Month: November 2020

Pickle ball, its like tennis, only better!  Sure the equipment and rules are a bit different, but it is similar and doesn’t involve as much running as tennis. Thank goodness and count me in! You can find pickle ball courts popping up just about everywhere these days. Really, it’s the place to be and it is such a great way to stay active and social.  Like any activity, especially when it is new, there is potential for injury, but I’m going to share a few ideas and exercises with you to minimize your risk for injury.  I’m not making any promises, but it may not only reduce injuries, but may also improve your game.

In pickle ball, there are a lot of movements of changing directions quickly, moving side to side and stopping short.  You will be challenging your legs, your shoulders your core and your fitness in general. So you need to be sure to work on strength and flexibility.  Here are a few exercises to do just that.  Go to the resource tab to find out how to do these exercises.

My recommendation is to do these exercises 2-3 times per week and as long as your muscles are warmed up a bit from a short walk around the park or something, you can do hamstring and calf stretches before playing a game.  

So there you go!  Easy peasy!  No get out there and swing that thing!!   Please post me a comment and let me know how this has helped your game.

Oh yeah….kick your heels up and enjoy the “Golden Years” they say!  Golden years?  If I had a dime for every time I worked with a patient who said, “ the golden years aren’t so golden,” I would be incredibly rich and sitting on a lovely beach with toes in the sand writing this article.   But this isn’t about me.   Staying active when you’re body is like umm, no thank you, I’m comfortable sitting right here on the couch, may seem like an impossible task.  I get it. The aches, the pains, the creeks, the cracks; maybe even a new one each day can make staying active seem dreadful.  Keep in mind being active doesn’t mean you have to jog a mile, it just simply means to move your body a little each day . Just be sure it is more than walking to/from the bathroom, although that may mean a lot of trips for some of you!

So where do you start?  Start small.  Don’t make this torture, make it relatively enjoyable and remember why you are doing this. Remember being active allows you to stay active.  Perhaps you have grand kids you want to visit with or maybe you long to be part of a social club, but getting around is hard.  Even more likely, you have ailments that have led you down the road of being more and more sedentary.  It’s okay.  It’s not too late to get started with something.  Because there are so many possible conditions you may be dealing with, it is difficult to make specific recommendations, but what I can do is make recommendations that most people can start with and you can always modify to meet your needs. Safety 1^st, so please err on the side of caution and talk with your physician first if you are unsure.

No equipment, no problemo.

You can move your feet with some seated exercises and then progress to standing at a countertop.  Weight bearing exercises, meaning standing up, are always a favorite of mine because they reap the most benefits. Weight bearing exercises not only work on your balance and your strength but did you know that weight bearing exercises also stimulate bone growth, which is so important for everyone who is aging gracefully, but is especially important for those with osteoporosis. Click here for seated and standing exercises.  It may be helpful to have some exercise bands so that you can continue to grow stronger. I like to recommend the bands by JUSTFIT because they are already in a loop so you don’t have to fuss with trying to tie a knot and they come in a set of 5 different levels of resistance making it easier to use interchangeably depending on the exercise you are doing. You can find them by Clicking Here.

You can also decide to take a walk each morning.  It doesn’t have to be a long walk, but just walk!  It’s definitely a nice time to spend with a spouse, friend or sometimes just yourself to ponder life.  I find it very energizing and motivating to start my day this way.  If getting out for a walk is difficult, try using a seated pedal exerciser. They even have one with tension ropes so you can exercise your arms as well, but this is optional.  I really like how versatile this one You can find this on Amazon; MaxKare exercise stationary bike.

The moral of this story is, yes you are getting older and some things aren’t so easy anymore, but you can and will get stronger by staying active. In my days of therapy practice, I was often amazed to see how effective exercise is for seniors. It does wonders for physical and emotional health. So go ahead and go for the gold!!

Is it time to move to a place that offers assistance also known as alternate placement?

It may not only be an emotional time, but the different options and finding the right fit for you can be challenging as well. So whether you are trying to plan ahead for yourself or if you are someone trying to find the right setting for your parent, I am here to try to help you make some sense of it all.  Also keep in mind that there are placement agencies that will assist you and are familiar with the different options in the area that you are in, but also note that the service is at no cost to you. The placement agency is paid by the homes, so why not?  There are quite a few agencies out there but I prefer a smaller agency because they are more likely to take you to tour a few places. If you live in the Phoenix, Az area, I recommend Sonoran Senior Placement. This is a smaller agency where the owner will definitely provide you with a more personal approach.

There comes a time when the place you or your loved one has been living, isn’t the best option any longer; a time when living in a house with stairs, narrow doorways and things like yardwork are not the best idea. Maybe its time to make things like cooking, laundry, cleaning and having no one around to help, a thing of the past.  As we age, it often becomes more difficult to get around and we need someone to help us out. Yes, I imagine the thought of leaving your home is down right unimaginable or scary, but the reality is, there are some really great options out there.

There are several options of places to live where you can get the assistance you need, but it may be difficult to understand the difference between the types of living settings, so I’d like to help you gain a better understanding so you can make the best decision for yourself or your loved one.

