‘They Are Helping Me’, Organizations Reaching Out To Seniors During COVID-19 Pandemic April 22, 2020 08:56

Seniors are among the most vulnerable populations to COVID-19. This is not only because of the risk of the virus itself, but also the effects of being socially isolated. The National Institute on Aging says loneliness can lead to issues in both physical and mental health in the elderly.

During the pandemic, some South Florida groups are stepping up and reaching out.

With the stress of COVID-19, staying stimulated and engaged is more important for seniors now than ever. Social distancing, however, makes that difficult.

That’s why 63-year-old Evelyn Chacin, says she is taking advantage of free services offered by the YMCA of South Florida.

“I do exercises,” she said. “I do breathing exercises that they have taught me in the workshops.”

All of these come on a link sent right to her phone. They are also providing her with added peace of mind.

“They are helping me with my food,” Chacin says. “They are helping me with my rent.”

The YMCA said even though their doors are closed, they have other ways to offer support that people may not realize.

”I am so proud of the opportunity to be able to allow the show to go on,” said YMCA of South Florida President, Sheryl Woods. “We’ve been able to find ways to get them the resources they so desperately need.”

“Right now, during this crisis, we have programs that we provide remotely on the phone or FaceTime,” said Emilia Solano, YMCA District Executive Director. “We have depression management program, a health navigation program.”

Health professionals like Dr. Gianna Neil, with ChenMed, said services like this are critical.

“Prior to COVID-19, we identified that being alone or feeling alone was a risk factor for our seniors to end up in the emergency room,” she explained.

While it helps keep them safe from contracting the virus, feeling isolated can negatively affect mental health.

“At a time when social isolation is a necessity, it’s like a double-edged sword, if you will,” said Dr. Neil. “We are trying our best to make sure we combat it with the technology and being a helping hand.“

Places like ChenMed are doing what they can to engage with older patients, even if not in person

“You can expect to get, what we call, a love call. This is a call for which there is no specific agenda,“ she said.

Dr. Neil says their staff also is delivering bags of food and supplies to their home-bound patients.

For seniors or those who may be caring for an aging loved one, she has some suggestions to help them cope. Ideas include sticking to a daily routine as best they can, performing chair exercises for mobility, doing word or number puzzles to keep the mind occupied, and keeping in touch with people regularly over the phone, or even FaceTime, if available.

By Karli Barnett

COVID-19: What Older Adults Need to Know March 12, 2020 10:47 1 Comment

Jay Butler, Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases at CDC, describes preventative measures to help protect older adults from COVID-19.

Get Ready for COVID-19 Now

• Have supplies on hand
• Contact your healthcare provider to ask about obtaining extra necessary medications to have on hand in case there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in your community and you need to stay home for a prolonged period of time.
• If you cannot get extra medications, consider using mail-order for medications.
• Be sure you have over-the-counter medicines and medical supplies (tissues, etc.) to treat fever and other symptoms. Most people will be able to recover from COVID-19 at home.
• Have enough household items and groceries on hand so that you will be prepared to stay at home for a period of time.
• Take everyday precautions
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Take everyday preventive actions
• Clean your hands often
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place.
• If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places – elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, handshaking with people, etc. Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your hand or finger if you must touch something.
• Wash your hands after touching surfaces in public places.
• Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.
• Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs: practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks & cell phones)

Four Healthy Habits for Seniors to Reduce Cognitive Decline and Prevent Dementia March 3, 2020 09:19

With little advancement in the ability for drugs to treat dementia, many people are left asking:

• What can I do to help prevent or delay the onset of cognitive decline and dementia?
• What can I do to maintain healthy living as I grow older?

Chair Exercise DVD Programs

WOW!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS! THIS IS MY LIFE SAVER -SO GLAD I FOUND THIS March 2, 2020 11:49

Anne Pringle Burnell is awesome in leading the exercise. I have been using this for two weeks. What a difference in the way I feel and move. You get a total body workout sitting in a chair. I was so weak and now I'm getting stronger by the day.

