Meet Senior Agenda's Senior of the Year 2016...Ms Mary Greenlee

She's poised, polite, sophisticated, intelligent, articulate, dramatic, beautiful and smart.  Her eyes dance when she speaks and her smile is contagious.  She walks with purpose and speaks with confidence. She says you get smarter as you grow older because you just can't keep making the same mistakes over and over again.  

But the thing that truly captivated us about Mary was her energy.  Her energy is electric.  This woman isn't slowing down. She isn't getting old. She isn't growing tired.  She's out and about still turning heads and bending ears.  

Meet Mary Greenlee.  We had the privilege of interviewing her on Senior Agenda in August of 2016.  Listen to the interview here.  

Mary earned her BA in Communications from Denison University in 1962 followed by her MA in Theatre Direction from Wayne State University in 1967. She worked as a teacher prior to her years as a stay-at-home mom, and then served as Director of the Franklin County Drug Free Schools Consortium from 1987-1996.  

She founded a company called Transition Times in 2009 after her own discoveries about the importance of being prepared following the sudden loss of her lifelong spouse.  Transition Times  provides adults with a comprehensive approach to pre-planning that goes beyond typical legal and financial considerations.  Mary drew on the expertise of over 40 professionals including physicians, attorneys. financial planners, accountants, bankers, nurses, and funeral planners to connect the dots.  She is quick to point out that planning isn't enough. You also want to be sure the information is accessible.  She developed a Life Facts Book, available in notebook and spiral versions, to organize and maintain everything from passwords to medical information to household services to legal documents and beyond.   

What will Mary be up to next?  We're not sure but stay tuned and we will let you know.  In the meantime, please learn more about Transition Times and join us in congratulating Mary Greenlee as Senior Agenda's Senior of the Year 2016!  

Top Six Ways to Reduce Chronic Pain for Seniors

Teaching seniors to self-manage their pain and understand pain treatment options is necessary to reduce or eliminate chronic pain.  Safe treatments for seniors are available and include:

·        Medications or Drug Therapy / Prescription and Nonprescription

If over-the-counter drugs do not provide relief, your doctor may prescribe stronger prescription medications like muscle relaxants, anti-anxiety drugs, and other prescription painkillers. 

·         Physical and/or Occupational Therapy / Out-patient or Home Health

Physical and occupation therapies help to relieve pain by using special techniques that improve movement and function along with stretching,  strengthening, and other pain-relieving techniques.

·        Exercise

Research shows that regular exercise can diminish pain in the long run by improving muscle tone, strength, and flexibility.  Types of recommended exercises for senior chronic pain suffers include swimming, biking, walking and yoga. 

·       Chiropractic Treatment & Massage

Chiropractic treatment and massage are increasingly used by seniors suffering from chronic pain – especially when the pain is occurring in the back and/or neck.  The effectiveness of these techniques is an open and on-going debate.  Osteopathic doctors are also trained in bone manipulation techniques like the ones used by chiropractors. 

·       Psychological Treatment for Depression & Anxiety

Chronic pains leads to increased levels of anxiety, stress, depression, anger and fatigue.  Reaching out to a psychologist or counselor for professional help can help ease the emotional toll of chronic pain and make pain management possible.

·       Alternative Therapies / Acupuncture, Meditation, Biofeedback

Some people find relief in mind-body therapies and dietary approaches including nutritional supplements.  Alternative therapies are not always benign.  Always talk to your doctor before trying an alternative approach.  Be sure to tell your doctors about any alternative treatments you are using. 

Seniors and the elderly suffering from chronic pain should see their doctor for a complete assessment to rule out underlying causes that can be treated or to learn how to manage their pain.  

Chronic pain poses a significant problem for many seniors.  Pain is incorrectly thought to be a natural or inevitable part of the aging process.  Consequently, it is often under-reported and under-treated. Too often seniors do not report their pain because they do not believe it can be treated.  Some worry that reporting it will lead to expensive testing, additional medications or a new diagnosis.  Others fail to report it when they are in denial or fearful about disease progression when a diagnosis is in place.  And then there are age-related conditions like hearing loss and dementia that make it more difficult to communicate or assess pain.  To complicate matters even further, studies indicate that the pain threshold increases with advanced aging so pain tolerance decreases with age.  Increases in pain sensitivity have been attributed to age-related anatomical, physiological and biochemical changes. 

Treating chronic pain in seniors requires understanding the special needs of seniors and the elderly. Some older adults require special care because of multiple medical conditions including diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and other common ailments. 

The Complexities of Chronic Pain for Older Adults

Chronic pain poses a significant problem for many seniors.  Pain is incorrectly thought to be a natural or inevitable part of the aging process.  Consequently, it is often under-reported and under-treated. Too often seniors do not report their pain because they do not believe it can be treated.  Some worry that reporting it will lead to expensive testing, additional medications or a new diagnosis.  Others fail to report it when they are in denial or fearful about disease progression when a diagnosis is in place.  And then there are age-related conditions like hearing loss and dementia that make it more difficult to communicate or assess pain.  To complicate matters even further, studies indicate that the pain threshold increases with advanced aging so pain tolerance decreases with age.  Increases in pain sensitivity have been attributed to age-related anatomical, physiological and biochemical changes. 

Treating chronic pain in seniors requires understanding the special needs of seniors and the elderly. Older adults require special care because of multiple medical conditions including diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and other common ailments.  

Teaching seniors to self-manage their pain and understand pain treatment options is necessary to reduce or eliminate chronic pain.  Safe treatments for seniors are available and include:

·       Medications or Drug Therapy / Prescription and Nonprescription

·       Physical Therapy / Out-patient or Home Health

·       Occupational Therapy / Out-patient or Home Health

·       Chiropractic Treatment & Massage

·       Psychological Treatment for Depression & Anxiety

·       Alternative Therapies / Acupuncture

·       Mind-Body Therapies / Meditation, Biofeedback

·       Dietary Approaches / Nutritional Supplements

·       Pain Clinics

Seniors and the elderly suffering from chronic pain should see their doctor for a complete assessment to rule out underlying causes that can be treated or to learn how to manage their pain. 

Please note:  Alternative therapies are not always benign.  For example, nutritional supplements may interact with other medications you may be taking.  Always talk to your doctor before trying an alternative approach and be sure to tell your doctors what alternative treatments you are using.