The Best Brain Training Games & Tech for Seniors

April 9, 2018 By Rena McDaniel Leave a Comment

Neuroplasticity. You’ve probably heard of it, perhaps when someone mentioned something about “rewiring the brain.” It’s a fancy term that describes our brain’s flexibility. Essentially, it refers to the brain’s ability to reorganize, both physically and in terms of functionality, driven by environment, emotions, behavior, and thinking.

But in recent years, researchers have been digging into the potential to use this incredible capability for specific advantages, such as rewiring the brain to overcome depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, or to enable people who have cognitive deficits to re-train their brains to remaster tasks they once knew well. The key lies giving our brains the right type of stimulation, on a consistent basis. But what does the potential of neuroplasticity mean for seniors, particularly those who are at risk of or already experiencing cognitive decline?

The Best Brains of Our Lives

Our brains are more fertile and resilient than once believed — in fact, they actually peak in performance sometime in midlife, which most researchers define as anywhere from ages 40 to 68.

In The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain, New York Times health and medical science editor Barbara Strauch writes, “Middle age is a far more important time for our brains than anyone ever suspected. This is when paths diverge. What we do when we’re on Planet Middle Age determines what the next stop, Planet Old Age, will look like. At midlife, the brain is ‘on the cusp’. What we do matters, and even what we think matters.”

Still, an increasing number of older adults suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. No matter when this peak occurs when Alzheimer’s disease takes hold, it progressively diminishes a person’s cognitive abilities over time.

This Is Your Brain On Games

Let’s start with games. Oh, you thought video games were just for kids, or serious gamers? Think again. Turns out games can be great for the older set, too. The fact that they’re so engaging has an added benefit: games can help keep older adults’ brains healthy and may even help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive decline.

Some of the top online brain training games and apps to consider:

Lumosity. This smartphone app offers a continuously updated set of scientific games and cognitive challenges designed to improve memory and stimulate the brain. In this ADHD age, Lumosity focuses attention on detail, a skill that’s lost with dementia.
Clevermind. If someone already has Alzheimer’s disease, the voice-activated iPad app Clevermind can help stimulate cognitive abilities. It can keep a user apprised of the date, the weather, the news, and nutrition; suggest exercise activities, and, of course, keep the user connected with family and friends.
Dakim. This brain gym uses thousands of individual exercises to cross-train your brain in half a dozen essential areas of cognition, giving your gray matter a complete workout. Dakim even refers to their patented NuroLogic™ Technology as, “A personal trainer for the brain.”
Fit Brains. Designed by game experts with input from neuroscientists, Fit Brains offers over 60 games and 500+ personalized training programs to keep your mental circuits whirring at peak capacity. It’s fun, fast, competitive. You might even work up a sweat!
Cranium Crunches. Designed by Ruth Curran the author of Being Brain Healthy and An Insider’s Guide to the Injured Brain: A workbook for survivors and those who support them. Launched in 2011, we now have six games and users from all over the world.

Backing Up Your Memories

Games are a great start. But what if a senior in the early stages of Alzheimer’s is struggling with the kind of simple reminder issues the rest of us now trust to our smartphones?

In Still Alice, a Harvard linguistics professor relies on her Blackberry to remember appointments. Alice writes herself a letter on her computer that contains key brain health information, such as the number of children she has, their names, and her eldest daughter’s birthday, with instructions to her future self: when she is unable to answer all the questions correctly, she will no longer be of sound mind. The question is, will she know when her answers aren’t accurate?

Samsung addresses this unsettling question with Backup Memory, an app that helps Alzheimer’s patients stave off the loss. Backup Memory acts as a memory stimulator for people who are exhibiting early signs of Alzheimer’s, identifying nearby family members and friends, and reminding users about their relationship with each person and memories they’ve shared in the past through photographs and videos.

Brain Trauma Can Mimic Alzheimer’s

It’s also valuable to know that what looks like Alzheimer’s disease may not be dementia at all, but a TBI (traumatic brain injury). As DePaul University professor Clark Elliott explores in his eight-year odyssey with TBI, The Ghost in My Brain, a concussion can cause symptoms that masquerade as Alzheimer’s due to cognitive processing problems.

He describes how a football player with TBI became progressively less able to schedule appointments, until “it got to the point where you couldn’t tell him the day before an event and expect him to remember.”

Elliott devised a brain assessment self-test that mirrors that of the fictional Alice: he would ask himself, “What are the names of my children?” and gauge his brain’s functionality for the day based on how long it took him to answer: anywhere from six seconds on good days to more than three minutes on “bad brain days.”

Hidden Blessings

Those who do have Alzheimer’s usually recognize what is happening to them. In this poignant blog Watching the Lights Go Out, a retired physician gives us a rare glimpse into what losing one’s mental acuity is like from the inside.

