Visiting Angels

Home Nursing and Personal Care Provider in Niagara, Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville

1-877-239-4397
nurse@visitingangels.ca
 
Canadian Owned & Operated
Head Office: St. Catharines

4 fitness activities you should try, regardless of your age

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Physical activity is incredibly important for the human body. Admit it to yourself; you feel crummy if you have to spend day after day on the couch, even your office job can be a drag. We understand though; you tweaked your back last May, you’re kind of overweight, or you just were never a “sport person”. But with the wide range of activities out there that are fun and have huge benefits for your body, we thought we’d talk a few up.

1. Yoga

Yoga used to be for fit women in their 20’s but that’s been changing. More seniors than ever are taking part in yoga classes. Yoga empowers you to call your body and most importantly… stretch. New yoga users, although they can expect to be a little sore for the first few weeks, find huge gains in their flexibility and mobility.

Have an injury that you think would prevent you from Yoga like a knee or shoulder injury? Don’t sweat it. Yoga programs can be tailored to avoid movements that would aggravate your injuries.

Best yet? There are studios and classes offered nearly everywhere, including in some nursing homes!

2. Zumba

Zumba, a dance fitness workout, has gained popularity over the last few years with people of all ages and both genders. The workout is fantastic because it can be low impact and low intensity or high impact and high intensity, all based on your level of fitness and what you’re looking for.

Classes are literally in every city in North America and fitness directors at most nursing homes are considering or running classes for their more mobile clients.

Zumba is fun and promotes doing what you can with your body, while you can.

3. Belly dancing

Men, this is not just for the ladies. Belly dancing can be a great, low impact workout for both genders and all ages. Many of the movements from this activity are meant to stretch out muscles in your back, neck and core allowing you to have better movement and to improve your posture. The movements themselves are often less intense than in Zumba, especially if you take a beginners class.

4. Light weight lifting

It’s no secret that as we get older we lost strength and muscle mass. Lifting light weights 3 days a week can significantly increase the amount of strength and muscle we maintain as we age. The older you are the harder it becomes to put on muscle, but it can be done. Start easy and with low weights. Remember to work the weight up over time as lifting different weights becomes too easy for your body.

In case you’re still hesitant, we’ll just leave you with a few facts. People who are active live longer, can see decreases in their symptoms from a variety of health ailments, and tend to look younger.

Dealing with Dementia

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Dementia is the loss of memory and other mental abilities that occurs in some people as they age. Past the age of 85, up to 50% of the elderly are affected by some type of dementia, many Alzheimer’s.

Dementia is incredibly difficult on the person experiencing it. Most people recognize that it can be frustrating to forget where you placed your keys of to call someone by the wrong name, but they don’t understand the emotional toll it can take on the person especially as the memory degradation progresses. Dementia patients are forced to watch themselves decline, gradually losing more and more of their memories, their connections with those around them, and often they come to feel like a burden to the family who steps up to care for them.

The stress on caregivers who help loved ones with Dementia is especially trying. As time progresses their loved one is able to complete fewer and fewer tasks for themselves and hard decisions over which portions of their lives they can control have to be made. When do you take away their drivers license? Their car? Are they okay to make their own meals? To live alone? Are they remembering to eat? To take medications for other medical problems?

Largely, Dementia patients see little reprieve from their symptoms. Once on-set begins, they gradually decline over time. In the most common type of Dementia, Alzheimer’s, the standard timeline from on-set to death is only 7-10 years.

With the unique challenges that come with caring for a loved one with Dementia, we highly recommend you use local resources such as In-Home respite care from companies such as Visiting Angels, Adult Day Care Centres, and Meals on Wheels.

What? Pardon? Picnic Juice? That doesn’t make sense…

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Hearing loss can be experience for a variety of reasons and among every age group, but hit hardest are the elderly.

Made more frustrating are the stigmas which surround people with hearing issues and the way they are treated by those around them. To try to aid in lessening that frustration, here are a list of tips for dealing with those who struggle with a hearing disability, no matter their age.

– Speak clearly

– Make sure the person can see you. If you’re turned away, you’re removing the body language cues we all naturally look for, regardless of our hearing abilities.

– Eliminate unnecessary background noise, radio, TV, running water, clattering dishes.

– Be patient when you have to repeat something.

– Give support to the elderly person trying to adjust to a hearing aid

– Encourage the hard of hearing person to continue with all work, leisure and social activities.

– Remember to include the hard of hearing relative in group conversation.

– Learn as much as you can about communicating with a hard of hearing person and what makes it easiest for them to understand you.

Are you a stress addict?

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It might sound strange, but over the last 10 years, more and more experts have come to the conclusion that some of the most stressed people are actually creating much of the stress for themselves because they actually thrive on it. As humans, we can become hooked on that stressed feeling without even realizing it’s happening, some stress can be good for us, but too much stress can be detrimental to our overall health.

