Dealing with Dysphagia? A Provale Cup can help.

Individuals who have had a stroke often develop a condition called dysphagia.  Dysphagia causes difficulties in swallowing such as aspirating or inhaling liquids when swallowing.

Normally, the muscles in your throat and esophagus contract to move food and liquids from your mouth to your stomach without problems.  But after a stroke, this complex series of contractions may not function properly.  As many as 70 percent of stroke survivors may suffer from Dysphagia according to the National Stroke Association.  

People with dysphagia aspirate when they drink, which leads to fluid trapped in their lungs.

Studies have shown that taking smaller sips when drinking reduces the likelihood of aspirating.  That is where the Provale Cup comes in handy.  The Provale Cup regulates the amount of liquid in each drink or sip; allowing only small swallows with every drinking motion.  

Click here to learn more about the Provale Cup and how it can help with Dysphagia.  

Weighted Utensils for people with Parkinson's Disease or Hand Tremors

People with Parkinson's disease or hand tremors can benefit from using weighted utensils when they eat.   At Elderstore, we carry two models of weighted utensils.   KEatlery utensils have the appearance of normal, quality flatware, but they weigh approximately 8 ounces each.  The other model of weighted utensils we carry are the same weight but with contoured handles to help you or your loved one maintain a better grip.  Click here to learn more.       

Laundry Carts

Lugging heavy laundry baskets around the house gets more difficult with age.  One of our most popular products to deal with this problem is the Panache Laundry Cart.  You can set your laundry basket on this lightweight, folding cart and wheel it wherever you need to in your home.
The other product we really like for moving the family laundry around easily is the VersaCart laundry cart.  This cart has swivel wheels and folds up like an umbrella.  This cart eliminates the laundry basket altogether since you can directly place the laundry directly in the cart bag.

April is Parkinson's Awareness Month

The Parkinson's Disease Foundation reminds us that April is Parkinson's Awareness Month.  As many as one million Americans live with Parkinson's Disease.

Incontinence products for men

Lots of men dislike the idea of using incontinence products -- items like adult diapers, clamps, travel urinals, and catheters. But if you are a man having a problem with incontinence, these products can really help. They can prevent embarrassing accidents and increase your confidence.   We described some of our most popular  incontinence products for men at this link.  The Afex incontinence management system is one of our best selling items to help men with incontinence.  You can find descriptions of all of our incontinence products for men on elderstore.com.

New Travel Pill Box

Check out this sleek new travel pill box.  The travel pill box is designed to carry daily medications or vitamins when you are on the go.

New Pill Cutter

Our latest addition to elderstore is this cool pill cutter.  If you need your pills smaller to make them easier to swallow or to reduce the dosage, take a look at this easy to use pill splitter.

March is National Essential Tremor Awareness Month

In 2010 Congress designated March as National Essential Tremor Awareness Month.  This year, the International Essential Tremor Foundation is organizing walks on March 22 to raise awareness of the disorder.  Visit the foundation's site to learn more.

Alcohol consumption and elderly drivers

A study by the University of Florida has found that alcohol consumption, even within the legal limits, impacts older drivers more than younger ones.  It is a good caution to us all as we age that just because we are under the legal limit doesn't mean we aren't driving impaired.  Use a designated driver!

Red meat and exercise

So this study suggests that the combination of eating lean meat and doing strength training can prevent the muscle deterioration of old age that can lead to falls.  Not surprisingly, it also has a positive impact on mental health. So get a pedal exerciser or a stepper to do your exercises and keep eating your steak and hamburger!