Eating cheese can boost the immune system in elderly.

Chick-fil-A Restaurants might want to start a new marketing campaign for its senior customers: Eat More Cheese.

According to a recent study by University of Turku in Finland, eating cheese can boost the immune system of elderly people by acting as a carrier for probiotic bacteria. 

Probiotics are living microorganisms that exist in the stomach that strengthen the immune system and aid digestion.  They are usually consumed as part of fermented foods with specially-added active live cultures. If you’ve enjoyed a cup of Activia Yogurt (just as actress Jamie Lee Curtis does), you’ve had probiotic bacteria.

Dr. Fandi Ibrahim, lead author of the probiotic study in the elderly population, said in a statement that:

“The increase in the proportion of aged individuals in modern society makes finding innovative ways to thwart the deterioration of the immune system a priority. The intake of probiotic bacteria has been reported to enhance the immune response through other products, and now we have discovered that cheese can be a carrier of the same bacteria.”

Ibraham’s team conducted a four-week study with volunteers between the ages of 72 and 103 who lived in the same nursing home.  Volunteers were asked to eat a slice of either placebo or probiotic Gouda cheese with their breakfast. The results, conducted through blood tests, showed a clear boost in the activation of blood cells involved in immunity.

For seniors, eating well-balanced meals in addition to nutrition education and counseling is a vital aspect to healthy living.

Home Instead’s Cooking Under Pressure nutrition campaign is designed to educate and support seniors and their family members who are sometimes stressed-out by the demands of caregiving.  With our partners at the University of Maryland and Duke University’s Diet and Fitness Center, we’ve developed a great handbook of nutrition tips.  See it here.

Or simply call your Sonoma County Home Instead office at 707.586.1516.

Dear Savvy Senior,

Is pill splitting safe? I have several friends who split their prescription pills to save money, and several who don’t because they don’t think it’s safe. What can you tell me?

Split Decision

Dear Decision,

Splitting your pills – literally cutting them in half – is a simple way to save money on your prescription drugs but be sure you talk to your doctor first, because not all pills can be split. Here’s what you should know.

Savings and Safety

The reason pill splitting is such a cost cutter is because of a quirk in the way drugs are manufactured and priced. A pill that’s twice as strong as another may not be twice the price. In fact, it’s usually about the same price. So, buying a double-strength dose and cutting it in half may allow you to get two months worth of medicine for the price of one. But is it safe? As long as your doctor agrees that splitting your pills is OK for you, you learn how to do it properly, and you split only pills that can be split, there’s really no danger.

What to Do

If you’re interested in pill splitting, the first step is to talk to your doctor or pharmacist to find out if any of the medicines you use can be safely split. It’s also important to find out whether splitting them will save you enough money to justify the hassle.

The pills that are easiest to split are those with a score down the middle. However, not every pill that’s scored is meant to be split. Pills that are most commonly split include:

• Cholesterol lowering drugs, like Crestor, Lipitor, and Pravachol
• Antidepressants, like Celexa, Paxil, and Zoloft
• High blood pressure medicines like, Monopril, Prinivil, Univasc, Zestril, Avapro and Cozaar.

Having the right equipment helps too. Don’t use a knife to cut your pills in half. It can cause you to split them unevenly resulting in two pieces with very different dosages, which can be dangerous. Purchase a proper pill cutter. They only cost around $5 to $10 and are available at most pharmacies and large discount stores.

For convenience, you might be tempted to split the whole bottle of pills at once. But check with your doctor first. It’s possible that exposing the interior of the pills to the air could reduce their effectiveness. It’s also important to know that pills are only safely split in half, and never into smaller portions such as into thirds or quarters.

Unsafe Splitting

Many medicines, because of their ingredients or design, cannot be split safely. Here’s a list of pills that should not be split:

• Blood thinners.
• Chemotherapy drugs.
• Anti-seizure medicines.
• Birth control pills.
• Capsules of any kind that contain powders or gels.
• Pills with a hard outside coating.
• Extended-release pills that deliver medication over time in your body.
• Pills that are coated to protect your stomach.
• Pills that crumble easily, irritate your mouth, or taste bitter.

