Wise Use of Prescription Medications

Did you know that inappropriate use of medications is among the top 10 causes of death in the United States? We didn’t either until we heard yesterday’s presentation on “Wise Use of Medication” at the Meet the Pharmacist & Senior Health Fair in National City.

Done is quiz form, Maxine Fischer, manager for state operations for AARP, delivered a strong “dose of prescription drug reality” by asking how well seniors in attendance know their prescription drugs. We thought we’d pose some of the questions to you too.

1. How many prescription drugs does the average person age 45 and older take every day?

a) One

b) Four

c) Six

2. What percent of adults 65+ skip does or do not fill prescriptions because of cost?

a) 10%

b) 25%

c) 50%

3. What should you do if you forget to take a medication dose?

a) Consult your doctor or pharmacist

          b) Take your medication as soon as you remember

c) Wait for your next scheduled dose

d) Double your next scheduled dose

4. Which is not a safe way to dispose of old medication?

a) Take it back to the pharmacist

b) Toss it in the garbage or flush it in the toilet

c) Crush the drugs, mix them with used coffee grounds or kitty litter and put in a can or sealable bag before tossing

d) Bring meds to community drug disposal, solid waste or pharmaceutical take-back program

5. Where should you store your medicine?

a) In the medicine cabinet, of course

          b) In your safety deposit box

c) In a cool, dark, dry, safe place

d) In the refrigerator

Answers: 1.) B 2.) B 3.) A 4.) B, you don’t want old medications getting into the water system. 5.) C, medications actually disintegrate from the moisture produced in bathrooms so medicine cabinets are a poor storage choice.

'Oh, My Aching Back!'

One of the most common physical complaints among adult caregivers is a back ache, especially if a disabled loved one requires assistance moving from one spot to another. Today’s health tips focus on tips for back care so you can stay strong, for you and for those who depend on you.


Know Your Limits. Do not lift objects – including people – without help if that thing or person is too heavy.

Lift with Care. Keep feet apart for balance, bend your knees to lower yourself and life close to your body. Do not use your back to do the lifting. It’s all in the legs. Also, never pivot – face forward at all times when you are lifting and carrying.

Stay Balanced. A strong back starts with strong stomach muscles. Incorporate core-strengthening exercises, such as Pilates, into your daily routine. If your stomach and back are really weak, consider a back brace until you can strengthen both.

Sleep Firmly. Makes sure you sleep on a firm mattress, and that you do not sleep on your stomach.

Sit Down. Your knees should be higher than your hips when you sit in a car. For additional support, you can use a small pillow or rolled towel.

Stretch Regularly. Stretching key muscle groups helps increase your flexibility and reduce your risk of injury.

Wear Proper Shoes. No high heels. No shoes with flimsy soles (like some flip flops). Focus on comfort and support, even if the pair cost a few more pennies.

Control Your Weight. Goes without saying that being overweight puts additional stress on the lower back.

Maintain Good Posture. As we age, it becomes harder to maintain good posture. Make a point to suck in that stomach and sit or stand tall with properly alighted shoulders and hips.

Why Active Aging is a Bit of a Stretch

We participated in the annual Active Aging Health Fair today at the Balboa Naval Medical Center in San Diego and are excited to share some of the information we learned from other vendors and experts.

Several booths focused on yoga, tai chi and other non-aerobic exercises that help with weight and stress management. As we age, if we don't ply our muscles, they will contract and result in poor posture and tightness that can make even easy moves -- like tying your shoe or putting on a pair of pants -- become difficult. Even if you have limited mobility, you and a loved one with dementia should be sure to incorporate stretching into your daily regimen. Here are some tips courtesy of the National Institute of Health:

• Wear comfortable clothing and thick socks.
• As you stretch, you shoulf feel a gentle pull or tug, not pain - which means you've stretched too far. Wait a day or two for the pain to subside before you try that stretch again.
• You may feel some soreness following initial stretching sessions. It's normal.
• Be sure to warm up, with something easy such as walking in place, before starting the stretches.
• Stretch two or three times weekly and rest between workouts.
• When you start, do each stretch once or twice and hold for a count of 5. Then work up to a count of 30.
• After a few weeks, increase to each stretch to three or four times for a count of 30.
• Finally, make your goal to do each stretch five times for a 30-count.

