Ringing in the ears can be more than an annoyance. For some, it can disrupt concentration, impact hearing, and even interfere with sleep. It’s a condition called tinnitus that, unfortunately, becomes more common as we grow older. In honor of Tinnitus Awareness Week, an advocacy week initiated by the American Tinnitus Association, we share information on causes and tips for managing it.

A buzzing, ringing, or whirring in the ears is likely tinnitus. It can be persistent or intermittent. Some people find it gets worse in the evenings, especially after going to bed at night.

While scientists aren’t certain what causes the condition to occur, they have identified what they believe are risk factors, including:

Age: People over the age of 60 experience higher incidences of tinnitus than younger people.

Loud noise: Prolonged exposure to loud noise, such as shooting firearms, listening to music on headphones, or a noisy work environment can cause tinnitus. As can being close to a sudden, explosive noise.

Medical issues: Some health conditions are linked to tinnitus. Those may include heart disease, thyroid disorder, high blood pressure, diabetes, allergies, and more.

Lifestyle: Though research can’t tell us why, some lifestyle choices also seem to increase the odds of developing tinnitus. Common ones include smoking, alcohol, and too much caffeine consumption.

One frustration for people who develop tinnitus is that there is presently no cure for the condition. But you can take steps that may help minimize or mask ringing in the ears. If you suffer from tinnitus, here are a few suggestions to try:

See the doctor: Begin by making an appointment with your primary care physician. There may be an undiagnosed health condition that is causing the problem. Issues like anemia and thyroid disease can typically be treated, resulting in the tinnitus resolving too.

Have a hearing test: If you haven’t already, schedule an exam with an audiologist. You might have hearing loss significant enough to require hearing aids. Being better able to hear the sounds around you may lessen the ringing or buzzing sounds caused by tinnitus.

Try sound therapy: While it won’t make the tinnitus go away, sound can help redirect how you react to the ringing or buzzing. Listening to a white noise machine, streaming nature sounds, or playing soft, soothing music might all be worth trying.

Explore behavioral therapy: Another way to manage this condition is with the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Through CBT, a person with tinnitus learns to avoid the negative thoughts associated with the condition, as well as methods for shifting their attention away from the ringing or buzzing sounds. CBT is a widely accepted method of managing tinnitus.

By exploring different ways to better cope with tinnitus, you can help improve your quality of life and make the most of your retirement years.

Another way you can enhance your quality of life during retirement is to invest in a mobile monitoring unit. In the event you are alone and experience a medical emergency, you can summon help with the press of a button. Call 1-844-203-5617 to learn more today!

Tinnitus is the sensation of ringing or buzzing in the ears. Learn more about it here.

Senior living communities have hosted videos of their apartments and villas on their websites for years. However, many weren’t easy to navigate and didn’t always give families the best view of the community. The COVID-19 pandemic made the industry finally realize the power of connecting virtually with potential residents and families.

Because they couldn’t allow visitors for months, most communities began offering virtual tours for families searching for assisted living or memory care. Many have continued offering virtual visits because they are beneficial for adult children who live far away and locals exploring their options.

A question that often arises about virtual tours is if they are as effective as in-person visits to a senior living community. As you might expect, the answer is no. If you can visit in person and talk with residents, families, and staff, that’s always better. But a virtual tour is the next best thing.

Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your virtual tour.

Schedule carefully: Don’t make the mistake of blocking out only 15 or 20 minutes to complete a virtual tour just because you aren’t going there in person. These real-time tours are interactive, so you’ll want to allow yourself plenty of time.

Prepare a list of questions: Just like you would for an in-person tour, take some time to put your questions down on paper. Making an informed decision starts with knowing what to ask. “Checklist: Questions to ask an assisted living community” will help you make sure you don’t forget to ask something important.

Take good notes: While you may think you’ll remember what you liked and disliked about each community, it’s tough when you schedule virtual tours with several providers. Make a point to write down concerns, advantages, and your overall impression. This also makes it easier to compare communities when you are narrowing down your choices.

Set the pace: These tours can make both the person leading them and families feel a little awkward at first. If the pace seems too quick for you to get the inside look you are seeking, let the staff member know. It’s usually helpful if you ask questions and comment as the tour progresses. The tour leader will appreciate the interaction and the opportunity to make sure the visit is useful.