Again, your doctor or pharmacist will know which drugs can and cannot be split. If you’re taking a medicine that can be split, you’ll need to get a prescription from your doctor for twice the dosage you need. Then you can start splitting and saving, safely.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit http://SavvySenior.org.

About Jim Miller

Jim Miller is the creator of Savvy Senior, a syndicated information column for older Americans and their families that is published in more than 400 newspapers and magazines nationwide. Jim is also a contributor on NBC’s “Today” show, and is the author of The Savvy Senior, The Ultimate Guide to Health, Family and Finances for Senior Citizens, (Hyperion, 2004).

Jim is frequently quoted in articles about issues affecting senior citizens and has been featured in numerous high profile publications, including Time magazine, USA Today and The New York Times. In addition, he has made multiple appearances on CNBC, CNN, Retirement Living Television and national public television.

The Savvy Senior column is brought to you by Home Instead Senior Care of Sonoma County, CA

Home Instead Senior Care provides extraordinary senior care, personal care and companionship services to seniors in the Sonoma County area which includes Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Sonoma, Windsor and more. For more information, please visit our digital brochure or call our office at 707.586.1516 anytime.

UPDATE 3/8/10: This event only has 20 seats left and is booking fast.  Please RSVP today to reserve your seat.

Teepa Snow, renowned Alzheimer’s and Dementia expert, will be in Santa Rosa, CA, on March 22 for an all-day training and dementia workshop on Changing the World of Alzheimer’s. Event will be held 9-4pm at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center and is sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care of Sonoma County and Brighton Gardens. CEU Credits available. Additional senior home care seminar dates the week of 3/22 in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and Millbrae.

Teepa Snow, renowned dementia care and Alzheimer’s care expert, will lecture on “Changing the World of Alzheimer’s” on March 22nd, from 9-4pm, at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center in Santa Rosa.

Her training will include: 

• understanding of dementia (symptoms, progression and support that can help)
• demystifying resistance and
• coping with challenging behaviors during personal care activities

This all-day educational course is free to general public, and family caregivers, and has been approved for CEUs for registered nurses and health care professionals for small processing fee.

Teepa Snow is an occupational therapist specializing in dementia care and education. In addition to her private practice, Teepa has clinical appointments with Duke University’s School of Nursing and UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Medicine. She is a frequent speaker on dementia care to gerontology and health care and nursing professional programs throughout the U.S.

In addition, Teepa Snow provides training and education to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer Society, state health care provider organizations, professional and caregiver associations.

For health care professionals, this all-day Santa Rosa course has been approved by the California State Board of Registered Nurses (BRN for RNs, LVNs, and CNAs) and is eligible for 6 CEU Credits, provider No. CEP 11967. MFTs and/or LCSWs has been approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences as well — 6 CEU Credits, provider No. PCE 987.

This dementia training event is sponsored by the senior in-home care professionals at Home Instead Senior Care of Sonoma County (Rohnert Park, CA) and by Brighton Gardens of Santa Rosa, CA — a Sunrise senior living community.

COST: $40 processing fee for CEU credits per attendee, $15 for CNAs. NO CHARGE for family caregivers or general public. Seating is limited. Lunch is included. Must RSVP in advance of event.

RSVP: For information and pre-registration, call 707.586.1516 which is the Rohnert Park office of Home Instead Senior Care or you can view details online at http://HomeInsteadSonoma.com/events.

Can’t attend March 22 in Santa Rosa? Home Instead is sponsoring additional Teepa Snow events that same week: March 23rd in Oakland, March 24th in San Francisco, March 25th in San Jose, March 26th in Millbrae. Call Home Instead Senior Care of Rohnert Park for more information and contact info for the other events: 707.586.1516.

Jim Miller, creator of Savvy Senior, answers your questions about senior living.