Changes will happen gradually, but you should notice results in 6 to 8 weeks. Be sure to also incoporate other activities such as walks and weights into your weekly workout plan.

Diabetes and Dementia: Stronger Link Than You Think

Anyone who has helped care for a loved one with diabetes, particularly Type 2 diabetes, know how important it is to monitor their diets and blood-sugar level. Type 2 diabetes has been on the rise for at least a couple of decades and is now the most common form, affected 26 million people in the United States. It's not unusual for someone to have it (sometimes for years) and not know it. Symptoms include:

• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision

 A new study now says there's a stronger link between those with diabetes and all forms of dementia. In that group, 27 pecent of diabetes developed dementia compared to 20 percent with normal blood sugar levels. That's significant, especially given Type 2 diabetes is preventable and once it develops, manageable through diet and exercise and insulin injections as needed. Other studies have shown similar links, but these particular research project was conducted over more than a decade and involved 1,000 patients, so the results are drawing the medical world's attention.

"Diabetes is a major risk factor for vascular disease," said Dr. Spyros Mezitis, a clinical endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "If the blood vessels are not allowing enough oxygen to get to the brain, you can get dementia."

The study will "change the way we practice medicine" and could lead to quicker referral of diabetics to neurologists when they show signs of memory loss or other cognitive problems, he said.

The goal for patients is to avoid the progression of vascular disease and to maintain proper blood sugar levels, he noted.

Article: Diabetes tied to increased risk for Alzheimer's

16 de Septiembre

It's a big holiday if you happen to live south of the border. Or if you happen to attend our George G. Glenner Alzheimer's Family Center in Chula Vista.

The Power to Heal

With our focus the past week on how to handle a major power outage, we thought it might be nice to shift into lighter gears and focus on the power to heal, or at least help someone, through small gestures.

One of our most prolific volunteers that we've mentioned here before is Mary Moore, who is 93 years young and continues to fill a room with sunshine as she delivers "The Good News" daily to our Hillcrest participants. Mary selects feel-good pieces from newspapers and magazines for discussion. She also spends a lot of her free time handstiching bookmarks that we can then donate in our "healing baskets" given to area hospital patients of all ages.

We'll have more on our baskets in another blog post. For now, we wanted to share some of Mary's latest work and to publicly thank her for all she does for our center and for our community. Never underestimate the power of creative energy!

How to Handle Power Outages with Dementia Patients

Last week’s major power outage gave our Glenner Alzheimer Family Centers an opportunity to test their emergency management systems. We asked each of our center managers what they did and what advice they might have for caregivers of dementia patients should they find themselves without any electricity for an extended period of time.


Dawn DeStefani, Center Manager for our Chula Vista Center:

What We Did: Since we practice emergency drills once per month, the staff felt very prepared when the power went out. We do have emergency procedures and a disaster plan that we follow. We ensured that the building was safe and contacted our landlord and security. Our staff did a great job resuming activities and the participants didn’t seem to notice that there was a power outage.

What We Advise: The best thing to do is to remain calm and continue to keep the routine as normal as possible. It is very important to have emergency supplies available, in your car and in your home. This event has reminded us of how important it is to have basics like water, shelf stable food, flashlights, batteries, a radio and gas in your car!

When It’s Unusually Hot: The best thing to do is to find a cool, shady place, if possible. It is also vital to stay hydrated with plenty of water. As long as the water is safe, moist towels can provide comfort to the head and neck.

Sheila Meyer, Center Manager for our Encinitas Center:

What We Did: Our staff did exactly what they should do: put flashlights into use, moved to naturally lighted rooms and remain calm and cheerful. We just continued with the activities that were already in place, a word search.

Most of our participants were raised in an age where TV, computers, and cell phones didn't exist. Radios were listened to in the evening as entertainment. Word search games, balloon toss games, and just plain conversation got us through the end of the day, plus serving plenty of water. In fact, it was kind of fun talking to the participants about the 'good old days' and bringing up old words like 'icebox' 'divan' 'davenport' and 'water closet.'

What We Advise: Remain calm and cheerful. Have a flashlight always ready to go and, if possible, a radio that runs on batteries.

What If It’s Unusually Hot: Stay indoors, wear loose clothing, drink lots of water but cut back on the iced tea/ iced coffee. Those can cause you to lose water.

What To Do During a Power Outage

Sometimes we "young folks" forget how strong our elders are.

