Healthy Diets Among Senior Citizens.

A new study by a Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researcher reveals a linkage between elderly living people’s appetite and mortality rates, with those who report impaired appetite more likely to die sooner. The study, published in the May issue of the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, demonstrated a link between the Daily Activity Energy Expenditure (DAEE– an accurate measurement of total physical activity), appetite and mortality among well functioning community-dwelling adults. Information on an elderly patient’s eating habits may be important for health providers regarding risk for patient deterioration and mortality.

“These findings are important because they show how subjective appetite measurement can predict death, even when adjusting for health and many other variables,” said Dr. Danit Shahar, a researcher with BGU’s S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition and Department of Epidemiology. “Past studies failed to show an association with survival. It was thought that decreased appetite may be an indicator or a result to other health problems, and that malnutrition, rather than low appetite was associated with mortality.”

“Dietary Factors in Relation to Daily Activity Energy Expenditure and Mortality among elderly living Adults” analyzes data from the Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) study to demonstrate that higher DAEE is strongly associated with increased appetite, resulting in lower risk of mortality in healthy elderly living adults. Using 298 older participants (ages 70-82 years) in the Health ABC study, researchers analyzed DAEE and dietary factors, including self-reported appetite, enjoyment of eating and intake assessed by the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and Healthy Eating Index (HEI). Participants who reported improved appetite were at lower risk for mortality. Similarly, participants who reported good appetite at baseline had a low risk for mortality. The results remained significant taking into account health status, physical activity, demographic and nutritional indices. Follow up was nine years.

We would also like you to keep in mind that it is never a bad idea to have a medical alert pendant like Guardian Alert 911 in your home.  These systems are very affective and better yet, do not require any contracts or monthly fees.  We have found a very reliable company by the name of LogicMark who manufactures the Guardian Alert 911 and Freedom Alert systems.

Tips For Senior Citizens Living Alone.

For many senior citizens, living alone can be a scary and confusing new experience. Some have never lived alone before and have always relied on others to take care of finances, home security, and housekeeping. Others are struggling with health and mobility issues that make daily living difficult. A slip in the bathtub or a fall down the stairs can be a terrifying and serious worry.

To help your elderly loved one avoid household accidents, slips, and falls, read the following guidelines. It doesn’t take much to make sure that your relative is living safely.
• Make sure all rooms, hallways, and staircases are adequately lit. Many older people struggle with poor eyesight, so extra lighting can help them see where they are going. Nightlights are an excellent way to light up the floor to prevent tripping.
• If your elderly relative lives in a two-story house, consider moving the bedroom downstairs. Stairs can be difficult for seniors, especially if they suffer from arthritis or tire easily.
• If stairs are absolutely necessary, make sure they are sturdy and have secure handrails at comfortable heights.
• Put non-slip mats in the shower and bathtub. Install grab bars in the shower as an added precaution.
• Test all smoke alarms regularly.
• Store frequently used kitchen items in low, easy-to-reach places to prevent seniors from having to reach or climb to get things.
• Put small appliances on timers. Older people can sometimes forget to turn things off. Consider installing a timer on the coffee pot, iron, toaster, or curling iron.
• Make sure that all electrical cords are safely out of the way. An elderly person can trip on a stray electrical cord.
• Check the floor for anything that could cause a fall. This includes area rugs, bumps in the carpet, or loose boards.
• Plan an emergency escape route if it is necessary to get out of the house quickly. Make sure your loved one knows what to do if there is a fire or another type of emergency.
· Visit here to view more information on senior citizen living facts.
If you have an elderly relative with a medical condition, help him/her make a list of emergency contacts including doctors, hospitals, and nearby friends and family that can be of assistance. In addition, a medical alert pendant system like Guardian Alert 911 can provide a direct link with to medical personnel. Usually, medical alarms are worn on the body, so they are easily accessible at all times. If a fall prevents an elderly person from getting to the phone, a medical alarm can be used to call for help instead.

Senior Citizen Emergency Statistics.

You will see that senior citizens are obviously more at risk than the general public.  With a Guardian Alert 911 type medical alert pendant we can help cut these statistics down.

Facts on Emergencies:
Research supports the common sense notion that getting prompt help makes surviving an emergency more likely. The ability to get help also boosts the odds that a senior citizen will continue to live without an assisted living program. The longer a person spends helpless, the greater the likelihood he/she will be discharged into supportive care. For senior citizens living alone, becoming incapacitated and unable to get help is a common event, which usually marks the end to their ability to live without an assisted living program.

Facts on Elderly Living:
As the oldest baby boomers become senior citizens in 2011, the percentage of people 65 and older is projected to grow faster than any other age group. In fact, 26 states are projected to double their elderly living (65+ and-older) populations between 2000 and 2030.

