Sunday, December 30, 2012

Optimistic seniors live longer than their peers: study

Written by Robert Walker
November 22, 2012

Do you consider yourself a pessimist? If so, changing your outlook on life could cut down on illness and help prolong your lifespan, according to a recent article in the Huffington Post.

A study from the Yale School of Public Health has found that older people who have a generally positive view about aging are more likely to recuperate from a serious illness than those who were more pessimistic about the idea of aging.

"This result suggests that how the old view their aging process could have an effect on how they experience it," Becca Levy of Yale University said in an official press release.

According to the study, respondents classified as pessimistic were less likely to perform certain actions after an illness, including dressing, bathing, walking, and getting up from a chair.

Ten years ago, Levy conducted a similar study, and found that those with positive views of aging were likely to have longer life expectancies by nearly eight years.

Researchers say one of the reasons optimistic attitudes about aging tends to correlate with better recuperation from injuries, and longer life expectancies, is because they frequently make healthier lifestyle choices, including exercise and nutrition. After all,
staying healthy in retirement is one of the best ways to live longer.

What kind of thinker are you? Are you optimistic or pessimistic about your own aging?

http://www.retirementhomes.com/library/optimistic-seniors-live-longer-than-their-peers-study/?utmsource=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utmcontent=17576564-1bcf-4daa-b58f-fbddb8cf8c3b

"Learn About Senior In Home Health Care in Columbus, Ohio

Senior Helpers Provides Many services in the Columbus, Ohio area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check.

If you need Home Care services in Amlin, Clintonville, Columbus, Delaware, Dublin, Galena, Hilliard, Lewis Center, New Albany, Powell, Sunbury, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Worthington, and the surrounding areas we are an excellent choice with impeccable references. Home Health Care for your elderly loved ones is never an easy choice but we can promise we will do our best to make it as painless as possible. From our family to yours we sincerely thank you for considering Senior Helpers of Columbus Home Health Care Company. "

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Aspirin: The 2,000-Year-Old Wonder Drug

By Lisa Collier Cool
Dec 12, 2012

Move over apples, there's a new sheriff in town. It seems that aspirin—the pain reliever relied on to ease a throbbing headache or aching back—taken once a day in low doses could be what actually keeps the doctor away.

Multiple studies have shown that 75 mg a day of aspirin can cut a person's risk of colon cancer by anywhere from 17 to 28 percent. It also reduces the odds of dying after a colon cancer diagnosis by 30 to 40 percent.

Popping one baby aspirin a day has also been shown to protect memory and cognitive function in older adults, according to a study recently published in BMJ Open. The growing amount of research is finding that a regular dose of aspirin does offer some protection against the development of dementia. According to the Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation, the cheap over-the-counter remedy could cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's by a whopping 55 percent.

As Americans search for options to trim the costs of healthcare, many are looking to this affordable, ancient remedy as a wonder drug.

Aspirin May Reduce Cognitive Decline

Aspirin Through the Ages


Officially known as acetylsalicylic acid (or ASA), aspirin's origins date back 2,000 years. References to medicine (made from salicylate-rich plants such as willow) being used to treat fevers have been found on Egyptian papyri. In 400 BC, Hippocrates, the "father of medicine," recommended willow bark—which is rich in salicylic acid—to treat aches and pains and as an analgesic for women in labor.

Willow bark's popularity stood the test of time. Legend says Lewis and Clark relied on it to treat fevers suffered during their famous expedition. In the 19th century pharmacists began experimenting with and prescribing chemicals related to salicylic acid, the active component of willow extract.

Modern day's version of aspirin is the result of German chemist Felix Hoffman's work in 1897.

Is Aspirin for Cats Safe?

Aspirin and Your Heart

In addition to being beneficial for brain and colon health, aspirin is also good for your heart.
According to the Mayo Clinic, an aspirin a day ups your heart health by interfering with your blood's clotting action. When you bleed, cells in your blood called platelets build up at the site of a cut or wound to help form a plug that stops the bleeding. This clotting can also occur in the blood vessels that supply blood to your heart, leading to a blood clot that can block the artery or prevent proper blood flow.

While it doesn't completely prohibit clotting altogether, aspirin helps by reducing platelets' ability to clot.

Cholesterol: The Good, The Bad, and The Essential

Is an aspirin a day for you?

Despite its popularity, doctors don't readily recommend aspirin to their patients or see aspirin as voluntary.

However the mounting body of research pointing to aspirin's ability to protect against a host of diseases begs the question: Should Americans ask their doctor about incorporating an aspirin a day?

