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‘Tis the Season…For Illness! How Seniors Can Boost Their Immune Systems

These days, we’re all thinking about our health and immune systems, and if you’re an older adult, that probably goes double for you. But even before people of all ages were wondering whether they should be disinfecting their groceries, you’d probably been noticing that your immune system just wasn’t what it used to be. And now maybe you feel like you get sick more often than you did when you were younger, or that it takes longer for you to get back on your feet again – so is that all in your head? And what can you do to give your immune system the boost it needs as the cold and flu season hits us?

Is Your Immune System Not Quite What It Used to Be?

red blood cells with virus pathogens floating around — *As you age, your immune system gets weaker, making it harder for it to fight off viruses.*

The answer to whether you’re just imagining a decline in your immune system is no, you’re not just imagining it. Your immune system – your body’s natural defense against illness and infection – does tend to get weaker with age. That’s actually the ironic thing about our increasing life expectancies: as we live longer and longer, we see more and more how our bodies decline with age, and our immune systems are no different. They take a hit with age, allowing more infections, diseases, and cancer to take hold; this tendency to lose some of our immunity as we age is known as “immune senescence.”

“Just as you probably can’t run as fast as you used to in your 20s, your immune system doesn’t work as well as it used to,” says Aaron E. Glatt, MD, chairman of the department of medicine at South Nassau Communities Hospitals.

While scientists aren’t quite sure why this happens, they have observed that the increased risk of infections (and of dying of respiratory illnesses like the flu, pneumonia, and Covid-19) for older adults is linked with a decrease in T cells (which attack other, illness-causing cells). This is possibly due to the normal atrophying of the thymus gland with age, which leads to it producing fewer T cells to fight off infection. There is also some speculation that our bone marrow becomes less efficient at producing the stem cells that help create the cells of the immune system, or that inflammation and infections chip away at our immune systems over time.

Whatever the reason, it’s clear that the following three things happen as you age:

Your body doesn’t respond as well to vaccines – Again, when you’re older, you don’t make as many T cells, and most vaccines need new ones to work. But that doesn’t mean you should skip your vaccines! Despite the reduction in efficacy, vaccinations for influenza and S. pneumoniae have significantly lowered the rates of sickness and death in older people when compared with no vaccination.

You become more susceptible to illness – Not only do you have fewer cells that fight infection, the ones you do have also don’t communicate as effectively with each other, meaning they might not be as quick on the uptake when it comes to reacting to germs (hey, it happens to the best of us!)

You recover from illness, injury, and infection more slowly – You also produce fewer white blood cells as you age, which can slow down recovery from illness.

What Can You Do?

While all of the above is true, and can mean a bit more worry as we approach the germy winter season, you don’t have to take it all lying down (in bed, with a box of tissues at hand). While there is no magic cure-all, you can try the following things to keep your aging immune system as strong as possible for as long as possible:

Get Your Z’s

Getting enough sleep is important at every age, but as you get older, it becomes even more important since it helps improve brain function, concentration, and memory. But sleep is also important for keeping your immune system strong: according to Gisele Wolf-Klein, MD, ““Research clearly shows that too little sleep – or poor-quality sleep – lowers immunity, even in young healthy people.” Aim for at least 7-9 hours of sleep a night; remember to keep your bedroom dark, cool, and screen-free, try not to take excessive naps, and limit caffeine consumption to get your optimal amount of sleep.

Work on Your Stress Levels

A bit of short-term stress probably isn’t going to affect your body, but chronic stress can actually take a toll on your immune system. When under stress, your body increases the production of the stress hormone, cortisol, which has the side effect of limiting bodily functions that aren’t essential in a fight-or-flight situation. That means that constantly producing extra cortisol could lower your immune system response, and make you more susceptible to illness; not only that, but you might find yourself sleeping and eating poorly if you’re under constant stress, which can also work against you. Try to find ways to relax that you enjoy, or add meditation, breathing, or yoga into your life, and remember to set limitations and say “no” when you need to focus on you.

