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How Technology Is Helping Seniors Age in Place

Baby boomers are aging.  The number of Americans over the age of 65 could increase by 75% in the coming years.  More seniors will need care than ever, and companies are coming up with creative solutions to the senior care shortage.  In fact, baby boomers may have a better time aging than their parents. They’ll have more options for how they age than any previous generation.  Technology is making up for lack of caregivers, and for caregivers who live far away. Here are three particularly creative products helping seniors age in place:

  • Lively Home.  The Lively Home system employs ‘passive’ monitoring.  Sensors are placed strategically throughout the patient’s home.  These sensors detect a senior’s sleeping, eating, and even toileting patterns.  The company uses predictive analytics to alert caregivers when a change in pattern means trouble.  For example, if a sensor picks up more time in bed, it could mean that there’s a physical problem. In seniors, even minor illnesses can get serious if not addressed quickly.  On the other hand, a healthy senior could forget that they have the system installed. There’s no way for the patient to interact with the system, so seniors can go about their normal lives.
  • IbisHub.  This system enables remote communication and monitoring.  The patient enters their data in the hub, which is basically a big touch screen tablet.  The care team has immediate access to the data. Any concerning value can be addressed immediately.  The hub works both ways, so the care team can communicate back to the patient if needed. Like with the Lively system, the IbisHub uses analytics to identify changes that might indicate a problem.
  • Grandcare system.  The cool thing about this system is that it combines social and physical health in one product.  The Grandcare system allows seniors to log blood pressure, glucose and others vitals directly from their monitors.  There’s no manual entry. The system is customizable, so if you want to add more sensors and devices you can do so as needed.  The elders also receive messages and reminders from their family, which may help ease the loneliness that is common in the elderly.  Seniors can even use the touch screen device for online entertainment.

These technologies aren’t just for individual caretakers.  Insurance companies, provider organizations, and other companies that care for seniors are using these solutions for their patients.  As these types of tech solutions become more popular, they’ll likely revolutionize the senior housing industry. They can be used in senior apartments, assisted living facilities, or continuing care retirement communities to help seniors age in place safely, with minimal cost.

Hosting An International Food Day at Your Senior Center

Senior centers have been long thought of as the focal point of communities across the country for aging adults. They provide a means for seniors to explore, have fun, learn, connect, and engage in life to the fullest. Though the health and fitness programs and senior assistance services are essential, it is often the fun activities and socialization that keeps elderly members of the community coming back. 

It’s essential to have an array of activities that meet the varying abilities and tastes of the center’s residents or visitors. While there are many activities and events to consider, hosting an International Food Day at Your Senior Center is an idea the seniors, staff, and community are sure to enjoy. 

Why Have an International Food Day? 

As most senior centers provide free or affordable meals to the elderly, making mealtime a bit more festive can really be fun. Providing them with a spread of international dishes exposes them to the many cultures around the world. Not to mention, the power of taste can make seniors reminisce and even share their own childhoods. With a bit of decor, a cultured menu, great music, and a few activities, this international food day is sure to be a hit. Below is a bit of advice. 

International Food Day Planning Tips

Below are a few pointers to keep in mind as you plan your International Food Day for seniors. 

Decor Ideas

When it comes to decorating the place there are a ton of ideas. You can make banners out of international flags and hang them around the rooms. Another idea might be to set up each side of the room as a different country. Using the country’s main colors, you can put down tablecloths, hang flags, and get colored paper products to keep with the theme. 

Decide on a Menu

The idea is to pick the most popular dishes from a variety of countries and cultures while also keeping health and diet restrictions in mind. It may be a good idea to work with a catering company that specializes in a variety of cuisines while using fresh ingredients. You can review a catering menu to get an idea of what you’d like to serve at your senior center’s International Food Day. Here are a few things you might look for: 

 

  • Margherita Pizza

 

If you’ve always wanted to travel through Italy, stuffing yourself with traditional Italian pizza and wine, you need to add “trying Margherita pizza” to your bucket list. It’s probably the most famous pizza in Italy, though Napoletana and Romana are also popular choices. In Italy, Margherita pizza is made with tomato sauce, basil, and thick slices of mozzarella, but in the states, you’ll more likely to find it made using marinara sauce instead.

