The Importance of Skin Care as You Age
Oral Health & Hygiene in Aging Adults
Tooth Decay: The buildup of dental plaque can wear down the enamel of your teeth overtime. It is important to brush your teeth and floss every day in order to prevent cavities from forming. It is especially important to see a dentist for checkup as they can diagnosed a cavity and fill it before the tooth cannot be saved
Gum Disease: Plaque can also build up along the gums and lead to infection. If this infection becomes serious it needs to be treated by a dentist so that the infection doesn’t permanently ruin the bones, gums or other tissue that supports your teeth. Brushing and flossing teeth regularly will also decrease the likelihood of gum disease
Dry Mouth: Dry mouths are fertile ground for bacteria and can lead to tooth decay and infection. Often medication given to aging adults cause dry mouth. If you or your loved one is suffering from dry mouth make sure to talk to your Dentist as he or she might recommended different ideas such as artificial salvia to help you maintain an optimal level of mouth moisture (source)
MEMORIAL DAY EXTRAVAGANZA
For most Memorial Day weekend is a time to commemorate those we’ve lost and those that have and continue to serve for our nation. At Sprain Brook Manor, we make it memorable by coordinating a BBQ for family/friends/staff and our beloved residents.
This year we kicked off the BBQ by honoring our veterans, by having our very own WWII veteran, George S. Martin raise the American flag.
Sergeant T/4 George Martin, was drafted on April 11th, 1946, the last draft of WWII and also his birthday. When asked about his feelings at the time about being drafted, Mr. Martin quickly responded by saying “I was at ease about it. I felt it was my right to serve, especially after my brother serving before me and being a prisoner of was during the ‘Belgium Bulge’ war, I just felt like I had to.” While enlisted, George did his basic training in Alabama, where he recalls the weather being “very sloppy & muddy. I just rained a lot. Everyday almost.” Shortly after his training he began his tour to be stationed in Asmara, Eritrea (East Africa), took him and his troop six weeks to get to their destination. George and his wife Mary Martin smile as they tell the story of how it took him 6 weeks to get there, Sergeant Martin just shook his head as he reminisced and said “most dreadful six weeks of my life.” During his time in East Africa George camped out 30 miles into the desert and 2 miles deep underground, covered by sand (a commonly used tactic to hide from war planes). Mr. Martin was a radio correspondent during the war. Like many other members of the military George would by his carton of cigarettes, the only difference was, George didn’t buy them to smoke them. Instead, Mr. Martin would buy these cigarettes, .40 cents a carton and sell forward for about $20 a carton and taking the profits to help support the family “house-boy, Tasfu” by giving him the money or buying him clothes/food. George explains, “I never saw color, I just understood right from wrong, fair and unjust.”
Mr. Martin & his wife are currently long-term residents at Sprain Brook Manor Rehab, where the say often, “we love it here.”
Vaccines for the Elderly
Summary of Heart Disease & Stroke Statistics 2014 Update
Prevalence: 33% of Americans older than 20 years have hypertension (est. 78 million). Men and women have about the same prevalence rate African Americans Adults have one of the highest prevalence rates (44%)
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths have decreased but the burden in still high From 2000-2010 deaths attributed to CVD fell 31% However 31.9% of all deaths are contributed to CVD (787,650 deaths in 2010)
From 2000-2010 deaths from stroke fell 35.8% However almost 800,000 people a year have a new or recurrent stroke and 1 out of every 19 deaths in American are from a stroke.
Cardiovascular Procedure Use & Cost Total number of inpatient cardiovascular operations increased 28% ( to 7,588,000) from 2000 to 2010 Total cost related to CVD and stroke in 2010 is estimated at about $315.4 billion In comparison cost related to cancer and benign neoplasm was 201.5 billion
Staying Young While Aging
Developing a positive mental attitude about aging by looking forward to growing old Making sure not to “act your age” so that you don’t fall into unhealthy habits of avoiding exercise or other healthy activities Resist mobility aids until you need them as you can begin to rely on them and avoid maintaining your fitness level Continue to work in retirement as research has shown that for every extra year of retirement life expectancy dropped 2 months Maintaining an optimistic outlook even if you have an illness or disease as an optimistic outlook significantly lowers your risk of dying from these diseases compared to a pessimistic outlook.
Eating the Right Diet as You Age
6 strange-but-true health tips
Many methods to improve your health are pretty straightforward: to lose weight, eat less and exercise more; to boost your energy, get more sleep; to prevent dehydration, drink more water. Others, however, are totally counterintuitive. The following 12 tips really do work—but they may leave you scratching your head.
Drink coffee to have a better nap
In a Japanese study that examined how to make the most of a nap, people who took a “coffee nap”—consuming about 200 milligrams of caffeine (the amount in one to two cups of coffee) and then immediately taking a 20-minute rest—felt more alert and performed better on computer tests than those who only took a nap.
Why does this work? A 20-minute nap ends just as the caffeine kicks in and clears the brain of a molecule called adenosine, maximizing alertness.
