As it applies to health, and all other aspects of life for that matter, knowledge is power. We are fortunate to live in a time where we have access to an abundant supply of information and resources which serve as a helpful guide to living healthier, happier lives well into our golden years. For seniors, maintaining quality of life can often be complicated or present somewhat of a struggle and it really does require a conscientious effort in order to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. Luckily, there a plenty of wonderful local resources that are always available to lend a helping hand wherever and whenever they are needed. The collective goal is to support the continued wellbeing of seniors in our community throughout their aging journey in all ways possible.
According to the International Council on Active Aging, research shows that an active lifestyle can lessen the challenges and increase the opportunities associated with an aging population. Roxann Rogers-Meyer, Vice President of Marketing and Communications with Immanuel and Immanuel Communities, says, “Seniors who move into a retirement community when they are younger and in good health can live in independent living an average of seven years longer than an individual who moves into a community in poor health. Staying active is the key to continued good health. It is also important to maintain friendships and family connections. Isolation for the older adult is a concern for overall wellness and families need to pay close attention to their loved one so they are not isolated. Immanuel Communities embraces a philosophy of wellness that includes Body, Mind and Spirit. Our communities feature AgeWell Centers that focus on physical wellness by tailoring individual programs for AgeWell members. We address wellness of mind with engaging activities and events including a Lifelong Learning series that highlights everything from a presentation on Afghanistan studies to an interactive experience with animals from the zoo! Immanuel Communities also provide opportunities to nourish the spirit with worship opportunities, Bible study and volunteer activities in the greater community. Our residents and staff recently participated in making meals for Kids Against Hunger and this was a great partnership for residents and employees to work together for the benefit of the greater community. Immanuel also sponsors an annual Resident Appreciation event that has featured Peggy Fleming, Dick Cavett and James Lovell from Apollo 13 in addition to the Immanuel 100 voice choir.”
“The importance of exercise increases as we age. It’s never too late to begin!” adds Jim Janicki, Vice President of Marketing for Hillcrest Health Services. “Seniors must exercise their bodies and their minds as they age. Simple activities like walking, pedaling a stationary bike or even chair exercises for those with more limited mobility can help maintain strength and balance, thus preventing a fall that leads to serious injury. Likewise, the mind must be exercised to help prevent memory disorders like dementia. Brain games, puzzles and intellectual conversations will help ‘maintain the brain.’”As with regular exercise and mental stimulation, dental care is important at all ages but there are also aspects that are especially beneficial for seniors. For example, did you know that dental implants can give you a face lift? Are you worried that you will need dentures, or about the appearance of your facial structure? Are you missing out on your favorite foods? Lost teeth can cause a host of problems, including a loss of your jaw bone and a collapsing appearance of your face. Dental implants make it possible for people who have lost teeth due to decay, gum disease, injury, congenital defects, and other reasons to acquire permanent, natural-looking replacement teeth. Missing teeth make many people self-conscious when smiling or talking, and it can also affect chewing and speaking.
What are dental implants? Dental implants are designed to serve the same purposes as the original teeth. They look, act and feel like the real thing. Made of an artificial tooth root and a dental crown, dental implants can be used to replace one or more missing teeth. They can also act as support for bridges and partial or full dentures. Dental implants are known for their comfort, functionality, aesthetic, and long lasting results.
Dental implants also avoid many of the drawbacks of dentures and partials including:
• Bone Shrinkage • Gum Irritation • Gum Shrinkage
• Inconvenient Cleaning • Need for replacement every four to five years
Dental implants help preserve your youthful appearance because the titanium rod replaces the root of your tooth. With the dental implants, you will not experience bone or gum shrinkage. Your jaw line will not be compromised and you will not need to be fitted for replacements every few years as you would with dentures. Dental implants are permanent replacements for missing teeth that act as though they are your own. They are custom-designed for the most accurate fit, and they become an actual part of your mouth, just like a natural tooth. This can improve chewing, speaking, and the overall appearance of your teeth and facial structure. With dental implants, there is less risk of gum irritation and no slipping, as dental implants are custom-designed for each patient and are made to become permanent parts of the mouth.
