Boomeryearbook Archives - Dr. KarenTurnerPhD

Developing A New Hobby

Karen Turner — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 19:33:33 +0000

If you happen to have a lot of time on your hands and are tired of the same old routine (such as watching television, walking the dog, sitting around at home with a cup of coffee or some other thing), here are a couple of things you should consider as a new hobby. After all, you deserve something new and exciting…this is the prime of your life!

PHOTOGRAPHY. With the advent of the digital camera, photography has now become a popular hobby among the old and the young. This is because digital cameras have made picture taking fast, easy and cheap! Digital cameras have digital displays. These are called LCDs, and you get to see what you shoot, so you’ll know directly if you took a great picture or not! Digital is now the easiest and cheapest way to go, rather than using old cameras that needed film. So even if you’re still a budding photographer, you don’t have to worry about wasting any film when you take bad pictures, because you can always delete it and shoot again!

CREATIVE WRITING. Is an afternoon with coffee too common already? Then why not have a lovely time with a cup of coffee while dabbling in creative writing. Jotting down what you feel, think and want can be a great emotional outlet for you. You don’t have to be a poet or a novelist to do this, nor do you have to have a degree in creative writing or journalism. Just whip up a notebook (or your laptop) and start writing away. Don’t worry about the form, or about having nothing relevant to write about, just jot down whatever comes into your head. It might not make sense at first, but the idea is to let those creative juices flow freely. When you finally are at ease with writing, then you can start moving on to more complicated things like poems, novels, essays and stories.

VEGETABLE GARDENING. Gardening can be a fun and therapeutic way to spend time. Growing a vegetable garden is one of the easiest and best ways to get fresh organic vegetables. Talk about healthy! If you live in an apartment or don’t have space for a garden, you can always buy little pots and grow herbs near your kitchen sink (or anywhere you have sunlight). This is really great if you also love cooking.

These are just a couple of hobbies to start off with when if you find yourself tired with the routines of life. There is, however, more stuff to do! Visit boomeryearbook.com, connect with other boomers – Boomer Yearbook might become the best new pastime yet!

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Do Boomers need Viagara?

Karen Turner — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 19:23:02 +0000

Regardless of age, individuals should have the right to pursue a full high quality life of their own choosing. Yet oftentimes many aging boomers falsely believe that aging will not permit the indulgence of formerly loved practices. Sexuality is on the top of this list. In today’s world sex is mostly associated with beauty and youth and the sexual needs of the aging baby boomers generation and booming seniors can be easily ignored or even ridiculed. Additionally diseases such as heart problems, arthritis and the side effects of medication can greatly hamper the ability for male aging boomers to enjoy and pursue their sexuality. But it is the human instinct to think about sex and it is absolutely normal to be interested in sex during the aging boomer years and throughout the lifespan. The statistics from a meta analysis of numerous psychological articles on the topic depicts that 87% of men and 89% of women in a marital relationship within the age group of 60 to 64 are sexually active. The percentage declines above the ages of 65; still figures show that 29% of men and 25% of women are still sexually active at the age of 80.

Due to the physiological changes in the body, some male retirement boomers have to rely on supplemental enhancements in order to achieve maximum sexual pleasure. The most famous of these treatments is Viagra. Viagra is considered to be a relatively safe medication if properly administered and if the male limits alcohol consumption, and psychological articles have overwhelming informed us that it is effective in helping men with the elderly problem of erectile dysfunction. (i.e., ED)

However please listen up boomer men. Sex is not all about having intercourse! What many baby boomer women want males to understand is that intercourse is just part of the experience called sex; and there are many things boomers with elderly problems related to sex can try, without the help of Viagra, to keep a spark in a relationship. The following are some simple and simply wonderful tips that can really spice up the sexual experience.

1. There are at least 101 positions of intimacy, so try different positions.

2. Have sex at different times of the day will help prevent sex from becoming a boring routine. Many men enjoy having morning sex and many baby boomer women will be happy to comply; but don’t limit sexual activity to any one constant time of day.

