Helping an elderly relative may mean letting them do more for themselves. Yes, you might be able to help do a chore faster, and your intentions are purely to lend a hand, but if it is something the person can safely do for him or herself it might be better to back off. The more one can do for oneself, the more independent one feels. Confidence in elderly people diminishes as activities become more limited.
Being physically active (as is reasonable) can help circulation, flexibility, and balance. Exercise classes for the elderly help to keep muscle mass and provide some social interaction, which can be a challenge as age increases and mobility decreases.
The biggest help is to provide positive human interaction, to make sure the elderly person has fun and laughs as much as possible in the right situations. Encouraging conversation and storytelling, by asking questions about experiences with travel, school, and noteworthy events can help. Keep it light and fun – steering the conversation away from sadness if it creeps in.
Sometimes elderly people feel cold even when the inside temperature is 75 to 80 degrees because blood circulation may not be as vigorous as it once was. A microwave heating pad can provide comforting warmth and help stimulate circulation and flexibility. A gift of a Cozy Sheep, sometime referred to as a Cuddle Ewe, brings comforting warmth and companionship – perfect for an elderly person. It’s reusable, washable, durable, and safe. You can check out a variety of comforting creatures, including a Cozy Cat or Dachshund Neck Warmer for just the right one to bring a smile.
Helping elderly parents, relatives, friends to enjoy life as they navigate the later years.
Showing posts with label heat therapy for the neck. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heat therapy for the neck. Show all posts
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Friday, May 1, 2009
Strength Exercises for those in their 80s & 90s
The NIH (National Institutes of Health) article, "Teaching Old Muscles New Tricks," is about maintaining muscle mass to keep osteoporosis at bay, keep weight under control, sustain a healthy blood sugar level, and aid with balance and depression.
People who stop exercising lose muscle mass, but those who do muscle strengthening exercises benefit from keeping that tissue, helping them do more things for themselves as they age, and increasing the odds of remaining independent longer. Even folks well into their nineties who start a muscle strengthening routine see the benefits within a few months.
View their section on Exercise for Older Adults and get started!
If your muscles seem a little tight at first, try a microwave heating pad from Maine Warmers. Their Back Warmers and Neck Warmers are filled with whole corn and provide comforting moist heat, without added fragrances -- a plus for people with allergies. An inner bag is baffled to distribute the corn equally. Maine Warmers are made in the USA. Visit the site for more info, and don't let a few sore muscles keep you from exercising.
People who stop exercising lose muscle mass, but those who do muscle strengthening exercises benefit from keeping that tissue, helping them do more things for themselves as they age, and increasing the odds of remaining independent longer. Even folks well into their nineties who start a muscle strengthening routine see the benefits within a few months.
View their section on Exercise for Older Adults and get started!
If your muscles seem a little tight at first, try a microwave heating pad from Maine Warmers. Their Back Warmers and Neck Warmers are filled with whole corn and provide comforting moist heat, without added fragrances -- a plus for people with allergies. An inner bag is baffled to distribute the corn equally. Maine Warmers are made in the USA. Visit the site for more info, and don't let a few sore muscles keep you from exercising.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Walks & Warmth for Stroke Victims
I love taking my father for a walk. He’s in a wheel chair due to the effects of strokes, heart issues, and pneumonia that has stolen his strength. It’s a little like strolling a child. He’s happy to see everyone we meet and waves to them on the walking path around Back Bay.
It’s a spectacular walk. There is a strata of wavy grasses, rippled water, skyline of Portland, and puffy clouds aloft with shades of greens and blues painted with splashes of yellow Goldenrod, dots of Queen Anne’s Lace and pink wild roses. Sea gulls and Cormorants ride by on the wind and slip into the high tide to find lunch.
It is healthy for my father to leave the nursing home for awhile, enjoy the sunshine, and breathe in the salt air – a great appetite enhancer. It is a good work out for me, pushing a wheel chair two to three miles, not to mention the mental health benefits of getting away from the office and home chores.
In Maine, the summers are short, and I am sad to think it will be too cold for him to go on walks soon. Stroke victims tend to have very cold hands. The lack of physical activity contributes to poor circulation and feeling chilled.
