Dementia versus Alzheimer’s: What’s the Difference?

Have you ever walked into a room and forgotten why you walked in there? Or have you frantically looked for your car keys thinking that you knew exactly where they were, but they were nowhere to be found? Those types of situations, looked at individually, do not mean you are developing dementia. They could simply be classified as mild forgetfulness, which is a normal part of aging. However, if you find your keys, but don’t know what to do with them, you may want to seek medical advice.

I often hear statements like, “My mother has Alzheimer’s disease” or “My father-in-law has dementia.” These terms seem to be used interchangeably frequently. Many people believe they mean the same thing; the fact that they have different meanings confuses patients, families and caregivers.

Dementia is the general loss of cognitive functions, like thinking and remembering things. Alzheimer’s disease is one of several types of dementia. Types of dementia include (but are not limited to):

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Lewy body dementia
• Frontotemporal disorders
• Vascular dementia

Alzheimer’s Disease

According to the Center for Disease Control, the 5.4 million people with Alzheimer’s disease account for 50 to 70 percent of all dementia cases. This is the most common form of dementia, which is why many people use these terms interchangeably.

Plaque may build-up between nerve cells and tangles (twisted fibers of another protein) inside cells, which may happen as people age. This plaque is much more developed for those people with Alzheimer’s.

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s may include impaired thought or speech, and confusion. The symptom that is most common in the early stages of Alzheimer’s is difficulty remembering something new. That is why someone might remember an event from decades earlier, but not what they did earlier that day. Over time, however, this recall may continue to get worse. Other symptoms may develop, such as deepening confusion, mood changes, more serious memory loss and even difficulty speaking, swallowing and walking.

Unlike some other forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s is degenerative; currently there is no cure for it. Scientists are trying to figure out how the plaque build-up affects this disease. The good news is that there has been a lot of progress in the last 15 years that could lead to new treatments to help reduce its effects or possibly provide a cure.

Lewy Body Dementia

Named for scientist, Friederich H. Lewy, who discovered irregular protein deposits in the brain stem in the early 1900’s, Lewy Body dementia (LBD) affects approximately 1.4 million Americans. These abnormal protein deposits found in the brain stem disrupt the brain's normal functioning.

The symptoms of Lewy Body dementia are similar to Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease dementia, so this lesser-known form of dementia has been underdiagnosed. However, the core features of LBD include:

• Cognition impairment, with attention and alertness deficits

• Visual hallucinations

• Sudden Parkinson-related symptoms

Because of the type of disease, people with LBD require wide-ranging treatment. The goal is to find the best treatment for each portion of the disease, without worsening symptoms from other areas. However, these treatments will simply slow the progression of the disease; there is no cure for it at this time.

Frontotemporal disorders

Frontotemporal dementia is caused by nerve cell damage to the frontal or temporal lobes of the brain. The degeneration of the lobes can cause a decline in behavior and personality, language, and muscle/motor skills. This disease generally affects people in their 50s and 60s, but has been found in people as young as in their 20s or as old as in their 80s.

At this time, the only known risk factor for frontotemporal dementia is genetics, which is the leading cause in about a third of these dementia cases. Unlike other forms of dementia, this disorder does not have any treatments to delay the progression of the disease, only medication to reduce anxiety or depression.

Because of the decline in muscle and motor skills, patients tend to wind up wheelchair or bed-bound, with issues chewing, swallowing, moving and other motor skills.

Vascular dementia

Vascular dementia is caused by a lack of blood flow to the brain, caused by a variety of conditions. A lack of blood flow to any part of the body could kill cells, but it is even more damaging to the brain, where there is the biggest network of blood vessels in the body. This might happen after a stroke and could get worse if a person has a series of small strokes.

When the brain does not get enough blood, the result is a decline in thinking skills. This decline could be mild, but could worsen if a person has a series of strokes or other conditions that block the blood flow.

Symptoms of vascular dementia (or vascular cognitive impairment, a term some experts want to use) can vary depending on what area of the brain is damaged from the lack of blood flow. If the portion of the brain that controls memory is not affected, a person’s memory may not be affected either. Other symptoms may include confusion, disorientation, difficulty speaking and/or vision loss. These symptoms may be more obvious right after someone has a stroke, but could improve during recovery. However, symptoms could get worse if a person has another stoke or a series of mini-strokes.

