Elder Health Update: Celiac Awareness Month

Did you know that October is Celiac Awareness month? More importantly, did you know that Celiac Disease can be a serious problem in older adults?  In a study published by Annals of Medicine researchers found that there was a change in gluten tolerance with age. They found that people in their 60s and 70s were being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, even though they had been consuming gluten without any complications their entire life.

For the elderly, Celiac Disease can pose a serious problem. When an individual with Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity consumes gluten, a protein found in wheat barley and rye, their body has an autoimmune response to the protein. This autoimmune response causes a wide variety of symptoms, some of which include gastrointestinal distress. For the elderly, this can be especially troubling because some of the symptoms such as joint pain can be misdiagnosed.

Fortunately, a gluten free diet will help to alleviate the symptoms brought on by Celiac Disease. You can read more about the study by clicking here.

Finding the Flu Shot

As we discussed in our previous post, the flu virus is incredibly serious for the elderly. The elderly are especially susceptible to the flu, and they can develop serious complications if they contract it. Furthermore, for elderly people with pre-existing conditions, the flu can be an incredibly dangerous virus to come in contact with because of conditions can develop as a result of it.

You can find a flu vaccine clinic through Flu Near You:  https://flunearyou.org/

Caregivers: Dealing with Wandering

The stress of caregiving for an aging loved one can be made even worse by wandering. There are multiple health conditions associated with wandering, and even the most capable caregivers can’t keep track of their loved ones at all times. It’s important to remind yourself that, as a caregiver, you can’t prevent wandering entirely, but you can take some preventative measures. Here are some tips from our LTS clinicians:

- Enlist neighbors and friends: Ensure that your neighbors and friends are aware that your loved one is prone to wandering. Provide your neighbors and friends with your contact information and ask them to alert you if they see your loved one outside alone.

- Locks: You don’t have to spend exorbitant amounts of money replacing locks and installing fences. A simple hook and eye lock will help prevent wandering. Simply install the lock on any doors, and put it out of your loved one’s reach.

- Alarms: You can install door alarms to alert you if your loved one tries to leave the house. If you don’t feel like installing alarms, set up some kind of bells or chimes to alert you when your loved one opens the door.

- Project Lifesaver: Enroll your loved one in Project Lifesaver. People enrolled in Project Lifesaver are given a small personal transmitter that emits a tracking signal. If your loved one wanders off, you can call your local Project Lifesaver agency and an emergency team will respond to find your loved one. http://projectlifesaver.org/Lifesaver

For more tips, here is a great list from Alzheimer’s Reading Room: Tips to Prevent Wandering 

The Health Benefits of Gardening

Here is a link to a fantastic, touching article on the health benefits of gardening from the Boston Globe:

 http://articles.boston.com/2011-04-25/lifestyle/29472104_1_therapeutic-gardening-larger-garden-plants

This picture is from the blog Skippy's Vegetable Gardening at http://carletongarden.blogspot.com/.  You can visit this site for some excellent advice on gardening and having fun while doing it!