3. Spending time on foreplay can give maximum stimulation; foreplay will take you to new heights of ecstasy.

4. Overall a healthy life style and diet is the key to enjoying a full life. Regular exercise and adding plenty of liquids to your daily routine will do the trick. Limiting alcohol consumption and not smoking cigarettes is highly recommended.

5. Be thoughtful out of the bedroom. By paying attention to your partner, your partner will want to reciprocate.

The majority of psychological articles conclude that a combination of Viagra and a healthy lifestyle can help you overcome many cases of erectile dysfunction due to elderly problems many, if not most, retirement boomers face as a result of ageing and illness.

We at Boomer Yearbook believe that boomers are going to continue to figure out ways to keep ourselves sexually fulfilled. We’d love to hear what you think.

Boomer Yearbook, a free social networking site for the baby boomers or those concerned with the elderly problems of the baby boomers generation, is based on the vision that the baby boomers want to connect and reconnect, but in our own way and on our own terms.

As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Karen Turner provides free psychological articles on baby boomer relevant topics such as dream analysis, coaching, self-help, baby boomer relevant forums, online Optical Illusions and brain teasers to ward off senior moments, depression, and dementias, the latest news on baby boomers cosmetic enhancements and weekly updates on the baby boomers generation mental and medical wellness.

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Does your family practice a specific gift giving tradition?

Karen Turner — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 19:09:19 +0000

Grab bag? Secret Santa? Dirty Santa? Any one of these are great ways to give gifts during the holidays, especially if you have a large family. For those of you who may have never heard of these traditions, let me explain each of them.

Grab bag: This is pretty simple. A name is put on a small piece of paper, and put into a hat or bowl. Each person in the family picks a name and that is the person they buy a gift for. With a grab bag, there is usually a price limit set so that it makes it more fair. The best time to do the name distributing is perhaps at Thanksgiving when the same members are most likely to be together that will be together for Christmas, plus it gives a month for them to buy the gift. It is ok to know who picked your name, then you can give that person some gift ideas you may like.

Secret Santa: Pretty much the same as a grab bag, except that who is buying your gift, is kept a secret. This is fun, because after getting the gift, you might be very surprised how well the person does or does not know you, based on the gift they bought.

Dirty Santa: This has to be my favorite of all time. Everyone brings a wrapped gift (again this usually has a maximum price limit set) . The gifts are placed on a table, and each person takes a number from a hat or bowl. The person that has number one picks a gift from the table, however when the person with number 2 picks a gift, they can take from the table, or “steal” the gift from #1. Then the first person has to take another from the pile of gifts. You continue to do this to the last person and the last gift is taken. Its fun, to see what gift you would have had, if someone wasn’t “dirty” and taken the gift from you.

What traditions do you have when it’s time to give gifts? What is your favorite? Why not share them over at Boomer Yearbook, and hey who knows, maybe someone will find a new and exciting tradition to try with their family and friends.

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Do You Bake Lots of Goodies for the Holidays?

Karen Turner — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 19:00:50 +0000

Personally, I am not one who bakes at anytime of the year. However, I have many very talented friends that bake all the time, especially at the holidays. Therefore, I get to enjoy this great holiday tradition, either through helping them bake, or through eating the goodies…my favorite part.

Baking is a great activity that the whole family can enjoy, from Grandpa to the youngest Grandchild.

Picture this:

Grandpa carries in all the bags from the car, which hold all the ingredients you will need.

Grandma gets all the measuring situated that will be needed for each treat.

Mom gathers the bowls, spoons, and other “accessories”.

The children help to mix each item together to begin the magic.

Dad carefully places the scoops of treats onto the cookie sheet.

Grandma then places them into the oven.

The children anxiously watch the miracle of these various ingredients turning into yummy morsels of goodness.

Grandpa removes them from the oven when they are done.

Mom carefully removes them once they are cooled and places a few on each persons plate.

Dad pours everyone a glass of milk.

Finally, the real fun begins and the entire family sits down to watch holiday movies on the television as they enjoy the yummy treats that they all helped to make.

What a great plan! Want to chime in? Have your own Holiday experiences to share?

Continue your trip down memory at Boomer Yearbook.

