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to MESSENGER POST NEWSPAPERS
for the week of DECEMBER 18, 2016

an ounce of PREVENTION
Study shows many wait until a scare to act on health

People may be living longer, but theyre not necessarily

living better. Even though an overwhelming majority,
94 percent, of baby boomers know what it takes to
live a healthy life, three-quarters concede they should
be doing more to manage their health, according to a
new study.
Also, Americas aging population is expected to live
longer with higher rates of chronic illness, which can
lead to diminished quality of life.
The marvel of modern medicine has created a
complacency among people who believe they can
continue to embrace unhealthy habits and a trip to
the doctor will solve almost any issue they face, said
Dr. Bernard Kaminetsky, medical director of MDVIP,
which authorized the study by the independent market
research firm Ipsos Public Affairs.
The only solution is prevention, Kaminetsky said.
The fact is that once you have a chronic disease like
diabetes or cardiovascular disease, youve got it. You
cant prevent it anymore, only manage it.

Not too late

The results of the study were downright scary: Half of
boomers (46 percent) say they dont exercise regularly,
and more than a third say they dont eat healthfully (35
percent) or get sufficient sleep of seven to eight hours
a night (37 percent).
The good news is its not too late to embrace healthier
habits and have them make a difference, Kaminetsky
said.
The optimal time to be proactive would be in your 30s
or 40s, but your 50s or older is not too late. Its really the
last interval in your life to make a difference, he said.

BY MELISSA ERICKSON | MORE CONTENT NOW

Playing the waiting game

The marvel
of modern
medicine
has created a
complacency
among people
who believe
they can
continue to
embrace
unhealthy habits
and a trip to
the doctor
will solve
almost any issue
they face.
Dr. Bernard Kaminetsky

The study showed that although nearly three-quarters of respondents

said they suffered from a chronic illness, 43 percent said it would take
a life-threatening health crisis for them to invest more in their health.
Additionally, 14 percent say a friend or family members health scare
would be an impetus for change.
Waiting until something drastic happens is particularly scary when
you consider that 1 million people die each year from cardiovascular
disease, Kaminetsky said. Sometimes the first symptom of heart
disease is sudden death, he said.

Mentor to health
Just like a personal trainer can help motivate
you in the gym, a health care coach or mentor
can make a positive difference on the road
to a healthy lifestyle.
People need a push. Many of us dont do it
well on our own. That mentor can be your primary
care physician, a family member or a close friend,
Kaminetsky said.
Other motivators to good health include working with your doctor
on a clear plan to achieve your health goals and developing a strong
support system with others to encourage you stick to your goals.

The pains of primary care

The survey also found plenty of frustrations with the health-care
system. Thirty-one percent report that they typically spend more time
sitting in the waiting room than they spend with their doctor, and 28
percent say that they spend more time getting their cars oil changed
than they do with their doctor.
Thirty percent have had to track down their doctors office to get test
results, and only a quarter say their experience with a doctor is like
talking with a trusted advisor.

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SENIOR LIFE TODAY PAGE 3 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION to MESSENGER POST NEWSPAPERS for the week of DECEMBER 18, 2016

YOUR GUIDE TO THE COLD AND FLU SEASON

and Prevention recommend anyone 6 months and older get
Every year in the U.S., there are more colds than people.
vaccinated.
Annually, nearly 320 million Americans catch 1 billion colds,
according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Seven in
Be diligent about washing your hands regularly. Each time
10 people will turn to over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to
you wash, scrub for at least 20 seconds about how long it
help them feel better and many of these medicines may
would take to run through two renditions of Happy Birthday.
contain acetaminophen.
Avoid actions that spread germs, like touching your face,
In fact, acetaminophen is one of the most commonly used
especially the eyes, nose and mouth. If you do get sick, stay
drug ingredients to reduce pain and fever, found in more
home from school or work to avoid spreading germs to others.
than 600 OTC and prescription (Rx) medicines. When used as
Maintain good health habits, including getting plenty of
directed, it is safe and effective. However, taking more than
sleep, exercising regularly, drinking plenty of fluids and eating
the maximum daily dose (4,000 milligrams) is an overdose,
Its important to double check nutritious food. All these actions help build your immune
and can lead to liver damage.
all medicine labels to be sure system.
Family members play an important role as caregivers when
youre not accidentally
administering medicines safely, says Mark Gibbons, director
Know your dose
of programs and operations at Caregiver Action Network, a
doubling up
If you do fall ill, you may decide to treat symptoms with
member of the Acetaminophen Awareness Coalition (AAC).
on acetaminophen.
medicine, which might contain acetaminophen. To ensure
Its important to double check all medicine labels to be sure
youre using acetaminophen safely, follow these steps:

