Tag Archives: Senior Living

Senior Living: Groceries on the Doorstep

Fresh produce in paper grocery bag inside kitchen
Fresh produce in paper grocery bag inside kitchen

Is it true that gone are the days of making a grocery list and physically heading to the store? Grocery delivery service is growing by leaps and bounds. Convenience and time savings are two reasons people seem to like delivery rather than tackling the task themselves. My reaction is mixed when I think about the possible impact on senior living.

I should note that I’m referring to relatively healthy older adults 75 years or better.  These folks have spent a lifetime making trips to buy groceries and I imagine most dismiss delivery as a luxury. Is going out to buy groceries time consuming? Yes. Does it take effort? Yes. Is it worth the trouble? I believe it is.

Sure delivery is convenient. But as a result, convenient may come with hidden costs: greater isolation, lack of variety and lack of physical activity. Grocery stores, especially in smaller towns or urban neighborhoods are social hubs.  Have you ever had the experience of running into someone you know at the store? I have. When seniors go to the grocery store, they stay in the collective consciousness of their community and remain a visible part of it.

As baby boomers age, they will likely take advantage of delivery from grocery stores and farm markets.  But I think we may be doing the elders among us a disservice to assume they want to jump on this trend.  There will still be plenty of senior living in our communities filling out that grocery list and heading to the market. At least I hope so!

Ann Catlin is a training and education consultant for AGE-u-cate Training Institute and the innovator of the Compassionate Touch® program. She supports AGE-u-cate’s mission is to create transformative change for an aging world by developing and delivering cutting edge training and education for senior care, healthcare, non-profits, and the educational community.

www.AGEucate.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

AAHHHH….. To Sleep Like a Baby Again. Is it Possible?

I know I’m not the only one munching on graham crackers and milk in the wee hours.  For those of you who sleep like a baby and wake up refreshed and energized… well let’s just say the rest of us are green with envy.

Good quality sleep is not overrated.  It’s absolutely essential to our health and well being.  According to Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer, director of the Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center, “We now know sleep is an active process – all your organ systems behave differently during sleep, restoring themselves.”

During sleep,  our bodies are busy at work repairing itself, cleansing toxins, reducing inflammation.  And in recent years, research has linked higher risks of brain disorders, diabetes and obesity to sleep deprivation.

People living with dementia are certainly not immune to sleep challenges.  Disturbances can be caused by changes in the brain that cause restlessness,  urine or prostate problems, pain or discomfort, sleeping too much during the day, nightmares or environmental factors (for example external noise or feeling too hot or cold).

As dementia progresses, routine becomes more important to one’s feeling of safety and security.  This is certainly true with evening and bedtime rituals.  Not unlike what all of us should practice, here are a few reminders of what may help prepare for a better night’s sleep:

  • Light exercise in early evening, and wind down 90 minutes before bedtime.  Electronic devices should be minimized.
  • Dozing should be discouraged, as this may make falling asleep even more difficult.
  • Avoid tea, coffee, sodas or alcohol should be discouraged, as all of these can have an opposite effect, especially for someone living with dementia.
  • Make sure bed and room temperature is comfortable (cooler is generally better than warmer).
  • A regular routine of listening to soft music, a light back rub or applying aromatherapy lotion may be very helpful in creating a calming atmosphere that may induce sleepiness.

As more holistic therapies for sleep are ushered into person-centered care practices, less use of pharmacological aids will be needed.  Side effects of sleep-inducing drugs can have negative consequences on quality of life for those living with dementia and their care partners.

Pam Brandon is President/Founder of AGE-u-cate® Training Institute.  Their groundbreaking program Compassionate Touch® is a practical and feasible means to reduce behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and crete positive engagement of elder, staff and family caregivers.  

www.AGEucate.com

 

Assisted Living: Technology and Quality of Life

Woman in assisted living on her computer.
Woman in assisted living on her computer.

Technology can boost quality of life for people in assisted living. As baby boomers age technology will take a much bigger stage, as suggested in some consumer trends.

A Few Real Life Examples

I once volunteered at Rowe Sanctuary, a nature center along the Platte River in Nebraska where thousands of Sand Hill Cranes gather on their way to points north.  People of all ages from around the world visit the sanctuary to witness this spectacle of nature.  I operated the Crane Cam, a remote camera placed on the river. The camera sent images to the National Geographic website.  While operated the camera, a couple approached, curious about what the process.  After I explained how it all worked, the woman told me about her mother who was in a nursing home in another state. Evidently her mother had been to the sanctuary several times in the past. She had been an avid bird watcher for many years. But since in long term care, she no longer participated in bird watching.  The daughter became so excited because she had recently set up a personal computer in her mother’s room at the facility.  It was possible for her mother to peek in on the Cranes via the internet and reconnect with her love of bird watching.

A gentleman in memory care used a PC to write poetry and letters to his family. In his career he’d been a successful business man, therefore the desk and computer in his room helped him retain an important part of his identity.

One young man with cerebral palsy resides in assisted living. He plays keyboard and records music on his PC. Sounds like a typical twenty year old, doesn’t it?  His keyboard was modified to compensate for poor coordination, so he managed independently. He proudly played his musical creations for guests.

We surely can expect more people in community care with their own computers. It might serve as one way to lessen the feelings of isolation and boredom that plague so many who must reside in assisted living.

What are your thoughts about the link between technology and quality of life?