choose from depending on your needs but the most commonly used are underarm crutches and forearm crutches.

Underarm crutches
An underarm crutch is also known as an axillary crutch. It is the most common type of crutch and is usually made of wood or aluminum.

Underarm crutches are commonly used in pairs. They can be easily adjusted to suit your height. When in a standing position, the shoulder rest (the topmost part of your crutches) should be placed 1-2 inches below your armpit. You should push yourself upright with your hand holding the handgrip. The handgrip must be at the level of your hips so that your arms are slightly flexed at 30°.

When using underarm crutches, you should never let your underarms support your weight by resting them on the shoulder rest. Doing so might compress the blood vessels and nerves in your armpits.

Crutch paralysis is a condition caused by chronic compression of the radial nerve located in your armpit as a result of improper use of crutches. To prevent this from happening, you should ensure that the distance between your shoulder rest and your armpit is maintained at 1-2 inches. The shoulder rest must also have adequate cushioning and padding. People with crutch paralysis have a good chance to recover after physical therapy and axillary crutch discontinuation.

Forearm crutches
A forearm crutch is also known as an elbow crutch or a Lofstrand crutch. It is used to maintain balance and stability. It is generally lightweight and made of aluminum material. The defining feature of a forearm crutch is its adjustable arm cuff, where you should insert your arm before gripping the handgrip, that adds additional support to the user.

Forearm crutches are popular in Europe. In the United States, however, forearm crutches are generally used by people with chronic ailments or disabilities. There is quite a number of options on the list of the top forearm crutches on the market you could choose from, each having features to suit your needs.

When using forearm crutches, your elbow should be flexed at 15-30° to maximize your upper body strength and allow you to bear more weight. When standing upright, the rubber tip of your crutch must be positioned 6 inches in front and 2-4 inches outside of your foot. The arm cuffs should be snug, comfortable, and should secure your forearm 1-1.5 inches below your elbow.

In forearm crutch users, the pressure and weight of your lower limb are being carried by your ulna (one of the two bones in your forearm). To prevent secondary ailments attributed to long-term use of forearm crutches such as pain and injuries, make sure that you are using an arm cuff that is properly sized for your forearm.

Home Safety Tips for Crutch Users
Balance and mobility problems following an injury are the reasons why people are using crutches for support. For these reasons, home safety is important to prevent them from sustaining injuries secondary to slips and falls.

• Keep your everyday items within reach
• Remove clutter, clean up food spills, and roll up trailing electrical cords
• Remove slipping hazards from your bathroom by installing grab bars, handheld showers, and non-slip bath mats
•  Keep your house well-lit
• Create a clear pathway by rearranging your pieces of furniture

Crutches are great aids for mobility that let you maneuver on your own. You can ask your healthcare provider for assistance and demonstration on the proper use of this equipment to prevent you from developing another complication.

This is a guest blog entry.

Positive Health Benefits of Recreational Gambling

One of the main reasons that gambling is popular is because it can be plenty of fun. Although addictive gambling is a serious public health concern, there is some evidence that recreational gambling in moderation could have some positive health benefits.

Gambling takes many forms, from a friendly wager with friends and family, to lottery scratch off tickets, to slot machines, and neighborhood poker. Each state and country has different laws about gambling that you should be familiar with. For anyone staying in Canada, here is some information about the legality of casino gaming in Canada - online-casinos-canada.ca/legal - this way being knowledgeable about all the online gaming laws in Canada will make sure that you stay above the law and have peace of mind while playing.

As per this article on NBCNews.com, a study carried out at Yale based on telephone interviews indicates that recreational gamblers aged 65 and older report better health that their non-gambling peers. Click this link to read the full study: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18072825. It was also found that older gamblers report less alcoholism and depression than younger gamblers. However, the same study found that problem/pathological gambling was uniformly associated with poorer health measures among both younger and older adults.

Some gambling activities provide ample opportunities to socialize, get together with friends, and make new friends, provided that you opt for the right games. Poker seems to be the best choice in this regard as there’s plenty of socializing that happens at the Texas Hold‘em tables. There has been some research to show that nursing home residents engaged in simulated gambling activities showed higher happiness levels compared to their baseline levels. Mental health benefits of gambling can sometimes be attributed to socialization but also to the use of problem-solving skills, concentration, and memory. Many will be surprised to know that scientists use a measure known as the Iowa Gambling Task (see Wikipedia.org entry) to evaluate frontal lobe brain functioning based on how respondents use good and bad decks of cards on a computer simulated gambling game.