 

Yesterday San Diego County (and beyond) experienced the largest power outage in its history, with 1.4 million locally enduring hot temperatures and hot tempers due to a power line failure in Arizona that created a cascade effect and knocked out electricity everywhere. My grandmother, 97, lives with us and I worried that she might not be well as I inched toward home in rush hour traffic on steriods. Our cell phones didn't work, so I couldn't call to check in on her.

 

When I did finally make it home, I found Grandma just chillin' on our coach, staying cool and staying calm. I explained that the power was out everywhere, and her response was, "Really? What's for dinner?"

 

As I whined on about all of the inconveniences we had to endure, she reminded me that she grew up without electric power on a farm and that our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (with chips!) would be plenty during the Great Depression. She was miffed that I didn't risk a house fire to make her a cup of tea, but otherwise, she seemed grateful to witness yet another historic moment in a life that has seen many.

 

Later, sitting in our pajamas on the porch, she joked that the only thing missing from the still and dark night were air raid sirens. Then she seriously asked what we would do if terrorists did strike, gently reminded me that life now was much preferrable to life during wartime.

There are some things the CDC recommends we all do during an extended power outage:

•  Throw away food in the fridge if the temperature gets about 45 degrees, which happens after about two hours without power.
• Be careful of carbon monoxide poisoning when using backup devices beyond a generator or grill
• Check with local authorities to make sure the tap water is safe. Boil it for at least 2 minutes (once power's restored) if it's not.
• Drink plenty of liquids if it's hot and try not to move around too much to conserve energy.
• Turn off all appliances and lights and A/C or fans so there isn't a power surge when electricity is restored.

My grandmother and I talked for a couple of hours before she said it was time for bed and headed off, promising to keep a battery-powered night light by her bedside. I checked on her about an hour later and found her sleeping soundly, her head illuminated by a hallow of light from accidentally turning on the night light beneath her pillow.

 

I mention this personal tale because sometimes we need to be reminded that though our parents and grandparents become more fragile with age, they remain hardy souls. They also can provide levity in serious situations and put our own problems in proper perspective. Thanks, Grandma. The next cup of tea is on me.

Housework Helps Ward Off Dementia

We've written before about the value of housework as a way to keep a loved one with dementia engaged and feel like they are contributing to the household. This is particularly true of mothers and grandmothers who were full-time homemakers earlier in life and derived a lot of their personal identity from a job well done. Fathers and grandfathers also took great pride in maintaining a showcase yard.

Today's U.S. News & World Report has an article about another benefit of housework -- besides staying on top of chores and maintaining a clean and orderly place. It's good for your heart and circulation system, which helps keep blood pumping to the brain and may help keep dementia at bay.

New research finds that seniors who expended the most energy doing chores, running errands, taking care of loved ones and simply going about their business were less likely to experience mental declines as they aged.

"All those things that you would never think of as exercise, they get our heart rate up and make our blood vessels pump blood," said study co-author Todd Manini, an assistant professor of aging and geriatric research at the University of Florida, Gainesville. "But we kind of ignored them in the past and thought mainly about volitional exercise, such as jogging. What this study is telling us is those other activities might also count for health benefits."

So grab that mop and lend a helping hand -- or accept one from a senior relative or friend -- and know you are providing an even bigger benefit to your health and to those you love. This is especially true if jogging is not for you!

Article: Routine Chores Might Help Keep Dementia at Bay

Smart Goals for Retirement

Caregivers need to plan for the future too. One of the talks during yesterday's Senior of Today Conference sponsored by the San Diego County Council on Aging focused on 10 principles of retirement planning. David Lam of Edward Jones offered the following tips that we wanted to repeat here.

This holiday weekend may be a good time to do some "pre-fall planning" and spend some time seriously considering what you want to do once your "retire" and how best to make sure you're financially prepared for a long life. We wanted to focus particularly on No. 5 since all it takes is one crisis to drain someone's personal savings.

1. Map Out Your Goals

2. Plan for a Long and Fulfilling Retirement

3. Start Smart with Your Spending

4. Inflation Doesn’t Retire

5. Prepare for the Unexpected

6. Don’t Reach for Yield

7. Maintain a Healthy Portfolio

8. Keep Retirement from Being Taxing

9. Define Your Legacy

10. Remember Your Annual Checkup