Facts on 911 Calls:
Over 150 Million emergency calls are made each year in the US.

Facts on Causes of Death:
Nearly 75% of all deaths in the United States are deaths of elderly living people. For many decades, heart disease, cancer, and stroke have been the leading causes of death among the elderly living alone, accounting for 70% of all deaths in this age group.

Facts on Falling:
Of the 35 million Americans over 65, about 1 in 3 will fall in a given year. The elderly living are hospitalized for fall-related injuries 5 times more often than they are for injuries from all other causes. Falls are the leading cause of accidental death for the elderly living alone.
50% of people who fall require assistance from someone else to get up. After a fall or other emergency, 90% of people who get help within one hour will continue to live a life without an assisted living program, but after 12 hours without help only 10% of people will continue to live at home.

Nearly one half of the senior citizen living communities who incur a serious injury never fully recover and many lose their ability to function independently and without the aid of an assisted living program for the rest of their lives. A good proportion end up in assisted living homes, making falls and the injuries that result, one of the most substantial health threats facing elderly living adults.

Facts on Heart Attacks:
1.5 million Heart attacks occur in the United States each year with 500,000 deaths. A heart attack occurs about every 20 seconds with a heart attack death about every minute.
About 50% of deaths occur within one hour of the heart attack – outside a hospital or assisted living home. There is a only a 6% to 9% early mortality rate from Heart attack for those who survive long enough to reach the hospital. Getting to the hospital quickly is a necessity. Deaths from cardiovascular diseases in women exceed the total number of deaths caused by the next 16 causes.
Costs related to heart attack exceed 60 billion dollars per year. Coronary Heart Disease is America’s No. 1 killer. Stroke is No. 3 and a leading cause of serious disability.
Many strokes are preventable and treatable with prompt medical attention.

Facts on Fire – Who is Most at Risk:
Seniors age 70 and over have the greatest risk of fire death. The fire death risk among elderly living is more than double the average population.

Activities For Senior Citizens.

Frail senior citizens need games, exercise, and things to do to help keep minds working and bodies strong. Here are some activities to help senior citizens.

Engaging and taking pleasure in visits with failing, forgetful, or weak senior citizens is possible with a little effort and creativity. Following are tips for bringing out the personality, energy, and humor in your older family members or friends with simple activities.

Introduce New Gadgets to Engage Elders
· A digital camera isn’t much of a novelty for younger folk, but for a senior citizen, one can be quite interesting.
· Take pictures of their favorite items and show them a little slide show (If needed, provide a magnifying glass).
· Ask questions and take notes to begin a history and journal tp turn into a scrapbook.
· Let the senior take pictures too.

Keeping Senior Citizens Active for Elderly Living Health
· For older Americans, reversal of the brain shrinkage that occurs as people age is just one benefit of greater physical activity, according to research published in The Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences (Vol. 61A, No. 11).
· Another article in this same journal showed that seniors who are at risk of losing independent functioning can benefit from a structured exercise program.
· Try to encourage regular exercise by asking an expert (a medical professional such as a physical therapist) for appropriate equipment and movements. If walks are appropriate, a stroll on a nice day is a fun and easy way to pass time.
· Birds can be a great pet for senior citizens. Birds can be entertaining as well as relaxing.

Great pets make Great Friends

Ideas for Physically Frail Elderly Living Citizens
· Baby toys can be a good option for keeping seniors active while encouraging hand-eye coordination. Baby and infant toys are generally colorful, soft-cornered, easy to grasp, and mind stimulating.
· Soft clay-like products made for children can be squeezed to help strengthen the hands.
· Simple games can help seniors stimulate the mind.
· See what types of exercise a frail senior can tolerate. According to April 2002 issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences, resistance training exercise just one day a week can give older adults the strength to maintain their independence and to avoid injuries (Researchers Scott Trappe, David Williamson, and Michael Godard).

Whether your elderly loved one is physically frail or not it makes sense to purchase a reliable medical alert pendant system for their home.  This will provide security and comfort for both parties.  There are so many personal alert systems on the market today and choosing one can be difficult.  We have found a system with twice the coverage of the famous Life Alert, it is waterproof (so it can be used in the shower or tub, a place where most slips and fall occur) and best of all, there are NO MONTHLY FEES!!!!

Put Something Amusing on TV for Elderly Living Care
· Shows like Animal Planet (a cable channel) shows, videos of young children or baby animals, and classic musicals are good for all ages and can be funny and uplifting. Watch along with your senior. It’s much more fun to laugh with a companion.
· Some great musicals include The Music Man (1962), The Sound of Music (1965), The Wizard of Oz (1939), Brigadoon (1954), and Singin’ in the Rain (1952).

Ask Questions about the Senior’s Childhood
· Who was their best friend and why?
· What games did they like to play?
· What was the best birthday present they ever got?
· Did they ever have a nickname?
· Put on a tape recorder or camcorder and save priceless memories to keep forever. Add to it on each visit.