I will talk about 5 different types of living settings:

Independent Living (ILF)

This is typically an apartment in a building or a freestanding home for people 55 and older where you will care for yourself except you will do this in a place where meals and housekeeping are part of the rent. These are a great option because if you are able to get around safely on your own, but don’t want the responsibility of things like cooking, cleaning and laundry, they will take care of these things for you. The added benefit is they have lots of activities going on that you can join. It’s a great place to make friends that live in the same building. In some of the larger places, they may have holiday parties, movie nights, card games, fitness centers, pools, salons/barber, etc. They often provide transportation to the store as well. When choosing an independent living community, you may want to consider a continuing care retirement community, also known as a CCRC.  This is a place that offers independent living and assisted living options on the same campus.  This makes for a smoother transition if you should start to need more assistance including nursing care.

Assisted Living (ALF)

If you find that you need a little more assistance than what is available at independent living, such as help with activities of daily living, ie. showering, getting to the bathroom, dressing, scheduling medications and overall more supervision, you may consider assisted living as a better option. This setting allows you to call for assistance any time of the day or night.  Assisted living communities can range from a scaled down apartment with a mini kitchen, to a shared living area, but most have a group dining area and common areas for social activities.  Don’t be fooled by the old way of thinking about these places as depressing, I have seen patients in some of these places that are beautiful, full of life and put my home to shame!  Often times when it comes to pricing, there are different levels of care offered that will determine the cost.

Board and care/adult group home

These are similar to assisting living facilities in that they offer 24 hour care, but typically these are free standing homes that house about 5 people, although there are some that house up to 10 people depending on their licensing and size. You may have a private bedroom or share a room with someone else, but the common areas are shared. It’s like being roommates. The benefit of group homes is that there is a lower ratio of patient to caretaker.  The caregivers only have 5 people to care for instead of 10-15.  

Memory Care

This is a specialized setting where the ratio of provider to resident is less and the caregivers provide care 24/7. The caregivers provide assistance with all activities of daily living as well as meals. These caregivers are trained in working with people with dementia in order to help them feel at ease. There is usually a regular daily schedule to provide structure.

I hope that I have helped you to understand the different options out there and can feel more comfortable with making a choice. Again, I understand leaving the familiarity of your home can be hard, but keep an open mind. It’s much easier to move sooner rather than later when you are forced to make a quick decision because you can no longer live alone or your spouse can no longer take care of you. Get out there and explore all there is to offer; I think you will be surprised!

Here are helpful hints when trying to understand how many days Medicare will cover while in a rehab or skilled nursing facility.

Coming from working in the rehab or skilled nursing facility (SNF) world for quite some time, the phrase “Medicare covers 100 days in the SNF/rehab”, is one we would hear almost daily, from patients and their families.

Patients and families are under the impression when they are in rehab/SNF, they’re entitled to 100 covered days by Medicare; plain and simple.  

I can understand why this can be confusing. But boy did we have to explain this often. Let me try to clear this up for you. 

Yes, Medicare will cover up to 100 days per year in skilled care, skilled, is the key word here.  But there are guidelines that must be followed throughout your stay in a facility for therapy and nursing care. There are some more complicated layers like wellness periods that we won’t get into here.

Meeting Medicare Guidelines

The bottom line is you must continue to require the skill of a nurse and/or therapist in this setting for something that a therapist and/or nurse cannot provide in the home with home health services.

Following are examples of criteria that must be met in order to meet the guidelines to continue your stay:

• Therapy cannot be safely provided in the home due to the amount of assistance needed.
• You require nursing care for a wound(s) that has orders for daily treatments
• You require IV medications and don’t have someone at home who can manage them
• You must be making functional and medical progress toward reasonable goals set by your healthcare provider based on their assessments. You cannot stay in a facility and receive the same care day after day without improvements in your condition.

Ask yourself:

What is preventing you from going home?  Can the care you need be provided at home instead of in the rehab/SNF setting?  If these necessary skills can be provided at home or are not deemed as a skilled service, meaning someone at home can do it, then you no longer meet the criteria for a qualifying stay.  This is not the end of the world and is not the end of your therapy and nursing journey.  Many things can be treated with home health therapy and nursing and you can do this in your own home, which puts you at less risk for coming in contact with illnesses of others in the facility.

So, do you have a benefit of 100 days by Medicare? Yes, you do as long as you meet the criteria.  Each facility meets on at least a weekly basis to look at their patients to determine if you are still meeting the criteria and if not, you will need to transition to home with continued services as necessary. 

To learn more about different alternative living options, go to my article, “Time to Get Moving and Shaking.”

Welcome to Elegant Aging! So glad you’re here because I have some great information to share that you just won’t find easily anywhere else. The articles I write are designed to help seniors and people who have senior parents navigate the complicated privilege of getting older.

I have spent years working with seniors and I have learned a lot along the way! I’ve learned things I want to know as well as things I could have done without, quite honestly, but I will spare you those details. I can’t help but feel like there are so many people out there that are trying to figure out how to navigate the healthcare system, how to stay active, and healthy, how to help and understand those that are growing older and many other topics of interest when it comes to seniors. But not to worry, I’ve got your back!

Please look around for some light and informative reading and resources to help you and your parents enjoy aging elegantly!