Just as physical exercise keeps our bodies strong, engaging in activities that stimulate our brains can help keep our minds sharp and agile. At OceanView, we understand the significance of cognitive health and have curated a list of mental sharpness techniques that can help seniors stimulate their brains. Keep reading to learn more! Read more
The winter season brings with it festive cheer, hot cocoa, and cozy evenings indoors. Unfortunately, it also brings icy sidewalks, cold winds, snow-covered driveways, and slippery roads that can pose a serious risk to seniors. However, there are many simple steps that seniors can take to protect themselves! In this blog post, we will outline 8 winter safety tips for seniors and discuss how a senior living community can help you stay safe and happy during the Maine winter. Read more
The chance of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease increases as we age. It’s a growing problem around the world that affects millions of people’s cognitive function, memory, behavior, and ability to perform daily activities. It can be a scary thought, especially for seniors who want to maintain their quality of life for as long as possible.
While there is no proven way to prevent or cure dementia, there are several known ways to reduce risk of dementia development. Read more
Aging is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean that we have to let it rule our lives. One of the best things that seniors can do to maximize daily quality of life is to exercise regularly. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the health benefits of exercise for seniors, offer six tips for working regular exercise into your retirement schedule, and list some of the best exercises for seniors. Read more
May is National Stroke Awareness Month. According to the National Institute on Aging, strokes are the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and risk increases with age. The good news is that strokes can often be caught early and properly managed if you know what to look for. Keep reading below for important facts about stroke symptoms in seniors – plus, what you can do to help keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Read more
Fiber is an incredibly important part of our diet – it helps us maintain digestive and gut health, which is essential to overall wellness. As we age, the body’s metabolism will naturally slow down and can lead to a harder time keeping weight off, higher levels of blood sugar and cholesterol, and other possible health risks. Fiber lessens the impact of these health concerns by regulating digestion and keeping you healthy! Read more
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as seasonal depression, is a common mental health condition that can be exacerbated in the darkness of winter months. It’s especially common in areas that have more intense winters like Maine, where the days become shorter and there are longer periods of darkness. Though seasonal depression can impact individuals of any age, older adults may be especially vulnerable. This is why it’s essential to understand seasonal depression in seniors and learn how you can counter the effects of SAD during the winter months. Read more
This is part of an ongoing series of lectures about issues impacting older adults, which OceanView at Falmouth sponsors for residents and members of the community. To find out about future programs at OceanView at Falmouth, go to oceanviewrc.com.
Hearing loss is surprisingly common — roughly one in three people between ages 65 to 74 has hearing loss, and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing, according to National Institute on Aging. And yet those with hearing loss wait an average of seven years to seek help, after they first start experiencing symptoms.
Waiting can have consequences, as undetected hearing loss is linked with a myriad of health issues, including diabetes, hypertension, social isolation and anxiety. What’s more, those with hearing loss experience cognitive decline up to 40% faster than those with normal hearing, research shows.
“There’s a lot of denial,” says Debra Bare-Rogers, an Advocate for Telecommunications Relay Services for Disability Rights Maine. “People think, ‘I’m not old enough,’ but they don’t realize it can happen at any age.” Bare-Rogers, who sits on the board of the Association of Late Deafened Adults, began experiencing hearing loss when she was in her early 40s.
Bare-Rogers, who serves on the board of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) and is a certified Hearing Loss Peer Mentor, recently came to OceanView at Falmouth to speak with the community about the effects of untreated hearing loss, and tell them about resources for support.
Here are five insights she offered:
The signs of hearing loss can be different for each individual, but it’s a good idea to get checked if you find yourself frequently asking people to repeat themselves, or turning up the volume of the radio and TV on a regular basis. It may sound like people are constantly mumbling or muffling their words, or you feel like you’re constantly catching just parts of conversations.
The doctor can do an exam to find out if there is some physical cause of the hearing difficulties, like a buildup of earwax, or some other obstruction in the ear, which can be easily remedied in an office visit. In some cases, inflammation in the ear, or structural abnormalities in the bones of the ear can cause issues. The doctor can also conduct some basic screening tests to find out how you’re responding to sounds. If necessary, the doctor will refer you to an audiologist or an Ears, Nose, and Throat doctor (ENT), for further screening.
If you do find that you need a hearing aid, or another type of amplification device, be patient. Often people think that once they spend the money on hearing aids, it should be a quick fix, but it takes a while to adjust and have hearing aids adjusted to meet your needs, and getting used to wearing them in your everyday life.
If you are having trouble hearing, regardless of whether you have any sort of amplification device, it’s important to let people know that you have a hearing problem. Ask them to face you and speak slowly and more clearly, and let them know if you don’t understand.
If you’re struggling with hearing loss, there are many resources and services that can help make everyday life easier, from free speech-to-text apps for smart phones to teleconference captioning services to pocket-sized assisted listening devices which amplify incoming sound. You can also take advantage of services like Maine Relay, a free statewide service that connects telephone users with individuals who are experiencing hearing loss. Qualified applicants can receiver specialized phones or hearing aids through the Telecommunications Equipment Program: https://drme.org/deaf-services/tep
Contact Debra-Bare Rogers at Disability Rights Maine at drogers@drme.org
To find out about future programs for older adults at OceanView at Falmouth, go to oceanviewrc.com.
What is the connection between exercise and memory? Brain health can be complicated, and there is still plenty of research to be done to fully understand how memory loss can occur. That said, what we do know is that there are simple ways you can reduce the risks of cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia – specifically, with exercise! Read more
Joint pain is no joke. Uncomfortable at best and debilitating at its worst, nothing puts a damper on your day-to-day life like dealing with painful joints. Luckily, there are several simple at-home remedies and lifestyle changes you can incorporate to help ease this pain! Keep reading below for our best tips on how to help joint pain naturally. Read more
