Almost every elderly person wants to be in their own home for as long as possible. Their home holds special life achievements and represents an independence that no one wants to give up. But, is living at home the best option for an aging person? With aging also come concerns about safety, nutrition, health, and socialization. The impact of these concerns can be the difference between healthy independent living and the need for assistive services. If you are a family member of an elderly person living at home, consider how these concerns may impact you and your loved one.

Safety

The most common medical conditions affecting the elderly are hypertension (high blood pressure), Diabetes, and Heart Disease. These conditions lead to decreased physical strength and stamina and affect balance; and along with age-related vision and hearing problems can increase the risk for falls. Even in the absence of one or two of these problems, elderly persons may continue to complete daily chores using less than safe methods.

Nutrition

Anyone who lives alone knows how boring it is to cook for one (or two) people. The elderly are no different. But, for them, boredom may not be the only factor in lack of meal preparation. Mobility problems, memory impairment, inability to get to the grocery store for food items and even arthritis can influence meal preparation and impact nutrition. Poor nutrition can compound or even create health issues. Very often elderly will snack throughout the day rather than prepare nutritious meals, especially if they are eating alone. A nutritiously prepared meal combined with social interaction makes a meal more enjoyable and increases the likelihood that more food will be consumed.

Declining Health

Any person living alone, but especially the elderly, may not recognize both subtle and obvious changes in health and seek appropriate medical care. Many diseases like Parkinson’s, renal failure, or cancer require almost around the clock attention and care that many spouses, friends or family just cannot provide. Of additional concern is the failure to take medications at the right time or in the right dosage. These errors can occur even when a “medication system” is put in place by a spouse or family member. Sometimes even forgetting to bathe or groom on a regular basis can place an elderly person at risk to develop medical issues like urinary tract infections.

Socialization, Isolation, & Depression

Living alone at home, or even living with a spouse or occasional hired care giver does not provide enough mental and social stimulation. Study after study has shown that social isolation can be as detrimental to a person as smoking or obesity. Prolonged isolation can also lead to other problems like memory impairment or depression. These problems can greatly impact declining health, nutrition, and safety.

Many elderly today are adamant about living in their own homes despite their needs for certain services. These folks may need a great deal of support from family and friends to keep the disadvantages to a minimum. Even with intervention, the disadvantages may not be completely overcome and the emotional and financial burden on the family can be enormous. If you are a family member concerned about the care and well-being of a parent or other loved one living alone, you will need to consider the commitment it will take to maintain their “independent lifestyle.” The burden of care for your loved one can deplete your personal finances, disrupt your family life and increase stress for everyone involved. Before this becomes the situation, consider the option of placing your relative in a reputable retirement and assisted living community. These communities have professionals onsite who will monitor and respond to safety, nutrition, and health needs. They also provide many opportunities for recreation and socialization thereby reducing the likelihood of isolation, depression and declining health.

An article published in the Health Day News on March 2nd by Steven Reinberg discussed the results of a study which showed a correlation between purpose in life and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The article that follows is an adaptation from that report.

“As the population ages and dementia becomes a more frequent diagnosis, there is increasing impetus to determine the causes of the disease, associated risk factors and how to prevent it,” explained study co-author Dr. Aron S. Buchman, an associate professor in the department of neurological sciences at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

The study looked at the positive aspects of life and their possible effect on keeping dementia at bay. In the study, 951 older people without dementia were asked to respond to statements such as: “I feel good when I think of what I have done in the past and what I hope to do in the future.” After an average of 4 years of follow-up, 16.3% of the people in the study developed Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers found that people who responded most positively to statements about their lives were the least likely to develop the condition. Also, people who said they had more purposeful lives were less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment and had a slower rate of cognitive decline.

People who scored 4.2 out of 5 on the purpose-in-life measure were about 2.4 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, compared with people who scored 3.0, the study found.

