7 Tips Of Healthy Living For Senior Citizens

The life expectancy of mankind has increased today, thanks to science and the progress of related fields. But as life expectancy has increased, seniors now face more challenges as they live to ripe old ages. In order to live independent and productive lives as long as possible, here are some tips to help.

1. First of all, bring a change to your lifestyle and eating habits as you cross 65. If you have not been living a healthy life till now, it is time to give up your vices. Smoking is one thing that has to go as it can lead to such problems as Alzheimer's disease and lung diseases. Alcohol and other substance abuse also have to go; the former in little moderation can still be allowed. As for your diet, try to avoid red meat as much as possible especially if you have high blood pressure and heart problems. Get overall nutrition from each of the 6 food groups that make up our diet like fruits, vegetables, breads and cereals, meat, poultry, fish and milk. Include dry beans as well.

2. Sodium intake should be moderated or lowered, especially those items with sodium that come from processed foods. Women senior citizens must increase their intake of calcium as osteoporosis is a common problem among aging women.

3. Live an active life as much as possible. Some form of exercise like walking or running should be done everyday as long as possible. Tai chi and yoga are especially helpful for seniors as these help to combat joint problems and stiffness that happens with aging. But do not exercise too much, as this can put a stress on your body's aging organs.

4. Go for regular checkups even when you are well. Men should go for regular prostrate check ups while women should be aware of their bone density as low bone density can lead to osteoporosis. Be on the lookout for sudden change in your behavior or that of your partner. Don't overlook instances of you forgetting things all of a sudden or if you can't remember recent events.

5. Your social life should also be fully enjoyed at this age. Don't stop going out to your regular meetings with friends because of your age; in fact you should meet more regularly. Socializing is a great way to combat age related problems like Alzheimer's disease and depression which often comes due to loneliness.

6. Along with staying active, you should also have preventive methods to stop falling because bones become brittle at this age. So make sure your house is proofed against accidental falls and bumps; ask your children to do it for you if you can't do it yourself.

7. Remember to take your medications every day. Fill up your prescription two or three days before the old ones run out, so that you don't have to rush to the pharmacy at the last moment or miss a day of meds. Always ask the doctor if there are some restrictions with the medications you are taking and be honest about what else you are taking in while discussing this with your doctor.

With right attitude and lifestyle, you can enjoy this period of your life. In fact, it can turn out to be the best part of your whole life if you are aware of potential limitations and problems.

What Are the Benefits Offered by Assisted Living

This article discusses the benefits offered by assisted living for retirees who prefer to maintain their independence despite having lost the ability to do certain daily activities. This concept of a retirement living community is very different from the only choice in the past, which is the nursing home. Thus, this concept is also known by various names including domiciliary care, residential care, personal care, community based retirement facilities, adult congregate living care, board and care, supported care, enhanced care, retirement residences, adult foster care, adult homes, and sheltered housing. However, some providers of assisted living facilities may also have independent living and nursing home facilities nearby to provide what they call a continuing care retirement community.

Sometimes the assisted living accommodations are specially geared towards the unique requirements of elderly people with Alzheimers disease. These are known as Alzheimers facilities that are designed to handle the needs of people who are suffering from the progressive loss of cognitive ability. At the start, the services required by the patient may be similar to those that are needed by other elderly people. However, as the disease progresses, the loss of cognitive ability may become so severe that the care to be provided is similar to that which is given in a nursing home. The primary benefit offered by these facilities is basically the assurance that your loved ones are safe and that all of their needs are taken care of.

It should be noted that a different kind of living arrangement is provided for the elderly who are capable of doing everything for themselves. This is known as independent living for seniors because they do not require the assistance of anybody in doing their daily activities. These retirees are simply there to enjoy their retirement and the independent living communities provide them with many opportunities to do so because of the amenities that are provided such as the exercise rooms, patios, gardens, tennis courts, golf courses, and others. The residents live a stress-free life where they no longer have to do the usual tasks that are needed in a home, such as watering the plants, cutting the grass, repainting the walls or the roof, and others.

