labyrinthworld

All of us are familiar with the stiff gait of the old. There is a look of uncertainty on their faces as they attempt even the most minor walks. Their legs are stiff and seem unable to bend, and there is no hip action. Will I make it? they seem to wonder. Of all the declines that accompany aging, it is the one to avoid at all costs. That’s why a cold chill went through me recently when I noticed signs that I might be losing some of my flexibility.

Upon rising off the floor, instead of bending my knees before coming to a full stand, I noticed that I was avoiding putting pressure on my knees. Was this the beginning of the end? Then, what can I do to avoid becoming a stiff, frail woman? The answer for me and anyone well into their middle years is to regain flexibiliy and balance. As we age, there is a natural loss of balance. This can cause us to fall and stumble. It only gets worse with each passing year.

For people 65 and over, about one-third can expect to fall each year. Falls are the leading cause of injury death among elder Americans. They are the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for older adults. At least 90% of hip fractures each year are the result of falls.

Falls can also decrease quality of life as elder adults become more careful in their movement to reduce chances of falling. Limited mobiliy and curtailment of activities can lead to depression.

To combat this natural loss of balance, some people turn to balance training classes. Studies show that there are exercises people can engage in to regain balance.

1. Standing on one leg for 60 seconds
2. Leaning forward over a stable base as far as possible without taking a step
3. Walking heel to toe
4. Standing up from a sitting position and sitting down while maining correct posture.

You can also join exercise classes that provide balance training. Tai chi, yoga and weight training are good examples of training that can help balance. One study of different type group exercises showed that tai chi was the most effective in maintaining balance. The study showed that those who participated in tai chi classes for one hour a week for 16 weeks had a 50% reduced risk of multiple falls. To preserve balance requires a continuing commitment. Balance exercises must be done on a regular basis, at least two to three times a week.

For more info read the L.A. Times 5/26/08 Life with more balance.

A fourth of diabetics in the US are people ages 60 and older. This is according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). About half of new cases were diagnosed in people between the ages 45 and 59.

In two years the number of Americans with Type 2 diabetes has increased by 15 percent, making the number 24 million.  As of now about 8 percent or 24 million Americans have the disease. Those with prediabetes number about 54 percent. As you may know, Type 2 diabetes is associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

A birth cohort is a group of individuals born within a particular year or a particular period.

A recent Los Angeles Times article reported on a program at
Park La Brea in Los Angeles, California that allows older Americans to live at home. The program is part of a movement called “aging in place.” Increasingly older Americans are resisting living out their lives in nursing homes or assistant living facilities. In response to this desire Park La Brea like some other communities has established a social network made up of a small paid staff and volunteers.  This network provides the services that make it possible for the elderly in the community to remain in their home despite suffering from illness or physical decline.

Although this title seems to contradict the “Cold weather can be deadly” posting, it really doesn’t. Cold weather can present challenges not found in hot weather. Exercising is not one of those challenges.

It turns out more people are injured exercising in the heat than in exercising in the cold. The problem with exercising in the cold is that people may overdress or stop moving. If you are planning to exercise in the cold, it is better if you feel the cold. That means that contrary to popular opinion, you should not overdress. Just as bad in extreme cold is to stop moving. Other myths that people believe are:

• Lungs are damaged by the cold. That’s an old myth. By the time the air gets to the lungs, it has warmed up to body temperature.

• Cold induces asthma. Because cold air holds less moisture than warm air, people who experience respiratory symptoms in the cold may be simply experiencing the effects of dry air. They will have the same response in a hot, dry climate.

• You can adapt to the cold. Although people can adapt to the heat, and their performance can improve with adaptation, that’s not true for the cold. The body’s response to the cold does not improve over time, and there is no evidence that the physically fit do better in the cold than do the non fit.

Non myths. In extreme cold people are subject to suffering from frostbite and hypothermia. Hypothermia comes from the combination of cold and wet. This is because water transfers heat away from the body 70 times more efficiently than air. The key to avoiding hypothermia is to keep moving. As long as you keep moving you won’t die because you generate too much heat. As for frostbite, the body is subject to getting frostbite when the temperature reaches 27 degrees. The trick to avoiding it is to make sure your body parts are properly covered.

For any quantity that is growing exponentially, the larger the quantity, the faster the growth. A quantity is growing exponentially if it increases by the same percent in each year or other unit of time. Comparing it to the linear model will make it clearer.

Linear model: Let’s pretend that the number of people afflicted with Alzheimer’s is 10,000. If we assume that the number of afflicted increases by 500 each year, we’ll end up with the following:

After the 1st year, the number will be 10,000

After the 2nd year, the number will be 11,000

After the 3rd year, the number will be 11,500

Exponential model:  We’ll use the same 10,000, but  we will assume the number of afflicted will increase by 5 percent a year: 

Since 5 percent of 10,000 is 500, we’ll still end up with 10,500 after the 1st year.

After the 2nd year, the increase will be 5 percent of 10,500, which is 525.  That means we’ll end up with 11,025.

After the 3rd year, the increase will be 5 percent of 11,025 which is 551.  That means we’ll end up with 11,576.

If we continue with this example, we’ll see the following: 

                Linear      v.     Exponential growth rate

30 years    20,000            40,000

40 years    30,000            80,000  

The true number of individuals afflicted with Alzheimer’s is 5 million. Because growth is faster with larger quantities, and the number of afflicted is expected to grow exponentially, it  is estimated that by 2010 Alzheimer’s related care will cost Medicare about $160 billion per year and by by 2050 the cost to Medicare will be $1 trillion dollars per year.

The Illinois legislature approved higher wages for workers who take care of the elderly.  Minimum wages for the more than 48,000 elder care workers in Illinois will be increased by one dollar an hour.  The General Assembly also approved health care options for these workers.  This is the type of legislation that all states need to enact. Caregivers for the elderly have been shown to be the most depressed workers.  Providing them with decent pay and benefits will go a long ways towards making their lives easier and making them feel their work has value. 

Doctors are rated by insurers. The rating they receive helps to determine whether insurers will promote their services or discourage consumers from using them. Insurers do this by reducing deductibles or co pay.

Rating is done in the same way as are consumer goods such as hotel rooms or airplane service. A key rating measure is how much doctors charge to treat sick patients. I don’t know about you, but if cost is the only factor when recommending a doctor, I’d like to know that. This is information we currently do not have, since insurers even while they are steering us to the cheapest doctor, do not tell us that is the sole basis for their recommendation. Perhaps there are doctors who provide greater quality of care, but charge a little more.
This system might be about to change, at least in New York. Attorney General of New York, Andrew Cuomo, has negotiated agreement with several major insurers to make the system more useful to consumers and fairer to doctors.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/08/opinion/08sat1.html

A growing number of older Americans are deciding to remain independent in their own homes as long as possible says Brian Nagendra from the National Aging in Place Council in Washington.  In response to this demand, home builders are providing features that help them to achieve their goals. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/real_estate/20071007_Aiming_to_age_in_place.html