Eat Healthy, Including Immune-Boosting Foods

There isn’t one single food you can eat, or diet you can follow, to improve your immunity, but it is important to eat a healthy, varied diet full of vitamin and mineral-rich foods, like fresh fruits and veggies. You should especially look for dark, leafy greens and anything in the red, yellow or orange family, which are loaded with immune-boosting vitamin C and antioxidants. Some researchers do suggest trying to incorporate the following immune-boosting foods:

different kinds of citrus fruits — *Citrus fruits can help boost your immune system.*

Citrus fruits

Watermelon

Ginger

Spinach

Greek yogurt

Chicken

Exercise and Maintain a Healthy Weight

Some researchers believe that excess weight – especially abdominal fat – triggers inflammation, which not only increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes, but also puts stress on your immune system. Eating a healthy, varied diet as discussed above can also go a long way toward maintaining a healthy weight, as can moving your body more, helping to keep your immune system working at its best. Research also suggests that exercise helps cells move more freely, which helps them do their job better.

Quit Smoking

The chemicals in cigarettes are known to damage lung tissue and increase the risk for cancer, but they can also cause respiratory illnesses such as the flu, bronchitis, and pneumonia. There are so many good reasons for quitting, so if you smoke, talk to your doctor about the best way for you, whether it’s a gum, a patch, a prescription medication, counselling, or a combination of these methods.

Get Outside

Spending a little time out in the sunshine can help to boost your vitamin D levels, which can help strengthen your immune system; if your vitamin D levels are really low, your doctor can prescribe supplements or recommend an over-the-counter supplement. Just remember not to spend too much time in the strong sun, so you can avoid sunburns and excessive amounts of UV radiation, which can cause cancer.

Stay on Top of Your Health

If you’re living with chronic conditions like diabetes or arthritis that affect your overall functioning and make you feel less than tip-top, make sure to follow all of your doctor’s recommendations for keeping these conditions under control. Again according to Dr. Glatt, “Keeping illnesses like diabetes well-controlled takes less of a toll on your immune system.”

Get Vaccinated!

Yes, we did point out that vaccines are not as effective for older adults, but they are still an extremely important way to lower your risk of illnesses that can be much more serious for seniors, like flu and pneumonia – not to mention Covid-19. And they have been proven to significantly lower risks of infections in older adults when compared to taking no vaccine at all. Talk to your doctor about all of the vaccines that you should be getting, and find out how many doses you need of each one, as well as whether they are a one-off or an annual necessity.

There’s no denying that aging takes a toll on your body, and your immune system can feel like just another casualty as you get older. But, while you can’t reverse the aging process, you can take steps to keep your immune system as strong as possible – so, when prepping for the winter months ahead, don’t forget to include boosting your immune system on your list of things to do!

The Hidden Problem of Seniors and Alcohol Abuse

We’re heading into what, for some, is the most wonderful time of the year; for others, though, it can be the most stressful, or even the loneliest. It’s also the time of year when some people will be enjoying a few drinks with friends at dinners and parties, while others will turn to alcohol use as a way to escape, including older adults, who can be just as prone to alcohol abuse as younger people, although we often don’t seem to recognize that this is a problem in our country. So how big of a problem is alcohol abuse among seniors, how do you know if you or your loved one has a problem, and what can you do?

How Big Is the Problem?

It seems like it’s hard for us as a society to acknowledge that older adults – our parents, grandparents, or peers who we grew up with – are just as vulnerable to abusing alcohol as anyone else, but it’s true. In fact, most estimates from earlier than 2020 put the number of seniors battling alcohol abuse at around 3 million, and that number was expected to rise to nearly 6 million after 2020. In addition, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) says that alcohol abuse affects up to 17% of adults over the age of 60.

man drinking a glass of wine next to a woman — *Research shows that a third of older adults are “situational” drinkers who have turned to alcohol later in life.*

To break that down further, and to put it all into stark relief, consider this: a large survey published in 2007 that looked at data from a number of hospitals, found that 24% of people over 65 binge drank, and almost 8% exceeded the NIAAA guideline for seniors that suggest they should have no more than seven alcoholic beverages in a week. Not only that, but another survey found that almost as many seniors are admitted to acute care hospitals for alcohol-related conditions as they are for heart attacks.

