I’m sorry I haven’t posted lately, things have gotten a bit crazy. I was going to write a nice post today but I read an article on the NY Times website called When It Isn’t Really Senility

I think it’s a great, great article about memory loss and confusion that shouldn’t be taken for granted, because it’s *not* normal. I encourage you to have a look.

If the site request that you register, it is free to register and it gives you access to lots of interesting articles, so I urge you to go ahead and do it. You don’t have to leave real personal information. I never do!

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I received this press release from the FDA just now:

On March 9, 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers not to eat certain cheese products made and distributed by New York-based Peregrina Cheese Corporation.

The company is recalling certain products based on FDA sampling and analysis that detected Listeria monocytogenes in some of the samples. No illnesses are known to be associated with the products at this time.

The products are:

* Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese Mexican style soft cheese (two specific lots): Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese comes in 14-ounce foil wrapped packages marked with lot number 4469 or 4477 affixed to each package on a white sticker and bearing UPC number 8 17424 00024 6 and Plant # 36-8431.
* Queso Cotija Molido Mexican style grated cheese: Queso Cotija Molido Cheese comes in 15-ounce clear plastic bags that are marked with UPC number 8 17424 00027 7 and Plant # 36-1388. The bags do not contain a lot number or production date.

To learn more about the issue, go to the FDA site.

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Tags: seniors blog, senior support, cheese recall, contaminated cheese

People change, tastes change, and so do nutritional needs. Getting older also has an effect on how we eat and what we need.

A study, featured in this article, says that "Researchers analyzed data from more than 6,200 people in four ethnic groups — white, black, Hispanic and Chinese. More than half of the participants took supplements, and those most likely to use supplements were older, women, white and college-educated. The most common supplements were calcium and vitamin C."

What they found though, was concerning. Even with using dietary supplements, like vitamins, many were not reaching the minimum levels of nutrition (potassium, calcium, etc.) The wrong thing to do is to just up the amount of supplements, because they are usually made up of more than one compound and by increasing them, you could be giving too much of another.

So, what to do? The simple solution is to eat a well balanced diet. These can be difficult sometimes on limited incomes or if you are having difficulty preparing your own meals. In that case, it would bear taking a look at your community resources to see if there are any volunteer-run or lost-cost ways to eat better. You can also look for a registered dietician in your area by going to the American Dietetic Association. It could be worth it to pay for a consultation to get ideas and tips on how to eat healthier and prepare healthier meals.

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Tags: seniors blog, senior support, aging and nutrition

If you live in a place that does Daylight Savings Time (DST), you’re likely springing forward this weekend. I remember when my children were babies, I dreaded any time change because their body sure didn’t understand the concept of one extra hour of sleep in the fall and one less in the spring.

In the hospitals, I found that time changes were particularly hard on my older patients. Their bodies were going through so much as it was, they didn’t need one thing extra to add.

That being said, I’m a DST fan. I love the later daylight hours, but springing forward can mess up a body. Some people say, it’s just like missing an hour’s sleep, but it’s not quit that simplistic. If you take medications every four hours, what about that missing hour? If you have pets who wake up at precisely 6 a.m and you’re trying to convince them that an hour earlier is what they need to do (or later in the fall), you may have a tough time.

There are claims that some studies show there are more car accidents in the week following a spring time change, but then that would mean - to me - that there should be fewer after the fall change, shouldn’t there? Other studies have shown this not to be true. Regardless of what people say, it all boils down to you and how you feel. And if time changes affect you, then there may be some things you can do to help reduce any problems you may have.

• The day before the time change, try to take a quick (short!) nap in the afternoon so you don’t need quite as much sleep that night.
• Try waking up earlier a day or two (or more) the few days preceding the time change to get your body used to the different time.
• Don’t worry about how much sleep you are or aren’t getting. If you worry about  not getting enough, you could be setting yourself up for more problems falling asleep.
• If you take medications on a strict schedule and are concerned about the shorter interval overnight, speak with your doctor or pharmacist. They are the best ones to help you with this type of issue.

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Images: Morguefile.com

Tags: seniors blog, senior support, daylight savings time, adjusting to daylight savings time, DST

On my Internet rounds, I get to see many great posts that I’d love to share. So, today here are 5 of the ones I think are the most interesting and that you may get the most out of:

1. Seniors for Living: Geriatric Patients in Emergency Departments
2. Yahoo: Views on Old Age May Become Reality Later
3. US News: 10 Tips for Evaluating an Early Retirement Offer
4. Senior Memos: Another New Caregiver
5. Gen Between: The Final Thread

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Tags: seniors blog, seniors support, caregivers, geriatric patients, old age, early retirement