Calcium, Vitamin D and Bone Health

Bone health is important throughout life, but it is especially important for elderly individuals. Sadly, falls become more commonplace as we age, and weak bones increase the likelihood that breaks and fractures will occur. There are two components to bone health: calcium and vitamin D consumption.

Adequate calcium consumption throughout your lifetime will help to contribute to good bone health. Calcium is a necessary mineral that helps to build bones. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 99% of our calcium is located in our bones and our teeth. You can get calcium by from a nutritious diet or by taking supplements. Increased calcium intake will help to reduce bone density loss, and numerous studies have shown that low calcium intake can lead to osteoporosis and low bone density. Additionally, calcium is needed to help other systems in our body work, like our muscular and nervous system. The reason calcium intake is important is because when we do not consume enough calcium, our body will take necessary calcium from our bones, which is where it is stored. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, women under age 50 should consume 1,000 mg daily and women over 51 should consume 1,200 mg daily. Men age 70 and younger should consume 1,000 mg daily, and men over the age of 71 should consume 1,200 mg daily. That being said, there is one other vitamin that calcium consumption is dependent upon.

Vitamin D is this vitamin, and it is crucial for calcium intake. Why? Vitamin D is allows for and enhances the absorption of calcium from food, sunlight and supplements in the intestines. You can get a substantial amount of your vitamin D from various foods. If you’re looking to increase your intake of vitamin D, increase your intake of fatty fish, fortified cereals, fortified dairy products, and increase your intake of green leafy vegetables. In addition to eating a healthy, balanced diet, be sure to spend some time outside in the sun. You can absorb vitamin D while outside! Your body synthesizes UV rays into vitamin D! That being said, do not spend too much time outside without sun screen or else you’ll run the risk of getting a sun burn. However you get your vitamin D, be sure to make sure you are getting enough because it prevents bone density loss by allowing for the absorption of calcium.

For more information on Vitamin D and bone health, visit the follow websites:

National Institutes of Health: Vitamin D

National Institutes of Health: Calcium

Tips for Medication Compliance in the Elderly

In our last post we discussed a lot of the issues surrounding medication compliance in the elderly.

Here are some tips that we’ve been together for medication compliance.

Educate yourself and your elderly loved one:

·         Ask your doctor why your elderly loved one should be taking this medication.
·         Ask for the name of the drug and ask what the active ingredient is, and ask how it works in the body.
·         Discuss other medication options. Is this the only medication that they need? Is there a supplement that could help to mitigate some of the side effects or even the symptoms?
·         What are the side effects of this medication?
·         Does it interact with any other drugs?
·         Does it need to be taken on an empty stomach? Does it need to be taken with a full glass of water?
·         What time of day would be best to take this medication? What do most other patients do?
·         Should your elderly loved one be taking the generic form or should the prescription be written for the name-brand?
·         Bring a list of other medications to your doctor, and have them check that the drug will not interact with any other drugs on the list.

Tips for taking the medication: 

·         Write down the instructions from the physician and make that into a list. Hang this list somewhere in the house, close to your medications. You can hang it on the inside of the medicine cabinet, or hang it in the kitchen.
·         Organize all of the medications into a pill box. This will help your elderly loved one remember what day to take the medication and how much to take.
·         Encourage your elderly loved one to take his/her medications at the same time of the day each day. This will help them to create a routine.

Lastly, if these tips aren’t helping then seek assistance from your physician. Tell them the issues that you and your loved one are having, and together you can create a plan for effective medication compliance.

Here are some other websites to visit:

NIH Senior Health: Taking Medicines Safely

FDA: Medicines and You: A Guide for Older Adults

American Heart Association: Quick Tips for Taking Medications

The Importance of Medication Compliance in the Elderly

In laymen’s terms, medication compliance is whether or not a patient takes a medication as prescribed. It is incredibly important for the effective implementation of a treatment plan, but sometimes there are major barriers associated with medication compliance. This is especially profound in the elderly population, who are the population most likely to have multiple chronic illnesses. Most of these can be related to two major issues: complicated instructions and a lack of investment in the treatment plan.

For the elderly, taking medication can be complicated because of the sheer number of medications that are prescribed for them. In 2010, it was reported that the average elderly individual was on 8-13 different medications. Furthermore, each medication has a unique set of instructions. For example, some drugs need to be taken with food, while some other drugs need to be taken without food. Certain medications can’t be taken after eating a grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice. Other medications require you to monitor your potassium intake. Remembering the instructions surrounding one medication can be difficult enough, but trying to accommodate each of the different requirements of multiple medications can be too much for elderly patients. This will lead them to take the medication incorrectly, rendering it ineffective, or it can lead them to not take the medication at all.

A second barrier can be found in understanding the treatment plan. Most of the time, elderly patients aren’t entirely informed about their treatment plan, and, a lot of the time, it is because they don’t know what questions to ask their doctor. They sometimes will not know why they are on a medication, and they are not informed of what to expect while taking the medication. As a result of this, they will take a medication and experience unexpected side effects. The side effects of the medications give them more reason to not take their medication as prescribed. This can be compounded by a lack of education as to why they are on the medication. If an elderly individual isn’t sure why they are taking a medication that makes them feel nauseous as a result then they most likely won’t continue to take that medication as prescribed.

Unfortunately, these aren’t the only two barriers to medication compliance, and there are numerous barriers that we will have to overcome in order to achieve complete medication compliance. There are several reasons that this happens, including inadequate patient education, a lack of interest in treatment plan, issues surrounding dementia and confusion, and more. Fortunately, there are a lot of resources for seniors and caregivers that help to resolve a lot of these issues. In our next post we will go over different tips for medication compliance.

