Health Info & Resources for Seniors
Healthy Friendships Lead to Healthier Aging
As a senior — or caretaker of a senior — you’re well-aware of the factors that play a role in healthy aging. From getting quality sleep and eating a balanced diet to consistent exercise and participating in meaningful activities, there are many proven approaches to improving the aging process.
Getting Help When a Loved One Cannot Safely Drive
Remember your sense of freedom when you passed the driver’s test and got that coveted license? Suddenly, with keys in hand, you were no longer dependent on others to take you where you wanted to go. It is no wonder then, that taking away a license can be heartbreaking for both the driver and those forced to revoke it, says geriatrician Roopa Anmolsingh, MD.
“There’s a well-defined entry point for starting to drive, but there’s no exit point that tells you when you should stop driving,” says Anmolsingh, of St. Luke’s Senior Care Associates. “I always get asked if driving is a right or a privilege. Regardless, we know it’s very important for a person’s self-esteem and independence. It provides a sense of freedom.”
Get Your Tail on the Trail Is Great Outdoor Exercise
Join Today to Track Your Progress and Earn Prizes Outdoor exercise has its own benefits. It strengthens your body, boosts your energy, promotes better sleep, and improves your mood, just to name a few. But when motivation is lacking, it never hurts to get a “atta boy" or "attagirl” for your efforts.
Asthma or Allergy? Find Out and Breathe Easier
Having Difficulty Breathing? You Could Have
Asthma — Often Undiagnosed in Older Adults
A disease that typically first develops in children and teens, asthma can develop at any age but is often more difficult to diagnose in older adults, says St. Luke’s pulmonologist Neal M. Fitzpatrick, MD, of St. Luke’s Pulmonary & Critical Care Associates.
In a Pickle for Something To Do?
It’s summertime, and many thoughts turn to sports: baseball, basketball, tennis, ultimate Frisbee, and Disc Golf, to name a few. But have your thoughts ever turned to Pickleball?
Perhaps you’ve never heard of Pickleball, but it has been a fast-growing sport since its creation in 1965. Although it has a funny name, Pickleball is a world-wide phenomenon — there are over 2,000,000 Pickleball enthusiasts in the United States alone. It can be played through community groups, PE classes, retirement communities, senior centers, schools — anywhere there is enough space and some simple equipment. It’s a simple game for the whole family, so don’t you think it’s time to join in the fun?
Plan Your Outdoor Workouts with Special Care
"The outdoors is calling you to step up your exercise routine. It promises to deliver sights, smells, and sounds to distract you so you might even forget you’re exercising," says John Graham, Senior Network Administrator of St. Luke’s Fitness and Sports Performance.
“The great outdoors offers health benefits that can’t be duplicated, beginning with every breath you take,” he says. “There’s no cleaner air than what’s outside. But that’s not all. When you’re exercising outdoors, you must use the bones and muscles of your own body to support you and to ambulate. There are no treadmills or machines to help you move.”