Managing Stress During the Pandemic

We’ve all experienced stress to some degree during the pandemic. Whether you’re an essential worker who’s had to work during COVID-19, or you had to stay home for weeks on end as you Shelter in Place, both scenarios add stress to our lives. Stress reduces our immune system’s ability to fight infection, so it’s doubly important to manage our stress during an infectious disease outbreak.

Stress Triggers the Sympathetic Nervous System

 The Sympathetic Nervous System makes up part of our Autonomic Nervous System, also known as the Involuntary Nervous System; it directs the body's involuntary response to dangerous or stressful situations. When we experience a stressor, whether it be a real danger such as a car accident, or one of life’s many stresses like having an important project’s deadline looming, our Sympathetic Nervous System will send a flash flood of hormones to boost the body's alertness and heart rate, sending extra blood to the muscles and vital organs.

Unfortunately, the Sympathetic Nervous System doesn't also destress the body once the danger has passed. Another component of the Autonomic Nervous System, the Parasympathetic Nervous System, works to calm the body down. Blood pressure, breathing rate and hormone flow will return to normal once the body senses the danger has passed as we move from ‘Fight or Flight’ to ‘Rest and Digest’.

Chronic Stress Creates Health Issues

The world we live in today puts constant stress on most of us which causes our bodies to produce Adrenaline and Cortisol.  Adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases glucose in the bloodstream; it also curbs functions that would be nonessential or detrimental in a fight-or-flight situation. It alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes and effects our motivation, mood and fear.

Chronic stress leads to overexposure to Cortisol and other stress hormones that follows can disrupt almost all your body's processes. This puts you at increased risk of many health problems, including:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Digestive problems
• Headaches
• Heart disease
• Sleep problems
• Weight gain
• Memory and concentration impairment

Next Blog Post: Learn Healthy Ways to Cope with Life Stressors

Isolation and Loneliness are Affecting Canadian Seniors’ Health: Home Care Can Battle Loneliness

Ministry of Loneliness

It is a sad reflection of the reality the majority of seniors in our community today that The UK has appointed a ‘Ministry of Loneliness’, but we are pleased to see the open recognition of the issue and at least the UK is taking action to solve the problem. We will be watching the UK’s progress closely and strongly encouraging our federal and provincial governments to replicate their successes. 

Health Impacts of Isolation and Loneliness

Social isolation and loneliness are major social, health and quality of life issues for older people. We all know that our population is ageing and that the number of Canadians over 65 will double over the next 25 years. What we do not hear about as often is how many older people are isolated and lonely. In Canada, over a million seniors report they are lonely and do not participate frequently in any social activity. Social isolation can lead to a wide range of health and emotional problems that can eventually land a senior in the local Emergency Room. 
There is a substantial amount of evidence that describes the relationship between social isolation and decreased health. Social isolation affects the psychological and cognitive health of seniors; it’s associated with higher levels of depression and suicide. Loneliness leads to, decreased physical and mental health, elevated blood pressure, a morning rise in cortisol levels, decreased physical activity, decreases in life satisfaction across a lifetime and a shorter life span. Lonely individuals tend to view their social world as a threatening and punitive place. 

Social isolation and loneliness may represent a greater public health hazard than obesity, and their impact has been growing and will continue to grow, according to the American Psychological Association. New research by Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University, found that social isolation contributes as strongly to mortality as does smoking 15 cigarettes a day!

Lonely in a Crowd

People can be isolated or feel lonely even in large apartment complexes or retirement communities. Many people report feelings of being lonely in a crowd, that even though they are surrounded by people, they still feel lonely.

Social isolation is considered a risk factor for elder abuse. Many residents in residential care facilities are lonely too. Statistics have shown that isolated residents are more likely to become victims of abuse in long term care homes. As many as 44% of seniors living in residential care in Canada have been diagnosed with depression or show symptoms of depression without a diagnosis.

Know the Risk Factors

There are a variety of risk factors that increase the possibility of seniors becoming socially isolated, including:

• living alone;
• being 80 or older;
• having compromised health status, possibly multiple chronic health problems;
• having no children or infrequent contact with family;
• lacking access to transportation;
• living with low income; and,
• changing family structures, younger people migrating for work and leaving seniors behind.

Critical life transitions such as retirement, death of a spouse, or losing a driver’s license further increase the risk of becoming socially isolated.

Seniors also report that when their friends learn of a dementia diagnosis, their circle of friends shrinks leading to increased isolation and less support.

There IS Good News

Studies have shown that when seniors are happy and fulfilled, they are less likely to succumb to cognitive decline. Socially isolated seniors are more at risk of negative health behaviours whereas a senior’s social network can positively influence good health behaviours such as successful smoking cessation or remaining active.

To relieve feelings of isolation and loneliness, many seniors rely on visits from Shylo Home Healthcare, a local Vancouver company that has been serving seniors since 1980. The visits provide seniors with welcome breaks and outings. Whether it’s an escorted ride to a medical appointment or home after Day Surgery, running weekly errands like shopping, or a walk at the beach with your dog: Rides By Shylo is available to help seniors get out and stay active in their community.

Shylo is the original Home Care company on The North Shore, and one of the two longest running companies in the Vancouver Lower Mainland. We have developed relationships with other reputable healthcare professionals to support seniors to live safely and comfortably in their homes. Shylo and our partners can provide ongoing comprehensive home-based care including Medical Equipment (including home elevators), Physiotherapy, Kinesiology, Massage Therapy, Audiologists (Hearing Aide Care), Foot Care Nurses, mobile Hair Dressers and even mobile Dental Care - all from the comfort of your home!

