A special health report recently published by Jennie Chine Hansen, president of the AARP, highlights methods that all of us can use to control our health and allow us to remain independent as we grow older. The following are some facts and tips that she has to offer.

Pills: Make a List

Have a plan to coordinate and manage your medications. Millions of errors with drugs and allergic reactions to medications take place annually. Thousands of these prove to be fatal. Keep a detialed medication record and talk about it regularly with your pharmacist and doctor. Fenway Medical features a Personal Healthcare Journal in the Daily Living Aids section of our web site. This journal has pages devoted to keeping track of your medications and fifty journal entries that can be used to highlight recent doctor appointments so you won't forget important information from your past visits.

Balance

The leading cause of accidental injuries and death in people ages 65 and older is falling. Bone fraility and longer recovery periods make falling the major reason that seniors lose their ability to live independently. There are new technologies being developed to create shoe inserts that will measure a person's walking pressure pattern and allow heathcare professionals to customize an insert to assist those with balance problems.

Exercise

A study was reported in the Washington Post that found that exercising may actually protect the body against the aging process. Getting your body moving helps to build muscle, maintain flexibility and keep your metabolism at a healthy rate. Exercise is also important for mental health as getting out to take a walk or going for a relaxing swim breaks the monotony of same day routines and introduces the mind to new sensations by changing the environment.

Bone Strength

20% of Caucasian and Asian women over the age of 50 get osteoporosis. Another 52% have low bone mass which puts them at higher risk of developing the disease. There is also a risk factor in men as there are currently 14 million who have or at rish for osteoporosis. You can ask your doctor for a bone density scan if you feel you are at risk. Fenway Medical offers a variety of products and supplements in our Nutrition area that helps grant the necessary components to keep bones strong as well as providing the nutrients that you may be missing in your every day diet.

Mental Workouts

Mental workouts are as important as physical exercise. Doing puzzles, playing video games and reading are some methods that can be used to keep the brain more agile. Constant mental stimulation also improves memory and reasoning ability.