July - September 2019

Preventing Frailty as You Age Frailty is a combination of the natural aging process and a variety of medical problems. It can strongly affect how the person responds to medical treatment, as well as how long and how well he or she will live. Frailty is not as an inevitable part of aging but a condition that in many cases can and should be treated. Many of the causes of frailty, such as depression, vascular disease and vitamin deficiency, are treatable and even reversible through a combination of appropriate medical treatment, maintenance of a good diet and a good exercise regime. Geriatricians suggest that if someone has three or more of these five factors, then that person should be considered frail. These factors are: • Unintentional weight loss (10 pounds or more in a year) • General feeling of exhaustion • Weakness (grip strength) • Slow walking speed • Low levels of physical activity On August 28, 2019, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Serving Our Seniors and the Sandusky Library are hosting Dr. Ardeshir Hashmi, Director of Geriatric Medicine, Cleveland Clinic for a public forum entitled, “Frailty is Not Normal Aging.” The forum is a dialogue between Dr. Hashmi and the audience, facilitated by Tina Elmlinger, Health Care Advocate Trainer, Serving Our Seniors. Seating is limited to 50. An audience of 25 or more is required to justify the time of everyone involved. Registration is required at 419-624-1856 or e-mailing Mail@ServingOurSeniors.org no later than 9:00 a.m. on August 26, 2019. Jay O’Neill and family enjoy swimming together. Peggy Scott and Juanita Fenton enjoy Tai Chi. Carl Andres and Paul Mueller run for fun. Dr. Ardeshir Hashmi Tina Elmlinger Like us on www.servingourseniors.org 19