Music Therapy and Positive Effects on Seniors

Everyone can benefit from music activities in some capacity. Some can be effective music therapy. It has been found to be especially helpful to the elderly and seniors in geriatric care, palliative care and with Alzheimer's and other dementia.

Although music therapy is a specialized area for trained therapists, it doesn't take special training or musical background to apply music and musical elements for general benefit to seniors and the elderly patients in the many care facilities.

Since music for seniors has nonverbal qualities it can promote:

creativity

awareness

expression

communication

Different forms of music and music therapy activities are beneficial to elderly patients.

Music therapy for stress can dispel anxiety, tension and fear. Music therapy for depression can alleviate a sense of loneliness and isolation, especially in group sing alongs or musical participation activities.

Music activities and music therapy for elderly patients has garnered respect as a means of helping patients deal with the above conditions, but also grief, healing from surgeries, and overall health as well.

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Five Tips for Spring Cleaning with Kids

Spring cleaning is on the horizon, and you could use some help.
Many hands make light work ... so how do you get the kids to pitch in when it's time to spring-clean the house?

Try these five tips to involve children with housecleaning chores:

Think teamwork

It's downright lonely to be sentenced to clean a bathroom on your own, but paired with a parent, even a 5-year-old can work safely and happily. While Dad wields the bowl cleaner and the tile brush, his helper can scrub the sink, polish the fixtures, empty the trash and trundle towels and rugs to the laundry room.
Working as a team involves kids in the cleaning process, helps them learn cleaning skills, and most important, models both the attitude and the job standard you're trying to teach.

Take your voice out of the process

Children have an innate ability to "tune out" parents, when the subject is chores. What parent wants to spend a Saturday nagging, threatening and hollering, "You get back here and finish the vacuuming!"?
Instead, post a list of the day's jobs, or write them out on index cards. Divvy the jobs up between the teams, or let each team choose one until the work is done. Putting the work on paper removes the tussle of wills.

For More Tips and the Original Article.

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Mediterranean Diet for Heart Health

The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy eating plan combining elements of Mediterranean-style cooking. Here's how to adopt the Mediterranean diet.

If you're looking for a heart-healthy eating plan, the Mediterranean diet might be right for you. The Mediterranean diet incorporates the basics of healthy eating — plus a splash of flavorful olive oil and perhaps a glass of red wine — among other components characterizing the traditional cooking style of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

Most healthy diets include fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains, and limit unhealthy fats. While these parts of a healthy diet remain tried-and-true, subtle variations or differences in proportions of certain foods may make a difference in your risk of heart disease.

 

Benefits of the Mediterranean diet

 

Research has shown that the traditional Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease. In fact, a recent analysis of more than 1.5 million healthy adults demonstrated that following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced risk of overall and cardiovascular mortality, a reduced incidence of cancer and cancer mortality, and a reduced incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

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We Care Online March Staff Highlight - Colleen Villa

Staff highlight for this month is Colleen Villa.

Colleen Villa has worked in the healthcare field for five years.  She was attracted to the field and to educate others in the field from her desire to provide the “best education to students as possible in order to provide the Best Healthcare to individuals in need.”   Colleen’s father passed away from cancer.  She witnessed the care he received ranged greatly in quality.  Colleen would like to see everyone receiving great care at all times.

Colleen recently moved to Topeka, Kansas.   She was born and raised in Concordia, Kansas.  Colleen met her husband in Texas.  The Villas have one daughter.

When Colleen is not working she likes to decorate and spend time with her family. 

Colleen wishes she would have known how much she would enjoy the healthcare field.  She states:  “I love working with nurses; they truly are special.”

Everyone at WeCareOnline plays an important role in helping students have the best online learning experience possible.  Colleen coordinates the Home Health Aide and Certified Medication Aide Update courses.  She also has started testing students in the Certified Medication Aide courses in Topeka.  Colleen’s goal is to provide high school students WeCareOnline courses at their high schools.  Colleen also helps market WeCareOnline.

