Tag Archives: NJ Elderly Health

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Effects of Aging on Hearing, Vision and Other Senses

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NJ Senior Health

What to expect when the senses go

One of the realities of aging is a progressive loss of the five senses.  Consider the following:

Vision
To see clearly, a 70-year-old eye needs three times more light than someone half that age. The first sign of a problem is usually trouble seeing at night. If this happens, you may have to stop driving after dark. The eye muscles used for focusing begin to lose some tone. You may have to start using reading glasses. Glaucoma and macular degeneration are the leading causes of blindness in the elderly. Both diseases can be treated to some degree. This is why it’s important to get regular eye exams beginning at age 40.

Hearing
About one third of Americans over age 65 and half of those over 85 have some degree of hearing loss. Most hearing loss happens when tiny hairs in the ear that send signals to the brain are damaged. Loud noises, repeated ear infections and high fevers speed up this process. The first thing to go is usually the ability to hear high-pitched sounds. It may also be hard to follow a conversation when there is too much background noise. Another reason for hearing loss is the buildup of hard ear wax. As we age, we lose some of the sweat glands that keep ear wax soft. Hard ear wax may block some sound waves, making things sound muffled. Tinnitus – or “ringing in the ears” – occurs when damaged hairs in the ear send electrical signals to the brain that are interpreted as noise.

Taste and smell
Very often, we confuse taste with smell. About 80 percent of the problems that we think are related to taste really involve smell. Taste is our strongest sense. We are born with about 10,000 taste buds. After age 50, we start to lose some of them. When we are young, we can recognize five different tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savory. As we age, the sweet taste may be a little stronger and the sour taste a little weaker. Your sense of smell helps you recognize flavors. About 30 percent of people aged 70 to 80 have problems with smell. This can be partial or total, or can involve perceiving smells differently. You may smell a foul odor when there is none. Strawberries may suddenly lose their flavor. This can sometimes lead to depression. In many cases, nothing can be done about the loss of smell and taste. Cigarette smoking or poor dental habits can add to the problem. Polyps in the nose can block aromas. Medication, head injury or illness can also be factors.

Touch
As skin ages, it becomes drier, thinner and less elastic. The nerves in your skin become less sensitive. Your sensitivity to temperature can also change. Health problems may also lead to changes in your sense of touch. These include poor circulation and nerve damage from diabetes.

Posted by: Frank Esposito, VP Expert Home Care.  New Jersey’s Expert Home Care provides professional, dependable home health care and companion care for NJ elderly, helping them with their daily living activities since 1984. Please call us toll free at 800-848-2336 when you have home care related questions or need assistance for a loved one. Get a Free Home Care Assessment (a $375 value!) when you mention this post.

Elderly Medication Errors – 11 Tips to Avoid Problems

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NJ Elder Health

Avoiding Medication Errors

Many seniors take multiple medications, which increases the likelihood of medication errors.  Here are some excellent tips for seniors to reduce the likelihood of making a mistake with their medications:

  1. Check the label when you get a prescription to verify that you are receiving the proper medication. Read back the prescription to your pharmacist and doctor.
  2. Keep all medication in original containers.
  3. Remember to contact your health care provider or pharmacist if you have any doubts about missing a dosage.
  4. Fill all prescriptions at the same pharmacy.
  5. Read the patient information sheet that accompanies your medication.
  6. Notify your pharmacist immediately if there is a change in the color, size, shape or smell of your medication.
  7. Do not share or take another person’s medication.
  8. When in doubt about a medication you are taking, always consult your pharmacist and doctor.  Ask about any side effects that you might experience or expect.
  9. When in the hospital:

- State your name before taking any medications and always offer your wrist bracelet for identification. Ask the nurse to identify each medication by name before you take it.

- Ask your nurse why your medication has not been given at its regular time during your hospital stay.

- Remind your doctor if you have any allergies to certain medications and food or if you also have a health condition that could affect the use of certain medications.

  1. Tell your pharmacist and doctor if you are taking any dietary supplements or over-the-counter medications.
  2. Create a list of all the medications you are taking and share with your family members. The list should include the following information:

- Your full name and date of birth

- Drug name (the drugs being taken, both generic and brand)

- Strength (dosage)

- Directions for using the medication, including how many times a day and when the medication should be taken

- What liquids or foods are being used to take or should be used to take with medications, for example, water, juice, apple sauce etc.

- Allergies to certain medicines and foods

- Pharmacy and health care providers names, addresses, telephone numbers

- Family emergency contact information

Posted by: Frank Esposito, Vice President of Expert Home Care.  New Jersey’s Expert Home Care provides professional and reliable home health care and companion care for NJ elderly, helping them with their daily living activities since 1984. Please call us toll free at 800-848-2336 when you have home care related questions or need assistance for a loved one. Get a Free Home Care Assessment (a $375 value!) when you mention this post.

Get Your Elderly Loved One To Quit Smoking – 6 Key Tips

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NJ Elder Health

Does your elderly loved one smoke cigarettes?  If so, you should try to get them to quit as soon as possible. The American Cancer Society, Nicotine Anonymous and the American Lung Association can help you help your senior.

Here is what you can say to your elderly loved one to help them quit smoking:

  • Let your senior know how important he or she is to you and your family, and that you want him or her to be around to participate in your family’s life.
  • Smoking increases the risk not only of having a first stroke, but also of having another one. Smoking increases the risk of having a heart attack, as well as of developing many other health problems.
  • Smoking can double one’s chance of developing macular degeneration, one of the major causes of vision loss in seniors.
  • If your senior smokes, tell them that if they quit smoking they will reduce their chance of a heart attack and death from heart disease by 50 percent. The nicotine in cigarettes causes less oxygen to go to the heart, increases blood pressure and heart rate, as well as blood clotting, and damages cells that line the arteries and other blood vessels.
  • In addition to increasing the risk of getting diabetes, smoking also increases a senior’s chance of developing complications from diabetes, such as retinopathy, heart disease, stroke, vascular disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, neuropathy (problems with feet), and more.
  • Some studies suggest smoking has been found to greatly accelerate the rate of mental decline in Alzheimer’s patients.

Posted by: Frank Esposito, Vice President of Expert Home Care.  New Jersey’s Expert Home Care provides professional and reliable home health care and companion care for NJ elderly, helping them with their daily living activities since 1984. Please call us toll free at 800-848-2336 when you have home care related questions or need assistance for a loved one. Get a Free Home Care Assessment (a $375 value!) when you mention this post.