It’s also important to point out that, while two-thirds of older adults who are abusing alcohol have been doing so for a very long time, a full third of them are “situational” drinkers who have turned to alcohol later in life, who might turn to drinking because of the life changes that come with aging, like bereavement, illness, disability, and retirement. And, while men in general are more likely to abuse alcohol, it turns out that women are especially vulnerable to developing drinking problems later in life, problems which will often cause physical issues like liver damage, hypertension, anemia, and malnutrition much more quickly (and with less alcohol consumption) than for older men.

Is Alcohol Abuse Worse for Older Adults?

To pick up on our last point above about the physical problems that accompany heavy drinking, we should add that alcohol abuse is especially harmful for people over 60, no matter their gender. Why? Well, first of all, if you’re over 60, you might have noticed that alcohol has a different effect on you now than when you were younger. This is because as we age, our bodies don’t metabolize and excrete alcohol as efficiently, so you’ll find that you get more intoxicated and stay that way for longer. For this reason, the NIAAA recommends that people over 65 consume no more than one alcoholic drink per day.

So, if you’re more affected by alcohol the older you are, the next concerning thing about drinking too much is its effect on your alertness, judgment, coordination, and reaction time. It can also contribute to falls and accidents, which can be very serious for older adults. And that’s not all. Heavy drinking can:

Make it harder to diagnose certain conditions: for example, alcohol can cause changes in the heart and blood vessels, dull pain that could be the sign of a heart attack, and even cause symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s disease.
Interact with many medications, either heightening the effects of them, or reducing their effectiveness. In addition, mixing alcohol with some drugs, like painkillers, anti-anxiety medications, antidepressants, or sleeping pills can be very dangerous, or even fatal.
Have serious effects on the brain, central nervous system, liver, heart, kidneys, and stomach.

Recognizing the Signs

So if alcohol abuse is so physically dangerous for older adults, not to mention the fact that it is a sign of mental distress that needs to be addressed, it’s important to be able to recognize the signs that you or a loved one have a problem. That can be difficult to do, because older adults often live more isolated lives than younger adults, but the following signs can help you to determine that it’s time to get help:

Feeling guilty about your drinking
Frequently having more than one drink a night
Lying about or hiding your drinking
Loss of interest in food, or in things you once enjoyed
Developing medical, financial, or social problems because of your drinking
Drinking to reduce anxiety or depression, forget your problems, or steady your nerves
Feeling irritable when you can’t drink
Getting annoyed because others criticize your drinking

Remember, some older adults have been living with a drinking problem for much of their adult lives, but others develop an issue later in life because of loneliness, boredom, grief, and the very real stress that can come with aging. If you or a loved one are feeling overwhelmed with financial problems, loss, chronic pain, taking care of a sick spouse, or anything else, it can be easy to try to drink the feelings that go along with these issues away – but there is help out there if you or a loved one needs help.

What Can You Do?

If you are concerned about a loved one’s drinking, it’s important to speak to them about it: acknowledge the difficulties they are going through that could have led them to start drinking in the first place, and encourage them to get help in the form of a treatment program or support group. If things are really bad, you should consider staging an intervention with a professional counselor. Hearing your concern and knowing they have your support can be very powerful motivating factors for seniors: in fact, around 90% of individuals who have undergone a professionally staged intervention commit to seeking treatment.

If you are concerned about your own drinking, know that there are countless alcohol-related programs that are designed specifically for seniors, and that it’s never too late to get help. You can look into the following approaches to dealing with alcohol abuse as an older adult:

Cognitive behavioral therapy
Support groups
Individual counseling
Medical/psychiatric programs
Family therapy
Case Management/community-linked services and outreach

Alcohol is a big problem among older adults – probably bigger than a lot of us realize – but the first step to improving lives is recognizing that something needs to be done. So, if you see yourself or a loved one in the signs above, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the NIAAA or a trusted medical professional for ideas on where to start getting help. Remember, no one is ever too old to make improvements to their life and health, and doing that might mean confronting issues with alcohol use.

