Young at Heart August

Young

at Heart

Tailor-made gifts for on-the-go seniors

Seniors and older adults did not seem to get the memo regarding inflation. As the world continues to navigate a cost-of-living increase, internal data from Bank of America indicates that Baby Boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964) and Traditionalists (individuals born between 1928 and 1945) are spending more while younger generations are cutting back. Between May 2021 and May 2022, spending by Traditionalists increased by more than 5 percent while Baby Boomer spending rose by 2.2 percent. That uptick occurred while younger generations’ spending fell by 1.5 percent.

• Travel gifts: The 2023 AARP Travel Trends survey found that 85 percent of older travelers rank travel in their top three priorities for discretionary spending. The appeal of travel has not worn off for modern seniors, and shoppers can keep that in mind this holiday season. New luggage, travel miles earned through a credit card, unique experiences at senior travelers’ next destination, air tags that can keep track of luggage, and a world travel adapter that can convert plugs in any country across the globe are just a few of the many travel gifts shoppers can give on-the-go seniors this December.

men and women. In addition to boosting immunity, exercising after 65 continues to improve mood so long as seniors stay the course. Exercise gear, including attire and appropriate footwear, can reduce injury risk and help seniors feel more comfortable while breaking a sweat.

• Spa session: All that activity is good for the body, but so is a little post-activity rest and relaxation. A day at the spa, where seniors can get a massage, take a mental break and address minor aches and pains can be just the thing seniors need to recover in time for their next excursion.

Seniors seem to be on the go, and that’s something holiday shoppers can keep in mind as they look for gifts for their aging parents, grandparents and others. With that in mind, shoppers can consider these gifts that align well with the lifestyles of seniors who are out and about and making the most of their free time.

• Golf clubs or additional golf gear: Data from the National Golf Foundation indicated that more than 34 million people in the United States played golf in 2019, and 15 percent of those players were 65 and over. A new set of custom-fit clubs can help seniors take their game to the next level. Such clubs can be expensive, so they make a great tandem gift from children and grandchildren who pool their resources. If new clubs are not necessary or too costly, a single club, such as a new driver or putter, makes for a great gift as well. Gear like a new golf bag, new spikes and new course-friendly attire also makes a great gift for seniors who love the links.

• Exercise gear: The National Council on Aging notes that adults who exercise after turning 65 continue to reap the same rewards that improve quality of life among younger

Any number of gifts can make this holiday season even more special for modern seniors who continue to get up and go each day.

Unique ways to give back to the elderly

Older adults offer much to local and national communities. Despite that, seniors do not always get the recognition they deserve.

According to data from America’s Health Rankings, adults aged 65 and older comprise 16.8 percent of America’s population in 2021. That is projected to grow to 22 percent by 2040. The Canadian government indicates that seniors accounted for 18.8 percent of the nation’s population in 2022.

It’s always a good time to thank special seniors in your life, whether they are family, caregivers, friends, or mentors. Individuals can go one step further by giving back to seniors in the following ways.

• Volunteer: Visit a senior center and find out how you can volunteer your services and do something fun or informational with the seniors who are there. You may be able to guide a class in a certain activity, such as crafting or yoga. Volunteers may be needed to call bingo numbers or help with meal services.

• Provide financial relief: Small business owners can offer discounts

to senior clientele. Perhaps run specials on services, including anything from tax preparation to hair styling. If you don’t own a business, you can provide some assistance in other ways, such as cutting the lawn or doing light gardening so that a senior does not have to spend money on a weekly service.

• Tutor technology: If you are tech savvy, you can help seniors navigate new technologies. Help seniors with social media accounts, downloading digital photos and more.

• Dine out (or in): Some seniors may be alone if a spouse has predeceased them or if they are divorced. Loneliness may grow into depression. One way to help a senior feel appreciated is by sharing meals together. Designate a day or two each week to gather at the dinner table.

• Serve as a chauffeur. Offer to drive a senior to the store or appointments. While communities may have taxi services or even accessible senior rides, sometimes it can be more efficient for seniors to rely on others for rides. Take a senior along when shopping at the supermarket.

• Invite seniors to events. If you have a special event coming up, such as a child’s big birthday, graduation or religious occasion, invite an elderly neighbor. It can brighten his or

her day and even provide a change of routine and scenery. There’s no shortage of ways to give back to the special seniors in your life and in your community.

Wednesday, August 9, 2023 ~Young at Heart - 3

The modern drug store where you are greeted with a friendly

“Hello” and “How can we help you?”

We also provide FREE DELIVERY and have Alpena’s first drive-thru window.

2236 US 23 S Alpena

989-354-2171

The Drug Store may not be big, but we excel on friendly, fast service and welcome the opportunity to serve you.

Help keep our independent pharmacy strong in Alpena.

Please let us help you plan ahead.

You don’t have to walk blocks to enter, you are only steps away from the front door or use Alpena’s first drive-through window.

•Accepting all major health plans

•Free delivery service

•Billing for diabetic supplies

•Large selection Spenco Foot Care Products

•Prescriptions dispensed by Personal and Friendly Pharmacists

We are your Home Town Independent Health Mart Pharmacy and we are accepting new patients!

