How Do You Know When To Be Concerned?

As we age, our bodies and minds change. Our memory is not as good. Arthritis sets in and joint pain becomes common. We may have illnesses that are harder to fight. And the list goes on. But how do you know when to be concerned? How do you know when you might start needing extra help to be safe or should go to a doctor to make sure everything you are feeling is simply a normal part of aging? If you have elderly loved ones, how do you know when its time to intervene and discuss your concerns?
There are often tell-tale signs that you need to begin having a conversation or looking for resources to assist,  if you take the time to observe yourself/your environment or that of your elder loved one's.

1. Can the senior take care of themselves? Are they having any hygiene issues, do they seem unkempt suddenly? What about their home? Is it looked after and tidy? If not, has this changed recently? Check the fridge - are there expired bottles and food in the fridge? Are there burnt pots on the stove?Have you noticed a sudden weight loss or weight gain?

2. Are there recent, sudden or new memory issues that seem more than just a bit of normal forgetfulness? Do they get lost when leaving the house? How significant are the things they are forgetting?

3. Do you notice any safety issues in the home? If there are stairs, are they safe and steady to climb them? Have there been any unexplained recent falls or injury? Can they walk safely unassisted or if they have a walker or cane, do they use it consistently? Do they take medications safely and when they are supposed to? Do they drive a car and if so are they obeying traffic rules and are they safe driving?

4. Has anything changed about their mood? Are they still as social as they were or has this changed? Do they call you more or less frequently than in the past?

If any of these questions cause you to wonder if there may be an issue, start by discussing it with your loved one to see if they have similar concerns. Go to the family doctor and discuss the same with them - there may be simple answers to some of what you see - it could have to do with medications or an underlying illness. Of immediate concern would be safety issues so do what you can to address them and look into assistive devices or an assessment by an Occupational Therapist. You may want to look at eligibility for home care through your local government service or other types of services in the community through a local seniors agency (for example, meals on wheels, personal alarm systems, grocery delivery, friendly visiting... etc.). If concerns are significant, it may be time to start exploring local retirement or long-term care homes with your loved one. Do keep in mind that the earlier you address problems and concerns, the more choice you have and the more time you have to make adjustments to an in-home situation. As well, no decisions should be made without the cooperation and knowledge of the senior involved. Sometimes a senior doesn't realize they need help or doesn't want to admit it - bringing your concerns to them, may free them to start discussing options with you. There are many ways to discuss concerns with your loved one. For more information download our Free E-book The Comprehensive Guide to Retirement Living and review Section 1 - Where do I Begin?

GUEST POST - How to Get Your Best Sleep in Your Senior Years

Aging brings with it a whole host of changes to your body and mind. You might even find yourself changing the way you do things in order to compensate for some of these shifts.  What many people don’t realize, however, is that you might need to do the same for your sleep habits. Sleeping can become more difficult as you age, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get a full night’s rest. There are a few different things you can do to get the best sleep possible in your senior years.

Listen to Your Body

As you age, you might notice that you begin to feel tired earlier in the evenings. Instead of comfortably staying up until 10PM, for example, you could find yourself nodding off around 8PM. Many people will fight these feelings and attempt to power through the evening on their own terms, but why fight your body? It’s telling you it is tired for a reason. Consider listening to it and adjusting your bedtime accordingly rather than attempting to deny the shift in your circadian rhythm.

Get Help for Insomnia

Insomnia is a particularly common issue to face as you age. The problem is that many people attempt to ignore the problem and move on with their lives rather than seek help. Because sleep is so vital to our physical and mental health, this course of action can be quite harmful. Instead of ignoring the issue, consider reaching out to a professional. This isn’t a “small issue” – it’s one that can impact your health significantly. If you find yourself unable to sleep, professional help could be the answer. Your doctor might be able to help you overcome the issue and return to peaceful nights full of rest.

Create an Environment Conducive to Sleep

Aging can be difficult on your body. You likely find that you have more aches and pains in the morning than you did when you were younger, but the pain at night might surprise you. There are many different health issues that can contribute to persistent pain, including things like osteoarthritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or simply strain on the important joints in your body. A mattress that is designed to help support you as you sleep could help by reducing stress on your body while you rest. You might also consider creating a quiet, cool bedroom that is dedicated to relaxation. Keep the TV and tablets out of the room and use the space for its intended purpose – sleeping.

