What Is The DASH Diet & How Can It Help You?

One out of every three American adults has hypertension. This issue significantly increases the risk of developing heart disease, and in having a stroke. More commonly known as High Blood Pressure, the DASH diet can help you lower your blood pressure, and greatly reduce your risk of these very serious, and oftentimes fatal, issues.

DASH is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and it was developed to encourage healthy eating habits that will reduce high blood pressure. What does it involve?

• Minimizing the intake of saturated fats and trans fats
• Minimizing the intake of unhealthy amounts of sodium
• Minimizing the intake of unhealthy levels of sugar
• Increasing the intake of essential nutrients such as magnesium, calcium & potassium

In addition to lowering blood pressure, the DASH diet will also assist the individual in losing weight and maintaining a more healthy diet thereby greatly reducing his/her risk of developing chronic issues like cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, etc.

DASH Daily Basics

Grains 6-8 servings	Vegetables 4-5 servings
Fruits 4-5 servings	Dairy 2-3 servings
Lean Meats 6 or fewer servings	Nuts, seeds 1 serving
Fats & Oils 2-3 servings	Sweets 1 or fewer servings

Even though the DASH diet is intended for people with hypertension to help them reduce their blood pressure, it is recommended for everyone to follow. The DASH diet equates to healthy overall eating and the effects of it will help any individual not only maintain their blood pressure at a healthy level, it will also help to ease inflammation (the number one cause of chronic issues), as well as lower cholesterol. Anyone, not only seniors, can benefit from the DASH diet and there are flexible plans that can fit into a vegetarian’s diet, as well. 

Since 1996, Always Best Care Senior Services has been providing exceptional compassionate care in Canada and the United States. With franchises all over North America, they take pride in the experience and dedication provided by their skilled and highly-trained caregivers. If you live in the Greater Cleveland area and are interested in in-home health care in Grafton or other options in senior care in Medina, you can call the Always Best Care Grafton location at 440-791-7177 or email them at jbechtold@abc-seniors.com and set up a free consultation. 

Certain Medications Can Raise The Risk Of Getting Dementia

There are built-in risk factors for all kinds of dementia and then there are also certain medications that are suspected to increase your odds of getting some form of dementia. While Alzheimer’s disease is a form of a dementia, it isn’t the only one. Regular risk factors include smoking, atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, genetics, age, and alcohol use.

• A possible link has recently been found between heartburn medications that contain PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) and dementia. While it is possible that other factors might be at work here, including that individuals taking PPIs might also be at a higher risk for developing dementia anyway due to obesity, drinking heavily or smoking heavily, it is still considered wise to avoid PPIs if at all possible to prevent developing dementia.

• Anticholinergic drugs are another type of drug to avoid in the elderly to possibly prevent the onset of dementia. These drugs include over the counter medications such as sleep aids, allergy medicines like Benadryl, antidepressants and more. Instead of completely going off any of these medications, it’s best to consult your physician to talk about the pros and cons, benefits of the current medications, and any possible alternatives.

• A lack of Vitamin D might also raise the risk for cognitive decline including executive functioning (following directions, reasoning, planning, etc.), semantic memory (learned facts), episodic memory (personal past events), and visuospatial ability (depth perception, reading, etc). Get Vitamin D in such foods as beef liver, cod liver oil, fatty fish like tuna, foods that are fortified with Vitamin D (milk, yogurt, cereals, etc.), and Swiss cheese.

While it’s important to know the pros and cons to every medication, if you’re taking a medicine that might raise your chances of developing dementia, it’s probably best to talk with your doctor about alternatives and consider stopping for mild symptoms.

Always Best Care has been providing quality in-home care to seniors all over the United States and Canada for the past 20 years. If you are interested in receiving a free consultation regarding senior care in Lorain County or in-home health care in Medina, contact the local Always Best Care office at 440-791-7177 today.

Seniors Can Obtain Superior In-Home Care In Greater Cleveland Through Always Best Care

There comes a time in every senior’s life when they need to start considering whether they would like to have in-home care or move into an assisted living community. Always Best Care has been in the care giver industry since 1996, and they specialize in in-home care as well as providing referrals to seniors who desire to transition into an assisted living community. There are many benefits to in-home care, as there are a great many benefits to moving into an assisted living community.

Seniors in the Greater Cleveland area, who are interested in in-home care in Greater Cleveland, or placement for senior assisted living in Greater Cleveland, can call the Always Best Care Grafton location and set up a free care consultation. During this consultation, a Care Coordinator will help you create a personalized Care Plan, which thoroughly outlines your specific needs, medical, intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual, etc. This Care Plan is continually updated as your needs change, so you never have to worry about whether your customized Care Plan reflects your current status.

Seniors opting for in-home care in Greater Cleveland are provided a number of services that fall within the home helper, companion and personal care categories. Some of these services include pet and plant care, preparing, serving, and cleaning up after meals, assistance with walking, grooming, bathing, etc., appointment reminders, escorting to various locations like worship services, doctors appointments, events, and a host of other remarkable services that will allow the senior not only to free up their time participating in activities they truly enjoy, but that will also provide them with compassionate care and companionship.

Since Always Best Care always puts the well-being of seniors first, they also provide Special Services that help give their senior clients and their family peace of mind. These include:

• Always on Call – This program gives seniors and their family access to a physician 24/7. No more running to the emergency department for non-emergency issues.

• Always Safe – This program is a 24/7 fall prevention and detection program that gives extra peace of mind to the senior and their family members.

• Always in Touch – This program offers a daily telephone call to seniors who live in remote locations or who have limited mobility.

