Cold & Flu Prevention for Older Adults

By Diane Walker  RN, MS, CSA

Getting a cold or — even worse — the flu is a miserable inconvenience for anyone. For an older adult, the outcome can be worse than a few missed days at work or the inability to enjoy one’s activities, it can be much more serious. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “…90% of seasonal flu-related deaths and more than 60% of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations in the United States each year occur in people 65 years and older.” Older immune systems tend to be weaker which allows the flu to turn into more serious conditions such as bronchitis and / or pneumonia.

While an illness can hit anyone at any time, there are ways to prevent developing a cold or the flu. The best way to treat a cold or flu is to not get it in the first place. Prevention is key. Seniors and their caretakers should keep the following tips in mind to keep an older adult healthy:

Austin Mayor’s Task Force on Aging

Dear Friends,

For the past year, I have had the great honor to serve on the Austin Mayor’s Task Force on Aging. I am very proud to have been part of this effort.

The recommendations from the Task Force include the following focus areas:

1. Healthy Living
2. Independence
3. Informed Community

We are especially thrilled that under the focus area of ‘independence’, the Task Force specifically highlights the need for critical support and training for family caregivers. One of their recommendations is to expand CaregiverU, a collaboration that AGE is honored to coordinate with the generous support of the St. David’s Foundation.

The “Sandwich Generation” should be called the “Hero Generation”

(Guest Post by Caregiving Cafe)

According to Pew Research’s report titled “The Sandwich Generation,” 47% of US adults in their 40’s and 50’s have a parent who is 65 or older and are caring for a child 18 or younger, or are supporting a grown child.  Many are providing caregiving as well as financial and emotional support.  [Pew Research, January 2013]

With advancing age, the likelihood of an aging parent needing help by the time a child becomes a young adult is rather great.  The picture becomes a bit more complex as grown children experiencing hardship (financial or emotional) pull at their parents’ heartstrings (and wallet).

I have had a taste of this dubious “sandwich” while caring long-distance for my mother and raising our daughter.  Mine was actually loaded with the “extras,” as I also began to care for my husband when our daughter had just turned 13.  He became disabled as a result of CRPS, a painful and debilitating neurological disease.

Spring Lawn Care: Or When His (Or Her) Jobs Become Your Jobs

[This is the fifth installment of posts from Faith, AGE’s CaregiverU Coordinator and personal expert on being a family caregiver – you’ll continue hearing from her on a range of topics once a month.]

Lawn care.  Hmmm, not my expertise.  I do enjoy the sight of a well tended lawn, though.  Thick green grass, nicely edged, pretty stones in a ring around each tree, neatly trimmed trees, front flower bed blooming.  All very nice, but I am clueless as to how to create that, and probably not much better on knowing how to maintain it.  You see, I’ve been married close to 45 years and we’ve had a system called ‘his work’ and ‘her work’.  I took care of the inside of the house and he took care of the outside.  The work inside of the house and all my other responsibilities took up all of my time and then some, so I paid little attention to the work in our yard.  Seven years ago when we moved into our current house, I was eager to learn how to do yard work and hoped to work together with my spouse to plan the landscaping and share in the labor.  My dear husband was insulted by those plans—refer back to ‘his work’ and ‘her work’ above.  The yard was definitely his domain and I’d best remember that.  In the name of peace and harmony, I took my rightful place, and simply enjoyed the loveliness.

I enjoyed it until now.  Now my spouse is not so capable of planning and organizing the yard work.  He sometimes forgets how to start the lawn mower and claims it doesn’t work.   Our good neighbor comes over to get it going, and tells him the mower just needed an adjustment.  Helpful friends give him bedding plants for the flower beds, thinking he would enjoy digging in the dirt again.  He enjoys the digging and puttering, but then becomes very anxious because the plants aren’t thriving.  That’s when he asks me what to do, and, I’m –clueless.   He worries about the bald spots in the front lawn and then I worry.  Surely bald spots are not a good thing, but what does one do?

