From heraldexpress.co.uk.

An elderly man was rescued by firefighters after locking himself in the bathroom at his home in Paignton, UK.

He became stuck in the tub, but no one else in the property was able to help him out because [...]]]> Here is an example where a walk-in tub would help in a dangerous situation.

From heraldexpress.co.uk.

An elderly man was rescued by firefighters after locking himself in the bathroom at his home in Paignton, UK.

He became stuck in the tub, but no one else in the property was able to help him out because the door had been locked.

The alarm was raised at an address off Kings Ash Road at 11pm on Wednesday.

A crew from Paignton were able to open the door and lift the man from the bath water.

The drama prompted fire officers to issue safety advice about the dangers of locking bathrooms when taking a dip.

“The best thing to do is not to lock the door,” said a fire spokesman after the rescue.

It is understood the pensioner, believed to be in his 70s, had not used a specially provided chair to immerse himself in the bath.

“In this case he could not get out. And no one could help him because the door was locked,” explained the spokesman.

And it is not good for them either, according to researchers at the Stein Institute for Research on Aging and Rady School of Management [...]]]> We usually scold our children and teenagers for watching too much TV. It turns out that their grandmas and grandpas spend even more of their time watching TV.

And it is not good for them either, according to researchers at the Stein Institute for Research on Aging and Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

In a study published online in advance of publication in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, UCSD researchers examined television use in a large, nationally representative sample that was collected by the Center for Health and Well Being at Princeton University.

Using an innovative, diary-like assessment strategy called the Day Reconstruction Method, study participants were asked to measure how they spent their time and describe their experience of everyday activities.

“We found that older people spent a great deal more time watching TV than younger people did, yet they enjoyed the experience less,” said first author Colin A. Depp, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry with UCSD’s Stein Institute for Research on Aging.

“What the study underscored is that alternatives to television as entertainment are needed, especially in older adults.”

Read the entire article Older Adults Watch More TV Yet Enjoy it Less Than Younger People

A 2004 study commissioned by the AARP and other organizations estimated that caregiving is more stressful on women, who make up more than six in 10 caregivers: 40 percent said caregiving stressed them at high levels, compared to just 26 percent [...]]]> An estimated 44 million adults in the United States provide unpaid care to another adult.

A 2004 study commissioned by the AARP and other organizations estimated that caregiving is more stressful on women, who make up more than six in 10 caregivers: 40 percent said caregiving stressed them at high levels, compared to just 26 percent of men.

“Adult daughters place greater emphasis on their relationships with their parents, and when those relationships go awry, it takes a worse toll on the adult daughters than the adult sons,” said review author Marina Bastawrous, a graduate student at the University of Toronto.

Read more from the article at U.S. News and World Report.

A company which runs a nursing home in Essex has today been fined after an elderly man was lowered into a bath filled with water possibly as hot as 72°C.

Michael Ginn (72) was living at West House Nursing Home in St Vincent’s Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend, when he suffered first degree [...]]]> There was no thermo-static mixing valve!

A company which runs a nursing home in Essex has today been fined after an elderly man was lowered into a bath filled with water possibly as hot as 72°C.

Michael Ginn (72) was living at West House Nursing Home in St Vincent’s Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend, when he suffered first degree burns to his feet on 5 May 2009.

Mr Ginn, who is unable to walk, was being bathed by two care assistants. He was lowered into the bath using a hoist but immediately began to cry out that the water was too hot. Despite being quickly raised out of the bath and having his feet immersed in cold water, Mr Ginn suffered first degree burns to both feet and was kept overnight at Southend Hospital.

Rootcroft Ltd, of 71 Sunnyfield, Mill Hill, London, which runs the nursing home, appeared at Southend Magistrates’ Court today and admitted breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

The company was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £5,989 in costs. The company was also ordered to pay the victim £500 in compensation.

Investigations by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found no thermostatic mixing valve was fitted to the water supply to prevent the temperature exceeding 44°C. The bath was supplied with hot water from one of two tanks where the water was stored at 67°C and 72°C when checked by inspectors.

Continue reading Elderly resident scalded with 1st degree burns

Under-nutrition due to lack of eating is a common problem among elderly people. It is also dangerous. Under-nutrition and extreme thinness can lead to higher mortality rates, [...]]]> “My elderly mother isn’t eating and she has lost a lot of weight. Should I give her a nutrition supplement drink to replace the meals she should be eating?”