As with other forms of dementia, there is no cure for this disease. Controlling risk factors, such as no smoking, lowering blood pressure and weight, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight could help prevent additional decline.

What can you do?

If you think you or your loved one may have more pronounced memory loss, your doctor can perform a series of screenings, such as blood tests, brain scans or mental evaluations, to confirm the type of dementia you or a loved one has.

Our owner, Richard Ueberfluss, has earned the designation of Certified Dementia Practitioner® from the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners. This Council was formed to promote standards of excellence in dementia education to professionals and other caregivers who provide services to dementia clients. Its goal, as is the goal of its members, is to develop and encourage comprehensive standards of excellence in direct-care skills, education and sensitivity in the area of dementia care. Richard is committed to those standards and shares them with everyone at Assisting Hands^® Home Care.

We provide our clients with home care so they get the help they need, whether they have mental or physical struggles. We want them to stay safely in their own home for longer. We also provide a respite for you, the family caregiver. Whether you need someone to be with your senior loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, our at-home care can accommodate your needs. You will have peace of mind knowing that they aren’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100. To learn more about our in home senior care from LaGrange to Naperville, Wheaton to Willowbrook, click here.

Is Your Loved One Social?

You hear over and over how important it is to be physically active. But do you hear that it is also important to be socially active? People who are socially active have better mental health as well as cognitive function. They feel like they belong and are more connected to the world around them. Those who do not spend time others have a higher risk of developing depression and possibly dementia.

Since July is Social Wellness Month, we want to share 4 tips to help your senior loved one stay more socially active:

• Volunteer. Give your loved one the opportunity to give back to the community through volunteer work. Maybe they can help stuff envelopes for a mailing for a non-profit, help in a soup kitchen or even socialize with cats or dogs at a local animal shelter. Studies show that volunteering can lead to better health and mental cognition. It also gives people a sense of purpose as they do good for their community.
• Find or Continue a Hobby. Does your loved one like to paint, draw, play bridge, take pictures, fish or golf? If so, help them expand that hobby. There may be classes or events at a local park district or YMCA where they can get involved. There they can make friends and interact with other people who have the same passion.
• Catch Up with Old Friends. Does your loved one only talk to the same family members or a couple close friends? Why not reach out to other family members or friends they haven’t seen in a while and let them reconnect. If they can build a bigger social network, they won’t feel isolated.
• Interact with a Pet. Did your loved one have a cat or dog growing up or as a younger adult? If they can care for it, why not get them a pet that would be easy to take care of. (Cats are pretty self-sufficient.) If they don’t get a pet of their own, see ‘Volunteer’ above. If they are able, maybe they could volunteer at a local animal shelter a couple times a month. Psychology Today reviewed a number of published studies and found that pets do make excellent therapists. In fact, when looking at studies involving Alzheimer’s, development disabilities and even schizophrenia, the patients who interacted with therapy animals saw beneficial results.

At Assisting Hands Home Care, our caregivers can provide your loved one with safe transportation to activities so they can continue to have outside social interaction, as well as to and from doctor and other appointments, grocery shopping or other errands. Whether you need someone to be with them during the day, in the evening or overnight, our at home care can accommodate your needs. You will sleep better knowing that they aren’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100. To learn more about our in home senior care, click here.

Could You Identify Someone Having a Stroke?

Since May is National Stroke Awareness Month, we want to share some facts and prevention tips about strokes:

• Did you know that strokes are the number 5 cause of death and the number 1 cause of disability in the United States?
• Did you know that a stroke is caused by blood flow being cut off from the brain? There are 2 types of strokes: 1) ischemic stroke, which is when a clot obstructs blood flow to the brain; or 2) hemorrhagic stroke, which is when a blood vessel ruptures and prevents blood flow to the brain.
• Did you know that if blood flow is cut off from various parts of the brain, the body functions that that part of the brain controls won’t function as they should? 40% of stroke patients will have moderate to severe impairments that require special care! This is why strokes are the number 1 cause of disability.

