All Posts in "Month: December 2024"

Owners do anything for their pets

(Pictured: Matti Rinehart and her dog, Benji, have received food from Meals on Wheels during her battle with cancer. Photo credit: Jake Lyell)

Like humans, four-legged family members need love and care. However, the relationship is not one-sided. In addition to joy and unconditional love, pets can help their owners – particularly seniors – live longer, happier, healthier lives, according to the Human Animal Bond Research Institutes (HABRI). Caring for pets may reduce anxiety, decrease loneliness, encourage physical activity and more.

Benefits of owning a pet and the important role a furry friend can play in healthy aging is noted by Meals on Wheels America. The national non-profit supports a network of more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country addressing senior hunger and isolation, and they serve furry clients, too. Hundreds of local programs provide pet food and supplies, plus services such as veterinary care access, grooming, emergency boarding, and dog walking. This helps seniors care for their animal companions and increases the chances they will stay together.

The organization’s pet programming success hinges on community investments, including national support from PetSmart Charities, as well as donations from local pet supply stores, veterinary clinics and other community-based businesses.

Since the program launched five years ago, the people behind it noticed a number of key benefits of pet ownership:

Improving mental health.

Pets typically waste little time in coming to their owners’ aid when they sense feelings of sadness or other negative emotions. Physical interactions, such as petting, can cause the release of endorphins, which are natural mood boosters, promoting happiness and well-being.

Companionship.

Pets serve as a source of comfort and emotional support during difficult times and reduce feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Nearly 98 percent of Meals on Wheels’ clients with pets said their animals make them happier and less lonely. Many seniors often find solace in talking to their pets, their closest companions and often one of their only sources of consistent comfort.

Physical activity.

Pets help keep older adults active with the opportunity to play and go on walks. Even if mobility is limited, pets can spark physical activity in day-to-day life. Dog owners reported more minutes per week of physical activity compared with non-dog owners, according to HABRI. Regular physical activity has been shown to help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Known for providing nourishing meals and companionship to homebound seniors across the country, Meals on Wheels also serves furry clients. This extra layer of support allows seniors to continue living independently with their floppy-eared hounds and whiskered felines, including David, who lives alone with Rebel, his 7-year-old blue heeler.

In May, volunteers from a local program delivered the 13-millionth pet meal, which just so happened to go to David and Rebel’s doorstep. This is one of several services offered by many programs across the country, which often provide veterinary care access, cat litter, leashes, treats and toys, grooming, emergency boarding and dog walking.

Before connecting with the charity, David resorted to paying only half his electric bill – just enough to keep the lights on – so he could afford food for his pup.

“I was barely making it,” David said.

Many homebound seniors make sacrifices like this to care for their pets. More than 1 in 5 Meals on Wheels clients with pets forgo meals themselves to feed their companion animals. About 30 percent skimp on other necessities, like medical care and utilities, to provide for their pets.

Despite these challenges, pets are a powerful force in the fight against senior isolation. That includes David, who relies on Rebel, a registered service animal, to help manage his anxiety and depression.

“Rebel the Wonder Dog – that’s what I call him,” David said. “I wonder how he’s still here and how he takes care of me so much. I talk to him all day like a human because I got no family. He helps me more than people will ever know.”

More information about pet assistance programs is at mealsonwheelsamerica.org/pets.

Source: Family Features

The Senior Scene by — December 18, 2024 in Lifestyle, Home, Adventures
Medicare takes the sting out of pain treatments

Living with pain can be challenging. No matter the cause, it’s important to manage it safely and effectively. Medicare covers pain management and treatment services that can help, including care plans and medication management.

Sometimes, a doctor may prescribe pain medications covered under Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) to help manage pain. Many different types can be effective at treating certain types of pain, and some carry certain risks and side-effects. Some people may also want to take advantage of other supportive services available under Medicare, such as counseling and behavioral health services. 

Finding a way to manage pain is often easier if it’s addressed early. The first step is talking with your doctor about all your options and working together to determine what is right for you.

Services that Medicare Part B (medical insurance) covers for pain and related issues include:acupuncture for lower-back pain, chiropractors, alcohol misuse and counseling, behavioral health and depression services, and occupational and physical therapy.

Medicare drug coverage (Part D) may cover:medication therapy management or complex health needs, and opiod prescriptions.

For most pain management services, Medicare enrollees pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for visits to doctor or other healthcare providers. The Part B deductible applies.to services in a hospital outpatient clinic or hospital outpatient department, you may have to pay an additional..

Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Senior Scene by — December 18, 2024 in Health & Fitness

An 18-acre city park is proposed for the northeast area of Renton.