Keeping Seniors Safe in the Texas Summer Heat

This summer may have started out kinder and gentler than last year, but we aren’t out of the woods yet. The heat makes summer a dangerous season for everyone, but seniors are at a higher risk of suffering complications from the heat. Many seniors take medications that could dehydrate them or make them more sensitive to the sun. For seniors who are not as mobile or depend on others to come by to care for them, they may not be able to move themselves to a cooler spot or help themselves if they start feeling heat-sick when they’re by themselves. And they may have trouble recognizing when they are experiencing symptoms of disorders caused by heat before it’s too late. There are two main kinds of heat conditions:

Heat stroke is a very serious heat-related illness. Symptoms include dizziness, weakness, nausea, spots before the eyes, ringing in the ears, bright red dry skin, rapid, strong pulse, and a body temperature of more than 103 degrees.

Heat exhaustion is a more mild heat-related illness, but should still absolutely be treated. Symptoms include cool and clammy skin, a body temperature of up to 103 degrees, weak and rapid pulse, and shallow and quiet respirations.

If you notice someone who has these symptom, get to a doctor immediately!

Below are a few ideas and suggestions to help keep older adults cool:

• wear light colored or loose clothing
• use sunscreen, even if going outside for just a short period of time
• wear a hat that is wide-brimmed to protect the face (but isn’t so tight as to prevent ventilation)
• stay hydrated with water or other non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated drinks
• keep a spray bottle with cool water nearby to lightly spritz the face and body
• a shady spot outdoors may be cooler than inside, so sitting on a covered porch with a portable or ceiling fan may be a good option
• if you are inside with no AC, stay on the lower floor of your residence (which is typically cooler)
• mobile seniors should try to spend a few hours each day in a place with A/C: either a mall, library, a movie, or restaurant

Unfortunately, many seniors either cannot afford or don’t have access to air conditioning to combat the severe Texas heat. Below are a few suggestions to help:

Tips to help cool your home:

1. When it is safe to do so, leave windows open (even at night) on both sides of your house to get a cross-breeze.
2. Utilize portable fans and ceiling fans to amplify your A/C’s reach, or help substitute when you don’t have one.
3. Close curtains or shades on sunny windows, or find a way to cover them if they don’t have draperies already.
4. Clean and replace air filters regularly to maximize your AC and vent systems.

AGE of Central Texas is a community partner in Family Eldercare’s Fan Drive, so we have box fans available for those who are over 55, disabled, or have children under the age of 18 living in their house. They must be at or below 200% of the federal poverty level ($22,340 annual income for one person or $30,260 for a couple), and be able to provide an ID and proof of income. Call us at 512.451.4611 for more information.

For more information on how heat affects the elderly, click here for resources from the CDC.

How many of us get enough sleep?

Did you know that during sleep our brains consolidate and store our memory and learning? Sleep also helps us function more efficiently and effectively. Sleep helps us stay healthy and prevent additional health problems.

An adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. How often do you meet that?

Sometimes we deprive ourselves of sleep by the lifestyle we have (or choose to have). Work, poor sleep habits, and other factors contribute to volitional sleep deprivation. This shows that many of us don’t take sleep as seriously as we should. But other things beyond your control also affect how we sleep: environmental disruptions and untreated sleep disorders fall into this category.

Being tired can interfere with your daily activities, such as being sleepy at work- which can causes errors or injuries. It also affects your driving. We may not like to admit it, but how many people have felt drowsy while driving? Or even more dangerous, dozed off while at the wheel? It’s more common than you may think.

Sleep Apnea is one serious sleep disorder, and it is when airflow stops during sleep. This causes frequent awakenings so the person can adjust and open their airway. In severe Apnea, some people stop breathing over 30 times each hour during their sleep. That does not sound very restful! If you think you might have an issue similar to this, you should contact your doctor, or look up the Central Texas Neurology Consultants of St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center, who provided this information.

