Category Archives for Health & Wellness

The Best of…Don’t Fall Flat on Your Face: Simple Tips to Keeping Standing

Published July 11, 2008, All Pawtucket All The Time

I  know how easy it is to fall.  On March 14th, leaving the War in Iraq Art Exhibit this writer, an aging baby boomer, fell down several steep steps, tripping after he walked through the huge wooden front door, falling down several slippery steps in front of the historic Pawtucket Armory onto the front sidewalk.   Thank God…No serious injury, only a bruised ego and shins, and scuffed up palms. .

Three months later, within weeks of each other, two of my older friends, in their seventies, unexpectedly fell.  One tripped on a rug in his kitchen breaking several ribs.  The other one fell down a flight of stairs outside his bedroom injuring his spine. Luckily, both are on the mend, slowly recuperating in their homes.

But for others who were not so lucky as my elderly friends, traumatic brain injuries due to falls caused nearly 8,000 deaths and 56,000 hospitalizations in 2005 among Americans age 65 and older, according to a new report released last month by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  .

The national report notes that traumatic brain injuries, (called TBIs), are caused by a bump or blow to the head; however, they maybe missed or misdiagnosed among older adults. TBI often results in long-term cognitive, emotional, and/or functional impairments. In 2005, TBIs accounted for 50 percent of unintentional fall deaths and 8 percent of nonfatal fall-related hospitalizations among older adults.

According to the CDC report, each year, one in three older Americans (65 and older) falls, and 30 percent of falls cause injuries requiring medical treatment. In 2005, nearly 16,000 older adults died from falls, 1.8 million older adults were treated in emergency departments, and 433,000 of these patients were hospitalized. Falls were the leading cause of injury deaths and nonfatal injuries for those 65 and over.

Falls are not an inevitable consequence of aging, the researchers say, but they do occur more often among older adults because risk factors for falls are usually associated with health and aging conditions.  These conditions include mobility problems due to muscle weakness or poor balance, loss of sensation in feet, chronic health conditions, vision changes or loss, medication side effects or drug interactions, and home and environmental hazards such as clutter or poor lighting.

“Most people think older adults may only break their hip when they fall, but our research shows that traumatic brain injuries can also be a serious consequence,” said Dr. Ileana Arias, director of CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, in her statement announcing the release of her agency’s report.  “These injuries can cause long-term problems and affect how someone thinks or functions.  They can also impact a person’s emotional well-being.”

Reducing falls can be a simple as removing obvious household hazards along with adding or improving simple safety features in the home, notes an AARP spokesperson in response to CDC’s released report.  The Washington, DC-based nonprofit group represents over 39 million members, age 50 plus, in the United States.

According to AARP, studies indicate that half of all falls happen at home and research suggests that one-third of home accidents can be prevented by easy home updates and preventative maintenance.

It’s easy to fall-proof your home, AARP says.  Aging baby boomers or the elderly parents can:  Install handrails on both sides of all steps (both in and outside);  Secure all carpets and area rugs with double-sided tape;  Install easy to grasp shaped handles for all drawers and cabinet doors; Use brighter bulbs in all lighting fixtures;  Install night lights in all areas of night activity;  Add reflective, non-slip tape on all non-carpeted stairs;  Install lever handles for all doors;  Place a bench near entrances for setting down purchases and resting;  Install closet lights, as well as adjustable rods and shelves; Install rocker light switches; and consider illuminated ones in select areas.

Finally, why not check out your local hardware stores, too, the businesses even carry many of the products to make simple updates to homes. For homeowners making more extensive renovations, AARP recommends that they consider hiring a contractor who is licensed, certified and bonded to do work in that particular location. A Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) is a professional designation signaling that contractors have had specified additional training, but homeowners should still ask for documentation that the contractor is licensed or certified and bonded.