How can we become hooked on stress? Well, when you’re stressed your body releases certain chemicals, such as adrenaline which allows you to kick your body into a more productive mode. Short term, this can be a great solution. Life will always happen and occasionally a project for work, school, family will slip to the last minute and this is your bodies way of coping. However, if you find that you’re constantly creating this feeling for yourself, this could be an issue.

Praise is another way we can become hooked on stress. When we’re constantly praised for the fact that we take on every task, even at last minute or when the odds are against us, we can find ourselves continuing to take on these type of stressful projects for the image it allows us to share with others. This constant stress however begins to take a toll on us in a variety of aspects from overall health, to less sleep, to less time with our families (which for most people, is actually a stress reliever). By tying our self-worth to completing these tasks we create a perpetual, stressful cycle.

So how do you change your stress addict ways? Break the cycle. Learn to say no when you’re already carrying stress. Start projects earlier and use time management to do it piece by piece around other important aspects of your life rather than instead of them. Make time each day to do something that relieves stress, whether that’s chatting on the phone to a loved one or friend, playing a game of squash, relaxing with your favourite television show or reading the newspaper. Find an activity that allows you to relax and recognize that the stress you’ve become hooked on, doesn’t need to control your life and your health.

The Power Of Companionship

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Often when our loved ones become ill, especially with a disease which will progress over time, we focus on their medical care. We focus on getting the best doctors, the fastest scans, the right medicine. Once those aspects are settled, we’re often behind in our own lives, and as we struggle to balance between our other family and our ill loved ones needs there’s one thing we forget: time with them.

Companionship is a powerful thing for any person. No one likes to spend too much time alone and not seeing people on a regular basis seriously hurts our ability to connect with others. Although the medicine and the doctors are important, nothing keeps our spirits or our hope as high as seeing the people we love on a regular basis.

It may be, in some’s minds, a nuisance to bring your elderly or ill family to your family gatherings, Christmas or other holiday event or even to a weekly family dinner, but the type of effect it can have on their health to be there is astounding. If your worry has to do with their health, going to visit them as a group before or after a family dinner may be the solution.

If you feel that the extra work of having that family member there and caring for them will be too difficult around your other hosting duties but understand the importance of them feeling connected, hiring a health care professional for a few hours to care for them may be more than worth it. Our company has a variety of health care professionals from PSWs to RPNs, RN’s and much more who would be able and more than happy to assist with your loved one before, during and after the visit to ensure a positive, healing experience for everyone.

First Aid Kit!

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A lot of households figure they’ve got first aid covered without buying a first aid kit (especially some of the over-priced ones that are on the market these days), and to be honest, some are right. There are some key items which should be available in your house, at work, and we’d argue even in the car! Having a first aid kit, home-made or store bought, puts all of the essentials in one, easy to remember place. If it doesn’t seem necessary to you to keep one in the car, consider that nearly 1 in 20 drivers is involved in an accident each year (minor or not) and that you may be able to better help someone until first responders arrive if you have the essentials already with you. It also allows you to have first aid essentials wherever you go, in case you trip walking back to your car after a hike with the kids or one of your children hurts themselves at soccer practice.

If you’re going to assemble your first aid kit, it should include:

Gloves

Bandages (Gauze and band-aids of varying sizes)

Surgical tape

Alcohol wipes (or alcohol and cotton balls)

An Instant Cold Pack

Pain reliever

Medical scissors

Medical ointment (ex. for burns)

First Aid Guide

If you are planning to keep the kit the car, a sturdy blanket can be easily made into a device to carry a small adult or child, or to keep someone warm if they are at risk of going into shock.

Having the tools is key to making sure you and your loved ones are safe. Along with a first aid kit (home-made or store bought), First Aid training is highly recommended. A variety of companies offer first aid training at competitive prices with the goal of keeping you and yours as safe as possible. To book a course with our company call 905-685-4242 or 1-888-983-0123. Our instructor can teach on site or come to you.

Remember to assemble or purchase your first aid kits asap! Better safe than sorry!

If you’re going to snack, snack right

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When people tell you to snack right, what they most often mean is trade the chips for the veggies, the chocolate for an apple, that ice cream for greek yogurt, but I think there’s something us normal folk understand that a lot of nutritionists don’t… We still want to eat all of those things.

Then came the labels, the “50% less sodium” or “0% trans fats” or the zero calories foods such as diet coke. A lot of us made trades, unaware of things like aspartame and a variety of chemicals used to lesson the caloric content of foods while still making them taste edible.

I’m not saying stop eating your favourite chips or ice cream or cut back on steak, what I am telling you is that if you’re going to snack, snack right. Avoid high levels of trans fats because, although inarguabley delicious, these foods have terrible implications for your heart health.