                                                           ~Ray

Stretch & Strength Chair Exercise Program

Staying fit forever: ‘Even people using walkers or wheelchairs are exercising’ February 27, 2020 10:58

Staying fit forever: ‘Even people using walkers or wheelchairs are exercising’

“You have to be active,” Becker says, imitating a hunched-over person thumbing a cell phone. “Everyone is sitting in front of a computer all day. You have to move your entire body.”

Exercise for Seniors DVD

Complexity is the Secret of Youth February 26, 2020 17:11

The incredible processes that enable our bodies to perform even the simplest of tasks boggle the mind of the layman- but our physiological processes become increasingly simple as we age. 

Even seemingly simple bodily functions like heartbeat rely on interacting networks of metabolic controls, signaling pathways, genetic switches, and circadian rhythms. As our bodies age, these anatomic structures and physiologic processes lose complexity, making them less resilient and ultimately leading to frailty and disease.

 

A large and growing body of research suggests that biological complexity diminishes with aging, as various tissues and organs, and their communication pathways, gradually break down.

The fractal-like networks of tissue in our brains, bones, kidneys, and skin all lose structural complexity as we age. This loss impairs their capacity to adapt to stress, and may eventually lead to disease or disability. For example, when the microscopic struts in bone tissue thin and disconnect, as occurs with osteoporosis, bones become brittle and prone to fracturing. Likewise, the

pruning of neural connections in the brain is associated with age-related neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Physiologic processes, too, lose complexity with aging. Take, for instance, heart rate. Although average beats per minute may stay relatively constant over a person’s life span, tiny variations in the timing between beats become more regular (less complex) with advancing age. Numerous studies have linked this change to cardiac disease and mortality: The simpler the signal, the higher the likelihood of abnormal rhythms, heart attacks, and heart failure. Similarly, neural activity produces electrical signals that appear less complex in older adults. As complexity declines, so do motor control and cognitive functions, including gait, attention, and memory.

 

Enrolling in Medicare? Don't Make This Giant Mistake February 6, 2020 12:31

Enrolling in Medicare? Don't Make This Giant Mistake

Chronic Illness Number 7: Heart Failure February 3, 2020 14:13

14% of older adults were treated for heart failure — a condition that occurs when the heart cannot adequately supply blood and oxygen to all of the organs in the body.

The heart might become enlarged, develop more muscle mass, or pump faster in order to meet the body’s needs, causing you to feel tired, light headed, nauseous, confused, or lack an appetite. The best prevention is to follow a doctor’s recommendations to decrease your risk for coronary heart disease and high blood pressure.

Begin an exercise program. Try to limit saturated fats, foods high in sodium, and added sugars. Eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.

Medicare site lets you compare nursing homes February 2, 2020 10:01

If the time comes to find a nursing home for a loved one, you may conduct research on a website called “Nursing Home Compare” at Medicare.gov. The database includes all Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes in the U.S. https://www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/search.html?

To start the search, you input the location of the nursing home and may include the nursing home name. The program gives detailed information about nursing homes, which allows comparing the quality of care and staffing.

Certain icons have recently been added to the website to inform consumers about abuse at a nursing home. If a nursing home was cited for potential issues regarding abuse, a red icon with a hand is shown next to that nursing home name. A different icon with an exclamation point indicates that a nursing home has a history of poor care and may need increased oversight and enforcement.

Nursing homes in New York cost between $12,000 and $20,000 a month. Very few people can afford the high cost of 24-hour skilled nursing care provided by nursing homes. Although both Medicare and Medicaid may pay for the costs, the two programs differ significantly.

Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people age 65 or older or for younger people with disabilities. Medicare will pay for short-term nursing home stays for rehabilitation purposes to help improve a health condition or maintain a current health condition.

If a patient has a qualifying stay in a hospital for a minimum of three days, Medicare will pay for rehabilitation costs in a skilled nursing facility for up to 100 days. Medicare fully pays for the first 20 days and then partially pays for the next 80 days. The patient has a co-pay for the 80 days paid either from their own funds or possibly through secondary insurance coverage.

Medicaid is a joint federal and state insurance program for medical care for needy people and is also the main source of payment in the country for middle class people for long-term stays in a nursing home. To qualify for Medicaid for nursing home costs, an applicant must comply with complex rules governing which assets the applicant may keep, and which of the applicant’s assets are available to pay for nursing home costs. Each state administers nursing home Medicaid, so eligibility rules vary from state to state.

