Prostate Cancer Diagnosis: It’s much more common then you think, occurring in 1 in every 6 men. Early diagnosis is critical and unfortunately not taken quickly enough due to embarrassment and anxiety amongst men towards the detection procedures. Well, early detection can be what saves your life and here’s what to expect:

1. Prostate Cancer Screening

• DRE – One method used to screen for prostate cancer is a (DRE) Digital Rectal Exam. A physician can typically feel an enlarged prostate this way and also notice any abnormalities or asymmetries digitally.

• PSA – The second method is a (PSA) or Prostate Specific Antigen: This is a blood test that seeks out the protein a prostate produces. The higher the PSA result the higher the presence of prostate cancer will be. The cut off being 4.0 ng/ml (anything above is viewed as abnormal).

If either of these tests used for screening prostate cancer have abnormal results you will have to receive further evaluation which are outlined below.

2. Biopsy – allows doctors to extract cells that can be examined under a microscope. This is done using (TRUS) a trans-rectal ultrasound, a thin cylinder which produces sound waves that bounce of tissues giving doctors a better idea of where the best spots to extract a biopsy from. .

3.  Grading – Once the tissue is examined by a pathologist it is either benign or cancerous. If it is cancerous, it’s graded on the Gleason scale ranging from 2 – 10, the higher the number on the scale; the more aggressive the grade of cancer.

4.  Staging and Treatment – After it’s graded, it will be given a Stage (meaning rate of progression) through an extraction and examination of the lymph nodes.

Keeping an open dialogue through the diagnosis procedure and gaining knowledge, it helps eliminate anxiety and uncertainty in elders.

Remember it’s your body and your life; by taking proactive steps towards your health and by being open with your doctor about symptoms you may be experiencing, you can save your own life.

Sources:

1. Urology Channel

2. Medicine Net

3. OncoLink

4. PR Web

Image: jupiterimages.com

Getting older comes with many trials and tribulations that can really bring seniors down, so as friends, family members and caregivers, it’s up to us to try and lift their spirits and keep them happy when we notice that their emotions seem to be getting the best of them.

1. Encourage physical activity – exercise releases hormones which can help stave off depression. Instead of sitting around at home during a visit with a senior, go out for a walk or pick another activity that’s well suited to the senior’s physical capabilities.
2. Create social situations – the best way to boost senior morale and prevent loneliness is to get them involved in social situations. Invite your senior to a party or encourage them to join a social activity.
3.  Help maintain a healthy diet – studies have proven that a well-balanced diet can prevent depression, so keep your senior’s fridge well stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables.
4. Offer support – if your efforts just don’t seem to boost your senior’s morale or they continue to struggle with elderly depression, make sure they know you are willing to listen to anything on their mind. If they aren’t comfortable talking with a friend or family member, encourage them to speak with a counselor or join a support group for seniors.
5. Encourage their hobbies – while some seniors may withdraw from activities they enjoy, encourage your senior to keep them up or find some new things that interest him/her.
6. Improve the living space – if your senior spends a lot of time in his/her home, even if it’s in an assisted living facility, personalize the space to help them feel comfortable. Photos, décor in their favorite colors and other personal comforts will help seniors feel like they belong there!

Sources:

1. Senior Journal: Kara Gavin
2. Everyday Health

You don’t have to be a caregiver to worry about how your loved ones are going to fare in retirement. But you do want to have an idea about what their plans are, and what role you will need to play to help them do more than just survive their senior years. Start talking early, and keep these tips in mind:

1. Start early – talk to your parents about their retirement plans by the time they are 50…earlier is okay too, but don’t wait too long! However, if your parents are already retired, it’s not too late to have this conversation
2. Know their retirement goals – where do your parents want to live when they retire? Do they want to remain in Boston? Do they want to travel? Do they want to take on any new hobbies or continue with old ones? This will help determine their financial needs for retirement
3. How much? – you might not feel comfortable asking your parents about their finances, but it’s important to know if they have saved enough to get them through their retirement, while still meeting their goals. Ensure you let them know that they can’t live on their Social Security Benefits alone; according to studies, these only cover about 40% of retirement living expenses
4. Check Social Security Benefits – although seniors can’t live on their Social Security Benefit alone, requesting to know how much they will receive can help with financial planning for retirement
5. Let them know early retirement might be a possibility – whether or not they hope to retire early, with the economy today, many people are forced to retire at an earlier age. Take a look at the industry that your parents work in; if they are in an industry that’s really being effected, it might result in early retirement
6. Discuss health care – knowing what your parents would want with regards to their health care is perhaps the most important so you know what to do if they are not able to speak for themselves. You can also encourage them to draft a living will, but make sure you know what they’d want with regards to senior services as well as health care

Via: Senior.com

Image Source: jupiterimages.com

Traveling is already a pain in the neck as you get older, sometimes literally, sometimes because physical issues can make sitting still for too long become painful and you don’t have access to the comforts of home. Just to make it even more difficult for seniors to travel, rental car agencies put age maximums on rentals which can really limit your travel options if you’re an older adult who doesn’t do their research first. Follow these 4 tips for securing a rental car as a senior, and you should be well on your way with your summer road trip!

