Flu Prevention: 3 steps you need to know

How NOT to Get the Flu

Wash your hands for as long as it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice

Recommended article: The New York Times, January 11, 2013: As the Flu Rages, Caregivers Suffer

Recommended article: The New York Times, January 18, 2013: Tough Flu Season in U.S., Especially for the Elderly

Step 1. Get Your Flu Shot

Contrary to what you may have heard, you cannot get the flu from a vaccination. The flu shot contains killed viruses. Getting a flu shot does not guarantee that you won't get the flu, because matching the vaccine with the viruses from any particular year is difficult. However, if you do get a flu shot and come down with the flu sometime during flu season, the vaccination will reduce your risk of dying. In fact, the risk is reduced even more if you get shots in consecutive years.

Before you get a flu shot:

• Get plenty of sleep. A lack of sleep prior to getting a flu shot reduces the vaccination's effectiveness.

• Do not take aspirin, NSAIDS (such as Ibuprofen) or COX-2 inhibitors, as these also reduce the vaccination's effectiveness.

• Notify your doctor if you are allergic to eggs. Flu vaccine is cultivated in eggs and could potentially produce an allergic reaction.

• Don't procrastinate. Get vaccinated today!

Step 2. Build Up Your Immunity

There are 4 important ways to do this:

1. Get 8 hours of sleep every night.

Sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on your immune system, so get plenty of sleep to boost your immunity to illness. If you have trouble sleeping, trying the following:

• Sleep in a cool, dark room.
• Use a sleep mask.
• Turn off the TV one hour before you go to bed.
• Meditate.
• Don't worry about little things.
• Try taking melatonin.

2. Exercise

Regular exercise has been proven to boost the immunity system. To be most effective exercise for at least 45 minutes, 5 times a week.

3. Eat healthy foods. 

A healthy diet is important for good health and immunity to illness, so eat five or more helpings of fruits and vegetables every day. Include plenty of beta-carotene rich foods such as apricots, carrots, papayas, cantaloupe, spinach, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and mangoes. If possible, eat two or more meals a week of fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel. Eat plenty of garlic and spicy foods, as well as raw yogurt and/or take probiotics.

4. Take supplements  

Choose immunity-building vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, including a multivitamin, zinc, magnesium, vitamin E, selenium and alpha lipoid acid. In addition, try turmeric, garlic and CoQ10 supplements.

Step 3. Avoid Infection

The flu is contagious one day before symptoms appear and up to 5 days afterwards. Droplets from the mouth and nose spread influenza, so when an infected person sneezes, coughs, or touches any surface, the virus is spread. In addition, viruses can live on a cold surface for three days. Follow these guidelines to reduce the risk of infection:

1. Wash your hands frequently.

If you are unsure about how long is “long enough,” wash your hands for the length of time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” to yourself twice. Make sure to wash your hands before eating, after sneezing or coughing in your hands, after shaking someone's hand and after touching anything at all that could be contaminated. To get the maximum benefit use hot water, soap and a follow-up hand sanitizer such as Purell. 

2. Avoid touching anything that could be contaminated.

Flu season is a good time to be somewhat obsessive about not touching contaminated surfaces. Try not to touch things that are used frequently by others, such as doorknobs, handrails, “community” keypads or pens. Consider wearing gloves when pushing a shopping cart, or using a paper towel to open the door of a public restroom after you have washed your hands. Carry a hand sanitizer with you (and use it frequently) and train yourself to not touch your nose, mouth or eyes.

3. Avoid "droplets."

Avoid crowds if possible, and stay away from people who are coughing or obviously sick. Try to fly less frequently, as one sick person on an airplane can infect all passengers.

4. Buy a flu mask. 

In case of an epidemic, you'll be prepared. 

Note: this chart was created by David Bunnell and reviewed by Dr. Frederic Vagnini.  

See our chart: What to do if you have the flu


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Eldercare: Let's Prevent Falls

Nearly 2 million American elders are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year for injuries resulting from falls. About half of all serious falls happen at home and can be prevented if your home (or the home of the person you care for) is made safe. 

Here are some useful hints for increasing home safety and preventing falls. This poster was originally published in ELDR magazine and on the eldr.com website. Created by David Bunnell and Illustrated by Timmy Kucynda, the poster can be downloaded by clicking here.

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The 5-minute Unfrazzle Meditation for stressed out caregivers

You're having one of those hectic days which would seem totally insane to an outsider but which to you is all too familiar. So many things to get done, to worry about...so many hurdles, roadblocks, pitfalls, interruptions. 

Reality is what it is, we can't change that, but we can help you make your day seem easier and more manageable. We can lower your stress level.

All you have to do is set aside 5 minutes and agree to sit somewhere, anywhere comfortable and close your eyes. You could be in the car waiting for someone, or in a doctor's office, at your desk, in the kitchen...it doesn't matter.

Simply do the following:

1. Sit comfortably with you back straight but not tense and close your eyes.
2. Become aware of your breath.
3. Breath in slowly through you nostrils until your lungs are over half full and then exhale slowly.
4. Follow your breath and not your thoughts.
5. Every time your mind is distracted by a thought, bring it back to your breath.
6. As you breath out imagine you are exhaling your tension and worries in the form of thick, black smoke.
7. As you breath in imagine you are inhaling peaceful clear light which fills your entire mind and body.
8. Allow yourself to continue this way for a few moments  and notice how relaxed and calm you feel.
9. Before you open your eyes, thank yourself for taking care of yourself if only for 5 minutes and promise yourself you'll do this again tomorrow. 