Over the years Colleen has seen more and more students learning through online courses.  Her background in the insurance field had trained her that LTC would be in very high demand with baby boomers.  To Colleen’s surprise the census is down in terms of demand for long term care facilities. This has convinced Colleen that more than ever, there is a great demand for Home Health Aides to provide individuals care in the comfort of their own homes. 

Since WeCareOnline is an online company, Colleen knows that people don’t get to see her face to face or to see her workspace.  Colleen has a picture of a Hereford bull behind her desk with a blue ribbon from the 1917 Nebraska State Fair.  Colleen’s great grandfather raised Hereford bulls and Colleen asked her mother if she could borrow the picture for her office.  She states that her office is "a little manly" as she originally decorated the office for her husband.

10 Completely Creative Ways to Save Money

Why does it feel like everyone is broke this time of year? Is it because we just got done paying off the holiday bills? Or are we all really broke? Whatever the reason, now is as good a time as any to start saving money.

Oh, but you've tried that and it never works? Folks, I promise you that it's possible. If you really want to save money, you just have to be a little creative. Just check out these creative ideas that are guaranteed to keep the cash in your wallet:


1. Only run full loads. How many times do you run the dishwasher when there's still room for dishes or run the clothes washer for just a few towels? STOP doing that! Running full loads means running fewer loads overall -- saving you on your electric and water bills.

2. Use less. Whether it's the cleaning products you spray liberally on your kitchen counters or the coffee you load in the filter, try to use just a little bit less. You'll be surprised how it adds up ... and how much longer you'll be able to go before buying replacements.

3. Ask about sales. It's all well and good to read the sale circulars, but they only tell you what the sale is right now. If you're looking to make a big purchase, it's worth it to ask the salesman if they know of upcoming sales. One mom saved $300 on her laptop by going back the next day!

4. Pack lunch on weekends. We all know about packing lunch to take to work. But what about the weekends when you're running errands? You work up an appetite doing all that running, and it can be so tempting to just pop into the local pizza place for a slice ...

5. Save old clothes. Turn them into rags or napkins, and you will save a ton on paper towels and, well, napkins.

6. Become a swapper. Whether you throw a fashion swap for your girlfriends so you can all exchange the clothes you've gotten tired of or you trade babysitting services with another family in the neighborhood, it's the best way to get the things you need without spending a dime.

For more tips and the original blog.

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Cholesterol and Alzheimer's Disease

Although no one definitively knows clear measures to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, research now shows a promising link between cholesterol in the blood and the brain disease that diminishes memory, thinking and reasoning skills. Researchers at Vanderbilt University reported in the June 2012 issue of Psychcentral that the specific amyloid precursor protein (APP) found in Alzheimer’s disease binds to cholesterol. Because of the breakthrough discovery, researchers are now searching for a drug to block cholesterol from binding to the Alzheimer’s-related protein.

Even if such medication becomes available, it is still wise for people to keep their cholesterol levels in check to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s as well as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other health concerns. Too much waxy cholesterol in the blood causes buildup in artery walls and limits oxygen to the heart. Cholesterol levels should be monitored regularly for individuals over age 45 or in anyone with higher risk factors such as high blood pressure and smoking. Consider preventing and treating high cholesterol through the following lifestyle habits:

Stop smoking. Quitting improves good high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels and lowers blood pressure.

Lose excess weight. Even losing 5 to 10 pounds can lower cholesterol.

Increase physical activity. Doctors recommend 30 to 60 minutes of exercise such as brisk walking or swimming once a day to improve cholesterol levels.

Limit cholesterol-rich foods. Consume less saturated fats (organ meats, egg yolks, and whole milk products)

 

 

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Tips for Dealing with Difficult Coworkers

If you have a job, chances are that you've come across at least one person with whom you've found working with difficult. Infact, most of us over the course of our careers will have encountered many of these difficult coworker types. I sure have! While working with difficult coworkers can be stressful and really take the fun out of our days, it's important to remember that dealing with these challenging personalities is unfortunately part of having a job. That is.. unless you work for yourself but that's a whole different story.

