Always There Home Care Newsletter
September 2008

In This Issue
National Preparedness Month
Visit Always There Home Care for more information and to download our free resources.

For more ideas on ways to research and make wise choices, we recommend the following resources:

Hypothermia Info
The City of Boston informs older adults that "Cold Weather Spells Danger" through a hypothermia-related handout, available as a PDF.

American Red Cross Tornado Information
The American Red Cross has several suggestions to keep you and your loved ones as safe as possible when a tornado strikes.

FDA Suggestions Regarding Food-Borne Illnesses
The elderly with weakened immune systems are especially at risk of food-borne illnesses, and present special food safety challenges.

Center for Disease Control
The CDC Web site is easily accessed for monitoring waves of influenza as they occur.

Department of Homeland Security Disaster preparedness information and resources, including specific ways to prepare a disaster plan that meets the needs of today's older Americans. (download pdf).

Council for Excellence in Government
Find out what your Readiness Quotient is when it comes to preparing for emergency situations. This Web site is a great tool to help individuals, families and communities determine and evaluate their readiness.

American Red Cross
Disaster preparedness suggestions including great input from seniors who have had experiences with emergencies.   

Prepare.org
Sponsored by the American Red Cross, this site hopes to help vulnerable citizens of a community in preparing for disaster situations.

Be Prepared with These Kits
This Web site offers a complete line of emergency
preparedness, earthquake preparedness, hurricane preparedness, disaster survival, and first aid kits. Their products contain essential items recommended for survival kits by F.E.M.A. and The American Red Cross.
Another "Use It or Lose It" Study
 
The study in the current issue of the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy reports that regular walking nearly halves the risk for elderly disabilities. This same study also found that participants who took part in a walking program increased their peak aerobic capacity by 19 percent when compared to a control group and increased their physical function by 25 percent.

According to this new University of Georgia study, older adults can decrease their risk of disability and increase their likelihood of maintaining independence 41 percent by participating in a regular walking exercise program.
 
Read more.

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Greetings!

September is here! The air smells of newly sharpened pencils as students head back to school; soon the leaves will be turning color as the fall season slowly trickles in. At Always There Home Care, we want to thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule to read our newsletter. We gladly offer you news and information related to home care, home health care, aging and eldercare. Please enjoy in the spirit of community and cooperation in which this newsletter was sent.
Over 90 and Still Going Strong? One Could Ask Why...

Over 90The female life expectancy is currently 80 years, while men, on average, live to 75. Today there are fewer than 2 million nonagenarians (those over 90 years of age) in the United States, but federal officials predict that number could reach 12 million in just a couple of decades. This makes nonagenarians the fastest-growing age group around the world. Advances in treatments for such killers as cancer, heart disease and diabetes are allowing people to live longer - but are they living better?
 
A grant given by the NIA to U.C.-Irvine will study the health of people over 90. This grant is helping to extend a landmark, 25-year-long study of 14,000 retirees in the Laguna Woods Village in Southern California. When the study began in the early 1980s, the average age of participants was 73. Today in one of the largest 90-plus research studies, there are more than 1,000 nonagenarians engaged. Over the years, the study has examined the health and lifestyle of its subjects.

The variability and range of capabilities of the study's participants has been one of the most profound findings. At age 90, some people are bedridden, while others remain quite physically and mentally active. The team at U.C.-Irvine began its research project by studying a range of indicators related to longevity: estrogen use, exercise, weight, caffeine, alcohol and vitamins. The findings support that moderation is the key.

To read this entire article, click here.

11 Herbs and Spices? A Not So Secret Recipe to Good Health

Herbs and spicesA new University of Georgia study suggests herbs and spices, rich in antioxidants, are potent inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of blood sugar. The study shows that when blood sugar levels are high, sugar bonds with proteins to eventually form compounds that activate the immune system, which results in inflammation and tissue damage associated with aging and diabetes.

The researchers found a strong and direct correlation between common herbs and spices and their ability to inhibit the formation of damaging compounds. Preferred spices that make the most difference were cloves and cinnamon.

"Because herbs and spices have a very low calorie content and are relatively inexpensive, they're a great way to get a lot of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power into your diet," said study co-author James Hargrove, Associate Professor of Foods and Nutrition in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Read the entire article, click here.
Geri-docs? Who is Answering the Door When Baby Boomers Come Knocking?
 
