What usually happens in the winter? We have shorter days with less sunshine, cooler temperatures, more germs spreading, slicker surfaces and more holidays with food. All of these side effects of winter can affect our health. So how can we stay healthy during the winter season?
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, older individuals live more independently, have fewer health costs, and remain healthy if they engage in preventative services and practice healthy behaviors. Five preventative services and/or healthy behaviors include:
1. Soak Up The Sunshine
To help avoid the winter blues, soak up 10-15 minutes of sunshine a day. Winter has limited daylight, so try to sit next to a window to get sunlight when it is available. Though it might be too cold to go outside, it is still important to get some sunshine. The sun is a great source of vitamin D which helps decrease inflammation, depression, and illness while promoting bone growth. The sun also helps to enhance your mood by increasing your serotonin levels. Serotonin is
known to positively affect your mood and behavior.
2. Get Your Flu Shot
The winter time brings dryer air and colder temperatures, thus creating an environment for germs to live longer. To prevent disease, get vaccinated. As we age, our immune systems become weaker and therefore we become more susceptible to become ill. People 65 and older are 90 percent of flu-related deaths and 60 percent of flu-related hospitalizations. Once vaccinated, it takes two weeks for our body to develop an immune response which means, ideally, we should get vaccinated in mid-October.
3. Healthy Eating Habits
What comes with the winter season? Many holidays with great food! While we eat, we should be mindful of the amount and types of food we are putting into our bodies. Remember these simple phrases:
“Out of sight, out of mind”
This philosophy teaches you to place your food on your plate and then walk away from the food. Many times individuals consume food just because it is right in front of them. However, if we adopt the “out of sight, out of mind” philosophy, we will remove ourselves from having easy access to food.
“Smaller plate, smaller portion”
Where you taught to clean your plate? Sometimes this can cause us to overeat even when our body tells us to stop. To help avoid overeating, use a smaller plate. The smaller the plate, the less food we will eat and if we have the “out of sight, out of mind” philosophy, we will not go back for several servings.
“Colorful plate, healthy weight”
What are the most colorful foods? Fruits and vegetables. According to the World Health Organization, insufficient consumption of fruit and vegetables have caused 1.7 million deaths worldwide. Eating colorful foods can prevent obesity as well as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Fruits and vegetables contain adequate amounts of vitamins and fiber.
4. Safety
What else can occur in the winter season? Slippery walking surfaces and occasional outings. Walking outdoors can be more difficult than walking inside our homes. There are sidewalk cracks, curbs, and changes in walking surfaces. Now place some wintery mix on those sidewalks and it can create even more safety hazards. To prevent slipping, always ensure you have someone with you and try walking flat-footed. We also have to be mindful of safety in our family and
friends homes during the holiday season.
Items to consider in homes other than your own:
- Are there throw rugs?
- Are there steps?
- Is there room to navigate with my walker, wheelchair, or cane?
- Do their chairs have arms to aid with standing?
- Is their toilet raised or have grab bars to aid with standing?
5. Physical Activity
Cooler temperatures are brought on by high air pressure which increases our blood pressure and can trigger thickness in the fluid around our joints causing joint pain. Cold weather also thickens our blood which can cause more heart complications. For this reason, it is important to stay active all year around. Exercise can help reduce blood pressure, arthritis pain, and heart disease.
If you feel ill and weak this winter season, therapy can help. Therapy can assist in developing a wellness plan that will help prevent loss of strength, range of motion, and falls so you can continue living an independent and active lifestyle. Let’s be preventative this winter season and not wait until something happens for us to take action.
Please join us December 19th at 1:30 pm in the PAC for our Smart Moves presentation on this topic.
Here are a couple ways to keep your mind and body active. 
Eat well
Keep learning
As we age there are some things that we tend to let fall by the wayside. Dental health seems to be one of the personal hygiene steps that can be forgotten. Since dental health is connected to whole-body health, it’s important to keep oral health a priority. Senior dental problems can be common and since oral health directly impacts the health of the rest of the body, these issues need to be taken seriously. Taking care of elderly teeth and gums is just as important as digestive or heart health.
