This Valentine’s Day we want to remind you of a special relationship between physical health and level of risk for cognitive decline. You may already be aware that, when you engage in physical activity you are building both physical and mental fitness. What you may not know is there is a “brain-heart-health connection” that influences your risk of cognitive decline: The healthier your heart, the lower your level of risk is for dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). 

What Does a Healthy Brain Require?

The brain-heart-health connection isn’t particularly complex. In a nutshell, a healthy brain requires 3 things:  

1. glucose (the chemical name for sugar) for energy
2. a strong blood supply to carry glucose and oxygen into the brain
3. a healthy diet to provide essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals, healthy fats) that serve as building blocks for brain chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine. 

Look over those items once more time. Numbers 1 and 3 on the list are directly related to your diet---what, how often, and how much you eat. Number 2 – a strong blood supply--is related to heart health. So how does heart health relate to brain health?

How a Fit, Healthy Heart Fuels a Fit, Healthy Brain

Your brain relies on a strong heart to pump oxygenated blood into all regions. Scientists now believe that the disease process that leads to Alzheimer’s Disease begins when brain tissue degrades and nerve tissue becomes damaged. Poor circulation to the brain is a key factor in causing such damage to brain tissue.

If you have a history of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, have diabetes, or other cardiovascular risk factors, it’s not only your heart that is at risk for disease, your brain is as well. For example, a type of dementia called vascular dementia can happen as a result of a series of small, “silent” strokes, sometimes called “mini-strokes.” Also, repeated or prolonged stress on the heart (such as from lack of physical activity, smoking, and stress) can lead to blockages and high blood pressure, which in turn affects circulation to the brain.

The good news is, many of the same things that strengthen the heart also help keep your brain fit and healthy. 

Exercise Daily. Exercise helps to strengthen the heart making it more efficient with each contraction; it improves the elasticity and strength of blood vessels; helps to lower blood pressure and improve circulation. When you exercise to build a healthy heart you are also supporting the health of your brain. 

Manage Stress. Stress elevates hormones in the body that increase inflammation which, over time, contributes to illness. Meditation, yoga, and mindful walking are stress management activities that put a damper on stress hormones and support the health of the heart, brain and body.

Smart Food. As we age, our bodies can become less efficient at digesting food and absorbing nutrients. Exercising and choosing nutrient-rich foods helps maintain healthy digestive processes, and provides the fuel the brain, heart and body need to maintain vital health. 

There are many other heart-healthy strategies you can use to support brain health. These include maintaining a sleep routine for adequate rest; reducing your intake of caffeine, processed foods, sugars, and alcohol; and of course, not smoking. 

Remember, the disease process that leads to Alzheimer’s evolves slowly, over as many as ten to twenty years! But the onset of dementia and AD can feel sudden because of the way it robs people of their vitality, memories, and quality of life. You have so many years ahead of you to take care of your heart and your brain...why not start today so that you can have a fitter, healthier future in your Golden Years!

Supporting Healthy Minds and Bodies at Everbrook Senior Living

From delicious, nutritious food to wellness and fitness activities to meet a wide variety of interests and needs, Everbrook Senior Living boasts a wide array of health and wellness solutions for every stage of life. Our cutting-edge wellness activities help participants achieve improvements in cardiovascular fitness, strength, and balance. These outcomes help residence reduce risk of injury from falls and risk for cardiovascular disease. 

The Wellness 4 Later Life program embodies the seven dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, social, intellectual, vocational, spiritual and environmental. Our highly experienced team of professional nurses, physiologists, therapists, and instructors delivers a customized, safe, and fun exercise program for each of our older adults. Enrichment activities help round out the needs of each resident, through activities that build community, strengthen cognitive skills, and support emotional wellbeing. 

Sources

CDC.com “Brain Health is Connected to Heart Health” Accessed 18 Jan 2022:https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/brain_health.htm

Natural Healing: Prevent Illness and Improve Your Life. The Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (2017). (print)

TED Radio Hour. "Lisa Genova: Can Alzheimer's Disease be Prevented?" Accessed 10 Apr 2018:https://www.npr.org/2017/07/21/537016132/lisa-genova-can-alzheimers-disease-be-prevented 

NIA.NIH.gov "What Causes Alzheimer's Disease?" Accessed 10 Apr 2018:https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-causes-alzheimers-disease

