Staying Young

Don’t let holiday depression creep into this joyous season

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During the Christmas holiday season last year I was afflicted with shingles and suffered depression due to the quarantine my doctor ordered.  It was the worst Christmas ever!  I was not able to attend church services on Christmas Eve nor see my family until January.  I was feeling hurt and alone.  I recovered but the depression due to the isolation was unbearable at the time.

Read further for helpful information if you, or someone you know, is suffering from holiday blues during this season and remember, “This too shall pass.”

holiday depression
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Holiday Depression

by Michael Kerr

March 21, 2016

“Holidays are supposed to be a time of joy and celebration, but for some people they are anything but.

Depression may occur at any time of the year, but the stress and anxiety during the months of November and December may cause even those who are usually content to experience loneliness and a lack of fulfillment.

Why is depression so common during the holidays?

There are several reasons why you may develop depression during the holidays:

Social Isolation

Social isolation is one of the biggest predictors of depression, especially during the holidays.

Some people may have a small social circle or a lack opportunities for socialization. People who have feelings of disconnectedness often avoid social interactions at holiday time. Unfortunately, withdrawing often makes the feelings of loneliness and symptoms of depression worse.

These individuals may see other people spending time with friends and family, and ask themselves, ‘Why can’t that be me?’ or ‘Why is everyone else so much happier than I am?’

One of the best ways to deal with social isolation is to reach out to friends or family for support. You can also try talking to a therapist. They can help you figure out where your feelings come from and develop solutions to overcome them.

holiday depression
psychdigest.com

Grieving During the Holidays

Some people may be keenly aware of the loss of a loved one during the holiday season. Here are several ways to stave off the holiday blues that may descend at this time:

Begin a new tradition – Try planning a family outing or vacation, instead of spending the holidays at home.”

Read more ways to stave off the holiday blues and/or click here for Another good resource for helping an elderly neighbor or family member during the holidays.

The arts “enhance overall quality of life”

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the arts
sfgate.com

Express Yourself

From UCLA Health’s Healthy Years newsletter

December 2016

“Watching an artist paint, a dancer gracefully glide across the stage or a singer belt out a happy tune is witnessing bliss personified.  Children can find that joyful state of absorption rather easily: A single crayon on paper can do it.  As adults, however, we often lose that sense of blissful play, but it can be found again.

‘Because the arts serve as an emotional and physical outlet, they also help to decrease stress and combat depression and loneliness,’ explains Erica Curtis, board certified art therapist and instructor for the UCLA Arts and Healing Social Emotional Arts (SEA) certificate program.  ‘It’s a healthy means of distraction from pains, discomfort or other stressors.’

The Power of Making Music Together

Researchers from the University of Oxford wanted to explore whether singing was a special type of bonding behavior or whether any group activity would build bonds among members.  To test the theory, they set up seven courses: four in singing, two in crafts and one in creative writing.  Each course, made up of weekly sessions, ran for seven months.  Those attending the classes were given surveys before and after individual sessions in the first month, in the third month and at the end of the course.  In the surveys, they were asked to rate how close they felt to their classmates.

At the end of the seven months, all the participants reported similar levels of closeness, but those in the singing group stated feeling closer to their classmates earlier in the process.

Singing also requires breath control, which can improve lung function and decrease stress.  A small study found that regular singing might have a positive effect for those who have COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

Learning to play an instrument, or dusting off one you used to play, can work wonders on your mood.  A study published in the journal Mental Health Practice found that the use of music as a therapy for people over the age of 65 has a positive influence on well-being by providing enjoyment, social interaction, improved memory and social inclusion.

Moving Your Feet to the Beat Feels Good and May Reduce Fall Risk

Osteoarthritis is common in older adults, and movement helps improve circulation to ease the pain of arthritis.  Dancing alone or with others can be a great way to feel better fast.”  Read more

Make time for physical exercise

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exercise
yourtrainer.eu

Now that I am retired and have the time to exercise, I still have not made it a habit, but I’m not giving up.  Here’s why…

How Exercise Can Help You

from https://go4life.nia.nih.gov

“Exercise and physical activity are good for just about everyone, including older adults. No matter your health and physical abilities, you can gain a lot by staying active. In fact, in most cases you have more to lose by not being active.

