Food for Thought: Good Health Starts with Your Brain

We all want to keep our minds sharp as we age. Alzheimer's is a horrid disease that effects all aspects of life, but we tend to forget that our brains need exercise and proper nutrition just like the rest of us.

Take that spinach salad, that besides being good for your waistline, is literally food for thought as well, says the Healthy Aging Partnership, a coalition of 40 Puget Sound-area organizations dedicated to the health and well-being of older adults.

An estimated 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease as of 2013, the most common form of dementia, and that number is expected to grow as the first baby boomers begin to turn 65, according to the National Alzheimer's Association. Given the odds, it’s not surprising that Americans age 55 and older fear Alzheimer's more than other diseases, including cancer, according to a 2011 MetLife Foundation survey.

The good news is, "the lifestyle choices you make now can improve your brain health and lower your risk for dementia," says Dr. Jane Tornatore, family care consultant with the Alzheimer's Association, Western and Central Washington State Chapter. “Even a simple mental exercise like driving a different route home helps to create new brain pathways,” she says.

Here are some tips to get your on your way: 

Feed your brain: Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet that is rich in antioxidants and vitamins E, C and B-12; folate; and omega-3 fatty acids. That translates to generous portions of dark-colored vegetables and fruits (including kale, spinach, broccoli, beets, red bell peppers, tomatoes and berries); cold-water fish (including halibut, mackerel and salmon); and nuts (including almonds, pecans and walnuts). 

Move your body: Physical exercise - even as little as a daily 30-minute walk - promotes blood flow to the brain. 

Exercise your brain: Mental exercises - reading, writing, games and puzzles - build up brain-cell reserves and improve connections. 

Check the numbers: Keep your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood-sugar levels in check and within recommended ranges. 

Cut the bad fat: Foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol are associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's. Use mono- and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive oil or coconut oil, and pick baked or grilled instead of fried. 

Socialize: Those who regularly interact with other people, particularly during activities that also involve mental and physical exercise, lower their risk of dementia. So join that book club, take that dance lesson or volunteer at your local charity. 

Protect your head: Head injuries have been linked to an increased risk for later Alzheimer's disease and other dementias as well. Remember safety first; so wear your seatbelt and put that helmet on. Making minor changes around the house may also prevent falls. 

Mind your meds: Check with your doctor if a new medication doesn't feel right or if you are concerned about the interaction of multiple medications. Make a system, like setting alarms or keeping them in a visible place, so you'll take them at the time they are prescribed. 

Break habit: Find your sense of adventure! Walk a different path, eat or brush your teeth using your non-dominant hand, seek out out types of food you've never tried. These seemingly minor things create new brain pathways, and the more you have the better.


Resources:
MetLife Foundation (2011). Retrieved from https://www.metlife.com/assets/cao/contributions/foundation/alzheimers-2011.pdf

National Alzheimer's Association (2013). Retrieved from http://www.alz.org/research/overview.asp

Five Tips to a Retirement Fit to You

Whether retirement looks like beach lounging, golfing till the sun goes down, or volunteering at a local shelter, you have the freedom to do as your heart feels. You can even dramatically reduce your cost of living or improve your quality of life. But you want to make sure to pick a retirement spot that will continue to meet your needs as you age. Here are five tips for finding your ideal retirement spot:

1. Seek lower costs for living. If you can sell your large home house and move to a more easily and cost friendly home, you can use that influx of cash to help fund your retirement years. "If the cost of living is lower, it can certainly let your retirement nest egg last a little longer," says Scott Cole, a certified financial planner for Cole Financial Planning in Birmingham, Ala. "We do see people who had a lot of their investments tied up in their house, and they were able to liquidate that house, net a significant gain and then come and buy a pretty similar house, if not much nicer house, here [in Alabama], and then use the rest of that money for retirement income." Other options include renovating your current home to meet your needs as you age or finding a home that does allow for aging in place.

2. Look for great amenities. Think about how you want to spend your retirement years, and make sure your retirement spot has the resources for you to follow through with those. Look for pools, tennis courts, golf courses, parks, fitness centers, or other activities you would like to take part in. "If you want to be pursuing your education, you might be looking for a college or other learning venues," says Mary Languirand, author of "How to Age in Place: Planning for a Happy, Independent, and Financially Secure Retirement." "If there are travel options you want to pursue, you are going to need to be near an airport or a train station."