Talk with residents: Finally, ask if you can talk with residents and families virtually, too. Senior living communities typically have people who love the opportunity to share their experiences and answer questions. It’s a great way to hear unbiased insight.

If you narrow down your list but can’t visit in person for a second tour, it might be advantageous to have someone do it for you. For those without a local connection, enlisting the services of a geriatric care manager is an option to consider. They are also known as aging life care professionals. This database will allow you to search by zip code and find one in your desired area.

If you are concerned about a senior loved one’s safety when you can’t be there, a mobile monitoring unit might be the answer. With the push of a button, these discreet devices can summon help quickly. Call 1-844-203-5617 today to learn more!

Is a virtual tour of a senior living community helpful? While in-person tours are best, here’s how to make the most of a virtual visit.

Can You Evaluate a Senior Living Community Virtually?

We’ve all heard how important exercise is for wellness. In fact, one question a physician asks during an annual physical is how much exercise you are getting. If you are trying to make physical activity a priority as we head into spring, consider taking a daily walk.

It’s a form of exercise you can do on your own, with a friend or neighbor, or even with a furry, four-legged pal. From stronger core strength to improved mental health, here are a few ways walking helps seniors.

Falling is a common concern for seniors. Not only are older adults at increased risk for falls, but they are also more likely to experience a serious injury if they fall.

Walking is proven to help prevent falls among seniors because it improves balance, core strength, and coordination. It also increases flexibility in joints and strengthens overall muscle and bone mass. If the senior does fall, the benefits derived from walking often decrease the severity of injuries.

As we age, many of us develop high blood pressure. While some of it can be linked to genetics, lifestyle can also play a role. A poor diet or sedentary lifestyle can contribute to a rise in blood pressure.

Routine walking has been shown to be as effective as some medications in regulating blood pressure. It helps strengthen the heart, which typically makes it more efficient at pumping blood. That aids in managing blood pressure.

Another health battle older adults often struggle with is maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. Uncontrolled bad cholesterol can cause plaque to build up in the arteries, leading to a heart attack. By increasing the amount of good cholesterol in the blood while simultaneously reducing the amount of bad cholesterol, seniors can avoid or delay health problems. Walking is a great way to naturally control cholesterol. “Understanding Cholesterol Screening Results” will help you learn more about cholesterol and screenings.

Seniors are more likely to experience spikes in blood sugar, especially after eating. Taking a walk after eating has been shown to reduce those spikes, allowing the body to use the blood sugar efficiently.

Exercise releases hormones called endorphins. These hormones reduce your perception of pain while heightening positive feelings. This means that engaging in fitness activities like walking could improve your mood, reduce feelings of depression, lessen anxiety, and lower stress.

Where you walk can further lift the spirit. A botanical garden or park where you are surrounded by nature’s beauty can give you even more of a boost.

It’s an unfortunate reality that as our age increases, our metabolism decreases. This makes seniors more susceptible to weight gain. Walking, combined with a healthy diet, can help seniors maintain their weight by burning more calories than they consume.

As is true of all forms of exercise, talk with your primary care physician about walking if you haven’t been active lately. The general guideline for seniors is to exercise 150 minutes a week. While that number may seem overwhelming, breaking it into sessions helps.

Many people just starting out begin with two 15-minute walks five days a week. As you become stronger and stamina improves, you might want to walk once a day for a longer period. The most important thing is to set a goal and stick with it.

Aging well requires staying on top of the latest research and trends on healthy eating, exercise, preventative medical screenings, and more. One way to do that is by bookmarking the Life Protect blog and stopping back each week. We update this blog regularly to make it easier for seniors and their loved ones to stay informed.

Walking offers a variety of health benefits for both physical and mental well-being. Learn why it’s a form of fitness worth trying, especially for seniors.

Family caregivers are known for making their own health and wellness a lower priority when they are busy caring for a spouse or aging parent. Since caregivers are often middle-aged females, the health consequences of skipping yearly physicals or putting off essential health screenings can be significant. Small issues that may have been treatable with early intervention might become bigger problems before they are detected.

Routine visits to your primary care physician keep you on schedule with vital mid-life preventative screenings. They also allow you and the doctor to build a relationship. Having a comfort level with your health care professional makes it easier if medical problems—such as diabetes, depression, cancer, or heart disease—arise.

