If someone in your family has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer Disease, the news can be upsetting and frightening for everyone.  You’ll be worried about the changes that you’re going to be seeing this person go through as well as what the future holds for you as a family.  You’ve already faced the first challenge:  getting the right diagnosis.  If you’re going to the primary caregiver of the family member who has been diagnosed there are some things that you’ll need to know so that you can make life easier for everyone.

Always keep the patient in sight.  This means that no matter how the disease affects that patient that you always remember that they are an individual with thoughts and feelings.  Treat the Alzheimer patient with dignity and respect at all times no matter how difficult things become for the both of you.  Many of the person’s abilities will be lost but they will still have feelings and emotions that need to be respected.

There is much controversy and debate between scientists, doctors, and researchers about the benefits of using human growth hormone to restore youth.  The claim is that it increases sexual activity, promotes leaner muscles and gives you better health.  Human growth hormone is a biosynthetic hormone and many swear by its effectiveness.  Others are concerned about the safety of using the drug as an antiaging product.

Many people facing their boomer years are flocking to antiaging clinics for this hormone.  Articles in well-known and well-read magazines and quarterlies have increased the interest in this biosynthetic hormone.  Users of the hormone tout it as the hormone that will help people live to the age of 125! 

What is all the controversy about?  As we age, growth hormone levels decline and especially drop after the age of 30.  We start noticing changes in our body.  Our stamina may be less than previously, we may recover as fast from a workout or physical exercise, and we may find our once svelte waistline increasing.  As we age, we begin to tire easier and have difficulty in fighting off disease or illnesses.  We just assume this is the first sign of aging.  Some doctors that specialize in aging insist our hormones can be adjusted to offset the effects of aging.

Doctors are beginning to link the human growth shortage with aging signs.  As we age, we lose lean body mass, strength, and bone density.  Patients who do not make enough human growth hormone have an increased risk of heart disease, vascular problems, and an increased risk of cancer.  Scientists use that link as a premise for believing human growth hormone may roll back the clock and reverse the signs of aging.

Many baby boomers that are taking the growth hormone report they have increased energy and muscle tissue levels.  They are finding their abdominal fat begins to shrink and common disease symptoms decrease.  Some find their symptoms of fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis disappear.  Many doctors that have seen the results of using the hormone are now using it themselves. 

Proponents of the growth hormone believe that by boosting the body’s amount of growth hormone will help those patients who often feel sluggish and tired and are often sick.  Opponents believe more studies need to be performed before the hormone can be claimed as effective antiaging purposes.  Prescribing human growth hormone for antiaging is illegal.  Clinics should be thoroughly investigated before starting HGH therapy.

Double-blind studies are continuing to find out if the claims of a leaner body mass and better bone density are actually achieved by taking the human growth hormone.  Side effects have to be studied to decide the safety of this synthetic hormone.  One of the side effects includes edema in the lower part of the body and a suspicious link to increased cancer risk.  Careful thought should be given before starting on any regiment of human growth hormone therapy.  A good-looking body may not be the answer to healthy aging.

Aging baby boomers are finding they are experiencing more aches and pains than when they were younger.  It takes longer to recover from physical exercise, heal after an injury, or recover from a serious illness.  Pain management is becoming a priority for those who are in the middle age years.  You may be experiencing symptoms of arthritis, or other chronic pain.  Your health care provider is required to ask patients about pain levels and the intensity of their pain.  Treatment is then determined with feedback from the patient. 

Pain is more than just an uncomfortable feeling or sensation in your body.  Pain will keep you from healing properly after surgery and have a huge impact on your quality of life.  Managing pain is important if you want to preserve a good quality of life.  Someone other than the patient decided many of the decisions on pain management.  The patient did not have any input on the intensity of the pain and how much they could tolerate. 

New federal standards now require health care professionals to ask about the pain level and the intensity of the pain before they decide how to treat their pain.  If pain management is not done on an individual basis from the beginning of treatment to discharge, a hospital, clinic, or nursing home can lose their accreditation.

Now as doctors and professionals check blood pressure, oxygen levels, and other vital signs, they also are required to ask about pain levels.  Patients are encouraged to rate their pain level on a scale of one to ten.  Zero is no pain and ten is a pain that would be sending you to an emergency room.  People have a different tolerance for pain so each individual needs to help their doctor discover where their pain level is on the scale.  The patient and the doctor should work together to control the pain a patient can tolerate and when steps need to be taken to ease the pain.  The patient is allowed to feel in control of their pain.  Many patients are allowed to give pain relievers, as they are needed through an IV drip.  Pressing a button will give a bit more pain reliever and will allow them to stay on top of their pain.  Pain does not build up during dosages and is more controllable. 

Pharmaceutical companies have spent considerable time researching pain management.  They are realizing the importance of managing pain and are developing patches and other means of delivering pain relief and give safer and more precise delivery methods.  As a patient, you have a right to have your pain managed and you can hold the hospital, staff, and your doctor responsible for easing your pain.

Doctors recognize that pain can prevent successful recovery form disease, illness, or surgery.   It can have a negative effect on the quality of your life.  They are making pain management a real priority in patient care.  Relieving pain will help you physically as well as mentally.  Pain management is an important part of healthy aging.

One important aspect of healthy aging is taking preventive measures to stay healthy.  The chances of chronic and severe diseases increase as we age but we can help avoid some of the effects of aging by staying healthy.  Much of the disability, pain, illnesses, and death can be avoided if a person lives a healthy life style and takes preventive measures to stay healthy.

Anyone who is aging will benefit from eating a healthy diet, refraining from smoking or using tobacco products, remaining physically active and having regular immunizations for flu and pneumonia.  Much of the disabilities and pains of chronic diseases can be reduced by using preventive medicine.  Early detection of any disease may increase the chance of fighting the disease and its complications.  Screening for breast, colorectal, prostate, and other cancers are important to aging adults.  You should also be screened regularly for diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and osteoporosis. 

