Category Archives: Senior Living

He retired with rank of full bird colonel

100 and still going strong.

On Saturday, January 8, a 100th birthday celebration was held for Mr. Edward “Dick” Meares an Independent Living resident at Cypress Place Senior Living. Dick is a U.S. Army veteran who received a Bronze Star and Legion of Merit in addition to so many other medals that when you see him in his uniform it is quite spectacular. At his party he was presented a quilt specially made for him by the Quilts of Honor program.

Dick works out every day in the gym at Cypress.

Edward Dickinson Meares was born on January 8, 1922, in Greenville, S. Carolina.
He lived Greenville until his mid-teens when his family moved to Washington, DC.

Dick earned a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University and a Masters in Adult education from Georgetown University.

He was a career army officer serving for 30 years. He retired with the rank of full bird colonel.

When he has free time, he plays chess and likes reading. In his earlier years he enjoyed horseback riding with his siters.

One of his grandson’s Alan is carrying on the military tradition. He is an air force pilot and flies the U-2 Dragon Lady ultra high altitude spy plane.  He has flown it over Afghanistan and around North Korean air space.

He has 6 great grandchildren. Being a military family some of his kids lived in
Germany, Michigan, Massachusetts, Japan, Arizona, Virginia, and California.

Vascular dementia

Abnormalities in the brain that can be seen on MRI scans.

Vascular dementia refers to changes to memory, thinking, and behavior resulting from conditions that affect the blood vessels in the brain. Cognition and brain function can be significantly affected by the size, location, and number of vascular changes.

Symptoms of vascular dementia can begin gradually or can occur suddenly, and then progress over time, with possible short periods of improvement. Vascular dementia can occur alone or be a part of a different diagnosis such as Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. When an individual is diagnosed with vascular dementia, their symptoms can be similar to the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

What causes vascular dementia?

Vascular dementia is caused by different conditions that interrupt the flow of blood and oxygen supply to the brain and damage blood vessels in the brain.

People with vascular dementia almost always have abnormalities in the brain that can be seen on MRI scans. These abnormalities can include evidence of prior strokes, which are often small and sometimes without noticeable symptoms. Major strokes can also increase the risk for dementia, but not everyone who has had a stroke will develop dementia.

Other abnormalities commonly found in the brains of people with vascular dementia are diseased small blood vessels and changes in “white matter” — the connecting “wires” of the brain that are critical for relaying messages between brain regions.

Researchers are investigating how these changes in the brain — and their underlying causes — are involved in the onset and progression of dementia. Research has shown a strong link between cardiovascular disease, involving the heart and blood vessels, and cerebrovascular disease, involving the brain, and subsequent cognitive impairment and dementia. This area of research is referred to as “vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia,” or VCID. It is helping researchers better understand this connection and whether the methods used to prevent and treat cerebrovascular disease and heart disease could also help prevent dementia.

Researchers investigating VCID are exploring diverse conditions that affect blood flow to and within the brain, including infarcts (an area of dead tissue resulting from a lack of blood supply), hemorrhages (bleeding from ruptured or damaged blood vessels), cerebral hypoperfusion (reduced blood flow), and small vessel disease in the brain such as that thought to be associated with white matter hyperintensities (white patches seen on brain MRI scans), and stroke.

Because many different disease processes can result in different forms of vascular dementia, there may not be one treatment for all. However, vascular dementia is often managed with medications to prevent strokes and reduce the risk of additional brain damage. Some studies suggest that medications that are used to treat Alzheimer’s might benefit some people with an early form of vascular dementia. Treating modifiable risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and problems with the rhythm of the heartbeat can help prevent additional stroke. Living a healthy lifestyle is important to help reduce the risk factors of vascular dementia.

Make a New Year’s resolution to get a memory screening in 2022

“I’m sure I can pass this memory test.”

As we get ready for 2022, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is encouraging individuals to make a New Year’s resolution to get a memory screening. AFA offers free, confidential memory screenings through a secure virtual format every Monday, Wednesday and Friday—appointments can be scheduled by calling AFA at 866-232-8484 or through AFA’s website. The service is available to everyone—there are no minimum age or insurance prerequisites.“Annual screenings are important, including for our brains, which is why everyone should make getting a memory screening a New Year’s resolution for 2022,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s President & CEO. “Just as we regularly check other facets of our health, we should all get a checkup from the neck up, regardless of whether or not we are having memory problems.” 

