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Potassium is one of the several minerals which are essential to the health and optimal function of the body. It contributes to strong healthy muscles as well as keeping the heart in a good state. However, the amounts of potassium consumed and the levels in the body need to be the right balance because too much potassium in the body is harmful. In fact, for those with some conditions like kidney disease, too much potassium in the body is dangerous. This is a problem with older persons, therefore, we shall look at what causes high potassium levels in the elderly.

See also: Activities For The Elderly

Having too much potassium in the body leads to a condition called hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia occurs when the potassium levels in the blood go beyond the normal range of 3.6 to 5.2 millimoles per liter of blood. The elderly are particularly prone to high potassium levels and should ensure that they keep the levels of potassium in their body within the right range to stay healthy and prevent the risks.

High potassium levels affects the muscles leading to muscles fatigue and weakness of the muscles which can result in paralysis. It can also cause other dangerous problems for the body such as fluctuation of heart rhythm which can cause a condition called ventricular fibrillation- this condition causes the lower chambers of the heart to flutter rapidly instead of pumping blood as it should, and other heart problems which can be deadly.

Read more: Best Positioning Pillows for Elderly 2019

Causes of Hyperkalemia

Kidney problems

The common cause of hyperkalemia is kidney disease or interference with kidney function. The kidney works to ensure that there is a right potassium balance in the body by filtering out excess potassium from the blood, therefore, in a case where the kidney does not work properly, the right balance will not be maintained.

The hormone aldosterone monitors the levels of potassium in the blood and alerts the kidney to any irregularities- where the production of the hormone is interfered with such as Addison’s disease which leads to a decrease in the levels of the hormone. Reduced hormones means that the kidney will not regulate minerals properly and allow a buildup of potassium in the body.

Medications

Some medications can lead to high potassium levels by interrupting the kidney’s potassium filtration and secretion process. Some diuretics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines interfere with the kidney’s ability to filter out excess potassium from the blood.

Excess Potassium in Diet

The other way of having high levels of potassium is by eating a lot of potassium rich foods such that the body has a high concentration of the mineral. Foods like prunes, raisins, high-potassium yogurt, tomatoes and bananas are great to eat because they are nutritious and soft but have high in potassium content.

Salt Substitutes

Salt substitutes are often used for lowering blood sodium levels but also increase potassium levels in the blood. The higher concentration of potassium may not be a problem for many people but can be a problem for those who already have a potassium filtration problem in the kidneys such that not enough is excreted.

Potassium Supplements

Potassium supplements is often prescribed to the elderly to help correct low levels of potassium and this can lead to elevated levels of the mineral in the body. However, as much as it is helpful, taking potassium supplements can lead to high levels of potassium in the blood.

Symptoms of Hyperkalemia

There are several indicators that can help you and doctors determine if you are suffering from high levels of potassium in the blood. We have already mentioned signs like irregular heart beat or rhythm but there are more signs which point to the problem of hyperkalemia.

The following are the common symptoms of hyperkalemia:

• Irregular heart beat or rhythm, also called arrhythmia, which can be life threatening. High potassium levels in the blood affects how the heart works.
• Apart from arrhythmia, high potassium levels causes the heart rate to slow down.
• You will have a general feeling of weakness.
• Apart from general weakness, muscle fatigue is a common occurrence in those who are suffering from a high concentration of potassium in the blood.
• In extreme cases, the muscle weakness can result in paralysis.
• Potassium elevation in the blood will also lead to nausea and vomiting in some cases.

Control and Treatment of Hyperkalemia

If you suspect that you have a problem with high potassium levels, you should consult your doctor for a diagnosis and advice if you are proven to have elevated levels of the mineral.

Get on a low-potassium diet

If you are found to have high potassium levels, you will have to look at your diet and ensure that you stick to a low potassium diet by avoiding the consumption of too many foods with a high potassium content. Get information on the right diet for you and avoid eating too many bananas, potassium yoghurt, milk etc. which can cause hyperkalemia related problems.

Avoid potassium high salt substitutes

Salt substitutes are often prescribed for elderly people and some which have been found to be bad for people with kidney problems because they interfere with minerals filtration and secretion. Slat substitutes that are high in potassium should be avoided.

Keep away from herbal remedies and supplements

Most herbal remedies and supplements are made from ingredients which can lead to a rise in blood potassium levels. In fact, people who are already dealing with kidney problems should not take herbal remedies or supplements. You should consult your doctor before you take any herbal products.

There are water pills or potassium binders which you can take to help flush out the extra potassium in the blood if your kidneys are not up to the task for one reason or another. The potassium flushing medicines are:

• Diuretics or water pills will help you excrete excess potassium from the body by triggering the kidneys to produce more urine thus flushing out the excess mineral in the urine.
• The other potassium flushing medicines are called water binders, which is a powder. The binders are mixed in a small quantity of water and is then consumed with food. They are called binders because once swallowed, the powder binds to the excess potassium in the gut and excretes it.

Conclusion

Now you have the answer to “What causes high potassium levels in the elderly?”. The good news is that there are remedies to the problem of elevated potassium levels in the elderly which you can adapt to control and treat the problem.

The best way to dealing with and avoiding the problem is to prevent it in the first place- mind your diet, medications and any supplements you take to ensure that they do not cause an elevation of potassium in the body. Get more insights here:

Are you stranded on what activities you can engage senior people in? Well, I know it is quite a task to establish a definite activity that will benefit them without putting them to a risk of getting hurt or getting harmed. Worry no more. I have compiled a collection of activities that you can engage your elderly loved ones in without having to risk their lives.

As people get older, their mobility is restricted from medical condition like stroke and arthritis or an injury resulting from a fall. When this occurs, the activities they used to enjoy when they were in a healthy condition are now limited and they can not do them anymore. However, not all elderly people get affected by these conditions hence they can still enjoy their activities as before. Below is a list of all the activities which can be practised by senior people with a health condition and those without.

See also: What Causes High Potassium Levels In The Elderly?

Sports – activities to build the body

Senior Olympics – these are sports organized and governed by National senior games association who have a goal of promoting the health and lifestyle of the elderly people above the age of 50. You should encourage and train senior persons for senior Olympics as it a good exercise for their bodies. However, you should be careful and observe their health status before allowing them to engage in the activities as it might be strenuous

Dancing – dancing is among the most enjoyable activities anyone can partake in. most the elderly folks like socializing through dance sessions like Zumba, tap and many others. You can set aside dancing sessions for the seniors in a home care or if you have an elderly one in your home, you can sign them up for such sessions and ensure that they attend them consistently.

Swimming – this is the only non-weight bearing form of exercise that gets rid of the risk of accidents as a result of falls among elderly people. It strengthens the core muscles and advances the body posture. If done well under good supervision, it gets rid of the risk to cardiovascular diseases.

Games – activities that challenge the mind

Bingo – this is an interactive activity common among seniors where a game master will draw number and all the players will be required to create an identified pattern in their card of the numbers which will be announced. This game does not limit the number of players. Everyone can participate as long as they there are enough cards for the players

Scrabble – this is a word game that involves two or even more players. This is a strategic board game that tests one’s vocabulary skills and memory. This is a good way to keep elderly people’s minds active.

Monopoly – this is one of the oldest games that has ever existed. This is where one monopolist controls the game. It was well known in the 1930s and most seniors got addicted to playing this game.

Senior moments – this is aboard game that challenges memory strength. It is suitable for two to eight players. The game is played by players by memorizing a list from a game’s booklet then one is required to recall it correctly. This is a great training for memory strength for elderly people.

Read more: Best Positioning Pillows for Elderly 2019

Activities that sharpen the mind – puzzles

Sudoku – sudoku is a well known logic game that sharpens skills for solving problems. Although it is composed of various numbers, it does not require arithmetic or arithmetic skills. You are only required to come up with a pattern that you can fill out the right set of numbers in the empty boxes of that game. It has been popularized in the past years and has become very specialized even narrowing down to puzzles meant for older people.

Crossword – this is another mind challenging game which was first started in magazines and newspapers. It is common among many seniors because it became popular in the 1950s. Providing seniors with various crossword puzzles will fine tune their thinking skills and keep their minds sharp and active.

Jigsaw – there are jigsaws mainly meant for seniors. They are larger than the normal jigsaw and the elderly ones will find them better in case their vision is a bit blurry. Assembling jigsaws instills one with skills of problem solving as they try to figure out the right jigsaw which will fit into the specific part. This video explains on how to assemble a jigsaw.