Shylo and our partners work closely with hospitals and other health care providers to foster client-centred continuity of care, hence reducing readmissions, hospitalisations, and long-term care admissions while preserving independence at home.

Shylo also offers a Stay in Touch service where Geriatric Nurse Specialists make phone calls to seniors; we can call daily, or two or three times a week, whatever the client prefers. “We get as much out of the calls as the clients do. We are working to bring loneliness out of the closet in our community and we are honoured to support the older adults who built this community.” A decrease in contributions by seniors is a significant loss to communities and society at large.

Under $3,500/year for Personalised Home Care 

85% of Canadians over 55 years old want to remain in their present home for as long as possible. Recent ads on Vancouver television have the unions stating that 9 out of 10 facilities in BC are understaffed (according to HEU) and it’s difficult for the Residential Care Aides to get bathe their residents even once a week.

Do you have a loved one that needs companionship or a little extra help around the house? Call Shylo today and see how our professional and personalised senior companionship can help your loved ones. 

We can provide your loved-one with a weekly visit from a Caregiver with a vehicle for less than $3,500 per year. One of Shylo’s well-trained Home Support Workers will come to the client’s home and spend a full two hours with them each week. During this time the client can get out in our vehicle to run an errand, or just go to the beach, then when they return home we will clean the kitchen and prepare a meal. 

Resources:

The Campaign to End Loneliness, launched in 2011 in the UK, is a network of over 600 national, regional and local organisations, and people working together through community action, good practice, research and policy to create the right conditions to reduce loneliness in later life.

Older Canadians find “navigating the system” challenging. Seniors.gc.ca is a central resource for seniors, their families, caregivers and supporting service organisations.

The Alzheimer Societies of Canada delivers the First Link program which is an early intervention service designed to connect individuals and families affected by Alzheimer's disease or another dementia with services and support as soon as possible after diagnosis. Formal referral from physicians and health professionals allows for proactive contact with individuals and families. First Link ensures that Canadian individuals and families are connected early for support throughout their dementia journey.

The Canadian Mental Health Association leads the Volunteers in Partnership Program, a one on-one program matching volunteers with adults with mental illness, helps them pursue social and leisure goals. This national model could be applied and adapted to seniors. Phone: 604-872-4902 ext 290

Personalized Dementia Solutions offers expertise in providing creative solutions to help managing anxieties and other behaviours that are common for those affected by dementia in all stages. Contact Dementia Expert Karen Tyrell, CDP, CPCA at 1-888-502-1321 

Excerpts from:


http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2017/08/lonely-die.aspxhttp://helpagecanada.ca/where-we-work/canada/
https://www.canada.ca/en/national-seniors-council/programs/publications-reports/2014/social-isolation-seniors/page05.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2752489/
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (2008). Impacts of the Aging of the Canadian Population on Housing and Communities: Research Highlight. Socio-Economic Series. (September 2014)

Holiday Dinner for Clients

Simple Turkey Recipe

For those of you who are not skilled chefs but would still like to prepare a delicious Holiday Meal for your clients, here is a SIMPLE recipe for a turkey that is perfectly browned on the outside while being both tender and juicy on the inside.

Prep Time: 15 m    Cook Time: 3 ½ Hours    Ready To Serve In: 4 ¼ Hours

Ingredients:

1 (12 pound) whole turkey; 3/4 cup olive oil; 2 tablespoons garlic powder; 2 teaspoons dried basil; 1 teaspoon ground sage; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 cups water.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Clean turkey (discard giblets and organs), and place in a roasting pan with a lid.

2. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic powder, dried basil, ground sage, salt, and black pepper. Using a basting brush, apply the mixture to the outside of the uncooked turkey. Pour water into the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover.

3. Bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh measures 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove bird from oven, and allow to stand for about 30 minutes before carving.

Whether you prepare a smaller Turkey Dinner for two or three people, or you prepare a whole Turkey, be proud of yourselves for making the effort to help your clients celebrate the holiday season by enjoying a traditional meal. You can help your client by planning a special meal once a week, so they can invite guests and enjoy the meal together.

Sharing meal times with family and friends can provide structure to the day and increase the enjoyment of food. Whether your client has dementia, a mental health illness, or is simply experiences loneliness at times, meals are a great time to invite friends and family over and increase  social connections. Good nutrition and hydration and enjoyable mealtimes can dramatically improve the health and well-being of older people. There are many psychological, social and biological benefits of eating meals with other people, and can evoke deep feelings of contentment and security. Regular mealtimes are good biologically; the act of talking and listening slows down the eating process. 

Studies also show the positive effect of mealtime interpersonal behaviours on the food intake of older clients. If your client doesn’t have friends or family living in the same city, you can help them think of new friends to invite. Perhaps two or three other seniors in their neighbourhood who are probably also eating alone tonight. Other seniors who also attend the local Seniors Centre at the Community Centre; members of the local library, or just folks you recognise from your walks on the SeaWall. Humans are social beings, and it is our responsibility to care for the entire client which means considering their physical, emotional, intellectual, occupational, environmental, spiritual, and social wellness. 

Enjoying a traditional holiday meal with friends or family will help to meet and strengthen all of these dimensions of our client’s overall health.