SENIOR
Senior-friendly interior renovations
Home is where the heart is. That sentiment may be especially true for seniors who have spent decades living in their homes. A lot of hard work goes into home ownership, and seniors who have lived in the same space for a while undoubtedly have countless memories within the walls of their homes.
A lifetime of experiences in a home can make it hard to leave, but many seniors experience diminished mobility as they age. Mobility issues can make it hard for seniors to traverse their homes, but aging homeowners can make various renovations to make a home more accessible.
• Revamp entryways and staircases. A 2020 study of 1,000 adults in the United
Kingdom found that 28 percent of individuals age 65 and older who don’t exercise regularly struggle with activities like walking up stairs. The study, commissioned by Total Fitness, also found that 14 percent of men and women over 65 who regularly engage in moderate exercise still find it challenging to climb up and down a flight of stairs. Seniors facing similar challenges can install a ramp at their home’s entryway so they can comfortably go in and out. Inside, a chair lift can ensure seniors are not struggling to move from one floor to another.
• Raise the outlets throughout the home. They’re easily overlooked, but outlets, particularly those outside the kitch-
en, tend to be close to the floor. AARP notes that’s no accident, as outlets are generally placed at a height equal to the length of a hammer to save time with measuring when buildings are being constructed. Outlets close to the floor can be difficult for seniors with mobility issues to reach. Relocating the outlets a little higher off the floor is not an expensive renovation, but it can make a home more accessible for seniors who have difficulty bending down or getting down on one knee.
• Install door knob extensions. Verywell Health notes that nearly half of all people age 65 and older have arthritis or another rheumatic condition. Arthritis can make it
difficult for seniors to grip and turn door knobs. Door knob extensions can make it easier for seniors with arthritis to open the doors in their homes. Such extensions are roughly five-inch levers that can be installed over an existing door knob, making it easier to grab and pull down. Extensions save seniors the hassle of turning the knob, which some may find painful and almost impossible.
• Renovate the bathroom. Bathroom renovation projects can be costly, but seniors with mobility issues should know that bathrooms can pose a particularly dangerous threat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that roughly three million older
adults are treated for fall injuries in emergency departments each year. A 2019 analysis published in The Journals of Gerontology noted that 22 percent of in-home falls resulted in a change in the person’s walking ability. Replacing a step-over shower with a zero-step alternative can make it easier for seniors with mobility issues to get in and out of the shower, thus reducing their risk for falls. Grab bars along shower walls and a chair inside the shower can make it easier to bathe and towel off safely.
Seniors with mobility issues can make their homes more accommodating through an assortment of simple, yet effective renovations.
— Metro Creative
Volunteering is good for your health
Volunteering makes an immeasurable difference in the lives of volunteers and those they help. Many people may be surprised to learn how positive volunteering can be for volunteers. Indeed, studies show that volunteering leads to better physical and mental health, among other benefits.
According to an article published by the American Heart Association and Jeffrey Burr, a professor of gerontology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, “compared to non-volunteers, volunteers have less depression, less anxiety, higher self-esteem, greater happiness, and a greater sense of meaning in life.” Burr and the AHA note the health benefits of volunteering occur among all ages, and a deep look at how volunteer efforts are good for personal health shows just how profound giving back can be.
• Reduces stress: The Mayo Clinic reports that volunteering reduces stress and increases positive, relaxed feelings by releasing dopamine. When volunteers spend time in service to others, they report feeling a sense of meaning and appreciation, both of which can have stress-reducing effects.
• Lowers depression: Research has shown that volunteering leads to lower rates of depression and anxiety, particularly among people 65 and older.
• Provides a sense of purpose: AmeriCorps reports volunteering can provide a sense of purpose in older adults, which can help replace feelings of inadequacy due to loss of major role identities, such as wage earner or parent. This sense of purpose can improve life satisfaction and happiness.
• Reduces blood pressure:
According to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, older adults who volunteered for at least 200 hours annually decrease their risk of high blood pressure by 40 percent. This also may lower risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Eliminates feelings of isolation: Volunteers working
together link people to others and their communities. This can help people overcome feelings of isolation, which may come from being new to a community or being a senior and having a smaller social circle.