Smith G.E., "Healthy Cognitive Function and Dementia Prevention." Am Psychol. (2016, May-June). 71:4, 268-275. Accessed 9 Apr  2018:http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/amp/71/4/268/ 

Healthy Aging and Prevention: Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Emory University.http://alzheimers.emory.edu/healthy_aging/index.html 

Many people, even those who are in good health and eat a balanced, robust and healthy diet, take nutritional supplements. In fact, vitamins, minerals, and herbs are the most widely used over-the-counter products among people of every age and every lifestyle. Many older adults take nutritional supplements and they tend not to inform their physician (or even other family members) they are doing so. Mixing certain nutritional supplements with prescription medicines can result in a dangerous interaction and seniors could be putting their health—or even their life—at risk: Many nutritional supplements alter the way prescription medications work in the body. This can lead to a dangerous situation in which medications do not work as they should for a given medical condition and can result in a life-threatening interaction.

Every physiological process in the body relies upon vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other compounds that facilitate processes necessary to maintain your physical and emotional health. For people of all ages who eat a variety of healthy foods most of the time, we tend to get the nutrients we need. As we age, however, our bodies change in every respect.

Consequently, we may not digest food as well, can develop food intolerances, may take medications that affect nutrient absorption, and a variety of other factors can affect how effectively nutrients are getting to the places where the body most needs them. This can prompt senior citizens to take nutritional (dietary) supplements purchased over-the-counter.

4 Ways Nutritional Supplements can Interact with Prescription Medication

Taking nutritional supplements is not risk-free:  If you take prescription medications for health concerns such as menopause, a heart condition, cholesterol management, high blood pressure, cognitive decline to name a few, the dietary supplements you take could be changing the way your prescription medicines work inside your body. Some of these interactions can include:

1. Decreasing the effectiveness of a medication’s ability to treat a health condition
2. Increasing the potency of a prescription beyond what is medically safe for your condition
3. Altering how the body breaks down a medicine, resulting in too much oof the medicine circulating in the bloodstream and target tissues
4. Altering how a medicine is excreted by the body, which also changes potency

Many types of supplements can have these effects, depending upon the medication you are taking. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbs, and enzymes/enzymatic formulas. The nutritional supplement can be in a capsule, tablet, or a tea and still be a risk for interaction with prescription medication. 

Information to Give Your Doctor about Supplements You are Taking

It is so important for your doctor to know about all supplements you are taking. Tell the doctor:

• Name of the supplement
• How much you take
• How often you take it
• The form you take it in
• Where you purchased it, if you recall that information

Common Nutritional Supplements that Interact with Prescription Meds

The following nutritional supplements* can interact with prescription medications and alter how they work in the body:

• Concentrated garlic extract 
• Ginseng
• Goldenseal
• Kava
• St. John’s Wort
• Ginkgo Biloba
• Iron and multivitamin/mineral supplements containing iron
• Grapefruit extract and juice

*This is not a complete list.

Tips for Preventing a Nutritional Supplement & Prescription Drug Interaction

To prevent dangers reactions from taking supplements with prescription drugs, follow these tips:

1. Tell all of your doctors about every medicine and supplement you take. Bring a list to your appointments.
2. When you are prescribed a new medicine, ask your doctor these questions:

• How will the drug work in my body?
• Can I take this with the other medicines I am using?
• Should I avoid certain foods, beverages, supplements, or other products?
• Are there any drug reaction or interaction signs I should know about?

1. Use a drug interaction checker. Visit: drugs.com or rxlist.com to quickly identify if any interaction warnings appear for products you are taking. Always talk with your doctor before making any changes. 
2. Read all labels on any over-the-counter and prescription medicines –look for information about drug interactions. 
3. Where possible, purchase nutritional supplements from an integrative or functional medicine physician if your own doctor is not experienced in this area. 
4. Use one pharmacy for all of your prescriptions. This keeps a complete record of your medications in one place and makes it easier to track prescriptions ordered by different doctors. 

If you experience a medication interaction while also taking an nutritional supplement, report it using this form and report it to your physician.

Exceptional, High-Level Care for Senior Living 

At Everbrook Senior Living, our exceptionally well-trained professional staff are attentive to the various medications, supplemental nutrition support, and special dietary and lifestyle needs of every one of our residents. Whether you are living with us independently or are a part of our assisted living or memory care community, your health and wellbeing is our staff’s top priority. When you, or a loved one, are ready to move to a transitional care community rich with exceptional amenities, world-class medical expertise, and a devoted staff, schedule your visit with Everbrook Senior Living.

