It’s important to practice good sun safety, and that includes using sunscreen. But with thousands of products on the market, it can be hard to know how to choose the best one. To help protect consumers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the process of updating their requirements for sunscreen labeling.

University of Michigan Health System dermatologists offer tips for protecting yourself and your loved ones, along with guidance to help understand the FDA’s new rules about sunscreen:

• No matter what sunscreen you use, some radiation always gets through to your skin—so using sunscreen alone isn’t enough.
• When possible, avoid peak sun exposure (between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.).
• If you do go out, seek shade and wear protective clothing, including a hat with a brim and sunglasses.
• It’s wise to double up on protection by applying sunscreen as well. Don’t forget to protect ears, noses, lips, and the tops of feet.
• Hardly anyone applies enough sunscreen. It takes about a shot glass worth of sunscreen (one ounce) to cover the exposed areas of the body. Slather it on!
• Sunscreens also need to be reapplied every two hours, or more frequently, if you are swimming, sweating or have toweled off.
• Put on sunscreen 15-30 minutes before sun exposure, regardless of the weather.
• The sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays come in two types: UVA and UVB. Currently, a sunscreen’s SPF (sun protection factor) rating only measures how long it will protect you from UVB rays.
• The American Academy of Dermatology recommends selecting a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher, whose ingredients protect against both UVB and UVA.

The FDA recently updated labeling requirements to help consumers make good choices.
Under those rules, the terms “waterproof” and “sweatproof” may no longer be used. In order to be labeled water-resistant or sweat-resistant, the sunscreen must pass FDA tests to prove their claims. The label must also tell how long those effects will last.

The term “sunblock” is also out, since no sunscreen can block all of the sun’s rays.
In the future, the term “broad spectrum” will indicate a level of protection offered from both UVA and UVB rays.
Remember, only broad spectrum sunscreens with an SPF value of 15 or higher can claim to reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging – and that’s only if they’re used correctly and in conjunction with other sun protection measures.

Source: University of Michigan Health System; Care Corner Personal Services, an Assisting Hands Company in partnership with  IlluminAge, 2013 ©

When you learn something new, the best way to remember it is to sleep on it. That’s because sleeping helps strengthen memories you’ve formed throughout the day. It also helps to link new memories to earlier ones. You might even come up with creative new ideas while you slumber.

What happens to memories in your brain while you sleep? And how does lack of sleep affect your ability to learn and remember? National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded scientists have been gathering clues about the complex relationship between sleep and memory. Their findings might eventually lead to new approaches to help students learn or help older people hold onto memories as they age.

“We’ve learned that sleep before learning helps prepare your brain for initial formation of memories,” says Dr. Matthew Walker, a sleep scientist at the University of California, Berkeley. “And then, sleep after learning is essential to help save and cement that new information into the architecture of the brain, meaning that you’re less likely to forget it.”

While you snooze, your brain cycles through different phases of sleep, including light sleep, deep sleep, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when dreaming often occurs. The cycles repeat about every 90 minutes.

The non-REM stages of sleep seem to prime the brain for good learning the next day. If you haven’t slept, your ability to learn new things could drop by up to 40 percent. “You can’t pull an all-nighter and still learn effectively,” Walker says. Lack of sleep affects a part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is key for making new memories.

You accumulate many memories, moment by moment, while you’re awake. Most will be forgotten during the day. “When we first form memories, they’re in a very raw and fragile form,” says sleep expert Dr. Robert Stickgold of Harvard Medical School.

But when you doze off, “sleep seems to be a privileged time when the brain goes back through recent memories and decides both what to keep and what not to keep,” Stickgold explains. “During a night of sleep, some memories are strengthened.” Research has shown that memories of certain procedures, like playing a melody on a piano, can actually improve while you sleep.

Memories seem to become more stable in the brain during the deep stages of sleep. After that, REM—the most active stage of sleep—seems to play a role in linking together related memories, sometimes in unexpected ways. That’s why a full night of sleep may help with problem-solving. REM sleep also helps you process emotional memories, which can reduce the intensity of emotions.

It’s well known that sleep patterns tend to change as we age. Unfortunately, the deep memory-strengthening stages of sleep start to decline in our late 30s. A study by Walker and colleagues found that adults older than 60 had a 70 percent loss of deep sleep compared to young adults aged 18 to 25. Older adults had a harder time remembering things the next day, and memory impairment was linked to reductions in deep sleep. The researchers are now exploring options for enhancing deep stages of sleep in this older age group.