Mark
Gibbons
youre not accidentally doubling up on acetaminophen.
Caregiver Action Network
Always read the label on any medicine you take. Be sure
Each year, acetaminophen overdose causes about 26,000
you understand and follow the dosing instructions.
hospitalizations. Its important to know the dose that is right for you and your loved
ones. With the arrival of cold and flu season, the AACs Know Your Dose campaign Know if your medicine contains acetaminophen. Its important to know which
offers some helpful tips for preventing illness and safe medicine guidelines if you of the medicines youre taking contain acetaminophen so you can ensure youre not
taking too much.
do get sick.
Take only one medicine that contains acetaminophen at a time. Taking more
Preventing illness
than one medicine that contains acetaminophen could put you at risk for exceeding
You can do a lot to protect yourself from getting sick, including:
the maximum daily dose.
Get vaccinated for the flu. Its the best way to minimize the chance youll get If you have questions about an OTC or prescription medicine that youre taking, talk
the flu and spread it to others. Even if you got a flu shot last year, you need to get to a healthcare provider.
one this year, too. Each years shot is different, specifically designed to prevent the To learn more, visit KnowYourDose.org and follow @KnowYourDose on Twitter. [BPT]
strain of flu expected to be most prevalent this year. The Centers for Disease Control

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Fight against falls

Did you know that a person who lives to be

75 years old will have spent an average of
1.5 years in the bathroom? Thats why its
essential that this highly used room be as
safe as possible.
Grab bars are an easy and effective solution
to avoiding falls. Products such as Moen
Home Care Grab Bars with integrated
accessories combine the safety benefits of a
grab bar with three common bath essentials
a towel bar, a toilet paper holder and a
shelf making each bath functional and

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fashionable. And, to motivate you to install

these products not just think about it
each grab bar includes Moen Home Cares
patented SecureMount Anchors to quickly,
easily and securely install the grab bars in
just minutes.
Next, add a light-sensor nightlight in the
bathroom or in the hall outside the
bathroom to provide a well-lit path
for nighttime visits to the restroom. The
illumination will allow you to see where
youre going and avoid any potential
tripping hazards in the path. Brandpoint

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TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP

New study finds better sleep now may stave off memory loss later
BY MELISSA ERICKSON | MORE CONTENT NOW

Every 67 seconds someone in the United States develops

Alzheimers disease, and an estimated 5.3 million Americans of all
ages have Alzheimers, according to the Alzheimers Association.
Its the only disease among the top 10 causes of death in America
that cant be prevented or cured, but new research shows that
getting a good night sleep when youre young may help ward
off the symptoms of Alzheimers.
Sound sleep in young and middle-aged people helps memory
and learning, but as people hit their seventh, eighth and ninth
decades and generally dont sleep as much or as well sleep
is not linked so much to memory, said Michael Scullin, director of
Baylor Universitys Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory
in Waco, Texas.
That posed an interesting question.
If sleep benefits memory and thinking in young adults but is
changed in quantity and quality with age, then the question
is whether improving sleep might delay or reverse agerelated changes in memory and thinking, Scullin said.

Benefits of sleep
Researchers looked at 200 sleep studies going back to 1967 that
assessed how many hours a person slept, how often they woke
during the night and how sleepy they felt during the day.
The study concluded that maintaining good sleep quality, at
least in young adulthood and middle age, promotes better
cognitive functioning and serves to protect against age-related
cognitive declines. In a matter of speaking, getting good sleep

in youth and middle age allows a person to bank the benefits

of sleep and help prevent memory loss later in life.
Its the difference between investing up front rather than trying
to compensate later, Scullin said. We came across studies that
showed that sleeping well in middle age predicted better mental
functioning 28 years later, Scullin said.
Dr. Robert Rosenberg, author of Sleep Soundly Every Night, Feel
Fantastic Every Day, agreed.
We are finding that chronic sleep deprivation may be a major
contributor to mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimers,
Rosenberg said.
By the time people reach middle age, more sleep during the
day, such as an afternoon nap, also helps peoples memory
and protects against its decline as long they dont skimp on
nighttime sleep, the Baylor study found.
Sleeping well is key to better health, Rosenberg said.
We need sleep to avoid obesity, diabetes, heart disease and
stroke as well as high blood pressure and raised cholesterol,
Rosenberg said. These are all factors that make people more
prone to memory loss.
Our blood pressure drops by 15 points when we are sleeping.
This is referred to as nocturnal dipping, Rosenberg said. When
we get insufficient sleep we produce excessive amounts of stress
hormones, which not only prevent this beneficial drop in blood
pressure but actually increase our blood pressure day and night.