Sources

Food and Drug Administration

National Council on Patient Information and Education

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

Council for Responsible Nutrition

The Dana Foundation: Gateway to Responsible Information about the Brain. “What is ‘Healthy’ Cognitive Aging?” 

http://www.dana.org/News/What_is_‘Healthy__Cognitive_Aging_/ 

During the holidays as we gather with family, young and old alike, we may feel concern for a senior family member who is showing signs of difficulty with memory and cognition. While there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, the leading cause of dementia, engaging your elderly loved one in “brain games” can help to protect brain function, lower the risk for, and even slow the progression of dementia. So, put on your ugly holiday sweaters and gather everyone ‘round for these festive holiday games to stimulate thinking, cognition, recall, and problem-solving. 

Holiday Themed Games for Seniors

Holiday-themed Word Search

Crossword puzzles and other types of word-search games are fantastic activity for sharpening reasoning skills and stimulating multiple areas of the brain. Word searches generally involve using clues to solve a word-puzzle. This stimulates recollection from stored knowledge and memories, uses problem-solving skills, and provides a sense of reward when finding the right word to fit the space. You can find crossword books and games (in the app stores) that cover any theme and are suitable for any level. If your loved one is already struggling with signs of dementia, consider using a crossword designed for school-age children, which will utilize simpler words and clues.

Festive Jigsaw Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles are a great activity to do with family members of all ages. This provides your elder family member with a sense of inclusion. Jigsaw puzzles require reasoning, problem-solving skills, and creativity. To personalize jigsaw puzzles, you can have one made of a favorite family photo or destination that is meaningful to your senior. Imagine their joy to put together a puzzle depicting a happy memory! This can spark conversation about the “time when” or the events that are associated with the photo. And don’t forget the many other types of puzzle games… from Rubik’s Cube to Sudoku!

Board Games

Plenty of board games have holiday twists to them… we’ve listed a few below. Much like jigsaw puzzles, playing board games stimulates multiple brain functions:  recall, retention, formation of new memories, problem-solving, use of logic (and wit), creativity, and much more. Also, games with two or more players reinforce social skills, communication skills, and collaboration. 

Here are just a few games that you can find through a quick search online:

• Christmasopoly - You guessed it… the Christmas version of Monopoly.
• Dreidel Roulette takes a fun spin on a traditional Hannukah game.
• Diwali Bingo introduces you to the meaning of the Hindi Festival of Lights in entertaining fashion.
• Any Reindeer Game is a board game that the young and old will enjoy—and up to 10 people can play!

Though this may not sound like a big deal, fun games like these can improve a senior’s cognitive function. Try them out with your loved one and see what they like best. Everyone has different preferences. 

Many other board games have holiday themes, based on the beautiful range of holiday spiritual traditions from around the globe; others have a festive take on a popular game. Many games that were once only board games also have counterparts for mobile devices and are suitable for multiple players. If your elder loved one is savvy with a smart phone, they can play Monopoly, Life, Battleship, and the online platform Luminosity is a popular brain training game site.

Signs of Concern for Memory Decline in an Elderly Loved One

While you are spending time with your elderly loved one, keep tabs on how they are functioning. The following are just a few of the signs that may raise concern about memory decline or dementia in seniors:

• Difficulty with everyday tasks, like following directions.
• Trouble paying attention and/or following a conversation.
• Repeating stories or asking the same questions multiple times.
• Personality changes that make you think “this really is not the same person I knew.”
• Confusion about time, place, or order of events/tasks.
• Acting out in ways that are not typical, such as angry outbursts.
• Withdrawing from friends and family.

Is it Time for Memory Care for Your Elderly Loved One?

If you’ve observed your elderly family is struggling with age-related memory decline, it’s time for a  thorough medical evaluation and consideration as to whether or not it is best for them to remain living on their own or in a family member’s care. The ongoing care of someone who is in cognitive decline requires a tremendous commitment of time and resources emotionally, mentally, and financially.

Have you asked yourself:  Is now the time for compassionate memory care arrangements for my loved one? 

At Everbrook Senior Living Communities, we provide a range of high-quality, compassionate care to support the social, emotional, and physical needs of older adults at every stage of later life. Our residents—your loved one—is considered an extended member of our own family. Through our Memory Care Program we provided enhanced support and specialized services to address memory impairment, while the caregivers need to revitalize their own lives so that the time they spend with their afflicted loved one is of high quality.