The silver lining: his initial Alzheimer’s diagnosis was downgraded a year later to “subjective cognitive impairments.” And he acknowledges a number of gifts from the original diagnosis:

“I’m less uptight about getting things done and am fairly (although not completely) comfortable taking on fewer responsibilities. I’m easier to get along with (people tell me), and I have more friends. I can rely on others, where before I would have insisted on being more independent. None of this is perfect, of course; there’s plenty of backsliding, but I am so much happier than before.“

Whether you’re already experiencing a cognitive decline due to a TBI, Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia, or you’re simply looking for ways to keep your brain engaged and your cognitive abilities sharp, games aren’t just for kids. Challenging your mind through games and stimulating activities is one of the best ways to help ward off cognitive decline as you age – and you might just learn a new trick or two in the process.

Author’s bio:

Angela Stringfellow is a freelance writer based in central PA. She writes about aging, senior living, and issues facing older adults and senior caregivers for Caregiver Homes and a variety of caregiver-focused publications.

Medicare and Medicare Supplemental Insurance Coverage for Alzheimer’s

March 19, 2018 By Rena McDaniel Leave a Comment

The most common form of Dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Alzheimer’s disease involves the parts of the brain responsible for the control of thought, memory, and language. If you are wondering and looking for ways how you can manage it, maybe you have also thought of any Alzheimer’s insurance coverage that you can acquire for you or your loved one.

According to the results of the study done by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last 2010, 11% of Medicare beneficiaries have Alzheimer’s disease, that is more common than those who have asthma, osteoporosis, or even cancer. So, in this post, we will discuss Medicare and Medicare Supplemental coverage, so you will know how much you can expect from the said healthcare options.

The Coverage that Medicare and Medicare Supplemental Insurance will Provide for Alzheimer’s Disease Patients

Yes, Medicare and Medicare Supplement plans (also known as Medigap plans) can help you with medical costs for treating Alzheimer’s disease. But then, the coverage may not be that comprehensive to cover all the needs of the patient. Thus they may still have to handle a huge amount of out-of-pocket health care cost for certain treatments and use of long term care facilities.

Various treatments related to Alzheimer’s are covered by Original Medicare (Part A and B). These includes:

Diagnostic testings
Services of doctors
Hospice care
Part-time skilled nursing care

The out of pocket costs of the said treatments can then be covered by the Medicare Supplemental plan (Medigap).

You might be able to qualify for Medicare if you develop the disease early or before you hit 65 years old. If the severity of the disease makes you unable to work, you may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. After 24 months of receiving SSDI benefits, you will then be able to qualify for Medicare.

The Medicare Parts A and B Alzheimer’s-Related Treatment Coverage

The hospital services that are usually provided by Medicare Part A includes:

Hospice care
Inpatient hospital care
At-home physical therapy
At-home part-time skilled nursing care/ facilities

According to Alzheimer’s Association, in a narrow set of circumstances, Part A can cover care in the skilled nursing facility. That is if you were hospitalized for three days and required daily care of the same condition for which you were hospitalized.

Hospice care will be covered, only if your condition is so severe that you are expected to expire within the next six months.

Medical services that are usually covered by Medicare Part B includes:

Ambulance services
Heavy duty medical equipment
Diagnostic procedures
Doctor services

Therapeutic services and psychological or disease management counseling are also covered if ever the patient will need it.

Early detection of the disease and treatment are very vital to Alzheimer’s disease. And Part B may also help cover the cost of the needed diagnostic procedures or tests such as CT scan, MRI as recommended by the doctor.

Medigap and Out-Of-Pocket Costs of Medicare Parts A and B

Unfortunately, Medicare Part A comes with a lot of out-of-pocket costs. This 2018, you have to pay the deductible per benefit period first (which amounts to $1,340) to trigger Medicare Part A to pay the benefits for your hospital inpatient care. Let’s not forget that this is in addition to co-insurance and co-payment costs from hospital care, hospice care, and skilled nursing care.

A Medigap plan can cover some of those costs and lower the amount of your out-of-pocket expenses. Some coverage for hospital and hospice care out-of-pocket costs are usually offered in all types of Medigap plans and some types do provide some coverage for Part A deductible and skilled nursing care co-insurance.

Medicare Part B comes with an annual deductible and a 20% co-payment for covered services. Meaning, you have to pay $183 a year before the coverage will start. Also, it only covers up to 80% of the Medicare-approved amount of covered services. You will shoulder the rest, which is the 20%.

A Medicare supplement plan can help you handle the out-of-pocket costs from Medicare Part B. all plans offer at least some coverage for the Part B co-payment, while Plan C and F provides coverage for the deductible.

