| Holly Alley, MS, RD, LD Nutrition Specialist, Department of Food and Nutrition and Dale Dorman, MS Extension Housing & Environment Specialist, Department of Housing and Consumer Economics and Don Bower, DPA, CFCS Associate Professor and Human Development Specialist, Department of Child and Family Development |
Vol 4. No. 3 |
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Your Health
Keep Your Cool As we age, we often have an increase in body fat and a decrease in body muscle. Muscle contains more water than fat. This means we store less water and we can dehydrate faster than younger adults. Dehydration is dangerous. It can prevent your body from cooling down. A build-up of body heat can lead to heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Check your urine color to see if you are getting dehydrated. Urine should be a pale yellow color - similar to the color of white wine. If your urine is darker, like the color of apple juice, you may be dehydrated. To prevent dehydration, drink plenty of fluids. In fact, drink more than you feel thirsty for. Thirst is NOT a good indicator of your need for fluid. Water is an excellent choice of drinks. Try adding a squeeze of lemon to give your water more zest. The caffeine in coffee and tea can increase urination and you may lose body water. When you drink coffee or tea, drink a glass of water along with it. Carbonated soft drinks also may contain caffeine. In addition, the carbonation may decrease your thirst. Try not to drink more than one soft drink a day. Alcoholic beverages also cause your body to lose water by increasing urination. Water is the best fluid replacer. In addition to drinking lots fluids, keep cool by preparing food early in the day. This keeps the heat out of the kitchen in the hottest part of the day. Pasta salad is a tasty make-ahead meal.
PASTA SALAD
DRESSING Cook noodles according to package directions. Mix noodles with beans, broccoli, carrots and tomatoes. In a jar, combine all dressing ingredients. Shake well and toss with noodles. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 4 (1 cup) servings. Your Resources Staying In Your Own Home Most older people prefer to stay as independent as possible. Given a choice, many decide to remain in a familiar home and neighborhood even when poor health makes independent living difficult. In-home services can provide the assistance needed to overcome many of the common problems experienced by older people living alone. Programs designed to help include home health care, homemaking services, nutrition programs, handyman and reassurance programs, and chore service programs. There are a number of sources of information about in-home services. First, check with your local or state Office on Aging. Your local government may operate a variety of programs and services. Offices on Aging frequently have information and referral services. Non-profit organizations such as churches, synagogues, and senior centers may be able to help you locate services or may provide services themselves. Look in the Yellow Pages of your telephone directory under "nurses," "nursing services," "home health services," or "social service organizations." Home Health Care Home health care generally involves regular home visits by a registered nurse, a licensed practical nurse, a vocational nurse, a nursing assistant, a home health aide, therapist, or a nutritionist. This type of care is usually provided only with the recommendation of a doctor, often through the social service department of a hospital. These experts will help you determine the kind and amount of care you need. Homemaking Services Homemaking services are designed to help you with light housekeeping, laundry, food shopping, personal care, and meal preparation. In some situations, a homemaker may be able to help with correspondence and other personal business. Obviously, the extent of service provided, whether it is daily or weekly, depends on your needs. Fees vary accordingly. Homemaking services can be arranged through an agency or on an individual basis through newspaper advertising or word of mouth. Nutrition Programs If you have difficulty preparing your own meals or do not have transportation to a grocery store, find out if your community has a "meals on wheels" program. Once a day, volunteers will deliver nutritious hot lunches and cold food for the evening meal to your home. Meals generally cost from $5 to $18 a week. Meals on wheels programs are usually listed in the White Pages of the telephone directory. If you want to share mealtimes with other people and are able to travel out of your home, check with local senior centers, churches, synagogues, and schools. These organizations often serve hot meals at regular times during the week. A nominal contribution may be requested for each meal. Reassurance Programs Sometimes you just may need someone to talk to or to reassure you that you are not alone in case of an emergency. If you do not have relatives or friends nearby, you may want to look into reassurance and friendly visiting programs. You can often find them through the sponsoring agency - neighborhood groups, local churches and synagogues, and other local