“While we have limited medical treatments for memory impairment in aging, sleep actually is a potentially treatable target,” Walker says. “By restoring sleep, it might be possible to improve memory in older people.”

Source: National Institutes of HealthSource and Care Corner Personal Services, an Assisting Hands Company in partnership with  IlluminAge, 2013 ©

The January 22 cover story of the Journal of the American Medical Association focused on the growing problem of unnecessary hospitalization. As our nation’s lawmakers wrangle over the topic of health care reform, this is one thing everyone can agree on: these unnecessary hospital trips cost money, and aren’t good for the health of seniors. Policymakers are looking at ways to protect the well-being of our vulnerable seniors and, in the process, saving money for Medicare and consumers.

For Seniors, Is This (Hospital) Trip Necessary?

Hospital care is expensive. Yet according to a recent report from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), 60 percent of all Medicare emergency room visits and 25 percent of hospital admissions are “potentially preventable.”  And this is not just a matter of money. Hospitals, it turns out, are not always the best care setting for seniors. Researchers are looking at ways to keep older adults out of the hospital. This includes:

• Encouraging patients to be treated by their primary physician rather than at the emergency room.
• Better preventive care and management of diabetes, heart failure and other common health problems.
• Helping seniors manage their medications.
• Identifying and treating depression, which increases emergency room use.
• Improved healthcare education and information for consumers.

Avoiding the Hospital Revolving Door

Re-hospitalization is also an expensive and dangerous problem. According to the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a), nearly 20 percent of Medicare patients discharged from the hospital are readmitted within 30 days, costing over $26 billion every year. Why are seniors readmitted at such a high rate? Sometimes they have nowhere else to go—they can’t get an appointment with their primary care physician or don’t understand their care instructions. Studies show that in other cases, patients are released too soon: almost half of all surgical complications happen after discharge. And often, the reason for readmission is unrelated to the condition for which the patient was hospitalized. (See “Is Post-Hospital Syndrome Real?” below for more about this.)

For hospitals, there is a new emphasis on preventing unneeded readmissions. Medicare penalties are one reason for the concern: beginning in October, Medicare began reducing payments to hospitals which have high rates of preventable readmission.

Of course, not all readmissions can be prevented. But healthcare agencies are taking steps to help seniors, professionals and consumers address the problem. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) calls for improvements in care transitions between the hospital and care facility or home:

• Education for patients about their diagnosis and treatment while they are in the hospital and upon discharge
• Making appointments for needed follow-up care
• Improved instructions on how to take medications
• Following up with patients within a few days of discharge

Improved communication within the system is also important.  Said Dr. Elizabeth Rasch of the National Institutes of Health, “When a person has an emergency department visit, their primary care providers often don’t know or don’t get the results of that visit, and vice versa. The emergency department often doesn’t know about the complex medical history people bring with them. That’s where things tend to break down.”

The AHRQ also recognizes that patients may be unable to remember discharge instructions.  Family caregivers play a valuable role at this time. Hospital discharge planners, geriatric care managers, home care professionals are also often called in to help.

Is “Post-Hospital Syndrome” Real?

Care received in a hospital saves the lives of millions of seniors each year, and helps many enjoy a higher level of independence and quality of life. Yet studies over the past few years have confirmed that a hospital stay can have a negative impact on seniors. In a January 2013 study appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Yale University’s Dr. Harlan Krumholz showed that many hospital readmissions are for a medical condition that is different from the initial cause of hospitalization—”post-hospital syndrome,” a 30-day period where patients are at risk.

A stay in the hospital can leave seniors vulnerable to medication problems, urinary tract and other infections, sleeplessness, bedsores, and even falls, which can even lead to a more serious problem than that for which the senior was admitted. Of special concern is hospitalization delirium—a sudden state of confusion that sometimes occurs after surgery or a serious illness. This temporary event is sometimes mistaken for dementia—and delirium has been found to raise the risk of or hasten the course of cognitive decline in some patients.

Hospitals are making changes to support better outcome for elders. Some have opened geriatric emergency departments to meet the special needs of frail older patients, with such features as specially trained personnel, a quieter setting and thicker mattresses for comfort and bedsore prevention. Experts are calling for more geriatric training in medical and nursing schools, as well as policies that make geriatrics a more attractive specialty for med students.

