Seeing is Believing

When we think of active aging most of us think about exercise and eating right. But what may be overlooked is taking care of your vision which is an extremely important part of active aging.

Cataracts and glaucoma are two of the main causes of vision loss among adults 65+. The progression of these diseases can take away your ability to do everyday activities.
Seniors are more susceptible to falls and accidents and may be unable to drive, read, or watch TV. Loss of these daily activities may cause depression, withdrawal, even anger.

Seniors often experience signs of these diseases years before they are diagnosed. Symptoms such as blurry vision, inability to see in dim lighting, and trouble driving are seen as a “normal” part of the aging process but could be indicators of cataract and glaucoma progression.

The best way to prevent this is by getting an annual eye exam. Your local optometrist can accurately diagnose whether you have cataracts or glaucoma and refer you to a specialist if needed. It is especially important adults 55+ have annual eye exams because cataract can grow unnoticed and quickly become vision-impairing. Individuals only begin to experience symptoms when the growth is in their field of vision, but catching the growth prior to this stage can be advantageous.

Glaucoma affects the visual field and is not noticed until advanced stages as well. Be aware this disease can be genetic, so tell your optometrist if your mother or father suffered from glaucoma. Your doctor can then perform tests and give you advice on treatment.

Treatment for cataracts and glaucoma is a quick ocular surgery, which takes less than 30 minutes. Many seniors are revitalized after their procedure and rediscover activities they were unable to do before like golfing, swimming and reading. So take care of your vision and see your eye doctor…seeing is believing!

The iPad and Kindle – The Latest Technology Perfect for Seniors

Within the last decade, technology has dramatically changed the way we read, write, and communicate. Apple’s iPad and Amazon’s Kindle are at the forefront of those changes by making their technology more accessible to a wide spectrum of people, especially seniors. With easy to use, large interfaces, seniors are now more inclined to read, write, and go online.

Cataracts and Glaucoma are two common vision ailments affecting seniors and their lifestyle. Unfortunately the joy of reading books or using the computer becomes a chore due to the dificulty in reading small type and images. With both the iPad and the Kindle, you can easily enlarge things so readers can clearly see the display. This function also makes it easier for seniors to surf the Internet, buy products online, and watch videos.

One of the greatest senior-friendly aspects of the iPad and Kindle is its size. They are larger than a phone but smaller than most laptop computers making them easy to keep track of. They are also very mobile and can be brought with you on trips to the doctor or used on car and bus rides to pass the time and keep you informed and entertained. Additionally senior-friendly applications are on the rise and include helpful tools for everything from medication tracking to diabetes monitoring.

With the iPad and Kindle, seniors are now free to read their favorite books, daily news, enjoy emails and photos from family members and stay as connected as they want to be.

To learn more take a look these websites:

www.apple.com/ipad/
www.amazon.com/kindle

Lifelong Learning: It's Not Too Late to Learn a New Language!

These days it is quite common to see parents seeking out preschool and elementary schools that offer foreign language programs for their budding geniuses. Well known among the parenting community, foreign languages have been proven to benefit the brain’s health by promoting cognition growth and development.

Studies show learning a foreign language also benefits the maturing population. Actively learning a new language at an older age can improve cognition, memory and acuity. While learning any new subject can benefit the mind, learning a language specifically forces an individual to remember and associate vocabulary with everyday objects and activity.

Learning a new language does not have to be intensive or take place in a classroom with a teacher. There are many online resources that can help language beginners. Memorization techniques and learning aids can also help with remembering vocabulary. A good way to remember vocabulary is to use a Post-it, write a word on it, and stick it to the corresponding object. Watching TV shows or movies in the language you are learning along with English subtitles works to enhance oral comprehension.

Language learning can be a fun, social activity for seniors. Forming language conversation tables at communities brings a social element to learning. Having residents partner with native speakers at their community will not only facilitate a one-on-one learning experience, but also promote the exchange of cultural ideas and customs. Residents will find they can experience another country without leaving home!

Some tips to start the learning process: for native English speakers it is easier to learn related language such as Spanish, German, or Italian. Languages that use an alphabetical system can be easier for learners as opposed to learning languages without a system – such as Chinese.

Some resources to get started online:

Spanish: http://www.studyspanish.com/ - a comprehensive and informative guide
http://spanish-word-a-day.com/ - you can bookmark this site and learn one word and an example sentence everyday
Italian: http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/italian/ - a fun and helpful guide to Italian
http://italian.about.com/library/word/blwordofday1027.htm - word of the day site for Italian
German: http://www.deutsch-lernen.com/ - online guide to German
http://german.about.com/library/blworttag.htm - German word-a-day