It is important for people to control lifestyle and medical risk factors that contribute to a stroke. These include (but are not limited to):

• Eating habits
• Physical activity (or lack of it)
• Smoking
• Alcohol consumption
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Circulation problems

In other blogs we have discussed preventing some of these risk factors. Check out these blogs - How Can Your Senior Loved One Eat Healthier?, Do You Know the 4 Tips to Avoid Getting Type 2 Diabetes?, or Five Simple Changes to a Healthier Heart.

Knowing these facts, if someone does have a stroke, every minute counts; the faster they can get treatment, the better their chances of recovery.

Think F.A.S.T.:

• F – Face Drooping: Is one side of their face drooping or numb? If their smile is uneven it could be a sign of a stroke.
• A – Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Can they raise both arms? If one drifts down it could be a sign of a stroke.
• S – Speech Difficulty: Is their speech slurred, hard to understand or they can’t speak at all? This could be a sign of a stroke.
• T – Time to Call 911: If someone exhibits any of these symptoms, even if they seem to go away, call 911 and get them to the hospital immediately. Every second matters. Also, check the time so you know when these symptoms first started. Doctors will use that to track how long the brain may have been without blood flow.

Assisting Hands® Home Care we can be with your loved one when you can’t be there. Our caregivers are trained to look for these symptoms and can get help quickly. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight we can accommodate your needs. You will have peace of mind knowing that your loved one isn’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100.

Is Your Mother Okay?

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, a day to recognize and thank our mothers for all the hard work they’ve done throughout the years to raise us right. Whether or not you see your mother often, you may go to see her on Mother’s Day. There might be flowers, candy or a meal out. You will talk and laugh, letting her tell stories. With any luck, it will be a nice day so you can enjoy it together.

But will you really pay attention to your mother – not just listening to what she has to say, but watching what she does, how she moves and the condition of her house?

Is your mother okay? Here are 4 tips to make sure you understand her physical and mental condition when you are together:

• Watch Your Mother.  How is she walking? Is she moving slower than the last time you saw her? How does she look? Is she clean and groomed? We don’t mean that she has to be dressed like June Cleaver, but you’ll be able to tell a lot by her appearance.
• Listen to Your Mother.  When she speaks, is she as clear as she was the last time you saw her? Does she have a hard time remembering things that happened recently? Is she starting to repeat herself, even in the same conversation? The changes might be slight, but it is good to keep note of them to see a progression. One forgetful moment does not mean someone has dementia, but you will be able to see a pattern over time.
• Check out Your Mother’s Kitchen and Bathroom.  Is there healthy food in the refrigerator? Is the food that is there still fresh or should it have been thrown out weeks ago? In her medicine cabinet, what prescriptions are there? Are they pills that she should be taking? Based on the fill date, try to tell if they are being taken regularly. Also look to see if there are any rugs that could be a tripping hazard. Be wary of any rugs in front of sinks or even in hallways.
• Ask Your Mother How She is Feeling.  While you are talking, ask your mother how she is doing; there is nothing wrong with just asking the question. Sometimes a parent just needs a little encouragement to talk about things. She may say she’s fine and based on what you see, you believe her. You may also want to question things she says if it doesn’t match up with what you see. 

If your mother is still driving, ask where she has been and what time of day. Ask what route she takes to get there. She should know exactly how she gets around.

Ask about any medications she is taking as well. Hopefully she has a weekly pill case so it is easy for her to track which medications should be taken each day (or at certain times of the day). Make sure that case is full when you leave and she clearly understands what she needs to take and when.

You have been learning from your mother all your life; Mother’s Day is the perfect time to watch and learn some more from her, this time to help her!

At Assisting Hands Home Care we can provide your mother with safe transportation to and from doctors and other appointments, grocery shopping or other errands. Whether you need someone to be with her during the day, in the evening or overnight, we can accommodate your needs. You will sleep better knowing that your mother isn’t home alone when she needs help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100.

Can Your Loved One Safely Drive a Car?

In general, senior citizens are less distracted while behind the wheel than younger adults. In fact, more senior citizens wear their seat belts (as drivers and passengers), drive slower and in better weather condition, and do not drive after drinking. With all of those good driving habits, one would think that accidents among with senior citizens would be rare, but that is not the case.

