Q. Are there any soaps that help with dry skin?
A. Some soaps have drying agents in them. Look for a soap with an emol- lient in it like Dove soap or oatmeal bar soaps.
Q. What about collagen supple- ments or lotion with collagen? A. Those products are not any bet- ter than using inexpensive lotions and staying well hydrated and wearing protective clothing. They are not long lasting and add a lot of expense. They make a ton of products out there and some are expensive and have not proven to be that beneficial. Q. What are other issues you see with people as they age?
A. There are five things people can do to prevent 50 percent of their med- ical problems in this age range. One, is eating three meals a day. As you age, you lose your drive for thirst and hun- ger, and people do not eat enough. Two, is stay well hydrated; dehydration can lead to infections or falling. Three, is limit the medications you take unless they are absolutely necessary. Four, is to stay physically active to maintain strength. And lastly, do an annual well- ness visit with a physical. Medicare pays for it. If they do those five things they will eliminate 50 percent of the problems we see. Q. Let’s talk more about dehydra- tion. What are the risks and how do you get someone to drink if they are not thirsty? A. Without hydration, two things happen: It can lead to low blood pres- sure and irregular heart rhythms and that can lead to falls. Also, if they are on medications, dehydration makes that medicine work even stronger, like blood pressure or diabetes medication which can be dangerous. They should drink 48-60 ounces a day. I tell them to fill a 12-ounce glass with the liquid of their choice and drink it with a meal and then drink another between meals so they know they are getting enough liquid throughout the day.
Q. Is it true that weight bearing
exercises become increasingly im- portant as we age? A. Yes. One of the main determining factors in quality of life as you age is physical activity. The CDC and Mayo Clinic recommend elderly people get 3-5 hours of exercise a week. I tell people to take what they are able to do right now and add 10 min- utes of exercise and work up to 3-5 hours a week. They need a combina- tion of aerobic and strength and flex-
DEAN CURTIS FOR LIVING WELL
Food insecurity and malnutrition are common problems for senior citizens, according to Dr. Tim Paden.
ibility. We usually recommend walking as the single best exercise. It involves aerobic activity and strength with it. If they need to they can walk in place or people who have issues with outdoor walking, can get a recumbent bicycle that is very easy for the elderly to do that. Pedal the cycle for circulation and blood flow. We recommend stretching which helps on balance and decreases chances of falling. Most Medicare plans pay for a health club membership, so that is a resource. The Mruk Center has free exercises for people over age 65. They have classes and it’s free to join.
Another option is physical therapy. Medicare covers physical therapy for gait and balance and Mountain Home has multiple options. Primary care physicians in Mountain Home are well versed in geriatric care, so they can see their own physician who can evalu- ate them and recommend some of these things.
Q. How do nutritional needs change as we age?
A. They slowly lose a lot of taste and smell. Their drive to eat is diminished. A lot of people live alone and don’t want to cook and don’t know what they want to eat, so they don’t eat.
6 Living Well i September/October 2017
In terms of diet, most elderly pa- tients don’t consume enough calories every day. They are not very active, so they fear weight gain. Some of them have been put on restrictive diets for high blood pressure or diabetes and they have eliminated things from their diet and become malnourished. I recommend they eat three meals and try to get at least 2,000 calories a day. That translates into eight mea- suring cups of food a day. It takes that much. That is an average recommen- dation. They feel like they are not as active but their body still needs as many calories as when you were younger. If they are having trouble eating enough, they should try con- suming high-calorie, nutrient-dense foods like peanut butter, so they can eat less and still get enough calories. Some people struggle with access to food. If that is the case, they can try Meals on Wheels or the Food Bank. I was at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences visiting the de- partment chair on geriatrics and she said one of the main health concerns we have is adequate food statewide. One of our main health issues is access to food and ability or willingness to consume it and eat enough calories.
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