Memory screenings are simple, quick (approximately 10-15 minutes) and noninvasive, and consist of a series of questions, administered by a qualified professional, to gauge memory, language, thinking skills and other intellectual functions. They are similar to other routine health screenings, such as those for blood pressure, cholesterol and skin checks. Results are not a diagnosis, but a memory screening can suggest if someone should see a physician for a full evaluation. 

Early detection of memory impairments is extremely important. Many different conditions can cause memory issues, including treatable or curable conditions such as vitamin deficiencies, thyroid conditions, urinary tract infections, stress, anxiety and depression. 

Even in the case of a dementia-related illness such as Alzheimer’s, early detection can provide greater opportunity to begin treatments that can help slow the symptoms of the disease, as well as taking part in a clinical trial. In addition, it affords the person the chance to take advantage of community services, such as support groups and therapeutic programming, as well as have a greater say in making legal, financial and health care decisions. 

Memory screening appointments can be scheduled by calling AFA at 866-232-8484 or through AFA’s website here. Screenings are conducted through secure videoconference technology (i.e., Facetime, Zoom, Skype)—all that’s needed is a device with a webcam and Internet capability, such as a smartphone, laptop, or tablet. 

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide support, services and education to individuals, families and caregivers affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias nationwide and to fund research for better treatment and a cure. Its services include a National Toll-Free Helpline (866-232-8484) staffed by licensed social workers, the National Memory Screening Program, educational conferences and materials, and “AFA Partners in Care” dementia care training for healthcare professionals. For more information about AFA, call 866-232-8484, visit www.alzfdn.org, follow us on Twitter or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. AFA has earned Charity Navigator’s top 4-star rating for seven consecutive years.

Changes in a small area in the brainstem could help detect Alzheimer’s disease

An area of the brain called the locus coeruleus, sometimes called “the blue spot,” might show signs of Alzheimer’s disease before any other brain area does, according to a recent NIA-supported study. Published in Science Translational Medicine, the findings suggest a potentially promising new early indicator for Alzheimer’s disease.

In Alzheimer’s disease, tau protein accumulates in cells throughout the brain and forms tangles. Tau tangles, along with the accumulation of amyloid, another type of protein that forms plaques, are two hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Treating Alzheimer’s disease is a challenge, in part because it is usually diagnosed after the onset of symptoms when significant damage in the brain has already occurred. However, by using new advancements in brain imaging, scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital may be one step closer to diagnosing Alzheimer’s, even before cognitive deficits emerge.

The locus coeruleus is a small area of the brain located in the brainstem. It gets its nickname “the blue spot” because the cells in the area produce a blue pigment that makes the whole region appear blue. Many researchers who study Alzheimer’s are interested in the locus coeruleus because it seems to accumulate tau long before any noticeable clinical signs of the disease arise. However, the size of the area, and the type of brain cells within it, make the locus coeruleus difficult to image with normal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans.

In this study, the team of scientists used a new technique to look at the signal intensity of the locus coeruleus. This signal intensity gives information about the number and health of cells in the region. A lower signal indicates that neurons may be damaged, which can be a sign of tau accumulation.

To conduct the study, scientists utilized data from 174 participants from the Harvard Aging Brain Study, some of whom had cognitive impairment, while others had normal brain function. All participants underwent MRI and PET brain imaging and most received repeated long-term assessments to measure brain functions, such as memory and attention, as part of the larger aging brain study.

Using the high-resolution MRI together with PET scans that identify tau tangles and plaques in other brain areas, the scientists made an important connection. They found that a low-intensity signal from the locus coeruleus was associated with an increased presence of tau tangles and amyloid plaques in an area of the brain called the entorhinal cortex, which is involved in memory function. The scientists also found that a weaker signal from the locus coeruleus was associated with a loss of memory and a decline of other brain functions.

To confirm their results, the scientists compared the imaging findings against autopsy data from two established datasets, the Religious Orders Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project (ROSMAP) and the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC). These datasets contain postmortem assessments of locus coeruleus damage, brain function, and Alzheimer’s-induced cellular damage in numerous other areas. Similar to the results from the high-resolution MRI, the researchers found that participants whose autopsy results showed tau tangles in the locus coeruleus also showed Alzheimer’s-related brain damage and a decline in brain function.

