Aging ,Common Injuries, Interactive Screening

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Aging ,Common Injuries, Interactive Screening
Corrective Actions

• Dr. Deborah Kearney
• Job Smart System
• 724 554 7127
• www.jobsmartsystem.com
• www.deborah.kearney_at_jobsmartrecruiting.com

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Aging You Know What I Mean

• How old are you in your mind?

•  

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Workers Average Age is 45 Years

• As the average age of the general workforce
  population increases, new challenges in safety
  and injury prevention have arisen in the
  workplace. In this session, learn about aging
  trends, common injuries related to aging and what
  you can do about them.
• Injuries are occupationally related or are they ?
  
•  

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Aging You Know What I Mean

• Safety means creating safety for unique
  individuals
• Who All ages, genders, diverse groups  
• What Chronological and Physiological
• Where Systems Differ
• When Fatigue Stress
• Why Nature and Nurture  

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Aging You Know What I Mean

• Who All ages, genders, diverse groups Yes and
• Age is dependent on life style and work style.
• Gender is genetic and risks are systems oriented

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Aging You know what I mean

• What Brain function - Many changes occur in
  brain cells and function over time.
• Brain and nervous system The number of cells
  (neurons) in your brain decreases with age, and
  your memory becomes less efficient. However, in
  some areas of your brain, the number of
  connections between the cells increases, perhaps
  helping to compensate for the aging neurons and
  maintain brain function. Your reflexes tend to
  become slower. You also tend to become less
  coordinated.
• Neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and
  Parkinson's manifest themselves in the older
  body.
• Yes and the more you challenge the brain to get
  out of routine the more it stays flexible
• The less distraction , conflicting demands , and
  fatigue the higher the brain functions

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Aging You Know What I Mean

• Where Systems People Differ
• Cardiovascular health - The heart weakens with
  age and the network of arteries that circulate
  blood can accumulate deposits that choke off the
  flow of blood.
• Cardiovascular system Over time, your heart
  muscle becomes a less efficient pump, working
  harder to pump the same amount of blood through
  your body. In addition, your blood vessels become
  less elastic. Hardened fatty deposits may form on
  the walls of your arteries (arteriosclerosis),
  narrowing the passageway through the vessels. The
  natural loss of elasticity, in combination with
  arteriosclerosis, makes your arteries stiffer,
  causing your heart to work even harder to pump
  blood through them. This can lead to high blood
  pressure (hypertension).
• Glucose regulation - With age, some people
  develop diabetes, a chronic disease involving an
  insulin deficiency and a loss of the body's
  ability to regulate sugar in blood and urine.
• Yes and diet and exercise make a difference

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Aging You Know What I Mean

• Why Nature and Nurture
• Endocrine function - The body's system of glands,
  which secrete helpful chemicals into the blood,
  becomes less efficient with time.
• The immune system - The natural system of
  defenses mounted by the body to combat foreign
  organisms like viruses, bacteria and parasites
  begins to let down its guard as we grow old.
• Oxidative stress - Life-giving oxygen,
  paradoxically, can be bad for health. Oxygen
  sometimes manifests itself as free radicals,
  toxic ionized oxygen molecules that roam cells
  disrupting other molecules in a cascade of
  cellular events that may be at the very root of
  the aging process.
• Yes and the less we allow stress to rule us the
  less the immune systems is affected  

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Digestive System

• Swallowing and the motions that automatically
  move digested food through your intestines slow
  down as you get older. The amount of surface area
  within your intestines diminishes slightly. The
  flow of secretions from your stomach, liver,
  pancreas and small intestine may decrease. These
  changes generally don't disrupt your digestive
  process, so you may never
  notice them. But you might notice
  more constipation
• Glucose regulation - With age, some people
  develop diabetes, a chronic disease involving
  an insulin deficiency and a loss of
  the body's ability to regulate
  sugar in blood and urine.

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Sleep

• Changes little throughout early adulthood.
• If you need seven hours of sleep nightly, chances
  are you'll always need seven hours give or take
  30 minutes.
• As women age, you'll likely find that your sleep
  is interrupted
• As men age snoring may take over and inhibit rest
  
• By age 75, some people find that they're waking
  up several times each night.

