Category: Blog

Retirement gives you a new level of freedom. You no longer have to stick with your usual routine of getting up early and going to work 5 days a week. So, what should you do with yourself? Some people find themselves initially feeling bored and a little lost when they retire. If you’re planning for retirement or are a recent retiree, here are some ideas of things you can do with your newfound free time. Pick up a new hobby Is there something that’s always interested you but you’ve never found the time for? Well now is the time to do it! You might want to learn a new language or learn how to play an instrument. Take up gardening, fishing, or photography. Join a local club or class to…

Are you or a loved one ready for the move into assisted living? If you’re still considering your options, it helps to understand a bit more about what each type of care will provide you with. To help you get started, here are 7 things you should know about assisted living. You can live by yourself Assisted living residents have different levels of independence depending on their care needs, but you absolutely can still live on your own with your own private space. Private apartments and studios are the standard types of accommodation in most assisted living communities. You’ll make lots of new friends Although you may be moving further away from friends and family, assisted living is the perfect environment for socializing and making new friends. There are lots…

  It’s not always easy to tell when someone needs help, especially if they choose to hide their poor physical and mental health from those around them. Your parents may wish to retain their independence as they age, but it is important to keep a close eye on how they are doing, especially if a parent lives alone. Here are some signs to look out for that might indicate that an aging parent needs help, even if they’re not ready to admit it. Poor housekeeping If your parent(s) normally run a tight ship, keeping everything in order around the house, then changes in this may be easy to spot. For example, if mail is piled up and bills are left unpaid, if expired food is left in the fridge, and…

We should look after our heart at any age, but our risk of serious conditions such as heart disease increases in our senior years, so this period of our life is especially important to start thinking about ways you can take better care of your heart. Even if you’re in good health now, focusing on your heart health makes good sense, helping you prevent problems rather than having to react to treat problems further down the line. Here are some simple changes you can make to look after your heart in your senior years. Stay active Regular exercise helps to make your heart more efficient at pumping blood and delivering oxygen. It also helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which can both be risk factors for heart conditions.…

We often tend to associate low self-esteem issues with teenagers and young adults, when we’re still trying to figure out our identity and where we belong in the world and with everyone around us. As we age, we generally become more comfortable with ourselves and don’t feel the need to change anything to fit in. In fact, evidence shows that people in general are at their most confident when they are middle-aged. However, it also shows a decline in self-esteem as we age into our senior years. The importance of self-esteem Self-esteem essentially refers to how you regard yourself – how much you value yourself or how much personal worth you believe you have. It can impact a lot in our day-to-day life, even if we don’t realize it. Our…

Looking after both your mental health and physical health is important at all ages, including in your senior years. It’s great to find things that contribute positively to both at once, such as exercise and spending time in nature. As we get older and less mobile, it can be easy to tend toward staying at home more, but keeping ourselves cooped up can be detrimental to both physical and mental health. The benefits of spending time in nature Getting out of the house and into the fresh air can feel refreshing and even reinvigorating, and the benefits are backed by research. Spending time outdoors and in nature on a regular basis can help to reduce negative feelings such as stress, anxiety, and anger. It can boost your mood and even…

When your parents or just one parent reaches a point where they need care, one option is for them to move in with an adult child and their family. This can help seniors avoid moving into senior living if they are not ready to take that step, while ensuring that they have some regular care and support as opposed to living on their own. The level of care they need will determine how much of an impact this has on your life, whether you need to be a full-time carer for them or you can still continue with your everyday job and responsibilities. Either way, living with your parent for the first time in decades can be a challenge for both of you. Let’s look at some tips to help…

If you or a loved one are deciding between aging in place and moving into senior living, it’s important that everyone involves has an understanding of all the factors. This is especially important if that person’s situation has changed, such as if they’ve been diagnosed with an illness or have suffered from an injury or a condition that impacts their mobility. When deciding what level of care is needed, think about the chores that need doing around the house. Coming up with a list of these home and maintenance tasks will help you assess whether they are manageable for the person living there or if an in-home carer is needed, or something more comprehensive such as assisted living. Similarly, if you’re considering providing part-time care for a senior relative, this…

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are still conditions that are not completely understood in terms of the causes and potential treatments of the disease and its symptoms. However, research has come a long way toward understanding them better. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, then you’ll likely want to learn more about what this means. To get you started, we’ve got a simple introduction into how Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain, and which parts of the brain are affected, helping you get a better understanding of the symptoms associated with this condition. The effect on neurons Neurons are responsible for sending signals throughout the brain, transmitting information to cells throughout the body via the nervous system. Plaque and protein clusters build up between these nerve…

It can be difficult having to suddenly rely on others for things that you’ve been managing yourself for your whole adult life, but this is the challenge that many seniors face as they age. Problems like a loss of mobility, declining eyesight and hearing, and cognitive problems including diseases like dementia can all lend themselves towards a loss of independence as we age. Get technology on your side Whether you love it or hate it, technology can actually help you maintain your independence in a number of ways. You can get around easily with apps like Uber and Lyft, shop online if it’s difficult to get to the shops, or you can use online meal subscription services to have ingredients and recipes delivered to your home, allowing you to still…