Activities Which Promote Creativity – Art And Craft

Painting – having painting activities is a good redirection activity for seniors. It is a good way of expressing thoughts and emotions. It also aids in boosting their eye-to-hand coordination and improving their confidence. The painting activities which can be done by seniors include watercolor, oil painting and acrylic.

Mosaic – most senior have fun when coming up with mosaics out of flower pots, tiles, eggshells and other tiny elements. Eye and hand dexterity is very key for this activity. It shapes creativity and imagination skills as they mae colorful items out of assembled parts of art

Scrapbook – Giving this to seniors is like taking them back to memory lane as this is a creative and fun activity where one can document memories immortalized in memorabilia pieces and photographs. It exercises the mind well as the seniors will be able to remember vital moments in their lives.

The above highlighted activities are very essential for a elderly and planning one for them can go a long way in exercising their minds and body and even making them more creative during their free time. However, there are a number of factors you should put in place when engaging the elderly in these activities. They include sense of cooperation, physical tolerance and interests. Despite that elderly people are not as energetic as young people, they need an opportunity to have fun and engage in activities. If you found this information helpful, share it with a friend or two and implement it in your home care for the elderly.

Do you experience this annoying nag from your bladder every night as you sleep? If you are forced to go to the restroom more than two times within your 6-8 hours of night’s sleep then you are likely to be experiencing Nocturia. This is a medical term for excessive urination. This maybe as a result of your bladder being unable to hold too much urine or your body making too much urine.

Enuresis (bed-wetting) is another condition where you are unable to control your urination at night. This might happen unconsciously without one having to wake up and go to the washroom. However, it is different from frequent urination because in the latter case, one is not able to sleep because of the urge to urinate.

Frequent urination at night can be as a result of many factors where some of them need medical attention while others can be managed by the individual. After realizing the need in creating awareness of frequent urination at night, I combined information on the possible causes, preventive and treatment measures for this condition.

Check on what you are drinking

High consumption of alcohol and caffeinated drinks risks your body to frequent urination. This is because the two drinks are diuretics meaning when taken in excess, the body is forced to produce a lot of urine. To avoid this, avoid taking the drinks and if that is not possible, don’t take the drinks later in the day and ensure you use the bathroom before retiring to bed. Also avoid taking any drinks just before going to bed.

Old age

Age is a major factor in this condition. As we get older, the anti-diuretic produced in the body gets less weakening the body’s ability to retain urine especially at night and it also causes increased urine production. In older age, the bladder is also weakened making it very hard to retain the urine in the bladder. Health problems associated with old age also play a big role in frequent urination at night for older people.

Older men are prone to getting an enlarged prostate which really keeps them on their feet to empty the bladder. For women, Estrogen secretion becomes limited as they grow older. This may cause changes in the urinary tract and may make them pee often. For women who have given birth, the pelvic muscles also get weaker as they grow old and risk them to frequent urination.

Read more: Causes of Sleep Problems in Elderly

Medications

When under a doctor’s prescription, the kind of pills you take may influence your rate of urination. Some medicines have a tendency of pulling fluid out of your system and may make you to pee more. This mostly happens for water pills which are used to treat high blood pressure. If you notice this side-effect in your medication, take your medicine earlier in the day or consult your doctor to change your medication.

Sleep Problem

Sometimes it’s not the urge to pee that keeps you awake. You may just be experiencing sleepless nights and you need to keep moving therefore you prefer visiting the restroom. This sleeping problem may be as a result of depression, chronic pain, hot flashes, or restless leg syndrome. Getting a treatment for sleeping disorder may be able to solve your peeing at night problem.

Pregnancy

For expectant mothers, frequent peeing may happen in the early stages when he womb presses against the bladder. However, this may also be experienced in later days in pregnancy. This condition may act as an indicator of pregnancy.

Heart Problem

When the heart doesn’t pump blood around the body the way it is supposed to pump, fluids build up and it is noticeable at the ankles as they may swell. The moment you lie down to sleep, your body is forced to flush out the extra fluids forcing you to wake up out of the urge from your bladder to pee.to prevent the swelling, the best way is to rest while your feet are elevated especially during the day or wear compression socks. This way, chances of your body wanting to flush out extra fluids are minimal and you can be able to enjoy your sleep.

Medical Conditions

A wide variety of medical infections can cause frequent urination at night. The most common infection which causes urination is Urinary Tract Infection(UTI) as well as infection in the bladder. These infections are accompanied by a burning sensation during urination and increased frequency in urination both day and night.

Tumor of the bladder, pelvic area or the prostate may also cause frequent urination at night because they cause the urinary tract to malfunction and the most probable result is that the bladder may not be able to contain much urine and always force you to visit the restroom frequently.

Organ failures like liver, kidney, and the heart often lead to malfunctioning of the urinary tract and this may result to frequent urination during both day and night.

These medical conditions are threat to your health and your sleep. Some of them might be treated using antibiotics while some of them require you to seek medical attention as soon as you spot the symptoms.

Anxiety And Stress

When experiencing stress and anxiety, frequent urination at night may come up as a result. This is because when the body behaves in a apprehensive manner, the stress response is activated. The stress response causes secretion of hormones into the bloodstream which travel to different parts of the body and cause physical, emotional and psychological changes which help the body fight or flee away from the threat. One of the major changes stress response makes is to make the body to eliminate waste immediately. That is why many people always visit the washroom when they are anxious or stressed up. It is a common reaction to anxiety and stress.

Frequent urination at night is a very uncomfortable experience. It makes you lack enough sleep during the night hence it might lower your activity levels during the day. It often leads to drowsiness, fatigue and mood changes. It also puts your health at stake. Your concentration during the day is also affected and may result to adverse effects in your school work if you are a student or poor performance at your workplace.

Everyone always longs for night to fall so that they can relax their bodies but if one knows that they will not be able to rest well because of having to wake and visit the bathroom, then it becomes a nightmare and it becomes disturbing. To get rid of this annoying feeling, follow some of the guidelines i stated above to overcome the causes of frequent urination. Always remember to see a doctor if the situation becomes severe and get advised accordingly on the right steps to take.

If this article helped you, then share it with others so that they can also get knowledgeable on this topic and help someone get a good night’s sleep. Don’t forget to give your feedback in the comments section below.

Sleep has an immense importance in our routine lives and it is known that you might survive without eating or drinking but you will never survive if you are sleepless. Quality of sleep is important at every stage of life but it is important for children and elderly to get the best sleep because of their reduced bodily functions. We just assume that disturbed sleep patterns are caused by old age while it is not always the case. Contrary to the popular belief, it is not necessary for older people to have severe sleep problems in old age. However, sleep problems do occur in majority of the older adults.

Quality of sleep keeps deteriorating as we grow older and there are a lot of reasons behind. Sleep problems in the elderly can be caused by physiological changes or psychological changes or even other medical conditions related to old age. To solve the problems related to sleep one should keep the record of sleep patterns. If you are a caregiver or an older adult, then you should keep track of your sleep-awake cycle as well as insomnia, dementia and sleep apnea.

Find out Your Sleep Pattern and Problems

First of all, you need to find out how much affect is on your sleep, you should keep a diary and keep record of your every night sleep. The first and foremost step to solve a problem is to identify it completely. So you should keep journal and write every single sleep related habits and patterns in this journal. This journal does not only include your habits of night time but also write your daytime habits. It will help you find out your effects of sleep on your body during the day.

Read more: Frequent Urination At Night

You should have following things written in your diary in order to get a clear picture as well as you can easily explain it to your sleep doctor. First of all, note down your timings of going to bed and waking up then number of hours. You should also be clear that going to bed and actually falling asleep are not the same things. You should also note the time between going to bed and actually falling asleep. Your moods and eating habits before sleep, type of drugs you are taking and any specific life events which are affecting your mood.

Sleep Problems in the Elderly

Sleep problems in the elderly are mostly related to circadian rhythm which is the biological clock of our body. Circadian rhythm plays crucial role in our sleep-awake cycle and your whole body system is disturbed if your circadian rhythms are not right. Our body’s biological clock is affected mainly by light as it is the cue to action for our circadian rhythm. Darkness produces a hormone known as melatonin which helps you sleep better. This is one of the reasons that quality of our sleep is not as amazing in the day as it happens during nighttime. Disturbed circadian rhythms cease the production of melatonin and you are likely to feel disturbed and depressed if your circadian rhythms are disturbed.