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Kidneys, bladder urinary tract

• With age, your kidneys become less efficient in
  removing waste from your bloodstream. Chronic
  conditions, such as diabetes or high blood
  pressure, and some medications can damage your
  kidneys further.
• About 30 percent of people by age 65 and older
  experience a loss of bladder control (urinary
  incontinence). Incontinence can be caused by a
  number of health problems, such as obesity,
  frequent constipation and chronic cough.
• Women are more likely than men to have
  incontinence. Women who've been through menopause
  might experience stress incontinence as the
  muscles around the opening of the bladder (the
  sphincter muscles) lose strength and bladder
  reflexes change. As estrogen levels decline, the
  tissue lining the tube through which urine passes
  (urethra) becomes thinner. Pelvic muscles become
  weaker, reducing bladder support.
• In older men, incontinence is sometimes caused by
  an enlarged prostate, which can block the
  urethra. This makes it difficult to empty your
  bladder and can cause small amounts of urine to
  leak.

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Aging You Know What I Mean

• When Muscle and skeletal health
  - Muscles atrophy and bones weaken
  with at
  approximately 58 years of age.
  Bones, muscles and joints
  Your bones reach their maximum
  mass between ages 25 and
  35.
  As you age, your bones shrink in
  
  size and density.
• One consequence is that you might become shorter.
  
• Gradual loss of density weakens your bones and
  makes them more susceptible to fracture.
• Muscles, tendons and joints generally lose some
  strength and flexibility as you age.
• Yes and reversals happen with exercise in
  particular yoga

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Common Injuries need to be evaluated from the
whole person perspective
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Common InjuriesBruising with - Brains cells

• Routine functions vs. end of the day actions

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Stress Distracted Brain Injuries
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Common Injuries musculoskeletal system
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Slips , Trips , and Falls

• Falls on the same level account for 65 of all
  fall-related injuries.
• In our major cities about 20 people die every
  year and 80 people are injured every day due to
  workplace falls.

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Common Heart and Lung Disease Asthmatic Cant
Breathe Cant function injuries
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Screening Who

• Age Health is not a number of years
• Gender and Diversity
• Females over 50 Estrogen related disease
• Males over 40 Testosterone deficiency can have
  several effects on the body, including
• Decreased energy
• Reduced muscle mass and strength
• Decreased cognitive function
• Less sexual interest or potency
• Depressed mood

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Screening Typically what we do occupationally
is

• Muscles, joints , tendons ligaments
• WHY ARENT WE CHECKING
• Internal systems
• Senses
• STRESS ?
• Check all that apply

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Screening Where is the help? Health Advocacy is
important

• Self Screen
• Primary Physician
• Specialist Eyes With age, your eyes are less
  able to produce tears, your retinas thin and your
  lenses gradually turn yellow and become less
  clear.
• In your 40s, focusing on objects that are close
  up may become more difficult.
• Later, the colored portions of your eyes (irises)
  stiffen, making your pupils less responsive. This
  can make it more difficult to adapt to different
  levels of light.
• Other changes to your lenses can make you
  sensitive to glare, which presents a problem when
  driving at night. Cataracts, glaucoma and macular
  degeneration are the most common problems of
  aging eyes.

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Screening Why

• Skin, nails and hair With age, your skin thins
  and becomes less elastic and more fragile.
• You'll likely notice that you bruise more easily.
  Decreased production of natural oils may make
  your skin drier and more wrinkled.
• Age spots can occur, and skin tags are more
  common. Your nails grow at about half the pace
  they once did. Your hair may gray and thin. In
  addition, you likely perspire less making it
  harder to stay cool in high temperatures and
  putting you at increased risk of heat exhaustion
  and heat stroke.
• How fast your skin ages depends on many factors.
  The most significant factor is sun exposure over
  the years. The more sun your skin has been
  exposed to, the more damage you may attain.
  Smoking adds to skin damage, such as wrinkles.
  Skin cancer is also a concern as you age.
• You have a 40 percent to 50 percent chance of
  getting skin cancer at least once by the time you
  reach 65.

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Screening Ears

• Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions
  affecting adults who are middle-aged and older.
• Four in Ten people over 40 do not hear low tones
  or low consonant sounds
• One in three people older than 60 and half of all
  people older than 85 have significant hearing
  loss in high frequencies .
• Over the years, sounds and noise can damage the
  hair cells of your inner ears.
• Walls of your auditory canals thin, and your
  eardrums thicken.
• Some people find it difficult to follow a
  conversation in a crowded room. Changes in the
  inner ear or in the nerves attached to it, earwax
  buildup and various diseases can all impact your
  hearing.

