Senior LIVING
Is Joint Replacement Right For You? The pros and cons of joint replacement surgery
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Neutralizing Nature Emergency preparedness tips for seniors
Triumph Over Travel Concerns How to travel even if you have limited mobility
A Blank Slate Media/Litmor Publications Special Section • March 22, 2019
34 SENIOR LIVING • Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, March 22, 2019
Exercise and aging: How to work out safely after 50 In an ideal world, people young and old exercise each day. But as men and women age, finding time to work out is not so easy. Commitments to work and family often take precedence over daily exercise. As a result, many people 50 and over might not have exercised regularly or at all in many years. But as children grow up or even move out, people facing down their golden years are often compelled to get back in the gym. That’s a wise decision that can increase a person’s chances of being healthy and happy in retirement. But before beginning a new exercise regimen, men and women over 50 should take heed of the following safety tips to ensure their efforts are not derailed by accident or injury. Speak with your physician. The National Institute on Aging notes that even people with chronic condi-
tions such as heart disease, diabetes or arthritis can be physically active. However, anyone with such a condition and even those who don’t fall into those categories should consult with their physicians and receive a full physical before exercising. Such a consultation and checkup can shed light on any unknown issues, and physicians can offer advice on how to safely manage any problems that may arise. Begin with low-intensity exercises. Even if you feel great and have maintained a healthy weight, don’t push yourself too hard at the start. Your body needs time to adjust to physical activity, so choose low-intensity exercises like walking and light strength training so your muscles, tendons and ligaments can adjust. Initially, exercise every other day so your body has ample time to recover between workouts.
Choose the right places to exercise outdoors. Exercising outside provides the best of both worlds for many people, providing a chance to get healthy all while enjoying the great outdoors. When exercising outdoors, choose areas that are not remote and where others can see you and offer help if you suffer an injury or have an accident. Boardwalks, public parks and outdoor gyms are safer places to work out than wooded areas or other places well off the beaten path.
Stay hydrated. The NIA notes that many people lose their sense of thirst as they age. But just because you aren’t thirsty does not mean you don’t need water, especially while exercising. Water regulates body temperature and lubricates the joints, thereby decreasing your risk of injury during exercise. Exercising after 50 can help people live healthy well into retirement. But caution must be exercised when aging men and women return to exercise after a long break.
Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, March 22, 2019 • SENIOR LIVING
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36 SENIOR LIVING • Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, March 22, 2019 ADVERTORIAL
How Can I Tell If I Have Glaucoma? What is glaucoma? Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the optic nerve is damaged, causing permanent vision loss. Most commonly, the damage occurs when your eye’s internal fluid pressure rises too high. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the U.S. What causes glaucoma? The exact cause of glaucoma is not known. For some reason, the passages that normally allow fluid within your eye become clogged or blocked. Fluid within your eye builds up and increases pressure on the optic nerve. The nerve fibers and blood vessels in the optic nerve are easily damaged by this pressure, resulting in vision loss. An injury, infection or tumor in or around the eye can also cause the pressure to rise. People who have glaucoma with normal eye pressure likely have poor blood flow to the optic nerve. Who gets glaucoma? Glaucoma most frequently occurs in individuals over the age of 40. In some families, the disease is hereditary. It is estimated that over 2 million Americans have glaucoma, and this number is expected to rise as the U.S. population ages. How is glaucoma harmful to vision? The optic nerve, at the back of the eye,
carries visual information to the brain. As the optic nerve fibers are damaged, the amount and quality of information sent to the brain decreases and a loss of vision occurs. Will I go blind from glaucoma? If diagnosed at an early stage, glaucoma can often be controlled with little or no further vision loss. If left untreated, first peripheral vision and then central vision will be affected, and blindness may result. How Is glaucoma detected? A comprehensive optometric examination will include tests for glaucoma. A simple, painless procedure called tonometry measures the internal pressure of your eye. Health of the optic nerve and your field of vision will be checked. How is glaucoma treated? Glaucoma is usually effectively treated with prescription eye drops and medicines that must be taken regularly. Some cases require laser therapy or surgery. Will my vision be restored after treatment? No. But early detection and treatment can control glaucoma and reduce the chances of vision loss.
