Your Digestive Health

How are you feeling lately?  Anything gut wrenching going on??

Do you know that almost 40% of older adults experience digestive issues? Your food doesn’t settle well.  You head to the bathroom too much.  You don’t visit the bathroom often enough.  

As you most likely understand the list of issues can be long when it comes to your health as you age and that includes with your digestive system.

Private Home Health Care likes to try to be helpful so we found a few things you can do to help keep your digestive tract running smoothly.

Check your medicines.  You might have medicines that can affect your digestion.  Check with your doctor and see if there are any options.

Keep active.  You need to get at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week.  It doesn’t have to be strenuous.  Walk, lift light weights.  Do whatever you can to be active. 

Get fiber into your diet.  You could have smoother sailing if you make sure to have fruits, vegetables and whole grains and beans in your diet.  Fiber helps keep things moving.

Drink, drink, drink.  Stay hydrated all day, every day.  If your body is hydrated it can help with blood pressure, digestion and even your skin.  It’s super important.

Maintain a healthy weight.  A healthy weight means less strain on every part of your body.

Stay in touch with your doctor.  Your doctor can help guide you with any of your health issues so be sure to keep regular appointments.

Help yourself as best you can and live your best life, no matter your age.

Happy Memorial Day, Thank You

Today, Private Home Health Care extends our warmest thanks to all of our veterans. We thank them for their service and we honor their service on this day.

Men and women have served in the military for countless years.  During past wars and currently in so many countries across the world.

Our military currently has the largest presence in Japan, Germany, South Korea, Italy and the United Kingdom.  We honor their service today as well.

We hope that as a veteran you know how much you are respected and how grateful we are as a nation to your sacrifices.

As we continue the Memorial Day holiday established in 1868 we hope everyone can enjoy a parade or memorial service for our veterans.  

If you have a sunny day, enjoy your picnic or cookout and think of the veteran’s in your life.

#MemorialDay

National Brother’s Day

Tomorrow is National Brother’s Day.  Do you have a brother you care about that you can call?

Growing up if you had a brother you could have many memories, good and bad.  If your brother was older he could have been helpful at times and also tortuous at other times.

We recall a story of a woman who had an older brother who used to make her play goalie in a pick up hockey game.

A  middle brother between two sisters can get interesting too.  There’s plenty of sibling rivalry going on along with a push or shove along the way.

Having a brother growing up builds bonds and as you age those bonds can become closer.  It’s someone who knows you and cares about you that can carry throughout your life.

There is no guarantee that everyone in the family will get along but if you can get through the trials and tribulations it can turn out really well.

There are a few famous brothers who seem to have done well together.

The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, created fairy tales that are still popular today.

Orville and Wilbur Wright were aviation pioneers who invented, built and flew the very first airplane.

The most famous of the Marx brothers, Chico, Harpo and Groucho made it in Hollywood.

For hockey lovers, the four Staal brothers from Canada all played in the National Hockey League for one season.

On National Brother’s Day, it doesn’t matter if you are famous to the world.  Your brother is the famous one in your life so check in with him and tell him how much you care.

Photo by Jen Gambardella

Seniors and Mental Health

Have you felt depressed in the last two weeks?  Have you been feeling lonely at all in the last two weeks?  

These are a couple of the questions everyone is asked at a doctor’s appointment these days.  How do you answer them?

Are you retired so no longer in a social work setting?  Do you have moments of feeling lonely?

The good news is that there is a lot of awareness around the needs of you as a senior and your mental health.  If you answered yes to any of the questions above there is hope.

Staying connected is one way to help maintain a positive attitude.

In Massachusetts you can find options to help:

Senior centers offer many services from exercise facilities, card games, sports like chair volleyball and book groups. They often offer rides to get you there too.

For mobile seniors, volunteer opportunities to meet new people and foster relationships.  There are programs that pair seniors with younger generations.

For those of you who are digital, there are online workshops offered to keep you up to speed with technology.