Causes of Disturbed Circadian Rhythm

Some of the problems which cause disturbances in circadian and in turn it changes our sleep pattern and make us cranky are given below:

Night Shift Workers

If you are a night shift worker or you work early shifts or even you work on rotation you might have faced this problem. Our circadian rhythm gets disturbed when you don’t have a specific time for sleep or awake. This loss is not even compensated if you increase your quantity of sleep. Your body’s clock is set on a specific time and it needs to be shut down on a proper time and wake up accordingly. It also affects your performance at work and makes you less productive during your shifts. One should take measures to solve the problem and try avoiding shift changes frequently.

Jetlag

This is not much serious problem and it is rather temporary. It happens when you cross a time zone to get to the next one. Most of the time jetlag is gone in as many days as you have crossed time zone. For example, if you have crossed four time zones, your jetlag will be gone in 4 days. You might feel sleepy during the day, fatigued and cranky most of the time. Stomach problems are associated with jetlag. It is also said that travelling to east causes most awful jetlag than travelling to a western country. However, it is mostly faced by travelers and do not invite much trouble.

Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder

It is a sleep disorder which makes you go to sleep late night and wake up late. It is not by choice and most of the time you can’t control your sleepiness. This is mostly a teenager problem because they face this problem more often than the elderly. However, if an elderly faces this problem he/she should visit a sleep clinic and talk to a doctor as soon as possible.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is most commonly known as snoring and it is one of the most commonly occurring sleep problems in the elderly. In some cases, you have trouble breathing due to sleep apnea and it causes regular awakening during night sleep. It decreases the quality of sleep significantly and one should visit a doctor if one has this problem.

Restless Leg Syndrome

The uncontrollable urge to move your feet during night is known as restless leg syndrome (RLS). It is also a most commonly occurring problem in the elderly. You can visit a doctor for your problem and you can also use self-help solutions for this problem.

What can you do to help yourself with sleep problems?

It is good to seek professional help if you are facing any sleep problems but there are few self-help remedies which you can do to help improve your quality of sleep.

• Make a sleep schedule and stick to it.
• Improve your eating habits and do not take caffeine, nicotine on any other substance which could be harmful for peaceful sleep.
• Keep your room dark and peaceful
• Exercise

Conclusion

Sleep disturbance is a major problem and it affects all the domains of your life and health. However, you can control this problem by simply changing a few habits in your lifestyle and sticking to healthy habits. If the problem still persists talk to a sleep doctor and sleep tight.

Yoga is an easy and safe way to improve both your mental well-being and overall health, especially for people over 60. Yoga for seniors can improve their balance and flexibility.

However, that is not all. The benefits of doing yoga when you’re over 60 are countless. Read on to learn everything about yoga for seniors and all the benefits that come along.

Can I practice yoga as a senior?

Yes, you can practice yoga as a senior. If you are in good health, there is no reason for you not to practice yoga. In fact, yoga is highly recommended for seniors. You will be surprised to hear that in the United Kingdom, 12 million people over 65 practice yoga.

Meaning, the popularity of yoga in constantly increasing in the last 3 decades. Physical fitness is important when it comes to preventing illnesses that usually strike people over 60. Also, it improves the mental well-being of the person who’s constantly active.

As you can see, you can practice yoga at any age. According to an American study made by Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance in 2016, over 14 million people over 50 who live in the United States practice yoga. It is believed that yoga for seniors is the perfect activity and key to good health and quality life in the golden years.

Read more: How To Stay Young

Which type of yoga is right for me?

It depends on your age, health, level of fitness and physical condition which type of yoga is suitable for you. These factors play an important role in choosing the best type of yoga you can practice without any difficulties and health consequences. But keep in mind that before you begin practicing any type of yoga, you should consult your doctor.

Where can I find classes for seniors?

You can learn how to practice yoga from videos and books. But visiting yoga classes has its benefits. And it is also advisable, especially for beginners. It is better to learn how to practice yoga with the help of a qualified yoga instructor, rather than starting on your own. Plus, you will get useful tips and poses on how to reduce the risk of injury.

As for where can you find classes for seniors, because yoga for seniors has become a very popular activity, it is easy to find classes for yoga. You can check the next spots:

• Retirement communities
• Health clubs and gyms
• Community centers
• Local senior centers
• Religious organizations
• Wellness magazines and local newspapers

What do I need to know before my first yoga class?

If you already consulted your doctor and found the perfect yoga type, it is important to know what to wear, what to bring and how to act right before your first yoga class.

• What to wear?

Fitted and comfortable clothing is perfect for yoga because different types of yoga require different types of stretching. This is why baggy clothes aren’t recommended. However, your leggings or exercise pants will do the job. Also, keep in mind that yoga is done barefoot. However, you can bring your non-slip socks until you get comfortable.

• What to bring?

You can attend your first yoga class not wearing anything special, however, it’s a good idea to bring your medical ID bracelet, a bottle of water, your doctor’s details to give to your teacher in case you injure yourself or something else happens, a towel and mat. Usually, most places provide a mat for their practitioners for free or at a minimal cost. Keep in mind that you have to take off your shoes, so it is best if you arrive in sandals.

• How to act?

We have a few etiquette tips for you when it comes to yoga, although yoga etiquette varies from site to site. In general, it is suggested that you arrive 10 minutes earlier. Also, in order to keep the place hygienic, leave your shoes outside or put them in a bag before you enter the class. Turn your phone to silent mood or turn it off completely.

Extra useful tips for seniors

In case you’re still feeling insecure and don’t know what to do before your first yoga class, we provided extra tips you will find useful, especially if you’re a beginner at yoga.

• Keep yourself well-hydrated: drink a lot of water before and after yoga class.
• Have a light snack an hour or two before class: heavy food can make you feel sick while practicing. Also, it will decrease your current stretching capacity.
• Balance trick: If you have a hard time maintaining your balance, try focusing on one spot only. Or simply ask for your yoga instructor to help you out and don’t push yourself. Take your time and ask for advice on best poses to avoid injury.

Benefits of yoga for seniors

As we mentioned at the beginning, the benefits of yoga for seniors are countless. Not just for seniors but everyone who’s a fan of this practice. Here are some of the main health benefits of practicing yoga from time to time, especially in your golden years.

• Yoga for seniors helps you lose all the extra weight

Yoga is the last activity that comes in mind when you want to lose weight, however, it is ideal for seniors who want to lose a few pounds. According to experts, if you practice yoga regularly, it will speed up your metabolism. Slow metabolism is one of the common reason for gaining weight. It also helps you build muscle and increase your heart rate.

• Yoga for seniors improves your posture and balance

Practicing yoga can also help you maintain your balance and will improve your posture. And all this results in fewer falls. Balance represents one of the first things all people start to lose when they get older. And balance is important for preventing falls because falls are the leading cause of death among seniors, according to an old report published in 2014 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in America. Doing yoga might improve your agility and mobility thanks to the precise and slow yoga movements.

• Yoga for seniors can help you reduce pain

Chronic pain is a common issue among seniors, especially the pain that’s associated with joint problems and arthritis. However, thanks to yoga, you can say goodbye to the pain. It’s a natural remedy for chronic pain. According to a study made by Sonia Gaur of the psychology department at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, it was proven that people who practiced yoga for 90 minutes, 3 times per week for 4 weeks, experienced a decrease in aches and pain. Also, most of the patients reduced their intake of pain medications.

• Yoga for seniors boosts your brain function and cognitive ability

Practicing yoga for seniors isn’t just good for the body but also for the brain in seniors. According to research made by a graduate student, Neha Gothe and her colleagues at the University of Illinois, it was discovered that doing yoga boosts brain function and cognitive ability. If you practice yoga 3 times per week for two months, it will improve your mental flexibility, improve memory, boost your brain function and cognitive ability.

According to research, people who feel younger than their ideal age tend to live longer and better lives. However, no one knows a single method or process to stay young. The best way to achieve this is by actively engaging in social and physical activities. The tips below won’t deprive you of your money and will help you achieve the best results in your endeavor to stay young.

You should focus on planning for outings, dinner and coffee dates with your family. This is part of creating a ‘family time’ and catching up with one another and even spending quality together. You can also choose to accompany your friends to parties and club meetings.