Read on because I am going to identify four types of difficult coworkers and ways you can deal with them.

Are your difficult coworkers making you pull your hair out at work?

1. The Grumpy Coworker

You know the type - they walk into work in the morning, don't say hi, won't even make eye contact with you or crack a smile. While we do not all have to be best friends at work, it is pretty awkward when you can't interact with these people the way you would with a normal person who will at least say hello. What to do:

• Try to find some common ground: There's got to be something - anything - that you have in common with this person and if you're able to find it, you just might be able to crack them. Maybe you and her have the same favorite tv show - you could ask her what she thought of last night's episode! Maybe you both have kids starting school this year - ask how that's working out. The point is to find something to get that person talking so she feels like you're both on the same side. She still might not say hello to you in the morning, but you might get a glimmer or a smile every once in a while that can lighten the tension. 

Read About the Other Three Types Here in the Original Article.

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Red Wine & Red Grapes Help Protect Against Hearing Loss & More

Red wine and red grapes contain resveratrol, a substance which appears to protect against hearing loss and cognitive decline, researchers from the Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, reported in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

In an animal experiment, the scientists found that laboratory rats would suffer less from the long-term effects of noise-induced hearing loss if they consumed resveratrol before listening to extended periods of loud noise.

Study lead author Michael D. Seidman, director of the Division of Otologic/Neurotologic Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital, said:

"Our latest study focuses on resveratrol and its effect on bioinflammation, the body's response to injury and something that is believed to be the cause of many health problems including Alzheimer's disease, cancer, aging and hearing loss."

For More and the Original Article.

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Seniors Tracking Health: There's an App for That

Medical tracking using the latest technology is growing stronger every day. We believe that your senior loved ones, while beginning to adopt technology, probably haven’t yet gotten familiar with some great technology apps that can help them track and improve their health and wellness.

Many of our seniors are using smartphones in a variety of platforms whether Android, iOS  or Windows 8. The platform they choose is not as important as making the most of the apps that are currently available, though the choice of platform will dictate the apps from which they can choose.

Research indicates that, even with the abundance of available health monitoring apps at our fingertips, our seniors (and even we ourselves) are still primarily using their heads or paper to track and trend their health data.

It has been estimated that about seven out of ten adults are tracking their health information such as weight, diet, symptoms, physical activity, or vital statistics including blood pressure, blood sugar and oxygenation for themselves or their senior loved ones. Instead of using technology, they are using only their heads.

Health Data You Can Track

• Weight
• Diet and food intake
• Activity programs and time spent exercising
• Blood pressure
• Symptoms such as headaches
• Sleep patterns

For more and link to original blog. 

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Time Management is Self Management

We look to tools and techniques to help us manage time.  And they can, to a certain extent – that being the degree to which we take a disciplined approach to their application.  The effectiveness of any time management tool is squarely in our hands.  To manage your time more effectively, you have to improve the way you manage your self.

If your time is mismanaged or wasted, you’re the one at fault.  In knowing that, you give yourself a chance to own your power to change the situation.  You can begin using your time more consistently to do what best serves your goals and helps you live a better, more satisfying life, now.
Here are two time management strategies that, applied regularly, will help you manage yourself and can have a ripple effect on your behavior as the owner and manager of your time.

Make the meaningful a priority.  Put time in your schedule, at least weekly, perhaps daily, to do something meaningful, in addition to your daily work.  This might include time with loved ones, time to meditate, to read for pleasure, time to exercise, time for volunteer activities.  Determine what adds meaning to your life then make sure you add it to your list of priorities.

Build flex time into your schedule.  By that I mean leave two to three hours each day unscheduled.  Block it off on your calendar as “Flex Time” or whatever you want to call it.  The point is, it’s scheduled time on your calendar.

For More and the Original Article.
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Are Women Aware of the Perils of Heart Disease?

The number of women aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death has nearly doubled in the last 15 years, but that knowledge still lags in minorities and younger women, according to a study.