Traveling With Your Elderly Loved Ones

With winter winding down, a lot of individuals are deciding to take a vacation. There is some extra planning necessary for individuals traveling with elderly loved ones, and this this can sometimes be difficult. The planning is crucial because it will ensure that the traveling goes smoothly. Over the past couple of years we’ve covered this topic, so we’ve put together some highlights and the best possible plan for traveling with your elderly loved one.

While choosing a vacation destination, make it easier for yourself. 

When you’re looking at different cities to visit, take into account how accessible the city is for the elderly. Are there cobblestone roads? These can make walking difficult and increase fall risk. Are there clear sidewalks? This will help prevent any difficulties for you while you are sight-seeing with your elderly loved one. How crowded is the city? How much travel is involved in getting to this location? Take some time to research elderly friendly cities. There are thousands of sights you can see with your elderly loved one, and choosing one that is more accessible will make it easier for you and your elderly loved one.

After you have chosen a location, start planning.

We can’t reiterate this more. Plan your trip! Over-planning is never a problem, but, while traveling, under planning can pose some serious risks, especially for your elderly loved ones. Make an itinerary and figure out which locations you’re going to go, and which sites you want to see. Most importantly, figure out how you can make it easier on yourself.  Take some time to call different tourist attractions and sites ahead of time to ask them about what accommodations they have for the elderly. If they don’t have that many accommodations or are being somewhat unhelpful, ask them for examples of what other elderly individuals have done. Do they have rest areas? Do they have wheelchair options for the elderly? How many stairs are there? Are there elevators? All of this information should be easily accessible and readily available for you. If your elderly loved one has special needs you can request help from the place you are visiting. There is no harm in asking!

Pack everything and pack for all scenarios.

First, plan your packing. Make a list of all necessary medications and items that your elderly loved one will need. If you’re traveling on a plane, you may need a doctor’s note for some prescriptions. Call your doctor and the airport ahead of time to ensure that you have all of the proper documentation. If you’re traveling by train or another mode of transportation, contact them ahead of time to see what is allowed and what is not allowed. Also, go through what is going to happen while going through security. That way your elderly loved one is not startled and knows what to expect.

Lastly, have fun and enjoy yourself. That’s what vacation is for!

Staying Socially Connected

For elderly individuals, staying socially connected can be difficult. However, maintaining social contact is important for an individual’s well-being and their health. There have been studies that indicate social contact can increase physical and mental health, reduce disease and lead to increased longevity. If your elderly loved one is expressing a desire for more social contact then you can suggest some options for them.

Social Media

Social media can be incredibly helpful in staying connected. It can allow an individual to remain involved in their friends and family’s lives remotely, so it can be a wonderful tool for the elderly. If you know an elderly individual who is looking to become more connected in their friends lives introduce them to Facebook. It may be difficult at first, but if you show them how to properly and safely use the site then they can add friends and stay in touch. This type of connection will help them to feel more included and active in their friends and family’s lives.

Volunteer

If your elderly loved one is active and looking for opportunities to get out of the house then you can suggest that they volunteer. They can take the time to volunteer at a local food pantry or at a local school. Whichever environment they choose will be beneficial to their well-being. This will provide them with the opportunity to interact with other individuals and to make new friends.

Planning

Another great way to maintain social interaction is through planning and scheduling. Take some time to talk to your elderly loved about setting up specific times to call them or to interact with them. You can encourage them to set up a routine that involves meeting with one or more of their friends.

Senior Center

Your local senior center can be an incredible resource for your elderly loved one. If you’re concerned that they’re not interacting enough and are withdrawing from social situations, reach out to your senior center. They will have activities to suggest and they will have a wealth of information on how to help your elderly loved one stay connected.

However you approach it, you need to keep your elderly loved one socially connected for their well-being!

Winter Safety Reminder

Did you know that the first few weeks of February are among the stormiest? Storms and cold weather can pose a serious risk for the elderly. For advice on how to help your elderly loved ones, take a look at our past post by clicking here.

Tips for Helping an Individual Who Is Experiencing Depression

Depression is something that we’ve covered before. It can be especially prominent in the elderly population, especially with winter’s decreased hours of sunlight and cold weather. As a caregiver, it can be difficult to see your elderly loved one experiencing depression. It’s easy to try to blame yourself and it can be hard not to internalize everything, but as a caregiver you can’t do that. Here are some things to do when you are caring for an individual with depression:

Bring your loved one to a medical professional.

Make sure they are being properly evaluated and supported by a physician.

Educate yourself on the symptoms and signs of depression and remember that it is a clinical diagnosis.

Take some time to learn about the disease and ask your elderly loved one’s physician about the symptoms and signs. If you know that a certain behavior is linked to depression, then you will be less likely to blame yourself.

Try to schedule time to bring your elderly loved one outside.

You can rearrange their schedule to maximize your time outside so that they can get some time in the sun. This will help increase Vitamin D production and will help to increase their mood.

Support them and be there for them.

Encourage your elderly loved one to talk about what they are experiencing or feeling, and make a plan to work through their feelings. Whether it is going to a movie when they are feeling down or just staying in and talking, you can work with your elderly loved one to show them that you are there to support them.

Keep them on any prescribed treatments.

This is perhaps one of the most important things to do as a caregiver, but these treatments will help them recover.

Take time out of your day for yourself.

This is incredibly important. You can’t support your elderly loved one if you are emotionally drained and exhausted. Take at least fifteen minutes every day and take some time to yourself.

For more information, you can visit the following website:

WebMD: When A Loved One Has Depression