Healthy Tips for Women

women can take action to reduce risk of disease and stay healthy both mentally and physically.

Revitalize Wellness Corner with Lee Zehm-Clay RN, BSN, FCN, HES St. Camillus Revitalize Wellness Manager

Women and men both face a variety of health conditions as they age. However, there are specific illnesses and disorders that overwhelmingly affect women more than men. In the U.S., women also live longer than men, which means women have a greater chance of developing health issues simply because their bodies have more time to develop diseases. Older women are more likely than men to have multiple, chronic health ailments – such as arthritis, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, urinary, bowel and breast health conditions. Women also have increased incidences of cognitive problems. Fortunately, women can take action to reduce risk of disease and stay healthy both mentally and physically. Here are some tips from the American Geriatrics Society’s Health in Aging Foundation:

1. See your healthcare provider regularly. Even if you feel perfectly healthy, see your provider at least once a year for a checkup. Annual visits are a benefit covered under Medicare services… take advantage of this.

2. Eat a rainbow. (No, I do not mean Skittles!) Each time you eat, scan your plate looking for the deep rich colors of the rainbow. Does your meal contain the reds, yellows, oranges, greens, blues and purples of the rainbow? If yes, great! For the most part it means you are consuming a healthful diet. No matter our age, we still need to eat health-filled foods. Fewer calories yes, but nutrient rich foods are always needed. Need a little help with your diet? Try using the USDA’s updated Choose My Plate for Older Adults free website.

3. Take medications, vitamins, and supplements as directed. When you visit your provider (for that annual appointment), bring all of the pills, ointments, and eye drops you take (including Over the Counter medications, vitamins, herbs, and supplements). Take your medicines directed, and tell your provider right away if a medication seems to be causing any problems or side effects.

4. Get screened. Screening tests can help diagnose health problems early. Early diagnosis leads to successful health outcomes. Ask your provider about testing for; colorectal cancer, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, bone density, depression, hearing and vision, and sexually transmitted illnesses (Yes, older adults still are sexually active!). Do not forget to ask about Vitamin D levels, especially if you live away from the earth’s equator.

. Get vaccinated. Check with your healthcare provider to make sure you are getting your annual flu shot, have received your two pneumonia vaccinations and your shingles shot, and get a Tetanus Diphtheria Pertussis vaccine every ten years.

. Drink alcohol in moderation Older women should drink no more than 3 “adult beverages” on a given day and less than 7 total in a week. (One drink = 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor.) Depending on your health condition or medications, you may need to drink less or not at all.

7. Exercise your body. Regular exercise is important for good health. It tones up your heart, improves circulation, and strengthens muscles and bones. It also increases brain function, lifts your mood, and can help prevent and ease depression.

. Exercise your brain. This gets a little tricky because we always like to do what we enjoy; read a book, crossword, or jigsaw puzzles. But, just like physical exercise, you have to make your brain “sweat” a little. If you always read, try your hand at putting a puzzle together. If numbers are your thing, try a good book. Mix it up! Check out free apps on your computer or smart phone. There are plenty to choose from.

As always, until next time - be well and stay healthy.

To learn more about St. Camillus Life Plan Community and the Revitalize Wellness Program, call 414-259-6310 or visit www.stcam.com.

Very often adult children are the ones to whom the task falls of finding a place for their aging parents to live. As if it isn’t already an emotionally difficult job, the terminology is difficult to understand, the choices are confusing, and most residences make comparisons very hard to make. After all, how do you compare a one bedroom extended with services with a plain one bedroom and what does that even mean?

Here are a few simple things to keep in mind that will help you get started, and give you an idea of the questions you need to ask.

Independent Or Assisted Living?

Independent Living is like living on your own in an apartment building. You get no services or nursing care at all; you come and go as you please; you have no special health requirements.

Assisted Living means you need help with at least one of the “activities of daily living,” or ADLs. They are dressing, feeding, bathing, toileting, and transferring (moving from bed to chair, chair to walker, etc.).

In order to be accepted into an assisted living, the nurse manager of the establishment will do an assessment of the prospective resident to determine if the applicant is, indeed, a candidate for assisted living. At the same time, the nurse manager will make sure that the facility will be able to meet his or her needs.

Rcac

Some facilities are licensed to offer “à la cart” assisted living services in an independent living apartment. The resident would pay a fee to be under the nursing services of the residence. The permits them to keep a chart on the resident, speak to the resident’s physicians, and document his or her care. The resident can then choose certain other services, which are paid for separately. This is different from true assisted living, in which all the services are included in the rent.

How Big An Apartment Does Mom Really Need?

This is one of the hardest things to come to terms with. For many people in Wisconsin, this will be the first time they have moved in 52 years. They are