Researchers comparing women’s views about heart disease in 1997 and today found that in 2012, 56% of women identified heart disease as the leading cause of death, up from 30% in 1997. Back then, women were more likely to cite cancer than heart disease (35% vs. 30%) as the leading killer; in 2012, only 24% cited cancer.

(In 2009, according to the the CDC, heart disease was the cause in 24% of women's deaths, followed by cancer in 22.2% of cases.) In 2012, 36% of black women and 34% of Hispanic women identified heart disease as the top killer. Those awareness levels were the same as white women had in ’97 (33%). Women ages 25 to 34 had the lowest awareness rate of any age group, 44%. The study, scheduled for publication in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal, showed barriers and motivators to engage in a heart healthy lifestyle are different for younger women, who also said their physicians were less likely to talk to them about heart disease.

"This is a missed opportunity," said Lori Mosca, MD, PhD, MPH, the study’s lead author and chair of an American Heart Association committee that produced the report, said in a news release. "Habits established in younger women can have lifelong rewards.

For the Original Article and to Read More.

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We Care Online February Staff Highlight - Bonnie Henningson

This month we get to learn about Bonnie Henningson. 

Bonnie has been in the healthcare field for over 30 years.  Bonnie was attracted to healthcare by working as a volunteer EMT.  Bonnie’s mother was also a nurse.  She originally advised Bonnie not to become a nurse letting Bonnie know that the work was hard and the pay was low. 
 

Bonnie did not heed her mother’s advice and has gone on to possess multiple credentials in the healthcare field!  Bonnie has a Gerontological Nurse Certification through ANCC, and has is still CPHQ certified (Certified Professional of Healthcare Quality).  She has been licensed as a nursing home administrator and has taught CPR and EMT classes.  Bonnie has a master’s degree in Public Health with an emphasis on health care administration.  She has been a member of NAHQ (National Association of Healthcare Quality), NGNA (National Gerontological Nurse’s Association) and NNSDO (National Nursing Staff Development Organization).  Bonnie serves on a committee to revise the scope and standards for Gerontological nursing.   She has developed and delivered training for staff development coordinators and charge nurses and has presented training at national and state conventions on topics such as pain management. If there were a piece of advice Bonnie wishes someone had given her when she began her career she wishes they would have told her to get her BSN as soon as possible!

Bonnie is married and the Henningson’s have one son and one granddaughter.  They do not have any pets due to her husband’s allergies. When Bonnie is not working she likes to read, do crossword puzzles, garden, bake, take walks, do yoga, travel to parks and historic sites, play cards and do hospice volunteering.

Everyone at WeCareOnline plays an important role in helping students have the best online learning experience possible. Bonnie teaches Nursing Assistant and Medication Assistant for several states. Over the years Bonnie has witnessed many changes in the healthcare field.  Bonnie states that “Healthcare is a science and we need to be sure to recognize that the current standard of practice WILL change – new studies and research often prove what we once learned to be erroneous and one must do lots of reading to keep up with the changes.”

Keeping Your Heart Healthy - Finding a Routine That Works

The hardest part of an exercise routine is getting started. 

Once you've established a regular pattern of exercise, you'll find yourself following it. So, how do you get started? Well, first of all, consult your doctor. Your doctor can recommend the specific kinds of exercise for your own individual needs. Generally, however, these guidelines should get you going.
First of all, exercise will only become a habit if it's fun! Pick something you will enjoy doing. If you like being with a group of people, try a team sport like basketball or soccer.

You don't have to be a super athlete. Anyone can exercise. Social activities like dancing and mall-walking are also good. If you're more of a loner, try bicycling or swimming.

Don't kid yourself. Be honest about what you realistically think you can do. If you have always hated to climb stairs, step aerobics probably isn't for you. Maybe a walk around the neighborhood would be more pleasant. Many people today are walking toward fitness.

Consider your current state of physical fitness. If you haven't exercised in years, you'll definitely want to start with some modest activities. As you get adjusted, you can increase your activity.
Consider your schedule. Are you a morning person? Then plan to exercise in the morning. If you're addicted to your snooze button, plan to exercise in the evening. Start with just a small block of time, maybe fifteen minutes.

