Every day for the next 19 years, approximately 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 65. As the largest generation in American history, this group has made a tremendous impact on the world over the course of their lifetimes. Now as Baby Boomers head into their "golden years," how will they shape the future? How do they want to age and how do they plan to make their latter years golden indeed?
Watch this inspiring short video and consider just how far you've come over the course of your lifetime. What major changes took place in your life? What do you consider your most significant accomplishments? How will your past shape your future? What do you want your future to look like? Post a comment to share your thoughts!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Research: Activity Speeds Recovery for Seniors
Q. My 80-year-old mother has been in the hospital for 10 days and I am trying to figure out how to help her get her strength back. What do you suggest and how I can assist her further when she is home?
In a nutshell, help get your mother moving. A study has shown that hospitalized elderly patients who work to get back on their feet even by taking short walks around a hospital unit tend to leave the hospital sooner than their more sedentary peers.
The research, conducted at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, draws on data collected from 162 hospitalized patients over age 65. Each patient was fitted with a pager-sized “step activity monitor” attached to his or her ankle – an electronic device capable of counting every step the patient took.
“Using these monitors, we were able to see a correlation between even relatively small amounts of increased mobility and shorter lengths of stay in the hospital,” said Steve Fisher, a UTMB Health assistant professor and lead author on the paper. “We still found this effect after we used a statistical model to adjust for the differing severities of the patients' illnesses.”
Talk to your mother’s doctor or health care team about ways that you can get your mom up and around. Most hospitals are eager to help their patients recover and will assist them in daily walks. If you want to supplement that care by assisting your mother, she would undoubtedly welcome that encouragement. Or, if you are unavailable, consider hiring a caregiver companion who could help your mother in the hospital.
Such an individual not only could assist your mom in the hospital, but could also accompany her home to help keep her motivated to move as well as to lend a helping hand with household chores such as meal preparation, light housekeeping and medication reminders.
Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured, and capable of assisting your mother with several activities of daily living until she regains her strength. Home Instead Senior Care® also makes every effort to match CAREGivers with seniors of similar interests, which is a bonus for many older adults.
For more tips on how you can help your mother realize the important benefits of exercise, go to http://www.getmommoving.com./
For more information about Home Instead Senior Care of Carroll County, visit www.homeinstead.com/627.1. For more about the activity study, visit http://www.utmb.edu/newsroom/article6494.aspx.
In a nutshell, help get your mother moving. A study has shown that hospitalized elderly patients who work to get back on their feet even by taking short walks around a hospital unit tend to leave the hospital sooner than their more sedentary peers.
The research, conducted at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, draws on data collected from 162 hospitalized patients over age 65. Each patient was fitted with a pager-sized “step activity monitor” attached to his or her ankle – an electronic device capable of counting every step the patient took.
“Using these monitors, we were able to see a correlation between even relatively small amounts of increased mobility and shorter lengths of stay in the hospital,” said Steve Fisher, a UTMB Health assistant professor and lead author on the paper. “We still found this effect after we used a statistical model to adjust for the differing severities of the patients' illnesses.”
Talk to your mother’s doctor or health care team about ways that you can get your mom up and around. Most hospitals are eager to help their patients recover and will assist them in daily walks. If you want to supplement that care by assisting your mother, she would undoubtedly welcome that encouragement. Or, if you are unavailable, consider hiring a caregiver companion who could help your mother in the hospital.
Such an individual not only could assist your mom in the hospital, but could also accompany her home to help keep her motivated to move as well as to lend a helping hand with household chores such as meal preparation, light housekeeping and medication reminders.
Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured, and capable of assisting your mother with several activities of daily living until she regains her strength. Home Instead Senior Care® also makes every effort to match CAREGivers with seniors of similar interests, which is a bonus for many older adults.
For more tips on how you can help your mother realize the important benefits of exercise, go to http://www.getmommoving.com./
For more information about Home Instead Senior Care of Carroll County, visit www.homeinstead.com/627.1. For more about the activity study, visit http://www.utmb.edu/newsroom/article6494.aspx.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Living to 100 All in the Attitude
Q. I still feel fit and healthy at 75. How can I live to be 100?
It’s all in the attitude, according to recent research from the University of Georgia. How we feel about ourselves and our ability to adapt to an accumulation of challenging life experiences may be as important – or more important – than health factors in determining if we survive to be 100 years old.
The research used data collected as part of the Georgia Centenarian Study, one of only two centenarian studies in the country, to measure psychological and social factors in addition to genetics and health of so-called expert survivors.
Research found that critical life events and personal history, along with how people adapt to stressful situations and cope with them, are crucial to explaining successful aging. “Understanding health in these terms has huge implications for quality of life,” said Leonard Poon, director of the Institute of Gerontology in the UGA College of Public Health and lead author of the study.
Personality also determined how well the centenarians reacted to life stress and change, and therefore whether they were as happy in their old age as they were when young. Healthy 100-year-olds had personalities described as open and conscientious. Neurotic personalities tended to be less healthy, the study found.
Other research drawing from the Georgia Centenarian Study compared physical function of the elderly living in the community with those living in retirement facilities and found that physical activity decreased by approximately one-third when community residents moved to retirement facilities.
A decrease in physical activity accelerates a decline in health, explained Elaine Cress, professor in the Institute of Gerontology and lead author of a related study. “By understanding physical decline in functioning, caregivers can help maintain a high quality of life for the centenarian with appropriate support,” Cress said.
Companionship assistance can play an important role as you grow older, helping to maintain your independence and safety at home. Contact Home Instead Senior Care® for more information about how CAREGivers can make a difference in the lives of older adults as they approach that milestone age of 100.
For more information about Home Instead Senior Care of Carroll County, log on to www.homeinstead.com/627.1. For more about the study, visit http://www.uga.edu/news/artman/publish/101130_Age.shtml.
It’s all in the attitude, according to recent research from the University of Georgia. How we feel about ourselves and our ability to adapt to an accumulation of challenging life experiences may be as important – or more important – than health factors in determining if we survive to be 100 years old.
The research used data collected as part of the Georgia Centenarian Study, one of only two centenarian studies in the country, to measure psychological and social factors in addition to genetics and health of so-called expert survivors.
Research found that critical life events and personal history, along with how people adapt to stressful situations and cope with them, are crucial to explaining successful aging. “Understanding health in these terms has huge implications for quality of life,” said Leonard Poon, director of the Institute of Gerontology in the UGA College of Public Health and lead author of the study.
Personality also determined how well the centenarians reacted to life stress and change, and therefore whether they were as happy in their old age as they were when young. Healthy 100-year-olds had personalities described as open and conscientious. Neurotic personalities tended to be less healthy, the study found.
Other research drawing from the Georgia Centenarian Study compared physical function of the elderly living in the community with those living in retirement facilities and found that physical activity decreased by approximately one-third when community residents moved to retirement facilities.
A decrease in physical activity accelerates a decline in health, explained Elaine Cress, professor in the Institute of Gerontology and lead author of a related study. “By understanding physical decline in functioning, caregivers can help maintain a high quality of life for the centenarian with appropriate support,” Cress said.
Companionship assistance can play an important role as you grow older, helping to maintain your independence and safety at home. Contact Home Instead Senior Care® for more information about how CAREGivers can make a difference in the lives of older adults as they approach that milestone age of 100.
For more information about Home Instead Senior Care of Carroll County, log on to www.homeinstead.com/627.1. For more about the study, visit http://www.uga.edu/news/artman/publish/101130_Age.shtml.
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