If you have missing teeth, you may be a candidate for dental implants. You must have adequate bone density in the jaw and healthy gums to support the implant. Dr. Dan Beninato of Premier Dental will give you a full evaluation at your consultation to determine whether you are a candidate for the procedure. If you do not qualify, Dr. Beninato can recommend a number of effective alternatives to help you replace missing teeth. Call Premier Dental at (402) 804-1002 for a complimentary consultation to find out if implants are right for you!
There are many more aspects of health and wellness that seniors should take into account besides those that address your physical health. Lisa Arp of SilverRidge Assisted Living and Memory Support explains, “Seniors need to be aware of their finances, their Medicare plans and if they have Long Term Care Insurance. All of these come into play in the future with respect to where they are going to live and how they are going to be taken care of. From a financial perspective, it is very likely that seniors already have some sort of plan or have at least put a little thought into it, but all of the details should be well documented. For Medicare, seniors will need to have a good relationship with their insurance representative so that they can keep up on changes in legislation and be aware if changes are needed in their plan. As far as Long Term Care Insurance, after you figure out if you already have it or not, seniors should also be aware of if there is a grace period and how much time it includes, what the plan covers and the dollar amount a day it pays.
The Medicare hotline (1-800-Medicare) or Medicare.gov and the Social Security office and website are excellent resources for seniors and their families. I also have a radio show on 660 AM KCRO every Thursday from 4-5 pm called ‘Aging Matters with Lisa’ which talks about all matters of aging. Seniors today need to educate themselves or have family members research the options they have for their future. It is very beneficial to put a plan in place, so that they are a part of the decision and know ahead of time where they will live, how they will live and that they will have a good quality of life. A lot of guilt is placed on other family members making these decisions because their loved one is unable to be involved in the process. Seniors need to be aware that they most likely will not live in their home for the rest of their life. Being prepared and doing research is the answer.”
If access to health care is an issue, there are still resources available to ensure you get the care and services you need. Health at Home Consultants is a Nurse Practitioner owned business specializing in providing home-based medical care. They specialize in bringing high quality, cost effective healthcare to seniors in their home environment. Their Nurse Practitioners act as your partner in health–if you are unable to get to the clinic, they will bring the clinic to you! Jamie Peters, APRN of Health at Home Consultants explains, “A Nurse Practitioner is a registered nurse who has completed advanced education (a minimum of a master’s degree) and training in the diagnosis and management of common medical conditions, including chronic illnesses. Nurse Practitioners are qualified to provide a broad range of health care services, including many of the same care services commonly provided by physicians, and can serve as a patient’s regular primary care provider (PCP). Health at Home Consultants provides compassionate and coordinated care, considerate attention to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations by providing regularly scheduled visits, and availability for last minute needs in the home setting.” She adds, “Our Nurse Practitioners are one of a small but growing number of providers across the United States who have chosen to make house calls. Often these patients have limited mobility or failing minds and would otherwise not be able to see their doctor unless taken by an ambulance to the emergency room. Others could travel without much difficulty but prefer the convenience of a house call when available. House calls provide a valuable service to homebound residents—those best served by house calls are generally the elderly as well as those who are chronically ill, are disabled, or have psychiatric conditions. Some of the services our Nurse Practitioners can provide include:
• Ordering, performing and interpreting diagnostic test such as lab work and x-rays, flu shots, pneumonia vaccines and all other injections.
• Diagnosing and treating acute and chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, infections and injuries.
• Prescribing medications and other treatments as needed. • Managing a patient’s care while maintaining continual communication with the primary care physician.
These services may be performed in the home setting, whether it is an assisted living facility, skilled nursing facility or in the comfort of the individual’s home. At Health at Home Consultants, it is our mission to provide safe, quality, home-based medical care which is cost-effective, patient-focused and responsive to the needs of the community. We provide health care services to aid in preventing and protecting against disease and disability, to promote health and wellbeing, and as a result, to enhance quality of life.”