Some providers have arrangements whereby independent living and assisted living facilities are provided within a particular community. Nursing homes are also nearby to facilitate the transfer from one type of accommodation to another in case there is a change in the condition of a resident. For those who are planning to retire, the Internet makes it easier to compare and choose from the various services. Of course, nothing beats an actual visit to a facility but the websites of these providers often have newsletters and brochures that provide you with a good idea of the kind of life that is available in a particular community. Some of the things to look out for are the general attitude and appearance of the residents and the staff, the cleanliness of the facility, and the requirements for admission.

Great Activities for Seniors in Nursing Homes or Assisted Living Homes

Senior citizens that find themselves in nursing homes or even in one of those assisted living facilities can at times can fall victim to boredom and become apathetic due to it. If they are not kept active it is had to stay excited about anything and it will not be of any help in trying to help their minds to stay young for a longer period of time. A lot of times in these facilities the people who work there are overworked and simply don't have time to come up with things for their residents to do. If you would like to help seniors have more active lives, get in touch with one of these facilities and see if you could volunteer to do some work with their seniors.

Once you find a place that will allow you to work with their seniors there are a variety of different things that you might be able to do to help keep the seniors more active and less bored with their lives. One thing you might consider doing is help them start up a newsletter for their nursing home or assisted living facility. You might be surprised at how many seniors are talented writers and poets and you can use those talents to have them write news articles, fiction articles as well as poetry that could be added to the newsletter. This will let them share their talents with others and will keep their minds active and it will give them also a reason to pay more attention to what's going on around them since they are going to want to be able to write interesting pieces for the newsletter.

Another good idea to try and do is to set up an arts and crafts show. Check with your seniors with regards to the kinds of crafts they like to do and have done and take those talents and let them create a variety of different items. Once they have done this you might see if the nursing home or facility will allow you to open up the arts and crafts show to the public. This way a variety of different people will have the opportunity to purchase these handmade items. It will also help these seniors with any self-esteem issues they might have. It will make them feel important and needed again.

Consider setting up different kinds of exercise groups all varying in levels of complexity because you want to be able to include even those that might be restricted to a wheelchair. You could have yoga, simple stretching exercises, take them to community pools where they can get some aquatic exercise, whatever you can think of that's going to help them benefit from the movement of the exercises.

If there is a special event coming to town like the fair, or a special speaker, consider taking a group out to one of these events. Even take them to your local Saturday Market or out to a park as a group activity. Getting them involved with doing things outside of the facility is going to go a long way in helping them feel better about themselves and feel healthier.

Leading Organizational Change

As leaders we often find ourselves directing team members to change. As a leader we understand that business and society is in a constant state of change. Our employees however may not be so aware. In fact they may find a great deal of comfort in the predictability of their situations and anyone that causes a disruption is met with conflict. Therefore it is important that we not make arbitrary changes to work schedules and routines. Any change should be well thought out and reasoned. Keep in mind that even when change may be good for those affected by it, people will often rebel against it. It takes skill to navigate change effectively the following guidelines will help.

Loss Analysis

When leading change it is important that you asses each person or groups of people involved in the change. Your assessment should be based on looking for what people have to loose when the change occurs. If you can identify those who have something to loose you may be able to work with them to make the change easier.

Talking

One of the key leadership tasks when conducting change is to get people to talk about the change. The process of discussing the situation will assist them in accepting the change. Give them some time to gripe in a controlled situation, and then guide their conversations to more positive areas. Many times people have unrealistic fears, or they have misinformation. By giving them a forum to speak you can uncover these issues and address them.

Listening

It is important that people feel as though they have been heard and their concerns are taken seriously. As a leader you must take the time to actively listen to people. Good listening means that you hear and see the words, body language, and the context of the message. A good method to use to make sure that you clearly understand what is being shared with you is to mirror back the message in your own words. This gives you confidence that you understand, and it lets the team member know that you understand their position. This does not mean that you have to agree, or commit to their requests; it simply means that you hear and acknowledge their point of view.

Force

People are more likely to go with a change if they feel as though it is not something being forced on them against their will. One thing true of most of us is that we do not like to have things forced on us. This however is necessary at times and the astute leader will anticipate and act appropriately.