According to the CDC, more than 5,560 older adults were killed and more than 214,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2012. That equates to 15 older adults (of 92 total people) being killed in car crashes every day! Part of the reason that so many seniors are killed in car crashes has to do with the fact that they are more susceptible to injury, along with having other medical conditions that could become worse in an accident.

Here are 4 things you can do to make sure your senior loved one can stay safe behind the wheel:

• Make sure they get regular eye exams. A senior’s eyesight could change dramatically from year to year. By having a regular exam, you can feel more confident that they can clearly see where they are going and any obstacles around them.
• Have their primary physician or pharmacist review their prescriptions periodically to make sure there are no harmful interactions that could impair driving.
• Have them get some physical activity as often as possible. If your loved one is physically in good shape, it is less likely that a minor fender-bender would be life-threatening.
• Pay attention to their mental cognition. If you find them repeating themselves more often or if they can’t remember where they’ve been, you might want to have a cognitive check done. You do not want your loved one to be confused when they are driving.

Driving is a privilege that very few people will willingly give up. Even if your loved one has their hands at 10 and 2, their seat belt on and radio off, it is important that they stay safe on the road in other ways.

At Assisting Hands Home Care we can provide your loved one with safe transportation to and from doctors and other appointments, grocery shopping or other errands. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, we can accommodate your needs. You will sleep better knowing that your loved one isn’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100.

Risk of Daily Low-Dose Aspirin is Outweighed by Benefits to Prevent Heart Attacks and Strokes

A Senior Journal story related the fact that more than half of older Americans – those age 45 through 75 – take an aspirin every day, even though this use is not recommended by the Food and Drug Administration for most people who have not yet had a heart attack or stroke.

The American Journal of Preventive Medicine quotes a story that confirms that aspirin use is continuing to surge, especially among adults who are using it for "primary prevention."  Essentially seniors take aspirin in order to prevent an initial cardiovascular event, and in some cases to prevent cancer.

A national survey of more than 2,500 respondents aged 45-75, 52 percent reported current aspirin use, and another 21 percent had used it at some point in the past. The average age of respondents in the survey was 60. A different report found that aspirin use increased 57 percent between 2005 and 2010.

The downside of aspirin use is that it is essentially a blood thinner and can cause bleeding events, which is a primary reason some medical experts recommend caution in its use, even at the "baby aspirin" dose of 81 milligrams often used for disease prevention. The FDA has determined that in primary use to prevent a first heart attack or stroke, for every such event that's prevented, there's approximately one major bleeding event that's caused, such as gastrointestinal bleeding.

Despite the risks, the U.S. preventive Services Task Force recently issued a recommendation that men and women aged 50 to 69 consider taking low-dose aspirin if they are at a high risk for heart attacks and strokes.

Several cardiologists took exception to the recommendation due to the bleeding risks. They want to see the recommendations carry more restrictions.

However, the physicians do admit that for men and women aged 50 to 69 who are at an increased risk from cardiovascular disease, the benefits of low-dose aspirin outweigh the risks. As an added benefit, a low-dose aspirin regimen also helps decrease the risk of colorectal cancer.

   

Some other findings of the survey include:

• The strongest predictor of regular aspirin use was a patient having discussed aspirin therapy with a health care provider.
• About 35 percent of people who don't objectively have risk factors that might merit aspirin therapy still use it.
• About 20 percent of people who have already had a heart attack or stroke, and should be on aspirin therapy, do not use it.
• A majority of both current and previous aspirin users rated themselves as being somewhat or very knowledgeable about it.
• Among aspirin users, the reasons cited for its use by respondents was for heart attack prevention, 84 percent; stroke prevention, 66 percent; cancer prevention, 18 percent; and prevention of Alzheimer's disease, 11 percent.
• Significant predictors of aspirin use included people who were physically active, ate healthy foods, had achieved a healthy weight, managed their stress, tried to quit smoking, and/or had undergone health screenings.