Many doctors do suggest daily aspirin therapy to patients who:

  • have had a heart attack or stroke
  • have a family history of colon cancer
  • had a stent placed in a coronary artery, have had coronary bypass surgery, or have chest pain due to coronary artery disease (angina)
  • never have had a heart attack but are at high risk of having one
  • are a man with diabetes older than 50 or a woman with diabetes older than 60

Ask the Expert: Chemotherapy

Consult Your Physician


The typical dosage of aspirin as a preventive is 75 mg, fewer than a standard baby aspirin. However, many doctors will prescribe 81 mg (the dose of a typical baby aspirin) up to 325 mg, which is a regular strength aspirin.

There are downsides to aspirin, including aspirin allergy that can trigger an asthma attack, bleeding stomach ulcers, and clotting disorders. Before starting a daily aspirin regimen, it's best to talk to your doctor about your specific benefits and risks.

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/aspirin-2000-year-old-wonder-drug#.UMj6rkwWWcc.email

By Lisa Collier Cool
Dec 12, 2012

Move over apples, there's a new sheriff in town. It seems that aspirin—the pain reliever relied on to ease a throbbing headache or aching back—taken once a day in low doses could be what actually keeps the doctor away.

Multiple studies have shown that 75 mg a day of aspirin can cut a person's risk of colon cancer by anywhere from 17 to 28 percent. It also reduces the odds of dying after a colon cancer diagnosis by 30 to 40 percent.

Popping one baby aspirin a day has also been shown to protect memory and cognitive function in older adults, according to a study recently published in BMJ Open. The growing amount of research is finding that a regular dose of aspirin does offer some protection against the development of dementia. According to the Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation, the cheap over-the-counter remedy could cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's by a whopping 55 percent.

As Americans search for options to trim the costs of healthcare, many are looking to this affordable, ancient remedy as a wonder drug.

Aspirin May Reduce Cognitive Decline

Aspirin Through the Ages


Officially known as acetylsalicylic acid (or ASA), aspirin's origins date back 2,000 years. References to medicine (made from salicylate-rich plants such as willow) being used to treat fevers have been found on Egyptian papyri. In 400 BC, Hippocrates, the "father of medicine," recommended willow bark—which is rich in salicylic acid—to treat aches and pains and as an analgesic for women in labor.

Willow bark's popularity stood the test of time. Legend says Lewis and Clark relied on it to treat fevers suffered during their famous expedition. In the 19th century pharmacists began experimenting with and prescribing chemicals related to salicylic acid, the active component of willow extract.

Modern day's version of aspirin is the result of German chemist Felix Hoffman's work in 1897.

Is Aspirin for Cats Safe?

Aspirin and Your Heart

In addition to being beneficial for brain and colon health, aspirin is also good for your heart.
According to the Mayo Clinic, an aspirin a day ups your heart health by interfering with your blood's clotting action. When you bleed, cells in your blood called platelets build up at the site of a cut or wound to help form a plug that stops the bleeding. This clotting can also occur in the blood vessels that supply blood to your heart, leading to a blood clot that can block the artery or prevent proper blood flow.

While it doesn't completely prohibit clotting altogether, aspirin helps by reducing platelets' ability to clot.

Cholesterol: The Good, The Bad, and The Essential

Is an aspirin a day for you?

Despite its popularity, doctors don't readily recommend aspirin to their patients or see aspirin as voluntary.

However the mounting body of research pointing to aspirin's ability to protect against a host of diseases begs the question: Should Americans ask their doctor about incorporating an aspirin a day?

Many doctors do suggest daily aspirin therapy to patients who:

  • have had a heart attack or stroke
  • have a family history of colon cancer
  • had a stent placed in a coronary artery, have had coronary bypass surgery, or have chest pain due to coronary artery disease (angina)
  • never have had a heart attack but are at high risk of having one
  • are a man with diabetes older than 50 or a woman with diabetes older than 60

Ask the Expert: Chemotherapy

Consult Your Physician


The typical dosage of aspirin as a preventive is 75 mg, fewer than a standard baby aspirin. However, many doctors will prescribe 81 mg (the dose of a typical baby aspirin) up to 325 mg, which is a regular strength aspirin.

There are downsides to aspirin, including aspirin allergy that can trigger an asthma attack, bleeding stomach ulcers, and clotting disorders. Before starting a daily aspirin regimen, it's best to talk to your doctor about your specific benefits and risks.