When to Worry About Your Worrying: Coping with Anxiety As You Age

When it comes to our health, it can be so much easier to talk about what’s ailing us physically than what is bothering us mentally. But mental health for older adults is something that needs to be addressed, because no age group is immune to these issues. In fact, with the many changes both physical and emotional that come with aging, psychological issues like anxiety can become more of a problem. It’s important to recognize what is just normal worrying and what is anxiety, as well as to find ways to relieve the feelings of anxiousness you might be experiencing.

Anxiety and Older Adults

For those dealing with any kind of mental health concern, you are certainly not alone, especially if you are an older adult. According to the World Health Organization, mental health issues affect approximately 15% of the population over the age of 60, and, according to the CDC, about 20% of the population over the age of 55. When it comes to anxiety, nearly 4% of older adults in the U.S. are affected.

diabetes glucose checker and a needle with strips — *Chronic conditions such as diabetes is a risk factor for anxiety.*

The risk factors for anxiety in older adults include:

General feelings of poor health
Sleep problems
Chronic physical conditions, such as COPD, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease
Taking medications with psychological side effects
Physical impairments that affect everyday life
Traumatic or difficult childhood
Stressful life events, like the death of a spouse or a diagnosis of a serious medical condition

It’s clear that anxiety is a widespread problem, and, with that long list of risk factors, it’s also clear that anxiety can end up being a problem for many older adults. But it can be tough for some people to talk about, perhaps because there is still a stigma surrounding mental health issues, or maybe because you might be very focused on communicating the physical problems you might be experiencing. Whatever the case, there’s no need to brush off feelings of anxiety. In fact, you should know how to identify it so you can move forward and begin feeling better.

Is It Anxiety?

So how do we actually define anxiety, and what should you be looking out for? Well, while it’s completely normal to be anxious sometimes, you could have an anxiety disorder if you frequently and persistently experience intense feelings of tension or worry that interfere with your well-being, and that even sometimes cause negative physical reactions such as increased blood pressure. The specific signs of anxiety are varied, and can include:

silhouette of a head with the brain part of the head disintegrating. — *Anxiety can lead to memory issues and struggles with focusing and concentration.*

Having irrational fears or experiencing excessive worry
Suffering from panic attacks
Avoiding social situations or feeling like you want to isolate yourself
Being uncharacteristically angry, aggressive, or irritable
Feeling very restless
Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
Feeling extremely fatigued
Struggling with focus and concentration
Having memory issues

Finding Relief

If any of the above sounds like you, the first step is acknowledging what you are experiencing and even naming it for what it is. Give yourself permission to feel what you feel! And then, when you’re ready, consider speaking to a mental health professional. In addition to that, though, you can try some coping strategies to help you find relief from your anxiety. Start by practicing some basic self-care; namely, make sure you’re eating right, getting some exercise that you enjoy, and finding ways to laugh every day. Then, try out some different strategies and see if any of the following works for you:

Keeping it consistent – There’s a lot to be said for sticking to a routine, especially when anxiety rears its ugly head. Sure, there are times when the normalcy of doing all those mundane tasks in the same order – getting up, getting your coffee, reading the paper, texting a loved one, showering, etc – can get old or boring, but that’s not always the case when you’re feeling extra anxious. At these times, a set list of daily tasks can bring a much needed sense of calm and comfort. And when you’re feeling a bit more like yourself, then you can be ready to shake things up!

Getting your relaxation on – You might also need to add something extra into your daily routine: some exercises to calm the mind. It can be exercise in the literal, physical sense, like yoga or Tai Chi, both of which can calm your mind, increase respiration, and lower blood pressure; or, it can be as simple as listening to soothing music, following a relaxation app, or just sitting and doing breathing exercises.

