A simple thing can change your life—like tripping on a rug or slipping on a wet floor. If you fall, you could break a bone, like thousands of older men and women do each year. For older people, a break can be the start of more serious problems, such as a trip to the hospital, injury, or even disability.

If you or an older person you know has fallen, you’re not alone. More than one in three people age 65 years or older falls each year. The risk of falling—and fall-related problems—rises with age.

The fear of falling becomes more common as people age, even among those who haven’t fallen. It may lead older people to avoid activities such as walking, shopping, or taking part in social activities.

But don’t let a fear of falling keep you from being active. Overcoming this fear can help you stay active, maintain your physical health, and prevent future falls. Doing things like getting together with friends, gardening, walking, or going to the local senior center helps you stay healthy. The good news is, there are simple ways to prevent most falls.

Many things can cause a fall. Your eyesight, hearing, and reflexes might not be as sharp as they were when you were younger. Diabetes, heart disease, or problems with your thyroid, nerves, feet, or blood vessels can affect your balance. Some medicines can cause you to feel dizzy or sleepy, making you more likely to fall. Other causes include safety hazards in the home or community environment.

Scientists have linked several personal risk factors to falling, including muscle weakness, problems with balance and gait, and blood pressure that drops too much when you get up from lying down or sitting (called postural hypotension). Foot problems that cause pain and unsafe footwear, like backless shoes or high heels, can also increase your risk of falling.

Confusion can sometimes lead to falls. For example, if you wake up in an unfamiliar environment, you might feel unsure of where you are. If you feel confused, wait for your mind to clear or until someone comes to help you before trying to get up and walk around.

Some medications can increase a person’s risk of falling because they cause side effects like dizziness or confusion. The more medications you take, the more likely you are to fall.

If you take care of your overall health, you may be able to lower your chances of falling. Most of the time, falls and accidents don’t “just happen.”

Stay physically active. Plan an exercise program that is right for you. Regular exercise improves muscles and makes you stronger. It also helps keep your joints, tendons, and ligaments flexible. Mild weight-bearing activities, such as walking or climbing stairs, may slow bone loss from osteoporosis.

Have your eyes and hearing tested. Even small changes in sight and hearing may cause you to fall. When you get new eyeglasses or contact lenses, take time to get used to them. Always wear your glasses or contacts when you need them If you have a hearing aid, be sure it fits well and wear it.

Find out about the side effects of any medicine you take. If a drug makes you sleepy or dizzy, tell your doctor or pharmacist.

Almost anyone, at any age, can do some type of physical activity. You can still exercise even if you have a health condition like heart disease, arthritis, chronic pain, high blood pressure, or diabetes. In fact, physical activity may help. For most older adults, physical activities like brisk walking, riding a bike, swimming, weightlifting, and gardening are safe, especially if you build up slowly.

Researchers are assessing the benefit of exercise to delay mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults and to improve brain function in older adults who may be at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. Older adults with MCI may be able to safely do more vigorous forms of exercise, similar to older adults without MCI, provided there are no other underlying health concerns.

Being active and getting exercise may help people with Alzheimer’s or another dementia feel better and can help them maintain a healthy weight and have regular toilet and sleep habits. If you are a caregiver, you can exercise together to make it more fun.

Flexibility exercises such as upper- and lower-body stretching and tai chi can help keep joints moving, relieve stiffness, and give you more freedom of movement for everyday activities.

Strengthening exercises, such as overhead arm raises, will help you maintain or add to your muscle strength to support and protect your joints.

Endurance exercises make the heart and arteries healthier and may lessen swelling in some joints. Try activities that don’t require a lot of weight on your joints, such as swimming and biking.

If you have arthritis, you may need to avoid some types of activity when joints are swollen or inflamed. If you have pain in a specific joint area, for example, you may need to focus on another area for a day or two.

For people with diabetes, exercise and physical activity can help manage the disease and help you stay healthy longer. Walking and other forms of daily exercise can help improve glucose levels in older people with diabetes. Set a goal to be more active most days of the week, and create a plan for being physically active that fits into your life and that you can follow. Your healthcare team can help.

