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National Heart Month

Donna Nichols • Feb 09, 2024

February is national heart month and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, causing one in four deaths a year.

 

Those are odds not worth messing with, so how do you reduce your risk of heart disease? Let us look at some of the factors of heart disease first.

 

Your age and family history can increase your risk for heart disease. With age, our arteries narrow and harden which causes fats, cholesterol, and other substances to build up on the artery walls; this is called cholesterol. Family history can increase your risk if your family members have or have had heart disease.

 

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking can cause heart disease. Obesity is another factor that can lead not only to heart disease, but to high blood pressure and diabetes. So, what do I do to reduce my risk?

 

Exercise is especially important to reducing your risk for heart disease. Try to get at least two (2) of physical exercise a week. This could be any kind of physical exercise, walking, chair yoga, cycling, knee lifts, working with resistance bands, any kind of exercise that gets your heart pumping.

 

Eat a diet low in sodium and saturated fats. Eating foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole-grains, vegetable oils, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products will help. Stay away from sweet foods and sweeteners and limit your alcohol intake. Alcohol raises your blood pressure which in turn leads to heart disease.

 

If you are overweight, try to lose the extra pounds. Obesity increases not only your risk of heart disease, but also can cause a stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Eating heart-healthy foods and getting regular exercise will help you maintain a healthy weight.

 

If you smoke, quit now; it is never too late to quit and reduce your risk of heart disease. There are many free resources out there to help you quit.

 

Stress is another contributor to heart disease as it leads to high blood pressure. Reduce your stress by exercising, finding something you enjoy and doing it, talking to someone about what is going on, listening to music, dancing, thinking positively and just breathing.

 

Make sure you get enough sleep, and quality sleep. You need around 7 – 9 hours a night. Poor sleep habits can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure and to other medical conditions. Again, exercising will ensure you sleep better along with making sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and at a relaxing temperature. Do not have any TV’s, smart phones, or computers in your bedroom; screen time disrupts sleep time. Do not have anything heavy to eat before bed and avoid caffeine a few hours prior to bedtime.

 

Taking care of your heart is easier than you think, small things can make big differences in reducing your risk of heart disease. Make sure you exercise, eat healthier, maintain a health weight, get enough sleep, and quit smoking. Not only will making these changes reduce your risk of heart disease, but they will also improve your overall health and well-being. Start today.

 

New Scams for 2024

By Donna Nichols • 10 May, 2024
Some of 2023’s top scams were fake barcodes on gift cards, text messages directed at someone else, crypto refunds, fake high school sports streaming sites, out-of-stock items, I received your package, what’s your address, and many more. Let’s look at what’s new for 2024: With the wide-spread use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) comes so many more opportunities for scammers. While it is beneficial in industries such as banking, technology, marketing and entertainment, AI opens a whole new world for those who want to rip you off. Scammers have found ways to clone voices of your loved ones to use that against you. They will pull the voice of your child or grandchild to convince you they are in a crisis and need you to send money. Of course, you think it’s legitimate because it’s their voice. Here are some ways to recognize the scams: If you get a phone call from someone saying they’re your grandchild and tell you they are in trouble and need money, they may say things like please don’t tell mom or dad, or you need to hurry grandpa, or you must keep this a secret. Things like that should immediately throw a red flag. These scammers are good, they will use social media and other platforms to find out personal information about you and the person they are impersonating to be able to fool you. You need to have some kind of “code” with your grandchildren so if they are in trouble, you can ask them a certain question and if they answer it correctly, you know it’s true. They can also impersonate your children, so beware. They may come up with things like their child (your young grandchild needs an operation), or something to that effect, and they can’t afford it. They will ask you to wire them the money or ask for your bank account information. Don’t give it to them, tell them you need some time to get the information together and will get back to them. That gives you time to check the story out. Remember, if a caller pressures you to act immediately, begs you to keep it a secret, tries to scare you, asks for your personal information, asks for money in the form of a gift card, wire transfer or cash, or has specific instructions on how to transfer the money, it is probably a scam. PLEASE don’t fall prey to these scammers!! They are so good and will try every tactic in the book to take your money that you worked hard for, and they don’t care.  No one is safe from these people who don’t want to live an honest life like most of us. Our seniors are the most vulnerable and we at Assisted Living Made Simple are here to help protect you! If you have questions, please call us at 386-847-2322. If you think you have been a victim of a scam, or a potential victim, please contact your local law enforcement.