Additionally, you can take up a hobby, join a book club and participate in a senior exercise class.  All of these get you involved and with other people.  You might even make some new friends.

Eating and sleeping well are important parts of keeping yourself happy physically.  

Engaging in activities and meeting with family and friends are ways for you to keep you mentally happy and positive.

Dry Eye Disease

Are you a woman over the age of 60?  If so your chances of developing dry eye syndrome increases.

Women are more affected by both of these than men because of pregnancy and menopause and bodily changes from each.

Your eyes do not make enough tears or the tears evaporate too quickly and this causes the dryness in your eyes.

Symptoms may be mild with excess tearing at times or slight discomfort to your eyes or increase to having gritty, irritated or scratchy eyes.

Depending on your symptoms it may be difficult to read, to drive or to use a computer making your day-to-day life hard to manage.

Meeting with an optometrist or an ophthalmologist is an important step in managing this disease.  If left untreated you could have significant damage to your eyes.

Ways to manage dry eye syndrome depends on the severity of the disease.  

If you have a mild case over-the-counter drops can provide relief.  For more significant cases you may need prescription medications.

Lifestyle changes can help too.  You should stay hydrated to help with tear production. Hydration is good for the rest of your body too. 

Adding in omega-3 fatty acids like fish into your diet and managing how much time your eyes need to focus during reading or when using a computer. 

One guideline is to look away at something for 20 seconds from 20 feet away every 20 minutes.

Private Home Health Care understands the importance of having regular eye check ups. Identifying and managing any issues with your eyes helps keep them healthy.

Photo by Pixabay

Ageism

Private Home Health Care understands that when you are younger you don’t think too much about aging.  You know it will come to pass but you don’t focus on it.

Interestingly, it is estimated that by 2030 in our country there will be 20% of the population ages 65 and older.  In 2010, that figure was 13% so it’s definitely growing.

This means that there will be more older people in our lives.  How we deal with them will reflect how we as a society take care of and support those that are aging.

Ageism is unfortunately alive and well.  You may believe and be made to feel that once you hit a certain age you are not valued.

When you see an older person, is your first reaction negative or positive?  Do you make assumptions about that person’s capabilities?

It can happen a lot without even realizing it.  Making projections and assumptions about an older adult comes from a child, a teen or an adult.

How can we change this type of thinking and help the aging adults around us?

• The first thing is for you to recognize it.  This creates awareness which can lead to change.

• If you hear something said that is ageist, think about it and then calmly point it out to the person.  They may not even be aware they were doing it.

• Have you heard of “elderspeak”?  It’s speaking to an adult in a childlike manner.  Ask yourself if you would like that and then make a change.

• Try and find ways to include the elderly in activities. This has benefits for everyone.

• Don’t beat yourself up if you find that you’ve guilty of any of the behaviors above.  Learn instead and try to handle things differently.

You may be a retiree who has experienced ageism and feel a bit validated.  You could be someone who didn’t understand ageism and now feel enlightened.  

Making older adults feel useful, needed and important is a great goal for every community.

A Nutritional Powerhouse

It’s a legume that has been around for centuries originating in Syria.  It is versatile, can be used in savory dishes or sweet treats. 

It is full of protein and chock full of nutrients, it’s gluten-free and good for diabetics.

Did you guess chickpeas?  You might even call them garbanzo beans. You are right!

According to the U.S Agriculture’s FoodData Central, one cup of chickpeas contains:

• 269 calories
• 14.5 grams (g) of protein
• 4.25 g of fat
• 44.9 g of carbohydrates
• 12.5 g of dietary fiber
• 80.4 milligrams (mg) of calcium
• 4.74 mg of iron
• 78.7 mg of magnesium
• 276 mg of potassium
• 11.5 mg of sodium

The healthiness of chickpeas is because they are a complete protein, meaning that they contain nine essential amino acids.  Amino acids help our body function properly.