social service organizations. Volunteers will call or visit on occasions when you want companionship or on a regular basis simply to see that things are in order. Handyman and Chore Services Your community may provide a home maintenance and repair program or chore service for older homeowners. These programs are often administered by local neighborhood improvement or social service agencies. For a nominal annual fee (often in the area of $10), someone will come to your home once a year. This person will do repair work and be available to assist you whenever there is an emergency, such as a frozen pipe or a broken window. Most services that are necessary to keep a home safe and livable are usually covered by the program. Major improvements or additions to the home are not included, but the program will often help locate a contractor. Reference: "Your Home, Your Choice," American Association of Retired Persons in cooperation with the Federal Trade Commission, 1985. Your Relationships Confusing Friendship and Exploitation Mattie first met Jerome when she was walking back to her porch from her mailbox. With a cheery "Good morning!" and a smile, he seemed like a friendly fellow, even though Mattie had not seen him around before. Jerome and Mattie chatted for a few minutes, and Jerome mentioned that Mattie must be having trouble keeping up with yard care since the grass was overgrown. It was true that she just did not have the energy she once did, and when he offered to cut her grass, she agreed. Over the next few months, Jerome became a regular helper for Mattie. Repairs around the house, driving her to the grocery and church - he gladly did it all for only a few dollars. Mattie came to depend on Jerome, not only as a helper but also as a friend. Stories like this often have happy endings, with a senior learning to count on a younger adult for occasional help and friendship. Unfortunately, some scam artists use these relationships to take advantage of seniors' trustworthy nature. What are the signs that you may be at risk? In the story above, Jerome began to ask for small "loans" and favors, such as borrowing Mattie's car. Mattie even lent Jerome her credit card when he had an "emergency" and promised to pay her right back. When he didn't pay her back, he always had a good reason and would get her money to her "soon." Why would Mattie let herself be taken advantage of in a situation like this? Even though she suspected Jerome was not being completely honest, she seldom heard from her own grown children and, frankly, she had come to enjoy Jerome's company. It was easy to believe his excuses and overlook the evidence. Scam artists such as Jerome know just how to "play" older people's feelings. Mattie had been a good caregiver as a wife and mother her whole life, but now it seemed that no one needed her. In a way, she enjoyed her new role of taking care of Jerome's needs and Jerome knew just how to use her. When Mattie's grown son found out about Jerome, he began to question Mattie and point out the missing "loans" and other abuses. Mattie grew defensive and talked about what a good friend Jerome had become - her son just didn't understand! The more her son tried to reason with her, the more she dug her heels in. At this point in exploitative relationships, the senior usually holds strongly to three mistaken beliefs: (1) that the exploiter really is a true friend, (2) that other people just don't understand, and (3) that the exploiter just could not make it without the senior's help. Seniors resist recognizing these factors - to do so would make them look like an "old fool." The more money and caring that have been squandered, the more difficult it is to admit the scam. Sometimes these scams blow up when the scam artist gets caught in a blatant abuse and the senior has to face facts. In this case, Mattie didn't see or hear from Jerome for several days. Then she received a call from the bank and learned that Jerome had withdrawn her life savings! Of course, Mattie never heard from him again. Mattie was devastated, not only by the loss of her money but also by the loss of the relationship she thought she shared with Jerome. She became depressed and suspicious, even of her long-time friends. More often, these scam artists continue the exploitation for years. Family and friends of the senior often give up trying to point out the exploitation because the senior is so defensive. A better approach would be for friends and family to make the extra effort themselves to be the friend that the senior needs. With plenty of social support from true friends, seniors are less likely to be tricked by false friends.
The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State College, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability. For large print, taped or braille editions of this publication, contact the author. An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Organization Committed to a Diverse Work Force DP-RM&HD-101 June, 1996 Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Gale A. Buchanan, Dean and Director
Reprinted with permission from the University of Georgia.
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