The science of happiness
• With these five small yet powerful steps the author of “New Happy “suggests you’ll experience more happiness each and every day.
• Share your feelings with others you trust. Research shows it’s better than keeping feelings to yourself.
• Focus on the next step more than the end goal. Remind yourself that you don’t have to achieve your objective today. Start small. Set a timer and pick something that moves you towards your goal.
• Perform an act of kindness. Helping others is one of the most reliable and powerful ways to feel better.
• Ask for help when you need it – we wildly underestimate how much people want to help us. Instead of believing you are giving up, or failing, asking for help means you’re committed to persevering, improving and growing.
• Notice the good that’s around you. It’s so easy to focus on what we don’t have and all the ways we don’t feel good enough. Studies have shown that the more you refocus on what you have, the more content you will be.
Source: CNBC
Drug use among seniors
Overall, seniors take more drugs than younger Canadians because they have a higher number of chronic conditions and account for an estimated 40% of all medication spending. According to one report, 2/3 of older adults were prescribed 5 or more different drug classes. More than ¼ were prescribed 10 or more drug classes and 8.4 % were prescribed 15 or more drug classes. Opioids are the eight most commonly prescribed. Almost 20% of seniors were given pain meds.
Substance abuse impacts the senior population across Canada in different ways. The older a person gets, the more difficult it is for their body to metabolize alcohol or drugs. The result is the individual becomes impaired more quickly and is less able to tell how intoxicated they are. This increases the risk of falling, vehicle accidents and negative health consequences. Alcohol abuse can also cause high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, osteoporosis, diabetes, poor liver function, memory loss and mood disorders. When families notice changes and medical problems they should take steps with a doctor to discuss intervention.
Source: DRS
ASA for prevention?
The advice has changed on who should take ASA on a daily basis (acetylsalicylic acid) and who shouldn’t. Here are the facts according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation recommendations.
For those people who have not had a stroke or been diagnosed with heart or vascular disease, taking ASA daily for prevention is not recommended.
For those people who have been diagnosed with one of the above conditions, a daily dose of ASA as it has been prescribed by your doctor is still recommended.
Of note: Some people might be considered at very high risk or have some blockage in their arteries but not show any symptoms. Ask your doctor if this applies to you and if you should take daily ASA.
In Canada, Heart and Stroke still recommends if someone is experiences the signs of a heart attack you should call 9-1-1 ask them to lie down and take ASA. Asa can help by stopping the blood clot that is causing the heart attack from getting any bigger. This advice hasn’t changed.
Source: Heartandstroke.ca