Research Confirms Exercise is Top "Prescription" for Arthritis

In the old days, seniors who were suffering from arthritis were advised to take it easy. Sit down most of the day so as not to stress your joints, well-meaning doctors would say. Sit in a rocking chair for easy, soothing motion, at the most. Rest your joints. If it hurts, don’t do it.

We know now that this was very bad advice. Multiple studies show that inactivity not only raises the risk of arthritis, but also leads to increased joint damage and pain when a person has arthritis. Exercise helps keep the joints lubricated and strengthens the muscles that support the joints. It also helps seniors maintain a healthy weight—one of the most important things we can do to be kind to our joints. According to the Arthritis Foundation, “Exercise is the most effective non-drug treatment for reducing pain and improving movement in osteoarthritis.”

How much, and what type, of exercise is best for seniors with arthritis? Researchers from Northwestern University tracked the activity level of a group of people with arthritis. They reported, “As expected, more time spent in moderate or vigorous activity was associated with lower reports of disabilities, but researchers were pleased to find that greater time spent in light intensity activities also was related to fewer disabilities.” Said lead researcher Prof. Dorothy Dunlap, “We were delighted to see that more time spent during the day, simply moving your body, even at a light intensity, may reduce disability. Now people with health problems or physical limitations who cannot increase the intensity of their activity have a starting place in the effort to stay independent.”

Walking is often called the perfect exercise. Reporting on recent research, the American College of Rheumatology said, “Walking an additional 1,000 steps each day was associated with between a 16 percent to 18 percent reduction in incident functional limitation two years later. Walking less than 6,000 steps daily was the best threshold for identifying those who developed functional limitation.” 6,000 steps might sound like a lot, but it’s only about an hour of walking, and can be spread out over the course of a day.  

But exercising with arthritis isn’t a simple thing. If movement causes some discomfort, it can seem counterintuitive to keep doing it. And, some exercises may be bad for a person with arthritis. This all may lead to uncertainty and anxiety that tempts a person to head right back to that rocking chair.

Beginning an arthritis-friendly exercise program

The first step is to get a “prescription” for an exercise plan that’s right for a person’s particular type and degree of arthritis from the doctor or physical therapist. This will most likely include low-impact, joint-friendly activities from four main categories:

• range-of-motion exercises to improve flexibility and relieve stiffness
• strengthening exercises to help muscles support the joints
• balance exercises to reduce the risk of falls
• aerobic or endurance exercises to reduce swelling in some joints and help maintain a healthy weight

Seven ways home care helps

The next step is to stick with the exercise plan. For many seniors, this is where home care is a valuable partner. When arthritis, as well as other health conditions that are common in senior adults, make it hard to be safe and active at home, home care is a great addition to a senior’s health management regimen. Here are ways professionally trained caregivers help senior clients follow their healthcare provider’s exercise “prescription”:

Supervision and support for exercise at home. Even when seniors have been given the green light by their doctor to begin an exercise program, they are sometimes hesitant. It’s hard to change old habits of caution. But having a professional caregiver nearby provides the extra measure of confidence to take exercise to a new level—maybe even the recommended 6,000 steps. Caregivers help clients follow the exercise prescription, use weights or other special equipment, or play an exercise DVD or video.

Venturing outdoors. The doctor will most likely recommend walking as a great overall exercise, but it can be hard to stay motivated after you’ve walked around your own block a hundred times. Professional caregivers and clients can plan outings that provide exercise and a nice change of scenery. How about a trip to the park or zoo? Or a mall walk on blustery days, or just to go shopping?

Housekeeping, laundry and personal care. While these standard home care services might not seem like part of an exercise program, they are activities that can be hard for a person with arthritis. Living in a dirty home and wearing rumpled clothing can be depressing and tempt a person to just spend the day in front of the TV.

Preparing nutritious meals. When a person has stiffness of the fingers and other joints, it’s tempting to live on prepackaged foods. This can lead to an unhealthy weight gain—one of the top factors that worsens arthritis pain. Caregivers prepare meals and snacks that both meet the nutritional needs of clients and help them maintain a healthy weight.

Fall protection. The top impediment to exercise for people with arthritis is joint pain, but the fear of falling is a close second. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with arthritis are twice as likely to experience a fall injury. To reduce the risk of a fall, and to create confidence that the home environment is safe, trained caregivers are alert to remove clutter and other hazardous conditions that could cause a senior to trip.