I am hopeful and committed to finding a way for him to keep warm so we can walk and spend that special time together into October. I think wrapping him in a good warm blanket, a Neck Warmer under his coat, a Back Warmer on his lap under the blanket, and Hand Warmers on his hands may make the walks comfortably warm so that he will want to continue to walk.
Post script: My father didn't make it until October, but in his last moments awake, he had a smile on his face and his family surrounding his bed. He didn't suffer any pain. I will always remember his positive attitude and his life-long desire to have fun.
It’s a spectacular walk. There is a strata of wavy grasses, rippled water, skyline of Portland, and puffy clouds aloft with shades of greens and blues painted with splashes of yellow Goldenrod, dots of Queen Anne’s Lace and pink wild roses. Sea gulls and Cormorants ride by on the wind and slip into the high tide to find lunch.
It is healthy for my father to leave the nursing home for awhile, enjoy the sunshine, and breathe in the salt air – a great appetite enhancer. It is a good work out for me, pushing a wheel chair two to three miles, not to mention the mental health benefits of getting away from the office and home chores.
In Maine, the summers are short, and I am sad to think it will be too cold for him to go on walks soon. Stroke victims tend to have very cold hands. The lack of physical activity contributes to poor circulation and feeling chilled.
I am hopeful and committed to finding a way for him to keep warm so we can walk and spend that special time together into October. I think wrapping him in a good warm blanket, a Neck Warmer under his coat, a Back Warmer on his lap under the blanket, and Hand Warmers on his hands may make the walks comfortably warm so that he will want to continue to walk.
Post script: My father didn't make it until October, but in his last moments awake, he had a smile on his face and his family surrounding his bed. He didn't suffer any pain. I will always remember his positive attitude and his life-long desire to have fun.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Joy & Comfort at the End of Life
The end of life is as important as the beginning. As I watch my father struggle with the daily tasks of living at age 88, I realize what a precious time of life this is. He needs protection, attention, help dressing, and getting into bed. My mother, at age 86, struggles to care for him. Sometimes he won’t eat his supper. He loves to go to MacDonald’s, and go out for ice-cream. He takes time. I know that this time with my father is one of joy and sadness, and I try to focus on the joyful part as much as possible.
Seeing a parent regress is not what children of aging parents expect. The transition from being nurtured to becoming the nurturer sneaks up slowly. Then POW! One day you realize the roles have been reversed.
I recall the huge amount of time and care my children, as infants, demanded, and sometimes I felt like a part of me was lost to them. It is the same with my father. Now I realize the time I spend with him is not lost, but defines me, and is one of life's greatest gifts.
One of the greatest feelings is to be able to help someone, and I am glad to have had this time with my parents. As I struggle to maintain a balance in life with my business (Maine Warmers), my husband, children, grandchildren, and parents I sometimes feel run ragged. I am grateful to have a Cozy Sheep to help my back muscles relax at the end of each day. My father used the Hand Warmers after he had a stroke and his hands were so cold. My mother gets a pinched nerve in her neck now and then and is thankful to have a Neck Warmer to relax the tense muscles and ease the pain. If you are looking for a gift for and elderly person, consider the gift of a microwave heating pad.
Seeing a parent regress is not what children of aging parents expect. The transition from being nurtured to becoming the nurturer sneaks up slowly. Then POW! One day you realize the roles have been reversed.
I recall the huge amount of time and care my children, as infants, demanded, and sometimes I felt like a part of me was lost to them. It is the same with my father. Now I realize the time I spend with him is not lost, but defines me, and is one of life's greatest gifts.
One of the greatest feelings is to be able to help someone, and I am glad to have had this time with my parents. As I struggle to maintain a balance in life with my business (Maine Warmers), my husband, children, grandchildren, and parents I sometimes feel run ragged. I am grateful to have a Cozy Sheep to help my back muscles relax at the end of each day. My father used the Hand Warmers after he had a stroke and his hands were so cold. My mother gets a pinched nerve in her neck now and then and is thankful to have a Neck Warmer to relax the tense muscles and ease the pain. If you are looking for a gift for and elderly person, consider the gift of a microwave heating pad.
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