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
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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.
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- Jeremy, Journeyman Lineman
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