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Pros and cons of joint replacement surgery To people outside the medical field, joint replacement surgery might sound like a solution that’s considered only after all other options have been exhausted. But joint replacement surgery has become very common, even though some studies have suggested certain procedures are being performed unnecessarily. A 2014 study published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatology found that
one-third of patients who undergo knee replacement surgery may not be appropriate candidates for the procedure because their symptoms are not severe enough to merit aggressive intervention like surgery. The decision to undergo surgery is always a patient’s to make. Weighing some pros and cons of joint replacement surgery can help patients make the most informed decisions possible.
Pros The Cleveland Clinic notes that many patients who have undergone joint replacement surgeries have experienced dramatic improvement within a relatively short time after undergoing the surgery. Much of that improvement is related to pain, which for many people becomes overwhelming prior to surgery. Another benefit to joint replacement surgery is the recovery time. For example, the Cleveland Clinic notes that patients who have knee replacement surgery are usually standing and even moving the joint the day after their surgeries. Within six weeks, those same patients are typically walking comfortably with very little support. While each patient is different, any fears that joint replacement surgery will require patients to be immobile for months after surgery are unwarranted. Joint replacement surgery also can be a long-term solution, whereas the alternatives might not be. The Cleveland Clinic says that roughly 85 percent of knee implants will last 20 years, and that life expectancy figures to grow as technology advances.
Cons As beneficial as joint replacement surgery can be, it’s not without downsides. Cost is one such disadvantage. How much a patient pays for the surgery depends on his or her coverage, but AARP notes that the average knee replacement surgery costs $31,000. Such costs can be prohibitive for aging men and women who are no longer working. Another potential disadvantage to going under the knife, especially for those who are borderline candidates for replacement surgeries, is the likelihood that surgery won’t have a significant impact on quality of life. A 2017 study published in the journal BMJ found that knee replacement had minimal effects on quality of life, especially for patients whose arthritis was not severe.
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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, March 22, 2019 • SENIOR LIVING
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Geriatric psychiatry provides support through aging Many positive changes come with aging. Financial independence, freedom to pursue hobbies and more time to spend with loved ones are some such benefits. But as men and women age, they also must give consideration to those changes few consider until they’re happening. Retirement, loss of a spouse, distance from family, downsizing, and fears of illness must be given their due attention so aging adults can get the assistance they need when they need it. Geriatric psychiatrists can fill the gaps where others cannot. The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry defines the profession as a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy with special training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders that may occur in older adults. These disorders may include, but are not limited to, dementia, depression,
anxiety, late life addiction disorders, and schizophrenia. Although geriatric psychiatrists can treat these and more, they also may help adults navigate emotional, physical and social needs that come with getting older. The AAGP estimates that the rate of mental illness among older adults will double over the next 10 years from what it was in 2000. Many of the people treated will need assistance with symptoms of dementia. The organization Alzheimer’s Disease International indicates there are more than 9.9 million new cases of dementia each year worldwide. Geriatric psychiatrists can provide specialized care to this unique demographic. Geriatric psychiatrists often focus on prevention, evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of mental and emotional disorders in the elderly, says the American Psychiatric Association, an advocate
Geriatric psychiatrists are tuned into the unique needs of aging men and women. for improvement of psychiatric care for elderly patients. Geriatric psychiatrists understand how medication dosage and therapy treatments may need to be customized as one ages. These psychiatrics also can consult with experts in neurology and primary care physicians when there are symptoms across various fields, which may be the case when patients are experiencing memory
impairment, anxiety and depression. Geriatric psychiatrists suggest speaking with mental health professionals early on if symptoms of low mood, restlessness, insomnia, and other hallmarks of potential mental dysfunction are present in elderly patients. This way doctors can step in early and improve their quality of life.
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38 SENIOR LIVING • Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, March 22, 2019 Exchange keys. Make sure everyone in the support network has keys to seniors’ homes. In so doing, support networks are increasing the chances that someone will be able to reach potentially vulnerable seniors if the primary contacts are incapable of doing so.