Every aspect of the Everbrook Memory Care Program is designed using evidence-based research combined with personalized care and services delivered by well-trained professional medical and attentive support staff. 

If you feel that your loved one is ready for memory care, you can speak with an Everbrook community advocate right from our website. Our advocates provide compassionate guidance to help you make the best choice for your elder family member. 

Ready to visit? Schedule an on-site tour of an Everbrook Community.  

Sources

“3 Cognitive Games for Seniors that You Have to Try” Port St. Lucie Hospital Blog 

“The Best Free and Paid Games for Seniors”  Sixty&Me Blog

Brain Health Initiative Newsletters  (presented by Harvard Health)

The holiday season can be one of the most difficult times of year for our elderly loved ones. Do you know how to recognize the concerning signs that can indicate your older adult family member is struggling with more than just the holiday blues?

There are several reasons why an elderly family member may experience sadness around the holidays, any of which can be a common part of growing older:

• Widowed within the past year or previous loss of a partner during the holidays
• Caretaking for a partner in declining health
• Coping with their own declining health
• Loss of the ability to drive or other forms of personal independence
• Changes in their ability to care for themselves (bathing, household chores)
• Coping with the death of close friends/family members to COVID-19 and other illness

Grieving over any type of loss and the range of emotions that comes with it is to be expected and it varies by person. However, when grief, sadness, despondency, or other difficult emotions are prolonged and interfere with a senior’s day-to-day vitality, they may be suffering from depression.

More than two million of the 34 million Americans age 65 and older suffer from some form of depression. Depression in seniors can be recognized by concerning signs, such as

• Not keeping-up the cleanliness of their home environment. Or, if living with you, not keeping their room and personal effects well-maintained.
• Finding unpaid bills or unopened mail. Receipt of debt collection notices.
• Noticing that they have lost or gained a noticeable amount of weight.
• Changes to their eating habits. (forgetting they ate, eating less)
• Noticing they are not taking prescribed medications. 
• Avoiding people, loss of interest or enthusiasm for usual activities.
• Noticeable personality changes, mood swings, or irritability for no apparent reason.
• Reacting out of proportion to a circumstance.
• Hearing them be overly critical about or dismissing holiday celebrations/obligations.
• Noticeable changes in their mobility, balance, or thought process.

Perhaps you have taken steps to address some of these concerning signs:

• You’ve kept in touch by phone, mail, email and text
• Encouraged and even arranged for social activities, friendly visits, or home care
• Helped them explore former and new hobbies, and shared in them together
• Arranged a support community through local organizations or a type of home care

If the concerning signs you’ve observed in your elderly family member have not improved, then they may be experiencing more than just the holiday blues. Your older-adult family member may have clinical depression—it may be more than they or you can handle on your own. 

You may be asking yourself: Is it time for compassionate assisted living care for my elderly loved one? 

At each of the Everbrook Senior Living Communities, we provide a range of high-quality, compassionate care to support the social, emotional, and physical needs of older adults at every stage of later life. Our residents—your loved one—is considered an extended member of our own family. Through our Assisted Living Program we provide “life at home, with a little help.” We design every aspect of the assisted living program using evidence-based research combined with personalized care and services delivered by well-trained professional medical and community staff. We continually evaluate and implement an up-to-date menu of services to meet the needs of your loved one. It is our passion for service excellence that places each of our senior living communities at the very pinnacle of the industry.

If you feel that your loved one is ready for assisted care, you can speak with an Everbrook community advocate right from our website. Our advocates provide compassionate guidance to help you make the best choice for your elder family member. 

Ready to visit? Schedule an on-site tour of an Everbrook Community. 

Sources

Learn More about Everbrook Assisted Living

Sadovsky, R., “Prevalence and recognition of depression in elderly patients,” American Academy of Family Physicians, 57;5 (1998):1096.

National Institute of Mental Health: 

Depression and Older Adults 

Twitter Chat on Older Adults and Depression

MHANational.org:  Depression and Older Adults: More Facts

The winter solstice (Dec. 21st) plays a role in vitamin D deprivation. Often seniors will suffer from bone softening, nausea, cognitive difficulties and frailty. Each of these symptoms can be mistaken for any number of illnesses but could quickly be identified as a lack of Vitamin D by a physician.