• Increases happiness: Those who volunteer regu -
Unique ways to volunteer
Individuals can give back to their communities in various ways. Some may sign up to work with a local fire company, while others may help to organize community-wide events that inspire people to get out, meet their neighbors and take pride in their towns and cities. Indeed, the opportunities to make a difference in one’s community abound, especially for those willing to consider unique ways to volunteer.
• Share your expertise. Established professionals with ample experience
in a given arena can be particularly helpful with community initiatives. For example, experienced project managers can volunteer with local government offices and help to plan town-wide celebrations that bring locals and local retailers together. Experienced accounting professionals may volunteer with local senior centers to offer complementary or lowcost tax services to aging community members living on fixed incomes.
• Help to raise funds. Fundraising may not be the first activity individ-
uals associate with volunteering, but charitable organizations must be able to continuously raise financial support to meet their missions. Individuals can help to organize fundraising events like black-tie dinners with silent auctions that are both fun and fruitful for local charitable organizations.
• Get behind the wheel. Various organizations, including local houses of worship and senior centers, help aging men and women get around town. Volunteer drivers make such efforts
possible, so individuals who want to give back can offer to drive aging and/or immobile community members to religious services, weekly events like bingo night, or even offer to drive incapacitated neighbors to and from their doctor’s appointments.
• Start a program for local youth. Adults with a passion for a particular hobby can share that love with local youths by volunteering to start a program or club that teaches young people the basics of a particular activity. For example, adults with
larly tend to be happier and more empathetic towards others. Volunteering also instils a sense of pride that can make people happier.
• Keeps the mind active: Individuals who volunteer can improve their cognitive health. That’s because volunteering engages a person in new skills, requires them to solve problems and keeps them mentally stimulated through various activities.
• Improves physical health: Some volunteer activities will involve physical tasks that can contribute to improved physical health because they constitute moderate exercise.
Volunteering offers a number of benefits that can improve both physical and mental health for those donating their time to help others.
— Metro Creative
a love of sailing can work with local township officials and develop a sailing instruction program for community youths. If reading is a passion, start a book club for teenagers that encourages them to discover their own favorite literary genre.
Volunteering presents a wonderful way to give back to one’s community. There’s no shortage of ways to offer your time and services in an effort to make your community an even better place to call home.
Ready for your next
Make it happen at Park Centre.
In the welcoming culture of Newton, Iowa, you'll find the best of all possible worlds: Park Centre's active, friendly community that you'll surely want to be a part of, combined with all the amenities this award-winning city has to offer.
Park Centre is filled with people who live active, vibrant, meaningful lives and take pride in contributing to the community around them. When you pair all Park Centre's services and amenities - multiple levels of living offered in an environment that focuses on enhancing health and well-being - with Newton's picturesque town square, downtown, art, music recreation, restaurants, and more, you'll wonder why you didn't make the move years ago.
The need for wellness exams
Seniors are a growing and increasingly prosperous demographic. As the senior population increases, a greater emphasis must be placed on keeping aging individuals healthy. Wellness checks are important at any age, but they bear even more significance as individuals grow older.
Age brings with it many things, including experience and wisdom. But age also brings an increased risk for health problems. Aging men and women are vulnerable to chronic conditions like heart disease, COPD, cancer, and arthritis. It’s noteworthy that many chronic health conditions fail to produce any symptoms until they have progressed to a point where treatment is difficult.
Annual wellness exams can help older adults take charge of their health and stay as healthy as possible. It’s possible for a person to preserve his or her health (and possibly life) through check-ups and easy tests. Here are some common screenings and health recommendations that come up in the prime of one’s life.
• Colorectal cancer screening: A colon cancer screening is recommended for everyone at age 45. Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, and risk increases at age 45. Although people seldom look forward to a colonoscopy and the required prep, putting off this test due to a little discomfort may result in
missing colon cancer at its earliest stage when it is most treatable.
• Cholesterol screening: This simple blood test can help evaluate the risk for heart disease. High cholesterol can contribute to the buildup of plaque in the arteries, making them narrower and less flexible, according to Sharecare, Inc.
• Mammogram: Most health organizations recommend annual mammogram screenings from age 40 until menopause. Then it may be possible to have a mammogram every other year for those who are at average risk. It is important for women to discuss mammogram frequency with their doctors, particularly if there is a family history of breast cancer.
• Diabetes: ChenMed says diabetes may be more common in older adults, so regular screenings for this illness can enable early diagnosis and management.