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Screening When

• Prevention first Teeth
• How your teeth and gums respond to age
  depends on how well
  you've cared for them
  over the years.
• But even if you're meticulous about brushing
  and flossing, you may
  notice that your mouth feels drier and your gums
  have pulled back (receded). Your teeth may darken
  slightly and become more brittle and easier to
  break.
• Most adults can keep their natural teeth all of
  their lives. But with less saliva to wash away
  bacteria, your teeth and gums become slightly
  more vulnerable to decay and infection.
• If you've lost most or all of your natural teeth,
  you might use dentures or dental implants as a
  replacement.
• Some older adults experience dry mouth
  (xerostomia), which can lead to tooth decay and
  infection.
• Dry mouth can also make speaking, swallowing and
  tasting difficult. Oral cancer is more common
  among older adults. Your dentist checks for oral
  cancer when you go for regular cleanings and
  checkups.

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Screening Why

• Physiological age is not chronology dependent
• You can slow down and reverse the effects of
  aging relative to injury, disease , and
  disability
• ACHES BECOME PAINS AND PAINS BECOME INJURIES

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Screening Touch and Sensation

• Grip
• Grasp
• Pain creates fatigue and distraction
• Arthritis is frequently an undiagnosed disease

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Corrective Actions Whole Body Approach

• Feet , Ankles, Knees and Hips
• Spine Lower and Middle back and Neck
• Internal Organs
• Senses
• Realignment
• Stretching
• Work Stations
• Stress, Air, Water, Sleep , Diet

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Swimming Increased resistance maintains mobility
of the hand
the back stroke is best exercise
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Corrective Actions Musculoskeletal System
Emotional Stress

• The human body responds to stress by contracting
  the muscles of the back, shoulders, and neck. As
  we worry, concentrate, hurry, make a mistake, or
  have a confrontation, that stress is expressed in
  our muscles.
• Over time, this almost constant contraction forms
  tender or painful knots in the muscles called
  trigger points. The resulting imbalance in the
  muscles leads to subluxation of the spine.
• The nerves become irritated by the change in the
  position and motion of the vertebrae due to the
  change in the size and angle of the foramen,
  between the bones through which the nerves exit.
• The small guiding joints or facets also become
  irritated from the subluxation and now the joint
  capsules, ligaments, and muscles become inflamed.
• Finally, the subluxation and surrounding
  inflammation result in sufficient nerve
  irritation to cause pain and muscle spasm. The
  loss of the strength, endurance, and coordination
  of the muscles puts us at risk of spinal
  sprain/strain under times of increased physical
  or postural stress.

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Corrective Actions Flexibility

• A person's age is determined by the flexibility
  of his spine, not the number of years he has
  lived. Yoga helps in slowing down the aging
  process by providing elasticity to the spine,
  firming up the skin, removing tension from the
  body, strengthening the abdominal muscles,
  eliminating the likelihood of a double chin,
  improving the quality of loose arm muscles,
  correcting poor posture

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Corrective Actions Setting up for work

• THIS SCREEN IS TOO LOW
• HANDS NOT LEVEL
• FEET NOT FLAT
• NO FOOT REST

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Corrective Actions Setting up work areas

• Your posture and the position of equipment
  supports your Musculo-skeletal system

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Corrective Actions The mouse in the house

• This creative mouse stand was purchased by the
  employee for 10 dollars. It is your regular bar
  stool set to the correct height .Most keyboard
  trays have mouse trays that align the mouse to
  the hand.

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CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WORK STATION SET UP

• The standing work station allows a worker energy
  and posture options. Sit/Stand working posture
  re-energizes the body by decompressing the spine
  and organs.

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Corrective Actions Vision

• When a person has bi/tri focals it is often
  difficult for them to adjust to both their
  reading material and their monitor. Computer
  glasses are recommended.

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Corrective Actions Color Coding Text
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Corrective Actions Lighting

• Task lighting is the most important intervention
  for visual acuity. The more appropriate the light
  to the task the easier utility . Do not over
  light computer work areas.

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Corrective Actions Hearing

• NOISE IS ANY SOUND THE IS A DISTRACTION FROM
  CONCENTRATION
• MUSIC CAN PRODUCE STRESS OR REDUCE IT
• MUSIC CAN ENHANCE OR CHANGE ONES MOOD

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Corrective Actions Sleep

• Research shows that many if not most of us are
  living with a sleep deficit. The ill effects on
  our health and well being are serious and
  numerous. We need at least seven hours of sleep a
  night for mental and physical health. Turn off
  that computer, TV, stereo, or video and get to
  bed earlier.