1. Ask about age maximums – many rental car companies, or individual rental franchises in certain cities may very with their age limits. While some may not allow seniors over 70 to rent a car due to the potential cost of insurance following an accident, others may put no restrictions on maximum driving age
2. Check your insurance – check with your existing insurance policy and see if it will cover a rental car if you’re driving away from your Boston home. Using existing insurance or purchasing new insurance may allow you to rent a car from a company that otherwise has age limitations
3. Start at home – if you determine that it’s cheaper to rent a car from a local Boston agency, get your car at home and make it a longer road trip to your destination if the savings are worthwhile!
4. Pick up the phone – while looking at car rental agencies online might be a great way to get costs, companies don’t always post maximum age limitations online. Pick up the phone, and don’t be modest about your age. Tell them you’re a senior and find out if there are any restrictions or special steps that will need to be taken to rent a car at your age

Via: About

Image: pro.corbis.com

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.314. 9873.

It’s never too late to meet your goals; there’s no age limit on success. It doesn’t matter what you plan to achieve later in life, there are 10 shared traits amongst the most successful that can mean achievement.

1) Think positive – visualize yourself accomplishing whatever it is that you want to achieve with success. Avoid negative thoughts and negative people
2) Set your goals – be specific about your goals, whatever they may be. Set a date and stick to it, for example, tell yourself “next month I am going to start volunteering in the community”
3) Stick to your goals – if you set a goal, find a way to make it happen. Don’t make excuses or let fear hold you back. Without follow through goals don’t mean anything!
4) Embrace new wisdom – you’re never too old to learn something new, and you can never think that you know everything. Take a class, whether it’s at a Boston college, or to learn a new hobby from a craft store or other place that will teach you about your new interest
5) Be persistent – not all goals can be accomplished immediately, but if you keep your eye on your goals and work through any trials and tribulations, you’ll get there
6) Make decisions wisely – get all the information you need an analyze decisions before you follow through
7) Invest in your future – if you have a goal, it’s okay to filter your time and money into achieving it. Don’t feel guilty or let anyone stand in your way!
8. Communicate – talk to others about your goals, ask them to be open and honest and give them the same in return
9) Be different – don’t set goals just because someone’s told you there’s certain things you should achieve in older adulthood, do what’s right for you!
10) Admit when you’re wrong – it’s okay to make mistakes, just make sure you admit it when you’re wrong

Sources:

1. About.com

Image: pro.corbis.com

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.314. 9873.

Everyone wants easy answers when it comes to slowing the progression of aging or preventing symptoms that can come with getting older, you might have heard that there are no answers; but good news, Boston seniors because there are!

1) Pick healthy habits that you can stick with – if you don’t enjoy your lifestyle changes with regards to diet and exercise, you just won’t stick with it. Choose physical activities that you like doing, so you’re motivated to keep it up, and don’t just choose foods that you know are healthy – stick with ones that taste good, agree with your cooking style, and that provide you with a well-rounded diet!

2) Stop thinking that it’s too late to make healthy changes – it’s never too late to start exercising and to receive benefits with regards to strength, flexibility, bone density and more. No matter what ails you, don’t ever think that it’s too late. Any steps you take to improve your health are helpful and positive!

3) Don’t let fear hold you back – you might worry that exercise will cause injury and greater problems, but if you suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure or other common illnesses for Boston seniors, then the risks that can come from NOT exercising, are actually much greater than the risk of injury when you do

4) Make small changes to your diet – making small changes to increase the fiber in your diet, or the fruits, vegetables and other nutrients, can make a huge different. Gradually replace your less healthy food choices to those that will have a more favorable impact on your body!

Sources:

Family Doctor

Image: pro.corbis.com

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.314. 9873.

As caregivers, we know just how challenging it can be to take care of a Boston senior with Alzheimer’s or dementia. But for some of us, as the day goes on, the challenges become even greater and this can be attributed to sundowning. In order to determine if your senior is suffering from sundowning, read through the 6 ways that caregivers can suffer from sundowning:

1) You might notice increased agitation in the later evening that is not present during the day
2) Your loved one may appear anxious about things that don’t typically bother him/her
3) During daytime hours your senior may not be confused about certain things, like names of family members or facts about their life, but at nighttime confusion increases
4) Seniors might be restless, unable to occupy themselves in the evening hours
5) At night, seniors might be more easily aggravated by simple things, frustrated with themselves and those around them
6) Seniors are likely to become less cooperative with caregivers at nighttime

In order to cope with sundowning as a caregiver, and help your senior get through the trials and tribulations that can come with Alzheimer’s or dementia, look for a nighttime program in your Boston neighborhood that is similar to ElderServe at night offered in New York. These programs occupy seniors in a safe environment during the evening hours and overnight, providing caregivers with respite during a tough time of the day and ensuring that seniors remain occupied and enjoy the time!

