Leslie Newlife

How to Introduce Technology to the Senior Community

With a boom in technology, baby boomers and generations before them are unfamiliar with technology and the various devices we use day-to-day. There are multiple gadgets on the market geared toward the retirement community, whether for communication, entertainment, or helpful aids for everyday activities. Learning how to introduce technology to the senior community is a great way to pass down your knowledge to help better the lives of elderly individuals in nursing homes or living alone.

Build on Existing Knowledge and Explain Relevance

Every individual is different, especially when it comes to the style of teaching they learn from best. Get to know the person’s existing knowledge of technology and their preferred learning method and build from there.

It is also helpful to explain the relevance of why technology can help them and why you are teaching it to them. They may not understand the importance of using technology such as fall detectors, security cameras, smartwatches with health metrics, etc.

Take It Slow and Avoid Tech Jargon

Your pace for learning new technology will be drastically different from someone who barely interacts with it and never grew up with it. Start with tech that’s friendly for any age before jumping into more complicated technology. Always keep an eye on your pace, and slow down when there is confusion.

Avoid using tech jargon that only you can understand. Instead, make the information digestible and easy to follow for the best learning experience.

Validate Confusion and Encourage Confidence

There will be a lot of confusion initially, which is entirely OK. Address their confusion and don’t get frustrated when you need to repeat information; they will be trying their best to understand. Continue to encourage confidence throughout the teaching and show the individual how they can leverage technology and age in place or age more comfortably in a nursing home.

Write Down Instructions and Offer a Hands-On Approach

There will come a time when you won’t be there to answer questions, especially if the elder lives alone.  Write down easy-to-follow instructions they can use in moments of confusion when they need help. When you are teaching, offer a hands-on approach; this often results in quicker learning and allows the person to feel more comfortable using technology independently.

No one is too old for technology, and it is never too late to learn. Use encouraging words throughout the process and remain patient; they won’t have an affinity for the technology your generation might have. Teach with compassion, and eventually, the person will catch on and appreciate your help even more.

Nutrition for Older Adults: What You Eat Matters

You may think that eating well is just about losing weight, but following a nutritious diet has many other benefits. As you age, your diet becomes your first line of defense against disease. Studies show that people who eat more fruits and vegetables have lower rates of cancer and heart disease. The foods you choose even affect your brain and your memory. Therefore, when it comes to nutrition for older adults, what you eat matters!

Fill Up on Fiber

The fiber found in oatmeal, oat bran, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, citrus fruits, and many other foods may lower cholesterol levels. Fiber also controls blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of glucose (sugar) into the bloodstream after a meal. It can also help with weight management because it makes you feel fuller longer.

Mixing up a smoothie with some berries and seeds will give you a good dose of fiber. Here are a couple of Crockpot Recipes designed for the senior diet that are full of fiber and flavor!

Choose Seafood

Your body doesn’t make essential nutrients on its own, so it depends on what you eat and drink to supply them. The omega-3 fatty acids in seafood help your heart, joints, and eyesight, and they’re also crucial for brain health. These types of fish are high in omega-3s:

  • Salmon
  • Lake trout
  • Mackerel
  • Tuna fish (canned light)

Swap meat for seafood to get the nutrients you need, and talk with your doctor about taking supplements if you’re concerned about not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.

Consume More Plant Protein Sources

Eat more plant protein sources, such as beans, peas, nuts, and seeds. These are good for heart health, the environment, and the planet. With the exception of soybean products such as tofu and edamame, plant proteins don’t contain all the amino acids that animal-based foods do, but including a variety of plant foods throughout the day will help you get all nine essential amino acids.

Substitute Healthier Fats

Healthy fats include olive oil, avocado, salmon, and nuts. Eating healthy fats can lower your bad cholesterol and raise your good cholesterol. Healthy fats also protect you against heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other health conditions.

Eating healthily is important at any age. However, when it comes to nutrition for older adults, what you eat matters most. A healthy diet can help you maintain good health and reduce your disease risk. However, your nutritional needs change as you age, so making healthy choices is essential.