 

  • Elotes (aka Mexican Street Corn)

 

Elotes originated in Mexico and quickly became a popular late-night snack for many Mexicans. Thankfully, it’s a dish immigrant brought to the states with them, because it’s now a popular snack in the U.S. too. Typically, elotes are made by placing a section of corn on the cob on a stick then slathering it with a combination of mayonnaise or butter, chili powder, cilantro, chihuahua cheese, lime, and salt. 

 

  • Empanadas

 

In the U.S., you can find empanadas served in Columbian and Mexican restaurants, but the dish originated in Argentina. Empanadas are stuffed pastries, typically savory, not sweet. There are a lot of different varieties of empanadas, which isn’t surprising when you consider their popularity throughout Latin American, the U.S., and the Philippines. 

For the most part, though, traditional Argentine empanadas are made with a filling that’s a mixture of ground beef or chicken, onions, bell peppers, oil, salt, black pepper, sugar, ground cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, chicken stock, and reserved beef. 

 

  • Armenian Beef Kebabs

 

You can find various versions of kebabs throughout Middle Eastern countries, including shish kebabs, which are popular in the U.S. However, Armenian beef kebabs are a common street food that’s slightly different. It’s still served on a stick or skewer, but it’s wrapped in lavash, an Amerian flatbread.

Decide on Entertainment

Though visitors will spend most of their time eating and socializing, you want to have a bit of entertainment lined up to make the event more fun. You can create a playlist of popular songs from around the world for seniors to dance to if they’d like. Another fun option would be to have seniors to perform for their peers! They could do dances, songs, or other fun activities from their own countries. You can also hire or look for volunteers to come in and teach seniors how to cook traditional dishes, learn international dances, or perhaps to do a play that depicts a certain moment in time. 

Hosting an International Food Day at your senior center is sure to be a hit. The seniors get to taste foods they don’t always get to eat, reminisce about the good old days, learn about other cultures and countries around the world, and have a ton of fun while doing it. Use the tips listed above to begin planning an international event the community will be talking about all year. 

Vacation Ideas for Improving Health and Wellbeing

A healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be bland and uneventful. Just like eating tasty foods made from whole, natural ingredients and listening to your favorite music while exercising, vacations can also be healthy without having to sacrifice the fun and relaxation of a getaway.

Surfing lessons can be both fun and health-giving. Some beach resorts offer lessons as part of their vacation packages. This means more time in the ocean, out amongst the waves under the invigorating sun. This idea may appeal to swimmers and others who enjoy spending most of their time on beaches. In addition to surfing lessons, some resorts also offer scuba-diving lessons that allow you to safely venture beneath the water for extended periods of time.

On the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of weather, you can have a healthy vacation skiing on the mountain slopes in the states (Wyoming or New York), or abroad, in the likes of Switzerland and Italy. Lessons are almost always available at ski resorts and is a fun experience for the whole family. Just don’t forget to bundle up.

Going on a health retreat to boost well being is another option for those looking for a healthy getaway. There are many retreats that offer spa services that include massages for the muscles, hot baths and saunas to flush the skin and sooth muscles, and group meditations to quell the mind. Yoga and Pilates classes are also usually included in package deals.

The next option for a healthy vacation is for those who like interacting with nature up close. Camping is a great way to bond with loved ones while becoming “one” with the environment. The fresh air and sun are enough to attract some who may otherwise not want to try this kind of vacation experience. There are also so many things to do; first off, you can go hiking through the woods or on a trail if there is one near your campgrounds. Take in the sights, bring a camera along to capture the natural beauty all around you, the opportunities will be endless and the exercise beneficial.

There is plenty to do on a ranch. Maybe it could be the destination for your next healthy vacation. In the American Midwest, many families take part in the ranch experience, exploring the landscape on horseback. There’s also the campfire where everyone enjoys dinner while bonding over stories under the starry night sky. Animal lovers will love the chance to interact with all the animals a ranch has to offer. There are family-friendly ranches in Wyoming, Arizona, Colorado, and Montana.

A vacation in the countryside sounds relaxing to most, especially when there’s a vineyard nearby. Wine lovers would get the chance to witness the wine-making process and would eventually get the chance to sample the many varieties. A serving of wine is actually beneficial since it contains antioxidants and may help combat heart disease. Vacationers can also ride bikes through the countryside to take in the sights–many resorts in the countryside offer bike rentals. Despite this, some choose to go on foot, which is also nice.