Transportation to healthcare appointments and exercise class. Arthritis management often requires several different healthcare providers, and many seniors take part in special arthritis-friendly exercise classes, yoga or tai chi, balance training and other interventions. But arthritis can make it unsafe to drive. Professional caregivers take clients to all these appointments, and also help them remember instructions to better manage their healthcare.

Medication management. Analgesic and anti-inflammatory medications relieve pain and reduce inflammation, but it’s important to take them correctly. Home caregivers can provide medication reminders, pick up prescriptions, and help clients use pillboxes and other organization devices to keep track of prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Learn More

The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org) is the sponsor of National Arthritis Awareness Month. Their website offers information about the benefits of exercise, including information about when it’s safe to work out with arthritis, and when patients should refrain. Above all, talk to your doctor if you have questions about your arthritis exercise program.

Source: Assisting Hands Home Care in association with IlluminAge. Copyright © IlluminAge, 2016.

How Can Your Senior Loved One Eat Healthier?

Your eyesight might not be what it used to be or the dinners that you once made without needing the recipe are harder to remember. As people age, their needs become a little greater, even with things that they once took for granted.

But it is very important, especially as we age, that we be aware of what we are eating. As we close out National Nutrition Month, we want to share 5 tips to healthier nutrition for seniors:

• Limit Processed Foods: It might seem easy to load up your loved one’s freezer with ‘healthy’ frozen dinners, but those meals are likely loaded with salt and sugar. Just because a package says ‘healthy’ doesn’t mean it really is. Instead, make a recipe for your loved one once a week and divide it into single servings that can be heated in the oven or microwave. This way you can control the ingredients and you will know they are healthy.
• Eat More Fruits and Vegetables: Fruits and vegetables have a lot of vitamins and fiber, are lower in calories, and are generally unprocessed (beware of canned fruits and vegetables). Instead of buying chips and dip, make sure your loved one has plenty of cut up vegetables and hummus or ready-to-eat fruit available.
• Be Wary of Hidden Sugars: They are everywhere – in condiments like BBQ sauce and ketchup to cereals, yogurt and sodas. Find cereal that is low in sugar and get plain yogurt without added sugar. Your loved one can add the cut up fruit (see above point) to it to give it a great flavor. 

Eating too much sugar can increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. When you buy packaged food for your loved one, look at the ingredients to see where sugar is listed (keep in mind sugar goes by a lot of names like glucose, high fructose corn syrup, etc). If it is listed at the top, skip it. If it is listed toward the bottom or not at all, it should be okay.

• Be Wary of Salt/Sodium: Even if a product is low in sugar, don’t forget to see how much sodium it has. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure. Instead of using salt as a seasoning, substitute with other herbs and spices to create a great tasting meal that is low in sodium.
• Eat More Whole Grains: Your loved one doesn’t have to skip bread altogether; instead get whole grain instead of white bread. The same holds true for pastas and rice – get whole wheat pasta and brown rice instead of white. As with other processed foods, be wary of products that claim they are whole grain, but they are not. 

As with a lot of processed foods, packaging can be misleading. Read the ingredient label to be sure you are getting what you really want for your loved one. If your loved one isn’t eating healthy yet, take these changes one at a time. If done correctly, they may welcome the change. It is never too early to start eating better; healthy habits can last a lifetime.

At Assisting Hands Home Care we can provide your loved one with healthy meals and daily activity to keep their mind and body in as good a condition as possible. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, we can accommodate your needs. You will sleep better knowing that your loved one isn’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100.

Do You Know the 4 Tips to Avoid Getting Type 2 Diabetes?

Did you know that March 22 is American Diabetes Alert Day? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 million people in the United States have diabetes. That is 9.3 percent of all Americans! Most of those cases involve type 2 diabetes, which is preventable. Diabetes.org has identified that almost 26 percent of seniors over age 65 has diabetes; much higher than the national average. They also note that diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States.

There are several ways to avoid getting type 2 diabetes. Although it helps to start when you are younger, it is never too late to start!