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/aspirin-2000-year-old-wonder-drug#.UMj6rkwWWcc.email

"Learn About Senior In Home Health Care in Columbus, Ohio

Senior Helpers Provides Many services in the Columbus, Ohio area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check.

If you need Home Care services in Amlin, Clintonville, Columbus, Delaware, Dublin, Galena, Hilliard, Lewis Center, New Albany, Powell, Sunbury, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Worthington, and the surrounding areas we are an excellent choice with impeccable references. Home Health Care for your elderly loved ones is never an easy choice but we can promise we will do our best to make it as painless as possible. From our family to yours we sincerely thank you for considering Senior Helpers of Columbus Home Health Care Company. "

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Pat Summitt Wins 2012 Andrus Award

College basketball icon receives AARP's highest honor for her Alzheimer's advocacy

by: Christina Ianzito | from:
AARP | December 6, 2012


It would be hard to find someone more universally respected than the tireless woman who coached the University of Tennessee women's basketball team to unheard of heights over the past four decades. Pat Summitt pushed her players to 1,098 wins in her 38 years of coaching the Tennessee Lady Volunteers — more college basketball game wins than any other coach, male or female — until she stepped down last April after a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Summitt might have withdrawn quietly from the public spotlight in the months since her semi-retirement (she's now "head coach emeritus"), but instead she's using her celebrity to shine a light on the disease that affects an estimated 5.4 million Americans. She's established the Pat Summitt Foundation, a fund of East Tennessee Foundation that is dedicated to public education about Alzheimer's, supporting caregivers and patients, and funding research. Because of her outstanding efforts, AARP gave Summitt the 2012 Andrus Award for community service, the organization's highest honor, on Dec. 6.

It's the second time this year that AARP has honored Summitt. After her diagnosis but before she stepped down, AARP The Magazine chose the coach for a 2012 Inspire Award. At the time, Summitt told the magazine that she wanted her players "to understand that this is what I'm going through, but you don't quit living. You keep going."

Shortly after stepping down, Summit was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama and received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the annual ESPY Awards ceremony.

Patrick Wade, director of Summitt's Knoxville-based foundation, says the coach "is very humble and modest, so I don't think she'd say this, but her reputation is so incredible that she's bringing attention and awareness to the disease in a way that I think few people could do." As soon as she announced her diagnosis, her ardent supporters started wearing "We Back Pat" T-shirts, including players from Tennessee's rival teams.

Summitt has been an icon in women's basketball for so long, it's hard for some fans to imagine the sport without her. After growing up on a tobacco and dairy farm in Tennessee, she set scoring records as a player on the Lady Vols basketball team, and won a silver medal with the U.S. women's team in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal (when she was Patricia Head). She was offered the head coaching job at Tennessee when she was only 21 and women's sports were still on the sidelines. The players had to sell doughnuts to pay for their uniforms.

Summitt still attends her team's practices and games as often as she can, but is completely dedicated to the goals of her foundation, says Wade: "She really wants to turn her disease into a positive and help others."

http://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-12-2012/pat-summitt-wins-2012-andrus-award.html

"Learn About Senior In Home Health Care in Columbus, Ohio

Senior Helpers Provides Many services in the Columbus, Ohio area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check.

If you need Home Care services in Amlin, Clintonville, Columbus, Delaware, Dublin, Galena, Hilliard, Lewis Center, New Albany, Powell, Sunbury, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Worthington, and the surrounding areas we are an excellent choice with impeccable references. Home Health Care for your elderly loved ones is never an easy choice but we can promise we will do our best to make it as painless as possible. From our family to yours we sincerely thank you for considering Senior Helpers of Columbus Home Health Care Company. "

Sunday, December 9, 2012

He Has Alzheimer’s, Now What? Pt. 1

November 12, 2012 by Amy Goyer

A Twitter follower of mine, @Jason_Bournesm, tweeted me a question the other day about his grandfather who has Alzheimer's disease:

"@AmyGoyer my grandfather has #Alzheimers. how can I help him? I'm not able to do much physically. He doesn't remember much at all #sad"

Jason was born with spina bifida. While his physical challenges may limit some activities, I told him he has a lot to offer his grandfather! Grandchildren of all ages have a special love and energy to share.