What Is HIE and How Useful Is It?

Medical providers can securely access and exchange patient medical records through a health information exchange. They are essential since so many medical records are still preserved on paper. Sending and receiving this data may be a time-consuming and error-prone operation, especially when done over the phone, fax, or mail.

Americans today are exceedingly mobile. While you may live in the Northeast, you travel there regularly for work, pleasure, or to see friends and family. Because of a patient’s health or injury, any of these stays may need a change in healthcare providers.

Perhaps that practitioner should have access to the patient’s electronic medical record, which includes current test results, diagnoses, allergies, and prescriptions? In order for health information exchanges to take place, hospitals, communities, and states must be able to exchange health information (HIEs).

Why is HIE important?

The hie software electronic sharing of health-related data between medical institutions, clinicians, and patients is known as health information exchange (HIE). Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and specialists may securely access and communicate vital medical information via an electronic Health Information Transmit (HIE).

How does HIE benefit patients?

Increased use of Health Information Exchanges can help patients and healthcare professionals communicate more effectively (HIEs).

The 21st Century Cures Act mandates that ONC create a Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) to allow patient access to and sharing of personal health information. Transparency, openness, and easy application programming interfaces are part of TEFCA’s approach for improving patient data access (APIs).

HIEs can help with rural health outreach, public health emergencies, and patient matching issues.

It is mandatory for healthcare providers serving an aging population to use HIEs. A relationship with the Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative will assist patients in Alabama’s rural and underserved regions this year.

SHIEC involvement, according to Gary Parker, Director of Health Information Technology for Alabama Medicaid, will help Alabama One Health Record improve EHR use, care access, and telemedicine.

Natural calamities like as hurricanes and tornadoes, which force people to flee, would benefit from this change as well, because HIE services might be used more efficiently.

According to Kelly Hoover Thompson, CEO of the SHIEC, members of the HIE are experimenting  with novel techniques to assisting underprivileged populations. Disparities in health care exist across the country, but we can overcome them with a united front.

During public health crises, such as those caused by natural disasters that force people to abandon their homes, effective utilization of the HIE is crucial. According to Danielle Oryn, chief information officer at Petaluma Health Center, immediate access to patient electronic health records (EHR) is critical in these instances.

Concerns about the security of health data may encourage people to believe that their information is safe even when it is shared. Changes in federal regulations may have an impact on data processing and delivery, so businesses should stay up to date on those as well.

How an HIE might be useful to improve patient care and safety or improve research?

The healthcare interoperability solution of healthcare data across institutions within a region, community, or hospital system is known as health information exchange (HIE). The data from these platforms might be utilized to rapidly improve the quality of patient-centered treatment. Health information is available through the electronic health record and may be viewed and exchanged between patients and providers.

According to Grand View Research, the global health information exchange sector was valued $988.6 million in 2015. The desire for these systems by healthcare providers is projected to drive market growth.

Data exchange systems are being developed in response to the rising need to store, acquire, and securely share huge amounts of healthcare data. The use of healthcare information technology has increased, which has resulted in an improvement in healthcare quality.

Private health information exchange is likely to lead the industry in the next years, and this sector will grow significantly. Private healthcare information providers play an important part in this shift at all system levels. The absence of governance difficulties and great workflow efficiency are also likely to drive market growth.

What Is the Role of HIE  in Health Care?

By linking the user’s electronic health record to standardized data, personalized health information may be created. Patients with diabetes can be recognized by entering their test results into an electronic health record (EHR). It is vital that a patient suffering from hyperglycemia get medical assistance very once. This also influences patients’ desire for follow-up sessions. Health data may be sent in a variety of ways.

Medical personnel can safely share protected patient information via “Directed Communicate.”

Healthcare providers can query other healthcare providers for patient information via Query-based Exchange.

With the help of customers, collects and manages personal health information about patients. The interoperability solution for healthcare is facilitated by the use of health information interchange. New techniques of transmitting health information are always being developed as technology progresses. The approach is gaining steam as health care practitioners become more aware of the benefits of information sharing. The following are some of the benefits of sharing health data:

As a result, there is no need for paper, and the risk of data loss is eliminated.

