Useful Information Archives - Information Centre for Seniors

Chronic Neck and Back Pain

By Gnancy J on Thursday, February 16, 2023

Chronic neck and back pain is a common condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including poor posture, injuries, degenerative conditions, and other medical conditions. The pain can range from mild to severe and can greatly impact a person’s quality of life. In this blog post, we will explore the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for chronic neck and back pain.

Causes:

Chronic neck and back pain can be caused by a variety of factors. One of the most common causes is poor posture, which puts a strain on the muscles and ligaments of the neck and back. Injuries, such as whiplash or a herniated disc, can also lead to chronic pain. Degenerative conditions, such as osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis, can also cause chronic neck and back pain. Other medical conditions, such as fibromyalgia and autoimmune disorders, can also contribute to chronic pain.

Symptoms:

The symptoms of chronic neck and back pain can vary depending on the cause of the pain. Common symptoms include a dull ache or sharp pain in the neck or back, stiffness, and limited mobility. In some cases, the pain can radiate down the arms or legs, causing numbness or tingling. Chronic pain can also lead to fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and depression.

Treatment:

There are many treatment options available for chronic neck and back pain. Depending on the cause and severity of the pain, treatments may include physical therapy, chiropractic care, medication, and surgery. Physical therapy and chiropractic care can help improve posture, strengthen the muscles of the neck and back, and reduce pain. Orthopedic Support also helps in relieving the pain. Medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and muscle relaxants can also be helpful in reducing pain. In more severe cases, surgery may be necessary to address the underlying cause of the pain.

Back Buddy – Back and Neck Support (HC-2)

Prolonged periods of constrained posture characterised by static loading of muscles can lead to reduced blood circulation thereby preventing the proper supply of nutrients to the muscles and removal of muscle activity by-products, leading to rapid fatigue and pain.

Manufactured from vibration and energy absorbing, polyurethane foam with spring steel vertical and horizontal wire frame, Back Buddy – Back and Neck Support reduces back and neck pain associated with swayback due to bad posture.

Lifestyle Changes

In addition to these treatments, lifestyle changes can also be helpful in reducing chronic neck and back pain. Maintaining a healthy weight, engaging in regular exercise, and practicing good posture can all help reduce the risk of developing chronic pain.

In conclusion, chronic neck and back pain is a common condition that can greatly impact a person’s quality of life. If you are experiencing chronic pain, it is important to seek medical attention to determine the underlying cause and appropriate treatment options. With the right treatment and lifestyle changes, it is possible to manage chronic pain and improve your quality of life.

Health Useful Information

Sleeping with acid reflux: Dos and Don’ts

By Naren Somadev on Tuesday, June 14, 2022

While sleeping with acid reflux, it is important to keep your head elevated at an angle. Sleeping at an incline is proven to manage GERD.

Do

Sleep with your torso elevated

Lying down make reflux more likely since gravity no longer helps keep stomach acid down. Because of this, sleeping on an adjustable bed base that lifts your torso helps a lot. Researchers have shown that elevating your torso by at least six inches during sleep can reduce reflux.

Sleep on your left side

Experts recommend sleeping on your side. When it comes to acid reflux, what is the best side to sleep on? For people with acid reflux, being on their left side is the best sleeping position. The left side down reduces reflux episodes and exposure to stomach acid in the oesophagus. For that reason, it is considered the best sleeping position for acid reflux sufferers.

Don’t

Sleep on your back

Reflux is more likely to occur when you sleep in other positions, including on your back. Sleeping on your back increases your likelihood of having acid reflux.

Sleep lying flat

Whatever your body position, you do not want to lie flat. Your stomach and throat are at the same level when you are lying flat in bed. Consequently, stomach acids can easily flow up your oesophagus, causing Acid Reflux.

Bed and Mattresses for Acid Reflux

Don’t

Sleep on a mattress that is too soft

A mattress should support you, not allow you to sink too deeply. Keeping your throat and neck above your stomach is the key. While it doesn’t have to be a Firm mattress, it must provide significant support for your body weight.

Do

Sleep on a Wedge Mattresses

It ensures that the upper part of the body is higher than the lower part of the body, thereby reducing reflux.

Where to buy Acid Reflux Wedge Mattress?