Join Groups Which Share The Same Interests As You

If you love art, consider joining a group which focuses on the kind of art you like, as well as book clubs. Spend time with people discussing about things you are majorly interested in. if you cannot be able to identify people with the same interest as you, try looking for them online.

Try Connecting With People Online

Many people who feel younger have reported to continuously interact with different people. This is linked to the fact that people rarely feel isolated and lonely when in the company of other people. Linking up with people over the web may not be as effective as meeting them in person. However, making use of social media to make new friends and post pictures of family and friends is associated with young age. Therefore, if you do so you tend to feel young doing what young people involve themselves in.

Participate In Volunteering Programs

participating in such programs has proven to make people valued and appreciated. You can offer to help in hospitals, schools and join community outreach groups

Try Doing New Things

Join a book club, dance groups, singing or hiking groups. This contributes a lot to keeping a youthful appearance in life. Do all these things with joyfulness. Also try listening to music as it helps raise your energy and dopamine levels.

Attend Educational Classes

There are multiple of local community colleges which offer courses that deal with teaching people new skills. You can dedicate time and learn on the subjects you haven’t touched on for a long time. This helps in keeping your mind active.

Do Something Larger Than Yourself

Many people like focusing on their life only and thinking on how to improve their lives. While this is not unacceptable, it is good to spend quality time doing activities that develop other people and the community too. You can start mentoring young people or training older people on how to manage their lives after retirement. Focusing on other people’s needs helps you feel important in other people’s lives.

Avoid Drinking Alcohol And Smoking

Alcohol is known to dehydrate your body, reap of its important nutrients and dilate facial appearance. It makes the skin look wrinkled with red spidery veins. It also risks your body to develop chronic organ failures. Smoking is also hazardous as it leaves your skin saggy and wrinkled because it breaks down collagen and elastin. You have to quit smoking and taking alcohol if you want to look young and vibrant.

Stay Physically Active

Don’t spend your free days sleeping. Move around the house doing house chores, take a walk or involve yourself in vigorous exercise like jogging and doing aerobics. You can also choose to have work out sessions in your house as directed in this video. Staying physically active boosts your blood flow different cells in the body including the skin cells making your skin look smooth. Exercise has also been proven to reduce aging of cells for up to one decade

Don’t Act Your Age

Studies have proved that people who thrive in old age often think younger because the mind tunes the body to be what you think. The people who have a positive-perception about their age and they don’t esteem themselves as old, feel 20% younger than their normal age

Have A Close Companion

Having a spouse or a close pet can have positive results on aging because it improves your mood, immunity, brain function, and helps lower stress. This is definitely the testament of the power of love and it makes us live longer lives.

Get Rid Of Excess Fat From Your Body

Keeping up with a healthy weight helps you feel younger and vibrant. That fat which develops at the belly may risk you to dementia. Being overweight is said to reduce your lifespan for up to 8 years. Therefore, do as best as you can to cut off unwanted fat and reduce your body weight if it becomes too much.

Stay Away From The Sun

UV rays from the sun are known to damage the skin and they are associated with aging. This is because the rays destroy elastin which is known to always keep the skin elastic resulting to saggy and wrinkled skin. It also causes uneven skin tone. Therefore, whenever you are out in the sun, ensure that you wear sunscreen to protect your skin.

Read more: Causes of Sleep Problems in Elderly

Get Enough Sleep

Naturally, the skin is known to repair itself when you are sleeping. Getting adequate sleep make you look younger but sleeping less makes you look dull and less attractive. It results to dark spots forming around your eyes. The recommended sleeping time is a minimum of six hours. Those who sleep for a shorter time than six hours have been reported to age faster.

Drink Plenty Of Water

In order to make your skin look supple and maintain optimum health, drink 6-8 glasses of water on a daily basis. Dehydration makes the skin look wrinkled while a well hydrated skin looks smooth and young because it replenishes the skin cells.

In A Nutshell

Staying young is everyone’s desire and it is recommended for one to live long, they should find out natural ways to stay young forever. I hope that the above tips helped you. Please share with a friend or two and leave your feedback in the comment section below.

As we grow older our lifestyle changes with every passing day and so does our physical and mental health. Physical health is easier to notice when it deteriorates but decline in mental health is a little difficult to notice and most of the people don’t pay much attention towards it. There are number of problems which can affect an old person’s mental health and most common among all is depression. Depression in the elderly has become an issue which affects a large number of people all around the world. Masses need to understand that mental health is every bit as important as the physical health.

Geriatric Depression

It is a combination of emotional and mental disorder and it affects a large fraction of older population. One might feel sad and gloomy more often than not but persistent feeling of sadness is not normal. If caregivers are a little mindful of the signs of depression then it can treated if not prevented. However, knowledge about the symptoms and causes of depression can always be a big help for older people. Clinical depression can only be diagnosed by a mental health practitioner but people should also look for its signs in their grandparents and older people living around them. It is associated with poor quality of life in older adults and that’s why one must pay attention to mental health generally.

Prevalence of Depression in the Elderly

According to Center for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 1 to 5% of older adults suffer from depression and 13.5% of them are the ones who require home care while 11.5% are those in hospital. The problem is the fact that there are a few signs of depression which can also be thought of as age-related problems so they can lead to misdiagnosis and ultimately deteriorating mental health. Moreover, most of the older adults are not comfortable while talking to other people about their feelings which make it difficult to reach out for help and causes a problem.

Symptoms of Depression in the Elderly

To meet the full fledge criteria for depression, one must face symptoms of depression including low mood and sadness for at least two weeks nearly every day. These symptoms are not specific for older adults as these symptoms are found in both younger and older adults. If you are trying to screen out someone for depression, you should look out for the following symptoms in them.

• Constant feeling of sadness and dismay
• Crying spells
• Excessive worry and stress
• Feelings of worthlessness and helplessness
• Sudden weight loss or weight gain
• Problem in concentration
• Sleep problems like difficulty sleeping or regular awakening during sleep cycles or not able to achieve REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.
• Fidgeting and pacing
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Other unexplained psychosomatic symptoms like pain and aches
• Isolation and withdrawal from social activities and patient feels lonely most of the time
• Irritability
• Apathy
• You will feel restless almost all the time
• Suicidal ideation is also present in most of the patient
• Feeling of hopelessness
• The patients become tired and fatigued all the time

If someone faces any of these problems for more than two weeks, he should consult a mental health practitioner and get the symptoms checked for depression.

Causes of Depression in the Elderly

Depression cannot be explained by a single cause, and there is more than one cause to depression. Most of the time the biopsychosocial model is used to explain the underlying causes of depression. All factors including biological, psychological and social are combined to play a major role in the development of depression. However, to further explain the causes of depression following causes are theorized.

1. The family history of depression is one of the major causes of this disorder. You are at more risk of depression if one of your close relatives or first-degree relative is suffering from depression. It runs in families most of the time, and people suffer from depression if their parents or siblings are suffering from the same disorder.  This can also lead to the hypothesis that depression also has underlying genetic causes. Genetics play an important role in the development of depression, but there are more to this disorder than only genetic and family history.
2. Depression can also be caused by the disturbance in the levels of neurotransmitters including serotonin and norepinephrine. Increase or decrease in the levels can cause depression in both younger and older adults.
3. A life event which is traumatic in nature can also trigger depression in elderly like the death of significant other or any kind of abuse like physical or sexual abuse. This traumatic event can be a triggering factor for depression, but there are more than one underlying causes or predisposing factors for this disorder.

Aging and Depression

Cause of depression can be biological or psychological, but there are complications related to aging which can be linked with higher risk of depression. These are as following.

1. When people grow older, they tend to stay in their homes or even in their bedrooms, and that’s why they go out less and feels alone and isolated. Isolation can ultimately lead to depression.
2. Mobility is restricted in older adults, and they feel left out in most of the activities which lead to depression.
3. Retirement is a transitional phase, and people tend to feel depressed about having nothing to do in their life after depression.
4. Divorce or widowhood can also be linked with depression because of the feeling of loneliness and isolation.
5. Financial and health problems can also be linked with depression because these problems cause frustration and in turn depression in the long run.
6. Most of the older adults suffer from chronic medical conditions, and long, persisting medical conditions are reasons of frustration in the elderly which can be a strong indicator of depression.
7. In order to fight depression both physical and mental health should be taken care of.