If you need a new pharmacy to transfer your prescriptions towe are here and ready to help. Just bring in your prescription bottles or list of medications that you take with any insurance information.

We also provide FREE DELIVERY and have Alpena’s first drive-thru window.

We also have Ananda Professional CBD products.

You don’t have to walk blocks to enter, you are only steps away from the front door or use Alpena’s first drive-through window.

•Accepting all major health plans

The stages of menopause

•Free delivery service

•Billing for diabetic supplies

•Large selection Spenco Foot Care Products

Menopause marks a moment in a woman’s life when her reproductive years come to an end. It is a natural part of aging and represents when a person has gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period.

•Prescriptions dispensed by Personal and Friendly Pharmacists

We are your Home Town Independent Health Mart Pharmacy and we are accepting new patients!

Perimenopause

and skin, and loss of breast fullness. Many women also notice changes in the shape or performance of their bodies, such as changes in the waist and joints and muscles being stiff and achy. There are treatments available that may help with menopausal issues that can be discussed with health providers.

We also provide FREE DELIVERY and have Alpena’s first drive-thru window.

Postmenopause

If you need a new pharmacy to transfer your prescriptions towe are here and ready to help. Just bring in your prescription bottles or list of medications that you take with any insurance information.

Although some may think that menopause lasts several years, it actually is a single moment in time when menstruation ceases. However, perimenopause is the period of years leading up to menopause, or when women or people assigned female at birth start to transition to menopause, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Perimenopause also is called “perimenopause transition.” It usually starts in one’s forties and lasts until menopause. Gradual changes occur during perimenopause, including skipped periods, longer or shorter periods, hot flashes, or changes in mood. Perimenopause tends to set in anywhere from five to 10 years before a final period.

Menopause

A woman will not know she has reached menopause until it actually has happened and no subsequent periods occur. False alarms are not uncommon. During perimenopause, skipping periods is common, and menstrual cycles may shorten, causing cycles to come on more frequently and run into one another.

While menopause can occur at any time in one’s forties or fifties, the average age of occurrence in the United States is 51. The Mayo Clinic says symptoms of menopause can start during perimenopause and persist a few years after a person’s last menstrual cycle. These symptoms include chills, night sweats, hot flashes, sleeping disturbances, mood changes, weight gain and slowed metabolism, vaginal dryness, thinning hair

We also have Ananda Professional CBD products.

Postmenopause is the name given to the time after menopause. During this stage, the severity of menopause symptoms may lessen. However, some women may experience symptoms for 10 years or more. Menopause puts people at risk for several health conditions due to reduced estrogen levels, including osteoporosis and heart disease, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

While menopause is a distinct moment in time when reproduction ceases, it is preceded and followed by other stages that affect women in various ways.

Dispelling Common Misconceptions About Hospice Care

(StatePoint) Hospice is intended to provide comfort and support to patients at the end of their life so that they can experience their remaining time in the best ways possible. Experts say that unfortunately, misconceptions about hospice often lead people to make uninformed decisions at a critical, complex juncture in their lives.

“There is often an idea that hospice equates to giving up. But hospice is actually about taking control,” says Paul Mastrapa, president and chief executive officer of Interim HealthCare Inc. “It’s the job of the hospice team to understand what a patient’s goals for end-of-life care are, and help them live that last trajectory of their life the way they want to.”

To help patients, their caregivers and family members, and those in the healthcare industry better understand the services and benefits hospice provides, Interim HealthCare is dispelling some of the most common misconceptions:

Myth: Hospice means giving up.

Fact: The primary goal of hospice is delivering comfort, support and specialized medical care to those ready to forgo curative treatment. Research has shown that a person who spends time on hospice has a greater quality of life at the end of their life. And while the goal is not to prolong life, there are statistics that show that hospice gives patients more time compared to patients who had the same disease trajectory and didn’t receive hospice.

Myth: Hospice is only appropriate for the last few days of life.

Fact: Hospice can actually last for months, and entering hospice sooner rather than later translates to fewer hospitalizations, better symptom relief

and greater comfort.

Myth: You must give up all your medications.

Fact: While the hospice care team will make recommendations about which medications are still beneficial to a patient at their stage of illness, patients and families get the final say.

Myth: Hospice is a place.

Fact: Hospice can entail in-patient care, but more typically, services are delivered wherever a patient calls home. The nurse, social worker, spiritual care provider, aide and other members of the hospice care team meet the patient where they are, be that in a residential home, an assisted living community or in another institutional setting.

Myth: Hospice is only for patients with specific diseases.

Fact: Anyone with a life-limiting chronic disease, from congestive heart failure to pulmonary disease to Alzheimer’s, can choose hospice.

Myth: Hospice ends when the patient dies.

Fact: Hospice providers often offer support to those who have lost a loved one. In the case of Interim HealthCare, bereavement services are offered for 13 months.

Myth: Hospice work is draining.

Fact: When done right, hospice work can be extremely rewarding. Hospice care workers help patients and families find peace of mind, and reach a place of acceptance during a complicated and emotional time in their lives. Hospice workers believe in the mission of providing compassionate, patient-centric medical care and support to those at the end of their life, and they’re given a voice in the individualized care they provide.

