Say goodbye to winter and hello to spring with a good old fashioned clean-up! Get a jump on your spring cleaning strategy with these 5 helpful reminders:

De-clutter: Removing clutter from your living environment is not just great for preventing falls, but is also good for peace of mind and quite possibly, your bank account.

• 1 in 3 seniors over 65 will experience a fall. Prevent falls and potential life-threatening injuries by removing unnecessary obstacles and trip-hazards like rugs with curled up corners, larger pieces of furniture no longer in use, and appliances or machines with cords that sit on the floor.

• Relieving your space of items that embody stress, regret or anxiety for you can help foster a more peaceful and happy living environment. As you seek to minimize the amount of “stuff” in your home this spring, ask yourself questions like “does this bring me joy?” and “have I used this in the past year?” Your answers will help you make quick decisions on what to keep and what to lose.

• Donate gently-used items from clothes, to books, appliances and furniture to a charity re-store and receive a tax deduction. Or sell items online on eBay or Craigslist to make a little extra cash for the ol’ retirement fund.

Reassess stairs & entryways: As you navigate your home in cleaning mode, take note of any trouble you are having with trickier environments like stairs, bath entryways, and doorways. Are you experiencing regular fatigue, falls, or difficulty with any of them?

A mobility aid or assistive device may be just the support you need to keep moving and remain in your home as you age. Decorative walking canes can put you in the springtime mood and provide support and stability for getting up and down stairs, while safety rails and chair lifts can make entering and exiting the bath or shower much safer. Make notes while you spring clean and talk to your healthcare provider about what assistive tools and devices might be available to you. [Read more…]

By Ted Bremer

Perhaps you’re part of the majority of Americans who take some form of dietary supplement, or perhaps you’re just considering introducing them to your routine. Whether it’s calcium to help with osteoporosis, or an Omega-3 tablet to lower the risk of heart disease, it’s all in effort to stay healthy. But be warned, health conscious folk: there can be too much of a good thing.  

Health supplements can become dangerous if not managed correctly. In fact about 23,000 Americans end up in the ER each year because of confused supplement regimes, from either taking too high a dose of one vitamin or mineral, or mixing the wrong types. But with so much health information being thrown our way, taking control of our supplement intake can seem like a lot to handle. So what do you need to watch out for, to ensure your health and fitness efforts are just right for you and don’t land you in the hospital?

The hidden dangers of health supplements

In July 2016, Public Health England (PHE) warned the public should be taking 10 micrograms of vitamin D supplements a day, citing people in the UK do not get enough vitamin D in autumn and winter. And after the warning, drugstores in Bristol claimed sales of vitamin D tablets had already risen 180 percent in just one month. Good, right?

Tim Spector, head of the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics at King’s College London, doesn’t think so. The professor has been treating osteoporosis for 30 years, and says he now thinks differently about prescribing vitamin D, pointing to new evidence that states patients who take large amount of the vitamin over a long period of time have an increase of falls and fractures. Exactly what vitamin D aims to protect against.

“While the new recommendations for supplementations are modest in terms of dose (10ug or 400IU), it will be overdone by some and reinforces the misguided view that supplements and food sources are interchangeable,” he writes. It’s a clear reminder that when it comes to taking supplements, one can certainly overdo it. [Read more…]

In the future, we’ll be able to control all processes that are going on in our homes through smartphone devices. Internet of Things concept have revolutionized home appliances, furniture and systems and enabled us to fully personalize their work in order to increase the comfort of our homes. In this article, we will discuss 6 futuristic devices that can turn your home into a comfortable safe haven.

Smart slow cooker

With smart slow cooker you won’t need to run back home to check whether you’ve turned off the stove. This gadget is fully smartphone-controllable, which means you can adjust its settings, while driving home from work. This system also includes specially designed cooking app, which comes with long list of features, including:

• Reminders that come in the form of push-notifications;
• Cooking time and temperature adjustments;
• Special timer, which can calculate cook times and process;
• Dish status checks;

Humidity sensor and fan control

Equipping your home with smart humidity sensors will solve all of your mold and condensation issues. These sensors are almost invisible and the least expensive gadgets start from $30. They detect excess humidity in the room and turn on the pre-installed ventilator, which instantly reduces condensation levels. Sensors’ sensitivity can be easily adjusted and the fan can be programmed to follow specific ventilation schedules. [Read more…]