Putting things in perspective – For many people, anxiety can distort their sense of reality, meaning that little setbacks or negative interactions can take on epic proportions in their minds. If this happens to you, try to take a step back and put things in perspective – put that one negative thing next to the rest of your day, week, month, year and see how it really stacks up. Is it as big as you originally thought it was? Probably not. A great way to keep up this practice is by journaling whenever these thoughts invade your headspace; writing it all down can help you to regain perspective, as well as make sense of what triggers these feelings and give you an idea of what helps you move forward each time.

Get at least 6-9 hours of sleep every night to help lower anxiety levels.

Not skimping on your sleep – Remember, even older adults need 6-9 hours of sleep a night! And not getting enough sleep – or enough good quality sleep – can really make a difference in your anxiety levels. If you’re having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, try some simple strategies like avoiding caffeine in the afternoon/evening, taking screens out of the bedroom and stopping your digital time at least an hour before bedtime, getting more exercise, establishing a soothing bedtime routine, or even talking to your doctor if necessary.

Reaching out – This last strategy might just be the most important, and the most effective, other than speaking to a mental health professional. Anxiety can lead to isolation and even depression, so it’s vitally important that you reach out to others and seek some social support as soon as you can when experiencing anxiety. Connecting with friends and family, or even just being around others in general, can go a surprisingly long way toward dissipating those anxious feelings. If you can’t connect in person right now, you still have so many options for seeing friendly faces: try video chatting with apps like FaceTime, Zoom, or WhatsApp or joining an online class (again, yoga is a great option).

Remember, if you’re experiencing anxiety, don’t suffer alone. Speak to your doctor, reach out to loved ones, and take the time to be good to yourself.

Negative Feelings About Retirement? How to Deal with Those Unexpected Emotions

Retirement. For some, it’s something they’ve been looking forward to for half of their working lives; for others, it’s a necessary evil that they learn to live with. However you felt about retirement before taking the plunge (or being pushed off the edge), you might find that your feelings change as you start to settle into your new lifestyle – you might even find that some unexpected emotions begin to crop up. This is totally normal; after all, retirement is a huge life change! Know that you are not alone in dealing with these issues, and know also that you can find ways to deal with them, and get on the road to a more fulfilling retirement.

A New You

When you were younger, you may have had an idealized view of retirement, or thought of it in a more 20th century way: it’s just something that you do when you hit a certain age. The truth is, retirement is complicated. There are multiple reasons why we do it, both positive and negative – and researchers have found that it’s usually a combination of both. Dissatisfaction with work could be mixed with a desire to spend more time with loved ones, or doing the things that you truly enjoy. You could be forced into retirement because of health issues, or a restructuring of your company.

Whatever brought you to this point in your life, though, you have to recognize that, in some ways, you may feel like your identity is shifting when you’re no longer working at a long-held job. Sometimes changing our perspective and feeling like a new version of ourselves is liberating and positive, but sometimes, as for many retirees, it can lead to a confusing tangle of emotions. Some people may even experience a delayed reaction: Elizabeth Mokyr Horner, PhD, of the University of California, Berkeley, found that some retirees experience a “sugar rush” of well-being and life satisfaction directly after retirement, followed by a sharp decline in happiness afterwards.

What this all means is that you have to look after your psychological well-being just as you would your financial well-being in retirement. You can start by examining the unexpected negative feelings you may be experiencing, and trying to find some creative ways to combat them.

black and white picture of an older caucasian woman with her face in her hands — *Some people will experience a sense of loss as to who they are once they leave their job.*

A Sense of Loss

What you might be experiencing: As we touched on above, people often link their job with who they are, so you may experience a sense of loss – or even grieving – when you retire. In fact, according to Deana Arnett, senior planning consultant at Rosenthal Wealth Management Group, people “get their identities wrapped up in what they do for a living, and once that’s gone, if there’s not something else there to fill the space, that’s when the depression and dissatisfaction kicks in.” Retirement can also mean the loss of the daily interactions and challenges that were part of your life everyday for many years, and losing those can add to the sadness you feel.
What you can do: The key here is finding and accepting support. This could come from family and friends, a church or religious organization, a therapist, or a support group. Connecting with new people or places can go a long way, especially when combined with reconnecting in meaningful ways to the people and places you already love. You can also try getting creative and writing or journaling about your feelings of loss, or making a memory book.

