GOOD MENTAL HEALTH TIPS FOR SENIORS DISCUSSED DURING SENIOR-WISE

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(Casper, WY) -- Being pro-active about our health -- and not just physical health -- can be critical in how we see life and how we enjoy it. That was the message shared recently during "Senior-Wise" at the Casper Senior Center, by Kelly Shipley, Clinical Therapist with the Central Wyoming Counseling Center. She encouraged seniors to take care of their mental health, too, because being healthy mentally can mean a better quality of life and a longer life. "You'll also feel better while you live," she said.

She said it's common for seniors to live alone but being alone is not the same as being lonely. "Lonely is a passive state," she noted. "You can be alone and still be very active. You can be interested in things, and interacting with people -- even if you're by yourself. Loneliness is something that can cause physical problems and hasten death."  She shared studies that show loneliness can send misleading hormonal signals to our bodies. "Long lasting loneliness not only makes you sick," she cautioned, "it can kill you. In fact, emotional isolation ranks as high a risk factor for mortality -- as smoking."

Shipley also pointed out that loneliness can make our brains play tricks on us. "We can interpret things differently and incorrectly if we're in a depressed state or a lonely state," she said. "So, it's important for us to be aware of where we are in our individual emotional states. Our brains may be telling us things that aren't actually happening  but because of the loneliness we don't see it that way." 

Engaging with other people is a key to fighting loneliness, she said, and it's not about quantity -- it's about quality. "We don't need a thousand friends," she encouraged, "we just need a few people who either depend on us or we depend on them. Realize you're not alone. Get involved with activities. Join a class. Come to the Senior Center. Do something that interests you."

She said the idea is not to allow yourself to wallow. "Distract yourself and stay busy," she chuckled. "Challenge yourself to take the initiative in social situations; show interest in others and listen more than you talk. And especially, be a pleasant person."

She concluded by telling local seniors that being by yourself is not necessarily a bad thing as long as you understand the difference between loneliness and being alone.

Senior-Wise is held Tuesdays at 12:30pm at the Casper Senior Center, 1831 East 4th Street, Casper.

GOOD DENTAL CARE TIPS OFFERED DURING SENIOR-WISE

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        (Casper, WY) -- Senior dental care isn't that different from dental care for everyone else, according to Dr. Mike Keim (above), Casper dentist in practice locally for nearly 40 years. "There are some differences that show up as individuals begin to age that contribute to some of the problems that are unique to seniors," he said. For instance, seniors can have fairly involved medical histories and those can complicate treatment and can dictate ways the dentist will treat -- such as the anesthetic used or length of appointment time.

           Dr. Keim made these comments to a group of seniors recently during the Senior-Wise program at the Casper Senior Center. He said dry mouth is one of the biggest problems he sees in his older patients. "Dry mouth can be caused by several factors," he said. "It can be due to certain medications they're on, blood pressure medications in particular." He added that saliva is important in protecting teeth because it helps wash bacteria away from the teeth and it also contains calcium. "Calcium helps to remineralize the teeth," he added, "and when your saliva flow rate drops then quite often you'll have more cavities." 

         He said if you have trouble with dry mouth one of the best ways to deal with it is to chew sugarless gum because sugarless gum stimulates saliva flow and cleans your teeth. When asked about the old camper's trick of putting a rock in your mouth he chuckled, "That will help saliva flow but it can also lead to broken teeth."

           He also said another cause of cavities for seniors is the loss of gum tissue height. He cautioned that if you don't take adequate care of your teeth you tend to lose a little of the bone that supports the teeth and as you lose the bone height then the gum tissue height will recede. He says that can cause root surfaces to become exposed instead of the enamel on the crown of the tooth, and he noted that root surfaces are much more susceptible to decay than the enamel.  

         He did have some good news, however. 'If you brush your teeth and do an adequate job of removing the bacteria and food particles and plaque around the teeth you can pretty well prevent periodontal problems from setting in," he said. "If you do these things you can keep your teeth to a much older age."

          Senior-Wise is held Tuesdays at 12:30pm at the Casper Senior Center, 1831 East 4th Street, Casper.