Here are just a few of the benefits. Exercise and physical activity:

  • Can help maintain and improve your physical strength and fitness.
  • Can help improve your ability to do the everyday things you want to do.
  • Can help improve your balance.
  • Can help manage and improve diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
  • Can help reduce feelings of depression and may improve mood and overall well-being.
  • May improve your ability to shift quickly between tasks, plan an activity, and ignore irrelevant information.

The key word in all these benefits is YOU — how fit and active you are now and how much effort you put into being active. To gain the most benefits, enjoy all 4 types of exercise, stay safe while you exercise, and be sure to eat a healthy diet, too!

Exercise and physical activity fall into four basic categories—endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Most people tend to focus on one activity or type of exercise and think they’re doing enough. Each type is different, though. Doing them all will give you more benefits. Mixing it up also helps to reduce boredom and cut your risk of injury.”

Try these exercises

“Visit www.nihseniorhealth.gov, a senior-friendly website from the National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine. This website has health and wellness information for older adults. Special features make it simple to use. For example, you can click on a button to make the type larger.”

Dementia rate declines in the US

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dementia rate
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Dramatic decline in dementia seen among older adults in the US

by Sharon Begley

November 21, 2016

“The percent of older US adults with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, declined from 11.6 percent in 2000 to 8.8 percent in 2012, a decrease of nearly a quarter, scientists reported on Monday.

Why it matters:

It had been thought that the baby boomers’ march toward old age would triple the number of Alzheimer’s patients by 2050. These new numbers not only portend a lesser burden on the health care system (and families) but also suggest that something has changed over the generations — and identifying that change could drive down dementia rates even further.

You’ll want to know:

That’s a significant decline: If the rate of dementia in 2012 had been what it was in 2000, ‘there would be well more than 1 million additional people with dementia,’ said John Haaga, director of the National Institute on Aging’s behavioral and social research, who was not involved in the study. As it is, an estimated 5 million Americans 65 and older are afflicted with Alzheimer’s or other dementia.

The nitty gritty:

Researchers led by Dr. Kenneth Langa of the University of Michigan analyzed data on more than 10,500 Health and Retirement Study participants aged 65 or older in 2000 and 2012.

The percent of seniors with dementia fell to 8.8 percent in 2012; accounting for the greater proportion of those who were 85 years or older, the decline was even greater: to 8.6 percent, the team reported in JAMA Internal Medicine.

One possible factor is education.”  Read more

Three generations play with Etch A Sketch and Twister…

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Most people I know love babysitting grandchildren at least once in awhile.  Saturday night I was scheduled to babysit my three adorable grandbabies, so I gathered up a couple of my daughter’s old toys to take to their home for entertainment.  I chose her Etch A Sketch and the game Twister.  They both became instant hits with the grandkids.

Of course, the two older children (ages three and nearly five) fought EtchASketch10-23-2004.jpgover the Etch A Sketch.  I set a timer so they could both have their time exploring how it worked.  I guess fearing the game would not be working when her time came, the oldest, Jovie, asked me where the batteries go.  She didn’t quite understand the concept of it not needing batteries or a plug to make it work.  Both kids were fascinated by the fact that they could draw with it and then erase what they drew by shaking it.  Oh, the simple things in life!

The biggest thrill, at least for Jovie and I, was playing Twister.  She knows her colors and she had a great time learning which was her right and left hand and foot.  The boys liked the spinner.  I even took a turn on the plastic mat.  Of course the first two or three color/hand/foot combinations left me spread clear across it.  I held on for as long as I could but the boys decided to climb on my back, so we all collapsed in a pile of laughs!  Even the little guy (14 months) mimicked his big sister and placed his hands and feet on the brightly colored dots.  The game was a hit!  In this fast paced world of electronic games which make all sorts of noises and have flashy lights, it was nice to see some of the classic old games still entertain my young grandchildren.

