The Importance of Good Nutrition in Aging Adults

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Nutrition and Geriatric Health: The Importance of Good Nutrition in Aging Adults

Food choices change throughout a lifetime, as do our nutritional needs. A once-busy working adult requires fewer calories with advancing age. Medications or diagnoses can limit food choices or affect one’s appetite. The following tips offer ideas that contribute to tasty, healthy eating that can be enjoyable to purchase and prepare.

  • Fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables—overall they offer the same nutritional value. Frozen and canned may be higher as these are prepared fresh from picking, retaining value.
  • Portion size does matter! By taking small bites and eating slowly you will feel full at the end of your meal.
  • Be sure to look for low or no sodium options with all food purchases. Prepared meat and fish products can have high sodium content, as can soups, including those labeled as low!
  • Herbs and spices add aroma and flavor to foods, encouraging your appetite and satisfaction because of delightful taste!
  • Whole grains add fiber, aiding digestion.
  • Drink plenty of fluids as long as you are not on a restriction! Water is a good choice throughout the day. Please limit caffeine, soda, and alcohol.

Have your family and home care provider review the information from Dieticians of Canada with you—it offers good food for thought!

Diabetes and the Importance of Foot Care

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Diabetes and the Importance of Foot Care

Foot care for people with diabetes is critically important! Diabetes injures nerves and circulation, limiting pain sensations and arterial blood flow. Feet and lower legs are at high risk for injury or ulcers because of these changes. A person may not feel a wound, increasing the chance of greater harm.

Routine foot care reduces the risk of serious problems. Each of the following steps benefits foot health and alerts you to changes to discuss with your doctor:

  1. Wearing shoes and socks that fit well, don’t restrict circulation, and are clean, benefit circulation and limit pressure points.
  2. Care for your feet every day, washing them in warm water with mild soap, and drying completely with a soft towel, including between the toes—this is beneficial for circulation and foot hygiene.
  3. When a caregiver checks your feet each day for cuts, ingrown nails, red spots, swelling, callouses, and blisters, you can identify a risk before it causes more trouble.
  4. Keeping your feet at a comfortable temperature that is not too hot or cold benefits circulation.
  5. As part of foot care, remember to promote circulation by keeping your feet elevated and limiting crossed legs.

Call your doctor if you notice any of the injuries listed in item 3, or other changes in the condition of your feet.

Tips for Preventing Seniors from Wandering Off

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Tips for Preventing Elder Wandering

When an elder has signs of dementia or is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, one concern for families is the potential for wandering. A person may go out for a short walk or drive following a familiar route. If distracted, disorientation can result, followed by getting lost.

Signs that a person is at risk for wandering include:

  • Forgetting the route to familiar places.
  • Talking about going to work though no longer working.
  • Pacing frequently, and becoming anxious in crowded places such as the mall.

Steps to take to reduce the risk of an elder’s wandering or becoming lost include:

  • A planned daily routine that includes set times for eating, beverages, and bathroom time to reduce agitation.
  • Determining the time of day when wandering happens most often, and plan activities at that time.
  • Assuring regular exercise and consistent sleep to reduce the restlessness that leads to wandering.
  • Marking the inside of exterior doors with signs that say “Stop.” Mark rooms by function to limit agitation.
  • Look into use of alarm devices for doors, windows, or for the elder to wear.
  • Explore methods for having identification on the person most of the time.
  • If the elder is still able to drive, consider ways to limit access to car keys.
  • Keep a current picture of the elder on hand.

The Winter Blues: How to Deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder

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What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?

SAD is a form of depression typically associated with the winter months. Winter Pattern SAD begins in the fall, extending through the spring. It more often affects women and those who are younger, in life’s middle years. SAD is more common in far northern and southern latitudes, being further from the equator. Thus SAD is a relevant mental health topic for Canadians.

Science continues to study SAD’s causes. A family history of depression is a related factor. Other suspected causes are lowered vitamin D production, altered regulation of serotonin, and overproduction of melatonin, increasing sleepiness. It is unclear if shortened days are a cause although it is suggested, including by those with SAD. There is a less frequent Summer Pattern of SAD with some symptoms that vary from the winter condition.

What are the symptoms?

  • Low energy
  • Changes in sleep patterns, including sleeping a lot
  • Weight gain
  • Food cravings, especially for carbohydrates
  • Social withdrawal
  • Measures you can take to avoid SAD or cope with it?
  • See your health care provider if you are depressed most of the day for several days in a row, and think about death or suicide.
  • Consider counselling.
  • Make home adjustments by opening curtains, using a full spectrum light each day, and sitting by a sunny window.
  • Practice regular self-care that benefits mood, including exercise, managing stress, and having healthy nourishment.

How to Stay Safe and Warm During the Winter

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Winter brings hushed white beauty and thrilling action sports on ice and snow. For Canadians it brings days of deep cold and wind chills driven by arctic blasts. Taking special precautions protects everyone’s health, especially for elders. While outdoors one is at risk for falls, hypothermia, and frost nip or bite.

The negative effects of cold can occur indoors too. Reduced activity, and circulation and metabolism changes cause seniors to have increased cold sensitivity. Thus hypothermia can happen inside as well as out. This condition occurs when the body temperature goes below normal for a period of time. Signs include confusion, slurred speech, shivering, and slowed reactions.

To reduce the risk of cold-related injury, illness, or hypothermia, consider following these tips for staying warm:

When indoors:

  1. Keep your home warm; low temperatures contribute to hypothermia.
  2. Get up and move frequently to warm muscles.
  3. Wear layers of clothes, warm socks, a cap and a cozy afghan.
  4. Drink a lot of fluid and limit alcohol.

When outside

  1. Wear layers of clothes that provide added warmth.
  2. Be sure to wear winter hat, mittens or gloves, and warm, waterproof footgear to maintain body heat.
  3. Have home steps and walkways cleared of snow and ice, and treated to melt icy coatings.
  4. Avoid slippery surfaces; walk with a cane or ski poles; and use ice snow grips for boots and shoes.