Picture Source:  Maxi aids

Buttoning requires precise fine motor control.  Someone with weak hands, or who has suffered from a stroke or has arthritis may have a hard time with buttons.  Fortunately, a button hook can help.  The device only requires one hand and can make you independent with dressing once again.  They cost between $8-$20 depending on the make and model.  They can be purchased through online sites such as Life Solutions Plus, Maxi aids, and Sammons Preston.

April is Occupational Therapy (OT) month.  The American Occupational Therapy Association defines OT as “the therapeutic use of everyday life activities (occupations) with individuals or groups for the purpose of participation in roles and situations in home, school, workplace, community, and other settings.

“Occupational therapy services are provided for the purpose of promoting health and wellness and to those who have, or are at risk for developing an illness, injury, disease, disorder, condition, impairment, disability, activity limitation, or participation restriction. Occupational therapy addresses the physical, cognitive, psychosocial, sensory, and other aspects of performance in a variety of contexts to support engagement in everyday life activities that affect health, well-being, and quality of life.”

OTs and certified occupational therapy assistants (COTA’s) work with a vast population ranging from pediatrics to geriatrics.  In the area of pediatrics, some OTs work with neonates in the Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), while others work with children in the school system.  With adults, some OTs work with individuals in hospitals, assisted living facilities and nursing homes.  Many OTs specialize and work with specific populations such as individuals with low vision, while others conduct home assessments and make recommendations regarding modifications that enable people to remain living in their homes as they get older or after an injury.

OTs can play a key role with individuals who desire to age in place.  The AARP recommends OTs be utilized to assist people in identifying ways to improve home safety and recommending home modifications.  The OTs background, education, and training are unique and help prepare them to work with individuals who want to remain living in their homes.

OTs use their medical knowledge, training, and education to assess areas that include thinking skills, muscle control, sense of touch and vision, as well as their ability to access and function in their home environment.  The OT may assess how the individual performs daily functional life skills such as getting dressed, getting in and out of the tub/shower and accessing items in their kitchen/pantry.  They gather this information and make recommendations to improve independence and safety in the home.

Follow The Aging Suite throughout the month as we further explore the role of Occupational Therapy in Aging in Place. You can subscribe to receive our e-news updates, follow us on Twitter or fan us on Facebook.

Source:

Occupational Therapy: Helping America Age in Place and New Markets Emerge From Society’s Needs AOTA, AARP

Picture source:  Life Solutions Plus

Cooking on the stove can be messy, as shifting pots and pans can cause spills.   Pan holders work best on electric stoves and help stabilize pots and pans while cooking.   Their suction cup bases allow food to be stirred with one hand and as such, are excellent for individuals who may have had a stroke.  It’s also a great tool to use to protect your joints and to conserve energy, two very important things for people with arthritis.    They can be purchased through online sites such as Life Solutions Plus and Maxi Aids and cost anywhere from $10 to $14.

Exercising can reduce the likelihood of developing heart disease, stroke, depression, and some types of cancer.  It can also help prevent obesity, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis.  So, how much exercise should you get?  The CDC recommends that adults between the ages of 50-64 should get at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate exercise a week; or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) a week of vigorous intensity aerobic activity or an equal combination of moderate and vigorous intensity aerobic activity.  They recommend that aerobic activity should be performed in increments of at least 10 minutes and spread throughout the week. So, get moving!!

Source:  Promoting Preventive Services for Adults 50-64:Community and Clinical Partnerships

2010!! Wow, it seems like just the other day, we were talking about Y2K.  I’ve decided that 2010 is not just going to be another year for me, it’s going to be a destination.  It will be like finally getting to go on that long awaited trip.  While on this trip, I intend to have fun, live right, and be healthy.  So, as we start our new year and arrive at our new destination, let’s do so with a healthy heart and mind.  Let’s make being healthier part of our life and daily routine this year.  Being healthier and enjoying our lives can help all of us to age in place.

Ok, so we hear about being healthier all the time, what’s new about that?  For one, it’s a new year and the opportunity to start fresh.  A great way to start or continue on your road to health is by using the Healthy People 2010 resource.  Healthy People 2010, is a health promotion program led by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.  It consists of 28 focus areas and 457 public health objectives.  These objectives help to measure gains in the health status of the US population over a ten year period (from 2000-2010).  Healthy People 2010 can be used by individuals, communities, states, and professional organizations to help improve health.

Healthy People 2010 has 2 important goals. These are:

• To help people of all ages increase their life expectancy and quality of life
• To eliminate health disparities among different populations

Healthy People 2010 has 28 Focus Areas, with each focus area having several objectives.  Some objectives focus on interventions that decrease or eliminate disability and premature death in individuals and communities.  Other objectives focus on wider issues including improving access to health care.  Each objective has a target for improvements that are to be accomplished by the year 2010.