Keep Exercising

Staying active might be the last thing you want to do if you’re not sleeping well. It’s important to note, however, that exercise can actually help regulate your sleep patterns and enable you to fall and stay asleep. You don’t have to engage in any particularly in-depth or strenuous workouts, either. Simply taking a walk a few times a week can be enough to help improve your sleep.

Sleeping as you age can be difficult, but it is not impossible.

Keep the information above in mind and work towards your sleep goals one tip at a time.

Contributed by: Lisa Smalls

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Lisa Smalls is a freelance writer for NC that regularly covers sleep health and lifestyle topics. She is always looking for ways to better herself and has a passion for helping others create a balance in their lives.

Elder Abuse Awareness

Elder Abuse, like all kinds of abuse, is often unreported (and under reported), likely because in far too many instances it is perpetrated by someone close to the senior. "North American studies indicate that between 2 and 10 per cent of older adults will experience some type of elder abuse or neglect each year." ( http://www.elderabuseontario.com/what-is-elder-abuse/). With the number of seniors increasing annually, this figure is truly disheartening and clearly this abuse, like all abuse towards a vulnerable sector in our society, really needs to be publicized; as a society, we need to do everything possible to combat it and assist victims. 
Abuse towards an elder can take many forms and includes not just physical abuse but also, psychological, emotional, verbal, financial, sexual abuse and neglect. Family members and caregivers, closest to a person, are in an ideal position to take advantage of a senior and some, who may be experiencing caregiver burnout, may not even recognize that they are victimizing the person. There are also people external to family, that are in a position of trust, like paid caregivers or neighbours who also are in a position to be an abuser especially if a senior is vulnerable and does not have regular family or friends who visit and know what is going on in their lives on a regular basis. 
If you know someone who is elderly and is exhibiting signs of unexplained injury, fear, anxiety, depression, helplessness, poor hygiene, unexplained weight loss, missing money or missing valuables, it may be time to reach out to them in privacy to let them know your concerns and ascertain if what you are seeing may be a sign of elder abuse. Always investigate properly and refer to professionals before jumping to any unnecessary conclusions. Never assume Elder Abuse is happening without proof, especially if you are not overly familiar with the person and their situation; each situation is unique and cultural differences may explain certain behaviours. Don't jump to conclusions but also, keep an eye out for possible issues. Visit http://www.elderabuseontario.com/ to find out more signs and symptoms or call 416-916-6728. If you are a senior and need assistance, call the Seniors Safety Line at 1-866-299-1011.
Abuse is not acceptable in any form.  June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It's unfortunate that we need to be reminded that we all bear the responsibility of of helping someone who is being abused.

GUEST POST - 5 Ways to Improve Sleep for Seniors

There’s no getting around it. Sleep can be a struggle for seniors. Insomnia and snoring increase as do instances of dementia and the need for medications that may cause wakefulness. But seniors need the same seven to nine hours as other adults. Sleep problems can primarily be reduced with good sleep habits and a plan that addresses individual sleep issues.  

Incorporate Daily Exercise

A 2010 study found that aerobic exercise can help seniors fall asleep faster and reduce night wakings. While insomnia isn’t the only sleep issue seniors may be facing, any kind of exercise can help wear the body out while helping to maintain muscle tone and heart health.

Exercise doesn’t need to be vigorous or strenuous to bring sleep benefits. Yoga, swim aerobics, and walking are low impact forms of exercise that can be tailored to the needs of seniors. Activities that can be enjoyed with others also offer social opportunities. While thirty minutes per day is recommended, any exercise is always better than none.

Bright Light Therapy

Sunlight, and other forms of blue spectrum light, naturally suppress sleep hormones during the day. As light fades, sleep hormones get released. Aging eyes often don’t let in as much light as they once did. When the eyes cannot absorb as much sunlight as is necessary to regulate sleep hormones, sleep irregularities like daytime sleepiness and nighttime insomnia may follow.

Increasing daytime exposure to blue spectrum light can help put the sleep cycle back on track. Seniors who participate in bright light therapy spend a few minutes each morning in front of a lamp with a specially designed light blub that mimics sunlight. The increased exposure to blue spectrum light supports the body’s natural rhythms and can improve the regularity of the sleep cycle.