If you are a woman caring for a loved one and you haven’t seen a doctor in a while, the best first step is to schedule a physical. This will give the physician a chance to conduct a routine exam to check blood pressure, screen for depression (quite common among caregivers), evaluate cognitive health, talk about body mass index, and check reflexes.

They will likely order blood work to identify any vitamin deficiencies, check cholesterol and thyroid health, and screen for diabetes. Based on your personal health and family medical history, there may be other follow-up testing.

During your physical exam, the doctor will also recommend other screenings and health care appointments:

Yearly well-woman visit: Time passes quickly when you are caring for a loved one. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen the gynecologist, it’s important to get back on track. They’ll perform an exam to detect any abnormalities and screen for HPV and cervical cancer. The gynecologist might also order your yearly mammogram and a bone density screening if your primary care doctor doesn’t.

Colon cancer screening: Depending on your personal and family history, you might also be due for a colon cancer screening. Newer colon cancer screening guidelines say people should begin these at 45 years of age instead of the previous recommendation of 50. While a colonoscopy is considered the best option, there are other types of screenings, such as Cologuard and the fecal immunochemical test (FIT). Read “Colorectal Cancer Awareness Tips” for more information on colon cancer awareness.

Self-Care Can Include Preventative Vaccines

Many people associate vaccines with younger children, but older adults need them, too. They offer a strong defense against some serious health conditions. If you are a caregiver, they are vital for more than just your own well-being. Should you become infected, you can unknowingly pass an illness on to your loved one, who might already have a weakened immune system.

In addition to talking with your primary care doctor about COVID-19 vaccines and others that are best for your personal health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests adults over the age of 50 speak with their physician about these four vaccines:

Influenza vaccine: Also known as a flu shot, this yearly vaccine helps lower the odds of catching the virus. In a typical flu season, older adults account for as much as 80% of flu-related deaths. So, caregivers should consider this vaccine as a method of protecting themselves and the senior they are caring for.

Tdap vaccine: This guards against three different deadly illnesses: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. Once you have it, your doctor may recommend a booster every 10 years.

Shingles vaccine: The newer shingles vaccine, called Shingrix, is highly effective at preventing both shingles and a painful complication of shingles known as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). This two-shot vaccine is important to receive as one in three adults will develop shingles in their lifetime.

Pneumococcal vaccine: Finally, ask your primary care physician about the pneumococcal vaccine. This vaccine helps protect you from pneumonia and other infections in the lungs and bloodstream. It is generally recommended for adults 65 and older, as well as for caregivers and younger people with compromised immune systems.

Emergency Call Alert System Gives Peace of Mind

An important part of healthy self-care is managing stress. That can be tough when you are a caregiver. You worry about everything from your loved one’s nutrition to in-home hazards that might cause them to fall.

One way to get peace of mind is investing in a mobile monitoring unit for the senior you are a caregiver for. If they experience an emergency when you aren’t by their side, they can summon help with the push of a button. Call 1-844-203-5617 to learn more today!

Women who are caregiving for a loved one often set their own health care needs aside. This self-care guide will help you get back on track.

Mother’s Day is celebrated every year on the second Sunday in May. It’s a day we pause to celebrate the mothers and grandmothers in our lives. If you are trying to come up with a unique idea to honor your family elders this Mother’s Day, consider hosting an intergenerational tea. It can provide you with an opportunity to gather several generations together for a few hours of fun.

Here are some suggestions for organizing a Mother’s Day tea for your loved ones.

Planning an Intergenerational Mother’s Day Tea

Think about your guest list: Before you can choose a location, think about who you want to invite. Will you limit it to family members or ask close friends to join the celebration, too? Once you have an idea about how many people will likely attend, you can begin the real planning.

Explore possible locations: Having a tea party can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. If you have the space to accommodate the event, hosting it in your own backyard could be fun. Or you can investigate tea houses in your area and book time for your party at one of them. Cafes or coffee houses that have a private room are another possibility.

Choose a party theme: Tea parties are often organized around a theme of some kind. Depending on the ages of your guests, you could go with a Disney theme. Other ideas are Downton Abbey, Somewhere in Time, or a Victorian tea party. In 2022, Mother’s Day is the same weekend as the Kentucky Derby. That’s another fun theme to use.