Seniors living in the Greater Cleveland area can call the Always Best Care Greater Cleveland location at 440-791-7177 to find out more information about in-home care in Greater Cleveland, and referrals for senior assisted living in Greater Cleveland.

Keeping The Brain Agile As We Age

Just as the body tends to “wear out” if we don’t engage it in exercise, the mind does, too. As we age, our brain shrinks in size, and we can lose up to 10% of it. Cognitive functioning becomes limited and we just aren’t as sharp as we used to be.

How can we combat this? 

• Eat nutritious foods like fish, tree nuts, etc., foods that aren’t processed and that possess antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. To keep the brain healthy, we need to feed it the best possible food.

• As people age they need less sleep, however, sleep is still vitally important to maintaining a healthy brain. Stay on track by getting a good night’s sleep, and if the spirit moves you, take naps to catch up on much needed sleep. Your brain will thank you with an improved memory.

• Music may calm the savage beast but it’s also been known to profoundly affect the brain by improving not just memory, but the process behind how we think. Listening to music will keep your brain sharp.

• Increase blood flow to your brain by keeping a good posture. Standing upright and sitting upright allows circulation to work as it should, and in the process your brain will work more efficiently.

• Engage in lifelong learning classes. When you learn something new, your brain stays agile and fit, keeping it sharp.

• Mind and body are interconnected. When you exercise the body, you exercise the brain – go for a walk with a friend, do some gardening, swim a few laps at the Y.

• Drawing is a great way to keep the mind sharp. The mere act of doodling, painting, or sketching works the brain and keeps it agile.

• Read, read, read! When you read your brain is taking in (and learning) all of the information you are reading, and it is also building new connections.

• Writing is also a great way to build brain connections- whether it’s emails or old-fashioned letters to loved ones or friends, or the novel you’ve always wanted to write, writing keeps you “young.”

• Engaging in puzzles of any kind stimulates the brain into working more effectively. Sharpen it with Sudoku puzzles, crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, etc. Plus you’ll have fun in the process!

Always Best Care has been providing seniors with in-home care in Grafton for the past 20 years. With locations all over the country, including Grafton, Ohio, Always Best Care also provides information on affordable home care solutions in Grafton. If you are interested in obtaining a free consultation, call (440)791-7177 today.

Advice from Your Pharmacist

As individuals age, the likelihood of them taking daily prescription medication increases. Often, seniors take multiple prescriptions and find it necessary to adhere to a strict prescription regimen. If any questions arise about medications, it’s important to remember that a pharmacist receives more training in drugs than any other medical professional, and this includes the doctors and nurses who are prescribing these medications. So, chances are when you ask a pharmacist a question about a medication, they are more likely than even your general practitioner to know the answer.

What do pharmacists want you to know?

• Don’t ever share your prescriptions. Although, this might seem obvious, it’s very important because the individual “borrowing” the medicine might have an allergy or some other dangerous health condition related to the shared prescription.
  
• Take only the prescribed amount of OTC medications. Even though you can buy them directly, without a prescription, these medications still have safe amounts listed on them. Follow them unless otherwise stated by your doctor.
  
• No flushing. Even if they are expired, don’t flush medication down the toilet because many of them don’t break down entirely in water, resulting in traces of medications in drinking water. Ask area pharmacies if they have a “take back” program for medications.
  
• The bathroom is not the place to store your prescriptions. Due to the moisture level and widely fluctuating temperatures, the bathroom is probably the worst place to store medications because it will weaken them or cause them to be ineffective before their expiration date. Instead, keep them in a nightstand or high kitchen cabinet (where children can’t reach them).
  
• Ask before splitting. Many pills are just not meant to be split in half. People split their pills for many reasons, but some won’t be as effective when split, or are time-release pills that require pill to be ingested at once.

Always Best Care Senior Services has been providing quality in-home care to seniors in the United States and Canada since 1996. Their compassionate caregivers provide a number of services that help seniors with daily tasks to maximize their independence and quality of living. If you live in the Greater Cleveland area and are interested in In-home senior care services in Grafton, or other home health care services in Lorain County, call 440-791-7177 today for a free consultation.

Methods for Communicating with Someone with Dementia

Communicating with a loved one with dementia can be frustrating and difficult. But, then again, think about how they are feeling! They, too, are frustrated and that’s why it’s important to have several methods for effective communication under your belt if your loved one has dementia. Keep in mind that even though the disease ravages the mind, the person you know is still in there.

• Talk with them in a place and at a time when there are very few (if any) distractions. This way, your loved one can completely focus their energy on your conversation.
  
• Be very patient. Extra time is needed when talking with someone with dementia. They need time for processing what you said, and what they are going to say. Becoming frustrated will only counter effective communication.
  
• Remember that some days are good, and some, not so good. Someone with dementia will continue to have more and more not so good days, but some days they will be more effective at communicating than others.
  
• When you speak, make sure you’re calm and completely coherent. Be respectful, natural, and just loud enough for them to hear you.
  
• Refrain from using pronouns like “he" and “she.” Say your name and your loved ones name whenever possible. When you talk about other people, refer to them by name instead of “they,” etc. Pronouns can be confusing.
  
• Keep the conversation limited to one topic at a time. Talking about more than one item can also be confusing for someone with dementia.
  
• Listen closely to your loved one. If you don’t understand what they are saying to you, let them know so they can repeat it.
  
• Don’t correct every incorrect statement they make. Correcting your loved one constantly will only serve to frustrate the both of you.

Always Best Care Senior Services provides in-home care in the Greater Cleveland area, as well as other locations throughout the country. If you are looking for quality, patient in-home care or Dementia Care in Lorain County, contact ABC at (440) 791-7177 or email them at jbecthold@abc-seniors.com today for a free consultation.