Your heart keeps your body running. As you grow older, some changes in the heart and blood vessels are normal, but others are caused by disease. Choices you might make every day, such as eating healthy, maintaining a healthy weight, and aiming to be more physically active, can contribute to heart health. Inactive people are nearly twice as likely to develop heart disease as those who are active.

Weight-bearing exercises, which force you to work against gravity, such as walking, jogging, or dancing three to four times a week, are best for building muscle and strengthening bones. Try some strengthening and balance exercises, too, to help avoid falls, which could cause a broken bone. Doing these exercises is good for bone health for people with osteoporosis and those who want to prevent it.Older woman working out

Most people living with chronic pain can exercise safely, and it can assist with pain management. In fact, being inactive can sometimes lead to a cycle of more pain and loss of function. Talk to your doctor about what exercises/activities might be right for you. Each type of exercise—endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility—has its own benefits, so a combination may be best.

Exercise and physical activity are good for just about everyone, including older adults. No matter your health and physical abilities, you can gain a lot by staying active. In fact, studies show that “taking it easy” is risky. Often, inactivity is more to blame than age when older people lose the ability to do things on their own. Lack of physical activity also can lead to more visits to the doctor, more hospitalizations, and more use of medicines for a variety of illnesses.

Including all 4 types of exercise can benefit a wide range of areas of your life. Staying active can help you:

Keep and improve your strength so you can stay independent
Have more energy to do the things you want to do and reduce fatigue
Improve your balance and lower risk of falls and injuries from falls
Manage and prevent some diseases like arthritis, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and 8 types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer
Sleep better at home
Reduce levels of stress and anxiety
Reach or maintain a healthy weight and reduce risk of excessive weight gain
Control your blood pressure
Possibly improve or maintain some aspects of cognitive function, such as your ability to shift quickly between tasks or plan an activity
Perk up your mood and reduce feelings of depression
Quick Tip
Being active can help prevent future falls and fractures. For tips to help prevent falls at home, read Fall-Proofing Your Home.

The YMCA offers evidence-based group exercise programs for older adults to improve fitness and balance for falls prevention.

Research has shown that exercise is not only good for your physical health, it also supports emotional and mental health. You can exercise with a friend and get the added benefit of emotional support. So, next time you’re feeling down, anxious, or stressed, try to get up and start moving!

Physical activity can help:

Reduce feelings of depression and stress, while improving your mood and overall emotional well-being
Increase your energy level
Improve sleep
Empower you to feel more in control
In addition, exercise and physical activity may possibly improve or maintain some aspects of cognitive function, such as your ability to shift quickly between tasks, plan an activity, and ignore irrelevant information.

Here are some exercise ideas to help you lift your mood:

Walking, bicycling, or dancing. Endurance activities increase your breathing, get your heart pumping, and boost chemicals in your body that may improve mood.
Yoga. This mind and body practice typically combines physical postures, breathing exercises, and relaxation.
Tai Chi. This “moving meditation” involves shifting the body slowly, gently, and precisely, while breathing deeply.
Activities you enjoy. Whether it’s gardening, playing tennis, kicking around a soccer ball with your grandchildren, or something else, choose an activity you want to do, not one you have to do.

The brain controls many aspects of thinking — remembering, planning and organizing, making decisions, and much more. These cognitive abilities affect how well we do everyday tasks and whether we can live independently.

Some changes in thinking are common as people get older. For example, older adults may:

Be slower to find words and recall names
Find they have more problems with multitasking
Experience mild decreases in the ability to pay attention
Participate in Research
Researchers are working to understand normal brain aging, why some people stay cognitively healthy longer than others, and what might protect your brain as you age. Visit the NIA Clinical Trials Finder to learn about clinical trials and studies near you and consider joining a study to be a partner in discovery.

Aging may also bring positive cognitive changes. For example, many studies have shown that older adults have more extensive vocabularies and greater knowledge of the depth of meaning of words than younger adults. Older adults may also have learned from a lifetime of accumulated knowledge and experiences. Whether and how older adults apply this accumulated knowledge, and how the brain changes as a result, is an area of active exploration by researchers.

