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Safety Tips for the Elderly on Halloween

For thousands of children across the country, Halloween is an exciting and fun holiday full of candy, pumpkins, and costumes. However, for aging adults, Halloween has many hidden potential dangers. Decorations can lead to accidental falls and opening the door for strangers can be dangerous. To ensure that this Halloween is safe for you and your aging loved ones, it is important to follow some basic safety tips.

Keep all floors, doorways and stairs clear of decorations.
Keep outside areas well lit.
Keep carved pumpkins outside to avoid bugs and a decaying smell inside your house.
Make sure someone is staying with your aging loved one to ensure he or she is safe while answering the door for trick or treaters.
Put a sign on the door when it is dark saying you are out of candy
Taking concrete measures on Halloween and during the year can help prevent an accident or emergency situation from happening to your elderly loved one. However, sometimes medical emergencies happen and your elderly loved one may need to specialized care. At Sprain Brook Manor we understand the importance of safety and receiving skilled nursing care in comfort. We serve the greater New York area and offer several therapies for those recovering from major health events including physical therapy, speech therapy, and cardiac therapy. This post is provided by Sprain Brook Manor Rehab which Provides unique opportunity to recover from medical procedures that result in true satisfying results. Getting you stronger and better every day. Contact Us today to receive more information. Disclaimer: The information provided in this post in not intended to be construed as health advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for obtaining individual medical counsel or consulting your physician.

The Importance of Skin Care as You Age

The skin is the body’s largest organ. According to the NIH as we age our skin becomes thinner and loses fat. As a result veins and bones can be seen more easily and scratches, cuts and bumps may take longer to heal. In addition there are common skin conditions in the elderly that are listed below.Senile Purpura –This purple bruising is common (affects over 10% of people over 50) in the elderly and occurs after minor traumas. This benign skin condition is caused by thin dermal tissue and also the increased breakability of blood vessels. Stasis Dermatitis –This change in skin color that usually occurs in the lower leg may cause pain, swelling and itchiness. Exfoliative Dermatitis– This scaley dermatitis can occur in response to drug therapy, disease or idiopathic entity and is more prevalent in individuals over 40 years old. Skin Infections and Infestations– Aging Adults often develop infections and infestation on their skin. Cancerous and noncancerous skin growths– Exposure to the sun puts individuals a higher risk for Cancerous and noncancerous skin growths as they age. It is important that seniors take extra steps for their skincare. Depending on the skin condition using moisturizes, milder soap and a humidifier can help with dry skin. It is important to wear sunscreen and check your body every month for new growth or bleeding moles that might be skin cancer. As allows it is important to discuss with your dermatologist the best ways to keep your skin healthy as you age. This post is provided by Sprain Brook Manor Rehab which Provides unique opportunity to recover from medical procedures that result in true satisfying results. Getting you stronger and better every day. Contact us today to receive more information. Disclaimer: The information provided in this post in not intended to be construed as health advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for obtaining individual medical counsel or consulting your physician.

Oral Health & Hygiene in Aging Adults

According to the NIH as much as 10% of individuals between ages 50 and 64 have no remaining teeth. In addition on average, individuals over 50 are missing about six teeth (not including wisdom teeth). Many aging adults believe that permanent tooth loss is evitable, however with proper maintenance you or your gaining loved one can continue to have healthy teeth throughout life. Listed below are issues and proper guidelines to helping your mouth stay young

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)

If you are caring for an aging adult it is important to make sure they are taking care of their dental hygiene. In addition, there are dentists that specialize in elderly dental hygiene and can offer detailed suggestions to how to treat many issues that aging adults make face when it comes to oral hygiene. This post is provided by Sprain Brook Manor Rehab which Provides unique opportunity to recover from medical procedures that result in true satisfying results. Getting you stronger and better every day. Contact us today to receive more information. Disclaimer: The information provided in this post in not intended to be construed as health advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for obtaining individual medical counsel or consulting your physician.

Vaccines for the Elderly

Every year there is a massive push to get the flu shot. This should be no surprise considering that the CDC recommends that everyone above the age of 6 months (except if you allergic to eggs or have had a bad reaction to the vaccine in the past) be administered the vaccine (source). The elderly are at increased risk of having complications from the flu therefore it is very important that anyone above age 65 receive the flu shot. Besides for the flu shot there are several other vaccines that Vaccines.gov, a federal gateway to information on vaccines and immunization, recommends that individuals over 65 consider. These vaccinations include Shingles (Herpes Zoster), Diphtheria/Tetanus, Pertussis (Whooping Cough), Pneumococcal (Pneumonia) Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After someone gets chickenpox the virus can stay dormant in the body and eventually become active again. Shingles usually begins as a painful rash that eventually forms blisters, that scab. Other symptoms include fever headache, chills and upset stomach. It can lead to serious complications and in rare cases death. Half of all shingles cases include people over 60 and the only way to prevent shingles once you have had the chickenpox is to get the vaccine.In addition to the shingles vaccine individuals over 65 should get the Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis), and the Pneumococcal vaccines, which protects against pneumococcal disease (source). Pneumococcal is caused by Streptococcus pneumonia bacteria and can lead to pneumonia, bloodstream infection (sepsis), or meningitis. Older individuals are at elevated risk for having serious complications from pneumococcal disease (source). Make sure to talk to your healthcare provider to determine what vaccines may be appropriate for you or your loved ones.This post is provided by Sprain Brook Manor Rehab, located in Westchester NY, which Provides unique opportunity to recover from medical procedures that result in true satisfying results. Getting you stronger and better every day. Contact us today to receive more information. Disclaimer: The information provided in this post in not intended to be construed as health advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for obtaining individual medical counsel or consulting your physician.

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