There are many options to choose from when it comes to settling on a healthy vacation. Whether it’s a journey between two lovers, a group of friends or a family, all participants can expect to have a good, healthy time. 

Looking and Feeling Your Best After 60

As we accumulate chronological years, we don’t have to age biologically. We can still look and feel great well beyond the age of 60. But in order to maintain this static biological aging process, and stay independent, we have to make certain lifestyle choices. And when we know what to do, we can make those specific changes that have the biggest impact on how we look and feel. You can look and feel like a kid again if you follow all of the following tips.

#1: Workout Regularly

Although many people in the United States have desk jobs in the services industry, there are still plenty of times and places to workout. Whether you like to go jogging, swimming, or cross-training at the gym, fitness is the key to reversing the biological clock.

When you exercise regularly, you increase your metabolic rate and burn up the excess stores of fat that release toxins into the body. You will also have the initiative to do more things, in general, when you are light and lean. Maintaining high energy levels and stamina are critical components of feeling young as we age.

#2: Dress Young

Don’t wear those bell-bottom pants that were popular when you were a teenager. You have to change and adapt to the times. Dressing up in trendy outfits that young and hip people would wear is part of creating the illusion of youth. You would never think that anyone wearing polyester red pants was a young man if there was any evidence to the contrary.

You can also wear a body shaper for added confidence. Although it is better to eliminate any fat and flab through diet and exercise, you can still tighten things up by using shapewear to replace the loss of the collagen that once firmed up your skin.

#3: Eat Healthy

Eating healthy is just as important as exercising. If you don’t eat healthy, burning off the extra calories and fat is pointless. One of the biggest poisons in the American diet is sugar. Sugar and simple starches are absolutely the worst ingredients in any food.

Sugar is essentially the glucose that our cells burn for energy. But when we eat processed and refined sugars and foods that contain them, our body doesn’t know what to do with it. Therefore, it releases a huge insulin spike for the cells to absorb the sugar and convert it into stored energy as white fat.

This white fat is very hard to get rid of because our body rarely needs such high volumes of energy to function at any given time and will only open up these reserves in brief emergencies. This is why we only lose a little bit of sugar fat at a time and wind up burning muscle and other cells first.

Of course, eating a well-balanced and natural diet full of vitamins and minerals goes beyond avoiding sugar and simple starches that are easily converted into sugar.

#4: Stay Mentally Acute

In order to maintain a sharp and healthy mind, you have to keep on forcing your brain to think. You can’t rely on looking everything up. Don’t use a calculator to make computations; do them in your head. If you can learn to play a musical instrument, this will also help to build new neural pathways by growing synapses. The more that you challenge yourself, the easier it will be to maintain mental dexterity as you age.

3 Great Investment Options for Retirees

With Americans living longer than they did in the past, retirement takes on a very different meaning from a financial perspective. There are lots of people who still have 15-20 years of good living to do after they reach the age of retirement and decide to in fact retire.

It’s okay for someone to simply pack it in and rest on their financial laurels as they stand at the point of retirement. The combination of past investments and social security might be all that’s necessary to keep someone feeling comfortable about their financial future. However, twenty years is a long time to have money not working to provide even better financial security.

Retirees certainly have a lot less investment flexibility that someone who is in the middle of their prime earning years. Retirees can’t afford to take risks and they need to stay focused on providing themselves with a steady stream of month cash flow to support their living needs. The good news is there are several investment retirees can make that won’t necessarily infringe on the need for less risk and a steady source of cash flow.

Here are three options worthy of consideration:

Buying a Business

Buying an established income-producing business is not something retirees often consider. However, it’s an investment option with great potential. The key to investing in a business is picking one that’s well-established and one where a majority of the existing employees would be willing to continue employment.

This doesn’t have to be a business in which the retiree wants to intimately involved. They don’t even need to necessarily understand the business industry, though that would be a better way to go. If someone were to find a profitable accounting practice for sale and buy it, that could well be a great investment. The objective would likely be to create a monthly stream of income.

Real Estate

Real estate is still one of the best financial investments an American can make no matter their age. That would certainly apply to retirees. The thing that might be a little different for someone who decides to invest in real estate at an advanced age would be the expectations behind the real estate investment.

