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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 2017)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JANUARY 18, 2017 11A How seniors can simplify everyday tasks How to care for your senior dog Senior dogs require some modifi cations in care so they can continue to enjoy a high quality of life. Dogs mature at faster rates ensure a dog’s quality of life re- as dogs become less active. than human beings. While many mains consistent through its se- Keeping dogs lean can prevent have heard the rule that every nior years, pet owners can take a host of illnesses. PetMD says more than half of American pets human year equals seven dog the following steps. • Have a candid conversation are overweight, and obesity can years, the reality isn’t so cut and dry. Size and breed play roles in with the vet. Make an appoint- contribute to disease and put determining a dog’s age equiv- ment with your dog’s veterinar- stress on pets’ joints. Let your alent. According to the pets di- ian to discuss a plan for making vet be your guide in choosing vision of WebMD, the fi rst year the dog comfortable and happy high-quality, low-calorie foods of life for a dog may be rough- as the animal ages. Your vet can and treats. He or she may also ly equivalent to 15 years for a make recommendations regard- recommend supplementation to human. Dog food manufacturer ing which type of foods the dog alleviate stiffness and address Purina says that by its tenth year should eat and how much exer- other needs. • Keep up the exercise. Exer- alive, a small, medium and large cise it needs. • Make accommodations cise helps slow down the degen- dog is 56, 60 and 66 in human based on disability. A dog may eration of joints and helps keep years, respectively. Thanks to advancements in develop arthritis or another de- dogs healthy. Continue walks, veterinary care, dogs are living generative disease that causes but pare them down if your dog longer lives. Pet owners may a general slowing down. Dogs can’t keep up. Swimming is a have to adapt their care and ex- may not be able to walk as far or low-impact exercise that is great ercise regimen to accommodate play games as long as they used for senior dogs. Look for a dog the changes in their pets. Senior to. Some dogs also struggle swim vest, which can help the dogs show some distinctive to fi nd a comfortable position animal maintain some buoyan- signs of aging that are on par when attempting to lie down or cy. • Be patient. Elderly dogs will with what humans experience. sit. Dogs also may have diffi cul- These include cloudy eyes, gray ty getting up and down stairs. As need extra care, and that can be hair (in dogs this starts around a result, aging dogs may need taxing. Exercise patience and the muzzle and spreads to oth- some extra help getting around. you will see that the pamper- er areas of the face, head and Invest in ramps and ergonomic ing and extra attention will help body) and loose skin. Elderly pet beds and bowls to help ease prolong your dog’s happiness through its golden years. dogs also may begin to expe- aging dogs’ discomfort. • Examine and modify dogs’ rience stiffness in their legs, particularly the hind quarter. To diets. Food needs can change ANSWERS ON : Service The ability to perform every- day tasks is something many people take for granted. But as men and women approach or ex- ceed retirement age, many may start to struggle with chores and tasks they have performed for decades. Physical limitations are a common side effect of aging. But such limitations do not have to prove too big a hurdle for seniors to clear. In fact, there are many ways for seniors to simplify everyday tasks while maintaining their independence. • Embrace technology. Even the proudest Luddites cannot deny technology’s potential to make seniors’ lives easier. Seemingly simple tasks like shopping for groceries and vac- uuming a home can be diffi cult for seniors with dwindling or limited mobility. But seniors with Internet access in their homes can order their groceries online and then pick them up in-store or have them delivered, saving them the trouble of walk- ing around the store. With re- gard to vacuuming, autonomous vacuum cleaners have removed the need to use traditional vac- uum cleaners. Certain autono- mous vacuums employ sensors to detect dirty spots on the fl oor, and these vacuums can even be programmed to clean the home while residents are out of the house. • Upgrade bathrooms. Tasks associated with personal hy- giene also tend to be taken for granted until they become diffi - cult. But a few simple bathroom alterations can help seniors safely navigate the bathrooms in their homes so they can main- tain their personal hygiene with- out fear of injury. Grab bars can be installed on shower walls so seniors can safely get in and out of their showers and bathtubs. Such bars are both effective and inexpensive, and some do not even require any drilling to