For More Tips and the Original Article.

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Spotting Eating Disorders in the ED

Eating Disorders can take months, even years, to treat effectively. But ED nurses who can identify patients with such a disorder can help get them on the right track to healing. A big challenge, however, is that patients with eating disorders often go to great lengths to conceal the problem.

Recognizing eating disorders in the ED, helping patients understand they are ill and steering them to ongoing mental and physical care requires preparation far in advance of the patient encounter, experts say. “For most eating disorders, recovery is a very long-term process,” said Bobbi O'Brien, RN, PhD, clinical psychologist at Eating Disorders Associates in Torrance, Calif. “You can get through the acute part, the medical part, pretty quick. But the rest — psychiatric issues, body image, self-esteem, co-occurring depression or anxiety disorders, family dynamics — that can take 10 years or more.”

Psychiatry’s diagnostic manual, the DSM-IV-TR, recognizes three main categories of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and eating disorders-not otherwise specified. Patients with anorexia have an obsessive fear of gaining weight, and so dangerously limit food intake. They might alternately “purge” nutrients by using laxatives or diuretics, or by inducing vomiting. Patients with bulimia, meanwhile, will eat in binges, followed by behaviors such as purging or fasting to compensate for the overeating.

 For more and link to original article.

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Why We Need Age Friendly Communities

AARP is on the move, and they want age-friendly communities. This Huff/Post50 interview with Amy Levner (AARP’s manager of education on livable communities) may be from last spring, but the message is just as timely as ever — and Levner’s campaign is ongoing.
Fact: the population is aging rapidly.

Even those who aren’t savvy as a result of professional or personal senior care experiences are aware of this fact. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) and AARP’s nationwide Network of Age-Friendly Communities program have joined forces to “support communities with information on best practices gathered both nationally and globally.”

The following are the eight areas that WHO believes are essential to the “quality of life for older people:”

• outdoor space
• housing
• transportation
• health services
• community engagement
• social participation
• respect and social inclusion
• civic participation
• employment

Sounds like a livable community that truly would appeal to people of all ages, right?

To Read More and the Original Article.

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Does Forgetting Words Signify the Beginning of Alzheimer's Disease?

Has your memory failed you today, such as struggling to recall a word that's "on the tip of your tongue?" If so, you're not alone.

Recent University of Michigan research indicates that "tip-of-the-tongue" errors happen often to adults ages 65 - 92. In a study of 105 healthy, highly educated older adults, 61 percent reported this memory memory mishap.

The study's participants completed a checklist of the memory errors they had experienced in the last 24 hours, as well as several other tests. About half of them reported making other errors that may be related to absent-mindedness, such as having to re-read a sentence because they forgot what it said, or forgetting where they placed an item.

The findings, which appeared in the journal Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, may help brain-training programs target the memory problems people experience in daily life.

"Right now, many training programs focus on the age differences in memory and thinking that we see in laboratory studies," said Cindy Lustig, University of Michigan psychology professor and the study's senior author. "However, those may not translate to the performance failures that are most common in everyday life."

According to Lustig, when people are tested in the lab and have nothing to rely on but their own memories, young adults typically do better than older adults. "When we looked at how people performed on standard laboratory tests, we found the usual age differences," she said. "People in their 80s and 90s performed worse than those in their 60s and early 70s." 

However, when these studies are conducted in real-world settings, older adults might even outperform young adults at things like remembering appointments, because seniors are likely to use memory supports such as calendars, lists and alarms. The researchers found no increase in the "real-world" memory errors, based on age.
This research may help brain-training developers better target the errors that people make even if they are using memory supports. Said Lustig, “We wanted to identify which errors still occur despite changes people might be making in their environment and routine.”

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6 Tips for the Perfect Nursing Shoe

Sometimes I (Marijke Durning) get asked advice from new nurses who want to learn something they might not have been taught in nursing school.  One of the first things I always say is: Don’t buy cheap shoes! I know from experience the damage that cheap shoes can do to your feet.