The CDC has determined that osteoporosis affects 16% of all seniors. The condition carries serious health risks, potentially leading to falls and other home safety hazards. The clear connection between vitamin D and bone health in the elderly helps defend against bone softening. Vitamin D improves senior mental health, combating prevalent issues like elderly depression. A 2017 study of more than 5,600 older adults found a link between lower levels of vitamin D and depressive symptoms, such as loneliness, lack of enjoyment, and restless sleep.

Study participants with the least amount of vitamin D reported more pronounced mental health concerns. As a result of this emerging science, researchers continue to investigate a potential vitamin D antidepressant.

There are several ways to attain vitamin D benefits:

Sunshine is one of the best natural sources of vitamin D. Take an afternoon walk or invest in a UV lamp for colder months.

• One tablespoon of cod liver oil supplements 170% of daily vitamin D.
• Four or five sliced, white mushrooms make up half of the needed vitamin D intake.
• Three ounces of cooked salmon account for more than 80% of necessary vitamin D.
• A cup of milk, which is fortified with vitamin D, contains 20% of the daily recommended vitamin D value.

Beyond these natural sources, a doctor or dietitian may recommend a vitamin D supplement, after ruling out medication interactions or other health risks.

Sources:

Madi M, et al. “The association between vitamin D level and periodontal disease in Saudi population, a preliminary study.” 
sciencedirect.com

Yao P, Bennett D, Mafham M, et. al. “Vitamin D and calcium for the prevention of fracture.” 
jamanetwork.com

Kweder H, Eidi H. “Vitamin D deficiency in elderly: Risk factors and drugs impact on vitamin D status.” 
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

aplaceformom.com

Here at Everbrook Senior Living we like to make you aware of companies who we believe align with our vision and offer resources that can help aging adults in our communities.

One such company is Medicare Advantage Plans. At MedicareAdvantagePlans.org, their mission is to help current and future subscribers develop their understanding of Medicare so that they can navigate this complex system with confidence. Their most recent guide was designed to walk seniors and their families through the different medicare plans to find the best one that meets both their medical and financial needs. 

You can learn more about some of their helpful guides here: 

• What is Medicare?
• What does Medicare Part C cover?
• How do I pick the best Medicare Advantage Plan for me?

Figuring out if you qualify for Medicare Advantage and what benefits you’re entitled to can be confusing. Medicare Advantage Plans can help you figure out if you’re eligible.

What we have learned during Phase I

Researched based on Everbrook Senior Living Communities

• Senior Living proved a safer alternative than seniors living with home care
• Resident to resident transmission risk is low
• In-home caregivers present increased risk due to high exposure
• Senior Living staff are subjected to preventative protocols
• Senior Living in communities were able to help residents maintain a quality of life throughout the pandemic

Benefits of moving into an Everbrook Senior Living Community

• Strict environmental controls
• Vigilance at tracing staff activities outside of work to identify risks
• 24-hour nurses monitoring for signs of illness
• Socialization with peers who help one another cope
• Essential and non-essential services including chef-prepared meals
• A robust exercise program that helps reduce risk of falls and injuries

Contact us today to schedule a visit.

Everbrook Senior Living was proud to host our first virtual event on May 20, 2020 featuring Pamela Atwood, MA, CDP, CLL, and the founder and owner of Atwood Dementia Group. Atwood led the group with ideas and exercises to practice at home, as many daily activities and plans have shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Atwood gave insight on strategies to connect with seniors in meaningful ways with items you can find in your home.

Were you unable to join us for the presentation? No worries! You can watch the following videos at your convenience to learn the tips and tricks from professionals. We'll be offering a virtual event each month. So check back soon for new and different educational webinars with top professionals in the field.

In the Month of April, the American Heart Association promotes everyone to MOVE MORE! This month we encourage everyone to participate in more physical activity. Make it your goal to move more and sit less. Staying active is one of the best ways to keep our bodies healthy, maintain our quality of life and keep our independence longer as we age. Start adding more activity into your day one step at a time. 

How long have you been sitting today? You sit while you eat your meals, drive your car, work at your desk, reading a book, watching TV, while you’re on your computer, or talking on the phone. It all adds up. People now spend a majority of their waking days sitting. The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study in 2019 that stated adults in the U.S. spent more than 6.4 hours a day sitting.

Try to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting every day to help improve your health. No matter how active you are, even if you’re getting the weekly recommended amount of exercise (150 minutes of moderate exercise), you still might be sitting too much. 

