OCR Text |
Show Senior Pulse Salina SunGunnison Valley News Wednesday, August 12, 1998 Page 6 When the down times last too long here s where seniors can turn for help Mae Peterson has become a pool shark at 75. She has never played the game until this year and loves it. Several activities are available at Salina Senior Citizens Center every weekday and transportation is provided. The group travel to plays in Orem and Grover several times a year, to the Manti Pageant, to Zions and even to Wendover, Utah. No one would admit to wandering across the State Line - but a nickel or twenty was played somewhere on this trip. Everyone has a great time, wherever they go. The Center invites Seniors to join in on their fun. anytime... and ev'n this not quite yet a senior citizen could tell this is a group of people. -- fun-lovi- n Consider Adult Day care Adult Day Care Services provide a group setting, not unlike the social bridgecluborseniorcitizensge-togethers- , that residents in most towns enjoy. Adult DayCare Services provide social, recreational, and health activities in a group setting. These activities promote socialization and peer support, as well as furnish health and social services in a stimulating environment. Adult Day Care Services also provide assistance to families and other caregivers that have the responsibility of caring for an elderly adult. Adult Day Care Services is an excellent alternative to care facility for those who cannot be left nursing care in a long-teralone. The Day Care setting promotes the individual's maximum level of independence. It also provides support, respite, and education for families and other caregivers. 24-ho- m Most older people feel satisfied with their lives. But about one out of every ten people 65 and older suffer from clinical depression. Not only can depression remove the pleasure found in daily life, it can also complicate other medical conditions and can even be serious enough to cause suicide. Although it is normal to feel sadness after the death of a friend or family member, ifthe depressed mood continues for a long period of time, clinical depression may bethe cause. Additionally, clini- - ( cai depression can be triggered by other chronic illnesses common I i , n later ife such as d iabetes, stroke and arthritis! Some older people are reluctant to talk about their feelings. Other believe that depression will go away on its own. Such views are simply wrong. Clinical depression is a medical illness, albeit a treatable one. In The heavy rain produced by El Nino in much of the United States may well produce a few extra sniffs, sneezes, and tears this year for people prone to hay fever or similar allergies, says Dr. Abba Terr, clinical professor of medicine at Stanford University. Along with the abundance of blooming flowers and plants comes a bumper crop of pollen and mold, says Terr, who directs the Allergy Clinic at Stanford Hospital and Cl inics, part of UCSF Stanford Health Care. El Nino wont cause allergies, but the accompanying rainfall can HniTH 64 East 100 North Gunnison Utah Available Services: Respite Care Homemaking Services Assistance with personal care Skilled Care Nursing Assessments , or Toll Free Serving Sanpete, Wayne, Sevier, Piute Counties V weight gain -- Loss of interest of pleasure in activities once enjoyed -- Restlessness or irritability Persistent physical symptoms that dont respond to treatment (such as headaches, chronic pain, constipation or digestive disor--- -- Feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless -Thoughts of death or suicide. If you experience five or more of these symptoms for longer than two weeks, or if the symptoms are severe enough to interfere with your daily routine, see your doctor. Only a qualified health profes- sional can decide if someone has clinical depression. As with many illnesses, if treatment is needed, the earlier it begins, the more effective it can be. For a free copy of the pamphlet Overcoming Depression in Later Life, or for more information about clinical depression, call The National Mental Health Association Campaign or clinical depression at -- and almost any plant or mold from this years El Nino bumper crop sympmay cause hay fever-lik-e toms in at least some people. When symptoms strike, Terr recommends starting with an antihistamine. He notes, however, that the nonprescription products are much weaker, and often less effective for serious allergy sufferers, than products available only by prescription from a primary care doctor or an allergist. Moreover, the make things worse, he notes. antih istam ines People who are prone to allergies frequently have side effects, such including those who may have as sleepiness, so they shouldnt be had a reprieve during dry years used when people need to drive, may be candidates for medication operate machinery or otherwise to relieve symptoms. maintain full alertness. One of the most common allerNewer prescription antihistamines relieve symptoms of stuffigies is hay fever, which is triggered by pollen from trees, grass ness and mucous secretions, usuand weeds. ally without the side effects of West of the Rocky Mountains, drowsiness, says Terr. Other suggestions include the spring-pollinatitrees and tactic of avoiding pollen simple grasses are the major culprit. Natime in an by spending tionwide, ragweed, which grows room or car, or seeking primarily in the Midwest and East specialty care from an allergist, from through thefirst who can work to pinpoint the frost, may be the most common source of the allergy and fine-tun- e plant that produces runny noses, atreatment program with medicasneezing and tearing, Terr says. tions or with allergen immunizaBut individual sensitivities vary, tion, Terr says. er mid-Augu- st Physical, Speech and Occupational Therapy Certified Diabetic education programs 528-395- 5 early-morni- ders) -Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions Fatigue or loss of energy Warm weather sneezes? Maybe you can blame El Nino gunnison , HOMS volley hospital fact, more than 80 percent of people with depression can be treated successfully with medication, psychotherapy or a combination of both. However, the nature of clinical depression often makes it difficult for the depressed person to find the motivation or energy to seek treatment. The symptoms of clinical depression include: -- A persistent sad, anxious or j empty mood -Sleeping too little, especially waking, or sleep- ing too much -- Reduced appetite and weight loss, or increased appetite and Where Caring for Patients Means Caring for Family |