In the short-term, there’s always some risk involved in the purchase of real estate. Over longer periods of time, real estate always seems to appreciate in value. With that said, retirees shouldn’t become too fixated on the appreciation. Instead, they should focus on creating a reliable source of monthly cash flow. That points squarely to investing in income-producing real estate. A rental home or small office building would both be reasonable options.

Investing in Precious Metals

Precious metals are generally assumed to mean gold or silver, though platinum might also be worthy of consideration. For a retiree, this would not necessarily be the kind of investment they would make to create an income stream. Instead, this would be a great option to protect against risk.

If a retiree’s financial resources sit in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, those investments are constantly at risk due to things happening in politics and the economy. If the retiree is expecting to liquidate a small portion of their investment portfolio to create cash flow, they might want to consider protecting the value of that portfolio. Investing in precious metals has long been considered a great way to “hedge” against things that could threaten the value of securities and bonds. As the securities go down, precious metals tend to go up. This is a great option for maintaining a stable overall investment portfolio.

Retirement: Are Your Finances Ready for the Next Stage of Your Life?

By the time you reach your 50s, retirement is something you look forward to. You long for the days where you can stop working so hard and just enjoy life. After decades of giving your best self to a company, you’re excited about the idea of walking away from it all. Though lots of older adults dream of retirement, less than half of them across the US are actually ready. 

Unfortunately, most seniors reach retirement age and aren’t financially prepared for all it entails. As such, they end up struggling financially or having to return to the workforce when they should be living out their years peacefully. To avoid such circumstances from happening to you (or a relative), review your finances while asking the question, are you really ready for this next stage in your life? 

You Have Little to No Debt

During retirement, you’ll receive a considerable amount less income than you did when you were working. Therefore, you don’t want to take old baggage with you into this phase of your life. Having a lengthy mortgage, credit card debt, medical bills, and outstanding personal loans dip into your monthly retirement income reducing the amount of money you have for current bills and other interests you may have during retirement. 

If you’re still struggling with debt as you’re nearing retirement it is best to clean it up now. Pull all three credit reports and review all the information. Contact creditors to set up arrangements or negotiate settlements. Even if you have to find ways to earn extra money to get those bills paid down before you retire, it’s worth it. 

You Know What Your Future Expenses Are

When you’re living on a fixed income budgeting becomes essential to survival. Though there are a lot of expenses that will decrease or be eliminated once you’ve retired, there are other expenses that will increase. As such, you must make sure that you’re aware of what you’ll need to survive the next 20 or 30 years. Beyond factoring in the mortgage, utilities, groceries, and insurance, you also need to plan for things you might want to do during retirement like traveling. 

If you have no idea what you’ll need on a regular basis to live comfortably during retirement then it’s time to do some research and create a budget. Write down all of your bills and the average monthly cost. Then, factor in things like going on trips, entertainment, shopping, and more. Now that you have this information, you can compare your finances to your budget to see if you’re really ready for retirement.

You Have a Plan for Financial Emergencies

As you very well know, life has a way of throwing things at you that cost you a lot of money. A home repair, the car breaks down, the heating prices rise, there’s a loss in the family, an adult child has fallen on hard times, your health fails, any of those things can happen, leaving you financially drained if you haven’t properly prepared. 

It is important to know how you will handle emergencies and unforeseen circumstances after you’ve retired. This is where having a significant nest egg comes in to place. However, there are other solutions like having a credit union certificate that you only use for emergencies. 

You’re Prepared for the Future

Planning for the future is still necessary for retirement. Right now, you may be an able-bodied, healthy individual. Yet, in the future, you could develop an illness, disease, or condition. Do you know how you’ll cover the medical costs? Do you have adequate health insurance? More importantly, do you have the financial means to cover long-term care should you need assistance? 

These are things you don’t want to think about, but the truth is that as you age your health declines and the increased need for medical services and assistance is likely. These things all cost money that you will have to come up with. Therefore, you want to be prepared or else the responsibility falls on your children and other relatives. Look into healthcare policies for seniors and start creating a long-term care plan. 

If you’ve answered no to even one of the above factors then, unfortunately, you are not ready to retire. As retirement is a significant transition, it is imperative that you do more than dream about the day you don’t have to work and start planning for it. Going into retirement with little to no credit, a sound budget, decent savings, and a plan for the future provide you with peace of mind and the means to live out your years as you please. 