A database is used to store and disseminate information, which reduces the risk of medical and pharmaceutical errors dramatically It Helps physicians and healthcare workers make more informed clinical decisions while also supporting optimal treatment and care.

Improving health reporting and monitoring is made easier by streamlining the flow of healthcare data. The health information exchange system has the potential to improve the quality and effectiveness of healthcare delivery by lowering the number of unnecessary tests.

Medical data and patient information may be transmitted more easily via a digital health information exchange system (HIE). It also provides patients with a wealth of personal health information.

All in all, the best practices of HIE will significantly increase care services in health industry.

Five Things to Remember When You’re Helping an Elder Enter a Senior Living Facility

When you are helping a loved one enter a senior living facility, there are plenty of moving parts. With so many things to remember, it’s necessary to keep track of all the steps. Your loved one will need certain things. They may be reluctant to go into a senior living facility in the first place. Whatever the situation, it’s imperative to take it step by step. You shouldn’t rush them into the facility without taking care of all the steps and keeping everything, you need to do it mind. Below are five things you need to remember when you are helping an elder enter a senior living facility.

Location Matters

One thing that could be easily overlooked is the location of the facility. Your loved one could live there for a long time, who will visit them during this time? They could live in a place where none of their family lives. This is when it’s a good idea to think about relocating them near you or someone else. They will want visitors because they will get bored and lonely. If someone can’t visit them frequently, they won’t live as long. It’s just the way it goes. They need to be stimulated and cared for emotionally as well as physically. When you are helping an elder enter a facility, you should think a lot about the location.

Their Needs are Everything

Beyond location, the type of facility is very pertinent. The kind of comfort they can provide matters. You should think a lot about what they need and how their needs can be met. Are they struggling with a disease? How mobile are they? Are they mentally aware? Whatever the situation, every elder needs their needs met and to be cared for both physically and mentally. If you can find a place that properly cares for the people living in the facility, your loved one will live longer and have a better, happier life. When the senior can’t decide for themselves what they want and need, it falls on the loved ones to put in the effort necessary to ensure that everything is taken care of.

They Will Need Plenty of Essentials Like Clothing

It’s very important to help the seniors bring all the essentials that they need. They should have all the clothes they need. Women and men need plenty of underwear or boxer briefs. Clothes are important, but so are other essentials. Books are important to stimulate their mind. What about games and puzzles? Keeping the mind active is an essential part of helping your loved one happy and healthy. If their mind is waning, they might not be able to remember all the essentials. Not only should you give them the tools they need in the beginning, but you also need to make sure they are stocked with what they need.

You Want Them to Have Amenities

Don’t just look for the barebones facility. You want the place that you are taking them to have comfortable chairs and beds, safe showers, decent appliances, and more. Everyone’s different, but people need certain things. Whatever the situation, making sure that the facility has the necessary amenities is a very important part of the senior living checklist.

They Need Doctors

Before you commit to a senior living facility for your loved one, you should be sure that they have resident doctors. Not only should they have medical staff, but you should also talk to them and make sure that they are good doctors. Ask them about their expertise and experience. What does your loved one need? You should be sure that they have the care necessary. Whatever the situation, you should talk to the doctors and make sure they are good enough for your loved one.

There are plenty of things to keep in mind when you are helping your loved one enter a senior living facility. They need certain things. The location matters. Their needs are important. Essentials are important. Amenities are necessary. Doctors are vital to every senior living facility. It’s a tough time for everyone involved, but it doesn’t need to be miserable. Keep these things in mind when you are helping your loved one live in a senior living facility.

Moving to Assisted Living: Factors to Consider

Assisted living facilities provide care for seniors who need help with their basic living tasks, with structured help in an environment that is conducive to senior living. These communities help families and caregivers who are no longer able to provide the level of care that is required for their loved one.

Even with 30,000 assisted living communities that can cater to over 0ne million seniors, there is still a shortage of senior care facilities with the population aging and living longer.

