The Sunrise Blog

As the search for treatment options and a vaccine for the coronavirus continue, it’s important that seniors take extra steps to protect their overall health. We know the seasonal flu begins to make its rounds in the fall. Often, this is the time of year when the number of cases of pneumonia starts to rise as well.

Safely adhering to a medication schedule can sometimes be tough for seniors, especially those who take multiple types of medicine each day. For reasons ranging from memory loss to small print on prescription labels, seniors make dangerous mistakes with medications every day.

In the days before the COVID-19 crisis, family members were a familiar sight at Sunrise communities across the country. Whether it was visiting, participating in activities, volunteering, or stopping by to pick up a loved one for lunch, families have always been an integral part of our residents’ daily lives. As have partnerships with local care agencies and vendors, including hospice.

The isolation many may experience due to expanded social distancing and infection control protocols amidst the COVID-19 pandemic has required families to solve challenges they might never have considered before. From where to order face masks to how to have groceries delivered to a senior’s home, loved ones have had to learn a lot about a new way of living.  Additionally, finding new ways to virtually connect with aging family members when in-person visits aren’t possible as become very important.

It’s no secret that men are less likely to visit the doctor on a regular basis compared to women. Some men only see the doctor when they can’t shake a serious illness. This approach does not promote healthy aging. That’s because prevention is the key to avoiding potential life-threatening health conditions. Waiting until a serious medical issue arises might make treatment less effective or even unavailable.

Changes in vision are more common with aging. The need for eyeglasses increases as we age, especially readers, but a surprising number of other vision issues are also more prevalent. Research shows that one in three people will have some form of vision loss by the age of 65.

A broken hip is painful and inconvenient at any age. It can also be dangerous because it can lead to life-threatening health complications. Your odds of losing your life due to a hip fracture increases even for adults as young as age 50.