3. Health care accessibility is essential. Make sure any community you are considering has adequate medical facilities and doctors that are taking on new patients. If you have any ongoing medical condition, or predisposition for a specific illness that runs in the family, it may be useful to retire near medical professionals who specialize in treating it.

4. Calculate the impact taxes will take. Taxes vary considerably by state or county, and you can often reduce your costs considerably by moving to an area of low-tax. Take a look at state taxes on pensions, Social Security, income tax, property tax, sales tax, and any special tax perks available for senior citizens. However, consider that there may be less help available to senior citizens in low-tax areas so definitely do your research. "There are some services for senior citizens that might actually be better met in a higher-cost community," Languirand says. "In rural areas, it is not unusual to have no public transportation or the special transportation services that people with lower mobility require."

5. If desired, aim to be in close proximity of family and friends. Family and friends can enrich retirement years and provide significant (and often free) help when needed. "If somebody has lived in the same place their whole life and that's where their social network is and where the people they depend on are, then it's much harder to pick up and build a new network of support where you don't know anybody and you have to start from scratch," says Cynthia Conger, president of Conger Wealth Management in Little Rock, Ark. "Rather than being able to depend upon a support network of people you know, you might now have to pay for services that might have been done by people who were friends. You might end up paying more." If you do move to a new community, you will need to create a new circle of friends. "An activity like golf or bridge will get [you] into another social network," Conger says.

Above all, retirement is unique to everyone. If that means going into the office one day a week, traveling around the world, mentoring newbies in your field or laying on a beach without a care, then that is your "retirement". 

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! 

Tax time tips for caregivers: How to catch a break in 2014

Caregiving is a labor of love, though the reality is eldercare comes at a price.

For most, the mere mention of tax season makes hairs stand on end--Complicated forms and incomprehensible codes that mysteriously turn into dollar signs.

As April 15th looms ever closer, many caregivers wonder if they can take tax deductions for caring for their love one. The truth is: You can. In fact, simply claiming an aging parent as a dependent on income taxes, makes you eligible to receive tax deductions and credits for out-of-pocket medical expenses. In fact, there are several ways to maximize available deductions with a few steps.

In order to claim your elderly loved one as a dependent on taxes, you must meet certain criteria.

According to the tax experts at bankrate.com and turbotax.com:

• You (as caregiver) cannot be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer. 
• You (as caregiver) must be providing greater than 50% of the financial support for food, housing, medical, transportation, etc. for your loved one. If they live with you, include a reasonable percentage of your mortgage and other household costs. 
• Your loved one must be a resident of the U.S., Canada or Mexico. 
• Your loved one cannot file a joint tax return with a spouse. 
• Your loved one must be related to you. 
• Your loved one’s gross income for the year must be less than $3,650. While Social Security is typically excluded, other types of income (dividends, interest) may be taxable. 

Which medical expenses qualify?

You can find a full list of allowable medical expenses, in the Publication 502 published by the IRS.


What if my elderly loved one doesn't live with you?

You still qualify! If your loved one lives alone but meets the other requirement you can still claim them as a dependent as long as you both meet the above criteria.


What if I share caregiving responsibilities?

If more than one family member is involved in support your aging relative, use Form 2120: “Multiple Support Declaration” for tax deductions.


Where I can find help for filing taxes?

• The AARP Foundation offers a free tax preparation service for people 60 and older through Tax-Aide. 
• The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to those earning $50,000 a year or less. VITA programs are generally located in neighborhood and community centers and offer guidance and seek to inform taxpayers about qualifying credits including “Credit for the Elderly and Disabled”.

Let your Brain be Your Face Book

As we grow older, we all start to notice some changes in our ability to remember things.

You may have gone into the kitchen all to forget why you're there or had a difficult time recalling a familiar name during a conversation. You may even be on your way out, all to realize you're not sure where you put down your cell phone or keys. Memory lapses can occur at any age, though we tend to get flustered by them as we get older because we fear they’re a sign of dementia or loss of intellectual function. The fact is, significant memory loss in older people isn’t a normal part of aging, but is due to organic disorders, brain injury, or neurological illness.

Most of the fleeting "senior moments" that we experience reflect normal changes in the structure and function of the brain. These changes can slow certain cognitive processes making it harder to learn new things quickly or screen out distractions. Although these changes can be frustrating, they are benign by every meaning of the term. Thankfully, due to decades of research, there are various strategies we can use to protect and sharpen our minds. Here are three things you might try:

1. Keep Learning

A Higher level of education is associated with better mental functioning in older adults. This doesn't necessarily mean formal education. Instead of relying on technology like Facebook or cell phones, let your brain do the remembering by being intentional to remember faces and names. Let your brain be your face book. As they say, "use it or lose it". 

