Study: Loneliness Could Drive Doctors’ Visits

Experiences of loneliness and social isolation can lead to increased health care use among seniors, according to research from the University of Georgia College of Public Health and published online in the American Journal of Public Health. The study found that the frequency of physician visits was particularly influenced by chronic loneliness, and suggests that the identification and targeting of interventions for lonely elders may significantly decrease physician visits and health care costs.
 

“We often assume that if a person has enough friends and relatives they are doing OK,” noted study co-author Kerstin Gerst Emerson, an assistant professor of health policy and management.

“But loneliness is not the same as being alone. You can be lonely in a crowded room. It's very much about how you feel about your actual social relationships.”

If you get an idea that you or an aging loved one could, in fact, benefit from companionship, why not encourage her to become more active by taking up a hobby or joining a book or card club. Or, if getting out or health doesn’t permit that, perhaps try  inviting friends over for coffee or tea, or hosting a book or other hobby club. How about a movie night?

For more information about the research, visit http://ugaresearch.uga.edu/research-news/hidden-costs-of-loneliness/.

Each Home Instead Senior Care^® franchise office is independently owned and operated.

The Best Therapy? A Clean House

 Seniors who keep a clean and orderly home tend to feel emotionally and physically better after tackling house chores. The reason for this attitude appears to be the exercise it takes to get the job done, according to new findings by a Case Western Reserve University school of nursing researcher.

“House cleaning kept them up and moving,” said Kathy D. Wright, PhD, RN, CNS, a school of nursing researcher. “A clean environment is therapeutic."

Wright and a research team set out to test a theory called House's Conceptual Framework for Understanding Social Inequalities in Health and Aging. It's considered a blueprint for understanding how factors such as income, education, environment and health behaviors, like smoking and exercise, influence an older person's health.

The study's 337 participants, from 65 to 94 years old, had to have at least one chronic illness, be enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid, have physical restrictions that prevented them from doing at least one basic daily task, such as bathing and dressing, and be unable to manage such responsibilities as taking medicines, handling finances or accessing transportation.

Wright said she was surprised to learn that housework and maintaining their property affected the participants’ physical and mental well-being more than such factors as neighborhood or income.

One way to support your mother’s interest in staying in her home might be to encourage her to seek out additional assistance. For example, a CAREGiver^SM from your local Home Instead Senior^® Care office could provide help in a variety of areas such as light housekeeping as well as meal preparation, shopping and errands.

An extra set of hands could be just the ticket to keep your mother fit and her house sparkling clean!

For more about the study, visit http://blog.case.edu/think/2015/04/16/housework_keeps_older_adults_more_physically_and_emotionally_fit_according_to_new_study_by_case_western_reserve_nursing_school_researcher.

Each Home Instead Senior Care^® franchise office is independently owned and operated.

New Treatment Could Slow Effects of Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration may affect as many as 15 million Americans and is the leading cause of vision loss in people over age 65. It occurs when the small central portion of the retina, known as the macula, deteriorates. The retina is the light-sensing nerve tissue at the back of the eye.

However, for the first time, there may be a therapy to at least slow the progress of the disease, according to a new study.

An injection of stem cells into the eye may soon slow or even reverse the effects of early-stage age-related macular degeneration, according to new research from scientists at Cedars-Sinai.

Currently there is no treatment that slows the progression of the disease.

“This is the first study to show preservation of vision after a single injection of adult-derived human cells into a rat model with age-related macular degeneration,” said Shaomei Wang, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the study published in the journal STEM CELLS and a research scientist in the Eye Program at the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute.

The stem cell injection resulted in 130 days of preserved vision in laboratory rats, which roughly equates to 16 years in humans.

Encouraging news, for sure, for those like you who are suffering with this disease. Even if you do eventually experience some vision loss, that doesn’t mean that you must be forced to leave your home. Check out your local Home Instead Senior Care^® office.

The company provides many services that can help keep seniors independent and at home for as long as possible while helping to maintain their quality of life.

 
To learn more about the research, visit http://www.cedars-sinai.edu/About-Us/News/News-Releases-2015/Stem-Cell-Injection-May-Soon-Reverse-Vision-Loss-Caused-By-Age-Related-Macular-Degeneration.aspx.

Each Home Instead Senior Care^® franchise office is independently owned and operated.