Those with Alzheimer’s disease (or those who care for them) know that as the disease progresses, sleep patterns often change. They might experience confusion between night and day, causing them to sleep long periods at off hours. Often, it can causes restlessness or sleeplessness, which can lead to wandering. And, of course, for caregivers all of this can prevent or interfere from being able to get any real rest of their own.

There are a couple of things that caregivers can do to alleviate sleep issues:

• Check with your physician about medications that might be causing sleeplessness.
• Avoid caffeine or stimulants.
• Encourage your loved one to be active during the day, even exercise, but be wary of too much activity close to bed time.
• If they struggle sleeping at night, minimize daytime naps especially later in the day.
• And try exposing them to sunlight in the morning and earlier in the day.
• And of course, maintain consistency when possible in rising for the day and going to bed at night.

Moral of the story: take care of yourself, get enough sleep. The consequences can echo through every aspect of your life. And if you think you or your loved one need medical help with getting real, restful sleep, don’t hesitate to contact your doctor. And if there are other things in your life (such as issues with aging or getting older, or caregiver challenges) that are interfering with your ability to rest and take care of yourself, please contact AGE of Central Texas and let us figure out how to help you find what you need.

New Research Demonstrates Connection Between Physical Activity and Healthier Aging

Studies in Archives of Internal Medicine examine associations between exercise and cognitive function, bone density, and overall health.

Senior exercise classExercise has previously been linked to beneficial effects on arthritis, falls and fractures, heart disease, lung disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. All of these conditions threaten older adults’ ability to function independently and handle tasks of daily living.

“Regular physical activity has been associated with greater longevity, as well as with reduced risk of physical disability and dependence, the most important health outcome for most older people,” said Jeff Williamson, M.D., M.H.S., and Marco Pahor, M.D., of University of Florida. “Now, four new studies move the scientific enterprise in this area further along the path toward the goal of understanding the full range of important aging-related outcomes for which exercise has a clinically relevant impact.”

Read more at the Right at Home website.

NPR: Long-Term Care Program Debuts In New Health Law

From NPR News
April 2, 2010
By Julie Rovner

The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act will help Americans save money to meet the cost of long-term care as they age. The program will especially benefit senior citizens.

It got precious little debate in either the House or Senate, and President Obama didn’t even mention it when he signed the huge health bill into law. But buried within the new health care overhaul is the first-ever federal insurance program to help Americans meet the often crushing costs of long-term care.

The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, better known as the CLASS Act, was one of the last legislative efforts of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA). He added it to the health bill last summer as it was moving through the committee he chaired in the Senate. While some lawmakers questioned whether the program would, as promised, actually pay for itself, it remained in the measure to the end.

“Long-term care supports and services have been the forgotten element of people’s health care needs,” said Judy Feder, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and professor of public policy at Georgetown University. “People who need help with the daily tasks of living need medical care, and they need these daily supports. They don’t distinguish between the two.”

Read more here at NPR News

NEWS: Why We Gain Weight As We Age

From NPR.org

It’s a pretty common lament, the idea that you just can’t eat what you used to. But why is that so? And is it avoidable? There are a number of reasons why we put on the pounds as years go by, but take heart: There are ways to fight back — and win!

There are some particular biological changes that happen as we age. For one, aging muscles actually contribute to the increase in the amount of fat we store in our bodies, says Cheryl Phillips, president of the American Geriatrics Society.

“So, if you look at a woman who is 70 years old and compare her to what her body was like at 25 years of age, even though her weight may be exactly the same, she had more percentage of muscle in her body when she was 25 than she does when she’s 70.”

Read more here at NPR.org

STUDY: “100 is the New 65”

From the Practical Care Continuum newsletter

Will Clark, 105, recently bought a van for a 5,000-mile road trip across the Midwest with his wife, Lois, who is 102.

The older you get, the healthier you’ve been. People who demonstrate exceptional longevity tend to have had a lifelong history of good health. Turns out that genetic factors may account for only 20 to 30 percent of a person’s lifespan, while environmental and behavioral factors can dictate the other 70 to 80 percent.

Read the full study here.