March 2012

Volume 5 Issue: #3

 

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In This Issue 

A Website for 'Mature Gardeners'
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
National Nutrition Month
Diabetes Alert Day Is March 27
Provider Profile
Book of the Month

This Month 

March 1-31

National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month


March 1-31

National Nutrition Month�


March 5-11

National Sleep Awareness Week�

 

March 27

American Diabetes Alert Day


March 20

First day of Spring

March 17

Happy
St. Patrick's Day  

Connect With Us 

Join Our
Mailing List

Receive our free monthly email newsletter, other pertinent information and announcements.

 

AWG Care Connection Blog

Are you a caregiver? Join the conversation and connect with others who are facing similar challenges. This popular blog won the 2011 "Top 100 Senior & Boomer Blogs & Websites" award.

 

AWG Online
Talk Show
 

Join host Patricia Grace Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. EST.

 

National Senior Care Examiner 

AWG Founder Patricia Grace writes a column on aging topics. This month's topic:"Finally, a raise in social security."

Resources

VA Aid & Attendance Self-Help Guide

The "Cliffs Notes" for the VA Aid & Attendance Benefit Process

 

Aging in Place Support Systems

Learn about programs to keep your loved one safe at home. Special AWG member pricing.

 

American Seniors Association  

Learn how it provides seniors with the choices, information and services they need to live healthier, wealthier lives.

 

SGIA Retiree Support Center

The Medicare pages on this insurance company website provide a clear summary of Medicare Parts A, B, C and D.

Books & Videos 

Beyond Driving with Dignity

A workbook by Matt Gurwell for the families of older drivers. Special AWG member pricing.

   

Dispelling
Hospice Myths

A free video from VITAS Innovative Hospice Care that you can view online.

 

Thinking Well: Drawing on Thoughts that Change Behaviors

A book by aging and wellness expert Dr. Wayne T. Phillips. You can read a sample and buy it online.

Message from Patricia ...  

Patricia

Patricia Grace, Founder

It's hard to believe the first day of spring is only a few weeks away. I love spring's early blooms and already daffodils and crocuses are blooming. I think the groundhog got it wrong.

 

I'm very happy to share that Aging with Grace has been nominated for three senior care industry awards. CareConnection by Aging with Grace has been nominated for the Best of the Web Blog, and I have been nominated for Social Media Rock Star, Individual. (Secretly, I always wanted to be a rock star!) In addition, my blog posting on September 8, Older Americans reject senior housing to care for grandchildren has been nominated for Best Aging in Place blog post.


I just returned from Tampa, FL where I met with the wonderful staff of the American Seniors Association. Aging with Grace will be working closely with them to provide their 5.5 million members with eldercare assistance and veterans benefits information.

 

For everyone that will be wearin' the green on March 17, Happy St. Patrick's Day.

 

Patricia

 

P.S. - remember to like us on Facebook!

March 20 - First Day of Spring

In anticipation of spring and the beauty it brings, I encourage all of you to visit SeniorScapes. Karen Everett Watson and friends have assembled a colorful, whimsical website that contains information and tips for the "more mature" gardener. It is a delight for our winter-weary eyes!

 

SeniorScapes.me celebrates the love of gardening by Prime Timers, or as they put it "We feature tips on making gardening easier as we grow older through design, plant choices, the right tools and experts who know all about gardening through the golden years." Guest authors feature their outlook on gardening and exercise to help ease the aches that can go along with gardening chores.

 

Memory gardens, food production, gardening with grandchildren, and the love of birds in the garden are just some of the topics discussed and highlighted on SeniorScapes.me.

 

Richard Wallace is a licensed landscape contractor and knows first-hand about garden design and maintenance. He keeps the site looking pretty and knows the ins and outs of working with nursery personnel and garden designers.

 

Granny K - also known as Karen Everett Watson - freelance journalist and gerontologist, picks the brain of her gardening parents who keep their two-acre homestead looking beautiful. Approaching their 80s, they've changed the way they garden to make it easier to maintain. Granny K pulls no punches about having a perfect garden. She shares her struggles to get her two acres whipped into shape, but also the joy she finds in being connected to the land.

 

Stan Cohen is the resident guru on exercise. He teaches seniors how to keep their strength and balance through Tai Chi and stretching.

