Here are some surprising facts and statistics related to seniors and falls. Falls are the leading cause of injury among older Canadians. 20-30% of seniors experience one or more falls each year. Falls are the cause of 85% of seniors’ injury-related hospitalizations. Falls are the cause of 95% of all hip-fractures. 50% of all falls causing hospitalization happen at home.
Arthritis is a classification of disease that typically causes swollen, stiff, or painful joints. The most common form, Osteoarthritis, occurs when the cartilage becomes worn out. It is one of the most prevalent diseases affecting seniors today. With its chronic long terms effects, arthritis can have a major impact on the daily lives of those afflicted with it.
It can be scary to get a diagnosis of diabetes, especially if you’re a senior and already have other health issues and concerns. Your health care provider may prescribe a combination of diet, exercise, and medications to help you manage this new diagnosis of diabetes. Your health care team will look at all of your health issues and help create a personalized plan just for you.
Written by Kimberly Johnston
June is Stroke Awareness month in Canada. There are 62,000 strokes in Canada each year – that is one stroke every nine minutes. 405,000 Canadians are living with the effects of stroke. We had the honour of chatting with a few stroke survivors about their experience, struggles and advice for everyone.
My best friend Jennifer lives in Nova Scotia, that’s about 1,791.4 km from her 90 year old grandfather who lives in Toronto. She adores her grandfather above any other human in the world and I can see why he’s a lovely man who lives by his motto “I only know nice people”. I live much closer to him than Jennifer, only about 1.2 km away, so I meet up with him from time-to-time for coffee and a chat.
14 Exercises to Improve Balance and Strength
Written by Kimberly Johnston
I always believed that strokes only affect the elderly.
My father had a stroke which led to his death. He was almost 70 years old, and though he wasn’t overweight, his diet consisted mainly of high fat and carbs and he had been a heavy smoker all of his life. While I was devastated, I wasn’t very surprised.
As a caregiver you probably feel like you know more about the person you're caring for than yourself. From health issues, medication schedule, dietary needs to the smallest changes in their mood, trying to have everything in hand and under control is a lot.