5 Astonishing Benefits of Regular Exercise

Lots of people pound the pavement or hit the gym in order to improve their cardiovascular health, build up some muscle, and to basically make their bodies better, but working out also has a few benefits above the neck. Let’s take a closer look.

Reduces Stress

If you had a tough day at the office, take a stroll or head to your gym for a quick workout. You can even stop and pick up your parents and workout while you’re waiting for them to do their silver sneakers classes. One of the most commonly seen benefits (mental) of exercise is the relief of stress. Exercising also increases your concentrations of norepinephrine, which is a chemical that can moderate the response of your brain to stress. That means it’s a good idea to go ahead and work up a sweat because your body will appreciate the stress relief while also getting a boost for its ability to deal with any existing mental tension.

Boost Your Happy Chemicals

Slogging through those miles on your treadmill can be a tough but great way to stay in shape as a mom. Exercise also releases endorphins, and these can create feelings of euphoria and happiness. It can even alleviate symptoms of depression, and for this reason, some doctors recommend exercise for people suffering from anxiety or depressions. You don’t even need to be a gym rat for this to work. Working out for a mere 30 minutes as little as 3 times each week can give your mood an instant boost.

Improve Your Self-Confidence

If you want to look and feel like a million bucks, just hop on your treadmill. On quite a basic level, exercise can boost your sense of self-worth and give you a more positive mental image. It doesn’t matter your age, gender, size, or weight, exercising can quite quickly elevate your perception of how attractive you are. How does that sound for feeling the love?

Enjoy Outdoors

For even more of that self-love, workout outdoors. Benefits of exercising while you’re outside include an increase in the self-esteem area. Find an outside workout that will fit your style, like jogging in the park, canoeing, hiking, or rock climbing. Also, all of that essential Vitamin D that you’ll soak up with the sun can lessen the symptoms of depression. 

Prevent Cognitive Decline

It isn’t pleasant, but it’s true – as we age, our brains can become a bit foggy. As age, along with degenerative type diseases such as Alzheimer’s work to kill off our brain cells, your brain can actually shrink a bit, and when this happens, many critical brain functions can be lost. While a healthy diet and exercise can’t cure this, what they can do is to assist with shoring up the brain against things like the cognitive decline that can begin as early as age 45. Working out, specifically between the ages of 25 and 45, can boost those chemicals in your brain that support the hippocampus and prevent the degeneration of it.

Working out, whether in the gym or out of it, can have quite a few different positive effects – both on the body and on the mind. The positive effects on the mind will help you in more than just the swimsuit season too! Gaining a bit more self-confidence, thinking smarter, and even dragging yourself out of that funk are just a few of the motivations you might use to finally take a bit of time for exercising on a regular basis. Just keep in mind that it will only work for you if you work at it!

3 Tips for Choosing a Nonprofit Organization to Work With

Doing charity work is good for the soul. People are usually happier when they have a purpose and volunteering or working for a nonprofit organization is a great way to increase fulfillment in your life. But choosing the right nonprofit organization to work with can be a bit tricky. Here are some things you should consider before committing.

Whether the Organization Has Basic Foundations in Place

It’s common for small nonprofits and charities to lack funding for basic operations. However, it’s really important for them to have all their ducks in a row because if they don’t, it could cause a lot of problems down the road — and you don’t want to be associated with a nonprofit organization that comes under fire for mismanagement.

The organization you choose to work with should have processes in place. They should have a working relationship with non profit lawyers who help them review the fine print of contracts, decide on what’s a reasonable amount of pay for employees, and help them put board and committee members in place who are trustworthy. 

Basically, you need to make sure the charity you work with has processes in place designed to keep itself out of trouble.

Additionally, consider how professional their signup process is. Do they have a streamlined professional process that uses an app, such as SignUp, to recruit volunteers or was the process chaotic and unorganized? If signing up to volunteer isn’t easy, there’s a good chance the rest of the organization’s processes are a mess too.

The Type of Volunteer Work You Want to Do

Not all volunteer programs are the same. There are several different options from which to choose. 