How is Mom?

By Donna Nichols • 06 May, 2024
Mother’s Day is just a few days away and do you know how your mom is? If you’re planning to spend some time with her this Sunday, please take time to check out how she’s doing. Check things like is her mail piling up, is she having a tough time getting around, is she more forgetful than she used to be? Check her medications to see if they’re being skipped, see if you can peek at her checkbook to ensure it’s not in disarray. Notice her clothes and makeup, is she as “put together” as is normal for her? Is she starting to shuffle when she walks? Are her shoes on the correct feet? Look for any signs that mom is not doing as well as she used to and living alone isn’t the safest for her any longer. Did you ever think the best gift you could give mom is moving her into an assisted living community? Mom would have care available to her when she needed it, and you wouldn’t have to worry about her as much. Assisted living communities all include three meals a day, housekeeping, laundry, utilities, and snacks. Transportation to doctor’s appointments and shopping is available at most of them with notice. Assisted living communities have common rooms, dining rooms, and most of them have salons, gyms, and lounges. They have activities during the day, so mom will have things to keep her busy. Some of them have garden areas where the residents care for the plants and have butterfly gardens as well. They celebrate the holidays, throw birthday parties, and have parties just for fun. There are so many amenities when you live in an assisted living community. Does this mean mom is “confined” to the community and cannot leave? No. You can take mom out to lunch or shopping if you want. You can even take her away with you for the weekend if you plan to do something like that. Say you wanted to take mom on a week-long vacation with you and your family, no problem, just let the staff know the dates she will be out and you’re all set.  Is there a downside to an assisted living community? Not really, unless you’re limited financially, but we at Assisted Living Made Simple may be able to help find you more money if you qualify. All you must do is make that FREE phone call today and schedule your consultation 386-847-2322. Taking care of mom is one the greatest privileges we have in this life, let’s make sure we do it well and do what’s best for her.

Preventing Falls in Seniors

By Donna Nichols • 03 May, 2024
Falling is one of the top reasons seniors go to the hospital, so what if you could take small steps to help prevent a fall before it occurs. What are some of the causes of falls for seniors and what ways can you help to stop a fall from happening? As we age mobility issues like muscle loss, balance problems, and joint stiffness begin to cause us to become susceptible to falls. We don’t want to lose our mobility because that means losing our independence. Once we can no longer walk like we used to, we cannot do anything like we used to. A lot of seniors are confined to a chair, or even worse, a bed. We need to take steps to prevent a fall before one happens to ensure they stay healthy and safe. Are you or someone you love falling more often? Even if you’re falling and not hurting yourself now, it only takes one good fall to seriously injure yourself. Falling could be a cause of mobility issues and they need to be addressed before they worsen. We all fall when we trip or stumble over something, but sometimes we fall because our feet are too slow to keep up, or they get off balance. Falling frequently can be cause for concern and can lead to injuries, and hospitalizations. Maybe you or your senior hasn’t fallen yet, that makes this the perfect time to retrofit your home with handrails, grab bars and non-slip tub mats. We want to prevent a fall before it happens. Use an elevator whenever possible, not the stairs! Stairs can be extra hard for seniors because they require more strength, balance, and energy. Find ways to avoid stairs if possible. If you find there is no way to avoid them, please walk next to your senior to give them a sense of security. Even an escalator can be scary for seniors as they require balance to step onto the escalator and concentration to stand still and to step off. Is your senior having a hard time standing up from the couch or lowering themselves onto the bed? This is an essential movement we use throughout the day; we use it to sit at the dinner table, go to the restroom, watch TV, going to bed, and so much more. If they are struggling with this simple movement, it may be time to speak with their doctor about a mobility device. How is their balance? Are they having dizzy spells? This could be a sign of vertigo, low blood pressure, or a side effect from their medication. Having a proper cane or walker will help with balance issues in seniors. Most importantly, make sure they exercise. I know this can be difficult when dealing with mobility issues, or they are afraid of falling, but regular exercise can help improve their balance and it also increases their overall health.  Exercise doesn’t have to be difficult, think of ways to make it fun! We need to work together to ensure our seniors don’t fall. Let’s prevent that hip from breaking before it has a chance!!!
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