Skipping the Salt Could Save Your Heart

New studies have just been released proving that a diet high in salt and low in potassium can significantly increase your risk for cardiovascular disease.

Doctors have long warned their patients against consuming high levels of sodium because of the harmful effects it can have on your body, including high blood pressure. Fortunately, it now appears that people who balance a moderate sodium intake with above average potassium levels can prevent some of the damages of too much salt.

For people over age 50 or those with high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disease, it is recommended not to consume more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. While it may sound like a lot, this amount is equal to only a half teaspoon of table salt each day.

Keep the following guidelines in mind to ensure a healthy heart for years to come:

1.      Skip the junk food. Most pre-packaged foods found in your grocer’s snack aisle or freezer case are loaded with extra sodium. Meals coming from fast food restaurants are also notorious for containing extra salt: one Big Mac alone has 1,040 mg of salt! Make sure fast food and pre-packaged items are occasional indulgences and not part of your regular routine.

2.      Hide the salt shaker. If you have already added salt to a dish as an ingredient while you are cooking, take the salt shaker off of your dinner table so you are not tempted to add more salt before eating.

3.      Offset salt with potassium. While bananas are most commonly known for being high in potassium, there are many other natural sources of this substance. Apricots, milk, chocolate, almonds, potatoes, avocados and soybeans are all packed with potassium, as well as other fruits and vegetables. Focus on including more of these items into your diet to offset some of salt’s harmful effects.

This guest post was written by Jessica from Long Island Heart Associates. http://www.liheart.org
For questions about heart health and aging, contact a local cardiologist today.

Online Tools for Care Coordination

Keeping track of medical history, shopping for alternative living arrangments, and discussion of financial planning under one roof is efficient.  Too many surprises with end-of-life decisions could be avoided with these tracking tools.  For those tracking their own histories ensure that someone you trust has access to your records and will follow-through with those choices.  Why was my friend surprised that two sons rather the father less literate were named executors of their mother's estate?



The following is the mission statement of eCare Diary taken from its website that is recommended by professionals in the senior care industry:

"eCare Diary is a website created based on the founder’s, John Mills, experience as a caregiver for his father who suffered from Parkinson’s Disease. Having spent over 20 years working in the health care system, John found coordinating long term care to be difficult because of the lack of good information. eCare Diary provides comprehensive information, tools and resources to help those seeking and providing long term care. A unique feature is our Care Diary, a set of online tools designed to make coordination of care and sharing of information easy amongst family members and other caregivers. eCare Diary also has a comprehensive database of nursing home and home care services, guides on long term care financing and information on important health care documents everyone should have. The site will continue to grow and more information and tools will be added in the months ahead. We hope eCare Diary helps simplify your situation by providing you the tools and information you need."

Ethical issues

  At the personal invitation of my geronology professor Dr. Rita Gugel, the founder of National Association of Professional Care Managers (NAPGCM) visited our class at Lynn University in the early 90s.  Within the next few years I enlisted the help of a professional geriatric care manager to address a caregiving situation that ultimately provided opportunity for my second husband's distant four children to care for their father, albeit long distance.  "I won't come until my father is situated", are the dispassionate words heard from one son.  

Wanting to do the right thing, I found a level of care that mirrored Mr.S.'s lifestyle, ensured he was settled and visited from time to time in the assisted living community and hospital to ensure staff knew there was someone local who observed his care. 

The one-hour assessment by the professional care manager was the best $200 I ever spent.  My children deserved me to present in their lives and share their joy.

And now it is time again to call on professional care management, to call on professionals who are familiar with levels of care for dementia and ensure transition sans physical and emotional challenges of family, near and distant.  Far too personal when it comes to a parent.   "I just cannot do it anymore" echoes from various challenges within a family including finances, introduction of extended family with different history.  


The terse words of management eager to make way for "healthier" residents are 360 degrees of the welcome less than two years ago.   Ethical issues in discharge, a webinar offered by SeniorBridge this month, is one that professionals in aging need to hear. Consider discharges from hospitals, rehab centers, and communities.  What is the appropriate setting, timing?   What has been your experience in handling transitions of family members or close friends.  Did you handle the move(s) yourself ? Did you call on a professional care manager?   If so, what is a positive experience or one that could have been improved?  Share with us so others can benefit.  

Caregiver Role Reversal

The contents of my friend's  weekly email exchange read: 

"...one of my mom’s caregivers had a fall last week and dislocated her shoulder.  She’s not much older than I am but she has a very sedentary life and she seems in much worse shape than my mother.  Our church group has been having to bathe her, cook and drive for her.  I had her here for dinner and my mother was taking care of her and cutting her food….she felt great to be the caregiver for a change and she loved it.  Anyway, it got me thinking about taking better care of myself and not giving in to old age."