Here are 4 tips to avoid getting type 2 diabetes at any age:

• Eat Healthier. Sure that may be easier said than done, but it doesn’t have to be. Make one simple change at a time. Put less salt on your food. Choose a vegetarian meal versus a burger or other red meat once (or more) a week. Eat less processed foods – if it comes in a box or a jar, pass it by in favor of something fresh. If you are caring for an older loved one, try to make a healthy meal for them at least once-in-a-while instead of frozen dinners which have a lot of salt, sugar and other unhealthy ingredients.

• Exercise More. If you are not getting any physical activity, try to do something once or twice a week. If you exercise a couple times a week already, add one more day to your routine. You don’t have to run a marathon to be in shape; just do what you can. If you can walk, run, bike or swim, do it! Mix up your routine so you don’t get bored. Not only will you feel better physically, but exercising your body is a great way to keep your brain healthy too. Now that’s a win-win!

If you want to help an older adult get more physical activity in their day, take a walk with them. With the spring days getting longer and the weather getting warmer it is good to get them out and enjoy the nice days. If the weather isn’t great, go to a mall and walk around. It gets them out of the house and they can interact with the environment around them.

Always consult your doctor before starting an exercise regimen.

• Lose the Extra Weight. If you are eating healthier and getting more physical activity, you may lose some of that ‘winter weight’ without having to do anything else. Being overweight is one of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Losing a few pounds (or more) to get to a healthier weight is very beneficial at any age.

• Stress Less. High blood pressure is a risk factor for diabetes. Focus on the things that you can change and worry less about the things that you can’t change. You remember the Serenity Prayer:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

Even a few minutes of meditation each day can help a person re-focus their energy and have a positive mental attitude. Help your older loved one focus on happy memories, not sad or disturbing ones that make them upset.

Once you have diabetes, you are constantly in need of controlling it, so take steps now to prevent it. With some small, easy changes to your lifestyle, you can make a big difference in your health – and for those loved ones around you.

At Assisting Hands Home Care we can provide your loved one with healthy meals and daily activity to keep their mind and body in as good a condition as possible. Whether you need someone to be with your loved one during the day, in the evening or overnight, we can accommodate your needs. You will sleep better knowing that your loved one isn’t home alone when they need help with medication, fall prevention, personal care, eating or other needs.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100.

Osteoporosis Drugs Are Effective but Be Wary of Side Effects

By Richard Ueberfluss

More than 50 percent of women and 25 percent of men over fifty will suffer from an osteoporosis-related fracture.

Osteoporosis occurs when bone breaks down faster than it is replenished, leaving the skeleton porous and brittle.  Women lose bone density more rapidly during menopause, so they are more susceptible to osteoporosis than men.

Multiple medications, poor vision and balance problems also make older people more likely to trip and fall — one of the most common causes of hip fracture.

A hip fracture almost always requires surgical repair or replacement, followed by months of physical therapy. Taking steps to maintain bone density and avoid falls can help prevent hip fracture.

The good news is that hip fractures have dropped by 30 percent since 1995, according to a recent story in The Wall Street Journal.

The drop in hip fractures is puzzling, according to experts, because fewer Americans are taking drugs that help control osteoporosis.

In fact, use of osteoporosis drugs has dropped by more than 50 percent in recent years.  One of the reasons is that the drugs often come with serious side effects, such as sudden bone fractures.

The New England Journal of Medicine has estimated that for every 1,000 women with osteoporosis who were treated up to five years with bisphosphonates (a class of drugs that treat osteoporosis such as Fosamax and Reclast), they prevented100 fractures, and only caused one.

Doctors are split on ways to treat osteoporosis.  The Journal for example, quoted orthopedic trauma surgeon at the National Institutes of Health, who recommended that while bisphosphonates are effective, until someone has been diagnosed with osteoporosis, they shouldn’t take the drug for at least five years.

Whether or not medications are used, men and women with osteoporosis should have a senior care agency look for potential tripping hazards in the home that may cause falls.

If osteoporosis patients live alone, many families are using caregivers to stay with the patient to help prevent falls and teaching seniors how to minimize the dangers from falls.

Contact us today to schedule your free in-home fall prevention assessment at 630-305-9100.