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Dream Interpretation: Using Title or One Line Summary

Karen Turner — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 18:39:31 +0000

Even though no exact formulas for interpreting a dream, many psychological articles affirm common “universal or archetypal” dream symbolism. However, as we’ve stated before,

http://boomeryearbook.com/blog/2009/01/13/how-unique-dreams-and-their-symbolism-can-be/
general guidelines about dream symbolism can never adequately reflect any one person’s individualistic significance represented by a dream figure. For instance, while psychological articles may give a generic interpretation to seeing a black cat in a dream as a symbolic omen of bad luck, it would be absolutely incorrect to make that a universal archetype for “all” dreams. Additionally, while it would be incorrect to collectively interpret that anyone who dreams about a black cat has had some type of bad luck in their past or will have in their future, if the black cat in the particular dream was in some way foreboding or scary, what you can interpret, but with caution and not certainty, is that it is possible the person dreaming about a black cat may be experiencing anxiety or worrying that a particular situation may be doomed for a bad outcome. This would be an even more reasonable interpretation if the dreamer proclaimed to “being superstitious” and fearing black cats, as in this individual’s case, the archetype might indeed “fit” and be meaningful symbolism for the dreamer.

Psychological articles, such as the ones cited in previous Boomer Yearbook dream articles, suggest a few methods to aid in interpreting your own dreams, and report a higher incidence of psychological self awareness in persons who are able to unravel their dream imagery and its significance. For instance, in one psychological article on dream interpretation, Jane Teresa Anderson suggests that you can start by summarizing your dream in just one sentence, or as the famous dream researcher, Galye Delaney suggests, give your dream a one line title. Both authors recommend this one line dream summary as an excellent step in understanding your own dreams; explaining that even if your dream was long and complicated, try summarizing the part that you remember the most, or the most vivid visceral “feeling” you were experiencing in your dream as an aid in finding meaning and interpreting your dream.

After summarizing your dream in a one line sentence or title, psychological articles suggest the next step is to ask yourself how that sentence applies to your waking life. You may find that your dream title, “I had an extreme fear of a black cat crossing my path and bringing bad luck” is representative of your fear of something bad interfering with your relationship and causing a break-up. You may then realize that a relationship rupture or break up has been on your mind and your dream is painting you a vivid picture, in the form of the black cat, as a way for your subconscious to communicate with your conscious mind to alert you to your anxiety. Once you interpret your mind’s “alert signal” as presented in your dream, you are in a much better position to understand how you truly feel about the waking life situation and how you want to deal with it.

The more you practice this technique, the better you will become at utilizing it. Remember it is just one possible technique, but it may be the one that works for you!

At Boomer Yearbook we recommend you keep a dream journal, and record your dreams, or whatever fragments of your dreams that you remember, as soon as you awaken. You will find that with just a little practice, usually a few nights or one week’s time, that you will have better dream recall and greatly improved subjective psychological understanding of your dreams and their significance to your waking life.

Boomer Yearbook is a Psychological-Informational Social Network Website for Baby Boomers, Echo Boomers and Booming Seniors. Connect with old and new friends, or expand your mind and ward off senior moments and elderly problems with dream analysis and online optical illusions and brain games provided by clinical psychologist Dr. Karen Turner. Join now to discover the many ways this website for boomers can contribute to optimal physical and emotional wellness.

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Drastic Increase In HIV/AIDS Among Baby Boomer Population

Karen Turner — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 18:20:37 +0000

It’s hard to believe, but sadly it is true. There is a growing number of cases where Baby Boomers are contracting this life-altering disease. According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2005 persons age 50 and older accounted for 15% of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. What many do not know is that sexual activity among seniors has increased over the years, especially with the introduction of Viagra.

A study from the University of Chicago found that “60 percent of men and 37 percent of women 50 years old and above report engaging in sexual intercourse a few times per month.” The problem with that is many do not use any form of protection because they feel that are past the age of worrying about pregnancy. Many times it is hard to even detect the disease due to the fact that many symptoms are similar to associated with common ailments that affect everyone.

