The Impact of Weather: Seasonal Elder Care Tips

Weather changes significantly impact seniors, especially those receiving home care. Seasonal shifts bring unique challenges and opportunities for maintaining health and well-being. Here are practical tips for ensuring the safety and comfort of seniors throughout the year, focusing on how to adjust elder care practices according to different weather conditions.

Monsoon: Preparing for Rainy Weather

• Fall Prevention: As the rains come and surfaces become slick, the safety of elderly loved ones becomes a top priority.

  
  

• Let’s prevent falls by keeping walkways clear of leaves and debris.

  
  

• Installing non-slip mats and grab bars in bathrooms and other potentially wet areas can offer invaluable support.

  
  

• Warmer Clothing: With the temperature dropping, it’s important to keep warm. Ensure they have access to warm clothing, blankets, and perhaps even an electric blanket for those particularly cold nights. Layering is key to managing varying temperature

  
  

• Flu Vaccinations: Get your elderly loved ones vaccinated against seasonal influenza before the rainy season starts. A healthy diet and regular hand washing are also key to staying well.

Summer: Heat and Hydration

• Hydration is Key: The hot summer months can lead to dehydration, which is particularly dangerous for the elderly. In senior care, it’s important to encourage them to drink plenty of water and avoid caffeinated or alcoholic beverages that can dehydrate them further. Fresh fruits with high water content, like watermelon and cucumbers, are great options.

  
  

• Cool Environments: Ensure that their home is cool and comfortable. Fans, air conditioning, and keeping curtains closed during peak sun hours can help maintain a cool indoor environment. If they don’t have air conditioning, consider spending time in public places like libraries or shopping malls during the hottest parts of the day.

  
  

• Sun Protection: If they spend time outdoors, ensure they use sunscreen with at least SPF 30, wear wide-brimmed hats, and light, breathable clothing to protect their skin from harmful UV rays.

Winter: Cold and Isolation

• Staying Warm: Hypothermia is a real danger for the elderly in winter. Ensure their home is insulated, provide sufficient heating, and encourage wearing multiple layers, gloves, and socks.

  
  

• Preventing Isolation: Winter weather can lead to isolation due to difficult travel conditions. Regular phone calls, video chats, and visits when possible can help combat loneliness. Community programs or senior centers often offer activities and social opportunities.

• Nutrition and Exercise: With less sunlight exposure, Vitamin D levels can drop. Ensure they get enough Vitamin D through diet or supplements as recommended by their doctor. Gentle indoor exercises like stretching or yoga can help maintain mobility and health.

General Tips for All Seasons

• Regular Check-Ups: Regular medical check-ups are crucial for early detection and management of health issues. Encourage routine visits to the doctor and keep a check on their medication needs.

  
  

• Emergency Preparedness: Regardless of the season, ensure they have a list of emergency contacts and a plan in place for emergencies. This includes having enough medication, food, and water to last a few days if needed.

  
  

• Mental Health: Seasonal changes can affect mood and mental health. Encourage engaging in hobbies, maintaining social connections, and seeking professional help if needed to manage stress, anxiety, or depression.

Source: June 14, 2024 in

https://www.gahc.co.in/the-impact-of-weather-seasonal-elder-care-tips/

5 REASONS WHY TAKING A HOT SHOWER BENEFITS YOURBODY

There has been a long-standing debate about whether hot showers or cold showers are good for your health. Well, the verdict’s out and looks like both, hot and cold water showers have their pros and cons. If you’ve ever asked yourself the question- ‘is a hot water bath good for your health?’, then we are here to answer that question. Let’s deep dive into the benefits of hot water baths and why you should take them!

BENEFITS OF HOT WATER BATH

A hot shower is one of the best ways to relax and unwind after a busy day. On the other hand, taking a cold shower, in many ways, can be the opposite of relaxation. While critics of hot showers argue that cold water is better for you, we are here to break that myth and show you 5 reasons why taking a hot shower benefits your body: 

1. RELIEVES MUSCLE TENSION

There’s nothing like a warm soak to relieve muscle tension and body pain. If you are wondering about taking a hot or cold bath after workout, then the answer is definitely taking a hot one. Hot water effectively soothes muscle fatigue and prevents the dreaded soreness that comes post an intense workout. 

2. DE-STRESSES YOUR MIND

If you are looking for a way to unwind after a stressful day, try soaking in a warm bathtub. The hot water can help calm your mind and put you in a state of ultimate relaxation. You can even enhance the experience by adding essential oils and bath bombs and pamper yourself with the perfect spa day! if you don’t have a bathtub, don’t worry. Taking a hot shower benefits de-stressing as well! 

3. SKIN BENEFITS 

Taking a hot shower benefits your skin as the steam can open up your pores and cleans out the oil and dirt that’s trapped underneath. This stripping of dirt is why you often feel cleaner after taking a hot bath. Besides taking hot showers, another way to have better skin is to invest in a steam room.

4. RELIEVES NASAL CONGESTION

Whether your nasal passage is blocked or you’re feeling under the weather, the benefits of hot water bath can help you feel healthier again. The hot water and steam can clear out nasal congestion from cold or allergies and help you breathe better. 

5. IMPROVES SLEEP

If you’ve ever taken a hot shower before bed, then you must know that the sleep you experience right after is definitely something else! One of the best hot water benefits is its ability to improve sleep quality. This is because hot water helps your muscles relax, lets your mind unwind and also helps your brain release the sleep hormone- melatonin that makes you doze off quickly. 

Now that you know about the many hot shower benefits, let’s discuss some hot water bath side effects as well, so you can make an informed decision. 

HOT WATER BATH SIDE EFFECTS 

While the answer to ‘is hot water bath good for health?’ is definitely a yes for most people, there is one side effect that you have to look out for. If you have skin conditions like eczema, itchy skin or have recently experienced sunburn, then avoid taking hot showers as it could aggravate the situation. In these cases, you can opt for a warm bath or cold shower to keep the skin calm. 

Source: Adapted from https://www.jaquar.com/en/blog/5-reasons-why-taking-a-hot-shower-benefits-your-body-blog on July 21,2022

Rules to drink tea for health benefits

Mornings are synonymous with tea. Most of the world wakes up in the morning with a cup of tea making the 'elixir of life' most drinkable beverage after water globally.

With time, tea options have just multiplied from green tea, yellow tea to a variety of herbal teas. It is not only available in so many flavours but also many varieties that

serve different purposes. If black tea helps the urge to munch away, the popular green tea aids in cutting flab. Herbal tea helps improve immunity and fights fever and infections. Drinking tea in moderation has multitude of benefits. It helps boost energy, protects heart health, lowers cholesterol and aid in weight loss. However, having too many cups of tea can reduce nutrient absorption, increase anxiety, affect sleep quality and cause heart burn. It is also important to know the right time to have tea and make sure to not combine it with your main meals. One should also avoid strong tea on empty stomach. 

"The tea warms your body and adds health-promoting substances to the diet. However, not many tea drinkers are aware that even tea contains caffeine. Based on how tea is cultivated and processed, the caffeine content in tea varies. Black tea and matcha tea have the highest caffeine levels while green tea has medium levels.

Oolong Tea has lower caffeine than others. Herbal tea has zero caffeine." says Sakshi

Lalwani - Delhi-based dietician, nutritionist, an active lifestyle expert and an independent food consultant.

Can we have tea immediately after meal or team it with breakfast?

"Since tea contains caffeine, which can increase our energy and also supports the digestive system, for most people, their energy tends to be lower after meals and in the morning. Based on that, it makes sense to drink tea right after a meal during the day. Tea contains tannic acid and reacts with the protein and iron content in the food. As a result, it prevents the absorption of these components. So, it is recommended doing so about fifteen to twenty minutes after a meal. However, since many of your favourite teas do contain caffeine, drinking tea usually isn’t recommended after dinner." says Lalwani.

Shruti Bharadwaj, Senior Clinical Dietician, Narayana Hrudayalaya says one should

have tea at least two hours after meal or breakfast.

It's alright to take tea in the morning or evening but it is good to avoid taking tea during breakfast or with proper meal," says Bharadwaj.

Priya Palan, Dietician, Zen Multispeciality Hospital, however, says it's okay to have tea with breakfast. "Tea combines tannins and interferes a bit with absorption of food but not to an extent that you cannot have it as part of your breakfast. With iron absorption we always say we can add some vitamin c to enhance the absorption of it. So you can have food in combination which promotes nutrient absorption," says Palan.

Can one have tea on empty stomach?

"Tea contains tannins that can cause little of acidity. If a person has severe acidity, then maybe one should try and avoid having a very strong cup of tea first thing the morning on empty stomach. You can add a little bit more milk to make it less stronger in that case." says Palan.

Healthy teas

"But if you find yourself longing for a hot cup of tea after your evening meal, try switching to a herbal blend. Herbal teas, such as chamomile, can help you wind down after a long day at work and can even help to promote a better night’s rest." says Lalwani.

How many cups of tea can one have in a day?

Palan and Bharadwaj say 2-3 cups are good enough in a day. "Avoid taking tea just before sleep," says Bharadwaj.

Dos and don'ts while drinking tea explained by Lalwani.

1. Do not over boil the tea for long. Low temperature steeping helps in retaining the tea benefits.

2. Do not add too much milk and sugar. The real essence of tea comes without adding milk and sugar. Even if you want to add milk, add hot milk in the end and turn off the gas after a boil. Do not brew for long.

3. Do not use tea bags. Use loose tea leaves instead.

4. If you want to drink tea at night, drinking it around 8:30 PM is the best time as it's this time when our digestion is the strongest and we can take that extra boost of caffeine to help in our food metabolism.

5. Drinking tea around 3 pm in the afternoon is very beneficial to human body, as it can increase our immune system and prevent flus and colds.

Adapted from: Rules to drink tea: Best time, dos and don'ts, how to make a healthy

cup

By Parmita Uniyal (February 13, 2023) in

https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/rules-to-drink-tea-best-time-dos-

and-don-ts-how-to-make-a-healthy-cup-101676291429287.html