Twister
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A little history on these two old-time favorites from my childhood, as well as my daughter’s:

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Babysitting grandchildren may actually be good for your health

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Babysitting Grandchildren Could Lower Risk for Alzheimer’s

by Alissa Sauer for Alzheimer.net

July 27, 2016

There’s nothing like grandchildren to keep older adults active and joyful. A recent study shows that spending a moderate amount of time with grandkids may actually prevent Alzheimer’s disease by increasing brain function and memory.

“In addition to boosting brain power, babysitting has been linked to decreased rates of depression. Learn more about the correlation between babysitting and senior health and get some ideas on fun things to do with your grandchildren.

How Babysitting Grandchildren Could Lower Risk for Alzheimer’s

Researchers from the Women’s Health Aging Project in Australia observed the cognitive function of over 180 women who cared for grandchildren. The results showed that postmenopausal women who spend one day a week caring for their grandchildren may have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders. However, those that spend five days a week or more caring for little ones may have a higher risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders.

This is the first study to examine the role of grandparenting on cognition. While the reason for the correlation is not clear, it is thought that regular social interaction can have a positive effect on the mental health of seniors and lower their risk for Alzheimer’s. Caring for grandchildren can help to prevent the social isolation that can cause depression, and even an earlier death.

In addition to preventing Alzheimer’s and avoiding social isolation, other research suggests that a strong grandchild and grandparent bond has anti-depressive benefits for both seniors and children. A study from the Institute on Aging at Boston College observed the habits of 376 grandparents and 340 children for 19 years. They found that the closer the relationship between the two, the less likely either were to develop depression and that grandparents who both gave and received support had the fewest symptoms of depression.”

Read more

Alissa Sauer has been dedicated to writing articles about Alzheimer’s research and senior living for over four years. With a Communications Degree from the University of Illinois, Alissa strives to help families understand and manage the changes that often accompany caring for a senior loved one.

 

The free fitness app Map My Walk motivates me to walk more

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MapMyWalk

I used to wear a Fitbit clipped to my waistband every day to track my steps, but lately I use the free app Map My Walk on my phone to track my longer walks.  I love it.  It tracks my steps, calories burned, pace, elevation, duration of walk, and charts my walk on a map.  Workouts can be saved or posted on Facebook.  I am sure my friends like to see me hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park while they are at work!  It definitely motivates me to walk more.

 

Do Fitness Trackers Really Improve Your Health?

The devices aren’t terribly accurate, but that may be beside the point: getting you out and about

by Kaitlin Pitsker from Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

October, 2016

“Millions of Americans now wear fitness bands on their wrists to count their steps daily. Some employers are using fitness trackers to set goals—and rewards—for employees. Health and life insurers are offering premium discounts for wearing one. School systems are even using them to enable self-directed physical education programs.

How accurate are they? Fitness bands contain an accelerometer, which tracks movement in every direction to calculate the number of steps you’ve taken. But studies show that over the course of a day, many trackers have error rates of 10% to 20%. Tufts University’s Health & Nutrition Letter suggests you verify that your stride-length setting is correct by going to a track with the exact distance marked and counting your steps as you walk it. If you walk, say, 100 feet in 40 steps, divide 100 by 40. You have a stride length of about 2.5 feet.

fitness trackers
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Most fitness bands are on track when it comes to counting steps when you’re walking, running or climbing stairs—usually coming within 1% to 4% of your actual step count, says Alex Montoye, an assistant professor at Alma College who studies wearables. The devices are also good at not awarding credit for stationary activities with a lot of wrist movement, such as typing or shuffling papers.”  Read more

Those who wore fitness trackers significantly increased the time they spent doing moderate to vigorous activity.