The City Council in October approved a master plan that, while in its early stages, calls for the park to be built just north of Duvall Avenue North and alongside May Creek at an estimated cost of $6.8 million to $8 million. The city’s 31st park would include paths and trails, picnic shelters, and restrooms.

City officials said the park could also include artwork by local and tribal artists.

The Senior Scene by — December 18, 2024 in News
Vegetable nirvana: Eat all you want and not gain weight

(Pictured: Load up on non-starchy vegetables without the consequences of weight gain.)

By Stephanie Watson

Cutting is critical when you’re trying to lose weight. You cut calories. You cut fat. Basically, anything that’s crammed with carbs, sweetened with sugar, or dipped in a deep fryer is suddenly off-limits.

But dieting doesn’t have to require deprivation. Delicious (and healthy) food can still be part of your dining repertoire. Some members of the produce family are so light in calories and fat that you can eat them with relative abandon.

The one category of food you can eat loads of without suffering the consequences of weight gain are non-starchy vegetables, says Alexis Supan, an outpatient dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic Center for Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine. “Mostly any vegetable besides potato, corn and peas, you can eat endlessly,” she said.

A cup of chopped broccoli or a grilled portobello mushroom contains just 30 calories and less than 1 gram of fat. Chow down on two cups of lettuce and consume less than 16 calories. Because of its high water content, a whole tomato has a mere 22 calories. Cauliflower, kale, carrots and sprouts are similarly nutrient-dense and light in calories.

These produce mainstays bring a few other things to the table. “What makes them so incredible and so beneficial for weight maintenance and weight loss is they are high in macronutrients [such as carbohydrates] and micronutrients [vitamins and minerals]. And they’re rich in fiber,” said Beata Rydyger, a registered nutritionist based in Los Angeles. Fiber keeps blood sugar levels stable, which helps avoid sudden attacks of the munchies that might otherwise make you crave junk food.

If vegetables aren’t your favorite, you might be thinking how unappealing this way of eating sounds. But there are ways to spice up veggies to make them more palatable. For instance, roast them in olive oil spray, then add a blend of garlic and other herbs and spices. If you love dip, which tends to be high in fat, use salsa instead to add even more vegetables into the mix. Or blend a ranch flavor packet into plain Greek yogurt.

What about fruit?

Fruit is a different story. You don’t want to go overboard.

“Grapes are a perfect example. A lot of people love to snack on grapes and could eat the whole bag in an afternoon without really thinking about it. But grapes are a high-sugar food,” Supan said. “Keeping most fruits to a cup-and-a-half for the day is a good goal.”

The exceptions are berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries), kiwi, and grapefruit. These are high in fiber and low on the glycemic index — which means they won’t boost your blood sugar too much. Just be careful before eating grapefruit to make sure it doesn’t interact with any medications (such as statins) you take. And don’t load it up with sugar to make it taste sweeter.

If you want all-you-can-eat food, it may be worth revisiting your entire diet to make sure it’s satisfying. “When people eat the right meals throughout the day, that tends to fill them up much more, and they don’t have that constant hunger,” Supan said.

Some food packs a powerful nutritional punch. Examples are healthy proteins such as fish, chicken, tofu or beans, which should be part of each meal. You also want to add healthy fats from nuts and olive oil, vegetables and whole grains such as quinoa or brown rice to your meals. They’re satisfying and fight off urges to overindulge.

Snacking on other high-protein, high-fiber food will help hold you over until dinnertime. A can of tuna, an apple with a tablespoon of peanut or almond butter, a handful of nuts, a cup of plain air-popped popcorn, a half-cup of cottage cheese, or a hard-boiled egg make excellent options.

Moving away from processed meat and toward plant-based proteins can provide benefits for your heart as well as your waistline. A November 2023 analysis published in BMC Medicine found that replacing processed meat with nuts, legumes, and whole grains lowers the risk of heart disease and death.  

Drinking a glass of water or having a cup of bone broth (which contains protein in the form of collagen) might also help fill you up before a meal.

When it comes to dieting, the aim is not “How low can you go?” Your body needs calories for energy. Try to focus less on the numbers and more on the overall quality. The most important thing is to eat whole foods — ones that aren’t processed in a factory. 

Eating nothing but low-calorie food could rob your body of the nutrients it needs, such as calcium that keeps bones strong. Plus it could leave you hungry, the opposite of the intended effect. 

When dieting, don’t go it alone. Get some help from your primary-care doctor or a dietitian. Your doctor can check your vitamin and cholesterol levels to make sure you safely embark on your new way of eating. A dietitian can assess your needs and create a meal plan that’s tailored to your goals and sustainable.

Source: AARP. Stephanie Watson is a freelance writer.

The Senior Scene by — December 11, 2024 in Food, People