For More Information

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recently released a consumer booklet: “Taking Care of Myself: a Guide for When I Leave the Hospital.”

The Joint Commission healthcare accreditation organization offers the “Speak Up” series of patient education brochures and videos.

The Eldercare Locator website has the online booklet “Hospital to Home: Plan for a Smooth Transition.”

Read more about the post-hospitalization syndrome study in the New England Journal of Medicine

Source: Care Corner Personal Services, an Assisting Hands Company in partnership with  IlluminAge, 2013 ©

Osteoporosis is a loss of bone density that can occur as we age. It is responsible for over a million broken bones each year, and is a major cause of fractures, back pain, spinal problems and loss of independence. Ten million Americans are living with osteoporosis today, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that by the year 2020 one in two Americans over age 50 will be at risk for fractures from osteoporosis. With the aging of the baby boomers, awareness of the disease becomes ever more important.

Yet many people, even seniors who are at high risk for osteoporosis, are unaware of the dangers of the disease and their own risk factors. Osteoporosis is sometimes called “the silent disease.” As it develops, it is often painless, with no obvious symptoms. In many cases, a fracture is the first symptom!

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recently conducted a groundbreaking study showing that even though osteoporosis can lead to debilitating fractures, pain, spinal problems, loss of independence, and even death, many at-risk seniors have little knowledge about the disease, even if they’ve suffered an osteoporosis-related fracture. “Many people who sustain a fracture don’t connect it to osteoporosis,” said study author Dr. Angela M. Cheung of the University Health Network/Mount Sinai Hospital Osteoporosis Program in Toronto, Ontario. Cheung points out in contrast, “A person who has a heart attack knows that there’s a problem with his or her heart, but a person who fractures thinks, ‘The floor was slippery’ or ‘I’m clumsy’ and doesn’t look at it as a symptom of a more serious medical condition.”

What you should know about osteoporosis

What causes osteoporosis?

To understand what causes osteoporosis, it’s important to know that our bones are actually a living tissue. All through our lives, bone is constantly being replaced by new bone. In young people, the bones become denser and stronger. But when we are around age 35, bone building no longer keeps up with bone loss. For persons who have a strong bone mass, this gradual loss of minerals from the bones may not cause problems. But when loss of bone density is so great that bones fracture easily, the person is said to have osteoporosis.

As it develops, osteoporosis is often painless, with no obvious symptoms. In most cases, the first sign is a fracture, most often of the hip, spine or wrist. The person with osteoporosis may develop a noticeably curved spine (sometimes called a “dowager’s hump”). Another sign is a decrease of height, which is caused by loss of bone in the spine. It is important that osteoporosis be diagnosed early, so that measures can be taken to slow the bone loss. A bone mineral density test—a painless test similar to having an x-ray—is the best way to measure bone health.

What are the risk factors?

Several risk factors increase the likelihood of osteoporosis:

• aging
• a family history of the condition
• women past menopause (who have a lowered amount of estrogen, a hormone important in building bones)
• inadequate intake of calcium and Vitamin D
• an inactive lifestyle
• small-boned and/or underweight body type
• excess abdominal fat
• use of certain medications
• medical conditions such as liver or kidney disease, diabetes, or thyroid problems
• smoking or alcohol abuse.

Can osteoporosis be prevented?

For the most part, once bone has been lost, it cannot be replaced. So the goal in treating osteoporosis is to maintain existing bone and to stop further loss. Here are some things you can do:

Get enough calcium. Some good sources of calcium are dairy products, dark leafy green vegetables, dried beans, canned sardines and salmon, sesame seeds, tofu, tortillas and soy flour. Some foods that are not rich in calcium may be fortified with calcium and vitamin D; check the label on breakfast cereals, breads and orange juice. Your health care provider may also recommend calcium and Vitamin D supplements.

Maintain a healthy weight. Being underweight raises the risk of osteoporosis. On the other hand, a recent study from Harvard Medical School shows that excess abdominal fat is also detrimental to bone health. Remember that prolonged weight loss diets are dangerous: the dieter may be losing bone right along with the weight.

Get enough exercise—and the right kind. Staying active encourages bone growth and strengthens muscles to protect the bones. Seniors who have osteoporosis should consult their healthcare provider before beginning an exercise program. Certain types of exercises are most beneficial; others may actually be dangerous. A physical therapist can train the patient to use good “body mechanics” during daily activities—even during sleep.

