Blog Post

Aging & Caregiving In the News

Information, updates, and interesting tidbits from across the country and around the world.

In this issue:

• Seniors benefit from yoga and Pilates.
• Alzheimer’s caregivers are dealing with loneliness.
• To remember that museum trip, leave your camera behind.

Seniors With Health Challenges Benefit from Yoga, Pilates

Vigorous exercise is great for our health. But many seniors are living with health conditions that make high-impact exercise impossible. A recent study from Penn State University showed that yoga and Pilates, two popular low-impact exercise practices, can be a good fit for these seniors, even if they’ve never taken part before.

Sports medicine physician Dr. Jayson Loeffert reports that yoga and Pilates can help people manage diabetes, high blood pressure and nerve pain, and improve their back pain, posture, range of motion, stress level and sleep quality. Loeffert recommends that seniors talk to the doctor before beginning yoga or Pilates, and select a class for beginners with an instructor who will be sure they’re doing the poses correctly. Read more here.

Many Alzheimer’s Caregivers Live with Loneliness

Family caregivers whose loved one is living with dementia may feel that they never have a moment to themselves—and yet, they may also feel quite isolated. A recent poll conducted by AARP found that more than half of these caregivers say their social life has suffered, and 45 percent say they feel lonely. They report feeling a sense of distance from other family members—and even from their loved one with dementia as time changes their relationship. This can affect caregivers’ well-being in many ways. Isolation and loneliness are linked with poor physical and mental health, and even raise the risk of dementia.

We all should step up to help these caregivers remain socially connected. It’s also important to learn about support services such as dementia-friendly senior centers, adult day care, home care, memory care communities and support groups. Read the full AARP report at the AARP family caregiver resource center. 

Going to a Museum? Consider Leaving Your Camera at Home.

Today, tourists who visit The Louvre Museum in Paris are likely to find themselves in a long line of fellow gallery goers waiting to take a selfie with the Mona Lisa (no sticks allowed). While it’s tempting to bring home a photographic souvenir, psychological scientist Linda Henkel of Fairfield University warns, “People so often whip out their cameras almost mindlessly to capture a moment, to the point that they are missing what’s happening right in front of them.”

In a study published by the Association for Psychological Science, Henkel reported that test subjects who photographed objects were less able to remember them later. “When people rely on technology to remember for them—counting on the camera to record the event and thus not needing to attend to it fully themselves—it can have a negative impact on how well they remember their experiences,” she said. So, resist the temptation to take a bunch of photos you will probably never look at, and live in the moment instead!

Source: Grace Barker Health reprinted from Aging in Stride; copyright 2018 IlluminAge.