Herb Weiss is a Pawtucket-based freelance writer who covers medical, aging and health care issues. The article was published in the July 11, 2008 issue of All Pawtucket All The Time.  He can be reached at hweissri@aol.com.

The Best of…Experts: Eat Less, Exercise

Published January 2007, Senior Digest

            As we begin the New Year, many people launch promises through New Year’s resolutions or take this time to reflect on overall better lifestyle improvements.    State aging and health care experts say that if your goal is to live longer, consider squeezing in time to enhance your fitness and health through ongoing exercise and better eating.

           Phillip G. Clark, ScD, Professor and Director Program in Gerontology and Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center, notes that exercise is key to living a healthier life.  “Use it or lose it,” he tells Senior Digest.   If older adults don’t continue to use their capabilities, whether physical or mental, they may eventually lose those abilities. So, it is important for aging baby boomers and seniors to continue to be as active as they can, within the limits of any impairments or health problems they may have.

           Before beginning any program always check with your doctor to be sure it is okay. “Your doctor will advise you on other special conditions or limitations you may need to address in developing your own program,” Dr. Clark says.

Exercise, the Best Pill

          Dr. Clark believes that exercise is the “best pill,” Regular exercise for older adults are linked to all sorts of positive physical and mental health outcomes and advantages, he says.  People just feel better physically and mentally especially if they exercise properly on a regular basis.

          The University of Rhode Island (URI) gerontologist compares physical activity to a savings account.  Dr. Clark says, “If you ‘put’ deposits into your exercise savings on a regular basis, you can ‘draw’ on these when you are sick or have to hospitalized to help minimize the impact of any setback on your functioning.”  

          To exercise, costly weight machines and bikes are not necessary, Clark says.  “Keep it simple,” Dr. Clark recommends.  “For many older adults, just walking regularly can have a number of positive benefits. In the winter when the weather is bad, some folks walk around inside their local senior housing building or at the mall,” he says.

             Deb Riebe, PhD., a Professor in URI’s Department to Kinesiology, says that research has found resistance training is another viable option for aging baby boomers and seniors to consider staying fit.  .

 Consider Resistance Training and Balance Exercises

             The URI exercise physiologist notes that muscle strength peaks at age 30 for most people.  After age 50, there is a real decline in muscle strength.  By your 60s or 70s, if you don’t exercise or participate in a resistance training program it will become more difficult to perform simple activities of daily living, like carrying the vacuum cleaner or groceries, says Riebe.

             Strengthening your muscles can be done simply by lifting small hand weights that can purchased in local stores, adds Riebe, noting that you can use your own body weight to strengthen your muscles in your legs by sitting in your dining room and than standing up.  Perform this simple resistance training exercise 10 times.

             “Balance exercises are also very good to prevent a person from falling.  “A good example of a balance exercise is to stand up on one leg using a chair for support,” she says.  

             Don’t use lack of time as a reason to not exercise, warns Riebe.  “Fit 30 or 40 minutes of exercise into your daily routine.  But for those who chose not to you can always park your car far away from a store and walk a little longer distance.  Or you do a few exercises during a television commercial, “combining leisure with a quick work out,” she says.

              Even when socializing with friends or family, Riebe recommends going out and taking a walk around the neighborhood.  “Everyone will benefit,” she says… 

               Anne Marie Connolly, MS, Director of Rhode Island’s Get Fit Rhode Island, Program, oversees Governor Donald Carcieri’s worksite wellness initiative for state employees.  Programs like Rhode Island’s are being launched nationwide by the mandate of state health commissioners and insurance companies attempting to reel in spiraling health care costs. 

               To improve health behavior, brochures, on site lectures (controlling stress and high blood pressure) and behavior change classes (physical exercise and smoking cessation) are aimed at the 20,000 state workers, whose average age is 47 years old.

 Good Nutrition Important, Too

              Connolly, a professor and research associate at URI’s Kinesiology Department stresses the importance that nutrition plays in maintaining one’s good health.  “Research tells us that people should eat smaller portions, increase their fruit and vegetable and decrease fat, high calorie foods and sweets from their diet,” she recommends.