Elderly Care Cost

The cost of elder care is a major factor when it comes to choosing the kind of senior care that is required.

The basic cost of an assisted living community will range from $2,000 to $6,000 per month. Costs will vary from location to location, state to state, and the level of care that is required, so shop around to find the home that will work within your budget. 

Assisted living communities will provide living accommodations, cooking, housekeeping, transportation, and care for seniors, the basic duties will be bathing, eating, dressing, and taking medications.

The difference between a nursing home and an assisted living facility is that a nursing home will have 24-hour medical care for its residents, while with assisted living, residents can still live independently, but they will need some help with their daily activities, and live in a safe environment.

There are move-in fees and administration fees when you move your loved one into an assisted living home so it is important to ask how much these fees are.

Also keep in mind that the majority of expenses are out-of-pocket and paid for by the family since most insurance does not cover the cost of assisted living.

Some long-term care insurance policies cover the costs of an assisted living facility so it is best to look at the policy and see what services insurance will pay for.

Choosing the Right Assisted Living Community

Look for assisted living communities that are close to you so it will be convenient to visit your loved one. You can ask friends and healthcare professionals for referrals or search online.

It is important to visit more than one community so you can have a better idea of what would be a good fit for your loved one.

See what activities, outings, and other social events the homes provide to see if your loved one will enjoy the home.

Ask the assisted living home about the levels of staff training, the ratio of employees to residents, and continuing education efforts.

Have a conversation with your loved one about why it is the right time for assisted living and focus on the positive items, such as the activities, a built-in social life, and a safer environment.

It is important for them to understand why it is the best thing and make sure that they are comfortable with the decision.

Top Ways a Nursing Career Is Rewarding


Nurses are individuals that care a great deal about other people and have a strong desire to help them and make a difference in their life. Nurses are kind, organized, emotionally stable, and empathetic. Nursing is a hard career; one that is physically and mentally demanding, but it comes with many rewards that make it worth it for many individuals. 

You Get to Help People

Most people get into nursing because they want to help others. It’s extremely satisfying being able to make a positive impact on someone’s life, especially when it comes to their health. Being able to save lives makes nursing a very meaningful career. 

Nurses are those that not only work to assist with providing treatment for the various medical conditions the patients are going through but they are responsible for calming the customer down and making them comfortable. Nurses get to connect with patients and gain their trust. 

You Can Travel 

Being a nurse doesn’t mean you’re stuck in one hospital or healthcare facility. If you become a travel nurse, you have the opportunity to travel to health care facilities that may need extra nurses for various reasons. 

As a travel nurse, you’ll have to go through the normal education and training, but then you’ll be able to sign a contract with one of the many travel healthcare companies. You’ll have a contract to work in a certain unit, but if staffing is a concern, you may have the opportunity to work in another area instead. Since you’re filling in gaps in these healthcare facilities, you may not end up with your desired hours, but getting to change locations can be exciting for some because it helps to mix things up and allows you to meet new people along the way. 

Being Able to Grow

There’s no shortage of growth opportunities when it comes to being a nurse. Nurses are always going to be needed and there’s always going to be job security. The good thing about nursing is that you don’t have to be stuck in one spot forever, you can grow and explore other opportunities if you so wish. There are many ways to grow as a nurse, including going back to school to obtain an advanced degree or participating in continuing education opportunities. 

You Can Choose a Specialty 

As a nurse, you can choose what you’re good at and what you’re most passionate about. Nurses have the opportunity to pick a specialty and focus on that throughout their careers. If you’re looking for advancement or just the opportunity to work in another area and increase your skills, you’re able to switch specialties. Some of the most fast-growing specialties nurses can choose from include: 

  • Acute care nurse 
  • Pediatric nurse 
  • Trauma nurse 
  • Psychiatric mental health nurse 
  • Nurse researcher 
  • School nurse 
  • Public health nurse 
  • Family nurse practitioner 
  • Dialysis nurse 
  • Invention control and prevention nurse 
  • Nurse midwife 
  • Clinical nurse 
  • Neonatal nurse 

Picking a specialty isn’t something a nurse has to worry about right away if they’re unsure. They can take their time to come up with what stands out most to them. Alternatively, if they already know what area they want to specialize in, a search for something like how to become a clinical nurse specialist will provide them with the answers they need to get on the right path.
Flexibility 

Nurses work long hours, but the long hours usually mean nurses work fewer days per week. A nurse is someone that can work anywhere from 10 to 40 or more hours per week, sometimes needing to work overtime to cover shifts and holidays. 