Some reasons why senior dental health is so important are that research has shown a connection between gum disease and heart disease. Maintaining good oral hygiene is a powerful weapon against heart attacks, strokes, and other heart disease conditions. Poor oral health has been linked to pneumonia in older adults. By breathing in bacterial droplets from the mouth to the lungs, seniors are more susceptible to the condition. Good oral hygiene is a good way to combat these bacteria. Gum disease is caused by plaque and food left in our teeth, in addition to the use of tobacco products, unhealthy diets, poor fitting bridges and dentures, and diseases like anemia, cancer, and diabetes. Gum disease can instigate tooth loss and can be very serious for overall health as it has been linked to many problems in the body.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain’s nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes. These neurons, which produce the brain chemical, or neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, break connections with other nerve cells and ultimately die. For example, short-term memory fails when Alzheimer’s disease first destroys nerve cells in the hippocampus, and language skills and judgment decline when neurons die in the cerebral cortex. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, or loss of intellectual function, among people aged 65 and older. Although every case of Alzheimer’s disease is different, experts have identified common warning signs of the brain disease. Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging, and it is important to look for signs that might indicate Alzheimer’s disease versus basic forgetfulness. With Alzheimer’s disease, these systems gradually increase and become more persistent. If someone is exhibiting these symptoms, the person should check out his or her concerns with a healthcare professional. Awareness of these warning is not a substitute for a structured screening or consultation with a primary care provider.
Typical warning signs include: Memory loss, especially of recent events, names, placement of objects, new information, confusion about time and place, and struggling to complete familiar actions, such as brushing teeth or getting dressed. Also trouble finding the appropriate words, completing sentences, and following directions and conversations are signs. There are changes in mood and personality, such as increased suspicion, rapid and persistent mood swings, withdrawal, and disinterest in usual activities.
Clinicians can now diagnose Alzheimer’s disease with up to 90 percent accuracy. But it can only be confirmed by an autopsy, during which pathologists look for the disease’s characteristic plaques and tangles in brain tissue. Clinicians can diagnose “probable” Alzheimer’s disease by taking a complete medical history and conducting lab tests, a physical exam, brain scans and neuropsychological tests that gauge memory, attention, language skills and problem-solving abilities. Proper diagnosis is critical since there are dozens of other causes of memory problems. Some memory problems can be readily treated, such as those caused by vitamin deficiencies or thyroid problems. Other memory problems might result from causes that are not currently reversible, such as Alzheimer’s disease. The sooner an accurate diagnosis of “probable” Alzheimer’s disease is made, the easier it is to manage symptoms and plan for the future.
Alzheimer’s disease typically progresses over two to 20 years, and individuals live on average for eight to 10 years from diagnosis. Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease are likely to develop co-existing illnesses and most commonly die from pneumonia. Alzheimer’s disease is among the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. It is estimated that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease. The numbers of people age 65 and older will more than double between 2010 and 2050 to 88.5 million or 20 % of the population; likewise, those 85 and older will rise three-fold, to 19 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Eating is one of life’s pleasures, but some people lose interest in eating as they get older. They may find that food no longer tastes good or don’t enjoy meals because they often eat alone. Others may have problems chewing or digesting the food they eat. If you don’t feel like eating because of problems with chewing, digestion, or gas, talk with your doctor or a dietitian. Avoiding some foods could mean you miss out on necessary vitamins, minerals, fiber, or protein. Not eating enough could mean that you don’t consume enough nutrients or calories. One reason people lose interest in eating is that their sense of taste and smell change with age. Foods you once enjoyed might seem to have less flavor when you get older. Some medicines can change your sense of taste or make you feel less hungry. Talk with your doctor if you have no appetite, or if you find that food tastes bad or has no flavor.
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