Read more: Here are types of Elderly Sleep Disorders Common in Older Adults

Risk Factors of Depression

Depression affects all the people equally, but there are certain demographic characteristics which put you at more risk of depression. One should be really careful if he or she falls under the following categories. These risk factors include the following.

• If you are a female, you are at higher risk of developing depression.
• If you are single or widowed you can also at higher risk of depression.
• Loss of a loved one or any other traumatic life event
• If you don’t have people to take care of you
• Medications’ side effects
• Fear of death in the last stage of your life can also lead you towards depression.
• If you have a history of suicide attempts you are more likely to develop depression
• History of depression
• Reduce blood flow towards the brain can also be a risk factor of depression
• Physical condition likes stroke, hypertension, dementia, and diabetes are also linked to a higher risk of depression in the elderly

Diagnosis of Depression

Self-diagnosis like self-medication is dangerous for your health. One must consult a psychologist, a psychiatrist or a mental health practitioner for diagnosis. The mental health practitioner will give you a proper diagnosis after looking at the history of your disease and asking you some questions. However, if you are facing any two symptoms mentioned above for at least two weeks, you should consult a qualified mental health practitioner as soon as possible and take any treatment necessary.

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Treatment of Depression in the Elderly

There is not a single treatment for depression because of different causes behind depression. It takes a lot of effort and time to find out perfect treatment for a patient. Since researchers use a biopsychosocial model to explain the causes of depression, similarly, a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and social change can be the perfect treatment regimen. The details of these treatments are given below.

Medication

Following medications can be used to treat depression in older adults as well as the younger ones.

• Tricyclic Antidepressants
• Mirtazapine
• SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)
• Monoamine Oxidase  Inhibitors (MAOIs)
• SNRIs (Selective Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors)
• Bupropion

Psychotherapy

Depression is considered mainly as a psychological disorder and that’s why psychotherapy can have a tremendous effect on patients suffering from depression. Psychotherapy is used both ways including individual therapeutic sessions as well as group therapy sessions. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is considered the most effective one in treatment of depression.

Social Changes

A patient has to make some lifestyle changes in his life too, in order to get rid of depression. One can start from being more physically active and then take it to more socialization and increasing social interaction with friends and family.

Conclusion

Depression in the elderly is a serious problem and people should be more mindful of it. However, it is not totally uncontrollable, and a caregiver can prevent and treat depression by being more careful and getting more information on the subject. One should take care of both mental and physical health of the elderly to combat depression.

Read more: Tips To Improve Senior Sleep By Reducing Pain And Discomfort

A few years back, doctors were mostly worried about vitamin D deficiency in kids. Food was boosted with vitamin D in order to put a stop to bone disease also known as rickets.

However, today we know that this disease doesn’t strike children only but seniors too. Meaning, they also lack vitamin D and according to a new study in the magazine Age and Ageing, this causes muscle weakness, cancer, diabetes, hip fractures, and osteoporosis.

It also contributes to heart diseases and poor overall health in the elderly. We assume you wonder why vitamin D is important and how it affects their system. Keep on reading to find out because this article is dedicated to the lack of vitamin D in the elderly.

What is vitamin D and why do people need it?

If you were not familiar with the function of vitamin D, let us tell you that vitamin D is very important because it has a big effect on different systems throughout our body.

Meaning, it operates as a hormone and every single one of the cells in our body owns a receptor for it. Every person gets vitamin D mostly when exposed to sunlight. Meaning, your system produces vitamin D from cholesterol when your skin is exposed to the sun.

You can also find vitamin D in different foods, however, it is hard to get enough of it from food only. We are going to mention some of the foods rich vitamin D at the end.

According to health experts, the suggested daily intake of vitamin D should be between 400 and 800 IU. However, some experts say that you should probably take more of this vitamin if you do not want to experience difficulties later in life.

Vitamin D deficiency is trendy these days. And if you lack it in your system, it is hard to tell. You probably will not notice until you make a blood analysis. Approximately one billion of the world population has vitamin D deficiency. An alarming number, right?

According to a study that took place in 2011 in the USA, even 41.6% of adults in the country have vitamin D deficiency. This number reaches 82.1% in the African-American population and 69.2% in Hispanics. As we mentioned at the start, this vitamin is crucial in muscle and bone health mostly in elderly and children. However, in average adults too.

It helps our body to fight with different infections and maintains the nervous system function steady and stable. However, as we grow old, our ability to synthesize vitamin D from food and the sun decreases. This factor along with going out less than before and not being exposed to sunlight enough results in vitamin D deficiency in elderly. And this can lead to the development of sarcopenia and falls due to decreased body strength. It might also lead to osteoporosis. It is a common bone disease where bones don’t grow no more. Meaning, it leads to bone fractures due to low bone density. However, if seniors have enough vitamin D, it will boost the development and maintenance of their bones.

Why do elderly suffer from vitamin D deficiency?

As we mentioned before, individuals over age 50 suffer from vitamin D deficiency more often than others because the risk of vitamin D deficiency increases with their age.

The older they get, the less we go out (with exceptions). Meaning they are less exposed to the sun and the natural production of the vitamin D in their system is also declined.

Also, it needs to be activated in their kidney before their body can use it. However, unfortunately, this ability also depends on the age and decreases as people get older.

Read more: Ideal Room Temperature For Elderly

Older people don’t spend too much time outside and don’t exercise as they did before due to lack of motivation and tiredness. And it all leads to vitamin D deficiency.

According to health specialists, it is enough to receive at least 30 minutes of sun twice a week to produce the suggested amount of vitamin D from the sunlight in your system.

When seniors suffer from vitamin D deficiency, they notice muscle weakening. They are tired and fatigued all the time. They might mistake it for the aging symptom. However, it is not. It might be vitamin D deficiency. And instead of ignoring this, they should do a blood test and check their overall health more often. Other common symptoms of this may include bone pain and getting sick more often due to their declined immune system.

What are the common risks of vitamin D deficiency?

Children and elderly are not the only two group of people prone to vitamin D deficiency. Everyone who is exposed to the next common risks might have to vitamin D deficiency.

• Having a dark skin
• Living in a place without many sunny days
• Being obese or overweight
• Using sunscreen all the time
• Not consuming dairy products or fish
• Not moving much/staying indoors

As you can notice, people with dark skin might suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Also, if you stay indoors and don’t move much, you might also lack vitamin D in your system.

People who use sunscreen every time they go out or don’t consume fish and dairy, or other products that represent a substitute for fish and dairy, might lack vitamin D.

You may not suspect you suffer from vitamin D deficiency because symptoms are hard to recognize, however, it may have a negative impact on your quality of life, in general.

If you want to learn more about the risks of vitamin D deficiency, check out this video.

What are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency?

We have already mentioned bone pain, fatigue, and tiredness as some of the common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. However, there are a few others you need to pay attention to, especially if you are an older person and you suspect you lack vitamin D.

• Getting sick very often

If you are getting infected or sick often than before, you might suffer from vitamin D deficiency. This vitamin plays an important role in maintaining your immune system and keeping it strong. Meaning, it interacts with the cells responsible for dealing with the infection. If you are sick or infected often, it is not a bad thing to make a blood test.

• Anxiety and depression

If you are feeling anxious or depressed more than you usually do, it might be a signal that you lack vitamin D in your system.

According to recent studies, experts believe that vitamin D deficiency leads to depression, especially in elderly.

Even 65% of the studied subjects had a low level of vitamin D and depression. Other studies have shown the opposite result and no connection between the two conditions.

You might experience depression during winter, known as seasonal depression caused by vitamin D deficiency.

• Weakened wound healing

If your wounds heal slower than before, you might lack vitamin D in your system. It is proven that vitamin D helps in healing wounds faster. Meaning, if your levels of vitamin D are low, you might experience slower surgery wound or injury healing in the future.

• Hair and bone loss

Vitamin D plays an important role in bone metabolism and calcium absorption. Meaning, if you lack it in your system, you might experience bone and hair loss. Many seniors are diagnosed with bone loss thinking they lack calcium, when in fact, they lack vitamin D in their system. As for hair loss, is often associated with stress. However, it might also occur due to a nutrient deficiency or some disease. In women, hair loss is connected to low vitamin D levels. It may also lead to alopecia areata and help it develop this disease.