Nurses are needed around the clock, making it possible to land on an ideal shift. Nurses can work three 12-hour shifts, four 10-hour shifts, five 8-hour shifts, or on an as-needed basis. Working longer hours per day means you’ll have more days off during the week to spend with your family and friends and for enjoying the things you love to do. 

Nurses will have good and bad days. Some days will be more challenging for others. Still, it’s a very rewarding career because of how many lives you’ll touch along the way.

The Benefits of Small Aquariums for Seniors

People who live in assisted living facilities need help performing essential, day-to-day functions. They also need a variety of activities throughout the day for mental and physical stimulation. Small aquariums have those benefits for seniors, as they give seniors the opportunity to watch, care for, and engage with the fish.

They Can Be Manageable

When people think of fish tanks, they immediately imagine one of two things: the tiny fishbowl containing one little goldfish or the super complicated 80-gallon tank teeming with exotic fish. These are potential options—though tiny fishbowls are not great for the fish—but the best option for those living in an assisted living facility would be something more manageable, like a 30-gallon fish tank. These tanks are great because they are easy to set up, great for beginners, and capable of holding a wide variety of different fish.

It Helps Them Stay Active

Those living in assisted living facilities have a very monotonous schedule as they typically do many of the same things every day. There is some variety with different events, but the monotony of things can make the days blend together. A way to keep them active and excited for the next day is with a fish tank. You need to feed fish and maintain their tanks regularly. A good senior care facility makes sure their residents stay active, and the responsibility of taking care of fish is a great way to do this. It gives them renewed purpose as they are caring for something while they are also being cared for.

Aquariums Help with Memory

Maintaining fish and an aquarium keeps seniors active, but it can also help with memory. A daily routine that includes feeding the fish at specific times can turn seniors from passive into active individuals, both physically and mentally. Also, there is a child-like joy in seeing animals play and be active. Being around fish might remind you of times in childhood when you were around similar animals.

There are many benefits to having small aquariums for seniors, and this list is just the tip of the iceberg. Being around life, color, and movement is mentally stimulating, but it can also be calming. Fish swim at their own pace and don’t fret about the world around them, silently encouraging others to do the same.

5 Tips for Making a House Wheelchair-Safe

Using a wheelchair comes with difficulties in certain places, as not all areas are easily accessible. These areas may need specific features and structures to assist people in wheelchairs. Even using a wheelchair around the house can also be a challenge, and specific measures are required to make the home safe. Here are five tips for making a house wheelchair-safe.

Install Ramps

Wherever there are stairs in or around the house, you must put ramps in their place. Ramps are vital parts of making a house wheelchair-safe, allowing access to different levels of the home and make moving through the house simpler. Metal ramps with rubber strips are relatively simple to assemble, so implementation shouldn’t cause problems.

Place Necessary Items on Lower Shelves

People in wheelchairs often have difficulty reaching objects on high shelves, and using a pole-reacher creates the risk of an object falling and injuring the person. Placing necessary items on lower shelves will make grabbing those items easier for people in wheelchairs.

Install Safety Rails

Safety rails are essential when you’re making a house wheelchair-safe. These rails offer great help for individuals who are at risk of falls or who have trouble moving around, especially when combined with the use of items that detect falls. Safety rails are essential on and around stairwells, in bathrooms near the toilet and shower, and in kitchens by the sink.