In addition to contraction through intercourse, there has been a rise in HIV transmission through injection drug use. The CDC reports HIV transmission through injection drug use accounts for 16% of AIDS cases among those age 50 and older. Hard economic times and lack of marketable skills play their part in contributing to a large number of Baby Boomers being homeless with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Many, therefore, are on the streets or in shelters. When race is taken into consideration, the numbers are even more staggering. The CDC states that the rates of HIV/AIDS among persons 50 and older were 12 times as high among blacks and 5 times as high among Hispanics compared with whites.

To add to this problem, many Boomers find it accept this fact that they have contracted HIV/AIDS. Then come the issues of how do they tell their families and friends? How long will they have to live? Many questions run through their heads and force them to hide the truth from those they love. Simply coping with this secret alone can make them sick and depressed.

It is important that this age group be educated just as much as younger age groups. There are many that do not have knowledge about the risk factors of unprotected sex, the disease itself, and the fact that there is hope. Many healthcare professionals do not discuss these facts with their patients because they are under the impression like most, older persons are not as sexually active and therefore they do not need to discuss that. Likewise misdiagnosis is prevalent because the symptoms resemble those of ageing and therefore the disease is detected at a later stage than with younger patients.

There are many routes that can be taken to inform Baby Boomers about protecting themselves and the possible signs of infection. First, this age group should be targeted with ads and other materials that give them accurate information and encourage them to get tested. There also classes and trainings in nursing homes that inform and not condemn, creating an environment where they feel safe.

It is important for family members to be supportive during this time of uncertainty and fear. Their compassion and care can be the difference between life and death. It is, also, important to realize the effect everyone’s attitude has on the situation. Choose to be positive. Know that this is not necessarily the end. There is hope! Do not give up or give in, instead fight! You are not alone and there are many communities out there that offer strong support for the infected person and family members. Take heart.

This alert was brought to you by BoomerYearbook.com. Come visit and share your thoughts with us.

www.boomeryearbook.com is a social networking site connecting the Baby Boomer generation. Share your thoughts, rediscover old friends, or expand your mind with brain games provided by clinical psychologist, Dr. Karen Turner. Join today to discover the many ways we are helping Boomers connect for fun and profit.

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Dreaming of Celebrities

Karen Turner — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 17:48:46 +0000

Some of us have gone to bed on what seemed like a totally normal night only to dream about someone famous that we don’t even know in waking life. That’s crazy, right? Why would you dream about a celebrity when you know nothing about their lifestyle or true nature? Well, it happens and it happens more often than you might think.

There are several reasons a celebrity might appear in your dreams. Sometimes the person is there to symbolize what you wish you were, want to become, or a lifestyle you would like to attain; (i.e. called a wish fulfillment dream in psychological articles). Many people wish and day dream about being famous or about knowing someone famous. Psychological articles and research suggest we frequently take this desirous wish one step further and have it fulfilled in our nighttime reveries.

Alternately, psychological articles have informed us that the famous person may be there to represent a certain hidden part of your psyche, what the famous psychologist Jung would call the “shadow” aspect of your personality. The conscious mind finds the “shadow” parts unacceptable and thus they seek outlet in the subconscious recesses of your dream imagery. For instance, you might dream about partying with someone that has been in the media a lot lately for too much party behavior; thus having the celebrity represent a shadow component. On the other hand, you might also dream about becoming best friends with a celebrity that you idolize or have always wanted to meet. This type of dream might be simple “wish fulfillment”; your dream is satisfying your desire to either become or befriend someone of celebrity status.

Another psychological theory about celebrity dreams is that a person who dreams about a celebrity is expecting a big turning point in their waking life. Psychological articles, tell us that in this type of dream the celebrity symbolizes the excitement and eagerness of it all. It could be a new relationship or a big move, a new job even–anything that is a major change for the future of the dreamer.

Lastly, a celebrity could represent some “real” person in your waking life; not necessarily even a high A list superstar. The “celebrity character” may in fact be left over “day residue” from a random actor or actress you saw on a television show, and subconsciously reminded you of someone with whom you really do interact. In this case, the psychological articles suggest that the characteristics of the role “the celebrity” plays represents some aspect of your real life acquaintance.

