Nutmeg “Nuggets”
What to Look for When Visiting Older Adults During the Holidays
to-face. While phone calls and emails are a great way to connect, it can be hard to notice changes in a person’s appearance or home that could indicate they need
F 1. The condition of the home.
Is it messy and more cluttered than usual? Is there spoiled food in the refrigerator or cupboards? Are bills not being paid on time? Are household goods being put away in the wrong place? Most importantly, you want to do everything to prevent falls.
• Are rugs and runners slip-resistant? • Is there torn or loose carpeting? • Is there adequate lighting? • Is a person’s bed raised too high? • Are there working smoke detectors in the home? Even if someone isn’t hurt when they fall, they may become
afraid of falling, which can have a big impact on their life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found the fear of falling causes people to limit their activities and cut back on social engagement. When someone is less active they become weaker physically, which increases their chances of falling. Research also shows falling just once doubles one’s chances of falling again.
2. The condition of the person.
Do they have unexplained weight loss? Are they wearing clothes that are dirty or inappropriate for the weather? Are they having trouble with toileting and basic hygiene such as showering and brushing their teeth? Are they having difficulty sleeping?
3. The person’s behaviors and personality. Are they missing doctor appointments, religious services or
other activities they’d usually attend? Are they forgetting to refill pre- scriptions or take medications as prescribed? Do they seem confused when you talk to them about topics they’d normally understand? Are they exhibiting any personality changes or mood swings?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, it could be a
sign your family member needs extra help. At ComForCare Home Care we understand the challenges that may arise with aging. Home care can help older adults live independently in their own home and continue to do all the things they love.
By Neil Anand, Owner ComForCare. To learn more, visit
ComForCare.com/FairfieldCT or call 203.612.8966 for a no obligation consultation.
fairfieldct@comforcare.com. ComForCare Home Care is a premier provider of in-home care with nearly 200 independently owned and operated locations in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., helping older adults live independently in their own homes and continue to do all the things they love. The home care company is committed to helping people live their best life pos- sible and also offers special programs for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. See ad on page 6.
8 Natural Nutmeg - November/December 2019
help. If you visit older parents, grandparents or other relatives this holiday season, pay attention to the following:
or many families, the holidays are the only time they spend face-
The Art of Sitting I
magine getting home from your desk job and not having a stiff or sore back.
There is a solution. Learn how to sit in five easy steps and be in harmony with gravity. I have taught hundreds of people how to sit over the past many years. They report the results are amazing, more energy at the end of the day, fewer head- aches, better digestion and much less back, neck and/or shoulder pain.
Grab a supportive chair with a back to it like a kitchen chair.
For now, avoid overstuffed and soft chairs, however, once you learn the way, you can sit on anything. Your pelvis is a bony basin in which your organs sit. There are a series of muscles that create a sling at the base of your pelvis. If you wiggle on a hard surface, you can feel your sit-bones on either side of the bottom of your pelvis. When most people sit, they tuck their buttocks under and sit in a slumped position with their sit-bones curling forward. That allows the low back to curve backwards, the stom- ach to roll back towards the waist and there is no support for your head, neck and shoulders.
Instead, when you go to sit:
1. Stick your buttocks out reaching your sit-bones to the back of the chair, feeling those sit-bones back behind you. This is most important.
2. Adjust your feet so they are slightly out in front of your knees. Allow your knees to be relaxed, not holding them tightly together. Just let your knees assume their natural position apart and then be sure your feet are in that line of your knees, just slightly more forward.
3. Shift your weight slightly forward so you feel your body weight about a half inch in front of your sit-bones. This should feel that you are not on bone, but on the fleshy muscles that create your pelvic floor. This pelvic position gives your chest natural lift which allows your neck and head to be further back instead of lunging forward. You won’t need the support of the back of the chair because your weight is now in front of you.
4. Allow your head to drop forward and slowly bring it up by keeping your chin down and stacking your neck back one vertebra at a time until your head is all the way up. Then allow your eyes to look straight out at the horizon line which will help you stack your neck in a balanced position.
5. Lastly, place your hands, palms up in your lap. This will stop that tendency to hold yourself up by using your arms and lifting your shoulders by putting your hands on your thighs.
Try it out, change a bad habit by conscious choice and live well!
Sharon Sklar is in her 39th year as a Certified Advanced Rolf Practitioner. She loves her work and invites inquiries. Call her at 860.561.4337 or visit
www.SharonSklarRolfing.com for more info. See ad on page 20.
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