Scientists do not know how, or if, tau moves from the locus coeruleus to other brain areas. However, findings from this study show that changes in the locus coeruleus could be a promising marker to indicate the brain’s tau tangle and amyloid plaque burden and have the potential to help providers evaluate an individual’s risk for cognitive decline. This research paves the way for advances in the early detection of Alzheimer’s, which may increase the chances of successful treatment.

How much activity do older adults need?

How much activity do older adults need?

“I we sure this counts as drinking water before, during, and after your workout session?”

Deciding to become physically active can be one of the best things you can do for your health. Exercise and physical activity are not only great for your mental and physical health, but they can help keep you independent as you age. Now, let’s talk about getting started.

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PDF, 14.5M) you should do at least 150 minutes (2 ½ hours) a week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, like brisk walking or fast dancing. Being active at least 3 days a week is best, but doing anything is better than doing nothing at all.

You should also do muscle-strengthening activities, like lifting weights or doing sit-ups, at least 2 days a week. The Physical Activity Guidelines also recommend that as part of your weekly physical activity you combine multiple components of exercises. For example, try balance training as well as aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. If you prefer vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (like running), aim for at least 75 minutes a week.

How Older Adults Can Get Started with Exercise

Exercise and physical activity are great for your mental and physical health and help keep you independent as you age. Here are a few things you may want to keep in mind when beginning to exercise.

Start Slowly When Beginning Exercise

The key to being successful and safe when beginning a physical activity routine is to build slowly from your current fitness level. Over-exercising can cause injury, which may lead to quitting. A steady rate of progress is the best approach.

To play it safe and reduce your risk of injury:

Begin your exercise program slowly with low-intensity exercises.

Warm up before exercising and cool down afterward.

Pay attention to your surroundings when exercising outdoors.

Drink water before, during, and after your workout session, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Play catch, kickball, basketball, or soccer.

Wear appropriate fitness clothes and shoes for your activity.

If you have specific health conditions, discuss your exercise and physical activity plan with your health care provider.

Fit for function infographic

Don’t forget to test your current fitness level for all 4 types of exercise—endurance, balance, flexibility, and strength. You may be in shape for running, but if you’re not stretching, you’re not getting the maximum benefit from your exercise. Write down your results so you can track your progress as you continue to exercise.

Make notes about how these test exercises feel. If the exercises were hard, do what’s comfortable and slowly build up. If they were easy, you know your level of fitness is higher. You can be more ambitious and challenge yourself.

Learn more about driving safety

Avoid areas where driving can be a problem.

As you get older, your reflexes might get slower, and you might not react as quickly as you could in the past. You might find that you have a shorter attention span, making it harder to do two things at once. Stiff joints or weak muscles also can make it harder to move quickly. Loss of feeling or tingling in your fingers and feet can make it difficult to steer or use the foot pedals. Parkinson’s disease or limitations following a stroke can make it no longer safe to drive.

Safe driving tips:
Leave more space between you and the car in front of you.
Start braking early when you need to stop.
Avoid heavy traffic areas or rush-hour driving when you can.
If you must drive on a fast-moving highway, drive in the right-hand lane. Traffic moves more slowly there, giving you more time to make safe driving decisions.

Medications Can Affect Driving
Do you take any medicines that make you feel drowsy, lightheaded, or less alert than usual? Do medicines you take have a warning about driving? Many medications have side effects that can make driving unsafe. Pay attention to how these drugs may affect your driving.
Read medicine labels carefully. Look for any warnings.
Make a list of all of your medicines, and talk with your doctor or pharmacist about how they can affect your driving.
Don’t drive if you feel lightheaded or drowsy.
Be a Safe Driver
Maybe you already know that driving at night, on the highway, or in bad weather is a problem for you. Some older drivers also have problems when yielding the right of way, turning (especially making left turns), changing lanes, passing, and using expressway ramps.

Have your driving skills checked by a driving rehabilitation specialist, occupational therapist, or other trained professional.
Take a defensive driving course. Some car insurance companies may lower your bill when you pass this type of class. Organizations like AARP, American Automobile Association (AAA), or your car insurance company can help you find a class near you.
When in doubt, don’t go out. Bad weather like rain, ice, or snow can make it hard for anyone to drive. Try to wait until the weather is better, or use buses, taxis, or other transportation services.
Avoid areas where driving can be a problem. For example, choose a route that avoids highways or other high-speed roadways. Or, find a way to go that requires few or no left turns.
Ask your doctor if any of your health problems or medications might make it unsafe for you to drive. Together, you can make a plan to help you keep driving and decide when it is no longer safe to drive.