Dear Savvy Senior, 

What are the risk factors for glaucoma? My 82-year-old father lost much of his vision from it about 10 years ago and my sister was recently diagnosed with it, and neither had a clue anything was wrong.  

Blindsided

Dear Blindsided, 

It’s called the “silent thief of sight” for a reason. With no early warning signs or symptoms, most people that have glaucoma don’t realize it until their vision begins to deteriorate. Here’s what you should know. 

What is Glaucoma? 

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can damage the optic nerve and cause vision loss and blindness if it’s not treated. This typically happens because the fluids in the eye don’t drain properly, causing increased pressure in the eyeball. The two main types of glaucoma that affect most people are:    

• Open-angle glaucoma:  This is the most common form, accounting for around 80 percent of cases in the U.S. This type progresses very slowly when the eye’s drainage canals become clogged over time, leading to blind spots in the peripheral vision, but by the time you notice it, the permanent damage is already done.
• Angle-closure glaucoma:  Occurs when the drainage canal gets blocked, causing a rapid increase in eye pressure. Symptoms include nausea, blurred vision and severe pain. If you have these symptoms, get to an emergency room immediately.  

Are You At Risk? 

It’s estimated that more than 4 million Americans today have glaucoma but only about half of them know that have it. Are you one of them? Here are the key factors that can increase your risks: 

• Age: While anyone can get glaucoma, people over the age of 60 are six times more likely than those younger.
• Family history: Having a brother, sister or parent with glaucoma increases your risk of developing this disease by four to nine times. 
• Race: African-Americans are six to eight times more likely to get glaucoma than are Caucasians, and they are much more likely to experience permanent blindness as a result. Hispanic-Americans also have an increased risk of developing glaucoma earlier in life, and Asians also have a higher risk for developing angle-closure glaucoma.
• Health conditions: Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, hypothyroidism, migraine headaches and even being nearsighted can increase your risk.
• Medications: Studies show that long-term use or high-doses of steroid drugs or cortisone can put you at a higher risk. 
• Injury: An injury or trauma to the eye can cause glaucoma even years after it happened.

 What to Do 

Early detection is the key to guarding against glaucoma. So if you’re age 45 and older and have any risk factors, you need to get a comprehensive eye examination every year or two. Or, if you notice some loss of peripheral vision, get to the eye doctor right away. 

While there’s currently no cure for glaucoma, most cases can easily be treated with prescription eye drops which can prevent further vision loss (it cannot restore vision already lost from glaucoma). If that doesn’t work, your doctor may recommend oral medication, laser treatments, surgery or a combination of these methods. 

Screening Help 

If you have Medicare Part B, annual eye examinations are covered for those at high risk for glaucoma. Also check out the Glaucoma EyeCare program through EyeCare America (www.eyecareamerica.org; 800-222-3937). This is a nationwide program that provides free or low-cost glaucoma eye exams and the initiation of treatment, if needed, and there are no income restrictions.  

Savvy Tip: To learn more, the Glaucoma Research Foundation offers comprehensive information on their Web site along with a variety of free educational booklets you can order. Visit www.glaucoma.org or call 800-826-6693. 

 Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit http://SavvySenior.org 

About Jim Miller 

Jim Miller is the creator of Savvy Senior, a syndicated information column for older Americans and their families that is published in more than 400 newspapers and magazines nationwide. Jim is also a contributor on NBC’s “Today” show, and is the author of The Savvy Senior, The Ultimate Guide to Health, Family and Finances for Senior Citizens, (Hyperion, 2004).   

Jim is frequently quoted in articles about issues affecting senior citizens and has been featured in numerous high profile publications, including Time magazine, USA Today and The New York Times.  In addition, he has made multiple appearances on CNBC, CNN, Retirement Living Television and national public television.  

The Savvy Senior column is brought to you by Home Instead Senior Care of Sonoma County, CA 

Home Instead Senior Care provides extraordinary senior care, personal care and companionship services to seniors in the Sonoma County area which includes Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Windsor and more.  For more information, please visit our digital brochure or call our office at 707.586.1516 anytime.