  • Short-term volunteer programs typically last between one week and three months. They don’t normally require volunteers to have professional qualifications, and you can find several overseas options.
  • Long-term volunteer programs are usually focused on empowering and assisting people in the local area. They often require you to have professional skills or degrees and may offer you a small wage in exchange for the work you do.
  • Conservation volunteer programs are ideal for people who are passionate about conservation or environmental work. The positions are typically very hands-on and give you the chance to work with endangered animals or threatened environments. Sustainable farming projects and clean-up efforts are also common.
  • Relief or emergency volunteer programs recruit people to work in disaster areas, directly with people who need it the most. Typically, they work in areas affected by natural disasters to help local people get necessities and rebuild their lives.

Whether the Organization Is a Good Fit for You

When deciding whether an organization is a good fit for you, the main thing you need to consider is its main aims and goals. To find this, you can check out the organization’s website or social media pages to see if they have a mission statement, beliefs, or values posted. 

You should also consider how the local community is involved in the local organization, especially if it’s an overseas opportunity. Sometimes, there are capable people who live locally who could assist with the organization’s efforts, but they either aren’t willing to get involved or the organization decided to seek out volunteers in an effort to find free labor. 

Vetting nonprofit organizations may take some time, but you’ll be a lot happier with your efforts if you choose a charity that’s trustworthy and well-operated. Not only will your experience likely be better, but you’ll also have the chance to make a bigger impact on people’s lives, the way animals are treated, or the environment — and really, that’s what working with a nonprofit organization is all about.

Amenities and Services to Offer at Your Assisted Living Community

Assisted living communities provide seniors with a safe, healthy, and comfortable environment to live when they’re no longer able to live alone. When searching for the best place to reside, most seniors and their families are looking beyond medical assistance and support. They’re essentially leaving their homes and want to find a place that makes them feel just as comfortable. That’s why it is extremely important for assisted living facility owners to invest in quality services and amenities to meet their target clients’ needs.

Medication Assistance

For seniors who are required to take medications to maintain their health, keeping up with the schedule isn’t always easy. Assisted living facilities should, therefore, offer medication management or assistance services. This service should include trained medical staff helping seniors with taking prescribed medications as instructed on a regular basis. 

Housekeeping

Mobility is another issue that seniors commonly deal with. So, getting around the house or apartment to sweep, dust, mop, and vacuum isn’t so easy. A quality assisted living facility will have cleaning services available for their residents that will take care of all the household chores on a regular schedule. These services might also extend to laundry services ensuring that seniors have clean clothes and linens. 

Activities Room

Socialization is imperative for seniors and their overall quality of life. As getting out and about is likely not as easy as it once was, having a place where residents from the community can come together and have a good time is recommended. These activity rooms can have board games, cards, standing games (pool, ice hockey, etc), a television, and should also include activities like bingo, exercise classes, dance classes, and live events from musicians, bands, speakers, etc. 

Parcel Lockers

If there’s one thing seniors love doing, it’s buying things for themselves and their families. Though the internet makes it easy for them to shop for what they want and have it shipped to their door, these packages can easily be stolen. You can help to safeguard your seniors by investing in parcel lockers. These electronic locker systems make it easier for your residents to receive their packages. They receive updates and notifications of when the packages arrive and can visit the lockers to retrieve the items when it is most convenient for them. 

Computers

In a digitally inclined era, it is important for seniors to have access to computers. They use them for shopping, keeping in touch with relatives, and in some cases, for communicating with their doctors. Having a computer room, a few computers, and laptops, or at the very least, free internet access that seniors can use at their discretion is highly recommended. 

Pet Services

Many seniors have dogs and cats that they can’t imagine parting with when they relocate. Offering a pet-friendly environment at your assisted living facility makes the transition a lot easier. If there are going to be animals on the premises, however, you’ll also want to provide convenient services to make caring for them easier. A grooming or dog walking service, for example, would be greatly appreciated. 

Transportation Services

Not all seniors are able to drive themselves around anymore. However, they still need to get out on occasion. Whether it be to a doctor’s appointment or to a shopping mall for exercise and recreation they need a reliable means of transportation. Having a van that seniors can schedule trips with is the perfect way to meet their needs. Also scheduling monthly events for seniors like shopping trips, trips to museums, casino ventures, and more adds to their satisfaction.

