Monday Night Tweetchat: Debunking the Myths of Aging

Each Monday, healthcare professional, health-conscious baby-boomers and the caregivers of an elderly loved one, unit via twitter to discuss common health concerns, research, and tips on aging well.  





This Monday, January 20th, 2014, at #nurseup we will be discussing stereotypes of growing older and debunking common myths that come with age. Chat starts promptly at 4pmPT/7pmET and will last approximately one hour.






Here are a few to start us off:

Myth #1: Creaky, Stiff Joints are Unavoidable

Truth: A lack of exercise is what makes achy joints inevitable. When Australian researchers at the Monash University Medical School looked at women ages 40 to 67, they found that those who exercised at least once every two weeks for 20 minutes or more had more cartilage in their knees.


Myth #2: Bones Become Fragile And Posture Becomes Hunched

Truth: Osteoporosis is definitely more common in older people, but it's also preventable with proper nutrition and exercise. A study of females over 100 years of age found that only 56 percent had osteoporosis, and their average age at diagnosis was 87. Not too shabby. 


Myth #3: Old Age Kills Sex Drive

Truth: Impotence and a reduced sex drive are related to normally preventable or manageable medical conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or depression. The solution is keeping yourself fit. Actually, something as simple as performing strength training exercises a few times a week can improve your sex life. Terrie B. Ginsberg, D.O. of the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging, interviewed hundreds of people age 60 and over who lived in independent living facilities and found that about 60 percent were having regular sexual experiences.


My name is Leah Korkis and I will be your host. I am a nurse, caregiver, and founder of Healthy Now and Later. I look forward to getting to know you and joining you in your journey to living well, eating well, loving well, to ultimately age well. Hope to see you Monday! 

When it hits home

They say, “Practice makes perfect.”

As a nurse, it’s my job to connect with older adults and their families. I read and hear their stories all day. I've been trained to "speak doctor" and understand the weight of the conversation down to the numbers. My professional career is all about aging – the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

Nothing could have prepared me for being a caregiver. 

I’ve written before about my grandfather and the day both our lives changed. At the end of the story though, our lives did go back to normal--a new normal. Physically, he rebounded. Time in an assisted living with daily physical therapy brought back most of his strength. We were all looking forward to having him back home when...

I walked into my grandmother’s hospital room. She was there after she fell backwards onto the concrete sidewalk while fixing the garden. As I leaned over to give her a hug, she yelled, “Don't you touch me! I saw you kissing that other man. What are you going to tell John!?”

Her hallucinations only increased as she sat in an empty room speaking with her "visitors".  I'd walk in quietly, not to interrupt, and shortly after get blamed for "scaring away friends". As she slept, my eyes would darn between her heart monitor, to her, to the number on the IV pump, back to her. The two roles inside me, all nurse yet all granddaughter, drove both into over drive.    

I fought to catch my breath and hold back the tears, all the while trying to keep a smile on face for Grandma. Why wasn’t I prepared for this? I knew what to expect. I knew how to handle this. Yet the thousands of stories, the countless talks with the doctors, and all my research and training, could have never prepared me for the emotions of actually being a caregiver.

Today,  I applaud you caregivers as a nurse and I empathize with you as a caregiver. Our journey may differ greatly, but now when I look into the eyes of another caregiver to teach them about their "new normal", I allow them to look into my eyes. With just a glance, those who have been there, know. The dreaded call, the late night in the emergency room, the torture of waiting for that result or that doctor, that shred of hope that still holds on.

Fellow caregivers and healthcare workers, I'd like to invite you personally to join me Monday nights on twitter. I'll be hosting a TweetChat at #Nurseup at 4pm PST or 7pm EST. Topics will center around caregiving and available resources.

Our first meeting, Monday November 18th, will cover challenges of being a caregiver and helpful resources. I would like to partner with you to bring to light the true role of a caregiver and put the best resources into the right hands.

Looking forward to meeting you and hearing your story. 

Twitter Talk on Burnout

Join Leah Korkis, Founder of Healthy Now and Later, 
and Andrew Lopez on Twitter!

Sunday November 10th, at 6pm PST at #NurseUp we will be discussing burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress disorder. 

In case you missed this tweetchat, here are the transcripts to our conversation.

As of 2012, just over a quarter of all adults within the United States are caregivers for their elder parents, costing an average of 3 trillion dollars a years in lost wages, pensions, and social security as a result of their tardiness, absenteeism, or leaving the workforce all together. This is because 1 in 6 caregivers in America hold full-time or part-time employment. Given the aging population and increase in the need for caregivers, an understanding of the risk of compassion fatigue among nurses and other healthcare professionals who care for elderly relatives is particularly urgent.