• Muscle pain

If you experience back pain or muscle pain, it might point out that you lack vitamin D in your system. According to a study, 71% of individuals experiencing chronic pain also had low levels of vitamin D. Meaning, vitamin D deficiency may lead to muscle and back pain.

To learn more about the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency, watch this educative video.

How can elderly optimize vitamin D levels?

If you check your overall health and you’re diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency, you can optimize vitamin D levels by following the next steps and applying our simple tips below.

• Eat food rich in vitamin D such as cheese, beef liver, salmon, cod liver oil and egg yolks. You can also consume foods fortified with vitamin D such as cereals and juice drinks. This is one of the natural ways to boost the levels of vitamin D.
• Go out more and enjoy the sun. This is the second natural way to increase the levels of vitamin D. The sunlight turns cholesterol to vitamin D in your system.
• Vitamin D supplement. Take it every day to reduce the risk of bone fractures.
• Don’t use sunscreen when exposed to the sun if you lack vitamin D in the body.

What healthy food is rich in vitamin D?

If you wonder which food to consume when you lack vitamin D in your system, we have prepared a list with food rich in vitamin D. Feel free to consume whatever you like best.

• Mushrooms
• Salmon
• Herring and sardines
• Cod Liver Oil
• Canned tuna
• Oysters
• Shrimp
• Egg yolks
• Soy milk
• Orange juice
• Cereal and oatmeal

To learn more about the foods rich in vitamin D, check out this educational video.

Final thoughts on vitamin D deficiency

As we have noticed by our research on this topic, vitamin D plays an important part in our system and functioning. To speak honestly, we did not know it is that important until we noticed that the number of individuals who lack vitamin D their system is constantly increasing. As mentioned before, vitamin D maintains our immune system.

Meaning, if you feel tired, depressed or notice any of the symptoms mentioned above, it is not a bad idea to make a blood test. We honestly hope you find this article helpful, especially if you are an older person who is suspecting you lack vitamin D in your system.

Feel free to share this article with your friends on social media and follow us on social media pages to stay updated with informative and well-researched articles like this one.

As we grow older, we face a lot of difficulties and changes in our routine pattern. These changes include physical, cognitive and psychological changes. Similarly, our sleep pattern also changes with the passage of time as we grow older. Sleep disturbances are also caused in most of the population over the course of time. However, it becomes a commonly occurring phenomenon in most of the older adults. People in their teens or early adulthood are also likely to suffer from sleep disturbances, but older adults are more at risk. According to an estimate, almost one half of the elderly population has not less than one sleep disorder.

Different Types of Elderly sleep disorders

It is not necessary that sleep disorder of sleep disturbance in adults occur because they are not able to sleep. At times, people are not able to maintain the sleep cycle and keep waking up during night. There are a few types of sleep disorders which are among the most occurring elderly sleep disorders.

1. Insomnia

It is the most occurring sleep disorder among others. Complaints of insomnia occur in older women more than older men who are 65 years or older. Its symptoms include difficulty falling or staying asleep. People who are suffering from insomnia also have early awakenings or arousals in the middle of the night. It is considered a primary sleep disorder. However, it is also found to be occurring co-morbidly with other psychological conditions like depression, chronic pain or dementia.

It has been found out through researches that psychotherapy and more specifically cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is the most effective one for treatment of insomnia. Physician and therapist prefer psychological treatment and psychotherapy for insomnia more than medications and physical treatment.

2. Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty breathing or complete blockage of respiration. Most of the people suffering from sleep apnea face shortness or complete cessation of breath. It is found mostly in older men than in older women, and older age is known to be the most important risk factor of sleep apnea.

Obesity, genetics, medications and alcohol consumption are some of the other risk factors of obstructive sleep apnea. Snoring and sleepiness during day are considered to be the most common symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea. It has also seen that dementia increases the incidence of sleep apnea as well as other cognitive problems are related to obstructive sleep apnea in older adults.

3. Rapid Eye Moment (REM) Sleep-Behavior Disorder

It is one of the most dangerous disorders because older adults may act out their dreams if they are suffering from this disorder. Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder is most commonly occurs in men and it is a manifestation of their aggressive of violent behavior. With the passage of time our normal skeletal muscles named atonia are degenerated and that’s why it is difficult for patient to control their movements during sleep and they might jump, yell or kick something during their sleep. REM sleep behavior disorder is important to diagnose and to cure because it might be one of the early signs of more complex neurodegenerative disorders.

4. Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep (PLMS) and Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)

This is also a commonly occurring sleep disorders in older adults. In periodic limb movements in sleep, there are repetitive leg movements, jerking or kicking by the patient during his sleep. The duration between two continuous movements during PLMS is 20-40 seconds. This can go on for the whole night and each jerk will wake the patient up causing a restless sleep and sleep fragmentation. It can be found comorbidly occurring with dementia and obstructive sleep apnea. RLS is associated with an aching sensation in legs which can only be relieved by walking and these two disorders also cause awakening and disturbed sleep in older adults.

5. Circadian rhythm sleep disorders

Our body system is control by internal clock which works with the daylight and darkness of night. Our body produces melatonin at night which is important for our body to sleep at night and wake up during day. However, with the passage of time the internal clock of our body weakens and production of melatonin is also decreased which is why circadian rhythm is disturbed causing sleep problems in older adults. One of these sleep disorders include Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome which is the most occurring one and the patient has involuntary sleep and awake times.

6. Dementia and Sleep Disturbance

The process of dementia, which is a neurodegenerative process, is responsible for disturbed sleep patterns in people suffering from dementia. However, there are other comorbidities which can be the cause of sleep disturbance in patients of dementia. These comorbidities include REM sleep-behavior disorder, RLS, PLMS or even depression.

Patients with dementia also have primary sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea, and they should be treated accordingly. Patients can be treated with drugs as well as psychological treatments including therapies and session for disturbed sleep patterns. If the problem persists, the need for institutionalization increases for the patients.

Read more: Sepsis Symptoms In Elderly People

7. Sleep Disturbances due to Medications or Substance Abuse

It is harder to identify the main cause of sleep disturbances because of a number of contributing factors. However, it is of high importance to identify the real cause and treat the problem to remove the problem from its roots. It is necessary to look at the medications a patient is taking and look out for the side effects because sleep disturbance can be one of the side effects of these medications. Moreover, substance abuse is also reported to be one of the sleep disorders like caffeine can be a stimulating factor for 8 to 14 hours straight for an older adult.

Causes

There are a number of causes for a disturbance in sleep pattern, a few of them are given below.

• Age

As we grow older, our brain structure also changes to some extent which can cause a problem in our sleep patterns. For example, neurodegenerative disorders can cause sleep disturbance in the elderly.

• REM sleep

It is important for a person to achieve rapid eye movement sleep in order to get a fulfilling and refreshing sleep. However, in most of the older adults, it is not possible for them to REM sleep which is the deepest phase sleep, and they remain in light sleep which cause awakening and sleep fragmentation.

• Melatonin

Production of melatonin is crucial in our sleep patterns, but melatonin production decreases with the passage of time. This is the main reason of circadian rhythm being disturbed and causing disturbed sleep pattern.

Treatment

Problems with sleep pattern and sleep disturbances cannot only be cured by pharmacological treatment as some of these are problem psychological. Hence, a combination of psychopharmacology is the best possible treatment for elderly sleep disorders. An older adult with sleep problem is in need of a psychiatrist as well as a psychologist.

Conclusion

It is of supreme importance to find out the underlying problem of a disturbed sleep pattern and then treat the problem instead of giving away sedatives. An older adult’s complete care is only possible if his sleep pattern is taken care of.

According to researchers, people get prone to sepsis as they age because their immune system gets weak. In the older age, there is a high probability of getting a chronic disease like diabetes, arthritis, heart failure, or kidney disease. As the body tries to fight these infection, it risks the person to acquiring sepsis. However, sepsis can be caused by any infection even flu but it is mostly caused by respiratory diseases like pneumonia or genitourinary infections like Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).