Despite the changes in cognition that may come with age, older adults can still do many of the things they have enjoyed their whole lives. Research shows that older adults can still:

Learn new skills
Form new memories
Improve vocabulary and language skills
Changes in the Aging Brain
As a person gets older, changes occur in all parts of the body, including the brain.

Certain parts of the brain shrink, especially those important to learning and other complex mental activities.
In certain brain regions, communication between neurons (nerve cells) may not be as effective.
Blood flow in the brain may decrease.
Inflammation, which occurs when the body responds to an injury or disease, may increase.
These changes in the brain can affect mental function, even in healthy older people. For example, some older adults may find that they don’t do as well as younger individuals on complex memory or learning tests. However, if given enough time to learn a new task, they usually perform just as well. Needing that extra time is normal as we age. There is growing evidence that the brain maintains the ability to change and adapt so that people can manage new challenges and tasks as they age.

The Secrets of Cognitive Super Agers
Some people in their 80s, 90s, and beyond defy the common assumption that cognitive decline goes hand in hand with aging. These people, called cognitive super agers, have memory performance comparable to people 20 – 30 years younger. Research is ongoing to understand what sets these people apart to help others prevent (or reverse) age-related cognitive decline.

Talk with your doctor if you’re concerned about changes in your thinking and memory. He or she can help you determine whether the changes in your thinking and memory are normal, or whether it could be something else.

There are things you can do to help maintain your physical health and that may benefit your cognitive health, too. Learn more about cognitive health and take steps to help you stay healthy as you age.

For More Information About the Aging Brain
NIA Information Resource Center
800-222-2225 (toll-free)
[email protected]
www.nia.nih.gov

McKnight Brain Research Foundation
407-237-4485

Dana Foundation
212-223-4040
[email protected]

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Cypress Place Senior Living, one of Ventura’s distinctive independent, assisted living, and memory care communities, announces the addition of Gina Salman as its new Executive Director and Colleen Webb as its new Associate Executive Director, effective September 8, 2020.

“We are very excited to promote Colleen and welcome Gina to our team at Cypress Place”, states Glen Cummins, Regional Director Operations at Meridian Senior Living. “Not only will they bring the valuable skills Cypress Place needs and nurtures, but also a passion for leadership that will further inspire the team to continue delivering high quality and compassionate care for our residents.”

Ms. Salman brings both marketing and executive leadership skills to Cypress Place. With more than seven years of experience in the healthcare field, her expertise includes healthcare administration and marketing for large-scale facilities supporting independent living, assisted living, and memory care. In addition to her experience, she is a Certified Senior Advisor, Certified Dementia Practitioner and has earned a Residential Care for the Elderly certification.

Ms. Salman holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing degree from Northern Illinois University. She draws from her diverse marketing and business experience to provide an innovative approach to leadership, program development, and quality care across the spectrum of health services.

Prior to the Associate Executive Director position, Ms. Webb spent eight years as the Senior Business Office Director at Cypress Place Senior Living. She brings fourteen years of management and financial experience to Cypress Place. Ms. Webb holds a Business in Human Resources Management degree from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, CA.

For more information about Cypress Place Senior Living located at 1200/1220 Cypress Point Ln Ventura, CA 93003, visit www.cypressplaceseniorliving.com or call (805)650-8000.

by Healthyaging.org

Falls are a leading cause of serious injuries in older adults that can lead to hospitalization, nursing home admission, and even death among older people.

The chance of falling increases as we get older. Health problems such as arthritis, heart disease, muscle weakness, poor balance or vision, foot problems, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and even certain medications can increase your chance of falling. Dangerous things around the home – slippery throw rugs and poor lighting, for example – make falls more likely as well. If you are an older adult or you are in charge of care for an older person, please follow the steps below, and also get a “falls checkup” on a regular basis from your healthcare provider.