Limit alcohol and quit smoking. Alcohol and tobacco can both contribute to weakened bone in a variety of ways. Drinking too much alcohol also increases the risk of falling and fracturing a bone.

Take medications correctly. Some osteoporosis patients take medication to slow the loss of bone. Other drugs help control pain, or manage healthcare conditions that can make osteoporosis worse. Take these medications exactly as prescribed. Some prescription and over-the-counter drugs can increase fall risk or actually weaken the bones, so have medications reviewed regularly.

Make fall prevention a priority. Reduce the risk by having regular eye examinations, keeping the house free of clutter and other hazardous conditions, and talking to your healthcare provider about a balance training program. If you use a cane, walker or other assistive device, be sure it is properly fitted and you have been trained in its use.

While some of the risk factors for osteoporosis—such as body type, family history, and age—are beyond our control, others are lifestyle choices. People who follow the above suggestions lessen the likelihood of developing osteoporosis. And though in most cases lost bone mass cannot be replaced, the same preventative measures can also slow the loss.

Seniors Helping the Next Generation

The National Osteoporosis Foundation, sponsor of National Osteoporosis Month, recently rolled out the Generations of Strength campaign to encourage parents and grandparents to talk to their children and grandchildren about the importance of building strong bones. Foundation experts say, “Many people do not realize that osteoporosis is often considered a pediatric disease with geriatrics consequences—approximately 85 – 90 percent of adult bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and 20 in boys.” The NOF reminds grandparents, “It’s never too early or too late to take steps to improve bone health.” Young people are least likely to think about the importance of nutrition. A conversation with Grandma might be the best way to help grandchildren develop awareness of bone health. Learn more about the campaign at www.nof.org/connect.

Care Corner Personal Services, an Assisting Hands Home Care company in association with IlluminAge; copyright 2013, AgeWise.

“I felt so insulted and so hurt. It was like their father had met some gal at a bar and married her the next day, and she wanted all his money. I felt they didn’t give me any credit, or any respect, appreciation or anything. It still hurts.”

—Remarried wife of 12 years, caring for husband with Alzheimer’s disease, about her adult stepchildren.

Late-life remarriage complicates caring for an ailing spouse, according to a University of Michigan researcher who conducted one of the first known studies to focus on the challenges facing older remarried caregivers—a growing segment of the older U.S. population.

“Caring for an aging spouse is extremely difficult under the best of circumstances,” said researcher Carey Wexler Sherman. “When stepfamily tensions and conflicts are added to the mix, the stress can become overwhelming.”

With funding from the national Alzheimer’s Association, Sherman interviewed about 125 men and women with the goal of documenting the type, level and quality of social support received from stepchildren and other social network members, and assessing how late-life remarriage affects the experience of caregiving.

“Past research and current public policy relies heavily on the assumption that most older people who develop dementia are in long-term, intact marriages where the spouses—most often the wife—and adult children will provide most of their care,” said Sherman, a research investigator at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. “It’s not clear exactly how late-life remarriage and stepfamily relationships affect the spouse’s ability to get meaningful help in providing that care.”

Sherman explains, “Sometimes remarried partners and adult stepchildren come to consider each other ‘family,’ and sometimes they don’t. Often you hear people talk about ‘my father’s wife’ or ‘my husband’s children’—which can be a sign that a family hasn’t really blended. Ambivalent feelings among family members may carry over in all kinds of ways when a step-parent needs help providing care for an aging parent.”

An adult child of remarried parents herself, Sherman believes that her personal experience as well as her doctorate in family psychology and gerontology have helped to inform her approach to this difficult subject. “When my father needed care, I saw how challenging it can be to negotiate medical and care decisions when you are working within a stepfamily context. I was fortunate that my stepmom and I were able to become partners in that process,” she said. “But among the older remarried women I’ve interviewed, there is often a feeling that they are not accepted by their adult stepchildren. Many also report that they either get little or no help from stepchildren, or that the stepchildren challenge the decisions or choices made by the caregiver.”

In a prior study of late-life remarried caregivers, Sherman explored the financial tensions and conflicts between step-parents and adult stepchildren. In a paper in the journal Family Relations, she noted that adult stepchildren often resisted the step-parent’s financial role, even going so far as to “reclaim ownership” of family furniture, heirlooms and other objects when their biological parent and step-parent were away from home.’