Nursing is hard on many parts of the body, most of all our back and feet. The back is the obvious body part to care for but the feet often get neglected. And, because the body is so connected, bad shoes don’t only affect your feet but they end up affecting your hips and your back as well.

So, how do you go about buying good shoes? The first thing we have to realize is that a good pair of nursing shoes for me is not necessarily a good pair for you. How many times have you heard someone rave about how wonderful a brand of shoes is and when you try them you hate them?

Here are some tips on how to make sure your shoes fit you properly:

• Measure your feet. We think we know what size we are, but even as adults, our feet can change in size. The change may be slight, but can make a big difference in shoe size and comfort.
   
• Measure both feet. Everyone has slight size differences in their feet. Make sure you shop for the larger foot.
   
• Measure your feet while standing and towards the end of the day. This way, if there is any swelling, this has been taking into account in your sizing. 

For More Tips and the Original Article. 

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Elders Need More than Social Security to Live in the Community

How much do elders need to live in the community?  How many people can afford to live independently without the help of government supports? In what parts of the country do large numbers of elders need help?

These are some of the questions researchers at UMass Boston wanted to know the answers to. So six years ago, in collaboration with Wider Opportunities for Women, they started calculating, on a geographically specific basis, the costs of housing, food, health care, and transportation which elders experience. The calculations were first done for individual states but last year a national Elder Index was calculated covering the whole country. Click here to view the report.

Nationally, single individuals need between $19,104 to $28,860/year depending on whether they rent or own their own home and if their health status is poor or excellent. Couples need between $29,448 and $39,204/year. The assumptions built into the calculation are that the individual is living modestly, has Medicare, has a supplemental health plan, and has no long-term care expenses. However, the report also found that costs vary dramatically around the country. For example, state-wide housing costs for an elder homeowner without a mortgage in West Virginia was $260/m compared to an elder homeowner with a mortgage in New Jersey with a state-wide cost of $1,871/m. When these costs are compared to average Social Security benefits in the same geographic area, we can see that some areas have high costs and higher average Social Security benefits while other areas have high costs but lower average benefits. The maps in the report show us where the discrepancy between income and costs are the greatest and therefore where elders will need the most help.

For the Original Article and to Read More.

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Aging Brain Makes it Difficult to Spot Scams

Do you remember a time when you had a gut feeling that someone was a bit shady? Two new studies suggest that as we age, our internal warning system seems to diminish, which could explain why older people are more often the victims of scams.

According to researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, age-related brain changes may make us less able to recognize shifty, suspicious-looking facial expressions. The two studies, published last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are the first to find that the aging brain sends out fewer warning signs about untrustworthy people than the brains of younger adults.

"There are cues [in facial expressions] associated with actual deceitful behavior," says study author Shelly Taylor, a professor of health psychology at UCLA. The studies she and her colleagues conducted found "quite a significant difference" in the abilities of older and younger adults to recognize devious expressions like an insincere smile or not making eye contact.

The Read the Original and the Rest of This Article at  AARP's Website.

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How to Be Assertive - 5 Tips for Confidence

The topic on "how to be assertive" is searched for by thousands every month online. Self-help books fly off the shelves of bookstores. They’re the most common books on request at libraries. From business people to housewives, people are looking for ways to improve their lives, and the most sought after self-help books are those on how to be assertive and confident.

During job interviews, potential employers look for essential qualities in prospective employees. Assertiveness and confidence are high on the list. People we admire in the business world are often seen as confident and assertive.To achieve goals in life, these are two valuable character traits. While some people seem to be born assertive and confident, the rest of us can learn how to be assertive and confident. To help you learn how to be assertive, here are 5 ways to become assertive and confident:

#1. Overcome shyness. Shyness can range from healthy to overwhelming and debilitating. Shyness is not the same as having low self-esteem. Many shy people have a very positive image of themselves, but they lack assertiveness and confidence.

Read More and The Original Article Here: http://successsculpting.com/349/how-to-be-assertive/

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