When the first baby boomers turned 60 in 2006, it marked an increase in concern among the medical community's readiness to handle the potential influx of aging patients.

Nationwide, there are only 7,100 doctors certified in geriatrics - one for every 2,500 Americans over the age of 70. In order to meet the needs of an aging baby boomer population, the Institute of Medicine estimates the country will need an additional 30,000 doctors trained in the field. 

Baby boomers, long notorious for their large impact on the nation's infrastructure, are predicted to live longer because of lifestyle and new medical advances, and they will require an unprecedented amount of care.
 
For more details on baby boomer needs and the ability of our current system to meet those expected and changing needs, see these Web sites:

http://www.dailybreeze.com

http://www.mddailyrecord.com
A Disaster Just Waiting to Happen: Be Prepared

Right in the middle of the 2008 hurricane season, the Red Cross offers reminders for those who live in prone areas. However, a disaster can strike anywhere, and these reminders are applicable in most emergency disaster situations:
  1. Monitor media reports: Watch TV, listen to AM/FM or NOAA weather radio and check the Internet for updates.
  2. Review or develop a family communication plan. Know how to contact each other and where to meet. Identify an out-of-area contact person that family members and friends can call if you are separated from one another.
  3. Register with the Red Cross Safe and Well Web site http://disastersafe.redcross.org/. This public site provides a way to register and communicate.
  4. Update or create a disaster supplies kit.
  5. Stay away from floodwaters.
  6. Plan for possible evacuation. Evacuate immediately if advised to do so. 
  7. Take any pets with you when evacuating.
To read the entire article, click here.
 
To get resources on disaster preparedness, visit the Always There Home Care Web site at AlwaysThereHomecare-CT.com. See the useful links on this newsletter sidebar for more resources.
Better Physical Fitness Results in Less Brain Atrophy in Alzheimer's Patients and Better Quality of Life

New research reported at the Chicago 2008 Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2008) that MRI brain imaging has been used to demonstrate the connection between cardio-respiratory fitness and Alzheimer's-related brain changes in an area of the brain that is important for memory and spatial navigation.

Also, home-based exercise programs that reduce falls and improve balance were reported to assist in maintaining independence and quality of life in people with dementia.

In the findings, cardio-respiratory fitness correlated with regional brain volumes in key areas affected by the disease. This suggests to researchers that maintaining cardio-respiratory fitness may positively modify Alzheimer's-related brain atrophy.

To read more information on these findings by Robyn A. Honea and Megan J. Wraith visit this link.

Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2008) was held in Chicago July 26-31, 2008. Click here.
Too Many Prescription Drugs for Older UK Citizens?

A new report from the United Kingdom shows that older citizens are taking 20 percent more medication than they did ten years ago. The NHS Information Centre (http://www.ic.nhs.uk) reported that from 1997 - 2007, people aged 60 and over received an average of 42.4 prescription items per head in 2007, compared to 22.3 items in 1997. The report covers all prescriptions dispensed by the NHS in England by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors.

The cardiovascular system, which covers the treatment of conditions related to the heart and circulatory system, won out as the therapeutic area with the largest number of items dispensed, and also had the greatest cost.

To read the entire article, click here.
Healthy Aging News Is News Any Time

In a 1998 report, John Rowe, M.D. and Robert Kahn, Ph.D., noted that, "People who age successfully are healthy, energetic people leading active, vital lives. By staying healthy, fit and engaged with life, older people contribute to society and maintain their self-esteem." Although written a decade ago, the statement still holds true today and is in fact being reinforced with the latest in research findings. Rowe and Kahn suggest three actions that positively influence the aging process and enhance quality of life in later years based on the MacArthur Foundation Study of Successful Aging.

From that study, Rowe and Kahn suggest:
  • Avoid disease and disability
  • Maintain high cognitive and physical function
  • Stay involved with life and living

Read the entire article here.

Resources for books on Healthy Aging, click here.
About Always There Home Care
Always There Home Care provides compassionate, dependable and professional one-on-one care for seniors who need assistance in the comfort of their homes or residential care communities.  Services from highly qualified and trained caregivers range from companionship, meal preparation and incidental transportation to personal care, medication management and RN-directed case management.  Available 7 days a week, services range from a few hours a day to 24-hour care.  Always There Home Care understands that every situation is unique and creates individualized care plans to help improve a client's quality of life.  For more information, visit us on the Web at www.AlwaysThereHomeCare-CT.com or call 203-879-6675.