Eat your junk foods, but know to use limits and moderation. Read the labels and keep your daily intake of trans and saturated fats as low as possible. Most chips have 7-10 grams of fat per 1oz serving. If you know your serving sizes, and vary your snacks, it’s easy to keep your heart safe, drop a few pounds or maintain a healthy weight without too much effort, and eating proper portions will save you money.

The Power of Talk

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Socialization and seniors is a key issue when trying to maintain the elderly’s health. Human contact is something we all value, in one way or another, and whether we notice it or not, interacting with others improves our overall happiness and in turn, our health. Socialization can be as simple as going to a store to purchase groceries or playing a card game with friends. The important thing is to find an activity that works for you and you enjoy and make it an important aspect of your life.

Looking for some great ideas of how to socialize? Check out this list:

Any type of sports or exercise activity, including walking

Cards

Other board games

Getting coffee, lunch, dinner or just chatting with others

Going to the park or any outdoor place

Shopping or running errands for yourself, or with someone

Finding a buddy to try new activities

Online interaction, through devices such as Skype

For more ideas, contact us and speak to one of our Registered Nurses or Personal Support Workers!

Stroke 101

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Talking to some of my friends of a variety of ages, I was surprised to find something out. Very few of them (let’s say roughly 2 in 10) knew the signs of a stroke and what to do if they, or someone else, was experiencing one. Maybe it was growing up in a family where both my parents worked in fields related to healthcare, but I always just assumed it was common knowledge.

I’m a little terrified to think that this lack of knowledge likely extends beyond my sample grouping and into the general population, especially since there are between 40,000 to 50,000 strokes in Canada each year; it’s actually the fourth leading cause of death. So this week, I’m going to walk you through the signs and symptoms of a stroke, what to do if you suspect you or another person is having a stroke, and give you some helpful facts to remember.

Signs and Symptoms

Although the signs and symptoms of a stroke will vary from person to person, there are 5 key symptoms that most stroke victims will display:

Headache – This headache will come on suddenly and be severe

Vision problems – Again, this will come on suddenly. The vision problems may even disappear after a few minutes

Trouble Speaking – The person may seem confused and have trouble speaking individual words or attempting to put sentences together. In some cases they may be able to speak, but what they’re saying won’t make sense.

Dizziness – There will likely be a sudden loss of balance; this often makes it difficult for the person to remain standing without help

Weakness – The person is likely to show weakness or drooping on one side of their body; that side of the body, or certain parts of it, may even feel numb to the person.

Often if you’re looking for a quick visual cue of a stroke, asking the person to smile may give you the clarification you need. Likely they will have difficulties raising one side of their mouth which can be a distinct indicator of a stroke.

What to Do

If you so much as suspect that a person may be experiencing a stroke – for example, if they are only displaying a few of the 5 symptoms listed above—seek medical attention, immediately. Do not wait to see if the symptoms get worse.

If you are the one experiencing the stroke, do not drive or walk yourself to the hospital. Have someone who is with you take you. If you are alone, call 9-1-1.

By immediately responding to the warning signs of stroke the persons’ chance of survival drastically increases. Clot busting drugs are most affective within the first three and a half hours from the on-set of a stroke. How early you are treated is also directly related to how well your body is able to recover post-stroke.

Some Facts you Should Know

Of every 100 people who have a stroke:

15 die (15%)

10 recover completely (10%)

25 recover with a minor impairment or disability (25%)

40 are left with a moderate to severe impairment (40%)

10 are so severely disabled they require long-term care (10%)

After age 55, the risk of stroke doubles every 10 years.

A stroke survivor has a 20% chance of having another stroke within 2 years.

About 300,000 Canadians are living with the effects of stroke

How to handle wait times

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Wait times are a reality in a publicly funded Health Care System such as Canada’s. They create stress for patients in having to wait while suffering from a variety of ailments that range from moderate to completely debilitating.

While wait times are frustrating, by and large, there isn’t much that can be done. Chances are, if you phone the hospital every day attempting to get your MRI moved up (a procedure notorious for long wait times in certain parts of the province) all you’ll succeed in doing is annoying the health care staff who have little control over your appointment anyway.

What you should do while facing wait times is follow your doctors advice. If your doctor has told you that staying off your leg is likely to improve your symptoms but is sending you for an MRI to be sure what those symptoms really are, stay off your leg. By following doctors advice, many patients may find that they aren’t really in need of the procedure they’ve asked for or which their doctor has ordered to be excessively careful. If these people are then removed from the wait time, they become shorter for everyone.

This isn’t to say that everyone’s symptoms, or even the majority of peoples, will subside with no medical intervention but doctors admit to ordering consistently more procedures than are needed because patients ask for them by name or are persistent with pressure that they need the testing.

While waiting for a procedure you should follow doctors advice, and find out from the staff at your family doctors office whether a cancellation list for your procedure or specialist exists if you are consistently free during the operating hours. If not, wait. Most wait times are reasonable and will not cause further harm to you. If they were going to, your doctor would have ensured you received the procedure as fast as possible.

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