Reconstruct the Tub

The tub walls will make getting into and out of the shower difficult for people in wheelchairs. If you reconstruct the bathtub by knocking down the walls closer to the floor, it will be a straightforward process of getting out of the wheelchair and into a shower chair.

Get Rid of Doorknobs

For people in wheelchairs, finagling with a doorknob to get into a room is annoying. Having to turn the knob before pulling or pushing the door—all while attempting to control the wheelchair—will cause a great deal of hindrance. Removing doorknobs and making doors easy to open and close with just one push will simplify entering rooms.

Using a wheelchair around the home takes time and effort, but with these tips, moving around the house will be an easy process for you and yours.

Things to Look for When Choosing a Home Health Care Provider

Caregiver burnout is a common condition that is faced by a majority of people who are caring for a sick, disabled or elderly family member. It can manifest in overwhelming stress, anxiety, poor sleep, inability to focus on your job and other responsibilities. This often leads to guilt, and people push themselves harder, take vitamins and trace minerals supplements, even sacrifice sleep to try doing a better job. Stretching yourself thin will not only aggravate your distress, it will also transfer your anxiety, making the entire situation much more exhausting. Hiring a good home health care provider is the best solution. It will relieve your stress, and ensure quality care and emergency help for your loved family member and improve your own mental health. Here are a few things to look into while choosing a home health care provider.

Qualifications

The first and foremost thing you need to ensure is that the caregiver you are hiring is licensed and qualified to do the job. Monitoring, feeding timely medicines, keeping the patient clean or changing are only some of the visible parts of the job, but what people can not see is the expertise that comes with their training. A qualified home healthcare provider is trained to not only take care of the needs of the patient, but also equipped and prepared to handle any emergency that arises until medical help arrives. A majority of home care programs include essential first aid and medical training to keep the patient stable, which is a crucial skill to look for.

Specialization And Experience

Every patient has their specific needs. While some require a bit of assistance and monitoring, some are heavily dependent on their caregivers for even the most basic needs. Care providers are specialized in providing care for different kinds of cases, such as elderly patients, people with disabilities, non-verbal neurodivergent individuals, persons with minimal mobility, non-cooperative or violent individuals, terminal patients, children, infants etc. They are equipped to handle specific issues or emergencies that come with their niche job. Inquire about their field of specialization, and experience of working with similar cases to help ensure your loved one proper care.

Background Check

Inviting a stranger into your home to take care of your loved ones is an immense test of trust, more so if they live alone or spend larger part of the day with no one else at home. Therefore, it is crucial that you do a thorough background check of the person before you employ them. A verification of their license, work history record, address and reference checks, as well as any past criminal or negligence records are some of the common things to look into. The safest bet is to hire a home care provider through a reliable agency or service, which does a complete background check of every employee before they are on-board.

Reviews and recommendations

A reliable way to know about your home healthcare provider’s work ethics, sincerity and quality of service is via reviews from their previous clients. Most well reviewed healthcare workers and agencies would be happy to point you towards the reviews they have received. You should, however, do a little bit of research yourself as well. Check your local health forums and community support groups to connect with their previous clients, who can share their own experience, and guide you the best. Social media is also an excellent platform  to find recommendations and reviews on your shortlisted candidates for home healthcare provider.

Comfort Level

At the end of the day, it is your loved one, who will be spending a larger part of their day with the home health care provider you hire, so their ease and comfort with the person should be high on your priority list. If possible, try to involve the person needing care in the process of hiring their own caregiver. This helps establish a basic sense of familiarity beforehand, and also helps you gauge the basic comfort level of both parties with each other. Moreover, it makes your family member feel more confident when they have a hand in the process of hiring, and also, it offers the caregiver a chance to get to know the patient. Once both parties have established an easy relation, it will be easier for you, knowing your loved one is in good hands.

Terms of service

Go over the terms of service before finalizing the hiring. Make sure you explain in absolute clear terms what exactly the job entails and how you expect the caregiver to go about it. It is vital that you do not hide any medical conditions, specific needs or behavioral issues that the patient has. In order to provide a good service, the caregiver needs to be aware of the actual situation, and thus, prepare accordingly. On the other hand, be extremely thorough in knowing every little detail of the service that you will be provided, so as to come to an agreeable set of terms and conditions, which benefit both parties.