Security Services

Unfortunately, seniors are the perfect targets for thieves and criminals. Home invasions and burglaries are very common. You want to make your residents feel like they’re safe in your community. One way of doing this is by installing a security system in the facility. Another option would be to hire security guards to stay on watch around the clock. 

As the owner of an assisted living facility, you want your residents to be safe, happy, and healthy while living in their units. By adding services and amenities such as those discussed above to your facility make that possible. Having such things available at your facility can also increase occupancy rates by leaps and bounds.

Aging Well: Helpful Tips For Keeping Your Mind and Body Healthy As You Get Older

By 2060, the number of citizens over the age of 65 is expected to reach nearly 100 million. Some people dread the aging process because they think all it brings is routine aches and pains. In reality, getting older allows you to gain wisdom. Once you retire, you will have all the time in the world to pursue your passions.

Instead of going into your golden years with several health problems, you need to keep your mind and body healthy. Read below for some help tips on aging well.

Make Time For Daily Walks

The biggest misconception people have about staying fit is that it requires lots of time and effort. Walking 30 minutes a day is one of the best things you can do to keep your body healthy. Not only is walking easier on your joints and muscles, it is also an excellent source of cardiovascular exercise. Walking more will also help you increase the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain.

This increased blood flow will help keep your brain cells healthy. Recent scientific studies show that routine aerobic exercise can help in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Walking daily can also help you lose weight and strengthen your muscles.

This exercise can reduce your chances of getting diabetes and even heart disease. Finding an enjoyable area to walk in can make this exercise fun and relaxing.

Stay Socially Active in Your Senior Community

Moving into a senior community is something millions of elderly individuals do. Not only will you need to keep your body healthy as you age, you should focus on keeping your mind engaged as well. If you live in a senior community, staying socially active is a good idea. 

A recent study found that seniors citizens who classified themselves as lonely were nearly 60 percent more likely to experience a decline in mental and physical functionality. This study also showed that seniors who were always alone were at a 45 percent greater risk of death. Often times, moving into a community with other seniors is a great way to solve problems with loneliness. 

Generally, these types of communities will host activities for residents aimed at getting everyone together. Participating in these events is a great way to create relationships with people around you. Senior citizens living at home will also need to stay social. The best way to do this is by forging a relationship with your caregiver or inviting friends and family members over for a night of socializing. 

Follow Your Doctor’s Orders to the Letter

As you get older, you will spend more time at the doctor. Most seniors visit their doctor every couple of months to ensure they have a clean bill of health. If your doctor instructs you to increase the amount of exercise, you are getting or to try a healthier diet; you need to take these recommendations to heart.

Usually, a doctor will give this advice to seniors who are showing early warning signs of serious health problems. Sometimes, changing up your diet or increasing the amount of physical activity in your life can help delay or even prevent these health issues.

Are you looking for a health insurance plan to make going to the doctor more affordable? If so, visit the HealthMarkets website. On this site, you can browse available Medicare Advantage plans on the market. Once you look at the details of these plans, choosing the right one will be a breeze.

Add the Right Supplements to Your Diet

Keeping your body healthy as you age is no accident. It requires both hard work and the right supplements. While many of the nutrients your body needs to thrive can be found in healthier foods, you will need to use supplements as you age.

An aging body needs more vitamins and minerals to maintain functionality, which is why using supplements is a good idea. One of the best supplements a senior citizen can take is calcium. With the right amount of calcium in your body, you will be able to keep your bones strong. You may also want to think about taking B12 and vitamin D supplements.

The only way to figure out exactly what nutrient deficiencies you have is by getting blood work done. Your primary care doctor should be able to perform these tests and go over the results in detail. With their guidance, getting the right supplements in place will be less challenging.

Getting the Right Amount of Sleep is Vital

Another important thing you need to focus on when trying to age well is getting the right amount of sleep. When you sleep, your body is able to relax and regenerate. Seniors can experience a host of sleep issues that may prohibit them from getting the rest they need.

These issues can be caused by things like medication side effects, depression or even chronic diseases. As soon as you experience sleep-related problems, you need to take action to get them fixed. Usually, this will require you to go to a sleep clinic for observation. Once this observation is completed, your doctor will figure out what is wrong and how to fix it.

Aging Well Requires Effort

If you want to age well, prepare yourself for lots of work. While staying healthy as you age is challenging, the effort you invest will pay off in the long run.