It is heartbreaking to move a loved one to a nursing home. In addition to the frustrating rules involved in the government paying for nursing home care, finding an acceptable nursing home is another overwhelming task for the family. The Compare Nursing Home website helps in the search by giving critical information about safety or the lack of it for vulnerable patients in nursing homes.

Thanks to St. Francis Health and Wellness in Little Falls, MN January 28, 2020 20:26

Thanks to St. Francis Health and Wellness in Little Falls, MN for utilizing the Stronger Seniors Chair Exercise Programs. Patti H. says "We use four different programs- everyone loves it."

Seniors Who Volunteer January 28, 2020 12:50

5 Reasons Seniors Should Volunteer

Regularly volunteering gets seniors out into the community, with people counting on their services and abilities. Being relied upon can give seniors purpose and a sense of responsibility, while also encouraging social engagement and even creating friendships.

Exercise for Seniors DVD

Just right for my limitations! January 23, 2020 11:06

It's just what I needed for my situation. I have bursitis in my right shoulder and have bouts of sciatica nerve pain. You still get a good work out. I highly recommend to younger and older alike. Anyone who doesn't want to pound the pavement or is unable to do strenuous cardio workouts."   ~ Peggy Tupper

Chair Exercise DVD

Chronic Illness Number 6: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) January 17, 2020 10:16

18% of older adults were treated for CKD or a slow loss in kidney function over time.

Chair Exercise for Seniors

Amazon Customer Recommends for Overweight January 13, 2020 16:21

I am 31 years old, morbidly obese and I have a bad back, hips and knees. I know these are supposed to be for seniors but if you are like me and can't do conventional exercise than these are for you. I do both routines everyday.

Stronger Seniors Stretch & Strength

Chronic Illness #5 January 11, 2020 13:32

Core Fitness DVD January 7, 2020 09:21

Good Workout for Handicapped January 2, 2020 13:02

"Even though sitting in a chair, this DVD provides a good workout. As a handicapped person I was looking for something not too strenuous, but providing exercise. Easy to follow."    ~ Marie

A Great Life is Possible in Assisted Living or a Nursing Home December 9, 2019 09:22

 We fall into the trap of believing that older people don't have anything to give back and are just consumers of services. We take away what we know people need, what science has shown we need: a reason to get up in the morning.

Thank you to Arbor Court Retirement Community in Topeka, Kansas December 5, 2019 11:08

We are so grateful to Julie Schmanke at Arbor Court Retirement Community in Topeka, Kansas.

A group there uses the Stronger Seniors Chair Exercise DVDs to stay healthy!

Chronic Illness #4 - Ischemic heart disease (coronary heart disease) December 2, 2019 17:13

29% of older adults were treated for ischemic heart disease – a condition that is caused by a build-up of plaque that narrows the arteries leading to the heart. Narrow or blocked arteries decreases the amount of oxygen-rich blood delivered to the heart. This can cause other complications like blood clots, angina, or a heart attack.

Exercise for Chronic Illness

Best Exercise for Arthritis November 26, 2019 21:34

The strength and balance exercises are also gentle enough that I can do the whole workout. My balance is poor but I hope with time I can stand without the chair. Definitely recommend this for anyone needing effective but gentle exercise. 

                                                         ~ Patricia V.

Stronger Seniors Chair Exercise Program

Chronic Illness #3 - Arthritis November 24, 2019 15:07

There are steps you can take to delay the onset of arthritis or manage the symptoms....

Chair Exercise for Arthritis

10 Reliable Ways to Cut Your Medicare Costs November 19, 2019 18:50

Medicare Costs - The older we get, the more health care we need — and medical care is expensive. Medicare, the government’s health insurance program for seniors, helps with those costs. 

Chair Exercise Video

Testimonial for Stretch and Strength Chair Exercise DVD November 13, 2019 14:13

   I'm a senior, 72 years young, and in great health and in reasonably good shape. If you give it your all, it's not a wimpy workout! 

Stretch and Strength Chair Exercise DVD