Kensington Senior Living is proud to partner with Dr. Mehrdad Ayati, a geriatrician from Stanford University and the Medical Director at Kensington Place Redwood City to offer a free webinar on healthy aging.
What are some challenges faced by today’s aging population?
Through major advances in medicine and technology, the 20th century has extended the average American’s lifespan by 30 years.
Now in the 21st century, the age distribution among Americans has shifted dramatically, with more than 56 million adults, or roughly 17% of the population consisting of senior citizens.
According to Medicare, older adults become senior citizens once they reach the age of 65 or older.
Among the rising older population, these are the most common problems that need to be addressed in our aging population to improve their quality of life.
Loneliness
Social isolation and loneliness are precursors for memory loss, heart disease, and stroke.
According to the CDC, seniors who face isolation have a 50% increased chance of developing dementia, a 29% increased chance of developing heart disease, and a 32% increased risk of stroke.
However, to combat the effects of loneliness, consider helping your loved one stay connected and physically active by engaging in life enrichment activities, events, and walking with friends.
High blood pressure
Did you know that 70% of American senior citizens have high blood pressure? Many of them aren’t even aware their blood pressure is elevated.
The first step towards correcting high blood pressure is through careful monitoring daily, either at home, or working with a doctor to reduce blood pressure.
High blood pressure is also the primary cause of stroke, which is the leading cause of death and long-term disability in seniors.
Changes in diets, such as eating more vegetables, fruits, grains, and reducing salt can lower blood pressure.
Immobility issues
Inflexibility and immobility issues are often the main causes of increased fall risk, which affect roughly 36 million senior citizens who fall each year.
One out of every five falls can create a serious life-long injury, such as broken bones, head injuries, and torn ligaments.
However, immobility issues can be addressed by using proactive physical rehabilitation services to strengthen your loved one’s muscles and improve their overall balance.
Access to healthcare and health professionals
The common barriers that limit senior citizens seeking out healthcare support are limited transportation, medical bills, and unresponsive and dismissive doctors.
However, The Kensington Redondo Beach features a loving and caring staff of healthcare professionals who treat your loved one as their own family.
We provide outstanding and accessible healthcare services to all of our residents, including:
- Medical director on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Two full-time registered nurses coordinating care
- Licensed nurses on site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- On-site physician’s office
- On-site rehabilitation services and fitness center
Malnutrition
Seniors who live at home may have less access to fresh fruits and vegetables, relying on shelf-stable foods and other processed foods.
Over time, malnutrition can cause a weakened immune system, which can result in more infections, as well as muscle weakness and decreased bone density, which can result in more falls at home.
Did you know that The Kensington has all-day dining prepared by our head chef Erwin Torres?
Our menu selections are diverse and rotated regularly, and can accommodate special dietary needs and preferences.
Memory issues such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Roughly 10% of seniors ages 65 and older have a form of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, while another 22% have a form of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
While there is no known cure for the disease, having access to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, i.e., drugs that help combat memory loss, can improve the quality of life for seniors with memory loss.
Besides medication, seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s require more supervision and care, which can include physical rehabilitation, occupational therapy, and speech therapy for talking and swallowing problems.
Staying physically active and mentally active can also stave off the effects of dementia and create a happier and calmer world for people dealing with memory loss issues.
Hearing loss
Hearing loss is extremely common in seniors who are 75 years and older, with roughly 50% experiencing disabling hearing loss.
Seniors with significant hearing loss will need help from hearing aides, or more advanced cochlear implant surgery and rehabilitation.
Also, many senior citizens may be misdiagnosed as suffering from memory loss, when in fact, they may actually have difficulty hearing or communicating with others.
This is why it’s important to get your loved one’s hearing checked by an audiologist to rule out memory loss or dementia if they are becoming unreceptive to communication — they may just not be able to hear you clearly.
Vision loss
Senior citizens aged 65-74 years old are twice as likely to have vision loss than younger Americans.
Vision loss can contribute to increased fall risk, social isolation, depression, and increased dependency, as well as an inability to drive a car.
To help seniors with vision loss, help them declutter their home to avoid possible fall risk, as well as getting cataract surgery, or use low-vision aids to assist their vision.
What is the importance of preventative healthcare vs. the diagnostic system?
Preventing a disease is preferable to treating a disease, however, this isn’t always possible.
With preventable healthcare, the main purpose is to reduce the burden of increased healthcare on the individual, their caregivers, and the healthcare system.
Preventable healthcare uses regular shots, screenings, and doctor check-ups to prevent or address health issues before they turn into larger health problems.
Unfortunately, the use of preventable healthcare services is still lower than it should be, which results in senior citizens requiring the use of diagnostic healthcare more often.
Diagnostic healthcare is required to deal with health issues as they arise and to run tests to diagnose and cure those diseases after they have already developed.
In a perfect world, our aging loved ones would receive more preventable healthcare to catch diseases before they can progress, however, many barriers as we mentioned earlier prevent seniors from receiving the healthcare they need.
What are some of the best tips for healthy aging?
Our bodies undergo periods of growth and decline during our lifespan journey.
Many of the same healthy habits that we followed in our younger days carry through to older age, which include:
- Eating and drinking a healthy diet
- Staying physically active most days of the week
- Sleeping consistently
- Getting regular checkups
- Avoiding tobacco, drugs, and alcohol
- Maintaining social relationships with friends and family
- Avoiding excess salt and processed foods
How Kensington Senior Living devotes care to benefit both seniors and their family caregivers
Our mission is to improve and preserve the quality of life for each one of our residents, and that includes their families and caregivers as well.
Our expert team consists of doctors, nurses, physical rehabilitation specialists, as well as our compassionate and caring support staff who work together to treat conditions that affect senior citizens today.
Our community includes assisted living and two distinct memory care neighborhoods devoted to memory loss care for individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Our Promise to residents and caregivers
Kensington Senior Living was created as a premier assisted living and memory care residence that we would want our own parents to live in.
At The Kensington Redondo Beach, we extend our Kensington Promise to love and care for your family as we do our own.
Rest assured knowing that your loved ones can age gracefully in place, knowing that we can accommodate their changing healthcare needs, offering a full spectrum of clinical support including hospice and end-of-life care.
Contact The Kensington Redondo Beach for more information
Do you have an aging loved one who needs more assistance with their daily activities? Or a parent who’s experiencing memory loss caused by dementia or Alzheimer’s?
Please contact us today to learn more about how The Kensington Redondo Beach can support your loved one.