Sherry

Sherry L. Christensen is a retired high school teacher. She designed and built this blog site to inform and inspire others in an effort to build a community of solo retirees. You can reach her at livingliferetired16@gmail.com.

Are you taking an omega-3 supplement?

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I always heard that taking an Omega-3 supplement might be good for me, but until I read the following article I didn’t know why.

omega-3 supplementOmega-3 fatty acids good for adult, elderly brain health

By Dr. Joel Fuhrman, for Uinta County Herald

April 16, 2017

“The omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, usually obtained from eating fish, are important nutrients for proper brain function, starting with fetal development, and continuing into old age. DHA is most often associated with cognitive functions like learning and memory, and EPA with mood and anti-inflammatory effects.

I recommend taking an omega-3 supplement (preferably one derived from lab-grown algae, rather than eating fish or taking fish oil), since most people have a low intake of DHA and EPA unless eating fish regularly; research has confirmed that vegans tend to have low omega-3 levels.

In adulthood, omega-3 adequacy helps to maintain optimal brain function, prevent depression and lay the groundwork for a healthy brain later in life. A 6-month study of DHA and EPA supplementation in young adults (18-45 years of age) documented improvements in measures of memory.

Additionally, 12 weeks of DHA supplementation was found to improve blood flow to the brains of healthy young adults during a cognitive task.

No matter what your age, maintaining adequate omega-3 stores is crucial now, and for the later life health and functionality of your brain.

…Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease are the two most common neurodegenerative diseases. Omega-3 fatty acids appear to be useful for preventing these diseases. Low omega-3 intake and low levels of DHA in the blood are associated with age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

Also, DHA depletion in certain areas of the brain occurs in Alzheimer’s disease. In some studies, low plasma EPA also associated with risk of dementia or cognitive decline.

More recent studies have investigated brain volume, finding that higher blood omega-3 levels are associated with larger brain volumes in older people, implying that abundant DHA and EPA could help to prevent brain shrinkage with age.”

Read more about omega-3 fatty acids

Dr. Fuhrman is a #1 New York Times best-selling author and a board certified family physician specializing in lifestyle and nutritional medicine. The Eat To Live Cookbook offers over 200 unique disease-fighting delicious recipes and his newest book, The End of Heart Disease, offers a detailed plan to prevent and reverse heart disease using a nutrient-dense, plant-rich eating style. Visit his informative website at DrFuhrman.com. 

Are you a member of the “sandwich generation?”

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sandwich generation
whatisthesandwichgeneration.com

When You’re Taking Care of Your Kids and Your Parents at the Same Time

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“The term ‘sandwich generation’ was coined by social worker Dorothy Miller in 1981, to describe women in their 30s and 40s who were the primary caregivers for their young children and their aging parents. The reality today is that the sandwich generation includes both men and women, ranging from their 30s to their 60s.

According to nonprofit association Aging Life Care, America’s sandwich generation is one of the fastest-growing populations. ‘This group of people often find themselves stuck in the middle of trying to juggle a hectic schedule that includes caring for parents experiencing a decline in health, keeping up with adult children as they struggle to make it on their own and begin their families and managing the financial and emotional stressors that arise throughout these circumstances.’

A 2013 Pew research report found that 47 percent of adults in their 40s and 50s have a parent age 65 or older and are either raising a young child or financially supporting a grown child (age 18 or older). Around 1 in 7 middle-aged adults is providing financial support to both an aging parent and a child.”

Read more

“Pre-hospice” program called Transitions

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pre-hospice
Photo by Heidi de Marco/KHN

‘Pre-Hospice’ Saves Money By Keeping People At Home Near The End Of Life

By Anna Gorman, Kaiser Health News

“Gerald Chinchar isn’t quite at the end of life, but the end is not far away. The 77-year-old fell twice last year, shattering his hip and femur, and now gets around his San Diego home in a wheelchair. His medications fill a dresser drawer, and congestive heart failure puts him at high risk of emergency room visits and long hospital stays.

Chinchar, a Navy veteran who loves TV Westerns, said that’s the last thing he wants. He still likes to go watch his grandchildren’s sporting events and play blackjack at the casino. ‘If they told me I had six months to live or go to the hospital and last two years, I’d say leave me home,’ Chinchar said. ‘That ain’t no trade for me.’

Most aging people would choose to stay home in their last years of life. But for many, it doesn’t work out: They go in and out of hospitals, getting treated for flare-ups of various chronic illnesses. It’s a massive problem that costs the health care system billions of dollars and has galvanized health providers, hospital administrators and policymakers to search for solutions.

Sharp HealthCare, the San Diego health system where Chinchar receives care, has devised a way to fulfill his wishes and reduce costs at the same time. It’s a pre-hospice program called Transitions, designed to give elderly patients the care they want at home and keep them out of the hospital.”

