Know the signs and symptoms of malnutrition and how to protect
your older loved ones from this preventable state.

Causes of Malnutrition in Seniors

• Lack of interest in cooking
• Living alone and eating for one
• Changing taste buds
• Medication side-effects that supress appetite or create bitter tastes
• Restricted diets such as low sodium or low fat diets
• Preferring to drink alcohol over eating
• Trouble swallowing
• Trouble chewing due to sore gums or poor dental health
• Limited income to buy nutritious food
• Expensive medications leave little room for food
• Lack of mobility – unable to get to the store
• Depression and dementia

Senior Malnutrition Prevention Checklist

1. Check the
   refrigerator and observe eating habits
2. Watch for health
   changes and fluctuation in weight
3. Encourage foods rich in the 5 key
   vitamins and nutrients
4. Boost hydration with 9 glasses of
   water a day
5. Ask for help when you need it
   from sources like A Place for Mom

Top 5 Vitamins and Nutrients for Older Adults

1. Folic Acid 400 mcg per day:
   Foods rich in Folic Acid: spinach, asparagus, breakfast cereal, lentils.
2. B-12 2.4 mcg per day: Foods
   rich in B-12: turkey, salmon, crab, clams, mussels, chicken, beef, eggs,
   milk.
3. Vitamin C 75-90 mg per day:
   Foods rich in Vitamin C: oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, tomatoes, sweet
   red pepper, broccoli, potatoes.
4. Vitamin D 600-800 IU per
   day: Foods rich in Vitamin D: canned salmon, sardines or mackerel,
   instant oatmeal, cereal, egg yolk, soy milk, cow’s milk or orange juice
   fortified with Vitamin D.
5. Essential Fatty
   Acids (EFA) Foods rich in EFAs: flaxseed oil, canned tuna, oysters,
   herring or sardines, salmon, trout, crab.

Ways to Help Seniors Stay Hydrated

Dehydration is one of the top 10
reasons seniors end up in the emergency room. A good guide for anyone over the
age 65 is to drink 9 glasses of fluid a day. Water is best, but all
liquid counts! It’s important to watch sugar intake and to discourage
drinking alcohol.

1. Soup – an excellent way
   to increase fluid and nutrients
2. Coffee with milk
3. Tea – caffeinated or
   herbal
4. Iced tea – black tea or
   fruit-flavored herbal teas
5. Popsicles – natural, all
   fruit are best
6. Juice - 100% juice is best
7. Smoothies – add protein
   powder, yogurt and vegetables for extra nutrition
8. Coconut water – a good way to
   get natural electrolytes
9. Milk – chilled soy milk, rice
   milk, goat or cow’s milk. You may also consider steaming milk and adding a
   squeeze of chocolate syrup or cinnamon

The
Health Benefits of Friendship

Scientific studies have shown that friendship support results in a
decrease in production of the stress hormone cortisol, which has negative
effects on mood and immunity. If you’re depressed, recuperating from an
illness, or stressed you’ll heal and deal faster with friends.

Good friends help you relax, take a deep breath, and remember what
really matters – and why. The connection and relationship you feel when you’re
with your friends boosts your feelings of hope, faith, and belief that things
will be Okay. Friends provide comfort and companionship, laughter and honesty.
A strong support network can also keep you motivated and energized! This is why
it’s important to know how to be a good friend.

A strong support network isn’t just about emotions and feelings. A
huge health benefit of friendship is moral support. Practically speaking, when
a friend accompanies you to a doctor’s appointment or medical procedure, you’ll
likely experience lower blood pressure and a slower heart rate. You’ll heal
faster and live longer. Without social ties or friends to keep you going, you’re
more likely to experience negative emotions, more illnesses, and even earlier
death than normal. A strong support network will keep you alive and well.

6 Ways To Be A Good Friend

1. Spend
   time together. If you can’t go for walks or to
   exercise class together, then telephone or email your friend regularly.
   The conversations needn’t be long or personal; those quick “I’m thinking
   of you” moments can go a long way in making a strong support network.
2. Make
   friends a priority. Maybe you “should” do those errands
   or that laundry. But give those “shoulds” the brush and prioritize your
   friendships.  For now, think about
   the health benefits of friendship.
3. Be
   there for the good and bad. Show up for the funerals
   and the weddings, the surgeries and the celebrations! Be sincerely sad or
   genuinely happy for your friend – and include them on the good and bad in
   your life, too. One way to be a good friend is to be inclusive.
4. Don’t
   keep score. Who called who last? Who bought lunch last?
   Who spent the most on Christmas gifts? Who forgot whose birthday? Who
   cares? If you have a good friend, cut a little slack. If your friendship
   really isn’t that great, then maybe you need to re-evaluate it. The health
   benefits of friendship will outlast the score-keeping cards.
5. Notice
   the little stuff. The conversations that matter the
   most are the quick little ones that last only a few minutes. It’s not
   always the deep long heart-to-hearts that bond friends together — it’s
   the day to day minutiae of everyday life. One way to be a good friend is
   to have short, sweet conversations.
6. Focus
   on the positive. We all have quirks and weaknesses;
   focusing on your friend’s strengths and wonderful qualities will keep your
   friendship alive and strong. To be a good friend, forget about the things
   you wish were different.

February is the month of love and heart health – give your friends
a hug and tell them that you love them.
Share the health benefits of love and friendship!

A guy was invited to some old friends’ home for dinner.