Home safety is an important factor in maintaining good health and avoiding accidents, especially for seniors who are able to remain in their own homes. Jenny Andreoli of Home Instead Senior Care reports, “It is unanimous–100% of emergency room doctors in the United States surveyed by Home Instead Senior Care, Inc., say it’s important that adult children dedicate one day a year to perform a safety check of their loved one’s home. The research suggests a lack of knowledge and attention to potential home safety issues that could lead to danger and the risk of accidents and falls in an older adult’s home.” Each year, more than 1.6 million older U.S. adults go to emergency departments for fall-related injuries, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Homes can be a safety trap, with the most common issues identified in the research as:
• Throw rugs that pose potential tripping hazards • No grab bars (e.g. in the shower) • Kitchen storage that is too high or low
She adds, “Home Instead Senior Care offers a free home safety checklist, which you can access by visiting www.makinghomesaferforseniors.com. This checklist is a wonderful tool that family members can use to help determine if a senior’s home is safe from hazards that could jeopardize their well-being and independence. In addition, Home Instead offers home safety tips and five fixes under $500. Please contact your local Home Instead office at (402) 498-3444 or (402) 932-4555 for more information.”
Regular communication amongst family members is essential to addressing any issues as they arise, or even before there is an urgent need or emergency. “While most seniors don’t want to think about their future care needs, the smart ones plan early for what may come,” Janicki explains. “The time to research and select a care provider or community is not when you need care; it’s long before you need it. By doing your homework and touring communities, you can create a plan for your future while you’re able. Otherwise you may not have a choice or someone may be making the choice for you. I believe the best way to ensure a positive care experience later in life is to ‘plan while you can.’” Resource information, including support group information and educational events open to the community, can be found on hillcresthealth.com.
Mindy Crouch of Pando Geriatrics adds, “It is important for family members to talk about their wishes. Not just end of life wishes, but what nursing homes and assisted living communities that they would choose if they had to, what music and movies they like, triggers and what calms them down, and their expectations of family members as they age. These are all important so that if something terrible does happen, such as a broken hip or stroke, it will be easier for everyone to cope in the crisis. If you already know what that person wants, you can better assist health care professionals in planning their care and it will decrease anxiety, depression and errant behaviors. At Pando Geriatrics, we offer mental health counseling to seniors and family members to help them through a time of crisis. It is important to remember that aging can be difficult and can cause a series of emotions and behaviors. Keeping open communication and building a support system can help tremendously, and also helps to avoid the feeling of loneliness that is common for seniors.”
In fact, over seventy percent of Americans have no estate plan. Chuck Dorwart of LifePlan Nebraska advises, “It is important to complete a basic estate plan which would include a Will, a Power of Attorney for Health Care, a Power of Attorney for Finances, a Living Will, and a HIPPA Directive. These documents ensure that the senior has control during their lifetime and control after they have died. It is best to be able to tell both the court and your family what you want to do or have done for you so your family doesn’t have to go to the court seeking the assistance with no direction from the senior. Nebraska law provides a court process for those who do not have a plan during their time of incapacity and at the time of their death. Do you want the court to control who’s going to be in charge while you are alive or after you die? Or, do you want to prepare a plan ahead of time so you direct and control what is to happen?
Moreover, completing all funeral arrangements including whether there should be cremation or burial, open or closed casket, wake services or a full church funeral, who the pall bearers should be, and what type of service as well as music, readers, and ministers can eliminate a lot of problems for the family left behind. Unfortunately, this difficult time often involves the grieving family having to plan everything for the funeral for their loved one.
At LifePlan Nebraska, we help prepare powers of attorney documents for health care and financial issues. We assist with HIPPA documents and Living Wills, which are documents that help seniors deal with health and financial matters if they become unable to handle their own affairs. These documents allow the seniors to help their loved ones make the medical decisions that have to be made on their behalf during times of incapacity. These documents also allow seniors to provide direction for their loved ones in handling the senior’s financial affairs for them during the senior’s time of incapacity. These documents are important because they eliminate the need for the family to have to seek the probate court’s assistance through legal guardianships and conservatorships. I urge all seniors and their families to accept a free consultation and begin the planning process so you can control your life, your assets, and your medical and financial decisions while you are alive; so you can control what happens to your assets and legacy after you are gone.”
Leading a healthy lifestyle encompasses much more than merely the physical aspects. There are, in fact, plenty of positive aspects of growing older and we encourage seniors to take personal responsibility for their health and wellness, whether physically, socially, mentally, financially. The goal is to maintain your good health so that you are able enjoy everything that life still has in store for you!