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Message from Patricia ...
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Patricia Grace, Founder
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The New Year is off to a great start at Aging with Grace, as our team continues to grow. Linda Pancio will be coming on board as Vice President of Operations later this month. Her experience working with the elderly and their families, along with her vast knowledge of senior care services, will be of great value to our clients and members. Welcome aboard, Linda!
We continue to grow our presence on the social network scene, so please visit us and "like us" on Facebook.
I wish you all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.
Patricia
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Six Time Management Tips for Caregivers
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Caregiver stress is a popular topic these days, and for many caregivers burnout is a very real factor at this time of year. I spoke with several people this week who are feeling that they can't live up to what's expected of them ... that there simply aren't enough hours in the day to take care of their children, their jobs, their ailing parents, their holiday plans, etc.
In order to juggle caregiving responsibilities with all the other demands of daily life, time management strategies can be a life saver. Try these techniques next time you're feeling overwhelmed:
- Unplug from technology: Laptops and cell phones with Wi-Fi are great, but they make us available to any and all who need us 24/7. Unless that's part of your job responsibilities, it may be interfering with your ability to relax and enjoy whatever down time you have.
- Make a list: It'shard to relax when you're carrying around a mental "To Do" list. Before you go to bed each night, write down all the things you need to take care of the next day. That way you can put them on paper, and let the weight of responsibility go for the night.
- Mono-task instead of multi-task: Our brains can only focus well on one thing at a time. Trying to do too much at one time can cause silly mistakes that take time to correct.
- Start with the most dreaded task on your list: Avoiding an unpleasant task uses up a lot of emotional energy. Attack them first thing, instead of worrying about them all day.
- Schedule time to recharge your batteries: Whether it's 30 minutes with a cup of coffee and a good book, or 30 minutes at the gym, be sure you give yourself a little "me time" each day.
- Delegate what you can: No one can go it alone. Let your family, friends and co-workers help when possible.
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Facts About Radon
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Radon gas in homes is a dangerous source of carcinogens. In fact, radon poisoning is one of the leading causes of lung cancer, second only to cigarette smoking. Radon is a radioactive gas that is created by the degradation of uranium, a radioactive element that is present everywhere on Earth.
It is a very dense gas as well as one of the noble or inert gases, which means it does not react with other gases or change form. Once it is present, it simply exists, accumulating as more is added unless something is done to remove it.
Inhaling radon can potentially kill you, and for smokers there is an even greater risk. Statistics show that a non-smoker who is exposed to radon has a one in 20 chance of developing lung cancer compared to a one in three chance for a smoker. By comparison, a smoker with no radon exposure whatsoever has a one in eight chance of developing lung cancer.
The air that we breathe contains radon, but it is well diluted by other gases so the levels are not high enough to cause harm. It is when inadequate ventilation prevents radon from escaping that it becomes a serious health concern. Radon gas in homes can reach dangerous levels, often accumulating in basements as it silently seeps through porous concrete and cracks in the foundation.
Anywhere that the foundation comes in contact with soil is a potential radon leak, so measures must be taken to prevent the gas from entering the home. Modern building codes require a vapor barrier to be placed around the foundation, but in older homes the vapor barrier may leak or not be present at all. Concrete is porous and prone to cracking, allowing many opportunities for radon gas to seep into the house. Many basements have little ventilation and few windows, so once the gas enters it becomes trapped.
Because radon has no color, odor or taste, there is no way of knowing how much of it is in the air you are breathing without using a radon test kit. Keeping your home, especially attics and basements, well ventilated is an important step toward preventing dangerous radon build-up.
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Snow Shoveling Really
Does Raise Heart Attack Risk
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 | Shoveling can trigger
heart attacks. |
While many people believe this, there has been little actual evidence, according to researchers at Queen's University in Kingston, Canada. So they decided to look for proof.
They reviewed the records of 500 patients who went to Kingston General Hospital with heart problems over two winter seasons. Of those patients, 35 (7 percent) started experiencing heart symptoms while shoveling snow.
"That is a huge number," said Dr. Adrian Baranchuk, a professor in Queen's School of Medicine and a cardiologist at Kingston General Hospital, in a university news release.
"Seven percent of anything in medicine is a significant proportion. Also, if we take into account that we may have missed some patients who did not mention that they were shoveling snow around the time that the episode occurred, that number could easily double," he said.