His buddy preceded every request to his wife by endearing terms, calling her Honey, My Love, Darling, Sweetheart, Pumpkin, etc.

He was impressed since the couple had been married almost 70 years, and while the wife was off in the kitchen he said to his buddy:

“I think it’s wonderful that after all the years you’ve been married, you still call your wife those pet names.”

His buddy hung his head. “To tell you the truth,” he said, “I forgot her name about ten years ago.”

1. Get some exercise!
2. Choose better foods – use fresh ingredients
   instead of convenience items.
3. Make some tough decisions and share them with
   your family  – talk about end of life
   care, give someone power of attorney.
   Do it verbally and in writing.
4. Manage your stress – try not to overcommit yourself,
   learn to say NO and ask for help when you need it.
5. Choose to be happy  – your attitude has a profound impact on your
   health!

Happy New Year from SeniorsCircle.ca!

Seniors in Regina applauded the government’s announcement to expand  a program that provides safety upgrades for their houses.

Jim Reiter, minister of government relations, announced the new program  Tuesday at the Seniors’ First Safety open house hosted by the Regina Senior  Citizens Centre. The government is pledging $500,000 a year for the next four  years to the program. To be eligible, seniors must be over the age of 65, have a  household income of $35,000 or less, or have been a victim of a home invasion or  break and enter.

Under this program, a free home safety assessment and free home safety  equipment and installation are provided to seniors at no cost to them. Eligible  home safety equipment includes: deadbolts, door viewers, smoke alarms, carbon  monoxide alarms and smoke alarm batteries.

Shirley Arnold, president of the Regina Senior Citizen Centre (RSCC), said it  is great news for seniors.

“There are lots of programs out there, but you don’t hear very much about  seniors.” she said.

She believes the program will benefit low-income seniors.

“It was to try to make seniors feel safer in their own homes,” said Reiter. “It’s targeted to low-income seniors or seniors who have covered a break and  enter.”

Originally, the government piloted the project in Prince Albert and after  making a few adjustments, such as expanding the eligible income level, it’s  ready to launch provincewide.

He is not sure how many seniors will take advantage of the program. The cost  to equip each household can run up to $400 each.

Reiter said to ensure senior safety, the ministry will be taking care of the  process.

“We will be arranging contractors right across the province and there will be  some due diligence involved in that as well, to make sure that there are  appropriate people (doing the work),” he said.

Reiter said the information on the program will be available online and other  places seniors frequent such as doctor’s offices.

Arnold said although there are some seniors who are computer literate, many  are not so the information is being distributed in the RSCC monthly  newsletter.

Margaret Brock said it’s great news for seniors, especially for those on  fixed incomes.

“I live in a Regina Housing building and we have all (that safety equipment)  already,” said Brock. “But I would be very afraid to live in a house without  those.”

She attended the announcement to take part in the safety demonstrations  organized at the First Safety open house at the centre.

The police talked about how to be safe from fraud scams and Regina Fire and  Protective Services talked about home fire safety such as cooking safety and  safe smoking habits.

More information about the program can be found at  www.seniorsecurity.gov.sk.ca.

Yesterday I was at my local WallMart buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Jake, the Wonder Dog and was in the check-out line when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

What did she think I had an elephant?

So because I’m retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn’t have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn’t, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I’d lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a Perfect Diet and that the way that it works is, to load your pants pockets with Purina Nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care, because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I stopped to Pee on a Fire Hydrant and a car hit me.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard.

WallMart won’t let me shop there anymore.

Better watch what you ask retired people. They have all the time in the World to think of crazy things to say.

A little boy and his grandfather are raking leaves in the yard. The little boy sees an earthworm trying to get back into its hole. He says, “Grandpa, I bet I can put that
worm back in that hole.”

The grandfather replies, “I’ll bet you five dollars you can’t. It’s too wiggly and limp to put back in that little hole.”

The little boy runs into the house and comes back out with a can of hair spray. He sprays the worm until it is straight and stiff as a board. The boy then proceeds to put the worm back into the hole.

The grandfather hands the little boy five dollars, grabs the hair spray and runs into the house.

Thirty minutes later the grandfather comes back out and hands the boy another five dollars.

The little boy says, “Grandpa, you already gave me five dollars.”

The grandfather replies, “I know. That’s from your Grandma.”

======================================

A married couple were on holiday in Jamaica . They were touring around the market-place l ooking at thegoods and such, when they passed a small sandal shop.

From inside they heard the shopkeeper with a Jamaican accent say, ‘You foreigners! Come in. Come into my humble shop.’

So the married couple walked in.

The Jamaican said to them, ‘I ‘ave some special sandals I tink you would be interested in. Dey makes you wild at sex.’

Well, the wife was really interested in buying the sandals after what the man claimed, but her husband felt he really didn’t need them, being the Sex God that he was.

The husband asked the man, ‘How could sandals make you a sex freak?’

The Jamaican replied, ‘Just try dem on, Mon.’

Well, the husband, after some badgering from his wife, finally gave in and tried them on.

As soon as he slipped them onto his feet, he got this wild look in his eyes, something his wife hadn’t seen before!!

In the blink of an eye, the husband grabbed the Jamaican, bent him over the table, yanked down his pants, ripped down his own pants, and grabbed a firm hold of the Jamaican’s thighs.

The Jamaican began screaming: ‘You got dem on de wrong feet!’