Guilt

What you may be experiencing: This one may not have been on your radar, but many retirees actually end up feeling guilty in many ways after they retire. “It seems to be a mix of guilt over good fortune (being able to retire comfortably), shirking duties (no longer having to work or be productive), spending money that may be needed for the future (not adequately appreciating money available), and having access to benefits (like Social Security and pensions),” according to Steven M. Albert, PhD, a professor in the department of behavioral and community health sciences and chairman for research and science at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. “It may also involve a kind of survivor guilt – making it to this point intact and with resources, unlike others less fortunate.” You might also feel guilty if you aren’t somehow “making the most of” every second your work-free day.
It’s okay to splurge a little without feeling guilty, you just have to budget wisely!

What you can do: First of all, give yourself a little grace. You don’t have to spend every second engaged in some sort of meaningful pursuit, or chasing adventure. It’s ok to spend some days binge watching and not bungee jumping!

Next, if you feel guilty every time you splurge on takeout with your spouse or friends, be proactive. Talk to a financial planner and do an honest, thorough assessment of your finances. Figure out where you can cut or move funds around. Invest wisely. And, if you’re feeling unproductive and uncomfortable about money, there’s no rule saying you can’t look for a part-time job to fill some of your time.

Finally, if your good fortune suddenly seems like a burden, get out into the community and volunteer! We’ll look at this option a little more closely below.

Remorse

What you might be experiencing: Are you wondering “did I do the right thing?” Buyer’s remorse can be real when you retire, especially if you ended up retiring before you thought you would. Or maybe your remorse is more about what could have been: maybe you feel like you missed an opportunity for career advancement somewhere along the way, or that you didn’t set your financial goals high enough.

What you can do: If it’s buyer’s remorse you’re suffering from, you might simply need a change of perspective. Yes, you gave up working – but did you get something back in return? For example, maybe you have an elderly parent who will no longer be around in 5 years, or grandchildren that are at an age when hanging out with grandma is still the best thing ever. That certainly won’t last! There are pros and cons to everything, and retirement is no different – so try to focus on the pros.

On the other hand, if you’re spending your time going over and over in your head what might have been, or what you might have done wrong, then it’s time to move forward. If you feel like you have unfinished business with someone from your working life, try to work it out with them. If you wished you had somehow “done more,” try signing up for classes and furthering your education, or again, look into part-time work. Life doesn’t end at retirement!

Dissatisfaction

What you might be experiencing: Many of us have an idealized view of retirement, but you may end up having your bubble burst. You may simply feel dissatisfied with your retirement: According to Candy Spitz, LCSW, a board-certified life coach at Unlimited Paths based in Church Falls, Virginia, “Sometimes people think, ‘This isn’t what I thought it would be’.”
What you can do: First of all, don’t think about retiring from something, think about retiring to something – a new life, with a new perspective, and new opportunities. If you take away a big part of your life – your career – you need to fill that space. As mentioned above, further education or part-time jobs are great ways to embark on something new.

Another excellent option is to volunteer, which was also one of our ideas for combatting feelings of guilt at your lack of productivity, or at your good fortune. A recent study in the Journal of Aging and Health led by Eva Kahana, PhD, of Case Western Reserve University, found that people living in retirement communities reported higher levels of life satisfaction and fewer depressive symptoms if they were involved in volunteering.

Not only can volunteering boost your mental state, but it can also increase your physical health. Researchers have found that older adults who volunteer 200 hours over the course of a year are less likely to develop hypertension than non-volunteers. According to psychologist Sheldon Cohen, PhD, “Volunteering may increase feelings of purpose and meaning in life, and commuting to volunteer sites and activities may also increase physical activity, therefore decreasing hypertension risk. All of these have the potential of improving cardiovascular health.” So if you’re feeling bored, cooped up, and lacking in purpose, volunteerism might be just what you need to get your heart pumping.