Now, back to the grind! 

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A book you simply won't want to put down: Review by Phil Brody

Maria Altman pictured here in front of Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer which was stolen from Maria's family by the Nazis during World War II. It was returned to her in 2006 after she took her case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The painting was later sold for $135 million.

The Accidental Caregiver: How I Met, Loved, and Lost Legendary Holocaust Refugee Maria Altman by Gregor Collins has been causing quite a stir for what on the surface seems like a prosaic topic. But this is no ordinary account of caregiving. Instead, it is an incredible touching and intimate exploration of what love and age mean in today's world as well as a riveting account of the life of the great Maria Altmann.

Phil Brody, author of the Holden Age of Hollywood, winner of the "Best New Fiction" category in the USA Book News Awards, did not think The Accidental Caregiver would resonate with him. But he started reading it anyway, and he was "surprised."

Here's Phil's short, but convincing review: 

"This book surprised me. Truth told, I did not think a story involving a caregiver, Holocaust survivor, and their unlikely bond would resonate with me. However, while speeding along in my rather self-involved LA-based life, I was pleasantly sideswiped, and for several hours a day, over a few days, I was immersed in this honest, heartfelt, and poignant story. And I'm thankful for that. I needed that. 

Long story short, I loved the book and would recommend it to anyone. Trust me, it's not what you think.

The author has succeeded on so many levels in relating this extremely personal story to the reader. You're drawn in from the get-go, and the book, for me, surprisingly turned into a page-turner. For that, I credit the writing, which takes the reader by the hand and leads them through a very intimate story with adept storytelling skills and an addictive sense of humor. It tugs the heartstrings often, and then yanks them at just the right time -- but that's what great writers do and do well. 

The dialogue was also great. In fact, several lines made me jealous as a writer of fiction. I know the words and exchanges were real and came from a real people, but I found myself wishing I had penned them. I still do. One I'll never forget involves the comment, "Fish f*** in it." I'll say no more and will let you discover the situation surrounding that quote.

And you should discover it. You should take a chance on this book. I noticed the bevy of five-star reviews after I finished reading The Accidental Caregiver, and I was glad to see them. They are well deserved. And now I add mine to mix."

Editor's note: Phil Brody's review was originally published on Goodreads, which is the world's largest site for readers and book recommendations and highly recommended by Unfrazzle. 

Maria Altman died on February 7, 2011 at the age of 94. The obituary published by The New York Times captures much of her story. 

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No kidding, it is not safe to drive with dementia!

It can be very sad when an older peson loses the right to drive a car and as a society we need to be careful not to deprive people of this privilege unless it is really necessary. 

It is not too surprising then to learn there are thousands of people with onset dementia who are still driving. One of the consequences is they sometimes get lost.

A new study from the University of South Florida focuses on how people with dementia become lost while driving, how missing drivers are found, and the role of public notification systems like Florida's "Sliver Alert" in these discoveries. It suggests techniques that may help recover drivers with dementia and prevent harmful accidents.

This topic is very relevant to the caregiving community because most of the drivers who get lost have a family or an outside caregiver. About 70% of the time they drive off with the caregiver's knowledge, mostly on routine trips to the grocery store, gas station, shopping, etc. 

Less than one third take the keys without their caregiver's knowledge. 

Only 15% are found driving the car, which is a good thing. The others simply forget where they parked the car and get lost wandering around looking for it. So the situation overall isn't quite as dangerous as it might seem.

Anne-Marie Botek has written an insightful column about the Florida study, published by the Agingcare.com website and the University of South Florida has published a press release on the USFHealth site. The study itself was published in the Journal of American Geriatric Society. 

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5 reasons caregivers should stay socially involved

See more charts and graphics related to caregiving on our Pinterest Board: Charts & Graphics for Caregivers

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Women caregiver, who is caring for you?

The following is a brief excerpt from an excellent column by Megan K. McCoy in the January 2, 2013, issue of the Huffington Post.

I know several families who are faced with the challenge of caring for their aging parents, and my family is no different. As I've seen my grandparents age, I've attentively watched the impact that it's had on those I love. Caregiving is a labor of love, but carving time out of your busy schedule, between getting the kids to sports practice, succeeding in your own career, and putting dinner on the table can be a daunting task.

Watching your parents, who may have been your role models and had a huge influence on your children's lives, lose their faculties, take increasing dosages of medications, and require constant attention can have an emotional impact that is hard to handle. Decision-making between siblings on such an emotional issue as how they will care for their parents and the delegation of responsibilities can cause strain on otherwise strong sibling relationships -- and to make matters worse, as women in their 40's to 60's grow older, many of them may be hit by the burden of caregiving again. Having cared for elderly parents already, these same women may have the added burden of ultimately caring for their aging husbands.

It stands to reason that among caregivers, some of the biggest complaints are loneliness and isolation. You may be taking care of your parents or spouse, but who is taking care of you? And it is a critical question. 

"Who is taking care of you?" 

Editor's note: If you would like to read this article in its entirety click on the following link. 

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