Columbia Aged Care

Are you worried about losing your memory? Do you feel that your brain isn’t as sharp as it used to be? Then maybe it’s time that you improved your mental fitness.

Your brain is like any other muscle, which means it needs a regular workout to stay fit.

Better Health Channel has provided some great tips on how to give your brain a mental workout and improve your mental fitness.

• Exercise for 30 minutes a day: Physical exercise increases the flow of oxygen to your brain to enhance your mental functioning and improve your memory
• Reading regularly: Reading helps to stimulate your brain and allows you to learn new things. You brain then receives a workout by expanding your knowledge base.
• Increase your vitamin B intake: Vitamin B is important for maintaining a healthy brain. This means you should eat wholegrain cereals and dairy foods.
• Exercise your intelligence: Take part in mentally challenging activities such as learning a new language, completing a cryptic crossword or a jigsaw puzzle.
• Maintain your health: The health of your body can have an effect on the health of your brain. You should visit your doctor for regular check-ups to identify potential health issues early.
• Socialise: Other people can help you exercise your mental fitness with thought-provoking conversations or by playing a board game or watching TV game shows together.

Your brain is a very important muscle that co-ordinates all of your body’s functions. It is essential to exercise your mental fitness regularly to ensure that your body can function effectively and that your memory, speech, perception and comprehension remain sharp.

Read the full article here.

Depending on our age and wellbeing, our diet continually changes throughout our life. What we are putting in to our mouths is very important when aiming for a well-balanced diet. The elderly in particular must keep track of the many foods they are consuming. Lack of some foods and too much of others can result in a lack of nutrients.

Aging Care has listed some important nutrients that your loved one should include in a well-balanced and healthy diet.

Omega 3 fatty acids
Foods with omega 3 fatty acids have been proven to reduce heart disease and arthritis. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in different types of food such as fish and flaxseed oil. Making sure your loved one has a serving of omega 3 fatty acids twice per week will ensure that they are having the right amount of nutrition intake.

Calcium
Your loved one’s diet should consist of a substantial intake of calcium. This is because calcium can help preserve bone health and lower blood pressure.  It is recommended milk is consumed daily. However, to find out how much milk you loved one should be consuming it is best to consult your doctor.

Hydrate
One of the most simple and commonly forgotten forms of nutrition is liquids. As people age however, they tend to not get as thirsty. Our bodies, however, still need the same amount of liquids.

If you notice your loved one is not drinking as often as they should, try and encourage them to drink amounts of water that is appropriate for their body type. Consulting with your doctor would be a great way of knowing how much water or liquids they should be consuming.

Before making any changes to your loved one’s diet, it is important to consult a doctor to make sure that any changes made will not have a negative effective on your loved one’s health.

It is important to have a moderate amount of all types of foods within your loved ones diet to ensure that they are getting the right amount of solids to help stay strong and healthy. By setting an example and making eating a social activity, you may be able to show them that a few dietary changes aren’t so drastic.

Read full article here.

Creating a safe and comfortable home is a simple way to help reduce stress on you and your loved one. Not only will this improve their quality of life, it will also reduce the chances of your loved one becoming injured, anxious or confused. 

Caregiver.com has provided some simple tips to ensure that your loved one feels secure, comfortable and content.

Buy a small lightweight jug
Store the jug in a convenient place and keep it filled at all times. Reminding your loved one to keep hydrated can ward off a number of problems associated with dehydration such as headaches and sleepiness and is great for health and wellbeing.

Avoid lots of mirrors
Your loved one’s memory may start to become affected, and if this happens you may need to prevent your loved one from seeing their reflection. Mirrors can be confusing as your loved one might not recognise their own reflection.

Use large dials or number pads
If your loved one enjoys watching television, ensure the remote has large buttons to make it much easier to use. Installing digital clocks might make it easier for your loved one to read the time if analogue clocks are confusing or frustrating for your loved one.

Clothing
If you buy your loved one’s clothing, keep it simple and basic, this will make it easier for them to pick out their outfits. Organise their wardrobe into sections i.e. skirts, pants, shirts and dresses. This will make it easier for your loved one to find a certain garment they might be looking for.

Read the full article here.

Many elderly people complain of sleeping difficulties. Some find they wake up too early, creating the need to nap regularly, whilst others are unable to fall asleep at night. Sleep is important and beneficial, particularly as we age. Helpguide.org's article, 'Sleeping well as you age' explains what causes certain sleeping issues. It also provides a range of tips on how your loved one's sleep can be improved.

Age alone does not cause sleep problems. Disturbed sleep, waking up tired every day, and other symptoms of insomnia are not a normal part of aging. Instead, poor sleep habits, untreated sleep disorders, medications, or medical problems can contribute to sleeplessness. This article will help you understand the causes of sleep problems and provide tips to help you sleep well.

The importance of quality sleep for seniors
No matter what your age, sleeping well is essential to your physical health and emotional well-being. As we age, a good night’s sleep is especially important because it improves concentration and memory formation, allows your body to repair any cell damage that occurred during the day, and refreshes your immune system which helps to prevent disease.
Many seniors complain about sleep problems such as:

• difficulty falling asleep
• frequent waking during the night, and lighter sleep
• waking up early and not feeling rested
• a urge to go to bed in early evening
• being tired in the daytime
• needing naps during the day

To feel your best, you need a good night’s sleep, and you may be surprised that keeping yourself active and engaged, eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can improve how well you sleep.

Causes of sleep changes as we age
Aging may bring unwelcome changes in your sleep, such as more fragmented sleep (more rapid sleep cycles), a decrease in deep sleep, and more awakenings between sleep cycles. You may also find yourself wanting to go to sleep earlier in the evening and then waking up very early in the morning unable to go back to sleep (a change caused by a decrease in certain sleep regulating hormones).

Consider some common causes of sleep problems in the elderly:

• Poor sleep hygiene – The most common cause of insomnia in the elderly is poor sleep habits or a poor sleep environment. Examples of poor sleep hygiene are irregular sleep hours, consumption of alcohol before bedtime, and too much daytime napping.
• Pain or medical illness – Pain can keep you from sleeping well. In addition, many health conditions such as, a frequent need to urinate, arthritis, asthma, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, nighttime heartburn, menopause, and Alzheimer's can interfere with sleep.
• Medications – Seniors tend to take more medications than younger people. Combinations of drugs, as well as the side-effects of individual drugs, can impair sleep or even stimulate wakefulness.
• Lack of exercise – If you are too sedentary, you may not feel sleepy or  feel sleepy all of the time. Regular exercise early in the day can promote good sleep.
• Psychological stress or psychological disorders –Significant life changes like the death of a loved one or moving from a family home can cause stress. Anxiety or sadness can also keep you awake, which can, in turn, cause more anxiety or depression.
• Sleep disorders - Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS),insomnia, and sleep-disordered breathing such as snoring and sleep apnea occur more frequently in older adults.

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