Final Thoughts

Alzheimer’s disease is a serious problem that as much as possible requires planning and preparation. The necessary treatments, procedures, and care needed for this disease can cause stress and burden to both the patient and the family. Knowing how to handle the care expenses brought about by the disease is important to maintain comfort and wellbeing of the patient. Medicare and Medicare Supplemental insurance coverage can greatly help, especially if you fully understand the extent of the benefit that each plan provides.

The Ultimate Guide to Medicare Supplement Plans is available here. Get your copy and you will also get a Medigap quote, for free.

About the author:

Leandro Mueller

As the Online Content Director of FreeMedSuppQuotes.com, Leandro Mueller aims to push for awareness and promotion of the many benefits of Medigap plans. He plans to accomplish this by writing informative and compelling content, which is to be posted on several avenues online. Leandro hopes to push the envelope when it comes to explaining the many details one needs to tackle with Medicare Supplement Plans.

Common Illnesses Facing the Elderly

February 26, 2018 By Rena McDaniel Leave a Comment

As we age, we become more susceptible to illness and disease due to our weakening bodies and immune systems. Interestingly, people are living longer today than ever before. Retirement is no longer the standard 65 years of age, as the data from the CDC shows people are living 19 years beyond 65 on average. That is six years longer than the average life expectancy in 1950.

That said, there are many years beyond retirement that are essential to maintaining good health so you can enjoy your golden years. Understanding the most common illnesses that seniors face and what you can do to keep them at bay will give you a long, healthy, and active life beyond retirement.

Arthritis

The most common ailment as we get older is arthritis, which can begin as early as our twenties. There are two main types of arthritis: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid. Both can be debilitating, though they are very different. Osteoarthritis is when the cartilage between joints breaks down and causes pain and stiffness. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that targets the lining of joints causing them to swell.

With over 200 types of arthritis and half of them caused by genetics, you can’t always prevent the inevitable. However, you can delay the onset and manage the symptoms mitigating how it affects your day to day life. Both common types of arthritis cause pain enough to inhibit activity levels, so what can you do to keep these issues at bay?

One of the main contributing factors to osteoarthritis is obesity. It is essential to maintain a healthy weight, eat a balanced diet, and take vitamins. One of the most effective natural resources is omega-3 fatty acids. These supplements block inflammatory cytokines and prostaglandins, which are then converted by the body into powerful anti-inflammatory chemicals called resolvins.

EPA and DHA have been extensively studied for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory health issues. In 2010, a meta-analysis found that fish oil significantly decreased joint tenderness and stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis patients, and reduced or eliminated the need to take pain management medication such as acetaminophen.

Once you are diagnosed with arthritis, it is important to treat it and not ignore it, so you can keep your social calendar active. With so many varieties of arthritis caused by genetics, sports injuries, viruses, and many other factors, there isn’t just one simple treatment. However, a combination of physical therapy exercises, medication such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and cold packs can help you keep the pain levels down.

Heart Disease

The leading killer of adults over the age of 65 is by far heart disease. According to the CDC, it claimed 488,156 lives in 2013. Affecting more men than women, it is still common in all of the human race. Risks become greater as we age because of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and being overweight. The best way to prevent heart disease is to eat healthfully, exercise often, and manage stress levels before they get out of hand.

Some types of exercises have proven to be excellent for the body and the mind, such as tai chi and yoga. The meditative properties of these exercises allow the mind to manage stress better and keep our bodies limber and in great condition. Also, these exercises can be done at pretty much any age, so even if you are over 65 and facing health issues, taking up a yoga class could save your life.

Influenza and Pneumonia

Aging causes our immune system to weaken and leaves you susceptible to more infections. A common cold can turn into pneumonia if it isn’t treated properly from the onset. In seniors over 65, pneumonia can be a deadly prognosis, as the lungs aren’t as strong as they once were and can fill up with fluids more quickly. While you may not be able to prevent a case of the flu, you can certainly try many things to keep the worst of it away.

Obviously, exercise and diet play a big factor in keeping your immune system as strong as possible. Also, sleeping between 7-8 hours per night will allow for healing as you rest. There are vaccine shots for flu and pneumonia that are either free or at very low cost, and which are recommended for anyone over 65.

Always wash your hands when you come in contact with public areas and other people. While this may seem like a simple gesture, frequent handwashing can make a huge difference in maintaining good health.

If you do come down with something that seems to be more than just the usual cold, see a doctor immediately before it gets worse so you can nip it before it explodes. There is nothing worse than waiting too long to see the doctor and causing yourself unnecessary pain and out-of-pocket medical costs. Prevention and early treatment are the best ways to stay healthy as you age.

