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The US National Council On Aging reports that 95 percent of senior Americans over 65 live with at least one chronic condition. The percentage of older adults with two or more chronic medical conditions comes in at 80 percent, and the number of conditions that an individual experiences tends to increase as they age. As they grow older, senior citizens may find it very difficult to keep track of their comprehensive medical history, any complications, and daily medications. Maintaining detailed records of past and present medical issues is one of the most effective ways to guarantee ongoing health success.The Significance of  Tracking Medical HistoryA medical history doesnt only track illnesses or diagnoses from years gone by. It encompasses all facets of an individuals health journey, including pharmaceutical medications, hereditary predispositions and carrier status, and minor conditions that might become problematic in the future. Maintaining documentation from all physician and hospital visits documents allows for more informed and safer medical decisions in the future.Medications and Prescriptions  Many senior adults, especially those living with dementia or other memory issues, fail to consistently take daily required medications, with more complications becoming evident as new treatments and doses are introduced. Keeping a full roster of which prescription drugs you take, those you took in the past but no longer take, and any complications you experienced gives doctors and medical professionals the insight they need to recommend new medications that dont result in unwanted side effects or dangerous contraindications.Genetic Diseases and Family History  Knowing and documenting a personal medical history does more than just assist a personal health journey. An accurate and comprehensive medical history gives children and grandchildren a framework to better understand what medical conditions they may be predisposed to, and any genetic diseases they might be carriers for.Even if an individual doesnt currently live with a specific condition, a family predisposition might cause these conditions to appear in their family. When physicians are performing tests and attempting to identify conditions based on their symptoms, the collected data is invaluable for rapidly narrowing down the possible pool of diagnoses as well as providing your family the help they need as soon as possible.More Targeted Care  While healthcare professionals strive to provide each of their patients with individualized care, you understand your own health better than anyone else. Especially when you go to a new physician for care or are admitted to the hospital due to health concerns, being familiar with your complete medical history allows you to ask relevant questions and expedite the process of getting the treatment you need. If all of your medical history is amassed and preserved as written documents, you can also have more confidence in your healthcare professional to represent your best interests if you are incapacitated. You can then idenitfy those close family members you trust to make decisions on your behalf based on your medical history.How To Create a Personal Medical HistoryNow that you know more about the criticality of keeping and understanding your medical history, you should learn how to actually collect all the required data.Typically you can request this information from physicians and hospitals via paper forms or online customer service portals. For more in-depth information, like unrecorded family medical history, you can contact extended family members such as cousins or siblings, in order to gain a more holistic view of your familys health issues. Often, this information is invaluable for younger family members when they have hard-to-diagnose health situations.At My Care Finders, we are dedicated to finding the best senior living solution for you or your loved one. A medical history is just one of many ways we help you to narrow down the possibilities and make the very best choices for your situation.

Physical activity helps your brain, but did you know even some sedentary activities can ward off cognitive decline? Creative crafts, reading, and puzzles such as Sudoku or Scrabble keep your brain mentally stimulated. Try word and number games rather than TV or gaming. So, when you rest your body, make sure you're still engaging your brain. Summary: New research highlights that some sedentary activities, like reading or crafting, are better for brain health than others, such as watching TV or gaming. A study of 397 older adults found that mentally stimulating and socially engaging activities support memory and thinking abilities, while passive screen time is linked to cognitive decline.This insight is crucial, as 45% of dementia cases are linked to modifiable lifestyle factors. Researchers suggest swapping passive activities for more engaging ones to protect brain health, even during indulgent holiday marathons.Key FactsCognitive Benefits: Reading and social engagement improve brain function, unlike passive screen time.Preventable Risk: 45% of dementia cases could be reduced through lifestyle changes.Healthy Swaps: Small activity changes, like breaking up TV time with reading or movement, benefit the brain.Source: University of South AustraliaIts that time of the year when most of us get the chance to sit back and enjoy some well-deserved down time. But whether you reach for the TV controller, or a favourite book, your choice could have implications for your long-term brain health, say researchers at the University of South Australia.Assessing the 24-hour activity patterns of 397 older adults (aged 60+), researchers found that the context or type of activity that you engage in, matters when it comes to brain health. And specifically, that some sedentary (or sitting) behaviours are better for cognitive function than others.When looking at different sedentary behaviours, they found that social or mentally stimulating activities such as reading, listening to music, praying, crafting, playing a musical instrument, or chatting with others are beneficial for memory and thinking abilities. Yet watching TV or playing video games are detrimental.Researchers believe that there is likely a hierarchy of how sedentary behaviours relate to cognitive function, in that some have positive effects while others have negative effects.Its a valuable insight that could help reduce risks of cognitive impairment, particularly when at least 45% of dementia cases could be prevented through modifiable lifestyle factors.In Australia, about 411,100 people (or one in every 1000 people) are living with dementia. Nearly two-thirds are women. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that more than 55 million people have dementia with nearly 10 million new cases each year.UniSA researcher Dr Maddison Mellow says that not all sedentary behaviours are equal when it comes to memory and thinking ability.In this research, we found that the context of an activity alters how it relates to cognitive function, with different activities providing varying levels of cognitive stimulation and social engagement, Dr Mellow says.We already know that physical activity is a strong protector against dementia risk, and this should certainly be prioritised if you are trying to improve your brain health. But until now, we hadnt directly explored whether we can benefit our brain health by swapping one sedentary behaviour for another.We found that sedentary behaviours which promote mental stimulation or social engagement such as reading or talking with friends are beneficial for cognitive function, whereas others like watching TV or gaming have a negative effect. So, the type of activity is important.And, while the move more, sit less message certainly holds true for cardiometabolic and brain health, our research shows that a more nuanced approach is needed when it comes to thinking about the link between sedentary behaviours and cognitive function.Now, as the Christmas holidays roll around, what advice do researchers have for those who really want to indulge in a myriad of Christmas movies or a marathon of Modern Family?To achieve the best brain health and physical health benefits, you should prioritise movement thats enjoyable and gets the heart rate up, as this has benefits for all aspects of health, Dr Mellow says.But even small five-minute time swaps can have benefits. So, if youre dead set on having a Christmas movie marathon, try to break up that time with some physical activity or a more cognitively engaged seated activity, like reading, at some point. That way you can slowly build up healthier habits.This research was conducted by a team of UniSA researchers including: Dr Maddison Mellow, Prof Dot Dumuid, Dr Alexandra Wade, Prof Tim Olds, Dr Ty Stanford, Prof Hannah Keage, and Assoc Prof Ashleigh Smith; with researchers from the University of Leicester, and the University of Newcastle.Author: Annabel MansfieldSource: University of South AustraliaContact: Annabel Mansfield University of South AustraliaImage: The image is credited to Neuroscience NewsOriginal Research: Open access.Should We Work Smarter or Harder for Our Health? A Comparison of Intensity and Domain-Based Time-Use Compositions and Their Associations With Cognitive and Cardiometabolic Health by Maddison Mellow et al. Journals of Gerontology Series A

You may spend decades contributing to various retirement accounts. But for some accounts, such as a traditional IRA and 401(k), you must start withdrawing funds at a certain point. What should you know about this requirement? To begin with, the rules governing these withdrawals technically called required minimum distributions, or RMDs have changed recently. For many years, individuals had to begin taking their RMDs (which are based on the account balance and the IRS life expectancy factor) when they turned 70. The original SECURE Act of 2019 raised this age to 72, and SECURE 2.0, passed in 2022, raised it again, to 73. (If you turned 73 in 2023, and you were 72 in 2022 when the RMD limit was still 72, you should have taken your first RMD for 2022 by April 1 of this year. You will then need to take your 2023 RMD by Dec. 31. And going forward, youll also need to take your RMDs by the end of every year.) Not all retirement accounts are subject to RMDs. They arent required for a Roth IRA, and, starting in 2024, wont be required for a Roth 401(k) or 403(b) plan. But if your account does call for RMDs, you do need to take them, because if you dont, you could face tax penalties. Previously, this penalty was 50% of the amount you were supposed to have taken, but SECURE 2.0 reduced it to 25%. When you take your RMDs, you need to be aware of a key issue: taxes. RMDs are taxed as ordinary income, and, as such, they could potentially bump you into a higher tax bracket and possibly even increase your Medicare premiums, which are determined by your modified adjusted gross income. Are there any ways you could possibly reduce an RMD-related tax hike? You might have some options. Here are two to consider: Convert tax-deferred accounts to Roth IRA. You could convert some, or maybe all, of your tax-deferred retirement accounts to a Roth IRA. By doing so, you could lower your RMDs in the future while adding funds to an account youre never required to touch. So, if you dont really need all the money to live on, you could include the remainder of the Roth IRA in your estate plans, providing an initially tax-free inheritance to your loved ones. However, converting a tax-deferred account to a Roth IRA will generate taxes in the year of conversion, so youd need the money available to pay this tax bill. Donate RMDs to charity. In whats known as a qualified charitable distribution, you can move up to $100,000 of your RMDs directly from a traditional IRA to a qualified charity, avoiding the taxes that might otherwise result if you took the RMDs yourself. After 2023, the $100,000 limit will be indexed to inflation. Of course, before you start either a Roth IRA conversion or a qualified charitable distribution, you will need to consult with your tax advisor, as both these moves have issues you must consider and may not be appropriate for your situation. But its always a good idea to know as much as you can about the various aspects of RMDs they could play a big part in your retirement income strategy.   Chad Choate III, AAMS 828 3rd Avenue West Bradenton, FL  34205 941-462-2445 chad.chaote@edwardjones.com   This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.   Edward Jones, Member SIPC