Chronic diseases can cause a heavy financial burden on aging adults and their families.  If they do not have resources to pay for their own care, it can also mean a financial load for state and federal governments.  Practicing healthy living habits while you are young will decrease your risk of having a weakening condition that can affect your quality of life or cause death. 

Much still needs to be done in finding ways to respond to the needs of aging Americans.  It is estimated by the year 2030, one in every five American will be older than 65 years old.  Research needs to be done to find causes of Alzheimer’s disease, psychiatric disorders, Parkinson’s disease, and other common ailments suffered by aging adults.  Scientists and researches are looking for ways to prevent or reduce risk causes or delay the onset of serious age related conditions. 

Physical exercise is an important part of preventing early signs of aging and chronic illness.  If you have exercised all of your life, do not stop when you begin to age.  That’s when you should continue to be physically active.  It may mean you will not be doing those heavy cardiovascular workouts but you can and should remain physically active.  If you have not been in the practice of a daily physical workout, now is the time to begin.  You can begin with light physical activities.  Try walking; just a walk around the block can help.  You can add more distance and time as your body becomes used to the extra movement.  Other forms of exercise may be golfing, tennis, gardening, and climbing stairs instead of using the elevator. 

Keeping your mind sharp is another important part of healthy aging.  Keep your mind active, read, do puzzles, and do other mental activities that will keep your brain sharp and active.  Take part in social activities and stay active with family and friends.  All of these activities will help you age healthy and gracefully.  And laugh!  A good laugh can help release stress and tension and ease depression.  Laughter is a good medicine and will help you live a higher quality of life!

Anti aging is a term that is used heavily today.  Yet, there are many ways in which you can see a better skin or improved health and even defy the odds of getting older.  As your body ages, each part of it seems to function less optimally and that’s where the problem often lies.  But, if you can successfully manage to provide for the needs that your body is now lacking, you may actually be able to successfully find the rewards that you are looking for and at least look at young as you feel.

Anti aging options are many, that’s the first thing that you will see when you do a simple search for them.  But, before you do that, and get yourself bombarded with countless spam emails that seem to offer no real benefit, look at what it is that your body is requiring.  Often, it is just a matter of providing for the new needs your body has.  When you were born, your parents provided the highest quality nutrition so that your body could grow.  Later, when you were a young adult, you found ways to eat the right way and do the necessary things to maintain your weight.  As you age, you need to consider your body’s new needs and provide for them.  That’s the trick.

What does your body require that you are not providing for?  If you are aging, one of the first things to consider is calcium for strong bones.  Without added calcium, your bodies need still increases and to get the calcium that is required it must go to your bones to get it.  That weakens bones, causes pain and even can lead to additional injury.  But, what about anti aging for the skin?

The skin ages in its own way.  The body doesn’t produce the collagen that it used to which causes your wrinkles to appear.  There simply is not enough fat under the skin to allow the skin to stand up.  To remedy this problem, simply invest in a nutritious diet rich with antioxidants.  Or, you can look towards injections and cosmetic touch ups that will help to restore some of that lost collagen.

Finding out what your body needs and then adding addition resources to it to help provide for those needs is a great way to avoid aging and defy the odds.  You can increase your body’s ability to defy age by providing for your needs now, while you still have the ability to do so. 

Getting older can be a wonderful thing if we can manage to hold on to what makes us happy. That means for most of us, keeping the lifestyles that we have come to enjoy - sports, careers, social life, daily living activities. Sometimes our aging bodies refuse to keep up with what our minds say we want to do, and we have to learn to compromise or adjust how we do things so that we can continue to be active and happy.

Tips to age gracefully:

Empower yourself by learning about any ailments that pop up. Make full use of any medical information that your doctor provides you with. Investigate any support groups that may encourage you and give you an understanding of how to adjust to the disease and how it affects your life.

Explore the relationship between what you eat and your health. Learn about how to add healthy choices to your meal plan without taking away the great taste of your favorite dishes.

If your relationship with your pharmacists is less than you would like, explore other options in your neighborhood or consider a by-mail prescription program.

Get active in senior groups in your community for both career and recreational opportunities.

Enroll in safe driver courses that may be offered in your community.

Join programs that are centered on meeting the needs of your age group and are set up for sharing information and advocating for the issues that are important to you, like the AARP.

Allow the younger generations to benefit from your experience and wisdom by volunteering with youth groups or community programs.

Make sure you keep those regular medical appointments so that you can be on top of any health issues that may crop up. Don’t forget to have your hearing and eyes checked periodically.

Understand and learn to cope with stress and how it affects your life.

Do an annual insurance check on health, life and auto policies to be sure that they are meeting your needs.

If you need help with your finances there are many community programs to assist with tax preparation, or banking needs. Explore the possibilities in this area and other areas that you may need help in like shopping, at your local senior center.

Stay in touch with family and friends. It can be easy to let relationships slip as time passes and we become busy with our own concerns but having loved ones around can be an added blessing especially during times of stress or times of celebration like birthdays and holidays.

Education should be an ongoing process and can be a source of fun as you explore new hobbies, learn new skills and keep your brain active. The brain is a terrible thing to waste or so the saying goes. Studying life is not just for the young; nowadays many senior citizens are going back to college to earn first, second or third degrees. It may take us a little longer for some facts to sink in but once they do we have an amazing ability to hold on to them! Take advantage of all the wonderful things knowledge can do to enrich your life and add value to your senior years.

Take advantage of the retirement years when the come and do the things you have always wanted to do but didn’t have the time to with the responsibilities of youth and middle age. Get out there and enjoy life, you deserve it.