MorningStar Independent Living Blog

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As You Age, Routine Check-Ups Are a Key to Good Health

While we all want the best health possible as we age, medical experts say there are things we can do to help that process along. It starts with recognizing there are certain routine checkups that can alert us to problems early and allow us to get the medical care we need. Doctors say our eyes are one of the things we need to protect with routine checkups. Alice C. Lorch, M.D., assistant professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and an ophthalmologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, says, “Even if you have perfect vision, an eye exam every one to three years should be part of your routine starting at age 55.” Your eye doctor will check for signs of age-related diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts. There are new treatments for both macular degeneration and glaucoma; and surgical options for cataracts that replace cloudy lenses and correct things like nearsightedness and astigmatism. Another important part of our body to maintain and care for is our teeth...

Balance and Its Role in Seniors’ Independence

Improving stability and balance does a lot more for an older adult than simply being able to walk around the house. It can protect seniors from unexpected slips and falls, which is the leading cause of injury among older adults. A fall can result in serious injury including a trip to the emergency room, hospital stay; and even death in some cases. Moreover, maintaining good balance helps seniors stay independent. Balance is critical to performing essential everyday care activities such as getting up from a chair or the toilet, or out of bed safely as well as walking, climbing stairs and getting in and out of vehicles. Difficultly with these types of tasks can result in a person needing around-the-clock care and moving into an assisted living community or hiring daily in-home care. Good balance gives a person the sense of confidence that they are capable, and able to move about freely. Good mobility means a senior can still take care of themselves, enjoy an active life including social...

Brain-Boosting Activities

Our brains go through both structural and functional changes as we age, which can cause a decline in our cognitive abilities and memory. Moreover, certain lifestyle factors as well as genetics can accelerate the aging process. Carrie Ditzel, PhD., director of geropsychology and neuropsychology at Baker Street Behavioral Health, explains, "Much like muscle and that old saying 'if you don’t use it, you lose it,' using your brain can help protect it, to an extent, from some typical memory decline and slowing." So, what should we do to help keep our brain as healthy as possible? Experts say it is helpful to routinely engage in stimulating, challenging activities as well as to keep moving. Rather than just looking at exercise as something to aid in weight loss, it should be something we do to keep our bodies running better and help us feel more energetic. Choose exercises you enjoy including senior friendly ones such as Tai chi, yoga, swimming or hiking/walking. Studies al...

As You Age, Live a Healthier, More Active Life

Studies show more people are living over a decade or more in poor physical and mental health, often making it difficult to care for themselves. Since we are living much longer than our ancestors, scientists are looking at ways to help us live a healthier, more active life. An article in National Geographic writes about current research focused on trying to boost a person’s active, disease-free years. The concept, known as “healthspan,” has researchers looking at ways to “understand the underlying mechanisms of aging, working to identify health-promoting genes, and zeroing in on steps in our daily lives to improve our healthspan.” While over the last few years we have seen articles promoting drugs as a way to increase longevity, Sharon Inouye, a Harvard Medical School physician-scientist who looks at aging issues, says prevention may be the clue to a longer healthspan. Another scientist, Nir Barzilai, associated with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, say...

Discussing End-of-Life With a Family Member

Medical professionals and counselors who deal with families facing end-of-life issues offer a few suggestions to the rest of us on “how to start a conversation” when we have a very sick loved one. They say the first thing to consider is having a conversation in one’s kitchen is a whole lot easier than having it in the hospital. It may also encourage your family to start the conversation if they learn that studies find families who have talked about it beforehand express less feelings of guilt after the person passes away. Moreover, they say they had an easier time grieving and were less likely to experience depression. The type of questions to ask to get a conversation started include “what does the person value most about their life?” Other topics of discussion could be to find out what the person understands about their illness; what matters most to them at the end of life; how they want to handle medical decisions; and what their fears and physical needs are. As a family member, you...

Lifestyle Changes Can Reduce Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes affect millions of Americans, and every year more than a million people are diagnosed with the disease. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) reports in 2021, 38.4 million Americans, or 11.6% of the population, had diabetes. Of that number 2 million had type 1 diabetes, which includes more than 300,000 children and adolescents. Seniors aged 65 years and older make up a large percentage of Americans with the disease at 29.2% or 16.5 million seniors (diagnosed and undiagnosed). Diabetes can be deadly and was the 8th leading cause of death in 2021. People with diabetes are at an increased risk of vision problems, heart attacks, nerve damage and stroke. In 2022, the CDC estimated the cost of diabetes was $412.9 billion. Prediabetes is another huge problem and numbers from 2021 report 97.6 million Americans aged 18 and older are affected. It is a chronic condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabet...