AGING TIMES

     Dementia is an overall term to describe those who are unable to do their normal everyday activities due to not being able to remember things, think clearly or make decisions appropriately. Some think dementia is part of normal aging, but it is not.  It does share similarities but there are certain symptoms and signs to look for together. Individuals  may have problems with their memory, attention, communication, reasoning skills and judgment. Incidents that may occur would include getting lost in their neighborhood, forgetting names of people they know, not being able to complete tasks and possibly forgetting old memories. Treatment is different depending on the type of dementia one may have. Dementias, such as Alzheimer’s disease, do not have a cure but medications can be used to help manage symptoms. Exercising, eating healthy, and continuing to be active with others can help to decrease the changes of developing dementia  (What Is Dementia? | CDC, n...

KATE'S SISTERS ARE MARRIED WITH KIDS AND SHE IS NOT As we all look into our future, we may have thoughts about if one day we will ever need to care for our parents or grandparents. There can be many challenges and inconveniences when and if this decision takes place. Currently, my husband and I share a two-bedroom home with two bathrooms with our two little dogs. We have become accustomed to each having our own bathroom except during the few times a year when we have family or friends stay with us. We also like having the extra bedroom as our workout room doubling as a guest bedroom. To have our parent or parents live with us permanently, we would have to give up both conveniences. Our privacy would also be taken away and our schedules may have to be changed. Family structures vary across the United States and other countries. The Nuclear Family structure use to be the most common but throughout time that has changed. Nuclear family is the structure I had for my own family growing ...

As we begin to age, our bodies begin to change as a natural part of the aging process as viewed in the following video,   https://youtu.be/65QcuUUsbVA   (Apotek, 2018).  In my own experience,   I have lost more muscle, collagen, and bone. I have seen others with hair turning gray or white and sometimes it falls out. Throughout many of my own challenges and conversations with others, there are added challenges. Wrinkles may begin to appear, skin becomes loose, and we may lose inches in height. Physically we may not be as strong as we once were or have the same amount of energy to be able to do physical activities we were once able to do. Our memory and cognitive abilities may not be as good as they once were. All these affect individuals differently. Due to insecurities, people may search for ways to improve themselves. Unfortunately, many companies know this and try to take advantage by selling products with promises of slowing down or turning back the clock. Im...