As we age its harder to get a

good nights sleep. Older adults
experience a higher incidence of
insomnia and disorders such as sleep
apnea, Rosenberg said.
We also see, especially in men, a
decrease in deep slow-wave sleep
with aging. As a result we are more
easily awakened because we spend
more time in lighter stages of sleep,
he said. Plus, with aging we are
more likely to have to get up to
urinate more frequently, as well as
having more chronic pain, producing
maladies that interrupt and degrade
sleep.
People sometimes disparage sleep
as lost time, Scullin said. But even if
the link between sleep and memory
lessens with age, sleeping well still
is linked to better mental health,
improved cardiovascular health
and fewer, less severe disorders and
diseases of many kinds, Scullin said.
For better sleep follow these tips:
Make sleep a priority. We spend
one-third of our lives in sleep.
Observe good sleep hygiene such
as avoiding too much alcohol at
night, avoid caffeine within eight
hours of bedtime. Turn off your bluelight-emitting electronic devices
such as laptops, iPads, iPhone
and televisions 90 minutes before
bedtime, Rosenberg said.
Develop a relaxing bedtime
routine before going to sleep,
Rosenberg said. This could involve
meditation, reading a book, prayer
or journaling. The bottom line is to
get you into a calm and relaxed state
that is conducive to sleep.

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SPENDING

your golden years

Dont just dream it write it down
BY MELISSA ERICKSON | MORE CONTENT NOW

Not surprisingly, people who write down their retirement plan report feeling
more prepared for the future.
Studies have shown that many people stop working at an earlier age
than they anticipated. Some due to their own choice and some due to
circumstances beyond their control. Those that have a plan will be in better
shape when determining how to move forward. Sometimes its helpful to
plan for the worst and hope for the best, said Keith McGurrin, a certified
financial planner at T. Rowe Price.
Life is unpredictable, and no retirement plays out as expected years earlier.
By planning, we find people tend to continually work toward their goal.
Without a plan, you may find that youre going in several directions in
the short-term and not making any progress toward what youd like to do
long-term. Dont be surprised if your plan changes over time to adjust to
unplanned life events, McGurrin said.

Questions to ask
People are used to planning for events such as a honeymoon or vacation
where theyll go, what theyll do and how much theyll spend. By nature,
we prioritize nearer-term things because they are more tangible and visible.
Planning for retirement is a similar process, but even more important than
planning for a short-term goal, because retirement will last much longer,
potentially 20-30 years, McGurrin said.
Crafting a retirement plan can be done in two steps.
Explore questions such as: Would you like to stay where you live now, or
relocate closer to family? How will you spend your time? Hobbies, working,
caring for grandchildren? Would you like to travel? Answering these types
of questions will give you a great head start on what youll need to do,

McGurrin said.
The second step is to inventory how much income you may have in
retirement and what all the needs and wants may cost. For example, retirees
largest cost is typically housing. By determining where you may live and if
you plan to downsize to less-expensive housing can help with managing on
a fixed income, he said.
If youre married, consider planning as a couple.
This planning process can help make sure youre both on the same page and
not making assumptions about each other. You could do a first pass separately,
then see how you compare, McGurrin said.
Lastly, add detail and visualize your plan by imagining how you would spend
a day in retirement as you write down your goals, McGurrin said.

Time on your side

By creating and writing down a plan, a person is able to create a budget for now
versus what they may spend in retirement.
Social Security will play a large part in most retirees finances, so one step is to
explore what youll receive in Social Security income (see Social Securitys site
ssa.gov). Some more good news is that people typically need only about 75
percent of the income they were earning before retirement to maintain their
lifestyle in retirement, McGurrin said.
For those who havent started to plan for retirement, McGurrin said it can actually
be a fun exercise of thinking of what you might like to do in the future, and then
how youll get there, including the financial piece.
The quicker you start planning and saving for retirement the more youll have
time on your side, he said.

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