When you are faced with a diagnosis of something that may be long term, it can be helpful to think about treatment plans that include having in-home care. This will alleviate some of the stress on your family and give you someone to help you recover back to your old self.

There are so many more diseases and illnesses facing seniors today, from diabetes to cancer, and many more. The common denominator for all of them is to take care of yourself through healthy living, and you will have many more years to enjoy with your loved ones.

Essential Foods in the Senior Diet

February 19, 2018 By Rena McDaniel Leave a Comment

Eating healthfully is an important part of ensuring longevity throughout our lives, and this requirement is no less important as we enter old age. Physical, emotional, and hormonal changes are all informed by the makeup of our diets; monitoring and adhering to a healthy eating regimen can make a difference in how these changes impact us. While there’s little promise that the right diet will halt or reverse the aging process, attention to certain factors can keep us healthy and vital for years to come.

Sadly, some of the joys of eating are challenged by the aging process. The days of being able to eat and quickly metabolize are behind us, as the metabolism slows down, and we have to work harder to maintain a healthy weight. Some medications that are assisting in the management of conditions affect the appetite and our desire to eat. And the emotional changes, often triggered by medications, hormonal, or mood changes, may leave us uninterested in foods we once enjoyed.

All of these factors may make it challenging to eat well, but also underscore its importance; the more dedicated we are to eating the right foods, the better we’ll feel, and the more we’ll be able to enjoy and participate in the world around us.

The recommendations for a balanced, varied, and as “whole” as possible diet (derived from minimally processed foods) remain important, and in fact gain importance, once we enter our later years. Some of these recommendations include:

Consumption of multi-colored fruits and vegetables, including berries, rich leafy greens, and carrots and squash.
Choosing whole grain sources of carbohydrates, as opposed to white flours or other sources with less fiber. Constipation in seniors is common, and whole grains (as well as the aforementioned fruits and vegetables) can assist in easing those symptoms.
Incorporating lean protein to counteract waning muscle mass and to keep you feeling fuller for longer; this protein can come from lean meats, beans, or dairy sources.
Being thoughtful about consumption of fats; some are needed to help maintain a better weight and to absorb fat-soluble nutrients, but care should be taken to choose the right ones and to not overdo it.
Staying hydrated is important for a number of reasons; liquid consumption from water, decaffeinated tea, or even high-water foods like watermelon or cucumber can help keep painful or stiff joints lubricated, elevate the metabolism, and help counteract constipation – a common side effect from many medications.

In addition to the guidelines set forth for the general population that should be noted for seniors, there are additional nutrients and supplements that should be considered. What the body needs can change throughout the seasons of our lives, and our diets can adjust accordingly.

For example, changing brain chemistry may mean that dietary changes must be made to protect our brain health. Seek to incorporate natural (that is to say, through food rather than through supplements) vitamins and minerals that will feed the brain what it needs to stay sharp. B6, B12, biotin, vitamins C and D, omega-3 fatty acids, and folate all contribute to a high-functioning brain and can be found naturally in leafy green vegetables, salmon and other cold-water fish, berries and other antioxidant-rich dark fruits, and coffee and chocolate.

The other significant dietary concern that often arises with seniors is bone health. Deteriorating bone and muscle mass over time, combined with an increased risk and danger of falls, means that attention to bone health is crucial. Calcium and vitamin D work together to combat this threat and can be obtained through leafy green vegetables and low-fat dairy. Here again, while these vitamins and minerals can be obtained through supplements, the body uses them best when they come through our food naturally.

And lastly, a healthy diet is best deployed when accompanied by low-impact exercise, to keep the body agile and the metabolism moving. Walking, yoga, tai chi, swimming, or water aerobics are all excellent examples of ways to keep the body moving, and can often be done with minimal risk of injury.

Some of these recommendations may feel daunting, particularly when you are facing limited time, financial resources, or assistance if you have limited mobility or dexterity. In the event that you find yourself struggling to meet these recommendations, there are a variety of resources available to assist you.

For example, do you worry about being able to shop for these items on a regular basis? Consult the manager at your grocery store about assistance shopping, or even a home delivery service. Similarly, Meals on Wheels or other volunteer programs can assist you in getting nutritious and well-rounded meals to your home.

Tap into the resources of your community by inquiring about help from a neighbor or student in the area who might be willing to help. They may have the energy and ability to complete elements of the process that might feel out of your reach.

Remember, these recommendations are designed to prolong your vitality and vigor. They may seem restrictive at first but could be viewed as the opposite – when followed faithfully, they help to facilitate a freer and more independent lifestyle, a healthier one, making illness easier to manage and mobility easier to maintain.

Aim to make this diet a cornerstone of your lifestyle – your body, mind, and loved ones will all thank you for the difference it will make in keeping you healthy and sharp for many years to come.