Emergency preparedness tips for seniors
Let others know where emergency supplies are kept. Everyone should have emergency supplies in their homes. Seniors should not take it for granted that such supplies can be easily found if they become incapacitated during a storm. Make sure such information can be easily accessed during a storm by emailing it to your support network and/or posting the information in a convenient location in your home, such as on the refrigerator.
Natural disasters can strike at any time, and when they do, the damage is often considerable. According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, between 2005 and 2014 natural disasters caused $1.4 trillion in damage across the globe, affecting 1.7 billion people along the way.
Another way to prevent tragedy related to natural disasters is to develop an emergency preparedness plan before the next storm strikes. That’s important for everyone, but especially so for seniors, many of whom live with mobility issues that can compromise their ability to escape the eye of oncoming storms.
Various preventive measures can protect people and their homes from the potentially devastating impact of natural disasters. For example, oceanfront communities may be able to decrease property damage by exacting certain measures, such as building homes on stilts.
In recognition of the potential problems seniors face when natural disasters strike, the American Red Cross of-
fers the following tips to seniors and their families so aging men and women can make it through such situations safe and sound.
Make arrangements to contact loved ones. Prior to an emergency, seniors and their support network should make arrangements to make immediate contact once a disaster strikes. Determine who will make initial contact and how that contact will be made (i.e., via phone, text message, social media, etc.), as well as who will be responsible for providing assistance if necessary. Such a plan lets everyone within the support network know their precise responsibilities, which limits confusion in the sometimes hectic hours and days after disaster strikes.
Share your evacuation plans. In the wake of recent disasters, many communities that did not previously feel vulnerable to natural disasters have devised evacuation plans for residents. Seniors should share these plans with their support networks. Doing so makes it easier for relatives to find you if you must evacuate your home before help arrives. Share important medical information. Seniors should share medical information, such as healthcare providers and a list of the medications they’re taking. This can make things easier for emergency responders to successfully treat people who become incapacitated during storms. Emergency preparedness strategies save lives. More information about how seniors can prepare for emergencies is available at www.redcross.org.
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40 SENIOR LIVING • Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, March 22, 2019
How to travel even if you have limited mobility Many people dream of traveling the world in retirement. Such dreams come true every day. But many more retirees or people nearing retirement fear that their dreams of seeing the world won’t be possible due to mobility issues beyond their control. Thankfully, such fears are largely unwarranted. Various conditions can affect men and women’s mobility. Many such issues tend to arise after age 50, prompting many people to believe their post-retirement travel plans will never come to fruition. Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD; and heart disease may make it hard for people to travel. But that difficulty doesn’t mean aging men and women should resign themselves to a sedentary lifestyle. Though they might require a little extra effort before boarding a plane for parts unknown, the following are a handful of ways that aging men and women with limited mobility can reap the rewards of traveling.
Contact airlines or other transportation companies if you require special accommodations. The U.S. Department of Transportation notes that passengers are generally not required to provide advanced notice for disability-related accommodations. However, it makes sense to provide such notice anyway. By doing so, men and women with limited mobility can ensure they will have adequate assistance during their trips. When made aware of passengers’ mobility issues, airlines or other travel companies may arrange for wheelchairs to be available at the gates or train platforms so passengers can easily make connecting flights and trains. In addition, advance notice gives companies a chance to provide seating accommodations that can make for a more enjoyable trip.
Contact security agencies. Security is part of modern travel, so travelers, especially those traveling by air, should expect to go through security checkpoints during their trips. Travelers with limited mobility should contact the security agencies in their home country as well as those in any country they plan to visit to get an idea of what they can expect. Knowing these guidelines in advance can help people with limited mobility determine if they should arrive extra early so they can make it through security checkpoints in time to make their flights or trains.
Contact hotels directly. Each country has its own laws regarding how to accommodate people with physical disabilities or mobility issues, so don’t leave things to chance. Before booking a hotel room abroad, travelers with limited mobility should contact the hotel directly to confirm that it can accommodate their needs. Men and women with limited mobility can still enjoy the wonders of travel, even if it requires some extra effort before embarking on their trips.