“Commonly, old family and financial grievances get revisited when a parent becomes ill,” Sherman said. “And the onset of dementia in the biological parent leaves the caregiving spouse and stepparent on the ‘front line’ to deal with any unresolved or contentious issues.”

Source: University of Michigan

Care Corner Personal Services, an Assisting Hands Home Care company in association with IlluminAge; copyright 2013, IlluminAge.

Perhaps you saw the video that went viral a while back about the elderly Alzheimer’s patient who was transformed when he was given a iPod loaded with the music of his era? (You can watch the video on the “Music and Memory Project” website.)

Over the past few years, researchers have offered new insight into the ways music promotes healthy aging and a sense of well-being for seniors. Recent studies show that listening to music gives the brain a good “workout,” as it makes sense of the patterns and melodies. For example, in an Emory University study, lead researcher Brenda Hanna-Pladdy, PhD, reported, “Musical activity throughout life may serve as a challenging cognitive exercise, making your brain fitter and more capable of accommodating the challenges of aging.”

Another recent study, from Northwestern University, confirms that musical training promotes memory health, and also improves hearing ability in seniors. Researchers showed that listening to music improves the ability to perceive speech in a noisy environment, which is a common challenge as age-related hearing impairment occurs.

Studies have shown detectable brain changes when a person is listening to music. Music influences brain waves, blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and muscle tone. It provides many other important health benefits. For example:

• Music can decrease the perception of pain. It provides distraction from aches and illness. Listening to music that a person enjoys can actually raise the level of endorphins (brain chemicals linked with a feeling of well-being).
• Music has the capacity to reach hidden brain areas. It is stored differently in the brain than are speech and memory. This is why people with Alzheimer’s, stroke, Parkinson’s disease or other conditions that cause a diminished ability to speak or carry on a conversation, may still be able to sing.
• Music serves as a storehouse for memories. Pictures, thoughts and vivid recollections can all be encoded in the mind with music. So by enhancing memory, music is a good addition to reminiscing activities.
• Music helps people who are cognitively impaired. Many people with dementia become more aware of the present, of their surroundings, and of other people while listening to music.
• Music is a wonderful resource for people with visual impairment. It provides another way of staying in touch with the world.
• Music encourages seniors to exercise and be more active. What’s more fun, calisthenics or dancing? With the addition of music, movements become a pleasure rather than a chore.
• Music can improve sleep quality. Recent studies show that seniors with sleep problems experienced an improvement after listening to soft music at bedtime.
• Music brings people together. People who “co-experience” the same rhythms, moods and neurological responses enjoy a togetherness which is familiar to concertgoers or church congregations. Listening to music together enhances communication, and can lend a sense of unity to people of different abilities and of different generations. Music helps us interact with others and feel part of a group.
• Music can have positive emotional effects. It can uplift the spirit. It can reduce anxiety, stress and agitation. Music which is associated with pleasant memories can be a source of relaxation. And the therapeutic use of music has been shown to be effective in reducing depression.
• Music provides a sense of meaning and fulfillment. Studies show that most of us have our own strong musical tastes, with which we often identify. Reacting to music in one’s own way builds self-esteem.
• Music provides comfort at the end of life. Patients receive palliative benefit from appropriate, personalized music. Music helps meet the physical, emotional and psychosocial needs of hospice patients.

Source: Care Corner Personal Services, an Assisting Hands Home Care company in association with IlluminAge; copyright 2013, IlluminAge.

What Makes Feet Hurt?

Most of us start life with trouble-free feet. What goes wrong? Of hundreds of known foot ailments, most can be traced to:

• heredity
• improper foot care
• injury (often caused by shoes and socks or stockings that don’t fit well)
• the effects of aging.

Women have about four times as many foot problems as men. As you might guess, high-heeled, narrow shoes are often the culprit.

Even a small problem with the feet can make walking difficult and painful. So taking care of your feet pays off in a big way.

Constant weight-bearing over the years may cause feet to spread and flatten, especially across the front part of the foot. You may find that you need a wider and longer shoe as you age. Be sure the shoe fits before you wear it!

Common Foot Problems

Corns and calluses

Corns and calluses are caused by repeated friction and pressure from shoes. If the first signs of soreness are ignored, corns and calluses rise up as nature’s way of protecting sensitive areas.

Neither calluses nor corns have roots under the skin; they are simply thick layers of dead skin cells. However, the pressure of this hard mass on sensitive nerves in the skin can be painful.

Many people develop calluses under the ball (the front part) of the foot. Your doctor can arrange padding to prevent worsening of this problem.