Read more about this pre-hospice program

Dehydration dangers–Do you drink enough water?

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dehydration
shutterstock

Many seniors have this drinking problem, but it’s not alcohol

By @grahamtoday, Deseret News

“At the retirement community where Helen Rollins lives, 10 residents were hospitalized last year for a problem that seems easily prevented.

The seniors, all independent-living residents of a retirement community in Salt Lake City, were dehydrated and exhibited symptoms of urinary tract infections, one of the leading causes of emergency-room visits by older adults, she said.

In a nation awash with potable water — including the 12.8 billion gallons sold in bottles in 2016 — it seems strange that Americans of any age could be dehydrated. Yet some studies suggest that a third of seniors are chronically dehydrated and unaware that the condition may be responsible for health problems such as dizziness, confusion and constipation.

The solution, however, is not as simple as it seems. In America, chronic dehydration is not usually caused by the unavailability of water, but by a confluence of factors that include diuretic medicines, decreased thirst perception and other changes in the aging body.

There’s also another, more heartrending reason: Many seniors don’t drink enough because they fear the difficulty of getting to the bathroom and the risk of falling, especially during the night.

That creates a loop of health risks, however, since dehydration can make seniors more likely to fall, and falls are the leading cause of injuries among American seniors, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

Develop a water schedule similar to a schedule for taking medicine.

Read more about the dangers of dehydration and get great tips

The MIND diet may boost brain health

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MIND diet
khn.org

To Help Ward Off Alzheimer’s, Think Before You Eat

By Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News

“Diets designed to boost brain health, targeted largely at older adults, are a new, noteworthy development in the field of nutrition.

The latest version is the Canadian Brain Health Food Guide, created by scientists in Toronto. Another, the MIND diet, comes from experts at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Both diets draw from a growing body of research suggesting that certain nutrients — mostly found in plant-based foods, whole grains, beans, nuts, vegetable oils and fish — help protect cells in the brain while fighting harmful inflammation and oxidation.

Both have yielded preliminary, promising results in observational studies. The Canadian version — similar to the Mediterranean diet but adapted to Western eating habits — is associated with a 36 percent reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The MIND diet — a hybrid of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) — lowered the risk of Alzheimer’s by 53 percent.”

Read more about warding off Alzheimer’s and the MIND diet

The mourning process provides relief and healing

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mourning process
photobucket.com

Help in the mourning offers comfort

By Valerie McCullough, Loveland Reporter-Herald

March 30, 2017

“Since Bill’s death in late January, I’ve had three grief counseling sessions.

I feel fortunate that Pathways Hospice offers these sessions for families of their deceased patients.

I started grief counseling about three weeks after Bill died.

One of the odd things about being in counseling is I think I’m doing ‘just fine’ as I head into the session. ‘I don’t really need to be in counseling,’ I say to myself.

As the counselor and I seat ourselves comfortably in her office, we exchange pleasantries. After a few minutes, she may ask something like, ‘How are things going?’

Then I begin to talk about what’s in my heart and mind.

During my first two sessions, I recounted the days in the hospital just before Bill’s death and then the death itself — and tears flowed.”

Read more about the mourning process

Home fire dangers – are you safe?

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Home fire danger
southaven.org

In 2015, my son-in-law’s childhood home caught fire accidentally.  His mom (in her 60’s) was home.  She got out safely with just the phone in hand which she used to call 911. Unfortunately, she lost almost everything, including her car which was in the garage.  She basically just had the clothes on her back: pajamas and a robe.  She was relocated for over six months as her home was repaired. Luckily, she had good insurance and she is back in home but without many of her family’s treasures.  Could this happen to you and would you be able to get out quickly and safely?

“National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics show that people age 65 and older are twice as likely to die in a home fire as the population at large. This high risk can be greatly reduced by following simple fire prevention rules.

Why are Older Adults at Risk?

If you are an older adult, you are at a higher risk for death and injury from fire for a number of reasons:

• You may be physically less able to take quick action in a fire emergency.
• If you are on medication, it may affect your ability to make quick decisions.
• If you live alone, others may not be around to help should an accident occur

What Fire Hazards Affect Older Adults?

• Cooking is the leading cause of fire-related injuries for older adults. The kitchen is one of the most active and potentially dangerous rooms in the home.
• The unsafe use of smoking materials is the leading cause of fire deaths among older adults.
• Heating equipment is responsible for a big share of fires in older adults’ homes. Extra caution should be used with alternative heaters such as wood stoves or electric space heaters.
• Faulty wiring is another major cause of fires affecting the elderly. Older homes can have serious problems, ranging from old appliances with bad wiring to overloaded sockets.”

View or print helpful tips about how to prevent fires