Build a Tribe

A good leader will know which people on their team they can rely on for support. Before the change process you must build your Tribe and use them to help make change. Give them the most critical assignments. Use them to help role model behaviors that you want to encourage. Do not treat others unfairly, but reward behaviors that move the change effort forward.

Managing change in an organization can be confusing and frustrating for all involved including the leader. However it is up to the leader to understand the principles of change management, team building and organizational behavior to effectively bring about the change they would like to produce.

Assisted Living Safety - What to Look For

Tripping, falling and breaking a hip is a bad news scenario for seniors. That is why senior fitness expert Betty Perkins-Carpenter, Ph.D. of Rochester, New York, stresses the importance of fall prevention and other safety measures when evaluating assisted living safety. A recipient of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Achievement Award, the 79-year-old suggests individuals and families look for physical safety measures in combination with an atmosphere that encourages residents' personal responsibility.

Where to start for assisted living safety

For starters, the author of "How to Prevent Falls" recommends assisted living communities provide a baseline of fire and supportive device safety. Smoke detectors and fire sprinklers as well as handrails and ample lighting need to be available not only in the hallways, but also in common or community areas such as dining rooms and activity rooms.

Otherwise, does the assisted living community provide safety locks on the windows, an emergency generator or alternative power source? Ask if the facility has fire drills and an emergency plan that is publicly displayed. Check apartments to see if the carpeting allows for the easy movement of walkers and canes. Is the bathroom equipped with a safety-signaling device, proper matting and safety bars?

Fall prevention

Beyond these safety measures, Perkins-Carpenter provides further fall prevention tips. When walking through a facility, check if the bottom step has recessed lighting or a strip of colored tape. "When the last step is not differentiated, it's an accident waiting to happen," says the former Olympic diving coach. "In addition, make sure area rugs are not allowed to creep or project over the top step of a stairway. These little things tell you if a facility is alert to preventing falls."

When evaluating assisted living safety also keep in mind, says Perkins-Carpenter, "The brighter the light the better, especially for people with vision loss, cataracts or trifocals."

Bathrooms are another area of special concern for those evaluating the safety of an assisted living community. Appropriately placed handrails near the toilet and in and out of the shower are imperative. And does the shower (no tub, please) have a seat? Because many seniors experience occasional dizzy spells, shower seats are a critical measure in the prevention of falls.

Enhancing balance

Dr. Perkins-Carpenter advocates that individuals in assisted living communities take personal responsibility for fall prevention and their overall safety. In her book, she teaches people how to enhance their balance and strength through an easy six-step method, that includes stretching in bed, ball balancing and, yes, dancing with pillows.

Just as it sounds, seniors at assisted living communities are invited to hold a pillow to their chest with one arm and lift the other in the air. Then, move with the flow. "Dancing with pillows takes seniors to another time and place when they had no infirmities," observes Perkins-Carpenter. "It's fun and they discover they are capable of more activity than they thought."

Assisted living safety starts with an awareness of the issues that seniors have and a pro-active approach to looking for possible problem areas.

Mobile Phones For Senior Citizens

Many of the old people I know are fixed in their ways and they have the idea that they're not up to using new technology. However, a cell phone in the hands of a senior citizen can be a life-saver. It's pretty useless having a land line if you're face down in the back yard after falling down.

They have these little devices that senior citizens can wear around their necks, but all they do is summon emergency services and the monthly cost is way higher than the cost of a cell phone. It's mostly the older generation that keep their land lines anyway, so if you know a senior citizen that may be at risk, try to persuade them to get a cell phone instead, the cost may even be less.

Most senior citizens won't want to text their BFFs in the assisted living facility so a simple cell phone will be the answer. Most of us have old cell phones somewhere in the house and giving an old cell phone to an old person is a thoughtful way to recycle them. In some areas there are charities where you can drop off your unwanted phone and they are distributed to older folks who may be in poor health or live alone. It's even a good way to get rid of the charger too, because many cell phone recycling places don't want the old cases, car or wall chargers.

If the old person can get into the habit of carrying a cell phone in their pocket all the time then help will always be at hand for them. You may have to sit down and show them how to use it including how to plug it up and recharge it, but if you can impress on them how helpful it will be in case they have a problem, then they might listen. Call every day to make sure they're carrying it.