Alternative Arrangements

A very important factor that most people forget is the options of alternative arrangements in case the home healthcare professional needs a break, is unwell or cannot make it to work. Unplanned situations happen, and hence, it is a good idea to plan ahead and be prepared about it. Ask your caregiver if they can offer you any alternative arrangements for times when they are unable to provide service. Check with the caregiver or agency, if the said arrangement will be included in package, or against extra payment.

Finding a home health care provider is a terrifying task as you will always worry that no one will ever be as good as you. It is important to understand that a professional is trained and equipped to offer care and handle any emergencies. You need let go of your fear, and do your research to find the most suitable caregiver for your need

4 Must-Have Travel Items for Seniors

Many people choose to travel the globe during their retirement. You’ve worked hard your whole life, saved and sacrificed, and now it’s time to enjoy the years and fruits of your labor. While there are plenty of things that each unique individual needs to have on their packing lists, there are also critical items that are must-haves if you’re traveling as a senior. With springtime upon us and summer right around the corner, you likely have some vacations lined up, so it’s essential to have all your ducks in a row before you board your plane or hop on the train. Let’s look at some critical must-have travel items as you embark on your adventures!

Your Medical Essentials 

You don’t have to be a senior to be someone that relies on prescribed medications they take every day to stay healthy. You want to make sure that you have all of your daily medications and supplements packed neatly and in a place accessible to you. You may already utilize Pill organizers, so it’s worth getting another one to take on your trip with you. If you have enough on hand from your doctor – or you could let them know about the length of your trip to get extra prescribed – it’s also worth taking extras and keeping them in a separate bag from the first set. If anything gets lost or stolen, you’re still not without your essential medication. 

Rolling Luggage

When you think about your carry-on bag, you may not need much more than a sturdy strap, but things get different when it comes to your check in luggage. It’s best if you have a suitcase that rolls easily and isn’t putting strain on your joints and muscles. Even if you’re traveling with companions who could carry your traditional suitcase for you, they’ll have their own luggage. So, investing in a high-quality rolling suitcase that you can maneuver on your own is worth it – especially if you travel a lot. Make sure you test the product to be confident its zippers, handles, and any other mechanisms are easy for you to use. Rolling suitcases are a gamechanger and well worth it for your trip.

Hands-Free Bags 

With all the sightseeing and excursions you’ll likely be involved in, you’ll have to have a bag that you can bring with you but doesn’t get in your way. Just because you’ve booked an all-day package for something doesn’t mean you won’t still need to take medication, need identification, or anything else you use in a day. The best bags for you while you’re out and about in the new city you’ve traveled to, are fannypacks or backpacks. While backpacks take a little more effort to take on and off, they can carry more. Fannypacks keep everything right at waist level and accessible through a zipper, making them more convenient. Make your decision based on how much you will need during the day and how long you’ll be away from your hotel room or resort. You could also take both and swap them out depending on what the day brings. 

Reusable Water Bottles 

If you’re doing your traveling during the summer months, you’ll want to make sure you’re staying adequately hydrated. Being out in the sun is excellent for our health but can quickly lead to dehydration if you’re not keeping sufficiently hydrated. The best way to ensure you’re getting your recommended daily water intake is to travel with a reusable water bottle. They even make slings that make carrying your bottle around with you all day a breeze. Additionally, since your bottle is reusable, you can fill it up throughout the day at various restaurants, museums, shopping malls, or anywhere else there is a clean water source. 

Traveling is one of the greatest joys and life; making it to your golden years is something worth celebrating. Celebrating through travel is a way to enrich your life by experiencing new cultures, making new friends, and staying social. Not to mention it’s excellent for your health! Studies have shown those who take regular vacations are at a significantly decreased risk for stroke and cardiovascular issues. So, make sure you add the above-mentioned items to your travel lists this year and enjoy the ride. Happy trails!