 

Janice Doherty is a horticulture therapist and author of "A Calendar Year of Horticulture Therapy." She shares tips and crafts that keep elders enjoying their passion for getting their hands in the dirt. Her experience presenting HT in assisted living and senior centers brings thoughtful insights on how gardening can bring joy no matter what your age.

 

As SeniorScapes declares on its site, "Come by and join the discussion on your passions for gardening. We'll keep you gardening 'til we're all pushing up daisies!"   

National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Thanks to improvements in prevention, early detection and treatment, more than a million people in the U.S. count themselves as survivors of colorectal cancer.

 

Most people with early colon or rectal cancer have no symptoms of the disease. Symptoms usually appear only with more advanced disease. From the time the first abnormal cells start to grow into polyps, it usually takes 10 to 15 years for the polyps to develop into colorectal cancer. This is why getting the recommended screening tests before any symptoms develop is so important.

 

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), fewer African Americans are dying from colorectal cancer than in previous years. However, African Americans still have the highest death rate of any other racial or ethnic group for most cancers, including colorectal cancer. An estimated 7,020 deaths from colorectal cancer are expected to occur among African Americans in 2012. Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in both African American men and women.

 

The causes are complex and are thought to reflect social and economic disparities more than biological differences associated with race. These include inequities in work, wealth, income, education, housing and overall standard of living, as well as barriers to high-quality cancer prevention, early detection and treatment services.

 

Chances of colon cancer increase with age. Diabetes, obesity, smoking and heavy use of alcohol also increase the risk. Screenings should start at age 50 and continue every 10 years after that, as long as results are normal. You should start earlier at the age of 40 if you have a family history.

National Nutrition Month

 

Malnutrition is a serious senior health issue. Know the warning signs and how to help an older loved one avoid poor nutrition.

Observe your loved one's eating habits. Spend time with an older loved one during meals at home, not just on special occasions. If your loved one lives alone, find out who buys his or her food. If your loved one is in a hospital or long-term care facility, visit during mealtimes.

Look for physical problems. Red flags for malnutrition might include poor wound healing, easy bruising, dental difficulties and weight loss. Watch for signs of weight loss, such as changes in how clothing fits.

Know your loved one's medications. Many drugs affect appetite, digestion and nutrient absorption.

You can also try to prevent the causes of inadequate nutrition in your senior's life. The following list details things that can trigger malnutrition:

Health problems. Older adults often have health problems that can lead to decreased appetite or trouble eating, such as chronic illness, use of certain medications, trouble chewing due to dental issues, problems swallowing or difficulty absorbing nutrients. A recent hospitalization may be accompanied by loss of appetite or other nutrition problems. In other cases, a diminished sense of taste and smell decreases appetite.

Limited income and reduced social contact. Some older adults may have trouble affording groceries, especially if they're taking expensive medications. Those who eat alone may not enjoy meals, causing them to lose interest in cooking and eating.

Depression. Grief, loneliness, failing health, lack of mobility and other factors may contribute to depression - causing loss of appetite among older adults.

Alcoholism. Alcoholism is a leading contributor to malnutrition - decreasing appetite and vital nutrients and frequently serving as a substitute for meals.

Restricted diets. Older adults often have dietary restrictions, including limits on salt, fat, protein and sugar. Although such diets can help manage many medical conditions, they can also be bland and unappealing.
 

American Diabetes Alert Day - March 27 

American Diabetes Association Alert Day is a one-day "wake-up call" asking Americans to take the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. Held on the fourth Tuesday of every March, the next Alert Day will be held on March 27, 2012.

 

The Diabetes Risk Test asks users to answer simple questions about weight, age, family history and other potential risk factors for pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes. Preventative tips are provided for everyone who takes the test, including encouraging those at high risk to talk with their health care provider.

 

Click here to assess your risk.  

Provider Profile -
Transitional Assistance and Design

Moving and relocation, even under the best of circumstances, can be stressful. For older adults and the elderly, who have 30, 40, or 50+ years of household furniture, goods and "treasures," moving from their home can be paralyzing.

 

Transitional Assistance Design was founded by Susie Danick, RN, BSN. Susie also holds the credential of Certified Relocation and Transition Specialist and is the former Board President of the National Association of Senior Move Managers.

 

Learn more about a career as a senior move manager or to locate a move manager in all 50 states.

Book of the Month

The Joy of Gardening by Eileen Cambell 

 

"Gardens can make people happy or heal them when they are sad," says author Eileen Campbell. I happen to agree with her.  

 

- Patricia Grace