Many seniors unfortunately suffer from Alzheimer's or senile dementia and hundreds of them wander off and get lost every year. If you have an elderly friend or relative, you could add a GPS tracking system to their phone, hopefully they will remember to take the phone with them before they go wandering off.

Even if it saves just a few from getting into serious problems it's a good idea. Chances are they won't use it much anyway, so a pay-as-you-go plan that costs only $10 a month may be sufficient to keep them safe and give you peace of mind if you can't visit as often as you like.

Generally, There is No Happiness Inside Nursing Homes

Have you been searching for happiness? Is happiness within your reach? Do you miss the life that you used to have before you entered the nursing home or the physical rehabilitation center? Just what happened and when?

For the most part, from what I have observed and from what I have heard from so many nursing home residents, there are no happy people inside of these places. Yes, there are bits of minute-happiness, a kind of joy that is temporary that exists while residents are experiencing music programs or some other creative events that some nursing homes schedule. But usually, right after the event is over, a large number of the permanent residents go back to their general unhappiness. They wish that some visitors would come there all the time. They wish that they would have more freedom, or even some freedom. And they wish, most of all not to be permanent residents of these group living places, these nursing homes and these rehab facilities.

So, you say that you have seen happy residents? Perhaps you have seen the ones that must put on a happy face or be penalyzed. Perhaps you have seen the happy faces of those who know that they are going home soon or even immediately. Or even so, perhaps you are seeing the happy faces of those who know that their family members and friends are on the way over to visit them. But most likely you have not seen any happy residents who are happy because they are destined to live there forever, in those shared rooms, in those places where there is only community dining and in other places where you have to eat what is put in front of you.

Yes, no choices in meals. I noticed at one rehab center, they would give out the menus to make it appear as if the residents had choices in meals, but in reality, the residents did not have choices in their meals. Everything that could make someone experience a little joy, was merely an illusion.

Is there any happiness in any nursing homes in America or overseas? Are there any people who are sincerely, genuinely happy to be there? Probably not. But you ask yourself those questions but better yet, ask some residents who have the good fortune to be discharged from those rehab centers and nursing homes.

These are vital questions to ask yourself if you are sitting in a wheelchair for many , many hours a day --but do not need to. This article is addressed to those who are physically able to walk , with aid or without aid, with walkers or crutches or with help, but are forced to be in a wheelchair for most of your life.

What happens when you come from a hospital, after an operation or after a bout with serious illness or life-threatening illness and then you are transferred to a physical rehabilitation center or to a nursing home for short-term care? What happens and what is supposed to happen might be two totally different things.

One person that we know of (and there are probably hundreds or thousands who have the very same story) was admitted to a physical rehabilitation center or nursing home for short-term care. When he arrived, he was sent or admitted to the short-term care floor of the physical rehabilitation center (a nursing home) so that he could learn to walk after his below-the-knee amputation.

Once on that floor, after a very short while, this patient was transferred -without the request of himself or his family- to the "long-term" floor of the same physical rehabilitation center/nursing home. Due to red tape and due to the double-talk at the place from staff and workers, the family and patient waited for weeks to find out why the transfer.

Meanwhile as soon as he was transferred to the slower-moving floor (the long-term care) floor of this place, the staff permitted the patient to linger in bed all day and night -until he developed bedsores and until his muscles couldn't hold up any longer due to the long bed rest -that was unnecessary.

Remember this is just ONE story , of what might happen inside a physical rehabilitation center or nursing home when you arrive there for short-term care -expecting to come back to your own home in a short while.

So, here this patient and this family lost out, in great ways. The patient had major losses as bedsores developed and the facility never even noticed that bedsores were developing because the patient was in bed so long at the beginning.

Now, if that is one story, that is now out here in the public, where are the other stories.

Where is the happiness? Where is the joy in life? What happens to a person's joy and happiness and what happens to a family's joy and happiness when patients who are short-term are turned, unwillingly into long-term or life-time care residents inside of rehabilitation centers and nursing homes?

Where is the happiness?

How does one gain the happiness back?

Edited and updated in June 2008.