At the first sign of tenderness, pads placed on the skin around the calluses will help protect the area. (Pads over the callus will increase the pressure.)

Bunions

A bunion is a deformity at the big toe joint. It occurs when the big toe slants outward at an angle and becomes swollen or tender. Bunions can be inherited, or caused by wearing shoes that are too narrow in the forefoot. Sometimes bunions are a sign of developing arthritis in older people.

Athlete’s foot

Athlete’s foot is caused by a fungus. Painful itching between toes, cracked or scaly skin, small blisters and red, irritated skin patches are usually signs of athlete’s foot or other fungal or bacterial conditions.

The best way to help prevent athlete’s foot infection is to keep feet clean and dry with a daily washing. Be especially careful to dry between toes. Use a foot powder to help feet stay drier through the day.

Ingrown toenails

Ingrown toenails have corners which have been crowded by the skin. To prevent ingrown toenails, trim nails straight across with toenail clippers. Do not round off corners. The nail should be kept trimmed to protect it from pressure and irritation. After clipping, smooth nails with a file.

To ease the pain of an ingrown toenail, wear open-toed sandals and soak feet in warm water once or twice a day.

Hammertoe

Hammertoe is a hooked or claw-like deformity that affects millions. The most common forms are acquired, and shoes or stockings that cramp the toes may be a factor. Toe joints contract, and over a period of time, a bulge forms at the top of the joint. Hammertoes can affect overall balance and comfort.

Blisters

Blisters are caused by poor-fitting shoes and socks. If blisters occur, don’t pop them—you may cause infection. If a blister breaks on its own, carefully wash the area, apply antiseptic, cover with a sterile bandage during the day, and uncover at night to let the skin breathe.

Poor blood circulation

Your feet are the “outer reaches” of your circulatory system. So cold temperatures, pressure, inactivity or smoking can restrict the circulation of blood to them. The signs are persistent, unusual feelings of cold, numbness, tingling, burning or fatigue in feet and legs. Other symptoms may include discoloration, dry skin, absence of hair on feet or legs, or cramping or tightness in leg muscles when walking. Keep warm, exercise moderately, and have periodic medical exams.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, which is usually caused by the wear and tear of the joints that comes with age, often affects the feet and inhibits movement. Proper foot care and proper padding to cushion feet are especially important for people with this condition.

Special Care for Diabetics

Diabetes can affect blood circulation. It can also lessen feeling in the feet. So diabetics are especially vulnerable to foot problems. People with diabetes should be sure to keep the feet warm, to wear non-restrictive shoes, and to always wear shoes in order to protect the feet. Checking daily for redness, cuts and cracks can prevent them from developing into more a more serious problem. If you have diabetes, see your physician about even the most simple foot problems. Avoid cutting corns or calluses and using any remedy containing salicylic acid (an ingredient listed on labels of certain corn remedies). Trim toenails carefully to avoid breaking the skin or producing an ingrown toenail.

Learn More

April is Foot Health Awareness Month. The American Podiatric Medical Association website offers consumer information on foot care (www.apma.org/learn/index.cfm).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated their recommendations for diabetic foot care (www.cdc.gov/Features/DiabetesFootHealth)

Source: Care Corner Personal Services, an Assisting Hands Home Care company in association with IlluminAge; copyright 2013, IlluminAge.

Summer temperatures can pose a danger to older adults. Working or playing in the sun, spending time in an unventilated home, or sitting in a closed vehicle can result in uncomfortable and even dangerous temperatures.

As we grow older, our bodies are less efficient at regulating temperature. Especially at risk are people with health problems such as cardiovascular disease, kidney or lung problems, unhealthy body weight, or those who take certain medications that interrupt the body’s ability to protect itself by perspiring. Other risk factors include: age-related changes to the skin, including inefficient sweat glands; being substantially overweight or underweight; and dehydration.

Here are some tips for staying safe and comfortable during periods of higher heat:

• Drink plenty of fluids, even if you don’t feel thirsty. On hot days, the body loses moisture more rapidly, so keep hydrated with water or fruit juice. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which cause the body to lose more fluid. (If you are on a fluid-restricted diet, speak to your healthcare provider during periods of heat.)
• Keep your home comfortable by letting in cool air during the early morning and evening hours. Create cross-ventilation by opening windows on two sides of the building. Use fans to circulate cooler air. Close curtains and blinds during the warmest hours.
• Take a break at an air conditioned location during the hottest part of the day. Go to the mall, a movie, the library.
• Dress for the weather. Wear short-sleeve, loose-fitting garments. Natural fibers and light colors are cooler than synthetic materials and dark colors. And don’t forget your sun hat!
• Exercise and work outside only during the cooler hours of the day, and pace your activities.
• Wear sunblock when you are outdoors. Sunburn reduces the body’s ability to regulate heat.