Sources:

1. New York Times
2. Health Central

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.314. 9873.

One in 3 women over the age of 60 have problems controlling their bladders, while 35% have received a firm diagnosis of urinary incontinence. Although incontinence is an issue that isn’t as widespread for men, many older males in Boston struggle with bladder control, and for many, this can occur even before they reach their senior years. With urinary incontinence occurring in older adults who are not yet seniors, or who have just entered that demographic, this is a very real and sometimes embarrassing issue that many need to deal with when at the office or at work.

If this private issue is your reality, here are 10 ways you can deal with incontinence at work:

1. Get the right pads – menstrual pads are not designed the same as pads for incontinence, get some good quality absorbent pads that can also help to control odor. These will come in handy during a long, important meeting when you can’t escape to the bathroom
2). Practice odor prevention – some incontinence products release a pleasant odor when in contact with fluid, or you can buy sprays to help control the effects of incontinence
3. Use a tampon – for women, tampons also put pressure on the urethra which can also help to control leaks that come with incontinence
4. Watch what you drink – despite the need to remain hydrated, during a long meeting, avoid drinking too much water or coffee, otherwise you’ll have a full bladder and might leak when you stand
5. Consider your wardrobe – choosing darker colored suits for the office will help to mask the presence of fluid
6. Do kegels – to strengthen bladder muscles, regularly contract the muscles you’d use to stop the flow of urine
7. Train your bladder – try to slowly increase the time between bathroom visits until you can go between 3-4 hours between trips
8. Use a pessary – most common to help bladder weakness after pregnancy, a pessary can help to control incontinence
9. Use deep breathing – when you feel the urge to go, practice deep breathing for 5 minutes until the need passes.
10.  Tighten the pelvic muscles – when you’re going to laugh or cough, tighten the pelvic muscles to prevent leakage

Sources:

1. Web MD
2. Wikipedia

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.314. 9873.

Many Boston families worry about how safe their elderly loved ones are when they get behind the wheel of the car. They worry that driving skills decline with age – and while in theory the driving skills themselves do not, the important senses required to operate a vehicle as safely and effectively at 80 as you did when you were 30 just aren’t what they used to be. So what is it that changes that can result in a decline of driving skills with age?

• Sensing behind the wheel changes, with regards to vision and hearing. 85% to 90% of safe driving relies upon the eyes and the eyes change in a number of ways, including diminished light entering the eyes, declining focus, increased sensitivity to glare, difficulty perceiving color, diminished depth perception and narrowed peripheral vision. Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults, and it can affect a driver’s ability to take in their surroundings
• Deciding – once the senses take in information, the brain needs to process what to do with it. In older adults, it takes longer to process information, which can decrease the reaction time needed to respond to situations on the road
• Reacting – this can be affected by a few things. While seniors might know that they need to respond, their level of physical fitness or mobility or their medications might inhibit them from physically responding when behind the wheel of a car

Just because a senior is experiencing these changes, according to the AAA website dedicated to senior driving, doesn’t mean they need to hang up their keys. But with simple techniques, it is possible to compensate and ensure that they, as well as everyone else on the road, remains safe when they get behind the wheel.

Sources:

1. AAASeniors

Imge Source: pro.corbis.com

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.314. 9873.

We all want to live longer, and we all want to be healthier and happier. It really doesn’t matter where we come from, who we are or how old we are. We can’t control everything but there are some simple ways that we can slow the effects of aging. To get the latest news on how to be healthier and happier into older adulthood, check out the US News & World Report website that focuses on health and maintaining a fit brain.

The US News & World Report site on health is a comprehensive resource for seniors who are dedicated to doing everything they can to live longer and remain healthier during their time on earth. Up to date information on how to slow the progression of memory decline can help seniors conserve their memories into older adulthood and fend of Alzheimer’s and dementia, and they can share tips with one another on fun and stimulating games and activities that they enjoy that can have benefits to mental exercise. The latest news about how to treat Alzheimer’s and new details on causes can also be found here, and just to prove that the stereotypes about senile seniors just aren’t true – there’s even a gallery of brainiacs over 50!

No answers come easily, but on your quest to better health, a sharper mind and a longer life – stop by this website to stay up to date on the latest trends, techniques and information that comes straight from the medical world!

Sources:

1. US News and World Report

Image: pro.corbis.com

Home Care Boston providing elderly services in Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Call us at 617.314. 9873.