For More Information About Driving
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
888-327-4236 (toll-free)
800-424-9153 (TTY/toll-free)
[email protected]
www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/older-drivers

Endurance exercises for older adults

“This is exercise that we can do together.”

Endurance activities, often referred to as aerobic, increase your breathing and heart rates. These activities help keep you healthy, improve your fitness, and help you perform the tasks you need to do every day. Endurance exercises improve the health of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. They also can delay or prevent many diseases that are common in older adults such as diabetes, colon and breast cancers, heart disease, and others. Physical activities that build endurance include:

Brisk walking or jogging

Yard work (mowing, raking)

Dancing

Swimming

Biking

Climbing stairs or hills

Playing tennis

Increase your endurance or “staying power” to help keep up with your grandchildren during a trip to the park, dance to your favorite songs at a family wedding, and rake the yard and bag up leaves. Build up to at least 150 minutes of activity a week that makes you breathe hard. Try to be active throughout your day to reach this goal and avoid sitting for long periods of time.

Safety Tips

Do a little light activity, such as easy walking, before and after your endurance activities to warm up and cool down.

Listen to your body: endurance activities should not cause dizziness, chest pain or pressure, or a feeling like heartburn.

Be sure to drink liquids when doing any activity that makes you sweat. If your doctor has told you to limit your fluids, be sure to check before increasing the amount of fluid you drink while exercising.

If you are going to be exercising outdoors, be aware of your surroundings.

Dress in layers so you can add or remove clothes as needed for hot and cold weather.

To prevent injuries, use safety equipment, such as a helmet when bicycling.

Quick Tip: Test Your Exercise Intensity

When you’re being active, try talking: if you’re breathing hard but can still have a conversation easily, it’s moderate-intensity activity. If you can only say a few words before you have to take a breath, it’s vigorous-intensity activity.

Strength Exercises for Older Adults

Your muscular strength can make a big difference. Strong muscles help you stay independent and make everyday activities feel easier, like getting up from a chair, climbing stairs, and carrying groceries. Keeping your muscles strong can help with your balance and prevent falls and fall-related injuries. You are less likely to fall when your leg and hip muscles are strong. Some people call using weight to improve your muscle strength “strength training” or “resistance training.”

Some people choose to use weights to help improve their strength. If you do, start by using light weights at first, then gradually add more. Other people use resistance bands, stretchy elastic bands that come in varying strengths. If you are a beginner, try exercising without the band or use a light band until you are comfortable. Add a band or move on to a stronger band (or more weight) when you can do two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions easily. Try to do strength exercises for all of your major muscle groups at least 2 days per week, but don’t exercise the same muscle group on any 2 days in a row.

As pandemic continues, assessing changes in older adults and finding local resources

COVID-19 and its variants are continuing to have an impact on the daily lives of older adults, affecting their physical, emotional, social and financial well-being. It is important for older adults and their caregivers, families and friends to take a close look to assess the changes they may have experienced during the pandemic—and to look for services and supports that can help address them. The Eldercare Locator, USAging and the U.S. Administration for Community Living have made this the focus of the 2021 Home for the Holidays campaign.

The centerpiece of the campaign is Healthy Aging in a Pandemic World: What Older Adults and Caregivers Need to Know Now, a brochure describing some of the changes that families, friends and caregivers may notice in the older adults in their lives. The brochure poses questions readers can and should ask themselves and their loved ones and provides information on services available that can help address changes they may have identified.

After nearly two years of taking precautionary measures to stay safe and healthy during COVID-19, older adults who are re-engaging with one another, their families, friends and communities may need advice on where to turn for assistance with a range of changes they may have experienced during the pandemic, including physical changes brought on by putting off doctors’ appointments, emotional or social changes resulting from physical distancing and isolation, or financial changes due to cognitive changes or scams. Developed with this in mind, the campaign encourages older adults and caregivers to evaluate their health and well-being and consider any needed changes to their lives or environment.

“Ensuring that older adults have the resources they need to fully—but safely—re-engage, in their communities is central to the mission of the Administration for Community Living,” said Alison Barkoff, Principal Deputy Administrator, U.S. Administration for Community Living. “The Eldercare Locator is a vital national resource for older adults, families and caregivers looking for local resources to help them live actively and independently, and to get and stay connected with others.”