Heat-Related Illness

Hyperthermia is the name for a variety of heat-related illnesses that can include:

• Heat cramps (a painful tightening of the muscles of the abdomen, arms or legs)
• Heat edema (swelling of the ankles and feet)
• Heat syncope (a sudden dizziness and rapid pulse that usually occurs when someone is exercising in the heat)

If ignored, these conditions can progress to a dangerous condition called heat stroke. The symptoms of heatstroke are:

o    Fainting
o    Body temperature over 104
o    Confusion, staggering
o    Dry, flushed skin with no sweating
o    Strong, rapid pulse
o    Headache
o    Unconsciousness

A person with heat stroke should be seen by a physician immediately!

The National Institute on Aging provides five tips on what to do if you suspect someone is suffering from a heat-related illness:

1. Get the person out of the sun and into an air-conditioned or other cool place.
2. Offer fluids such as water, fruit and vegetable juices, but avoid alcohol and caffeine.
3. Encourage the individual to shower, bathe or sponge off with cool water.
4. Apply a cold, wet cloth to the wrists and/or neck, places where arterial blood passes close to the surface and the cold cloths can help cool the blood.
5. Urge the person to lie down and rest, preferably in a cool place.

For More Information

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers information on staying safe during periods of extreme heat.

The Weather Channel website issues alerts for periods of high heat, and includes heat safety and preparedness resources.

Source: Care Corner Personal Services, an Assisting Hands Home Care company in association with IlluminAge; copyright 2012, IlluminAge.

You probably think that providing love, care, and support to an older member of your family is a personal thing. At one level or another, you feel a sense of responsibility. You have a role to fill. But remember, eldercare is also a family matter—an important, appropriate part of the family’s agenda. So, everyone’s goal has to be staying focused, honest, open, and fair with one another.

Assessing Your Family Strengths and Weaknesses

When your spouse, parents or grandparents need help, and other family members consult about it, unresolved family issues may get in the way of effective helping. Revisiting and reopening long-standing family issues of sibling rivalry, parental favoritism, and other family problems during the last months or years of a parent’s life is an easy trap to fall into.

The best way to minimize these problems is to be aware of their possibility and avoid them consciously. Work with your siblings and other involved family members to focus your interactions around the older person’s needs and best interests, not other family business. If necessary, have a friend or professional counselor meet and talk with you to move the discussion along.

You probably are not going to change the basic dynamics in your family. Try not to let caregiving issues become an emotional battle between family members. It helps to recognize going into the caregiving role that some people are going to give more than others. Often, there is not much that can be done to correct this imbalance of involvement. However, much can be done in terms of support and affirmation. Those carrying the major responsibility for managing or providing care need both help and appreciation. Do what you can, and support those who are doing the rest.

Family Communication Skills

When it comes to family communication, it’s never too late to improve. Even families with long histories of not communicating very well—or at all—can learn to share their views and ideas for meeting the eldercare needs of parents, grandparents, or other older relatives. If your family is “communication-challenged,” try these simple tips:

• Think of family communication as an opportunity for personal and family growth.
• Put your issues and concerns out on the table for discussion. Do others see the situation the way you do? Be open to give and take, but try to move in the direction of a consensus about what the eldercare needs and opportunities really are.
• Be inclusive. Draw out what each family member is thinking and feeling, including the older person you are trying to support and care for.
• Stick with it. Reaching consensus usually takes some work. Be willing to give it the time and effort it requires.
• Be open to both asking for and accepting help. The whole idea is to not “go it alone.”
• Share the load. Make sure there is basic fairness going on in terms of the financial, time, and emotional costs of the family’s overall eldercare efforts.
• Know when to say “no.” If the “fairness” message is not getting through, or if you are simply stretched beyond your capacity, it may be a time to decline some tasks and speak with another family member about sharing them.
• If necessary, call in a professional. A geriatric care manager, eldercare attorney or therapist can serve as mediator when things become contentious or come to an impasse.

