Mission Statement

To provide information, products and services regarding home based living in a way that preserves the wellbeing of both the care recipients and their caregivers.

If you have difficulty reading the newsletter in the scheme below, please click on “Read Online” in the upper right hand corner for black print on a white background.

Announcement

In issue 67, we added a sub-category, Nutrition. As we have stated in Read All About This Site on our home page, prevention of chronic illness is one of our primary purposes in publishing the newsletter. We will provide information from a variety of sources to help us adapt our diets as we age.

Beginning with the October 3rd issue, we will begin publishing the newsletter every other Thursday. We will increase the amount of information we publish to 4-5 articles, interviews, videos, etc. in each sub-category. As you are aware, there are many areas to be covered so we can stay in our homes as long as possible, and we can publish more valuable information, more efficiently going to the two week window.

We will also introduce a store at that time, Investing In Your Health, that will feature fitness and wellness products and services that will be of value to our subscribers. There will be a membership/rebate program for SHSH subscribers as well and we will provide more information about that as we get closer to October 3.

Care Receivers

Nutrition

From the Cleveland Clinic, The 10 Health Benefits of Grapes. An excellent source of vitamin C and potassium and many other nutrients. Grapes of all colors are available year round now in our grocery stores and they are an inexpensive way to eat a healthy snack or be incorporated in a variety of recipes. The article tells us how grapes can protect our immune system, help prevent cancer and lower our blood pressure, along with other important benefits. I like all grapes but primarily eat red grapes. A great snack that also contains water and helps keep us hydrated. Enjoy them!

Read Article Here

Nutrition

Protein. Below is a chart with the best sources of protein for us as we age. For senior citizens, the best sources are those that are easily digestible, nutrient-dense, and support our overall health. The chart lists many of the top choices for us, such as lean meats, several kinds of fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and, of course beans and lentils. Almonds and walnuts along with chia seeds and flaxseeds offer healthy fats and fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Another factor is portion size. Smaller, more frequent meals may help us maintain our protein intake without feeling overly full. Adequate protein intake is important for maintaining muscle, bone health and overall wellness.

Movement

Our friend Meredith of Senior Fitness with Meredith, has a 12 minute video for us this week that will guide us through back stretches, a need many of us have at this stage in our lives. These exercises will play a significant role for us as senior citizens in maintaining our mobility, flexibility and our overall quality of life. As Meredith will instruct us, as usual, do these exercises to the best of your ability and always contact your health care professional if you have questions about performing them and how they might effect any pre-existing conditions you have.

See Video Here

Movement

Ankle strengthening exercises. We are going to revisit this after posting a similar video on ankle strengthening just a few weeks ago with Dr. Jo. Along with exercises to strengthen and maintain our feet, these exercises are so important to our balance and overall ability to move well and strengthen our legs and improve our posture. We will be featuring more videos and articles in the near future on these important subjects.

See Video Here

Wellness

Balance. Revisiting another important topic for us as we age with information from the Harvard Health newsletter. Our balance is so important for us as we strive to prevent falls and other injuries and be able to maintain activity in our lives so we can be healthy, vital people. We have discussed this topic extensively so I will let the article do the talking here.

Read Article Here

Wellness

From Dr. Leslie Kernisan, a video explaining what Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s) and Instrumental Activities for Daily Living (IADL’s) are and why it is important for us to familiarize ourselves with them. This article is important for maintaining our wellness but is also of value in determining the ability to continue to age in place, so it is important information for caregivers to be aware of, also. Thank you again to Dr. Kernisan for sharing her extensive experience and expertise with us.

See article/video here

Aging In Place

774 nursing home closures in the last four years. 7 new openings in the same time frame. From Beckers Healthcare, a daily newsletter that reports on activities in and the state of the health care industry. This is a hard hitting article that appeared in the last couple days that I wanted to share to underscore the importance of getting and staying healthy and in our own homes. This is a trend that does not appear will be changing soon. Another factor, which we have pointed out before, is the shortage of skilled employees in these facilities. Add in the growth of private equity as owners of these types of facilities, and this picture does not look good.

Read Article Here

Aging In Place

6 Barriers to Aging In Place from Meet Caregivers. This is a commercial organization that supplies caregivers to those in need, different than most or our information that is geared towards family caregivers. I saw this article and thought their information applies to all caregivers. Some of it is dated, but the basic issues are still current. There are some charts that provide some additional information as well. Any information that helps us prepare for this potential eventuality or assist anyone currently aging in place is valuable to us.

Read Article Here

Caregivers

From WebMD, Caregiving for Older Adults. More good information for family caregivers. Again, whether someone is currently in a caregiving role or could potentially become a caregiver for a family member, this is valuable information so we can be as prepared as possible.

Read Article Here

Blood test for detecting heart disease. This test can detect potential heart disease 30 years in advance, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. This is valuable information for caregivers as they focus on their health while performing this stressful, valuable task for their loved ones. As we have stated before, the health of the caregiver is as important as that of the person receiving care. Prevention is all important for our caregivers and it can’t begin soon enough.

Read Article Here

And One More Thing

From Five Bridges Health and Fitness, 17 senior activities. It is important that we stay as active as possible as we age. There are a variety of different options with various levels of difficulty. Check out the options and see if you can choose one that you would enjoy and can complete safely, and enjoy this new addition to your wellness plan.

Read Article Here

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