Caribbean Life, S BQ eptember 20-26, 2019 33
Wellness
The ability to perform everyday
tasks is something
many people take for
granted. But as men and women
approach or exceed retirement
age, many may start to struggle
with chores and tasks they have
performed for decades.
Physical limitations are a
common side effect of aging.
But such limitations do not have
to prove too big a hurdle for seniors
to clear. There are many
ways for seniors to simplify everyday
tasks while maintaining
their independence:
Embrace technology
Even the proudest Luddites
cannot deny technology’s potential
to make seniors’ lives
easier. Seemingly simple tasks
like shopping for groceries and
vacuuming a home can be diffi -
cult for seniors with dwindling
or limited mobility.
But seniors with Internet access
in their homes can order
their groceries online and then
pick them up in-store or have
them delivered, saving them
the trouble of walking around
the store. With regard to vacuuming,
autonomous vacuum
cleaners have removed the
need to use traditional vacuum
cleaners. Certain autonomous
vacuums employ sensors to
detect dirty spots on the fl oor,
and these vacuums can even be
programmed to clean the home
while residents are out of the
house.
Upgrade bathrooms
Tasks associated with personal
hygiene also tend to be
taken for granted until they become
diffi cult. But a few simple
bathroom alterations can
help seniors safely navigate
the bathrooms in their homes
so they can maintain their personal
hygiene without fear of
injury.
Grab bars can be installed
on shower walls so seniors can
safely get in and out of their
showers and bathtubs. Such
bars are both effective and inexpensive,
and some do not even
require any drilling to install.
Specialty grab bars, tub grips,
and tub transfer benches are
just a few additional products
that can make bathing easier
for seniors who have lost or are
starting to lose some of their
physical strength.
Get ‘smart’ on the
road
Seniors who are experiencing
mild diffi culty driving can
make getting about town that
much easier by plugging their
smartphones into their vehicles
or making use of the various
apps that have become standard
in modern vehicles.
For example, the maps app
on a smartphone can be connected
to a car and direct seniors
to their destinations,
saving them the trouble of remembering
all the ins and outs
of how to get a particular destination.
Seniors also can employ
apps to help them fi nd their vehicles
should they forget exactly
where they parked in crowded
parking lots. Such apps can increase
seniors’ comfort levels
on the road while helping them
maintain their independence.
Downsize
Whether downsizing to a
smaller home or simply downsizing
a lifestyle, seniors may
fi nd that living smaller is akin
to living simpler. Empty nesters
may fi nd they no longer
need several bedrooms in their
homes, and moving into smaller
homes can reduce their daily
workloads while also clearing
out clutter that can make performing
everyday chores more
diffi cult.
Men and women accustomed
to hustle and bustle may also
fi nd that cutting back on professional
and/or personal commitments
gives them more energy
for everyday activities while
enriching the commitments
they continue to maintain.
Aging men and women can
employ various strategies to
simplify their lives and maintain
their independence well
into their golden years.
Poor sleep can leave people
feeling groggy, disoriented,
depressed, and
not up for facing the day. And
now there’s new evidence
that insomnia can contribute
to memory loss and forgetfulness
among the elderly.
A study — the fi rst of its
kind — unveiled a new link
between lack of sleep and
memory loss. Researchers
at the University of California,
Berkley found that during
sleep important brain
waves are produced that play
key roles in storing memories.
These waves transfer
the memories from the hippocampus
to the prefrontal
cortex, a portion of the brain
where long-term information
is stored. Sleep loss can
cause the memories to remain
in the hippocampus
and not reach the long-term
storage area, found researchers.
This can contribute to
forgetfulness and diffi culty
remembering simple details,
such as names.
Seniors are frequently
plagued with deteriorated
sleeping patterns that lead
to shallow sleep and more
awakenings, says those at
the University of California.
This can contribute to the
prevention of memories being
saved by the brain each
evening.
This is not the fi rst time
sleep and brain health have
been measured. A 2008 University
of California, Los
Angeles study discovered
that people with sleep apnea
showed tissue loss in brain
regions that help store memories.
WebMD says imaging and
behavioral studies show the
role sleep plays in learning
and memory and that lack of
sleep can impair a person’s
ability to focus and learn effi
ciently. Combine this with
the necessity of sleep to
make those brain wave connections
for memories to be
stored, and the importance
of deep sleep is apparent.
Another study, published
in the journal Brain, conducted
by doctors at Washington
University in St.
Louis, linked poor sleep with
early onset of dementia, especially
Alzheimer’s disease.
Although poor sleep does not
cause Alzheimer’s, it may increase
brain amyloid proteins
believed to be intrinsic to the
disease. When slow-wave
deep sleep is disrupted, levels
of amyloid can grow and clog
the brain. This is corroborated
by data published in the
journal Neurology. Getting
deep sleep is important for reducing
these proteins.
The American Academy
of Sleep Medicine recognizes
the diffi culties elderly people
may have in regard to sleep.
The quality of deep sleep
among older adults is often
75 percent lower than it is in
younger people. Doctors can
be cognizant of how sleep impacts
memory and the onset
of dementias and discuss insomnia
treatment options
with their patients.
What seniors can do to
simplify everyday tasks
Sleep loss can
affect memory
in seniors
Aging men and women may fi nd that technology helps them simplify their everyday lives.
There’s new evidence that insomnia can contribute to memory loss
and forgetfulness among the elderly. Getty Images