The best place to buy Acid Reflux Wedge Mattress is The Old is Gold Store. CLICK HERE TO BUY

Other Tips for Sleeping with Acid Reflux

It is often best to prevent acid reflux in the first place by preventing it from happening! GERD is caused by factors such as alcohol consumption, smoking, and obesity. In addition, the kind of food you eat before bed has a big impact. You should limit your intake of spicy and acidic foods, especially at night. Whatever you eat, allowing your stomach three hours before lying down will allow your stomach to digest and reduce the possibility of reflux. If you suffer from Acid Reflux, try eating a smaller meal in the evening to prevent a flare up.

Useful Information

Employment Opportunities for seniors

By Sanjay Dattatri on Monday, August 29, 2016

A new company and website had come up focusing on job opportunities for the retired. Aptly named NotRetired.in, it aims to connect persons retired from formal employment with prospective employers to address the problem of finding a job/ activity.

Services Offered by NotRetired.in

• Employers can search for candidates and directly contact them. They can also post their job requirements and view applicant’s information

• Job seekers can search and apply for active jobs by simple registration process

• Users can read articles on various topics related to them

Key benefits NotRetired.in offers to Job Seekers?

• Multiple job opportunities as we have tied up with big and small organizations who are looking for experienced resources from different sectors

• We are also scouting through various websites/platforms for relevant job opportunities to present everything at one place. This will reduce the burden of job seekers to search at multiple places

• Unlike other job portals, we are focused on the retired community. Thus, job opportunities on our portal are clear and rightly targeted, making a hassle free search for you

• In order to help our Users who face difficulty in using technology, NotRetired.in has a dedicated team of professionals to facilitate them In signing up and finding jobs.

Key benefits NotRetired.in offers to Employers?

• NotRetired.in provides a variant database of the candidates starting from the age of 37 to 70 years with varied skillset from a wide range of sectors like Defense, Government, Banking, and Teaching etc.

• Since our portal only caters to the retired community, the database is more focused and highly sorted, if knowledge and experience at an affordable price is your requirement

Address:
#304, NotRetired Online LLP, V.V.Vintage Boulevard, Somajiguda, Hyderabad-82.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 9000 766 066

website: www.notretired.in

Useful Information

Never too old to play

By Sanjay Dattatri on Thursday, August 4, 2016

As you may know the week of Aug 22nd to August 28th is Madras Week. As part of the celebrations, a lot of activities will take place around Chennai during the week.

Old is Gold Store, along with Kreeda Games is arranging an event called “Never too old to play”, an evening of traditional Indian games such as pallanguzhi andAadu puli aatam with the aim to help senior citizens in our beautiful city to relive their childhood.

Kindly convey this to your members and friends so they can register for the event at a location convenient to them. Entry is free.

Schedule:

Semmenchery OMR:

Date : Aug 22nd Monday.

Time: 3PM – 7 PM.

Venue: Old is Gold Store, Opposite Kohinoor Asiana, Semmenchery OMR, chennai.

Indira Nagar, Adyar

Date : Aug 24th Wednesday.

Time: 3PM – 7 PM.

Venue: Old is Gold Store, No. 53, 1st Main Road, Indira Nagar, Adyar, Chennai 20.

Anna Nagar

Date : Aug 26th Friday.

Time: 3PM – 7 PM.

Venue: Old is Gold Store, AH-247, 1st Street, Anna Nagar, Chennai 600040.

To register please call 96770 03424.

Senior Care Useful Information

Senior citizen community is golden generation: Sachin Tendulkar

By Sanjay Dattatri on Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, who has always attributed his success on the field to his late father by raising his bat to the sky, urged the Gen X to join the campaign to safeguard senior citizens against abuse, at the launch of Kartavya… Culture of Care, an age-sensitive community campaign in Thane on Monday.

Read the full article here.

(https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Senior-citizen-community-is-golden-generation-Sachin/articleshow/53713761.cms)

Useful Information

Small savings interest rates: Seniors Spared

By Sanjay Dattatri on Sunday, June 12, 2016

The Narendra Modi government has apparently decided to play safe and not risk a politically sensitive decision by reducing interest rates on small savings.

On Monday, the government left the rates unchanged for the July to September 2016 quarter from what they were for the previous quarter. This marks a stark contrast to March quarter when the government slashed the rates on all small savings schemes, such as public provident fund, Kisan Vikas Patra and time deposits of various maturities.

“Given the furore over the rate cut in March, the government may not want to alienate the middle class before the assembly elections in 2017,” the Economic Times had quoted a mutual fund manager as saying.