Submitted by, Right at Home, CLICK HERE for more information!Most people are aware of the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on older adults. While people of every age have been affected by the virus, statistics show that 75% of deaths have occurred in people aged 65 and older.This is a typical pattern with almost all respiratory infections. Among younger people, most respiratory infections cause mild illness that might cause a person to spend a few uncomfortable days and miss a few days of work or school. But the symptoms can be more serious, even life-threatening, for seniors. Respiratory infections are responsible for a large percentage of hospitalizations among older adults, and each year, more than 1 million older adults die from the effects of respiratory tract infections. These illnesses rob seniors of their mobility, strength and ability to complete daily tasks.Many viruses and bacteria can cause respiratory infections. Here are some of the most common:Bacterial pneumonia is caused by a number of different strains of bacteria. It causes inflammation and fluid accumulation in the lungs, often with fever and chest pain. Confusion is a common symptom in older adults. Pneumonia is treated with antibiotics and medications to relieve symptoms. Hospitalization is sometimes necessary.Seasonal influenza the flu is especially dangerous for older adults. Older adults make up more than 90% of deaths caused by influenza. Common symptoms include headache, fever, chills, muscle aches, cough and sore throat. Some older adults also may have digestive symptoms. The flu can be treated with antiviral medications, which are most effective if started at the onset of illness.The common cold can result from infection by many different viruses. All of these can be more serious for older adults. The most common culprits of colds are the human rhinoviruses (HRV). Others include human metapneumovirus (HMPV), adenoviruses and enteroviruses. Most of us know the symptoms of a cold because we've had several during our lives sore throat, runny nose and sneezing, sometimes similar to the flu, but usually milder. There is no remedy for a cold, but supportive self-care includes getting extra rest and drinking plenty of fluids. The doctor may recommend medications to lessen symptoms.Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. It is most common among children, but also causes many hospitalizations and deaths in older adults. RSV can progress to pneumonia and complications of the heart and lungs. Older adults may need oxygen or intubation.Corona viruses are the family of viruses that include COVID-19 and several other respiratory viruses. Typical symptoms include fever, cough and fatigue. Among older adults, the most noticeable symptoms might include confusion and difficulty breathing.People aged 65 and older are at higher risk of serious complications.As we grow older, our immune systems are less able to fight against germs. Weaker bones and muscles, as well as changes to the nervous system, may impair breathing and make coughing less productive.The presence of underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, dementia and chronic kidney disease, also raises the risk of serious respiratory infections. Malnutrition, inactivity and smoking also are factors. Certain medications that are often prescribed for older adults can also raise the risk as can the failure to take medications properly.Diagnosis and treatment of respiratory infectionsDoctors say pinpointing the cause of a respiratory illness in older adults can be tricky. The typical symptoms for example, fever and congestion may be absent in seniors, who might instead experience an unexplained fall or confusion.An accurate diagnosis is key to beginning the appropriate treatment. The health care provider analyzes their patients condition, including testing secretions and blood work. Many times they include radiologic imaging, such as X-rays and CT scans.Depending on the diagnosis, treatment might include antibiotic or antiviral medications, as well as medicines for symptomatic relief. Often a senior may be hospitalized and receive supplemental oxygen or require a breathing tube.Five ways to lower the risk of respiratory infectionsGet your vaccines for COVID-19, seasonal influenza and pneumonia.Practice good hand hygiene by washing hands frequently and correctly.Wear a mask and ask others to do so, as well.Avoid being around others who appear ill or are ill.Clean and disinfect surfaces that people touch frequently.Professional in-home care can help.If an older adult is recovering at home from a respiratory infection, perhaps having been discharged from the hospital, in-home caregivers can help the senior follow the doctors orders, and support a better outcome by assisting with personal care and tasks around the home as the senior recovers their strength.For all older adults, professional in-home caregivers can help lower the risk of respiratory infections. They can help prevent the spread of germs with housekeeping services and personal care assistance with bathing and toileting. Caregivers help clients avoid dangerous undernutrition by preparing healthy meals and snacks. Inactivity is another risk factor for seniors; caregivers provide support and encouragement as clients exercise to build endurance and a stronger immune system. Caregivers also can provide health reminders and transportation to health care appointments to help clients manage preexisting health conditions.