• Testicular cancer screening: This test generally is not recommended without symptoms. Some organizations sug-
gest men with a family history or other risk factors consider performing self-examinations.
• Vaccination needs: Doctors can alert patients to recommended vaccinations during wellness exams. Seniors should receive an annual flu shot and updated COVID-19 vaccination as available. Pneumococcal vaccine can protect against pneumococcal disease that can lead to pneumonia, meningitis and bloodstream infections. Adults over 50 also should receive a vaccination for shingles, which can occur in older age in those who have previously experienced chickenpox. There are additional advantages to routine health checkups. Doctors can inquire about fitness routines, stress, sleep, and diet to see if patients are within the guidelines for healthy living.
Older age may make a person wiser, but the risk for various health issues and certain diseases increases with age. Routine health check-ups can keep doctors and patients on the same page.
What to know about estate planning
Managing and planning one’s estate sounds like a task reserved for the über-rich. But that’s a common, and potentially costly, misconception. Indeed, estate planning is a necessary component of longterm financial planning no matter the size of a person’s investment portfolio.
Estate planning is an umbrella term that encompasses anything from asset allocation after death to end-of-life health care decisions to power of attorney should an individual become incapacitated. Key components of an estate plan typically include wills, trusts, power of attorney, and health care directives. According to a 2021 survey by Caring.com, only 33 percent of Americans have a will in place, and 60
percent of respondents in the same survey cited “not having enough assets” as reasons for not creating an estate plan.
The following are some basic steps anyone can take to establish an estate plan.
• Create a will. A will is a legal document that specifies how your assets will be distributed after your death. Although a will can be set up without an attorney, relying on an attorney to create or update a will can ensure that it is legally sound and reflects your intentions. In the will you can name an executor who will carry out the plans of the will. Without a will, intestacy laws where you live will dictate the distribution of your assets.
• Establish trusts. Morgan Legal Group says trusts
are tools that can protect assets, minimize estate taxes and provide for beneficiaries. Trusts can be revocable or irrevocable. Special needs trusts also can be set up. Trusts can
help avoid probate and reduce estate taxes. The National Bureau of Economic Research indicates trusts can reduce estate taxes by up to 40 percent. Trusts also can shield
some of your assets so they cannot be counted as part of your responsibility for paying for skilled nursing home admittance.
• Determine powers of attorney and health care proxies. If someone becomes incapacitated, that person will need responsible people who can act on their behalf. A financial or legal power of attorney can help with paying bills, accessing accounts and managing finances and other needs. A health care proxy can be listed on an advanced health care directive, known as a living will. The proxy will communicate your wishes indicated on the directive and see that your wishes are honored.
Knowing what’s included in an estate plan can ensure that people make informed choices about their assets, beneficiaries and financial futures. It is always best to work with legal, medical and tax professionals when drawing up estate plans to avoid any issues that can arise when matters are not decided ahead of time.
— Metro Creative
Fitness regimens for those 50 plus
Fitness is an important component of overall wellness. Indeed, staying active has been linked to a number of noteworthy benefits, including decreased disease risk and improved mental health.
Routine exercise helps a person burn calories and maintain a healthy weight. Tufts Medicine says weight gain is common among aging individuals, with both men and women tending to put on weight in their mid-sections. Weight gain is a risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Older adults may need to step up their fitness regimens to combat growing waistlines.
Staying active also can help with muscle and bone density, which can decline with age. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says exercise is important for maintaining bone strength as the body ages. Strength-training exercises put stress on bones so they can make
bones stronger.
Now that it is apparent why fitness is key during senior years, it’s time to explore some routines that may be best for people age 50 and older.
Yoga — Yoga is a low-impact practice that improves muscle strength, balance, mobility, and flexibility. All of these factors are important for seniors. For those who find that conventional forms of yoga are too taxing on joints and bones, chair yoga is a lower-impact form of the exercise.
Cycling — Riding a bike is a cardiovascular workout that offers a wide range of benefits. Most people find riding a bike is easy on the joints, and regular cycling can increase muscle strength and enhance flexibility. The pace and intensity of rides can be customized depending on riders’ speed and the routes they ride.