Dr. Buchman stated that “the importance of the study is this doesn’t prove anything, but it points researchers in the direction of a link between purpose in life and cognition in late life. He also added that “more social activity, more physical activity, higher cognitive activities, high purpose in life – all these psychosocial factors seem to be linked with longer life, decreased mortality, decreased disability and provide important clues to a public health approach to try to increase independence in older people in later life.”

William H. Theis, chief medical and scientific officer at the Alzheimer’s Association, said the new study “contributes to the literature that says there is a linkage between behavior and disease. The study begs the question whether there is more Alzheimer’s disease because more people have a lower sense of purpose, or is a lower sense of purpose an early, subtle, sign of dementia.”

The retirement communities of Retirement Unlimited, Inc. provide a wide variety of social activities to provide even more purpose in your life. In addition, some communities also provide care for persons with dementia. Take a virtual tour of our communities to find the activities that suit you best!

During the process of normal or “healthy” aging, there are natural changes that take place if one is free of any disease. Dr. Adam Gazzaley, MD of the University of California Memory and Aging Center has stated that some changes in the ability to think are considered a normal part of the aging process. Dementia, on the other hand, is not a normal outcome of aging. Being able to recognize the difference between normal aging and dementia in you or a loved one can assist you in determining when additional help or evaluation is needed. When the time comes for the help you need, turn to the retirement and assisted living communities of Retirement Unlimited, Inc for the right care at the right time.

Normal Aging
In normal aging, you can expect a number of skills and abilities to be intact or only slightly different. You will continue to be independent in what are considered daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, driving, and working. You may notice memory loss, but you will be able to give details about those incidents of forgetfulness; and you will be more concerned about this type of memory loss than your close family members. Despite these occasional lapses of forgetfulness, your memory for recent events and conversations will not be a problem. You may notice occasional difficulty with finding the right word that you want to use, but your vocabulary will remain rich. Also, a part of the aging process will be the annoying problem of getting lost in a familiar place. You may have to give yourself a few moments to remember your way (but you WILL remember). As you age, you may still be able to operate your common household appliances, even if you may be unwilling to learn how to use new devices.

Dementia
Now, contrast the abilities and skills of normal aging stated above with what you can expect with dementia. A person with dementia depends on others for those daily activities that will keep them independent. He or she will not be able to recall incidents of memory loss and may only complain about memory problems if specifically asked. These occasions of memory loss will become more of a concern for close family members than for the person. In addition, there may be a noticeable decline in memory for recent events or the ability to maintain a conversation. A person with dementia has considerable difficulty finding and using the right word. The person may use close substitutions for the word he/she wants or may use a description instead of the actual word. The ability to find the right word continues to decline in dementia. The person may lose his/her way in what was very familiar territory and sometimes may take hours to find their way back. Also, a person who has even early dementia will not be able to use common appliances and will be unable to learn how to operate even simple new devices.

Factors to Consider in Normal Aging vs. Dementia
Dr. Adam Gazzaley identifies a number of risk factors for decline that can lead to dementia. He also points to additional factors that can contribute to healthy aging. The risk factors are:
•    High blood pressure, diabetes, poor nutrition and social isolation
•    Heart disease
•    Family history of dementia
•    Stress and depression which negatively affect the healthy aging process
The important factors that will promote healthy aging include:
•    Don’t smoke and limit alcohol consumption
•    Maintain physical activity through exercise that promotes flexibility, strength, and mood
•    Keep up with routine medical care to maintain good health
•    Keep your heart healthy; as the doctor says “What’s good for the heart is good for the brain!”
•    Maintain your social contacts with friends and associates
Retirement and assisted living communities can provide healthy meals, fitness and wellness programs, and social opportunities for seniors.

Some information in this article was adapted from the “Normal Aging” article by Dr. Gazzaley’s. For more research on the normal aging brain, visit http://memory.ucsf.edu/Education/Topics/normalaging.html.