Plan a tasty menu: If you select a theme, the menu will likely be much easier to plan. But if you opt for a traditional tea party, you might want to serve a combination of savories and sweets. Miniature toasts, cucumber sandwiches, and tiny chicken salad puff pastries are tea party staples. As are treats like petit fours, coconut cherry macaroons, and small lemon poppyseed cakes.

Select a few teas: Don’t forget to devote a little time to taste-testing for the star of the party—the tea. You’ll have many options to choose from. You’ll likely want your menu to include two to four different types of tea. Sites like Destination Tea and Whole Foods Market have online guides to help you choose a few teas that match your food menu and learn more about serving them.

Order party favors: If you’d like to send each family member home with a memento of this occasion, personal is probably best. It could be a small pot of fancy jam with a custom label. Or maybe you ask loved ones to email you photos ahead of time and use them to create a family ornament or calendar.

Finally, don’t forget to inform guests about your theme ahead of time so they know how to dress. Otherwise, fancy hats and twirly dresses for women and bow ties and jackets for men are traditional tea party attire.

If your aging parent or family elder lives alone, it’s natural to worry about their safety. Being able to quickly call for help if they fall or have a medical emergency is vital. That’s why a mobile medical unit is a solution to consider. In the event of a crisis, the user can press a button and quickly be connected with an emergency operator 24/7. Call 1-844-203-5617 to talk with an expert today!

Trying to find a new way to celebrate the women in your family on Mother’s Day? Consider hosting a tea party. Here are a few tips to help you plan.

Hosting a Mother’s Day Tea to Honor Family Elders

From more frequent, severe storms to rising sea levels, climate change is upon us. While experts say it’s too late to reverse the damage, there are steps we can all take to mitigate the situation. Earth Day, celebrated every year on April 22, is a great time to learn more about climate change and what you can do about it.

Earth Day dates back to 1970, when people first began voicing concerns about the climate. Back then, the primary concern was smog over urban areas. Now, over 50 years later, it’s still a great day to learn more about climate change and take steps to reduce your carbon footprint.

Here’s what you should know about Earth Day and how you can adapt your daily behavior to help protect our planet.

In the spring of 1970, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and activist John McConnell called on Americans to participate in grassroots efforts to learn more about issues impacting the planet. That April, people around the country joined forces to shine the spotlight on smog and how it could be prevented. There was growing evidence that linked increasing air pollution to developmental delays in children, and families were concerned.

Today, debates over climate change and global warming rage on. While politicians argue, scientists say the situation has become dire.

To help seniors find ways to make a positive difference to the health of the planet, we’ve assembled a list of easy steps you can take.

How Seniors Can Help Create a Healthier Planet

Recycle: If you don’t already do so, start recycling. Some communities offer comprehensive recycling programs in conjunction with trash pickup. If yours doesn’t, this beginner’s guide to recycling will help you get started. Recycling reduces the amount of trash in landfills, saves energy, and conserves natural resources.

Monitor utility usage: How hot or cold you keep your house impacts your carbon footprint. By turning the thermostat down by just 2 degrees in the winter and up 2 degrees in the summer, you can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2,000 pounds per year. You can also reduce utility usage by turning the lights off as you leave a room, unplugging unused appliances, and changing your furnace filter on a timely basis.

Avoid single-use plastics: From plastic water bottles to disposable grocery bags, plastics are clogging up our rivers, oceans, and parklands. It’s pollution that is making our climate challenges worse. To learn other ways you can become less dependent on plastics, read How to Decrease Your Reliance on Single-Use Plastics.

Carpool and cluster errands: For every mile you don’t drive, you prevent one pound of carbon being released into the environment. That’s why it’s important to try to plan errands and trips carefully. Carpool with friends when you can. If you have clean, safe public transportation in your city, consider using it.

If you enjoyed this article, we invite you to bookmark the Life Protect Blog and stop back often. Throughout the month we share updates on topics ranging from healthy aging to caregiving. It’s helpful information for both seniors and their adult children.

Earth Day is a good time to commit to changing behaviors that might be contributing to the climate crisis. Learn more here.

What Causes Ringing in the Ears?

What Is Tinnitus?

Can Tinnitus Be Treated?

Peace of Mind for Seniors and Families

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