     . This reminds me of my mother, 98, who is every bit the hostess she always has been.  From her senior living apartment she is eager to share her bounty of yogurt, bottled water, bananas, or sweets.  She can readily replace a banana from the community's basket in the lobby or ask for one in the dining room.  Readily translates to walking what seems greater distances with a walker after hip surgery.  What continues to inspire you in the actions of courageous elders?

Why I Love My Doctor- We're Not Dead Yet

When I retired, I moved back to the area where my children grew up so that I could be closer to my family. As such, I had to go through the motions of changing everything. I changed doctors, most notably. I spend about 3 to 5 hours a month at the doctor, which doesn't sound like a lot but it sure isn't a walk in the park. Since I'm there a lot for checkups and other tests, I need a doctor that I feel comfortable with and can trust. I made the mistake of hiring the first doctor that I found, and quickly realized that I needed a better solution. The mistake? Let me explain.


I had been spending the day with my daughter, who just insisted on riding along with me to my appointment. She likely wanted to see and hear for herself that I was (or was not, perhaps) healthy. So I conceded and she came along. Mind you, this was only the second time I had been to see this doctor. I could have been his mother, too. He was fresh out of medical school and you could tell. But that day, it was painfully obvious that he'd missed the course on bedside manner and patient communication.

He came into the room, talked to me, talked to my daughter, and went about his business. As the appointment went on, I began to notice that he spent far more time talking ABOUT me to my daughter, as if I wasn't even there. After about 20 minutes, I was exasperated. I looked him straight in the face, excused myself, and said

"I'm not dead yet, you know."

He got a startled look on his face, and chuckled, as if I was joking before walking out of the room. In the process of finding my current doctor, whom I love dearly, I went through about 5 or 6 who all did the same thing. I made it a pet project, of sorts, and took my daughter along just to prove a point: doctors tend to treat older people like children who can't understand them. We understand just fine. As a health advocate, I am advocating for better education on patient communication. We ARE the patients, after all.

Contributed by Mary Albert, a blogger for a senior lifestyle web site that provides advice for the 55+ age group as well as medical alert reviews

Medicaid Dilemma

This article www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/45169 is a blatant reminder that we all need to have our voices heard on healthcare reform. Home health care agencies not accepting Medicaid patients seems like discrimination to me. As close as this family appears, everyone needs respite and professional support in caring for a loved one.

What of elders who want to remain in their homes and qualify for Medicaid? What of those elders who have managed to live in senior communities with the help of their children until constant price increases made that impossible and now need to live with a family member in their mid-90s?

One of the chapter contributors for a gerontology text I am co-authoring had to step down from her obligation. As a leader in the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers this business owner and professional care manager is adding to the voices of healthcare reform. What are the challenges you are witnessing in your family, your community?

Simultaneous Financial Struggles

The recent release "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" illustrates behavior when financial struggles simultaneously befall two generations. A dependent mother whose real estate income is depleted in a challenging economy turns to her son when he is enmeshed in high-stakes brokering. Of course, Hollywood solved the challenge in the next half hour.

Hollywood's glamorous resoltutions differ from real-life scenarios that have temporary remedies affected by layoffs, healthcare coverage or lack of, housing alternatives, and divorce that halves emotional, physical, and financial support. I have been fortunate to know three physicians in the past 20 years who treat body, mind, and spirit sensing that physical concerns can stem from emotional concerns. Extended and daily caregiving can cause physical damage to caregivers. How many adult children share their physical concerns with an aging parent(s)...or financial challenges, if this has not been a subject between them until they come to an end of resources?


In her book, "You Mean I Have To Look At The Body?: Stories of Dying and Living", retired minister Marcia Cham confronts her own fear of death through her pastoral experiences. Her journey, colored by humor, respectful irreverence, and honesty, helps others open dialogue about end-of-life issues.

I am eager to hear about your caregiving journey whether you are in the throes or just beginning.

Perception and Reminiscence

Communicating with elders is a daily challenge whether it is advocating or having a conversation. Locating documents, making appointments, and reminiscing -- across the spectrum -- takes patience and provides opportunity for clarity and bonding. Just yesterday, when apologizing for pointing a finger as my mother, 95, has done all through life, my colleague said, "Don't apologize, that was not a mean finger."

Communicating with an elder long distance can present challenges of time, lapse of daily contact, hunger to be part of someone's life or unsettled anger. Some families have the means and support to present in their parents' lives.  Others might have financial challenges, distance by miles, business or extended family that requires balanced time.  I write to my mother, 97, faithfully in 20 point font. "Your letters are beautiful and so easy to read", she comments.  A letter can be read ad infinitum and shared with visitors that provides opportunity for reminiscence.   If you have not been able to be physically present, how have you contributed your virtual presence?