Pilates — Joseph Pilates developed an exercise routine that now bears his name
Tips to avoid exercise injuries after age 50
Exercise is a necessary component of good health. Physical activity improves overall well-being and can help a person maintain a healthy weight and bone density while improving flexibility and muscle strength. It is essential that people continue to exercise into their golden years for all of the reasons mentioned above. But adults age 50 and older should find an exercise program that won’t make them vulnerable to injury.
AARP and the Consumer Product Safety Commission says exercise-related visits to the emergency room sur-
passed 107,000 for those aged 50 and older in 2020. That figure was even smaller than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic being in effect. Poor form when exercising can be worse for an older adult than doing no exercise at all, particularly for people with arthritis or preexisting conditions. Older adults can keep these tips in mind to avoid exercise-related injuries.
• Ease into exercise. It is good to be excited about exercise, but jumping in too quickly or intensely is a recipe for injury. This is particularly true in strength training
in the early twentieth century. Pilates emphasizes core strength and stability, but works all the major muscle groups in the body. Since it is another low-impact exercise, it can be suitable for people with joint issues.
Body weight exercises — As individuals age, they may find that working with dumbells, barbells or weight equipment at the gym is too taxing. Using body weight to build strength is a low-intensity option. Squats, wall push-ups, chair pushups, and resistance bands can be used to
build strength.
Walking — Walking is an unsung hero in the fitness realm. According to Better Health Channel, just 30 minutes of walking every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance. Walking is low-impact and less taxing on joints than jogging or running.
Seniors have a host of options to stay active as they navigate their changing fitness needs.
when lifting too much weight can cause injuries like rotator cuff tears and lower back strain.
• Stretch regularly. Johns Hopkins Medicine says as a body ages, tendons get thicker and less elastic. Stretching can help counter this occurrence and help prevent injuries at age 50 or older. Stretching should be done slowly and smoothly. Do not force stretches or speed through them.
• Incorporate strength training. It is important to prevent muscle atrophy as you age, and strength training can help achieve that. Strength training
also helps reduce the risk of bone fractures later in life. However, start slowly at minimal weight and low repetitions, and gradually build up. Try 10 to 12 repetitions to start. Work with a qualified physical therapist or personal trainer to learn the proper form.
• Warm up before exercise. Warming up involves slow motions to acclimate the body to exercise. It may include walking and other full-body move-
ments. As opposed to stretching, a warm-up involves movements similar to the workout but done more slowly. Warm-ups increase blood flow to the muscles and improve tissue elasticity, says AARP.
• Vary your activities. Switch up the exercises you do so that you focus on different muscle groups on alternating days. This can help avoid overuse injuries that occur from working one part of the body or mus-
cle group too frequently, according to Intermountain Health.
• Invest in good shoes. Choose workout footwear that is comfortable, supportive and designed for the activity you will be doing. Shop for athletic footwear in the afternoon to account for foot swelling.
Older adults need to take extra precautions to avoid injuries while staying fit.
— Metro Creative
Past
Our roots were established as far back as the 1920s. The providers of Newton Clinic have been caring for this community for more than 80 years.
Present
We want to make you better when you are sick, keep you healthy when you are well, help you grow your family when a little one is on the way, and help you say goodbye in peace when your journey is done.
Our clinic continues to grow to meet your needs. Whether you want a male provider or a female one, a new graduate or a veteran doc, we have the right health-care provider for you.
Every patient has a choice. Thank you for turning to Newton Clinic. Thank you for letting us treat you... like family.
Steve Hill, M.D. Family Practice
T. Y. Chan, D.O. Internal Medicine
Orville Bunker, M.D. Family Practice
Min Pak, M.D. Family Practice
Mureema Solberg, M.D. Family Practice
Zack Alexander, M.D., CCD Family Practice
Duane Jolivette, M.D. Family Practice
Andrew Cope, D.O. Family Practice
Nicole Ferguson, D.O. Family Practice
Luke Perrin, M.D. Family Practice
Tara Gravenstine, M.D. Family Practice
Dr. Zach Bliek Podiatrist
Dr. Patrick Cogley Family Practice
Pediatrics Kelsey Tish, ARNP, FNP-C Family Practice
Jodi Holloway. ARNP, FNP-C Family Practice
Laurie Siddall, ARNP, FNP-C Family Practice
Dr. Dennis Dornbier OBGYN Dr. Sydney Rice D.O. Family Practice