The bottom line is, whatever you’re feeling now that you’re retired, it’s normal, and it’s ok. Your life has changed drastically, and you’ll need an adjustment period. Take time to grieve if you need to, find a good support network, and look for what makes life meaningful to you, whether that’s giving back to your community, finding a second chance career, or returning to old passions and hobbies. Your fulfillment will look different from someone else’s, and no one can tell you how to be happy. If you want to binge watch, go ahead! You’ve earned some downtime. And if you want to go bungee jumping, more power to you – just be safe out there!

Telehealth Is Changing The Landscape of Senior Healthcare

For seniors, access to healthcare can be a real issue. Research has shown that, despite the universality of Medicare, seniors in the United States face greater barriers to healthcare and are overall sicker than their counterparts in other high-income countries. With the COVID-19 pandemic bringing shelter-in-place orders and a particular risk for seniors, we are now faced with an even more pressing need for accessible healthcare. Telehealth can help bridge this gap, and we are seeing seniors and healthcare facilities turn to it in large numbers – one medical center in New York saw telehealth visits increase from 300 per day pre-COVID to 7,000 per day in the peak of the pandemic. Will this much usage continue after the pandemic has died down? It’s possible that telehealth is changing the landscape of healthcare, so let’s look at what telehealth is, and how it can play a role in supporting seniors’ health for the long term.

What Is Telehealth?

older man holding a tablet with a doctor on the tablet and holding medicine bottle in the other hand. — *Telehealth offers you the ability to speak to your doctor from the comfort of your home.*

Telehealth is a variety of methods for remote healthcare services, communications, and education. The four main categories of telehealth are:

Live, synchronous video calls: A two-way conversation in real time between patient and provider.

Asynchronous transmissions: Recorded health histories that are transmitted electronically to another healthcare provider. This is particularly useful in rural areas, as it allows a primary care physician to consult with specialists in another location.
Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM): Often used for seniors, especially those living in senior communities, RPM collects patients’ health data and then electronically transfers it to healthcare providers for monitoring and review.
Mobile Health (mHealth): mHealth makes use of health-based apps that can be used on tablets, laptops, or smartphones. Apps range from ones that can monitor a diabetic’s blood sugar levels to daily reminders to drink enough water.

Post-COVID Benefits for Seniors

Telehealth has been a great healthcare option for seniors (and everyone else) during the coronavirus crisis, as it has meant fewer visits to the doctor and less risk of virus transmission. But its benefits go beyond helping to flatten the curve during a pandemic. Some experts foresee that telehealth is around for the long haul, because it allows for:

Routine monitoring of chronic conditions. With aging comes more chronic health issues, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and arthritis. These conditions require regular monitoring by healthcare professionals. Telehealth can save on the cost of frequent visits, while still allowing doctors to keep tabs on things like blood pressure, sugar levels, and pain.
Regular sick visits. Many people forego visits to the doctor when they’re sick due to cost, scheduling issues, or lack of transportation. Telehealth makes seeing the doctor easier, and means doctors are more likely to catch an illness before it turns into something more serious, like a common cold that could become pneumonia.

With telemedicine, you can see any doctor from different cities or states.
Improved communication. When monitoring multiple conditions, as many seniors are, it can be helpful to have a second person in the doctor’s office, noting things like medication changes, symptoms to look out for, and risk factors. Telehealth makes it easier for a family member or caregiver to keep track of what happens at appointments, making for better continuity of care.

Range of care. With telemedicine, seniors have access to a wider range of providers, such as specialists in other cities or even across the country. This improves quality of care and makes treatment that was previously inaccessible much more realistic.
Removal of barriers. Pandemic or not, there are always barriers to treatment, such as location and mobility. For seniors who live in rural areas, are unable to drive, do not feel comfortable with or are unable to navigate public transportation, or have mobility issues, telehealth makes a visit to the doctor’s office much less stressful.

What Happens Next?