You can read the entire story here. (https://www.ibtimes.co.in/govt-leaves-interest-rates-small-savings-unchanged-683565 )

Useful Information

Senior citizen welfare fund

By Sanjay Dattatri on Tuesday, May 24, 2016

The ministry released the notification dated March 18 about the fund, which will be utilised for schemes for the promotion of the welfare of senior citizens in line with the National Policy on Older Persons and the National Policy on Senior Citizens.

The Ministry of Finance released the rules for creation of Senior Citizens Welfare Fund, which will have funds from unclaimed deposits in small savings schemes including Post Office Savings Accounts, Public Provident Fund and Employees’ Provident Fund within one year.

To read the entire article, go here.

(https://indianexpress.com/article/business/business-others/senior-citizen-welfare-fund-norms-out-9-member-panel-to-administer-2807832/#sthash.7GrMFVzg.dpuf)

Safe Living Senior Care Useful Information

Don’t give away all to your children, doctor advises parents

By Sanjay Dattatri on Thursday, May 19, 2016

A new book called the Generation Gap has been released by Dr. V S Natarajan and Ms. Hema Narasimhan to delve into various aspects of elder abuse.
Here is an excerpt from the Hindu article.

Make a will to protect your children but keep enough for yourself so you don’t have to depend on them in your old age. Take an active part in their day-to-day routine but never interfere in your children’s issues unless asked for. These are some of the solutions in geriatric expert Dr VS Natarajan’s new book ‘Generation Gap’ that was released on Wednesday .

The two-part English book, by Natarajan and Hema Narasimhan, delves deep into the issue of elder abuse and its various forms rampant in Indian society .

The senior geriatrician, who says he drew inspiration from his many of his patients opening up to him about their children, includes several real stories.

One of them is about a rich elderly woman in Purasaiwalkam, Natarajan’s patient for many years. She sought his advice after her only son threatened to poison her if she did not transfer properties to his name. “The reasons could be that children look at their personal happiness above the welfare of their parents .With real estate boom, children want to sell off their parents’ properties and make money . These are only my hypothesis,” he said.

Dr Natarajan, the author of 30 medical books, had penned a book with the same title in 2015, analysing the abuse of elderly at home.

Natarajan advises senior citizens to lead independent lives and be aware of laws protecting them from mistreatment, while urging at the same time children to spend quality time with their parents. “It not just food and shelter that old people need. They need love and care too,” he said.

“They have to remember that what they do to their parents will be repeated in their old age,” he added.

To read the entire article, go here.

(https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/parenting/Dont-give-away-all-to-your-children-doctor-advises-parents/articleshow/52338625.cms? )

Caregivers Safe Living Senior Care Useful Information

Choosing the right wheelchair

By Sanjay Dattatri on Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Choosing the right wheelchair for an elderly relative is a non-trivial activity. Wheelchairs come in many shapes and sizes, in many different materials, and designed for different uses.

Here are 15 questions for which you need to know answers in order to decide on the right wheelchair.

Is it for indoor use or outdoor use?
If it is for outdoor use, ensure that the back wheels are big. This will ensure that the wheelchair can take the ups and downs of Indian roads and platforms.

Is it foldable?
Most wheelchairs are foldable. Since wheelchairs are stored away for much of the day and through out the night (in the case of seniors), a foldable wheelchair will occupy less space when not in use.

Will it fit into my car boot?
Sometimes, you may want to take the wheelchair with you. In such cases, it is important that the wheelchair folds into a compact size so that it can be easily stowed away in the boot or back seat of the car.

Are the armrests removable?
Removable armrests help in sliding from bed to the wheelchair and back. This can help if the user of the wheelchair is capable of moving sideways, and the bed and wheelchair are at almost the same height.

Are the footrests removable?
Removable footrests ensure that the wheelchair folds into a smaller place as well as help in making the wheelchairs less unwieldy while transporting.

How heavy is the wheelchair?
Sometimes, the person helping the user of the wheelchair may also be a senior citizen. In such cases, it is very important that the helper is able to lift and maneuver the chair. where possible, buy a lighter wheelchair.

How much weight can the wheelchair bear?
A typical wheelchair is certified for about 100 kilos. In the case that the user is much heavier, go for a bariatric range wheelchair.

What are the dimensions of the wheelchair?
In many homes, the doorways and passages can be very narrow. The bathroom doors, in particular, are usually only 2 – 2.5 feet wide in many Indian homes. Before purchasing the wheelchair, ensure that the wheelchair is able to go to all the places you plan to take it to.