“Adenosine is a byproduct of wakefulness and activity,” said Dr. Allen Towfigh, medical director of New York Neurology & Sleep Medicine. “As adenosine levels increase, we become more fatigued. Napping clears out the adenosine and, when combined with caffeine, an adenosine-blocker, further reduces its effects and amplifies the effects of the nap.”
For healthy teeth, don’t brush after eating
Don’t brush your teeth immediately after meals and drinks, especially if they were acidic. Acidic foods—citrus fruits, sports drinks, tomatoes, soda (both diet and regular)—can soften tooth enamel “like wet sandstone,” said Howard R. Gamble, immediate past president of the Academy of General Dentistry.
Brushing your teeth at this stage can speed up acid’s effect on your enamel and erode the layer underneath. Gamble suggests waiting 30 to 60 minutes before brushing.
RELATED: 20 Things That Can Ruin Your Smile
To wear a smaller size, gain weight
Muscle weight, that is. If two women both weigh 150 pounds and only one lifts weights, the lifter will more likely fit into a smaller pant size than her sedentary counterpart. Likewise, a 150-pound woman who lifts weights could very well wear the same size as a 140-pound woman who doesn’t exercise. The reason: Although a pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle, muscle takes up less space, said Mark Nutting, fitness director of SACO Sport & Fitness in Saco, Maine.
“You can get bigger muscles and get smaller overall if you lose the fat,” he said. “The bulk so many women fear only occurs if you don’t lose fat and develop muscle on top of it.”
Cut back on calories and add weight to your workout to lose inches.
To eat less, eat more
Grabbing a 100-calorie snack pack of cookies or pretzels may seem virtuous, but it’s more likely to make you hungrier than if you ate something more substantial, said Amy Goodson, RD, dietitian for Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine.
“Eating small amounts of carbohydrates does nothing but spike your blood sugar and leave you wanting more carbs.”
Goodson recommends choosing a protein such as peanut butter or string cheese with an apple.
“They are higher in calories per serving, but the protein and fat helps you get full faster and stay full longer—and you end up eating fewer calories overall,” she said.
RELATED: 17 High-Protein Snacks That Speed Up Weight Loss
Skip energy drinks when you’re tired
Energy drinks contain up to five times more caffeine than coffee, but the boost they provide is fleeting and comes with unpleasant side effects like nervousness, irritability, and rapid heartbeat, says Goodson. Plus, energy drinks often contain high levels of taurine, a central nervous system stimulant, and upwards of 50 grams of sugar per can (that’s 13 teaspoons worth!). The sweet stuff spikes blood sugar temporarily, only to crash soon after, leaving you sluggish and foggyheaded—and reaching for another energy drink.
Drink a hot beverage to cool off
Which will cool you off faster on a steamy summer morning: iced coffee or hot? Two recent studies say the latter—and so do others where drinking hot tea in hot weather is the norm, like in India. When you sip a hot beverage, your body senses the change in temperature and increases your sweat production. Then, as the sweat evaporates from your skin, you cool off naturally.
Mother’s day has always been a special day here at Sprain Brook Manor Rehab in Westchester
Mother’s day has always been a special day here at Sprain Brook Manor Rehab in Westchester. We have a Dedication to families and an understanding that family and the love and support that comes from family is a vital part of the healing and rehab process. That is why we strive to create a loving family environment with the goal of treating our patients with the same care and compassion as if they were our mothers, fathers, brothers or sisters. It should be no surprise that Mother’s Day has always been a holiday that is very important to us as it is a time from our Sprain Brook family to come together with our patient’s families and celebrate the women who are central to all of our lives.
This year’s Mother’s Day has a special significance as it was the 100th anniversary of Mother’s Day being an officially approved presidential holiday. The holiday was founded so that Americans have the chance to express “our love and reverence for the mothers of our country” (President Woodrow Wilson, May 9th 1914). Every year At Sprain Brook Manor we want to make sure that each patient in our center has the opportunity to be with their family regardless of the patient’s current medical and rehabilitation needs and concerns. That is why we invited all of our patient’s families to RSVP to our annual Mother’s Day event
At this year’s annual Mother’s Day Family Event we had a spectacular turnout from the family, friends and the community at large. Our rehabilitation center Westchester main dining room was packed with over 120 patients and their family and friends. In addition, it was a spectacular day so patients and families could enjoy the beautiful gardens and comfortable patio at our rehabilitation center Westchester facility. The day’s entertainment included music by Teri & Frankie, a phenomenal singing duo (provided by the services of Steve Michaels). In addition, our wonderful and talented dining staff created the perfect spring brunch with a menu that included Western Style Herb Omelets, Fresh French Toast, Fresh cut Turkey Breast, Home fries, Mixed green salad, Fruit salad and refreshing Mimosas.
Our staff was so ecstatic with the turnout and positive feedback from this year’s Mother’s Day Event at the Sprain Brook Manor rehab facility that we cannot wait to try to top this year’s event next year! Thank you again to all the staff, patients, family and friends that made this year’s Mother’s Day event so special.
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