Most people don’t know the symptoms of sepsis in elderly people. I have come to a realization that the reason behind this is the assumption that old people often get sick and that these symptoms are just normal illnesses. Therefore, I have highlighted different symptoms below to help you save your elderly ones from death resulting from sepsis. I have highlighted the symptoms in the three stages of sepsis disease and indicated the symptom for each stage:

Stage 1

This is the first stage in the sickness. At this stage, when the symptoms are diagnosed the doctor should initiate treatment with immediate effect and there are high chances of the patient surviving. The patient may behave as I have indicated below:

The patient may have an increased heart rate mostly above 90 beats in one minute as opposed to the normal heart rate of 72 beats per minute. The patient experiences increased body temperatures of 101.1 degrees Farad. They may also experience reduced body temperature below the normal body temperature. The temperature can go as low as below 95 degrees Farad. The patient’s’ breathing rate also increases to above 20 breaths per minute.

Once you spot these symptoms, seek immediate medical attention because it is still early to save the situation and consulting a doctor immediately is very vital as it may help in preventing further infections and help save the situation from getting worse. However, for a doctor to conclude that you have sepsis, you must have displayed two or more of these symptoms.

Stage 2

This is the second stage in the infection and it is known as the severe stage

At this stage, the chances of successful treatment and survival are minimal but the patient’s life can still be saved. A person with stage two sepsis is likely to display the following symptoms:

Discolored skin patches are areas in the skin with a different skin color and they are spread irregularly. The patient also changes in their mental ability and often times get confused. This should not be taken as a normal memory lapse that comes with old age but it should be taken as a serious symptom to severe sepsis.

As a result of decreased body temperatures, the patient may be experience chills and start shaking. The patient may also experience decreased urination. The patient may also experience problems when breathing and extremely high heart rates. The patient may also experience severe stomach pains.

Low platelet count also known as thrombocytopenia is also a symptom of stage two sepsis. In this symptom, the blood is not able to form clots and in case of a cut, it is hard for bleeding to stop. At some instances, the victim may lose consciousness and not become aware of whatever is happening around them. The patient may also become extremely weak and lose strength in their muscles to a point where they cannot stand for too long or take a long distance walk.

The heart of the patient may also start to function abnormally like experiencing increased heart rates and faster or slower pumping of blood to the other parts of the body. In this scenario, if there is no sufficient supply of blood and oxygen to the other body organs, it may make one of the body organs to fail and if it is not checked well, it may lead to death.

It is not advisable to allow sepsis to reach the second stage. Once the first stage symptoms are diagnosed, it is vital to take action. However, if by bad luck the patient gets to stage two infection, it is good to seek for specialized medical treatment.

Stage 3

This stage is referred to as septic shock. This is the final stage in the sepsis disease infection. In this stage, the main symptom is very low blood pressure. This is extremely dangerous and it is considered as an emergency when one is taken to the hospital. In this stage, it is very hard for a patient to survive. All the symptoms of the second stage can also be very vivid in this stage.

According to statistics, sepsis is very common for seniors and it’s very dangerous to them because they are prone to many infections. Before the modern ICUs were put in place, sepsis patients used to succumb to the infection. In the recent past, the death rate has reduced from 50% to 25%. This is a great improvement. However, we still need to save elderly people from dying as a result of sepsis.

According to my research, I have come to a conclusion that most elderly people together with those who take care of them are not aware of sepsis and its signs and symptoms. The tips stated above will help elderly people or the ones taking care of them realize that they are at a risk of sepsis disease. If you spot any of them, immediately take medical action. We should focus on reducing the death rate from 25% to almost 0%. Therefore, share the article with friends and relatives and create awareness on the symptoms of sepsis. If you liked the article, give your feedback in the comments section below.

Dementia may affect a person’s day to day functioning. That is why certain activities can be beneficial for persons with dementia. Individuals living with dementia need to feel loved, valued and included. Although dementia may be characterized by various declines and limitations, not all the abilities are lost, particularly in the initial and middle stages of the disease.

Seniors with this condition can make significant contributions to a community and experience joy. Therefore, providing opportunities for people with dementia to have such experiences is vital.

Research suggests various activities that are beneficial and enjoyable for persons with dementia. These activities provide these people with chances to; engage with life, relieve stress, express themselves, recover some memory and create social and emotional bonds.

Below are some activities for people with dementia.

1. Art

Seniors with dementia remember better when they draw. In the art class, teachers do not let learners to use erasers for every stroke, even made mistakenly, is part of what makes the art what it is.

This as well applies to persons with dementia, in their art, there is no right or wrong. Art programs for people with dementia together with their caregivers have been proven to improve the individual’s quality of life.

Art also reduces some emotional and behavioral symptoms of dementia. The care-giver and the care-recipient can also participate in art together, which is an opportunity to interact as friends, peers or family.

Examples of these programs include here:now and Meet Me at MoMA.

Other hand-work activities such as mixing paints, arranging brushes or even threading a needle come in handy. The care-giver, during these activities may trigger a conversation to help the care-recipient remember earlier times.

2. Enjoying nature

This goes a long way to assist persons with dementia, especially if the person enjoyed outdoor activities prior to diagnosis of dementia. The individual may derive pleasure from planting seeds, weeding a garden and even harvesting.

The caregiver may work with the person on a regular basis and together they can maintain a whole backyard garden. The person with dementia may as well enjoy cycling, taking a walk or hiking. These activities may reduce some behavioral and emotional symptoms of the disease and they also help the person to stay healthy.

Other simple activities such as feeding fish in a pond or a tank, watching birds at a feeder or tending an indoor garden can also be fulfilling.

3. Enjoying Music

Music is an incredible and safe way to engage people with dementia. Interestingly, music has an incredible effect on the parts of the brain damaged by dementia. Music helps people with dementia to involve in more meaningful interactions.

They can engage in creating music by playing an instrument or even singing. The persons can also enjoy listening to personalized playlists and this may help with their memory from earlier years. In most kinds of dementia, implicit or procedural memory; (which is the memory of something one performed practically unconsciously like playing a guitar or riding a bicycle) is the sort of memory the takes longer to erase.

Playing an instrument or soft music to the person with dementia may soothe agitation through stressful times.

4. Cooking

Cooking is a great way for a person with dementia to interact with his/her loved ones. Research also shows that cooking helps an individual with dementia to eat better, and consequently, live a healthier life. However, safety in the kitchen should be a number one priority when cooking.

To assist the person with dementia, the caregiver can give direction and supervise the person as he/she cooks. To avoid confusing the person, one can make the kitchen setting simple and only remove only the things to be used during that session.

5. Dementia jigsaw puzzles

Including jigsaw puzzles as part of dementia care is an incredible way of providing an entertaining activity to the person with the condition. Jigsaw puzzles slow down decline and this helps by delaying worsening of symptoms of the condition.

Engaging in mental stimulating activities such as jigsaw puzzles also help a person with dementia to lead a better quality of life and to improve his/her communication, thus better interactions with the people around them.

Solving jigsaw puzzles also stimulates the release of a feel-good chemical known as dopamine which gives the person a natural feeling of happiness and enjoyment. Jigsaw puzzles may also help to calm down a person with dementia, in that it helps the person to meditate and thus it has a therapeutic effect on the individual’s brain.

6. Reading stories and creative story telling

Reading stories is a light exercise for the mind and imagination. This is a great activity for persons with dementia.

They can read short stories rather than long books and preferably, the stories that relate with their past. This will enable them to apply their long-term memory.

On the other hand, creative storytelling is another good activity for someone with dementia to connect with loved ones. You can use fun images and ask the individual about his/her thoughts on the image. You can use TimeSlips which is a free website to assist you during the story telling sessions.

It is important to give the patient ample time to express their thoughts and tell their story.

7. Doing House Chores

Activities around the house give fulfillment to someone with dementia, and they also help the person maintain the life skills learn prior to the diagnosis. Organizing household or even office items is also a stimulating activity for someone with dementia.

However, they may need assistance from a caregiver or a loved one for their safety as they participate in the chores.

Conclusion

A dementia diagnosis means that the individual has to live differently. However, in order to live well with dementia, one can still continue to enjoy his/her hobbies together with family and friends.

Consult A Doctor

As people get older, it is common to sleep less during the night. However, this should not be taken as a normal situation. If you have a responsibility of taking care of an older person, ask for advice from a doctor.

Enquire if certain medication could be having pain as side effects and if that’s the case, find out whether reducing, increasing or changing the medication and its timing will help to calm the situation.

Consult if taking painkillers before going to bed helps one get better sleep. Because according to research drugs like antihistamines help. You should also take them to be tested for any ailments which affect older people like arthritis.