Some that may be especially meaningful to the aging population include:

• Arthritis, Osteoporosis, and Chronic Back Conditions
• Cancer
• Chronic Kidney Disease
• Diabetes
• Disability and Secondary conditions
• Heart Disease and stroke
• HIV
• Medical Product Safety
• Nutrition and Overweight
• Physical Activity and Fitness
• Vision and Hearing

To see a list of all the objectives, click here.

So, how can you use Healthy People?  Healthy People 2010 is a great resource.  Knowledge is powerful and can change our lives.  As part of your effort to age in place, I challenge you to use Healthy People 2010 to increase your knowledge base.  Find out about important health issues that affect you or your loved ones.  Learn about each of the 28 focus areas and their objectives.  Also, visit The Us Department of Health & Human Services to find out about proposed objectives for Healthy People 2020.

As we begin this New Year, The Aging Suite would like to remind people of the importance of aging in place.  Simply said, aging in place is as it sounds; it’s the ability to remain in one’s home safely, functionally, and independently as long as possible.  While we know that everyone, for various reasons ranging from financial to health reasons, cannot do this, we believe that many of us want to and can do so with help, tools, strategies, and/or modifications to their homes.  Our mission is to help people who can stay at home safely and independently do so as long as possible by providing them with information and simple and practical tips and tools.

We’ve talked about the concept of aging in place before, but let’s take another look at why this is so important.  In 2006, people 65 and older made up 12% of the US population.  In 2011, Baby Boomers will start turning 65.  It’s estimated that in 2030, the older population will be twice as large as it was in 2000, growing from 35 to 71.5 million.  For people 85 and older, the US census Bureau estimates that that population will grow from 5.3 million in 2006 to 21 million by 2050.  The population is getting older and living longer.  Not only that, but as they age, they want to do so in the comfort of their homes.  An AARP survey stated that 89% of older adults said that they wanted to stay in their current homes as they aged.

In 2004, the leading cause of death in the US for people 65 and older was heart disease, followed by cancer, strokes, chronic respiratory disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes mellitus, and influenza and pneumonia.  Among these conditions, heart disease, strokes, cancer, and diabetes are considered chronic diseases and are the most common and costly health conditions.  While we all know that some of these conditions cannot be controlled, other chronic conditions can be modified and/or even prevented with behavioral interventions.  That’s where we come in.

We want to help you by providing you with information about health conditions, aging in place topics, tips, and tools that can help you and/or a loved one to age in place.  We hope that we can continue to provide you with this useful and helpful information in 2010 and we hope to learn from you as well.  Please feel free to comment and share your information, tips, and tools with us.  Follow us on Twitter and fan us on Facebook

Have a great 2010!!

Source:  Older Americans 2008 Key Indicators of Well-Being

November is National Diabetes Month

It’s estimated that 23.6 million people in the US have diabetes.  17.9 million Americans have been diagnosed with the disease and another 5.7 million are unaware that they are diabetics.  November is National Diabetes month.  The American Diabetes Association has a national movement this month to Stop Diabetes. In recognition of this, The Aging Suite will be discussing issues that affect older individuals with diabetes.  Diabetes impacts the entire body including a person’s sensation and vision.  The Aging Suite hopes to help empower people by educating them about diabetes and its effects on the body.  While having diabetes can impact someone’s ability to age in place, it doesn’t have to stop it.

Type I Diabetes:

Insulin is a hormone needed to change carbohydrates and other foods into energy.  When someone has diabetes, their body doesn’t produce or correctly use insulin.

It’s estimated that 5-10% of the US population has Type I Diabetes.  Type I Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body does not produce insulin.

Symptoms of type I diabetes can include:

• Blurred vision
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Extreme Hunger
• Increased thirst and urination

Type II Diabetes Mellitus

Type II Diabetes is a chronic condition and the most common form of diabetes.  It occurs when there is an excess of sugar in the bloodstream and the body becomes resistant to insulin or when the pancreas doesn’t produce sufficient amounts of insulin to maintain a normal glucose level.  Diabetes can impact all of the body’s organs.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes can include:

• Weight loss
• Excessive thirst and urination
• Blurred vision
• Fatigue
• Frequent infections and/or slow healing sores

Having a family history of the disease, excessive body weight, and inactivity increases the likelihood of getting the disease.  Also, American Indians, Asian Americans, African Americans and Hispanics, have a higher incidence of the disease as do adults over the age of 45.

According to the American Diabetes Association:

• There is a greater risk for stroke among people with Diabetes, as much as 2 to 4 times higher
• Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness for adults ages 20-74
• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure
• Diabetes can result in  nerve damage
• The incidence of amputations is 10 times greater for individuals with diabetes than for non diabetics
• Its estimated that  one-third of people with diabetes have severe periodontal disease
• Having diabetes makes you more susceptible to other illnesses

People with diabetes may face challenges to aging in place, but they can still do so successfully and safely.  Check out this week’s Technology in the Suite to learn about assistive technology that can benefit someone with diabetes.  Visit the site in future weeks as we talk more about diabetes and share tips and technology that can benefit anyone with diabetes.

Sources: The American Diabetes Association and MayoClinic.com