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Corrective Actions Getting Rest

• Sleeping Positions
• Never sleep on your stomach. Sleeping on the
  stomach increases the normal curves in the neck
  and the low back resulting in additional nerve
  compression and stress to the guiding joints or
  facets of the vertebrae.
• Sleep on your side with the knees slightly bent
  and one pillow between the knees. Side sleeping
  Pull your pillow down into the shoulder to
  support the neck.
• For sleep on your back, place two pillows under
  the knees to reduce stress to the low back, neck
  and mid back.
  Back sleeping - In order to support the neck, the
  pillow must accept the weight of the back of the
  head.
• The recommended pillow
• A moderately stuffed fiber filled pillow is
  hypoallergenic and easily fluffed up to support
  the neck but still compressible to contour to the
  head and the neck in accepting the weight of the
  back of the head.

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Breathing to Reenergize

• You ,your brain your lungs
• Half a nose is better than one
• Do the Yogi breathing to reenergize
• Hold one nostril closed Breath deeply on the
  inhale, hold
• Blow out the exhale
• Now do the same to the other nostril
• x 3 to reenergize your brain.

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Corrective Actions Breathing and Exercise

• Exercise relieves stress through activity.
• Stretching and strengthening exercises combine to
  balance the strength and tone of the muscles and
  ligaments. The muscles and ligaments are the
  supporting structures of the spine, so fitness
  benefits spinal health.
• Aquacise program at the YMCA is recommended.
• Low back patients however, should avoid any
  exercises involving twisting of the hips or
  torso.
• Yoga is an excellent exercise technique for
  stretching .
• There are numerous popular fitness programs
  available for group participation or on video,
  many of which combine yoga and aerobics or
  crossover (for any sport) strengthening and
  stretching exercises which may be referred to as
  warm up and cool down exercises.
• Please take note that step aerobics and jogging
  or running are hard on all the weight bearing
  joints, including the spine, due to the
  compression of the joints from repeated impact
  with the floor or ground.
• Almost everyone can walk. Start at your own pace.
  Slowly, over the weeks, increase the distance and
  speed of your walk. Close your hands and swing
  your arms to relieve tension in your neck,
  shoulders, and mid back. Breathe deeply. Walk
  with a friend, family member, or pet to further
  reduce stress.
• Ride a bike, play golf, but do something!

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Corrective Actions Hydration

• Which is best ? Bottom right

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Corrective Actions Taste

• What enhances the sense of taste
• Less seasoning with salt and sugar Minimize, or
  take the leap and eliminate, salt and sugar in
  your diet.
• Utilize honey and herbs and spices to sweeten and
  season.
• Honey makes a great tea!MAKE IT REAL
• Drinking ½ hour before a meal or one hour after a
  meal lets your body digest with ease

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Eat What ? When ? How Much?
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Corrective Actions Internal Systems Diet

• Weight As you age, maintaining a healthy weight
  
  or losing weight if you're
  overweight
  may be more difficult.
  Your metabolism
  generally slows,
  meaning that your body
  burns
  fewer calories. Calories that were once
  
  used to meet your daily energy needs
  instead
  are stored as fat. Your
  level of activity may
  decrease,
  resulting in unwanted weight gain.
• low fat diet, more chicken and fish baked or
  grilled, less beef, pork, and fried foods.
• Include all the fresh vegetables and fruits you
  like, you can't get enough.
• Use less preserved, prepared, canned, and frozen
  foods as their vitality and nutrition are
  reduced. Read labels and avoid chemical additives
  that color or lengthen shelf life.
• Due to our farming methods and natural erosion,
  our soil, and therefore what we grow, lacks many
  needed minerals and trace elements necessary for
  good health.
• Consider taking a multi-vitamin and mineral
  complex and be sure it is derived from natural
  organic sources, not produced chemically in the
  laboratory.

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How much is too much ! There is never enough
birthday cake !

• The longest documented human life span is 122
  years.
• Though a life span that long is rare,
  improvements in medicine, science and technology
  over the last century have helped more people
  live longer, healthier lives.
• If you were born in the early 1900s in the United
  States, your life expectancy was only about 50
  years.
• Today it's around 77.