The researchers also identified three main factors that put people at high risk for heart problems while shoveling snow: being male (31 patients); having a family history of premature coronary artery disease (20 patients); and smoking (16 patients).
They also found that regularly taking four or more cardiac medications could lower the risk.
The study was recently published online in the journal Clinical Research in Cardiology.
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Fatigue & depression are symptoms to watch.
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The incidence of thyroid disease increases with age. An estimated 20% of women over the age of 60 have some form of thyroid disease. The symptoms of thyroid disease vary according to whether too much hormone is being produced (hyperthyroid) or too little (hypothyroid). Hypothyroidism is much more common in the elderly population, and symptoms may be non-specific such as fatigue, depression, forgetfulness and sleeplessness.
Below are some interesting points about thyroid disease and aging as compiled by the American Association of Endocrinologists:
- 1 out of every 5 women over the age of 65 has a higher than normal level of TSH (indicating hypothyroidism)
- Approximately 25% of the elderly population suffer from some form of mental illness. A significant number of these cases may be related to thyroid disease.
- Approximately 15% of all patients diagnosed with hyperthyroidism are over the age of 60.
- Because of many factors, thyroid disease in those over 65 years old is much more likely to remain undiagnosed as compared with thyroid disease in 30 to 40 year olds.
There are two more points of importance regarding elderly patients and thyroid disease. First, hypothyroidism is a risk factor for high cholesterol and heart disease. Because many elderly people remain undiagnosed for years, it is important to check cholesterol levels in all elderly patients who are diagnosed with hypothyroidism. The opposite is also true. Elderly patients with persistently increased cholesterol levels should have a thyroid evaluation to make certain that thyroid disease is not contributing to the high cholesterol levels. Second, hyperthyroidism is a cause for osteoporosis, a common cause of weak bones in the elderly.
If you are suspicious that you may have thyroid disease, or you have symptoms such as those above that have gone unexplained, ask your physician for a thyroid evaluation. This involves examining the thyroid gland in the neck and a simple blood test to evaluate TSH levels and T4 and T3 levels. Thyroid disease is usually easy to diagnose and treat.
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Luxury Senior Living
Provides "Anything, Anytime"
|  Brandywine Senior Living is marketing a new program for older adults whose needs include wants. Serenade is a community-within-a-community similar to the club floor of a fine hotel. There, the cocktails and hors d'oeuvres are a daily benefit, as are the optional turndown service, room service and an "anything, anytime" butler.
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Glaucoma and Our Furry Friends
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 | | Glaucoma can affect pets. |
Glaucoma is the elevation of pressure inside the eye, known as intraocular pressure (IOP), beyond a specific point at which vision is compromised or is no longer possible. Glaucoma is a frequent cause of blindness in humans and animals.
To understand glaucoma, it is necessary to understand how the normal flow of intraocular fluid maintains normal intraocular pressure. The fluid inside the eye is called the aqueous humor, which is produced in the ciliary body located behind the iris. This fluid flows through the pupil and drains from the eye through a sieve-like network located at the junction of the cornea and the iris called the iridocorneal cleft or drainage angle. The aqueous humor is produced and drains from the eye at approximately the same rate, resulting in a stable pressure inside the eye of 15 to 20 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). Glaucoma occurs as a consequence of inadequate outflow of aqueous humor and a subsequent buildup of pressure inside the eye. The resulting high pressure damages the optic nerve and results in blindness.
Glaucoma is very difficult to treat in domestic animals. Many of us have friends or relatives who have glaucoma and they simply place drops in their eyes several times daily and have very little problems resulting in vision loss. Our pets are not like this. In some people medication will not resolve the glaucoma and surgery is necessary. This is what we face in animals all the time.
After the initial diagnosis of glaucoma is made, your pet is aggressively treated with medication if there is any hope of saving vision. This will require a period of hospitalization. During periods of hospitalization, medication may be given directly into the vein to help reduce the intraocular pressure.
Once the pressure has been controlled, surgery is essential to maintain vision. It is impossible to control glaucoma with medication alone. A variety of surgical techniques have been developed, which aid in the control of intraocular pressure.
To learn more about Glaucoma and pets please visit the following:
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Book of the Month
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 Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul
Another wonderful book in the Chicken Soup Series. This book makes you understand exactly why we love our animals so much.
- Patricia Grace
Click to learn more and purchase...
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