It may seem strange to wake up and remember that the person in your dream was not really the person it was supposed to be. Yet, next time you dream about a famous person, we at Boomer Yearbook want you to know that it is not such a strange thing at all.

Boomer Yearbook is a Psychological-Informational Social Network Website for Baby Boomers, Echo Boomers and Booming Seniors. Connect with old and new friends, or expand your mind and ward off senior moments and elderly problems with dream analysis and online optical illusions and brain games provided by clinical psychologist Dr. Karen Turner. Join now to discover the many ways this website for baby boomers can contribute to optimal physical and emotional wellness.

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Driving: An Aging Baby Boomers Alert

Karen Turner — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 17:30:50 +0000

Remember a time when most of us couldn’t wait to be old enough to drive? Well today, due to increases in the life expectancy of our aging population, there are more elderly drivers on the road than ever before and psychological articles and research experts speculate whether there comes a time when one becomes too old to drive. In fact, this has become a series elderly problem

As psychological articles and research has proven, our population is aging; the average life expectancy of a citizen has reached a record high of 77.6 years, and in the year 2009 some of the baby boomers generation will have reached the age of 65. As the baby boomers generation reach their golden years and in light of the statistics for elderly car accidents, we at Boomer Yearbook, the website for baby boomers attempt to assist people in trying to understand the problems of elderly driving in an aging baby boomers generation.

According to the American Association of Retired Persons, (AARP) everyone ages differently, and growing old does not always mean that a person is going to become a safety hazard on the road. However, because of declining age related physical abilities and elderly problems the aging baby boomers generation must recognize that our driving can become a safety risk to ourselves and others. Here are some reasons why:

Weakening eyesight:
Typically vision declines with age which can seriously affect the aging baby boomers ability to judge the speed of oncoming traffic. Additionally night vision can be a serious elderly problem as our aging boomers eyes lose the ability to process light. By the age of 60, psychological articles and research reveal that we need three times the amount of light to drive safely after nightfall than we did when we were in our 20s. Worsening the situation is that psychological articles have also reported that the aging baby boomers eyes become increasingly sensitive to bright light and glare which diminishes the aging boomer from being able to clearly read signs and road markings. If this is an elderly problem that you as an aging baby boomer face, we strongly encourage you to avoid driving at night and to get regular eye check-ups.

Hearing loss

According to psychological article experts, 30% of drivers over the age of 65 are hearing impaired. Hearing is more important to driving than we realize as it can help warn a driver against danger signals such as sirens, horns, screeching tires or the bell of a child’s bicycle. A hearing test can determine any hearing problems that might exist. We urge all baby boomers to get a baseline hearing test at age 60 and to have yearly checkups afterwards.

Medication

As the baby boomers generation ages they will often need to take medications. Many medications can cause drowsiness and impair reaction times, increasing the risk of hazardous driving. A doctor should be consulted on whether it is safe to drive when taking the prescribed medication.

Flexibility

Oftentimes flexibility decreases with age, adding to the elderly problem of increasing driver reaction time. A full range of motions are required on the road which might be difficult for those of the baby boomers generation suffering from the chronic elderly problems of rheumatoid arthritis, and Parkinson’s disease.

Exhaustion

Aging can bring with it lack of sleep and daytime drowsiness which is particularly common amongst the elderly problems aging boomers face. Falling asleep at the wheel or sheer exhaustion leading to loss of attention to driving signals is a major concern. We urge baby boomers to be aware of signs of exhaustion while driving and the baby boomers generation is advised to pull off the road to a safe, convenient place at the first signs of drowsiness or fatigue.

Dementia and brain impairment

Dementia or brain impairment can make driving very dangerous. It can lead to extremely delayed reaction times and confusion, and decreased tolerance to stressful driving conditions. If mental illness is one of the problems the aging boomer is facing, it is a lot safer to let someone else do the driving.
If you are concerned about an aging boomer’s driving, closely monitor their driving and if need be, encourage them to take a refresher course on driving or on giving up their license altogether. We at Boomer Yearbook are concerned with everyone’s safety and attempt to help you understand how elderly problems of the baby boomers generation can negatively impact our ability to drive safely and pose a risk to ourselves and others.