The key to avoiding a gambling problem is to do so in moderation by becoming aware of responsible gambling - slot-machines.ca/responsible-gambling/. That means setting a pre-specified budget of money that you can afford to lose in the worst case scenario and to not try to then gamble more to earn any losses back. Gamblers also need to keep base rates in mind: in the end, the house will always come out on top. Remembering this can also help avoid spending too much money when it comes to gambling. Lastly, if you have an addictive and/or impulsive personality or any type of cognitive impairment (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dementia, traumatic brain injury), gambling would be something to best avoid. Addictive gambling can result in depression, alcoholism, bankruptcy, marital discord, and even self-harm so it is best to keep gambling a recreational activity that is done in moderation.

This is a guest blog entry.

Hand Strengthening Exercises for Seniors

In addition to maintaining mobility and being able to age in place, retaining hand and grip strength can make a huge difference in the independence and longevity of aging seniors. Being able to use your hands can mean the difference between feeding yourself and having to be feed, or between using your phone or having to have someone make calls for you, for example.

Some natural deterioration in hand health accompanies aging including loss of skin elasticity, reduced bone density, nerve degeneration, decreased dexterity, weakness in grip and pinch strength, as well as reduced blood flow and fingernail changes. Obstructive medical conditions can exacerbate hand weakness and loss of use - these may include:

• Arthritis - painful joint inflammation in one or more hands can make gripping, flexing, and using your hands and fingers much more difficult.

• Carpal tunnel syndrome - numbness, tingling, or pain in the wrist, hand, and fingers can result from pressure being put on the median nerve from the narrowing of the carpal tunnel in the wrist.

• Tendonitis - inflammation of tendons, typically in or around the thumb, can bring on this type of painful tendonitis localized to the hand.  

• Trigger finger - tendon irritation that causes a locking or painful popping can limit finger movement and cause painful inflammation.

While some conditions like rheumatoid arthritis cannot necessarily be prevented by exercise and lifestyle changes, symptoms can be mitigated by them, and it only benefits seniors to focus some exercise and strength training on the hands. Don’t miss these important hand health-boosting activities:

Forearm Exercises
Did you know that you don’t actually have any muscles in your hands, only tendons, ligaments, and bones? The muscles which control your finger movement and grip are actually located in your arm, so exercising and strengthening them is key. A forearm workout tool should be lightweight, portable, and effective at helping seniors stretch and reinforce key arm muscles that control grip and pinch strength. Some forearm workout tools are spring-loaded and look the handles of common household tools like pliers or shears, while others are ring-shaped and squeezable like stress balls. You can find forearm workout tools online or in some big box stores and sporting goods stores.

Yoga for the Hands
Can a mindfulness low-impact exercise like yoga, with its deep breathing and meditation, truly help improve your hand health and strength? Absolutely. Yoga practice helps fortify the connection between the body and mind which pairs well with hand exercises that rely so greatly on brain and eye coordination. Yoga exercises for the hand may include simple reflex stimulation, targeted stretching, and applying pressure between fingers as you touch them to each other in what are known as “Mudras.” Yoga is also known for helping to boost blood flow and loosen joints, which can additionally aid arthritis sufferers.

Hand Movements
Routinely practicing basic movements and exercising with items you find around the home can bolster arm/hand strength and help you maintain range of motion. These types of movements include exercises like wrist rolls - holding a small canned good with elbows bent at your sides, forearms out, and palms facing up, bend your wrists to curl your hands forwards towards your body and back. You may also use a rubber band wrapped around your thumb and fingers to practice mini resistance stretches, or simply squeeze a stress ball or tennis ball at regular intervals throughout the day.

Final Considerations
Using functional fitness to maintain your dexterity and a strong grip and pinch strength will largely benefit day to day tasks that are critical but which you may barely think twice about - brushing your teeth, picking up grocery bags, using the TV remote, or typing a text message on your phone. It’s critical to not wait until your hand strength starts to give out, but rather to start exercising now while you still have muscles and tendons to tone and flexibility in your fingers and wrist.

Practicing fine motor skills requires the routine use of the hands and fingers and bears its own health benefits including reducing risk of Alzheimer’s and other cognitive decline. Hand strength and functionality play a key role in helping seniors recover from debilitating conditions too like stroke or mobility impairment which requires them to grip a walker or cane.

This is a guest blog entry.