Change Their Beverage Intake

It is good to reduce their caffeine intake. If they addicted to coffee or tea, switch it with decaf without their knowledge because caffeine is known to make someone lose sleep at night. Their liquids intake before going to bed should be regulated and you should make sure they pee just before retiring to bed. You should also encourage them to take more water during the day and less at night.

Read more: Ideal Room Temperature For Elderly

Check On Their Routine

If you make an elderly person stick to a regular daily routine, their body will get used to it. Therefore, establish a specific duration in which they go to bed. For example, if you decide they should sleep from 10pm to 7am, make sure they achieve that everyday and with time, they will adapt to the schedule.

Also ensure that they sleep less during the day especially in the afternoon so that they can get enough sleep at night. In order to calm them down and ensure that they get enough sleep at night, play some soothing music an hour before bed or do some light massage on their bodies as this loosens up their muscles and helps them sleep quickly.

Focus On Their Comfort

To ensure that they sleep comfortably, ensure that the room temperature where they sleep is moderate and not too cold or too hot. Keep their rooms clean and ventilated to prevent discomfort when they are sleeping. Also check their mattresses and ensure that they are comfortable enough and supportive as well. It is also good to ensure that they sleep with a pillow or a stuffed animal as cuddling the animal when sleeping makes them feel warm and safe.

Minimize Distractions During The Night

When older people get to sleep, it is advisable to ensure that the environment is peaceful and silent enough. Get rid of loud music and any form of noise that will affect them. Holding a party in a house with an elderly person and especially during their sleep time is totally uncouth as it gives them discomfort making them lack sleep.

Take Care Of Their Bodies

Everyone feels comfortable when they are clean and warm. Make sure that the aged person you are taking care of takes regular baths. When going to sleep, encourage them to take a warm bath because after taking a warm bath, the body temperature drops and makes one feel tired. On the brighter side it also helps one feel relaxed and more ready to go to bed. In a cold season, ensure that they a warm enough. You can help them warm up their bodies when it’s too cold by having them sit next to a fire or installing a heating system in the house to regulate the temperatures and ensure that they are comfortable with the current room temperature.

Keep Them Away From Allergies

Establish the allergies which affect the elderly person and keep them away from them. If it is dust, keep their environment free from dust. If they like pets and have a habit of sleeping with them in the same room, make another room for the pets to sleep in.

Check Their Sleeping Positions

Different people have different ways of sleeping. However, the elderly normally suffer from various body pains. Therefore, their sleeping positions should be dictated by whether they suffer from any pain in their body. As indicated in this video, different sleeping positions have different ways of being handled to prevent spinal injury.

There are three different sleeping positions: there are those who sleep on their sideways, those who sleep on the back and those who sleep on their stomach. For the side sleepers, ensure that they have a pillow under their neck and on their shoulders to align their spinal cord well. For the back sleepers, a pillow shouldn’t be added under the neck to prevent their neck from bending forward. For the stomach sleepers, care should be taken to ensure that the spine is well aligned.

In as much as the older person may be used to a certain sleeping position, if they are undergoing any type of pain, it should be the one to dictate their sleeping position in order to prevent more injuries. For someone with back pain, it is advisable to sleep on their side or on their backs.

For those suffering from isthmic spondylolisthesis, they are advised to use a reclined bed or an adjustable bed. If an adjustable bed is more expensive, there is a mimic which works the same way known as a bed wedge for those suffering from neck pain and knee pain, they are advised to sleep on their backside or sideways. For general hip pain, they should sleep on their side with their knees bent and for those with a heartburn, it is good to sleep on the sideways in an inclined position.

Observe The Time They Spent In Bed

This can be done by ensuring that they are only in bed when they are sleeping. Once they wake up, they should leave the bed and sit somewhere else. Therefore, they can’t be tempted to go back to sleep again and use the sleep meant for the night.

Improve On Their Diet

Health is a major factor in anyone’s life. Considering old age, poor diet is a major drawback and can make them uncomfortable, sick and weak. It is good to feed old people with plenty of fruits and vegetables as this boosts their metabolism and helps them acquire good sleep and gets rid of any prospective infections.

Finally, it is good to take care of the elderly in all manner of ways and make sure they are comfortable, warm and cosy. It is disturbing to wake up every night and cut off your sleep to take care of them whenever they wake up because of a discomfort or pain. Because this is inevitable among old people, we should focus on improving their sleep and cut down on their discomfort and pain by using the tips I highlighted above. If you have a friend who needs assistance in helping their elderly ones, share this article with them. If it benefited you, please give your feedback in the comments section given below.

The Ideal Room Temperature For The Elderly

The average room temperature for a normal human being is 370C. However, the room temperature specifications vary with age, gender and health status of an individual. According to research, the ideal room temperature for the elderly people is estimated to be 36.10C. Any temperature much warmer or colder than the given value may affect them negatively. Therefore, I will herein discuss different ways on how to maintain the ideal room temperature in elderly people’s bedrooms.

Dressing Warmly

The clothes we put on determine how warm we are. Have you ever tried to put on two thin cardigans and compare the warmth you feel with when you put on a single thick cardigan? According to science, it is advisable to dress elderly people with many thin layered clothes as opposed to one thick clothing. This is because many thin layered clothes trap more warm air close to the body. Woolly clothes and thermal clothing also serve the same purpose to keep the elderly warm.

Bedrooms are known to be the coldest rooms in a house and the floor may be way too cold for elderly people. It is advisable that they put on a pair of socks on their feet to keep their toes warm when walking around. It is said that most heat is lost through the head and the neck and in order to get rid of that, elderly people should put on a scarf and a hat when indoors in a chilly weather.

Design Of The House

In order to keep warm, an elderly person’s house ought to be well insulated. The walls should be resistant to heat loss so as to maintain enough heat in the rooms. Curtains should be drawn the moment it gets dark to prevent heat from escaping and cold air flowing in. It is recommended that the minimum room temperature for a bedroom should be 180C. Therefore, heating systems should be installed in a house and turned on to ensure there is enough warmth as required. However, they should be checked regularly and turned off when necessary to avoid extreme temperatures in the house.

Keeping The Bed Warm

The bed is well known as the main asset in a bedroom. In a chilly weather especially during winter, beds tend to be too cold hence mechanisms to warm them have to be applied in order to make them comfortable for elderly people to sleep in.

Electric blankets can be used and they should be checked regularly to see if they are worn out. There are water bottles specially designed to provide warmth in the bed and they should be put into use. However, great care should be taken when using electric devices to provide warmth for the elderly because they might not be conversant with the operation of the devices and in case of a fault, their safety may be at a risk.

To ensure safe operation of these devices, proper maintenance should be done twice a year to ensure that they are in a good working condition.

When going to bed, it is advisable that we ensure they put on warm clothes like a thermal underwear, a hat and bed socks. The beddings they use should be warm enough and able to retain heat throughout the night.

Moving Around

Walking generates heat. Since during cold seasons elderly people can hardly step out of the house for a walk, we should give them small duties which will make them move around the house. We can give them house chores to do and send them to get snacks from the kitchen.

Eating Healthy

There are plenty of healthy foods and drinks recommended by experts which are able to keep the body warm for a long time. To keep the elderly people’s energy levels up, we should give them plenty of fruits and vegetables during the day. Similarly, giving them one hot meal in a day and plenty of drinks serves the same purpose.

We should always ensure there is a flask with hot water or hot ginger tea throughout the day which is accessible to them whenever they need to warm up their bodies with a drink. Generally, proper diet should be the first priority when feeding an elderly person because it majorly aids in maintaining their ideal room temperature

Read more: Tips To Improve Senior Sleep By Reducing Pain And Discomfort

Keeping Their Minds Active

During winter seasons, it is hard for elderly people to go out and interact socially with people. In order to maintain an ideal room temperature for them, engaging them in social activities within the house like playing mind games and telling stories keeps their minds active and they shun away boredom. This way, they can’t concentrate on the cold weather.

Finally

Ensuring there is ideal room temperature for elderly people is a responsibility we should all take up because these are special people in our lives who need special care. Exposing them to very cold temperatures makes them susceptible to infections and makes them uncomfortable. We should always strive to keep them warm in all situations and ensure their bedrooms are warm enough because that is where they spend most of their time.

I hope you enjoyed reading my article. Did you find the article useful? Please share your views in the comments section below and share the article with a friend and let us spread awareness on how to keep our elderly relatives and friends warm.