That’s our opinion at Boomer Yearbook. What do you think?

Boomer Yearbook, a free social networking site for the baby boomers or those concerned with the elderly problems of the baby boomers generation, is based on the vision that the baby boomers want to connect and reconnect, but in our own way and on our own terms.

As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Karen Turner provides free psychological articles on baby boomer relevant topics such as dream analysis, coaching, self-help, baby boomer relevant forums, online optical illusions and brain teasers to help ward off senior moments, Alzheimer’s and dementia, the latest news on baby boomers cosmetic enhancements and weekly updates on the baby boomers generation mental and medical wellness.

Join now to discover the numerous ways in which this online baby boomer social networking website can contribute to optimal physical and emotional wellness. The baby boomers generation changed the world. Now we are reconnecting for fun and profit.

The post Driving: An Aging Baby Boomers Alert appeared first on Dr. KarenTurnerPhD.

Elderly Abuse and Neglect: Boomers Alert

Karen Turner — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 16:56:48 +0000

Psychological articles reviewed by Boomer Yearbook inform us that as one’s quality of life increases, so does one’s life expectancy. Our population is aging rapidly and by the year 2030, the elderly population will be twice its present number. A fair amount of this growth is due to the fact that the baby boomers generation is aging, and 61 million of us will be between 64 and 86 years old by the year 2030! With the increase in the aging boomer population it is no surprise that reports of elderly problems such as abuse and neglect, have become far more prevalent, and are an incoming risk to the large aging baby boomer generation.

Types:

While there is a wide scope of issues under the umbrella term of abuse, the main categories can be summarized as follows:

Physical abuse: consists of all acts of physical violence i.e. acts carried out with the intention to inflict physical pain or injury. This includes assault, confinement, and administration of an improper type or amount of drugs.

Psychological/emotional abuse: consists of any verbal aggression that causes emotional distress. Most common are insults, humiliating comments, and threats-in elderly cases, especially those of institutionalization or abandonment.

Neglect– one of the most common of the elderly problems, consists of the failure of the caretaker to meet the needs of the elderly dependant; whether intentional or otherwise.

Financial exploitation– consists of the embezzlement of money or property. This includes the use of credit cards without consent, theft of pension checks, and the forceful changing of legal documents.

Detection:

One of the basic needs for the prevention of the abusive type of elderly problems is the ability to detect them. However, it is not easy to detect as it is usually confused with other conditions such as dementia or frailty and can be a combination of international abuse along with some natural causality.

Signs of physical abuse: usually bruises, abrasions, sprains and in severe cases fractures and burns. Also, medication taken at irregular time intervals should be carefully assessed to see if it is a symptom of an abusive situation.

Signs of psychological abuse: talking to oneself, wetting oneself, rocking, pulling or picking at one’s hair or face.

Signs of neglect– poor hygiene, soiled clothing, malnutrition or dehydration.

Signs of financial exploitation: sudden change of wills or legal documents, significant withdrawal from accounts etc.

Causes of the elderly problem of abuse

Although many caretakers have the best intentions for the care of an elderly dependant, the additional burden, stress and other factors may cause the elderly problems of abuse and neglect to arise. Similarly, the employees of health care institutions might be over worked and exhausted. The anxiety of elderly care is a significant contributor to the stemming of the elderly problems of abuse and neglect and leads to exhaustion, irritability, impatience, and the failure to resist from doing harm.

Care takers who are more susceptible to the mental and physical health problems that elderly care entails usually have anxiety, depression, substance abuse problems, and are in a bad financial situation. Likewise, certain elderly persons are more likely to be abused. These include individuals who are already timid, have dementias or the like, and have a prior history of domestic violence.

Educate yourself:

Abuse and neglect are amongst the elderly problems that the baby boomers generation should face head on as prevention is vital to the well being of the global baby boomers generation. A pro-active strategy entails education regarding the symptoms of abuse and encouraging the abused elderly to come forward and let others know what is happening. Additionally, seniors should be encouraged to develop a social network either in their neighborhoods or through an online network such as ones provided by Boomer Yearbook’s website for baby boomers.

