Pharmacists Help Control Hypertension

New Anesthetics Foster Surgery Trend

Keeping Mature Minds Mentally Alert

• Train your mind to pay attention
  As a case in point, Harvard University psychologist, Ellen Langer taught nursing home residents to "actively notice" complicated activity schedules, dates, and names of staff members. Then she gave them a "reason to notice" by rewarding correct answers with chips redeemable at a gift shop. The result, once they started paying active attention, their minds became more sharp.
• Trust your brain power
  When you're 21 and forget to take your wallet along on a shopping trip, it's just an annoyance. When you're past 50, however, people may joke that your mind is going. If you take them seriously, you could become your brain's worst enemy.
• Never stop learning
  This is an adage worth repeating. The brain is a muscle. Use it or lose it. Education, formal or informal, is one of the best ways to flex that muscle and keep it in top shape.
• Stay physically active
  Physical activity can boost your brain power. The more strenuous the activity, the better the brain functions.
• Eat plenty of brain food
  "The brain needs the same vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients as the rest of the body. It just needs more of them", says neuroscientist Carl W. Cotman, University of California. That means more nutrients than it needed when you were younger and also more, cell for cell, than other parts of the body. Research on brain-smart diets is still in its infancy, but to date the most promising findings involve the antioxidant vitamins C, E, and beta carotene.

Teeth Tips Address Elder Dental Concerns

• CHANGE YOUR HABITS
  Even if you've had good teeth all your life, your oral health habits need to change as you age, says Jonathan Ship, associate professor of dentistry. Gum tissues tend to recede with age, exposing more tooth surface and larger areas between the teeth. In addition, the exposed root of the tooth is covered with cementum, a mineralized material that is less resistant to decay than tooth enamel. "People with receding gums are not necessarily going to get more cavities, but they're at greater risk," says Ship. Careful brushing and flossing become more important than ever, and special devices such as floss threaders and small brushes to clean between teeth may be necessary. Older people also may need to use fluoride rinses or have their dentists coat their teeth with fluoride varnishes to help prevent cavities.
• REDUCE YOUR RISK OF INFECTION
  Brushing and flossing may be the farthest thing from the mind of someone facing surgery for a hip or knee replacement. But good oral hygiene is especially important for people who have total joint replacements, says Jed Jacobson, associate professor of dentistry. A major cause of failure in joint replacements is infection. This can happen when bacteria travel to the site of the replacement from other parts of the body---including the mouth. Jacobson, who helped draft an American Dental Association statement on this problem, says that patients who plan to have a total joint replacement should make sure that their dental health is good. Practicing good oral hygiene after the surgery is equally important---especially for the first two years. To further reduce the risk of infection, dentists may advise some joint replacement patients to take antibiotics before certain procedures, such as having a tooth pulled or having oral surgery. However, this is a decision the dentist must make for each patient, taking into account the patient's general health and medical history and the type of procedure that is being done.
• LONGER LIFE SPANS PRESENT CHALLENGES
  Living longer presents special challenges for older people and their dentists. The percentage of older Americans without their natural teeth has dropped dramatically---from 70 percent to 40 percent---over the last four decades. But because more people than ever are living into their 80s and beyond, the actual number of older people without teeth has increased, Kenneth Shay noted in a presentation at a recent meeting of the American Dental Association in San Francisco. The longer a person lives without natural teeth, the greater the likelihood of bone loss in the ridge that runs under the gums. This problem is made worse by osteoporosis, a widespread condition among older women. Bone loss under the gums can lead to a host of problems that interfere with the fit of dentures, says Shay, an adjunct associate professor in the School of Dentistry and chief of dental service at the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Medical Center. For example, the gum tissue may become soft and flabby or the tongue may enlarge. Other problems, such as infection and calluses in the mouth, result when people wear poorly fitting dentures for too long. For these reasons, it's important that even people who have lost their natural teeth see their dentists once a year. The yearly visit also is a good time for the dentist to check for signs of oral cancer, which is more common in older people, but can be treated effectively if caught early.
• TELL YOUR DENTIST WHAT YOU TAKE
  Finding relief from dry mouth, oral irritation, taste changes or gum disease may be as simple as reviewing your medication list with your dentist. Hundreds of common medicines---from antihistamines to hormones to heart drugs---can have effects on oral health and comfort, says John Gobetti, professor of dentistry. "People with these problems go through all kinds of extensive testing and emotional trauma and don't realize that the simplest thing to do is to check the medications they're on," says Gobetti. "Some 450 to 600 drugs, including many of the most commonly prescribed drugs, have oral side effects, from dry mouth to irritation of the mouth and even enhanced gum disease." Patients should be sure to tell their dentists about all the medicines that they are taking, including herbal remedies and over-the-counter medications. In some cases, dentists can cooperate with a patient's physician to make medication changes that will relieve the problem. When such changes are not possible, dentists can recommend other ways of finding relief and preventing further problems, such as chewing sugarless gum, letting sugarless hard candy dissolve in the mouth, or using artificial saliva products.
• CARE-GIVERS, OFFER EXTRA HELP
  People with physical limitations or memory problems may need extra help taking care of their teeth. Care-givers who notice that the people they care for are neglecting their oral hygiene should first try to figure out why, says Jonathan Ship, associate professor of dentistry. "Is it because they can't grip the toothbrush and need to get a special one with a larger handle? Do they need an electric toothbrush that will do the work for them? Do they lack the hand-eye coordination they need to floss their teeth?" Mouth pain, diet changes, and dry mouth also can affect older people's oral health. In some cases, a care-giver may need to do the brushing and flossing for the person. It's important, too, says Ship, for a care-giver to go along on dentist appointments, to get any special dental care instructions.