Try Meditation

Stress can be a major sleep loss factor at any age. Seniors may face the loss of a spouse, financial changes, and/or moving out of a beloved home. The stress of life changes can compound sleep problems. Meditation is a simple, time effective way to manage stress.

Meditation has been shown to strengthen connections between the brain’s emotional and logical centers to aid emotional control. With practice, it can also reduce heart rate and improve blood pressure both of which can reduce stress and improve sleep. Seniors can participate in classes with a live instructor or meditation CDs or apps. Even 10  to 15 minutes per day can be enough to reduce stress levels.

Create a Bedroom of Comfort

Comfort can be an issue for seniors as aches and pains tend to increase with age. A heating pad, over the counter pain medication, and a glass of water on a nightstand provide easy access to nighttime pain relief.

A supportive mattress that’s the right firmness level for height and weight can make a big difference. Adjustable beds are other good option as they allow seniors to make adjustments for injuries and can be easier to get out of. Environmental conditions like cool to moderate bedroom temperatures, complete darkness, and absolute quiet make a difference too. Motion sensor nightlights are often a good idea as they allow seniors to see during nighttime trips to the bathroom, yet the light won’t keep them awake.

Set a Reasonable, Regular Bedtime

The human body, no matter the age, relies on consistency and behavioral patterns to correctly time the release of sleep hormones. A regular bedtime and calming bedtime routine are key to a consistent sleep pattern. The familiarity of routine also helps with dementia and other neurological issues that may come with age as they may reduce fear and irritability related to sundowning.

Conclusion

Seniors need just as much sleep as other adults. They face unique challenges, but a plan and support from family, friends, and health professionals can help.

Contributed by Amy Highland, SleepHelp.org

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Amy Highland is a sleep expert at SleepHelp.org. Her preferred research topics are health and wellness, so Amy's a regular reader of Scientific American and Nature. She loves taking naps during thunderstorms and cuddling up with a blanket, book, and cats.

Lasting Legacies

A couple of years ago, a very close aunt of mine passed away. She was the keeper of the family history. She found relatives we never knew we had and even created an extensive family tree that could plaster the walls of a decent size bedroom. She knew connections and remembered events and dates like no one else I knew. As I started noticing changes in her physical health, it occurred to me that when she was gone, no one would be able to fill that role. So much of the history of our family would be lost. So I asked her to start writing about her life. She couldn't understand why. To her, her life was unremarkable. To me it was incredibly special and a story I wanted preserved for future generations. I wanted her to leave us a legacy by transferring the knowledge of those connections, people and history to me. Unfortunately, by the time I asked her to do this, her abilities were already declining. She wrote some, but not enough to give me the story I wanted. I realized, it was something I should have asked her do years before or sat with her to create when I had the chance. Sometimes we get so caught up in the day to day, that the years fly by and things get forgotten or put off until it is too late.

When I worked as a hospital social worker, the concept of leaving a legacy for family came up often, especially with people who were nearing the end of their lives. There were many ideas people had - some talked about a video or audio tape, some were more inclined to write letters and others wanted to gift something special to a person in their lifetime. I remember one woman saying that she wanted to give her grandchild a special necklace from her "living grandmother, not her dead one". As a young mother, immersed in a job where illness was commonplace and things happened to people regardless of age or circumstance, I decided to start creating a legacy for my family from when my children were born. Every year, on their birthday, I would write them a letter from me - I would talk about what they had done, learnt and accomplished in that year, how proud I was of them and how much I loved them. Some years those letters were long, other years, not so much, but I would always write that letter. Those letters went and still go in a box and one day, they will each get their own box to go through. Perhaps I am simply nostalgic; I think of it as something beyond that though, something that will give them a sense of history and belonging, perhaps at a time when they need it the most.

I wonder how many of our readers think about legacies and how to leave them for their loved ones. Would you consider making a video? Writing a letter? Recording your life history? Do you have seniors in your life who you would like to write out their family history? How important do you think this is?

We'd really like to hear from some of you about this topic!