In a two-part post, I'm sharing some of the ideas I shared with Jason. Keep in mind there are many stages of Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, and all of these approaches should be adapted according to the capabilities of your loved one. Here are the first four:

  1. Trust your instincts. Interacting with family members who have dementia requires tapping into your intuition. They may not be able to communicate what they like or want to do. Put yourself in their mind-set. Take a step back and observe their reactions. What brings a smile? Is humor useful, or do they need a low-key calm atmosphere? If they are agitated or upset, consider what may be causing the behaviors — are they sick? Uncomfortable? Frustrated? Bored?
  2. Get creative.  Think about adapting the activities they used to enjoy. Maybe they can't follow multistep directions, but breaking things down makes them doable. Sometimes simple daily household tasks provide a feeling of competence and success.
  3. Be there. Jason said he had been told that his presence was in and of itself a good thing. I absolutely agree; companionship and a loving presence are both meaningful and practical gifts. Many with dementia are isolated. Too often, friends and loved ones stay away because they selfishly feel that it's "too hard" to be around someone who has changed so much. It is difficult and sad, as Jason said —  no doubt. But should they suffer more because it's hard for you? What about them? Take your focus off of the past and yourself. Here is your mantra: Be here now. And know that your warm touch does make a difference in ways you can't always see. A hug, a hand or neck massage, simply holding hands can work wonders.
  4. Use music therapeutically. As a music therapist, music is my favorite tool for working with those with dementia. Music therapy uses music to address nonmusical goals. In other words, making beautiful music isn't your goal; bringing joy, movement, socialization etc. to your loved one is the goal. It's amazing how a well-loved song or genre of music can facilitate happiness and human connection even as memories and cognitive abilities fade. Try different types of music to see what lights your loved one up. Try music that was popular during their teens and twenties or that taps into childhood favorites — perhaps nursery rhymes, hymns or cultural family tunes. These are hard-wired into a part of the brain that fades last. Bring CDs, old records or load an iPod with their favorite tunes. Even singing "Happy Birthday" can bring a laugh and sense of success among the generations.

http://blog.aarp.org/2012/11/12/he-has-alzhiemers-now-what-pt-1/



"Learn About Senior In Home Health Care in Columbus, Ohio

Senior Helpers Provides Many services in the Columbus, Ohio area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check.

If you need Home Care services in Amlin, Clintonville, Columbus, Delaware, Dublin, Galena, Hilliard, Lewis Center, New Albany, Powell, Sunbury, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Worthington, and the surrounding areas we are an excellent choice with impeccable references. Home Health Care for your elderly loved ones is never an easy choice but we can promise we will do our best to make it as painless as possible. From our family to yours we sincerely thank you for considering Senior Helpers of Columbus Home Health Care Company. "

Monday, December 3, 2012

Optimistic seniors live longer than their peers: study

Written by Robert Walker
November 22, 2012

Do you consider yourself a pessimist? If so, changing your outlook on life could cut down on illness and help prolong your lifespan, according to a recent article in the Huffington Post.

A study from the Yale School of Public Health has found that older people who have a generally positive view about aging are more likely to recuperate from a serious illness than those who were more pessimistic about the idea of aging.


"This result suggests that how the old view their aging process could have an effect on how they experience it," Becca Levy of Yale University said in an official press release.
According to the study, respondents classified as pessimistic were less likely to perform certain actions after an illness, including dressing, bathing, walking, and getting up from a chair.

Ten years ago, Levy conducted a similar study, and found that those with positive views of aging were likely to have longer life expectancies by nearly eight years.
Researchers say one of the reasons optimistic attitudes about aging tends to correlate with better recuperation from injuries, and longer life expectancies, is because they frequently make healthier lifestyle choices, including exercise and nutrition. After all, staying healthy in retirement is one of the best ways to live longer.

What kind of thinker are you? Are you optimistic or pessimistic about your own aging?

http://www.retirementhomes.com/library/optimistic-seniors-live-longer-than-their-peers-study/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_content=17576564-1bcf-4daa-b58f-fbddb8cf8c3b

"Learn About Senior In Home Health Care in Columbus, Ohio

Senior Helpers Provides Many services in the Columbus, Ohio area. We provide a full array of Home Care services for seniors and the elderly living in this beautiful area. Our Home Care Services are provided by bonded and insured employees and all employees pass a National Background check.

If you need Home Care services in Amlin, Clintonville, Columbus, Delaware, Dublin, Galena, Hilliard, Lewis Center, New Albany, Powell, Sunbury, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Worthington, and the surrounding areas we are an excellent choice with impeccable references. Home Health Care for your elderly loved ones is never an easy choice but we can promise we will do our best to make it as painless as possible. From our family to yours we sincerely thank you for considering Senior Helpers of Columbus Home Health Care Company. "