Pfizer Funding Fosters Elder Care Innovations

• Caregiver Cooperative
  A Caregiver Cooperative will be created by the Jewish Family and Career Services of Atlanta (JF&CS). Caregivers will utilize large-scale buying power to negotiate better rates for in-home services and products. JF&CS will use the funds to create a 500 person strong network of caregivers. This cooperative will utilize large-scale buying power to negotiate better rates for in-home services and products. In-home, non-medical services--they could be meals-on-wheels, household chores, or a few hours of respite--can make the difference between caregiver success or burnout.
• Caregiver Cards
  Caregiver Cards, which contain personal care tips and advice for caregivers, will be made available to Russian, Hmong, and Spanish caregivers in their native language through the Wisconsin Geriatric Education Center at Marquette University in Milwaukee. The tip cards will be designed with the help o actual caregivers to ensure that they address the everyday needs of persons helping a loved one.
• Family Caregiver Hour
  A radio call-in show for caregivers sponsored by WMKV 89.3 FM in Cincinnati, OH will reach caregivers in their homes twice a week. The Family Caregiver Hour will be designed by caregivers to provide practical advice, professional outreach, and levity to caregivers who are not able to leave the family member whom they are helping. WMKV is a non-profit, Gabriel award-winning radio station for Cincinnati’s seniors. The Family Caregiver Hour aims to provide practical advice, professional outreach, and levity to caregivers who are not able to leave the family member whom they are helping, but need emotional support or training. A panel of caregivers has signed on to the project to provide real life advice and insight and to ensure the quality of the information being disseminated.
• Dementia Proof Home Assessment Tool
  A Home Assessment Tool will be created for caregivers to dementia-proof their homes. Similar to baby proofing, this program, sponsored by the Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles, will help improve the safety of the home environment for persons with Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias. The assessment instrument will be used by care managers who are going into the home to provide services to caregiver for persons with dementia. Following the assessment, the program will install the requisite safety devices, ranging from special locks on doors and cabinets to safety rails in the tub.
• Assistive Technology Program for Caregivers
  The Pennsylvania Initiative on Assistive Technology at Temple University in Philadelphia.... Caregiver Training in Assistive Technology was proposed by the Pennsylvania Initiative on Assistive Technology based at Temple University in Philadelphia. The program wanted to acquaint caregivers and care recipients with assistive technology and to enhance the independence of care recipients. Assistive technology devices and services have the potential to enhance the ability of caregivers to provide care and positively affect both their lives and the lives of older persons who they support. There are several barriers that may impede access to assistive services that may be helpful, lack of ability to see and try the products before purchase, and lack of assistance in learning to use the devices.

Center for Assisted Living Launches Website