Relocation Fears

Our regular readers will know by now that relocation to a care setting is not something to be feared. There are several options, depending on need and finances and for many, concerns about safety, socialization, care and nutrition are quickly replaced with a new lease on life and improved health and well-being. That being said, many seniors and their families are concerned that such a significant move will prove to be a mistake.
From a family perspective, letting go of what may be a family home filled with memories and possessions can be daunting. As well, financial concerns abound especially when the choice is a private retirement setting that is without government subsidy or assistance. And finally, there is the fear that the person will decline because everything will be done for them and they will lose the will to be independent.
While its difficult to speak in generalities and everyone's experience is different, this last worry is usually completely unfounded and more often than not, with the environment in most retirement communities, people thrive and improve both mentally and physically, especially if they have been somewhat isolated and shut-in while living on their own. In addition,  the relationship between caregiver and senior will change for the better as their visits become actual visits rather than errands and household tasks that may have consumed their time together in the past.
Seniors who are relocating may share some of the same concerns as their family; downsizing can be a monumental task especially when one may have lived in the same home for decades. Financial issues often impact decision making as most are worried they will outlive their money or won't have anything left to will to their family. The other concern that often surfaces, especially if they have had regular visits from family members to assist with care or tasks, is that once they go into a care home, those visits will diminish.
In terms of the downsizing worry - it's important to separate memories from possessions - there are many ways to ease this process including, hiring a downsizing company to assist, passing down special items to loved ones (that they can 'visit') and photographing items in order to create a memory book, to name a few. Our latest edition of the Comprehensive Guide to Retirement Living available at no charge on our website at https://www.senioropolis.com/BookInfo.asp has information in Part 1 about downsizing and making the transition easier.
Finances are a common concern, especially since most seniors live on a limited budget. Often the sale of a family home is used to fund living in a private setting and the concern is that it will only last so long. For this issue, you should contact an investment advisor who can suggest ways in which to make your money last and calculate an affordable monthly budget to maximize your length of stay. Do keep in mind that if you require extra care or support in the future, the monthly costs may increase over time.
And finally, in terms of the worry a senior may have about less family visits, do everything you can to let them know that this is not the case. Visit often, take them out, involve them in family celebrations (if necessary hold celebrations at the retirement home), share information on the family and what is happening in everyone's life, take the kids to visit, stay for a meal and attend events in the home.

Private Solutions in a Public System

How do you feel about reaching out to the private sector for care or services? I think this is a question we are going to be called upon to answer more and more frequently in the coming years as our population demographic changes. It seems as if our healthcare system is already stretched and limited resources means that wait times for care and services will simply increase. For those that need or want services quickly, reaching out to the private system, for those that can afford it, seems like the next likely step.
This of course means that our system will increasingly become two-tiered but I would argue that to a certain degree, it already is. There are private medical clinics. There are private home health care services. There are retirement homes - all private. All of these services are provided for a fee outside of our public health system. They are responsive, provide quick services and resources, meet a need and fill in some significant cracks in our existing system.
Our current public system has some major holes. There are many who simply can't afford private service and must wait for what our government funded system can provide. For some this means living at risk in the community - needing care they simply can't access, until things worsen enough that they end up in hospital or in a nursing home. This is a problem that will only get worse, stretching our system further. For those on basic pension, this is truly an unfortunate scenario that there is no immediate solution to unless our government looks at innovative ways to resolve it.
But what about those who have the means to pay for extra care? There is an expectation of many that we should not have to pay for healthcare which is indeed what universal healthcare is all about. But what happens when what exists can't meet the needs? Is it fair to close the door to the private options, or simply not present them to people we help even if they can afford them? I ask this because I do know of colleagues who stand by the belief that people should not be 'told' or 'asked' to seek private solutions when our healthcare plan is meant to provide for us.
I would argue that you are doing people a disservice when you do not present all available options - public and private - allowing them to decide if they want to purchase care or services to supplement or replace what our government is able to provide. People need to be given the option of choosing for themselves, and if they can afford private care, it may indeed be their preference and a better option than waiting on the limited services our public system can provide.
When I first started visiting retirement homes many years ago, I was amazed at the stories of people who moved in needing assistance but who, over time, with proper care, nutrition, social stimulation, exercise and medication management, improved and became substantially more independent. If many of these people stayed in their homes, they would have eventually ended up in nursing homes. It speaks to the importance of retirement homes in our system on so many levels - of a private solution to a problem in our public system. So, I ask you, if an option exists that can meet a need, isn't it important to explore it, even if it is private pay?