Self-propelled or attendant chair?
A self-propelled manual wheelchair will have large wheels while an attendant wheelchair may have smaller wheels and brakes for the attendant to use. Choose depending on usage. If the person using the wheelchair does not have enough strength to propel themselves, go for a wheelchair designed for attendant use.

Is it for transit purposes?
If you are planning to use the wheelchair only during travel (at airports and railway stations, etc), then go for one of the very light-weight, compact aluminium transit wheelchair models.

Is reclining an option?
Some wheelchairs allow for reclining. These usually are larger and take up much more space. If a person is going to be sitting in a wheelchair for long periods, the reclining option may be useful.

Will it rust?
Wheelchairs come in different materials from mild steel to high-grade aluminium and other alloys. If you are planning to take the wheelchair into bathrooms and toilets or expect it to come in contact with the elements, go for an aluminium one. Chrome plated wheelchairs tend to rust after a while.

Motorized or manual?
Unless you are living in a high-end gated community with smooth roads and pavements, there is usually very little value in going for a motorized wheelchair in India as most places are not conducive for motorized wheelchair use. Needless to say, Indian roads are not safe for motorized wheelchairs.

Is a commode attached?
A few models of wheelchairs come with commodes attached, so they act as portable commodes as well as wheelchairs. Under most circumstances, it is preferable to keep the wheelchair and the commode separate for various reasons. However, if you need them together, know that such models are available.

What is the cost?
Wheelchairs, like most other things, come in different price brackets. Choose one that fits your budget.

If you have more doubts, write to us at [email protected]

Senior Care Useful Information

Enteral Feeding – An introduction

By Sanjay Dattatri on Sunday, May 1, 2016

Sometimes, a bedridden person may not be able to ingest food through their mouth. This can be due to various reasons, from refusing to eat (in some cases of dementia) to inability to swallow due to being comatose, having neurological problems, having obstructions in the food canal or other similar problems.

Under such circumstances Doctors advice enteral feeding. Enteral feeding is defined as delivery of a nutritionally complete feed, containing protein, carbohydrate, fat, water, minerals and vitamins, directly into the stomach, duodenum or jejunum. Basically, what this means is that the doctors will insert a tube into the body and you will have to use that tube as the means to feed the patient. The food, in this case, would be a nutritionally complete meal replacement powder such as Ensure, Fresubin or some other brand.

The feeding tube can be inserted in a couple of different ways. Given below is a brief layman’s understanding of them.

Nasogastric intubation
In this case, the doctor will insert a narrow bore tube, called a Ryles’ tube or a nasogastric tube, through one of the nostrils into the stomach or duodenum(which is the part of the small intestine just after the stomach). Whenever feeding is required, the desired quantity of the meal replacement solution (freshly prepared) can be injected into the tube slowly. Alternately a bag of the food can be attached to the tube and the food released slowly over an extended period. It is usually recommended that this method is used for no more than six weeks at a time, but if no other option is available, this can be used indefinitely subject to the patient not suffering any major discomfort.

This type of intubation is contra-indicated under some conditions such as

-High risk of aspiration

-Gastric stasis

-Gastro-oesophageal reflux

-Upper gastrointestinal stricture

-Nasal injuries

-Base of skull fractures

Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is an endoscopic medical procedure in which a tube (PEG tube) is passed into a patient’s stomach through the abdominal wall. In some cases, the tube is extended into the duodenum or the jejunum. This method for enteral feeding is indicated when such feeding is required for extended periods of time measured in years. To install the PEG tube, an invasive operation is required. In one popular method, an endoscope is inserted through the mouth or nostril into the stomach and a light flashed to identify the area where the incision needs to be made. Then an incision is made in the abdominal wall and the stomach and the tube inserted into the stomach. The stomach is then stapled or sutured to the inner abdominal wall at that point so that it does not move and dislodge the tube. The operation is relatively straight-forward and is conducted very often under local anesthesia nowadays.

Since an operation is required, this is not suitable for patients too weak to undergo operations under local or general anesthesia. In addition, this operation becomes difficult if the patient does not have the ability to swallow as that makes it difficult for the endoscope to be inserted.

PEG reduces dramatically the possibility of aspiration (food coming back up from the stomach) and reflux and is ideal in cases where the need for enteral feeding is for a prolonged period.

If your loved elder is unable to eat normally, do consult your doctor regarding enteral feeding.