As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Karen Turner provides free psychological articles on baby boomer relevant topics such as dream analysis, coaching, self-help, baby boomer relevant forums, the latest news on baby boomers cosmetic enhancements and weekly updates on the baby boomers generation mental and medical wellness.

Join now to discover the numerous ways in which this website for baby boomers can contribute to optimal physical and emotional wellness. The baby boomers generation changed the world. We’re not done yet!

The post Elderly Abuse and Neglect: Boomers Alert appeared first on Dr. KarenTurnerPhD.

Elderly Problems: Detecting a Stroke

Karen Turner — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 16:11:26 +0000

In a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, it was found that though the elderly are most likely to suffer a stroke, they most often fail to correctly recognize the symptoms.

The same health problems that are responsible for a heart attack are also responsible for a stroke, and elderly people are more susceptible because of the elderly problems of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arteriosclerosis and diabetes.
One of the major conditions that increase the risk of a stroke is Arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Arteriosclerosis can narrow or block the carotid arteries, which are large arteries in the neck, and cause a stroke. Elderly problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes, cause arteriosclerosis of the small blood vessels inside the brain, thus escalating the risk of a stroke. However, psychological articles on elderly problems have also said that there are cases of persons who experience a stroke for no identifiable reason.
Basically a stroke occurs when an area of the brain is deprived of its blood supply; either due to a blockage or a burst blood vessel. If deprived of oxygen long enough, vital brain tissue can die, and it is essential to take immediate action. Detecting the symptoms of stroke is therefore critical, and although at times some strokes seem almost asymptomatic, (without symptoms) being able to identify stroke symptoms, as with most health related elderly problems, can help save your life!

Stroke is a major concern for anyone dealing with elderly problems. Understanding the early symptoms of the onset of a stroke can help to prevent loss of life. At Boomer Yearbook, the website for baby boomers, we are trying to assist people in understanding problems faced by our generation in the hope that it may help them better understand our aging bodies and needs.

Amongst the manifested symptoms of a stroke is paralysis or loss in sensation in one side of the body, such as the arm or leg. Loss in verbal lucidity, slurred or nonsensical speech is also a symptom. Some people are unable to swallow, have unexplained memory loss and double vision. Drooping on one side of the face is known to occur as is unexplained memory loss, severe headache and sudden mental confusion.

Although some disabilities caused by strokes are irreversible a new treatment, called thrombolysis, can reduce disability from stroke. However, it must be given within three hours of the onset of symptoms, so time is of the essence. Other common elderly problems related to medical conditions such as high blood sugar, dehydration, and hazardously elevated blood pressure may also require immediate attention. Even if the damage done by the stroke is not recoverable, it is very important to understand the cause of the stroke so future incidences can be prevented. Psychological articles and studies have shown that the sooner patients receive physical therapy and rehabilitation, the better the chances of recovery.
If a person has already suffered a stroke, more strokes can be prevented only if the cause of the previous stroke is understood. There are many treatments and preventive measures available depending upon the nature of the stroke. If it was the blockage of the carotid arteries that caused the stroke, surgery can help increase blood flow through the veins. Blood thinning medicines (anticoagulants) can help if the blockage is less severe or if blood clots have formed that might break off and travel to the brain. If high blood pressure is the cause, which tops the list of elderly problems related to health, than it should be kept in control. Also, alcoholic beverages are hazardous to those who have already suffered a stroke and should be avoided.
Strokes can be successfully treated and can also be prevented. Following a healthy diet, monitoring your blood pressure, getting regular exercise, controlling alcohol intake, and not smoking, can dramatically decrease the chances of suffering a stroke.

We at BoomerYearbook are committed to the health and quality of life of the baby boomers generation and hope you will check in for weekly newsfeeds and updates.

As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Karen Turner provides free psychological articles on baby boomer relevant topics such as dream analysis, coaching, self-help, topical boomer forums, the latest news on the baby boomers cosmetic enhancements, and weekly updates on the baby boomers generations mental and medical wellness.

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