THIS WINTER, DON’T CHECK IN

Brain stimulation can help slow the progression, especially early in the disease. Engaging in activities that are creative or make a person think such as word games, matching, or learning new information are valuable as long as the person doesn’t get frustrated because it is too difficult for them.

Socialization is important to remain engaged. Isolation can be decreased with visits from family and friends, attending events, going to senior centers, or connecting with others through Facebook or Skype.

Exercising 30 minutes a day 5 times a week, eating a healthy diet, and managing chronic diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure can help slow the progression.

We have a front row seat when it comes to what’s trending in the lives of Milwaukee seniors and we’ve noticed a pattern: every winter, hospitalizations spike off the charts. Which is hardly surprising, given that, in a recent study of nurses, 82 percent of respondents said that winter is the peak season for hospitalization because of vulnerability to colds, the flu, pneumonia and other respiratory infections, and weatherrelated falls and accidents.

Decrease stress with familiar routines and environments. Stress doesn’t cause dementia, but can worsen the symptoms.

What may surprise you is that those same nurses surveyed said that nearly half of senior hospitalizations (48.5%) can be prevented with early detection and intervention. And almost all of the nurses said that the role family plays is as important as the role played by health care professionals.

So what can you do to help make this a hospitalization-free year for your senior? Well, according to Dr. Carolyn Clevenger, president of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, the following five actions are a good place to start:

Medication may help improve mental function, mood, or behavior. For some, the drugs donepezil (Aricept), tacrine (Cognex), rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Razadyne) are helpful to delay some of the symptoms of mild to moderate dementia. Memantine (Namenda), may be prescribed for treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer’s Disease. Antidepressants, antianxiety, and antipsychotics may be prescribed to treat depression, excessive anxiety, or hallucinations.

• Follow doctor’s orders

• Don’t ignore symptoms

• Reduce risk of falls and accidents

• Stay active physically and mentally

• Maintain a healthy diet

Seems like common sense, right? But it can be so easy to get caught up in our routines – or sometimes bigger or more urgent-seeming health issues -- that we overlook even these basic keys to our senior’s well-being.

Home Instead Senior Care, a local Milwaukee provider of Home Care services to the elderly is distributing the guide, The Five Ways to Prevent Senior Hospitalizations, developed by Home Instead Senior Care and Dr. Clevenger, which will be free to all Milwaukee families. The booklet offers practical tips on how to make these five simple actions second nature for you and your senior. You can also find information and resources, such as a video on how to assess your senior’s balance to help avoid the risk of falls, at www.preventseniorhospitalizations.com.

For more information on keeping your senior out of the hospital this season, or to get your copy of The Five Ways to Prevent Senior Hospitalizations, please contact Home instead at 414-882-5464, or email us at contact.us@homeinstead.com.

If you own a small business and c an’t af ford adver t ising, we have a solu t ion f or you. We are looking f or people to deliver MHL to 10-15 places once a month in exchange f or adver t ising space in this paper. It takes approximat ely 1-2 hour s to make these drop of fs and we will selec t the dis tr ibu t ion point s to be in your area.

Could You Have Lupus?

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease with no single cause and no cure. For reasons that are not currently known, nine out of ten people diagnosed with lupus are women, and women of color are two to four times more likely to develop it (www. lupus.org). Lupus causes the body’s immune system to attack its own healthy tissue, resulting in chronic pain, chronic fatigue, rashes, and organ injury or failure. Because many of its effects are internal, and symptoms overlap with those of other diseases, lupus is difficult to diagnose; it takes on average six years from the initial reporting of symptoms for someone to get a confirmed lupus diagnosis.

For these reasons and more, it is important for people to be aware of lupus and its affects – knowledge about its symptoms can significantly reduce the time it takes to get a diagnosis and can help lupus sufferers find the best treatment plan earlier. The infographic below details common signs and symptoms of lupus.

The Lupus Foundation of America, Wisconsin Chapter has information and resources about lupus for anyone – whether you are curious about whether you have lupus, are looking for rheumatologists or other specialist healthcare providers, community support groups, or other information. Awareness is the key to early detection, better research and treatments, and understanding that just because someone doesn’t “look sick” doesn’t mean that they aren’t fighting a courageous battle every single day.

The best treatment depends on your preferences

Hormone Therapy and Alternative: Therapies During Midlife for Men and Women

Dr. Janice Alexander

Midlife for men and women is a time when some note bothersome changes in physiology. The good news is that many do not need treatment for these symptoms. The best treatment depends on your preferences. Medications and supplements are not the choice of everyone, and an individual’s health history should be considered before a treatment choice is planned.Yet, it must be emphasized that some of the discomforts of mid-life such as obesity, depression, hot flashes, erectile dysfunction can be improved with lifestyle changes, diet and exercise modifications, weight management and smoking cessation. These approaches do no harm and cost very little.

Anxiety, stress and depression are common during the winter months and especially this past year while we are under a pandemic. Most of us have had limited socialization which always makes life lonely and more difficult.We need to keep up with the 150 minutes of aerobic exercise weekly and the 30 minutes of strength training three times a week in order to keep our spirits up along with our muscle mass. Food triggers such as too much caffeine or alcohol can make depression worse and cause sleep disturbance. Hot and spicy foods may start to cause GI distress or make hot flashes worse. Sometimes it is best to limit these in your diet. For decades women have used soy products and herbs such as black cohosh, evening primrose oil, ginseng, kava, 5-HTP, St. John’s wort and natural progesterone cream made from yams to treat menopausal symptoms.These supplements, however, are not regulated by the FDA and may be contraindicated when used with certain medicines or medical conditions. For example, some women with breast cancer should not be using soy products. Supplements and vitamins may also cause excessive bleeding, so it is always a good idea to discuss these with your physician, especially if you plan on having a surgical procedure.

Prescription Hormone Therapy is available to symptomatic men and women who are appropriate candidates for this type of therapy. A woman’s body makes three types of hormones: estrogens, progesterone and testosterone.The term ‘bioidentical hormones’ is confusing as scientists and other health care professionals view them as chemically related to a person’s own naturally occurring hormones, whereas, to others, this term refers to a custom compound that is not manufactured by a commercial pharmaceutical company. Estrogen can be supplied as a cream, a patch, a vaginal ring, an oral or vaginal tablet or a subcutaneous pellet, with or without progesterone or testosterone. Progesterone alone can be an option for treating menopausal symptoms and can be prescribed as a topical cream, oral tablet or implant. Testosterone can be provided to men and women as a cream or ointment. Men can also receive testosterone as a patch, injection or tablet. While it is true that custom compounded hormones are not required to be approved by the FDA, many have found them to be helpful during midlife to control their symptoms.

Other prescription drugs such as SSRIs (selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors) have also been used to treat depression and hot flashes. Complementary and alternative medicine have also been used and include acupuncture, herbal, dietary and energy therapies. The importance of vitamin and mineral balance should also be emphasized especially since we rely on them to maintain vital structures. During this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is important for you to get an appropriate amount of Vitamin D3 (usually 2,000IU daily) and Zinc (varies between 20-50 mg). If you are looking for more information on preventive and wellness therapies, come visit us at the Cedarburg Family Wellness & Aesthetics Center. We have Covid-19 preventive measures in place to keep you safe during your visit. TeleHealth is also available.

For more information visit cedarburgfamilywellnessaesthetics.com.