In order to make telehealth a reality nationally, a lot needs to change. To start with, over 19 million people in the United States lack access to the internet speeds required for telehealth, and others would need technology like a smartphone or tablet with a camera. Furthermore, funding is a huge issue. Currently, some insurers have temporarily expanded coverage to support telehealth throughout the pandemic. Some representatives in Congress have recently introduced a bipartisan bill called the HEALTH Act, which calls for Medicare reimbursement to support telehealth services in community health centers and rural health clinics. The bill notes that “access to telehealth has become more than just a convenience, but rather a critical necessity in America”.

What do you think? Have you used telehealth? How was your experience? Tell us about it in the comments section!

The ABCs of CBD

The marijuana plant has been the topic of heated conversations in recent years. Most people know Marijuana has a reputation for recreational use, but what about the impressive medical research and benefits this plant has to offer? Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one such derivative, and has been called a “miracle” by doctors across the country. Unlike THC, the psychoactive substance in the marijuana plant, CBD is legal in all 50 states, and is used to treat many common ailments.

a glass container with liquid in it and a dropper on the table — *CBD can be used to treat many different conditions.*

The ABCs of CBD

A: About. CBD is just one component of the cannabis (marijuana) plant. CBD affects the body’s endocannabinoid system, a series of receptors throughout the body that regulate appetite, experience of pain, mood, and memory in the central nervous, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal systems. CBD is not a psychoactive substance, which means it does not affect your mind. So, unlike THC, the psychoactive compound in the marijuana plant, CBD will not cause the user to feel high.

B: Benefits: CBD can be used to treat an incredibly wide variety of conditions, with more uses being discovered each day. Some of the benefits of using CBD include:

Pain relief
Sleep support
Appetite stimulation
Improved heart health
Addiction management
Mental health support

C: Consumption. CBD is not a leaf or plant; it is an oil extracted from the plant. Unlike the drug, it is not smoked, which may have harmful effects on the mouth, throat, and lungs. The extracted oil can be used in a variety of forms:

Topical gels or creams
Tinctures
Edible products
Capsules

Benefits For Seniors

xray of a knee — *CBD can help with chronic pain and arthritis issues.*

For those of us seeking holistic methods to improve quality of life as we age, CBD could be a very useful tool. It could help to replace some daily medications, support pain management, and improve the symptoms of a variety of conditions, including:

Chronic pain. 75-85% of seniors deal with chronic pain, which is what CBD is currently primarily used for. CBD stops the body from absorbing anandamide, one of the compounds associated with pain regulation. This results in increased levels of anandamide within the bloodstream and reduced pain.
Arthritis. Not only does CBD help with pain management, but it also has anti-inflammatory properties that make it ideal for treating arthritis, which affects nearly half of all people over the age of 65. CBD can also be used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and joint dysfunction.

Osteoporosis. Research has shown that CBD can help strengthen bones and promote cellular repair, which can speed up the healing process should a fracture or break occur.

Cardiovascular issues. A variety of studies have shown that CBD impacts cardiovascular function in myriad ways, including reducing high blood pressure, reducing cardiac inflammation, and stopping cell death due to oxidation. It supports vasorelaxation, which promotes healthy blood pressure and increases blood flow to the heart.

Insomnia. Sleep disorders impact individuals of all ages, but are especially common in seniors. Some medical professionals believe this to be a result of chemical imbalances, and others suggest it may be caused by stress and anxiety. CBD helps with the latter, as it promotes relaxation by impacting the central nervous system.

Neurological conditions. Many experts believe that CBD can be used as a treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. While these studies are still in clinical trials, they have seen overwhelming success thus far. CBD could also be used to treat glaucoma by reducing the intraocular pressure that causes pain and eventual blindness.
Mood Disorders. CBD interacts with neuroreceptors involved in regulating mood, like serotonin and oxytocin, and has been proven to relieve stress and anxiety, support relaxation, and improve cognitive function.

For seniors seeking a natural way to improve their lives and fight pain, CBD can be a miracle oil. A non-invasive, non-addictive way to manage inflammation, mood, and a variety of medical conditions, CBD is a harmless alternative to many prescription medications. Talk to your primary care doctor to see if CBD might be a good fit for you!