              For persons with high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes, consider asking your physician for a consult to see a nutritionist.  Connolly notes that this visit is covered by most of health insurance companies.  “A change in your diet can make significant improvements in many chronic conditions.” 

              Connolly observes that some people don’t buy vegetables and fruits because of cost.  “Look around for supermarkets that offer smaller packaging or portions of vegetables and fruits. Salad and fruit bars enable a person to buy to portion or quantity they need,”: she says.  Even in senior housing, you can work with others to buy cheaply.  Split a head of lettuce with a neighbor. Create a schedule to rotate the purchasing of fruits and vegetables, too.   

              As to exercise, Connolly suggests people start off slowly, more important find an exercise that you will like to do.  As a consultant to Club Med, she came to believe that exercise should be fun and not a chore.  “Look back and see what you did when you were younger,” Connolly adds.  “One woman who took tap dancing in her younger years picked it up again.  It does not have to have to be the same intensity as when you were younger.”   

              For persons with arthritis, try going to a local senior center or YMCA and enroll in exercise programs specifically designed for that chronic condition.  “Water exercise is extremely wonderful for people with arthritis,” she says.

               Connolly notes that some Medicare providers even give special discounts for senior citizens who join health care club chains, costing the older person just $10.00 per month.  Check out your Medicare health care plan’s benefits to see if you are eligible to participate.

              Experts agree that the exercise benefits both young and old. “What is remarkable about the human body, people of all ages respond to physical exercise in the same way,” Connolly says.  .

               Herb Weiss is a Pawtucket-based writer whose articles on health, medical and aging issue.  This article was published in January 2007 in Senior Digest. He can be reached at hweissri@aol.com.

Centenarian Takes Priest’s Advice

Published in Senior Digest on May 2006

A life long resident of this community, Blanche Dugas remembers the happy memories of raising her three children in a home on 12th Street, right across from Capon Park.

Dugas, who now resides at Canterbury Woods, an assisted living facility at 100 Garfield Ave., said raising her family with a loving husband was the most important accomplishments in her life.

The 101-year old woman said her old neighborhood was a great place for her children to grow up. “I would send them to the park with a lunch,” she said, shrugging her shoulders with the realization that the world today is not the world she grew up in. “You never worried about your children being picked up by strangers,” she said.

She would start her mornings off by taking to her mother who just happened to have a kitchen window facing her.  You guessed it – Blanche built her house right next to her parents lot.

She fondly talked about her husband, who was 83 when he passed on in the early 1980s with dementia. “We were very close,” she said, adding how pleased she was that she married “such a good guy.”

Now Blanche reflects on her days before she got married at the ripe old age of 22.  During their  nine-month courtship, Phillip Dugas would drive his Model T more than 35 miles, from Putnam, Conn., to her house to visit on Thursday and Sundays. Blanch would marry this young man, the one who she met at Ocean Grove in Swansea. With a good reputation for cutting meat, her husband opened a small grocery store in this city’s Dodgeville section. His reputation brought in customers, allowing the store to thrive for 50 years.

Blanche is proud to be the oldest person in St. Joseph’s parish. When she turned 100 she reeied a medallion, which she wears all the time, from the bishop of Fall River, along with a citation President and Laura Bush recognizing her milestone age, too.

“God has been great to me,” she says, noting that he has left her with her “thinking, hearing, and eyesight.” “What else do you need to live,” she says jokingly. She ties her longevity to living a good, clean life.

“They tell me that there must be a reason for me living such a long life. I pray a lot for the residents of the assisted living facility and for then families,” Blanche said.

However, she is not a stranger to the power of prayer. A priest once told her that if you want to live a long healthy life, you should pray with your family.

“We did that in my family and also in my marriage,” Blanche said.