Making small changes in your daily routine will allow you to move more. Fit in 2, 5, 15, 30 minutes when possible. Be active however and wherever you can. Here are some tips to get yourself to move more throughout the day. Get up and move at least once every hour. If you’re watching TV, during the commercials take a walk down the hallway. After reading 20 pages in your book stand up, stretch and walk around. Walk while you’re talking on the phone. Park further away from the store when you go out shopping. Vacuum or dust the house. If you can’t walk or stand try seated knee lifts, arm circles, or straight leg raises. The important thing is to remember to move more, sit less.

The outbreak of COVID-19 or Coronavirus has spread fear much more virulently than the disease itself although older adults being at high risk of mortality from coronavirus certainly have much to fear. Self-isolation as a method to reduce transmission risk may not be an optimal response to the coronavirus threat for very old adults because social isolation and loneliness have been shown to be detrimental to the physical and mental well-being of seniors. Isolating seniors amid such high tension can only serve to heighten the risk to their mental and physical health. Social isolation and loneliness are prevalent among the elderly because their social networks tend to shrink in later life due to losses of friends, family or from age related functional loss. As whole communities retreat into isolation to ease concerns about acquiring coronavirus, the vulnerable elderly living in near isolation will be forced to deal with fears of dying or media reports of impending doom all alone. What an alarming development!

All gatekeepers to the elderly should increase urgency to help seniors stay connected socially during the coronavirus crisis. What seniors in later life need more than ever are peers sharing similar feelings of distress about coronavirus who can band together and help each other through this most difficult period. Gatekeepers to the elderly are reminded that social isolation and loneliness though not the same, are widely recognized among health experts as a cause of poorer health among the elderly. Social isolation is measured objectively by the number of contacts we have which can drop sharply as we age.¹ Loneliness is measured subjectively as the difference between one’s desired and achieved levels of social connectedness which can increase as we age.²

This month in Gym Talk we will be focusing on brain health. When most people think of exercise and physical activity they think of building strength, improving balance and flexibility, or going for a walk. However, exercising the mind is just as important as exercising the body. The mind needs to be challenged daily in order to keep the brain working to the best of its ability for as long as possible. 

As we age, maintaining a sharp mind is a top priority. Activities you do to improve your body also benefit your brain. Exercise can increase the blood flow and oxygen to your brain as well as help your brain grow new neuronal connections. Mentally stimulating activities for your brain are just as important. Brain games help individuals to stay focused on the task at hand, remember instructions and improve our working memory so we have the skill to remember and use relevant information while performing an activity. Try participating in arts and crafts, do word puzzles and logic games, work on a jigsaw puzzle, attempt a sudoku puzzle or trivia game to help exercise your mind. 

Try a few tasks that target memory and attention:

1. Name two objects for every letter in your first name
2. Say the months of the year in alphabetical order
3. Name six or more things you wear on your feet that start with an “S”

There are many ways to exercise the mind through brain games and activities. Try the game below for fun! Say aloud what color you see in every word, NOT the word you read as quick as possible. Go from left to right, from top to bottom.

Ready. Set. Go!

Winter has arrived so it only makes sense that this month’s gym talk is about trying to prevent the common cold and flu. The start of flu season begins when levels of the flu are high, which usually begins around October and can last until May. The flu does share symptoms with the common cold; however, the flu can take a much greater toll on the body. The influenza virus or better known as the flu can not only effect humans, but nearly every other mammal and even birds on the planet making it easy for the flu to spread around the world. There are three main types of the flu: influenza A, influenza B, and influenza C. There has been no epidemics caused by influenza C, whereas Influenza A is the most common around the world. Influenza A can infect humans and animals as well as birds, unlike Influenza B, which is only carried in humans.

Symptoms of the flu include constant cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, chills, muscle cramps/aches, headaches, diarrhea and/or vomiting. Just because you have some of these symptoms does not mean you have the flu. The common cold has similar symptoms, but usually does not get more severe then a fever and stuffy nose and only lasts for a few days. More severe symptoms lasting longer than a couple of days indicates you should get tested by a doctor. 

Addressing Vitamin D Deficiency in Later Life?

