Two great apps to help caregivers

For those that do not know, Caring For Mom and Dad is one of three sites that we run. We also run a technology site called iLadies (apple4ladies.com). This week, we have spent the time looking for great products not only for women who are Apple users, but also for any useful products for Caring For Mom and Dad! We found two: Makaw and Secura Fone. Find out more here and download to your iPhone.

Makaw Health and Fitness

Makaw lets you monitor your health by syncing your data with Wi-Fi enabled devices. Win prizes by reaching and maintaining goals. Share results with doctor.

Find out more about Makaw

Secura Fone

Secura Fone is an all-purpose security phone where you can check up and monitor loved ones. Set geo-fences, alarms, etc.

Learn more about Secura Fone

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Melatonin for sundowning

One of the unfortunate effects of dementia is sundowning. Our mother had it, my sister’s mother-in-law has it, and unfortunately so does our father. Each person is different, and some methods work and some don’t.  You will just have to find through trial-and-error. One method that caught my eye (which we haven’t tried yet ) is melatonin.

Melatonin – What is it?

Melatonin is a natural hormone made by the pineal gland. This gland is located just above the middle of the brain. During the day the pineal gland is inactive. When the sun goes down and darkness occurs, the pineal is activated by the supra-chiasmatic nucleus (SCN )and begins to actively produce melatonin, which is released into the blood. Usually, this occurs around 9 pm. As a result, melatonin levels in the blood rise sharply and alertness decreases.

How does it help with Sundowning?

Some methods typically used for treating sundowning symptoms are: full spectrum lightbulbs (which can be costly), changing sleep times, exercise, and diet changes.

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Melatonin supplements  cause melatonin levels in the blood to rise earlier than the brain’s own production accomplishes. This causes a kind of hypnotic effect calming agitated Alzheimer’s sufferers —hence, inducing sleep. Studies are mixed and some people actually can get worse. However, some have shown some progress. Melatonin is also used for treating Alzheimer’s Disease itself.

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Bikram Yoga for Active Adults and Seniors

Bikram Yoga is very specific in the way that it is taught, but it also provides an option for older adults who are looking to get more out of their lives. There are ways to modify certain moves or poses in this unique yoga style to help active adults enjoy the exercise that they are doing so that they can stay healthy and active throughout their life. The heated room definitely helps with issues like arthritis and muscle tension, which often increases with age. There is a lot to appreciate about this practice and having done it myself, I can say that if you’re in decent shape for your age, you can definitely benefit.

I’ve been into physical fitness and personal training for a long time. Even when I retired, I only stayed home for a few months before finding some-part time work in the physical fitness world to keep me busy. I love everything to do with health and fitness, and when I heard about Bikram Yoga, I was definitely intrigued. Reading up on it, I was a little concerned that even my own physical abilities wouldn’t be enough to handle the class, but as it turns out it was a lot more invigorating than difficult, and I’d recommend it to anyone.

Staying active is important for older adults. I see people everyday who want to keep their lives healthy, but they are so limited because of their age or medical conditions that they think there is nothing that they can do. Bikram Yoga is an option for anyone with basic mobility, and offers a great way to improve overall health and not just physical wellbeing. I really wish I could advocate more for this type of fitness because I really am impressed by all that it does.

Anytime someone comes to me and wants a new type of physical activity that they can actually do and benefit from, I recommend yoga. Bikram Yoga, especially, is helpful for active adults who need more flexibility, better overall health, and a way to stay in shape. When it comes to getting your body back in shape, this is definitely one of the best ways to do it. If you want to learn more about my own personal fitness experiences, you can check out my blog. It includes fitness tips, hearing aids types, and even some hearing aid review resources.

Mary is a blogger for HappyHealth.net, a health lifestyle community for active adults. HappyHealth also provides hearing aid reviews and other product reviews.

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