Under-nutrition due to lack of eating is a common problem among elderly people. It is also dangerous. Under-nutrition and extreme thinness can lead to higher mortality rates, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It is a problem that can’t be ignored.

Geriatricians (specialists in treating the elderly) take weight loss among the elderly very seriously and caregivers should too. However, some caregivers feel that feeding their parent a nutrition supplement drink, such as Boost, in lieu of meals ensures the elderly loved one is getting the nutrition they need.

This isn’t the case, according to Dr. Amy Ehrlich, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Interim Division Head of Montefiore Medical Center’s Geriatrics Division.

“Just giving them a can of Ensure for dinner isn’t enough,” she says. “It is always better to try to use regular food to maintain a person’s weight.” If a caregiver wants to use nutrition drinks, they should be used between meals, as a snack or supplement to add calories to the senior’s diet – not as a meal replacement.

Work with a doctor to determine elder’s nutrition needs

Weight loss is a marker of frailty. However, it is not a normal part of aging. Dr. Ehrlich stresses that it is critical to find out what is causing the senior’s loss of interest in food. A doctor should conduct a detailed medical evaluation to determine the cause of loss in appetite and weight loss.

“There are a variety of treatable conditions that could be the culprit: ulcers, thyroid disease, dementia, depression, even ill-fitting dentures. All are treatable, so rather than immediately turning to a supplement, work with your doctor to address the cause of the problem,” Dr Ehrlich says.

If a caregiver does decide a nutrition drink is right for their elderly loved one, a doctor should still be consulted to determine the type of supplement to use. For example, diabetics must choose a low-sugar product.

Continue reading: Giving Seniors Nutritional Drinks: Not a Good Idea

Gait disturbances, or difficulty walking as a result of old age, often have many causes, according to the researchers from the Neurological Hospital and Health Center of the Ludwig Maximilians University in Germany.

These can include visual defects, neurodegeneration of [...]]]> The fear of falling can ironically lead to more falls among the elderly, according to new research.

Gait disturbances, or difficulty walking as a result of old age, often have many causes, according to the researchers from the Neurological Hospital and Health Center of the Ludwig Maximilians University in Germany.

These can include visual defects, neurodegeneration of the motor cortex, taking medication or drinking alcohol, and anxiety over falls.

Those elderly individuals who are afraid of falling typically restrict their own movements, inadvertently worsening the physical conditions they may have, and contributing to a greater risk of falls.

The prevalence of anxiety-related gait disturbances in elderly patients could be as high as 85%, according to the report.

Read the full report here: http://www.aerzteblatt.de/v4/archiv/pdf.asp?id=74599

America’s seniors are being overwhelmed by the number of prescription drugs they take on a daily basis. According to a new national survey of more than 1,000 people ages 65 and older who use medications, more than half (51 percent) take at least five [...]]]> 1 in 4 seniors take between ten and 19 pills every day.

America’s seniors are being overwhelmed by the number of prescription drugs they take on a daily basis. According to a new national survey of more than 1,000 people ages 65 and older who use medications, more than half (51 percent) take at least five different prescription drugs regularly and one in four take between 10 and 19 pills each day.

The challenge of managing multiple medications is clear – nearly three in five (57 percent) of those polled admit that they forget to take their medications. Furthermore, the more drugs they use, the more likely they are not to remember to take them. Among those using five or more medications, 63 percent say they forget doses; a higher rate as compared to 51 percent among people who take fewer medicines.

“It’s usually the patients who are in worse health who are taking large numbers of prescription drugs. For these people, especially, taking their medications properly and regularly is critical,” said Dr. Woody Eisenberg, vice president and chief medical officer of Medco Retiree Solutions. “The problem is that the more medications prescribed, the harder it is for older people to manage them well and know essential information that can help prevent medication-related harm.”

Continue reading Seniors Struggle with Too Many Medications…

An Australian study published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society tracked the number of deaths over 10 years in 9,200 people who were aged 70 to [...]]]> More research indicates that being overweight can be less harmful for the elderly than for younger people.  In fact, dieting may not be helpful for the post-70 crowd.

An Australian study published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society tracked the number of deaths over 10 years in 9,200 people who were aged 70 to 75 at the start of the study. Study participants rated as overweight were found to have the lowest risk of dying during the period from cardiovascular disease, cancer and chronic respiratory disease and also ran the lowest overall death rate among those in the group.

Continue reading from the Wall Street Journal’s blog or read the study itself.