The hospice market is the secondfastest growing healthcare segment nationwide, according to Bank of America research, which translates to a growing number of job opportunities. Hospice providers are currently recruiting candidates just starting out in their career and those looking to make a change. To learn more, visit careers. interimhealthcare.com.

For more information about hospice care services for yourself or a family member, visit https://www.interimhealthcare.com/services/hospice/.

“Although people don’t always feel comfortable talking about end-of-life care, having these conversations can ensure one’s final days are peaceful and fulfilling,” says Mastrapa.

What to know about AFib

The heart has been characterized as the engine that makes the human body run. If that metaphor is not exactly spot-on, it still serves as a good indicator as to just how vital a healthy heart is to the human body.

Despite the importance of a healthy heart, diseases that affect the heart remain the single greatest cause of death across the globe. According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, claiming roughly 18 million lives each year. Various factors can adversely affect how well the heart functions, and that includes irregular heart beat, also known as arrhythmia. Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common form of arrhythmia, and it behooves anyone to gain a greater understanding of this condition.

What is AFib?

The Cleveland Clinic notes that AFib is an arrhythmia that begins in the upper chambers of the heart known as the atria. When a person has AFib, these chambers beat irregularly, and the American Heart Association reports that, when this occurs, blood pools in the area

because not enough blood is being pumped out of the atria. That pooled blood can clot and pose a serious threat.

What happens if a blood clot forms?

The AHA notes that, if a clot forms, the blood can be pumped out of the heart to the brain, which blocks the blood supply to the brain and ultimately results in stroke. In fact, AHA data indicates between 15 and 20 percent of people who have strokes have AFib. In addition, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada reports that one-fourth of all strokes affecting people 40 and older are caused by AFib.

Does AFib produce symptoms?

The Cleveland Clinic notes that some people with AFib experience no symptoms. Such is the case in people whose ventricles are beating at a normal or slightly elevated pace. When ventricles begin to beat faster, then individuals may experience symptoms that can include:

• Extreme fatigue

• Irregular heartbeat

• Heart palpitations

• Feeling of butterflies or fish flopping in the chest

• Dizziness or lightheadedness

• Fainting

• Shortness of breath

• Chest pain

Can I lower my risk for AFib?

The AHA notes that adopting and maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle is the best way to control AFib risk. Such a lifestyle includes:

• Regular physical activity

• Adherence to a heart-healthy diet that is low in salt, saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol

• Controlling blood pressure, including management of high

blood pressure

• Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol and caffeine

• Avoid smoking

• Maintain healthy cholesterol levels

• Maintain a healthy weight

Researchers behind a 2021 study published in the journal Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases note that AFib has sometimes been characterized as the cardiovascular epidemic of the twentyfirst century. Such a characterization underscores how significant a global health threat AFib can be. More information about AFib can be found at heart.org.

Keith Wallace, William Pfeifer & Theodore Johnson experienced attorneys right here in Alpena

Self-Care Tips for Moms and Caretakers

(StatePoint) Carving out some “me time” is not just good for your mental health, physical wellness and confidence, as many moms know, it can actually make you a better parent. According to a survey of moms conducted by Hutchinson and Cassidy, those who had higher self-esteem had higher levels of perceived parenting confidence.

Here are three ways to practice self-care:

1. Get some rest: We live in a goal-oriented society where the value of rest and relaxation is not always emphasized. Whether it’s a spa day with your best friend or curling up with a good book at home, be sure your schedule includes adequate time to recharge your batteries.

2. Take care of your smile: One of the best ways to foster selfconfidence is with a clean, healthy smile. In fact, a 2020 Cigna Dental Report found that smile satisfaction is one of the top three drivers of self confidence among U.S. adults. Give

yourself the gift of innovative brushing technology. The iO Series 5 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush from Oral-B, for example, allows you to personalize your brushing experience with its five smart modes: daily clean, intense, whitening, sensitive and super sensitive. No ordinary toothbrush, this one is designed to help you brush smarter and more safely. To help protect gums, a smart pressure sensor displays a red light when you’re brushing too hard and a green light when you’re brushing just right, and its dentist-inspired round brush head cleans with micro-vibrations and oscillating action. Plus, a connected app tracks brushing behavior to ensure you’re targeting all six zones of your mouth, and a vibrating timer lets you know when you’ve brushed for the dentistrecommended 2 minutes.

3. Take care of your mind: So much of motherhood is ensuring everyone has what they need, and often, your own needs can fall by the wayside. There are many ways to take time to check in with yourself though. You could buy yourself a beautiful

journal and jot thoughts down for a few minutes each evening or check out apps like Headspace, which can help get you started on a meditation practice. Even a 10 or 15 minute walk at lunchtime can be a powerful moodbooster and an opportunity to reflect. You might also consider taking up a hobby that offers the chance for selfexpression, such as painting, poetry, music or crafting.

When it comes to parents and caretakers, the importance of self-care can’t be overstated. Kick-off new routines that boost your self-confidence and your well-being.

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