Looking after the older members of our society has been in the news thanks to COVID 19 and the push to vaccinate the most vulnerable in our communities. Many of us have shared anecdotes about parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts and others deserving of a little extra attention and care over the last 12 months. For those in care homes, there have been scandalously high rates of infection to battle. Independent older people have had to manage without visitors leading to significant impacts on their mental health too.
What are the solutions? Concerned family members have embraced digital technology. Inviting older relatives to Zoom quizzes or hangouts has become familiar for many. Regular phone calls are standard. Some have taken to ‘drive bys’ to deliver shopping and chat through windows from a safe distance.
As lockdown restrictions are eased, it is unlikely that normality will return immediately. Some relationships will have changed forever too. However much concern elderly relatives cause amongst their children, changes in living arrangements and working routines are not always going to be possible. Technology may, therefore, continue to be the answer.
We can use communication tools to check on our relatives but does a method of discretely monitoring the elderly at other times exist? Can you, as a concerned relative, keep an eye on an independent living older family member? The answer is yes. Recently launched in the UK, Stackcare’s pioneering system is the result of Artificial Intelligence (AI) research from the heart of Silicon Valley, California, next to the likes of Google and Apple. Data scientists developed technology that can learn the behaviour of elderly members of the community who live and alone, through discrete motion sensors, and alert family members or professional caregivers should anything in that behaviour change. This includes more trips to the bathroom, fewer trips to the kitchen to eat, less sleep or more time stationary for example. Noticing these changes and raising the alarm can help spot health issues from urinirary conditions to the onset of dementia. Reporting consistent patterns of behaviour can provide reassurance all is well too.
The ability of machines to learn has many applications when it comes to health and well being. It generally centres on an improved ability to identify patterns and, when required, raise the alarm something has changed. It could be x-rays, blood test results or MRI scans. In the case of Stackcare, the technology senses movements of the elderly around their homes, understands what is normal and then raises the alarm over inconsistencies and changes.
Such technology is clearly going to help a lot of families looking after independent elderly relatives - even when lockdown restrictions become a thing of the past.
Zoom app is one of the leading video conferencing apps that have sorted everyone’s lives, especially during current times.
It has led the workflow to run smoothly and to a new level of growth.
How to Use Zoom: 10 Tips and Tricks for Better Video Meetings
Homes and streets are lit at all hours so that people can go about their business when they’d once have been asleep.
One aspect has avoided the spotlight though.
Do civilisations exist on planets other than Earth?
But it has also received serious attention from scientists, who have thought of ways to find and possibly contact these alien species.
In 1974, radio astronomer Frank Drake used the then most powerful radio transmitter, at Arecibo in Puerto Rico, to broadcast a message into space announcing our presence.
The message will now be 45 light years away from us.
Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes sufferers to feel chronic pain in many different areas of the body, affecting people of all ages, but mostly middle-aged and older individuals.
Those with Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis are most at risk of developing Fibromyalgia.While the cause of Fibromyalgia is yet unknown, physicians have been able to assist patients in managing their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
Dealing with constant pain, day in and day out can take its toll both physically and mentally.
It is for this reason that many Fibromyalgia sufferers experience mental and emotional disorders, in addition to the pain they have to endure.Common Fibromyalgia symptoms include:• Widespread pain & stiffness• Sleep problems & Insomnia• Fatigue and general tiredness• Mood disorders such as Depression & Anxiety• Confusion & difficulty concentrating• Headaches & migraines• Tingling or numbness in the hands & feet• Pain in the face & jaw• Digestive problems such as abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and IBSNow that we are aware of the symptoms relating to this condition, we should examine the methods used to treat Fibromyalgia.Fibromyalgia TreatmentThere are several Fibromyalgia treatment options available, primarily those for Fibromyalgia pain management.
A few opportunities exist for treatment by way of Fibromyalgia therapy that improves the patient’s ability to go about their daily tasks with as little pain and discomfort as possible.Fibromyalgia Pain ManagementFor the most part, the chronic pain caused by Fibromyalgia is managed by using prescription and over-the-counter painkillers.The National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association in the US indicates that low doses of antidepressants can also be used for Fibromyalgia pain management, as well as to improve sleep.Injecting a local anesthetic at the point of the pain, as well as the use of muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants, and antipsychotics, have all been recommended as effective methods employed by doctors for Fibromyalgia Pain Management.Fibromyalgia Therapy OptionsFibromyalgia therapy treatments include programs designed to reduce physical pain, improve sleep, and combat the effects of mood disorders associated with the condition.The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) recommends several Fibromyalgia therapy options to assist with symptom relief.
These including pain relief therapies such as physiotherapy or a tailored, low-impact exercise routine, as well as hydrotherapy which involves patients swimming, sitting, or exercising in a heated pool.To work through the feelings of depression and anxiety, they recommend seeking out counseling or enlisting the help of a therapist for structured psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy solutions.The NHS also indicates that acupuncture therapy, massage therapy, and aromatherapy provide relief by encouraging physical and mental relaxation, which helps ward off both the pain and emotional symptoms.Note that, should you believe that you may be suffering from Fibromyalgia, we recommend that you make an appointment with your physician to get tested and to work out a treatment plan specific to your needs.An ongoing, focused Fibromyalgia treatment plan will assist patients in managing the symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia and will improve their overall quality of life.