Launched in 1992, the Eldercare Locator is the only national information and referral resource to provide support to consumers across the spectrum of issues affecting older Americans. The Eldercare Locator, established and funded by the U.S. Administration for Community Living and administered by USAging, can be easily accessed at eldercare.acl.gov.

Home for the Holidays is an annual public education campaign that encourages discussion of important issues affecting older Americans at a time of the year when family and friends often gather. Past campaigns have focused on the decision to give up driving, updates that can be made to homes to accommodate the changes that come along with aging, the importance of maintaining brain health and more.

USAging is the national association representing and supporting the network of Area Agencies on Aging and advocating for the Title VI Native American Aging

Programs. Our members help older adults and people with disabilities throughout the United States live with optimal health, well-being, independence and dignity in their homes and communities.

What is shingles?

If you think you might have shingles, talk to your doctor as soon as possible.

Shingles, also called herpes zoster, is a disease that triggers a painful skin rash. It is caused by the same virus as chickenpox, the varicella-zoster virus. After you recover from chickenpox (usually as a child), the virus continues to live in some of your nerve cells.

For most adults, the virus is inactive and it never leads to shingles. But, for about one in three adults, the virus will become active again and cause shingles. Usually, shingles develops on just one side of the body or face, and in a small area. The most common place for shingles to occur is in a band around one side of the waistline.

Most people with shingles have one or more of the following symptoms:

Fluid-filled blisters

Burning, shooting pain

Tingling, itching, or numbness of the skin

Chills, fever, headache, or upset stomach

For some people, the symptoms of shingles are mild. They might just have some itching. For others, shingles can cause intense pain that can be felt from the gentlest touch or breeze. It’s important to talk with your doctor if you notice any shingles symptoms.

If you notice blisters on your face, see your doctor right away because this is an urgent problem. Blisters near or in the eye can cause lasting eye damage and blindness. Hearing loss, a brief paralysis of the face, or, very rarely, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) can also occur.

If you think you might have shingles, talk to your doctor as soon as possible. It’s important to see your doctor no later than three days after the rash starts. The doctor will confirm whether you have shingles and can make a treatment plan. Most cases can be diagnosed from a visual examination. If you have a condition that weakens the immune system, your doctor may order a shingles test. Although there is no cure for shingles, early treatment with antiviral medications can help the blisters clear up faster and limit severe pain. Shingles can often be treated at home.

After the shingles rash goes away, some people may be left with ongoing pain called postherpetic neuralgia, or PHN. The pain is felt in the area where the rash occurred. The older you are when you get shingles, the greater your chances of developing PHN.

If you are in contact with someone who has shingles, you will not get the symptoms of shingles yourself. However, direct contact with fluid from a shingles rash can still spread the varicella-zoster virus, which can cause chickenpox in people who have not had chickenpox before or the chickenpox vaccine. The risk of spreading the virus is low if the shingles rash is kept covered.

Everyone who has had chickenpox is at risk for developing shingles. Researchers do not fully understand what makes the virus become active and cause shingles. But some things make it more likely:

The current shingles vaccine (brand name Shingrix) is a safe, easy, and more effective way to prevent shingles than the previous vaccine. In fact, it is over 90% effective at preventing shingles. Most adults age 50 and older should get vaccinated with the shingles vaccine, which is given in two doses. You can get the shingles vaccine at your doctor’s office and at some pharmacies.

How is she doing nurse?

A sweet grandmother telephoned St. Joseph’s Hospital. She timidly asked, “Is it possible to speak to someone who can tell me how a patient is doing?” The operator said, “I’ll be glad to help, dear. What’s the name and room number of the patient?”

The grandmother in her weak, tremulous voice said, Norma Findlay, Room 302.” The operator replied, “Let me put you on hold while I check with the nurse’s station for that room.”

After a few minutes, the operator returned to the phone and said,

“I have good news. Her nurse just told me that Norma is doing well. Her

blood pressure is fine; her blood work just came back normal and her Physician, Dr. Cohen, has scheduled her to be discharged tomorrow.”

The grandmother said, “Thank you. That’s wonderful. I was so worried. God bless you for the good News.”

The operator replied, “You’re more than welcome. Is Norma your daughter?”

The grandmother said, “No, I’m Norma Findlay in Room 302. And no one tells me s_ _ _.”