SOURCE: Care Corner Personal Services, an Assisting Hands Home Care company  in association with IlluminAge; © IlluminAge 2013

Today, most of us take our computers for granted—in the workplace, in our homes, at the doctor’s office, and right at our side no matter where we go. But as soon as computers began to appear in the workplaces and homes of Americans, researchers expressed concerns about the “digital divide”—the line between those with computer skills and access, and those without. Florida State University researcher Neil Charness pointed out, “The technology gap is a problem because technology, particularly computer and internet technology, is becoming ubiquitous, and full participation in society becomes more difficult for those without such access.”

The divide today is drawn along economic and educational lines—but also, it seems, along age lines, with seniors slower to adopt digital technology and embrace computer use.

How are we doing today, a quarter century after the first personal computers arrived on the scene? Let’s take a look at the ways computers are revolutionizing the way we age in America, beginning by examining four common myths about senior adults and computers:

Myth #1: Computers are only for younger people

First of all, let’s dispense with the notion that computers are a new invention, developed by young people. The reality is, computer technology has developed over the course of years, and there are plenty of elders who were computer-literate when computers were a lot less “user friendly” than they are now.

On the other hand, if you are old enough to have taken a typing class in high school, you are probably aware that those of us who encountered computers later in life didn’t benefit from early exposure to such skills as software features and keyboarding. So, for many seniors, there is a steeper learning curve.

It is true that at present seniors lag behind other age groups in adoption of computer technology. But seniors are catching up. In 2010, the Pew Foundation reported that only 42% of people 65 and over used the internet; that number grew to 53% in only two years. Computer use is growing fastest in the over-65 population. And as the baby boomers age, the digital divide between younger and older Americans will continue to close. Seniors are using e-mail, going on Facebook, sending out Twitter tweets, playing games and surfing the web in rapidly increasing numbers.

Myth #2: Computers are too complicated for seniors

There is an element of truth to this commonly held belief. Constant upgrades, ever more complex programs and the lighting speed evolution of technology are a challenge for anyone—and when you add some of the physical and cognitive changes of aging, developing computer literacy can seem daunting. Many family caregivers today report that tech support is one of their major eldercare responsibilities!

But, as we saw above, plenty of seniors have eagerly and easily entered the computer age. And new senior-friendly technologies are encouraging the trend. Computer manufacturers, software developers and e-commerce companies realize that with the aging of America, it’s good business practice to offer simpler user interfaces, website features for people with visual and cognitive impairment, and adaptive hardware such as arthritis-compatible mice and keyboards with larger letters. Seniors are adapting to computers…but computers are adapting to seniors, as well.

Myth #3: Computer use doesn’t have much impact on healthy aging

On the contrary! Not only do computers help seniors stay in touch with the world today, but seniors also stand to benefit by the advantages of new technologies. E-commerce, online banking and finding information online are convenient for everyone—and all the more so for people with mobility challenges. The internet can also be a great source of information about “real world” activities and events, providing incentive to remain active in the community. Indeed, surfing the web provides a powerful mood boost: a recent Phoenix Center study demonstrated that internet use by the elderly reduced depression by 20%!

Computer use also promotes brain health, combining reading and interactivity in a powerful way. You have probably heard of “brain exercise” computer programs and games—but did you know that going online also gives our memory a good workout? A 2009 study by UCLA researchers showed that while seniors are performing simple web searches, blood flow is increased to areas of the brain that are vital for cognitive health. Researcher Teena D. Moody explains, “Searching online may be a simple form of brain exercise that might be employed to enhance cognition in older adults.”

And what about gaming? A waste of time for couch potatoes? Another recent study shows that seniors who play strategy videogames, such as Rise of Nations or Halo, experienced improved cognitive skills. And active video games, such as the Wii system, have been found to give a good moderate workout.

Myth #4: Online social networking is only for young people

Facebook, Twitter, email, chat rooms, online communities…older adults are going online for socialization in increasing numbers. Social networking is bringing seniors closer to friends and loved ones, and helping them make contact with new friends around the world. Connecting with friends and family in this way helps seniors avoid isolation and loneliness.

Learn More

Microsoft offers information on computer accessibility for older adults and people with disabilities. See Guide for Individuals with Age-related Impairments to learn more about making your PC easier to see, hear and use.

SOURCE: Care Corner Personal Services, an Assisting Hands Home Care company in association with IlluminAge; © IlluminAge 2013

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