Bring Children and Small, Safe Animals to Visit Senor Citizens
· Children and babies can be a rare sight for older folks confined in a home or other institution. There are significant benefits to old and young that might come from greater age integration. In lieu of the real thing, bring pictures or videos.
· Many older folks miss their companion pets. Borrow a puppy, kitten or bird for the day and bring it in an appropriate box. Be careful to avoid scratches or bites as seniors often have fragile skin.

· Birds can be a great pet for elderly living citizens. Birds can be entertaining as well as relaxing.
Activities and Ideas for Musical Seniors
· Try singing old-time songs like In the Good Ol’ Summertime.
· Search online for words to hymns, early barbershop quartet songs, and classic camping tunes. A highly rated campfire songbook on Amazon.com is Campfire Songs by Irene Maddox (Globe Pequot Pr; 2nd edition, April 1994) or you can look at the book, The American Song Treasury: 100 Favorites by Theodore Raph (Dover Publications,October 1986).
· Just about everyone knows childrens’ tunes such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, How Much is That Doggie in the Window, and Take Me Out to the Ball Game.

With senior citizens being so important in our lives, we need to make sure they are safe.  As all of the activities above will help them enjoy life a little more we still need to be concerned with the time they are alone.  If we supply them with a life alert type medical alert pendant then we can rest assured they are safe.

Why Senior Citizens Should Get a Medical Alert Pendant System.

At sometime in life, whether it’s your mom, dad, aunt, uncle, family, or a friend… life can become difficult.

Click Here to Order One NOW!!!!!

Mom could fall and not be able to call for help. Aunt Tillie’s arthritis could flare up not allowing her to get out of the tub. Dad could slip in the shower and not have a Button to push for help. Uncle Joe could have a heart attack and not have a Button to push to get help.

Most of our family members, or us, wait until an emergency occurs before getting a medical alert pendant device. Some refuse to use a system even after their first incident and therefore have the same fall, heart attack, stroke, breathing difficulty… or whatever kind of threat… yet again… with no way to summon help…because the can’t reach the phone for help to dial 911.

Here’s the problem. Once a senior has fallen and waited hours for help to find them…they lose a portion of their self-confidence. By the time someone has fallen multiple times without immediate help…they start to become a different person…they become frail and sometimes afraid.

The best time to protect a loved one with a Life Alert type medical alert pendant is prior to any problem. I have become a young senior myself and I now stay safe with my own Button. It’s the smart thing to do.

Other Ways To Help Senior Citizens.

1. Exercise more often! A low impact, daily exercise like walking or swimming can significantly improve your health without risk of serious injury. If you or a loved one has mobility issues, consider a lightweight and portable single release foldable walker. They significantly improve stability and allow the elderly living individual to gain a sense of Independence.

2. Healthy Diets. Our elders were raised with the impression that fatty foods didn’t play a role in health. Help them change their ways! Subway is a great diet source. You can purchase many foot long sandwiches for just $5.00. To cut back on cost have half for lunch and half for dinner. Another simple addition that no elderly living person will object to is a juicer! Whether you’re in the market for a simple citrus reamer, grapefruit juicer, or the more exotic wheat grass juicer, know that you are giving them a the gift of good health and longevity.

3. Accident-proof your bathroom. A high percentage of elderly living accidents happen in the bathroom. Outfit your bathroom with the latest geriatric friendly items like a walk-in tub that opens up on the side for easy access in and out. If a total bathroom renovation isn’t within your budget, you can place a few slip-proof bath mats and a shower stool in your existing tub. Check into re-usable handels as well.

4. Don’t overexert yourself. Straining to reach hard to reach areas can be especially taxing on the elderly living. Always ask for help when available and always look for new items to help with common house chores.

5. Spend time together. All human beings enjoy communication and companionship. Spending time with elderly loved ones has been shown to elevate mood levels.

6. Get a personal alert system. Compared to Life Alert, our system wins hands down. With a Guardian Alert medical alert pendant device there are no monthly fees and better yet, you speak directly to the 911 operator. The system is water resistant making it ideal for the bathroom, shower and spa. Visit the here website for more info.

 7. Volunteer! Retired folks enjoy the time off, but often miss the sense of community from the workplace. Volunteering together at the local Salvation Army or Red Cross will reignite that lost sense and help the community, too! Visit the organization websites for more info or look up local charities such as homeless shelters and soup kitchens that need a helping hand. It is satisfying to know that you are contributing to a greater cause.

8. Keep that brain active. You got to keep your mind in shape. Stay sharp with fun games like Sudoku or crossword puzzles. The Nintendo DS is also a great aid as it has many games that help the mind such as Brain Age and Flash Focus.