Additionally, the vitamins and minerals in chickpeas are tremendous.  You get good amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium.  Add in Vitamins A, E and C and voila!.

Chickpeas give you a powerhouse of healthiness for your body. 

Hummus comes to mind as one way to eat chickpeas but there are many recipes for dinners with chickpeas and you can always add them to your salad. 

Don’t forget about chickpea pasta too. Chickpea pasta has more protein and nutrients than white pasta.  It is also a bit milder in taste than wheat pasta.  

For something sweet you can use them in muffins, blondies and other sweet desserts.  

Private Home Health Care loves to add chickpeas to our meals to get as much protein and nutrients as possible.  Buy some and enjoy!

Photo by Kyle Killam

Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

Do you feel tired after a good night’s sleep?  Are you finding it hard to focus on tasks you are doing?

Have you had a dull ache over your body, fairly widespread, for three months or more?

If you answered yes to these three questions you may have fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is chronic and experts do not know the causes.  You can get flare-ups and have aches all in your muscles and joints making it difficult to manage daily life.  You can also have good days where you feel pain free.

Unfortunately everyone is different but a common theme is that it is exhausting.  Additionally, you might also suffer from headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety or depression. 

The disease can affect people of all ages, adults and children but is most commonly found in women over the age of 40.

Fibromyalgia can be difficult to diagnose so when visiting your medical professional be sure to have a list of symptoms you have experienced.

There are treatments and some medicines but the tricky part is that it can be different for each person.  There is no one treatment that works for everyone.

Your solution to help manage the pain could be medicine, over-the-counter or prescription..

Other options include stretching exercises or strength training, sleep therapy, cognitive therapy, stress management therapy or antidepressants.

Private Home Health Care knows there is no one roadmap for a person living with fibromyalgia.  Your medical professional will guide you on the best solutions to manage your pain.

A Very Special Sunday

This Sunday Private Home Health Care wishes all mothers a very Happy Mother’s Day!

The day was set aside to honor and recognize all the mothers and maternal bonds shared by the women in our lives.  

The origins go back to the19th century just after the Civil War and was made a special holiday by Woodrow Wilson in 1914.

The day originally started as a simpler and less commercial celebration when it was first created.  A white carnation was handed out along with time spent together.

Today it has changed to a day of flowers, dinners at restaurants and even more elaborate and expensive ways to honor our mothers.

Hoping that however you choose to celebrate your mother or a maternal influence in your life that it makes them feel special and loved.

A mother for many of us was a role model and a caretaker.  Someone who healed our scrapes, listened to us, and helped us navigate our teen years and beyond. 

Your mother may no longer be with you and if so hopefully her memory lives on in you.  We wish you happy recollections of times shared with your mother.

To all mothers, we hope you enjoy your day this Sunday!  Thanks for all you do.

Photo by RDNE Stock Project

Bladder Cancer

Today we’d like to talk about bladder cancer.  It is one of the more rare forms of cancer and easily treatable if caught early so it’s important to have information on it.

If you are a male age 55 or older, you are four times more likely to get it than a woman.  White men usually get it over Black men as well.

You do however pay more attention to the symptoms so it could be easier to catch it earlier  than your female counterparts.

Females tend to attribute the symptoms to other gynecological things which can delay the diagnosis.

What exactly is bladder cancer?

Your bladder becomes cancerous when the tissue lining in your bladder changes.  Abnormal cells form and then multiply.  

It can spread to your lymph nodes as well as your bones, liver or lungs.

What are the symptoms?

Blood in your urine is one early sign of possible bladder cancer.  It is not definitive that this is cancerous but it’s a common symptom.

Peeing a lot in a 24-hour period.

A burning or stinging feeling when you pee or pain after you pee.

An interrupted flow when you urinate.

Chronic or persistent bladder infections.

Your treatments could include surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation treatments or target therapy.

Private Home Health Care hopes you’ve learned something so you can advocate for yourself if you ever have any of the symptoms.