Did you know? One in every three adults age 65 and older falls each year.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a fall

If you fall, let your healthcare provider know right away. It is important for you to tell them what might have caused the fall – whether you tripped over something, for instance, or got dizzy and lost your balance, or felt your legs “go out” from under you. This important information will be used to help you avoid falling again.

Review your medications

Put all of your medications – prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins or any other pills that you take – in a bag and bring them with you to your next visit with your healthcare provider. Together you can review your medications to see if any might increase your chance of falling. If so, your provider may change the dose, or prescribe another type of medicine for you.

Make a falls prevention plan with your healthcare provider

During your visit, your healthcare provider may also check your balance, leg strength and function, your blood pressure, heart rate and rhythm; examine the way you walk; and test your vision.

It’s never too late to make smarter food choices. Healthy eating is an important part of staying healthy as you age.

Following these tips can help you maintain a healthy weight, get the nutrients you need, and lower your risk of chronic disease.

Try to eat and drink from these food groups each day: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. Variety is an important part of eating healthfully!
Cut back on foods and beverages that are high in calories and added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats. Shift to healthier options like fresh fruits and vegetables instead.
Instead of high-calorie snacks, such as potato chips, try nutrient-dense snacks, such as carrots.
Instead of fruit products with added sugars, such as fig cookies, try fresh fruit, such as a peach.
Instead of regular cola, try water flavored with fruits or vegetables.
Use a food diary to help you keep track of your total daily calories, carbs, protein, etc., and see if you are making healthy choices. Understand how many calories you need based on your level of daily activity.
Choose a variety of foods that are packed with nutrients and low in calories.
Check the food labels to understand what foods will meet your nutritional needs each day.

How Many Calories Do You Need Each Day?

Women:
Not physically active — 1,600 cal.
Moderately active — 1,800 cal.
Active lifestyle — 2,000-2,200 cal.

Men:
Not physically active — 2,000-2,200 cal.
Moderately active — 2,200-2,400 cal.
Active lifestyle — 2,400-2,800 cal.

The National Council on Aging (NCOA), a trusted national leader working to ensure that every person can age well, commends President-elect Biden for making older Americans a priority in his plan to combat the pandemic—but is calling for additional bipartisan action in the first 100 days to address their urgent health and financial needs.

“Older Americans—especially women and people of color—have been the hardest hit during this pandemic, yet they have remained largely invisible,” said NCOA President and CEO Ramsey Alwin. “COVID-19 has laid bare our nation’s long-standing inequities based on age, race, gender, and income. It has created an even greater urgency to enact solutions now that enable every American to age with health, security, and dignity.”

NCOA supports President-elect Biden’s call for a COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force to address these disparities, as well as a Nationwide Pandemic Dashboard that Americans can check for local transmission.

“These are important steps in the right direction, but much more is needed to keep our older family, friends, and neighbors healthy and safe,” Alwin said.

NCOA is urging incoming leaders to act on three priorities:

1. Ensure equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine

Eight out of 10 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have been people aged 65+, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Older adults—especially people of color and those with lower incomes—must be prioritized to get the vaccine safely as soon as it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. NCOA will advocate for widespread education about the vaccine.

2. Expand job training and unemployment insurance

Unemployment rates for workers aged 55+ have remained higher than those of mid-career workers throughout the entire pandemic—the first time since 1973 that this has happened for more than 6 months, according to The New School Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis. Older adults must have wider access to job training and placement programs to enable them to reenter the workforce quickly. NCOA will advocate for expanded funding for programs, such as the Senior Community Service Employment Program, as well as continued unemployment insurance for workers of all ages.

3. Strengthen the social safety net for all Americans

Even before the pandemic, over 25 million Americans aged 60+ were economically insecure, living at or below 250% of the federal poverty level. The economic impacts of COVID-19 have deepened this crisis, especially among women and people of color. NCOA will advocate for protecting and strengthening critical programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and others that provide the supports older adults deserve to stay healthy and financially secure in their own homes, not institutions.

“There is no time to waste because lives are at risk,” Alwin said. “We know there are solutions, and we look forward to working with the new Administration and Congress to make them a reality.”

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is a trusted national leader working to ensure that every person can age well.