2. Use All Five

Use all five of your senses when you learn. The more of your brain that is involved in retaining a memory, the better. Dr. Donald Ford from University of California Irvine's Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory states, "We need to ensure that learning engages all the senses and taps the emotional side of the brain, through methods like humor, storytelling, group activities and games. Emphasis on the rational and logical alone does not produce powerful memories."

3. Believe in YOU

Myths about aging are abound. People who believe that they have memory impairment, will most likely see signs of such. As they say, "Whether you say you can or you can not, you're right". 

Resources: Ford, D. (2011). How the brain learns. Retrieve from: http://www.trainingindustry.com/

What Does "Retirement" Mean to You: 8 Unique Retirement Communities

"Aspiring Hemingways, die-hard recreational-vehicle fans, Harley-obsessed boomers: If you’re feeling a little uninspired about your retirement options (another community based around a golf course? Really?), you’re in luck. A new breed of retirement community is catering to those whose interests lie a little outside the mainstream.

The number of retirement communities that serve a specific niche, a group of people that share a common background or interest, is on the rise." - Catey Hill of The Wall Street Journal 

That's right! The Wall Street Journal officially announced an increase popularity of niche communities. Neil Schuster, founder of niche community Lake Weir Living commented, “The typical cookie-cutter gated community is over-saturated…a lot of people just don’t want that.”

Whether you are a theatre buff, crazy for cats, a technology buff, or a retired postal worker. There is now a perfect place just for you. Here are links to a few of these oases: 

• Lassell Village: Requires residents to attend 450 hours of class a year. Setup is similar to college.
• Lake Weir Living: For retirees who enjoy their big toys. Homes and surroundings are accommodating of RVs, motorcycles, boat, multiple cars, etc. 
• Aegis Gardens: With a design focused on Feng Shui, residents may participate in activities including tai-chi, calligraphy, and mahjong.  
• NoHo Senior Arts Colony: Exclusive to artists, actors/actresses, or those of the creative arts, residents have full access to numerous art rooms and theaters.   

I want to hear from you! 

What would your ideal retirement community have? 

 

New Norms: A Short Story

It was a quiet night. The full moon cast mysterious shadows across the empty streets.

A woman lay next to her husband, her eyes gazing into the swirling darkness above her. Slowly she pulled the covers back, put on her robe, wondered into the hallway and followed the stair railing down into the kitchen. With a long sigh, the woman light a few candles and took out several bowls, flour, eggs, and butter.  

The husband upstair slept soundly and loudly. He took a deep breath in of cinnamon and opened his eyes. He quickly pulled the covers back, put on his robe, and followed the smell down to the kitchen. The wife poured him a couple fingers of scotch to help him go back to sleep as they sat in the candlelight.

Instead of getting him tired, it only brought to memory the dream he had that night. He remembered that he was in the wings on a theatre being dressed and made up to go on stage, though he had no idea what play this was. He kept asking and the lady of his dream would only say, 'you'll be ok, you'll be ok'. She then gave him a little push and just as he walked out on stage he woke up to the smell of the exact same cookies his mother used to make. He went on to tell about how his mother would make these cookies year after year and he couldn't recall a time when he had ever thanked her. He thought back, back, and he couldn't remember a single time when he had.

They sat down in the kitchen while the second batch of cookies baked. The wife said she had similar dreams to this. She was supposed to go out and sing in Church but had no idea what song. She was walking down the isles of the Church, perspiring, though people around her said, 'it'll be ok, it'll be ok'. Just as someone said, 'it will come to you', she woke up.

The husband and wife became to wonder if these dreams of terror and uncertainty had a meaning. They wondered together about their children who had all moved away, if they were just fine. As empty nesters in the 50s, they were now living just the two of them. No, they thought, their children were ok. All happy, healthy, and successful in their own endeavors. Though, as new parents they were recall being terrified of not knowing what to do with the small infant, or the teenager, or the college bound young adult. In fact, sometime now they even wonder what to do as empty nesters.

They realized then, all the new norms they had overcome over the years: moving, job hopping, children, etc. Along the way they worried about the next steps, and yet somehow they made it through ok.