install. Specialty grab bars, tub grips and tub transfer benches are just a few additional prod- ucts that can make bathing eas- ier for seniors who have lost or are starting to lose some of their physical strength. • Get “smart” on the road. Seniors who are experiencing mild diffi culty driving can make getting about town that much easier by plugging their smart- phones into their vehicles or making use of the various apps that have become standard in modern vehicles. For example, the maps app on a smartphone can be connected to a car and di- rect seniors to their destinations, saving them the trouble of re- membering all the ins and outs of how to get a particular desti- nation. Seniors also can employ apps to help them fi nd their ve- hicles should they forget exactly where they parked in crowded parking lots. Such apps can in- crease seniors’ comfort levels on the road while helping them maintain their independence. • Downsize. Whether down- sizing to a smaller home or simply downsizing a lifestyle, seniors may fi nd that living smaller is akin to living sim- pler. Empty nesters may fi nd they no longer need several bedrooms in their homes, and moving into smaller homes can reduce their daily workloads while also clearing out clutter that can make performing ev- eryday chores more diffi cult. Men and women accustomed to hustle and bustle may also fi nd that cutting back on profession- al and/or personal commitments gives them more energy for ev- eryday activities while enrich- ing the commitments they con- tinue to maintain. Aging men and women can employ various strategies to simplify their lives and main- tain their independence well into their golden years. Seniors and exericse: Tips to avoid injuries, get healthy Exercise is an important com- ponent of a healthy lifestyle. Daily exercise can improve mood, promote an active life- style and reduce a person’s risk for a host of ailments, including diabetes and heart disease. Despite the importance of exercise, many people live sed- entary lifestyles into their gold- en years. Seniors who want to embrace a healthier way of life and get more physically active should fi rst consult with their physicians before beginning an exercise regimen. Certain med- ications may limit just how far seniors can push themselves, while preexisting conditions may make specifi c types of ex- ercise off limits. After discuss- ing their limitations with their physicians and developing a safe exercise routine, seniors can heed the following tips to avoid injury but still get healthy. • Pick a partner. Whether it’s a spouse or a friend who is physically active or wants to be, try exercising with a partner, at least initially. Doing so can pro- vide the motivation you need and partners can serve as safety nets should you need assistance completing an exercise or suffer an injury and require medical attention. Personal trainers can serve as your partner, and many gyms offer discounts to seniors on personal training services. • Start slowly. Seniors who have not been physically ac- tive for some time should take a gradual approach to exercise. Instead of heading right for the treadmill, exercise bike or el- liptical machine, start walking every day. When it rains, fi nd a treadmill you can walk on. The American Academy of Ortho- paedic Surgeons recommends seniors begin by determining how many steps they can take in a day and then gradually work- ing toward 10,000 to 15,000 steps per day. Utilize step count- ing apps on your smartphone to track your progress. Apply the same slow approach to strength training exercises, lifting only very light weights at fi rst before gradually increasing weight as your body acclimates to the ex- ercises. • Stretch. Bodies that have been inactive for lengthy peri- ods of time are infl exible, and lack of fl exibility increases your risk for injury. The AAOS rec- ommends that seniors warm up their bodies before stretch- ing with fi ve to 10 minutes of low-intensity activity such as walking. Then stretch gently, re- membering to relax and breathe during each stretch. • Switch things up. When strength training, do not work the same muscle group two days in a row. Muscles need time to recover. If you prefer circuit strength training where you ex- ercise various muscle groups in one day, do not strength train on back-to-back days, leav- ing at least one day in between strength training sessions so muscles have ample time to re- cover. Great Care in a Great Place. Right here in Cottage Grove. “SOMETIMES MOTHER NATURE CAN OVERPOWER US. BUT NOT FOR LONG.” - Jeremy, Journeyman Lineman © 2015 Pacifi c Power We work hard to make sure you have safe, reliable electricity. That means tackling tough jobs and being ready to roll when storms hit. You can help by being prepared for unexpected outages with flashlights, extra batteries, blankets and bottled water. Mother Nature can be unpredictable, but our dedication to you never will be. 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