Could sun dried mushrooms and tank-top shirts be keys to reducing vitamin D deficiencies in later life thus reducing fall risks? Well, yes and let’s discuss why. Vitamin D is often called the sunshine vitamin as it is made from cholesterol in skin and as the sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) penetrate skin cells it causes production of vitamin D3. ¹The dilemma for seniors is that older skin cannot synthesize vitamin D as efficiently while outside activities are often greatly reduced: and, while there are few foods that actually contain vitamin D, older seniors need more vitamin D, approximately 800 IU (international units) daily, as opposed to 600 IU daily for their younger counterparts. ²(According to the Institutes of Medicine, a serum 25 (OH) D level of 25 ng/ml is adequate for most populations while deficiency is defined as less than 20 ng/ml, with insufficiency being less than 30 ng/ml. Through a process called hydroxylation, the liver and kidneys turn stored vitamin D into an active form the body uses.) 

Vitamin D Deficiency is Linked to Poorer Health 

Because older adults are vulnerable to muscle weakness and falls, maintaining sufficient levels of vitamin D is important: there is evidence that sufficient vitamin D levels can strengthen bone and muscles in older adults which leads to reductions in falls³ – the primary benefit of vitamin D is to maintain serum calcium and phosphorus levels within normal ranges to support metabolic function, neuromuscular transmission, and bone mineralization.⁴ In fact, vitamin D deficiencies are linked to a multitude of health risks. For seniors in later life, vitamin D deficiency has been linked in studies to such conditions as cognitive decline, depression, osteoporosis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, although there is debate about the strength of the link. ⁵Vitamin deficient older adults living in areas prone to inadequate exposure to sunlight have increased risk of experiencing cognitive decline. ⁶Vitamin D deficient older adults may experience a loss of bone density which causes fractures and falls.⁷ Vitamin D deficient older adults may experience increases of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. ⁸Vitamin D deficient older adults may experience increases of risk factors for depression and other psychiatric conditions.⁹

This month’s topic for October’s Gym Talk is breast cancer awareness. October is breast cancer awareness month and we thought we’d share some eye-opening facts on breast cancer. One in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast caner in her lifetime. Breast cancer is also the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer death among women. However, there has been a gradual reduction in female breast cancer incidence rates for those aged 50 and older and death rates have also been declining. There are over 3.3 million survivors in the United States Today.

The process of cell growth does not always go perfectly causing uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells resulting from damage to DNA. When this occurs a buildup of cells occurs called a tumor. Both male and female are born with breast cells and yes, even a male can develop breast cancer, but it is very rare. Less than one percent of all breast cancer cases develop in men.

Fears of being placed in a nursing home preoccupy a supermajority of older adults as in surveys about their course of aging they consistently ranked memory loss, financial insecurity and losing independence as their top three concerns.¹ Yet, after age 80, the risk of being placed in a nursing home increases significantly. Seniors of advanced age experience what is termed “functional aging”, that is an inevitable, progressively declining continuum in functional ability from having a stable capacity to perform daily activities through a state of physical vulnerability (influenced by cognitive loss) in which the person is losing independence.² At advanced ages, some caregiver support becomes necessary for many, and for some, a nursing home admission. 

Although most seniors accept that the aging process accelerates physical and cognitive decline after age 80, they want to know whether they have any means to control the degree or pace of their functional losses. This article discusses the evidence-base showing that changes in lifestyle, particularly engaging in exercise targeted to improving functional fitness even in seniors who were mostly sedentary, can slow and in some cases reverse functional impairment, which in turn reduces the risk of being placed in a nursing home. In fact, there is strong evidence that long-term habitual exercise is linked to a slowing of the biological aging process, which certainly enhances independence.³: but, studies also show that even sedentary older adults who begin to exercise in later life can see significant improvements in physical and cognitive health.⁴

Functional impairment is caused by not only age, cognitive decline, multiple chronic medical conditions or following an acute medical event, but also from lifestyle choices- a sedentary lifestyle is shown to decrease functional fitness levels which in turn increases functional impairment while engaging in a physically active lifestyle appears to derive a polar opposite effect.⁵ Functional impairment reduces ability to perform activities of daily living, “ADL’s”:⁶ and, consequently, the most common reason that very old adults are placed in a nursing home is loss of ability to perform ADL’s.⁷ (Over 80% of nursing home residents need assistance with 3 or more ADL’s). Thus, when functional fitness is improved through exercise, that is, when an older adult experiences an enhanced ability to the summon strength, energy and executive function needed to carry out basic ADL’s, independence is retained for longer which reduces the risk of being placed in a nursing home.⁸