Eye Health Tips for Older Adults

As everyone gets older, many changes occur in the vision. Some common age-related vision problems that seniors often face include:

• Presbyopia: It causes trouble reading small words, headaches, eye strain and more.
• Cataracts: Causes blurry eyes, dim vision, night blindness, sensitivity to light and glare.
• Dry eyes: The risk factors of dry eyes include: certain medications, contact lenses, allergies, and certain environmental conditions.
•  …and many more.

Here are a few tips for seniors to avoid eye problems:

1.  Eat healthy: Healthy eating habits can help you take care of your vision. Foods that are rich in zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and vitamin A, help defend against certain age-related eye problems. To avoid such diseases or issues, include these in your diet:

• Salmon, tuna, and other fatty fish  
• Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and many more.
• Eggs, beans, and other non-meat protein rich sources
• Oranges and other citrus fruits
• and several other vitamin and mineral rich foods.  

2.  Quit smoking: Smoking severely damages your optic nerve and makes you more likely to develop macular degeneration. It’s not too late to quit smoking. Consult your doctor if you need help. 

3.  Avoid using mobile phones or computers for long periods of time: Staring at computer or mobile phone’s screen can cause eye strain, dry eyes, headaches and many more problems. 

4.  Visit your doctor frequently for a proper eye screening: Eye screenings can help find diseases, such as glaucoma, that have no signs at the start. It’s important to treat them as early as possible because they worsen with time.

If you are unable to manage your eye health and need some assistance, get in touch with Always Best Care. They are a senior care firm that has been providing the best Assisted living, as well as In Home Care Services, In Vancouver since 1996. For more information, call them today at (778) 945-3010.

Alzheimer’s in Older Adults – Early Signs, Causes, and Prevention

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia that causes problems with cognitive thinking, language, behavior, and memory.

Early signs of Alzheimer’s include: memory loss, difficulty with perception, difficulty in carrying out complex tasks, changes in walking patterns, sleep disturbances, personality changes, excessive grief, depression, and many more.

Here are some of what is believed to lead to a much higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s:

• Consumption of too much alcohol
• Smoking
• Higher levels of bad cholesterol, hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases
• Increased levels of blood sugar
• Stress, loneliness, isolation, and over thinking
• Head injuries
• Side effects of certain medications
• Obesity
   Family history
• …and many more.

How to prevent or slow down the development of Alzheimer’s?

There’s no proven way to prevent Alzheimer’s, but is much that you can do to reduce the risk of developing it. Here are few tips to follow:

1.  Manage conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease. Many people are unaware of such conditions, even when they are suffering from them because they may not show many symptoms, especially at first. Regular health screenings can help let you find out if you have or are at risk of such conditions.
2. Eating a heart-healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy can also help. Avoid foods such as smoked meat, white foods such as cake, pasta, white rice, white sugar, and other foods with little nutritional value.
3. Stay active, physically as well as mentally. To keep your mind active, perform stimulating activities such as playing chess, learning a new language, or solving crossword puzzles and word pictures. Anything that causes you to think and consider multiple possibilities will help.
4. Keep yourself socially engaged as it will help avoiding loneliness, plus it further reduces stress.

If you need any help regarding Alzheimer’s or other related issues, contact Always Best Care. They are a senior care firm providing the best Home Care Services In North Vancouver. For more information, call them today at (778) 945-3010.

Exercises for Seniors Suffering from Arthritis

Staying active is important for everyone, but it becomes a necessity as you grow older. For seniors suffering from Arthritis, getting the right amount of exercise can be extremely beneficial.

Arthritis can limit a person’s mobility and cause joint pain, which makes exercising difficult for many seniors. Fortunately, there are many low-impact exercises that are helpful in which seniors with Arthritis can practice with relative ease. These include:

1. Walking- This is the easiest exercise and offers several benefits. It improves blood circulation, lowers high blood pressure, helps you maintains a healthy weight, improves sleep, slows mental decline and offers many other benefits. It’s okay to start with a 5 or 10-minute daily walk and increase the time and distance slowly according to your comfort.
2. Pilates- Pilates help increase strength and flexibility of your joints, which helps maintain balance. It also helps improves your breathing, resulting into a better, stronger and improved respiratory system.
3. Aerobics- Seniors should engage into regular aerobic exercises, such as swimming, cycling, dancing, even doing the household chores, that get their heart beating. Such exercises help build stamina, reduces the risk for osteoporosis, improves heart health and provides numerous other benefits.
4. Light weightlifting - Strengthening the body is the best way for reducing inflammation and uneasiness.Make sure you start light and then gradually increase the weight.
5. Hand stretches- Seniors with pain in their fingers and hands should practice this exercise regularly.Spread your fingers as wide as you can, then draw them together in a fist, and repeat this motion several times.
6. Yoga – Yoga can be very beneficial for seniors suffering from arthritis as it helps improve flexibility, stability and even helps improve mobility, which is what is often the most affected in arthritis.

If you need help regarding senior care, contact Always Best Care. They’re a senior care firm that has been providing the best assisted living as well as Home Care Services In West Vancouver since 1996.For more information about their care services, call them today at (778) 945-3010.