Many of us write down a few New Year Resolutions that we’d like to accomplish, only to find we’ve completely abandoned those ideas mere weeks later. Let’s make this year different. This year will be the year that you will make a couple of small changes to your lifestyle to become a healthier senior. Just pick a couple of items off of this list and watch your health improve throughout the year. 1. Get organized. Are you someone who doesn’t keep track of medical information? Make a change. Get a binder and add all medical, doctor, and medication paperwork to it throughout the year. 2. Get moving. Be
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Many of us think about bettering our health in the New Year. We should also be aware of those closest to us and encourage them to get healthy as well. Now is the perfect time each year to sit down with the senior and go through any changes in medical history, medications, symptoms, and concerns.  It will ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the senior is getting the best care. Plan ahead when you’re going to speak with him or her.  Ask him to get all of the medical documentation together so that both he and
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Are seniors mentally sharper than ever before?  A new study seems to think so. Researchers gave tests to seniors in the 1990’s and then a different group of seniors in the 2000’s.  While the youngest of the seniors generally did better than the oldest, a more interesting discovery was made.  The seniors in the later study did significantly better on the tests than their predecessors. What does this mean?  Researchers aren’t quite sure, but there are some interesting ideas as to why. 1. With longer life expectancy comes more “good” years.  As medical research continues to extend lives, it also extends how long
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If you think that seniors need less sleep than those who are younger, think again.  If you needed nine hours of sleep to feel rested in your thirties, chances are that you need around the same for optimal brain function in your senior years too. But changing sleep patterns can cause seniors to believe they don’t need as much sleep.  As people age, they may not get the same sleepy feelings that they once did around bedtime.  Or perhaps they wake up every few hours.  Though these things normally happen with aging, many mistakenly think it means they need less
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Winter and all of its activities are nearly upon us.  Often, though, these activities are outdoors in the cold and snow, making it difficult for seniors who are sensitive to cold.   Here are some tips to staying warm while participating in the fun of the season: 1. Layer up.  Layer clothes so that you can add or remove articles easily when going in and out.  Consider adding a fleece or sweater under your coat that can be removed if you enter a warm building.  And make sure that your winter coat is in good condition to protect you from the chill
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The holidays are a time to celebrate with family, friends, and colleagues.  But if you sometimes feel like you need a break from it all, you’re not alone. According to a new study, more than half of the population needs downtime to recover from stressful social situations.  It doesn’t mean that you don’t like being with your friends and family, but all of the interaction can become exhausting and weigh you down. Finding some quiet time for yourself during the holidays can be tricky, but with a little planning it can be done. Follow these 3 tips: 1. Schedule a break. 
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Many seniors dutifully take vitamins and other supplements to keep themselves healthy and make up for lacking nutrition.  But what exactly are those pills made of?  And are they doing your body any good? Recent studies have identified various herbal supplement ingredients and their effectiveness.  As many people know, the FDA doesn’t regulate many supplements. Because of this, many pills do not need to state exactly what is in their product. It becomes unclear if what they claim is in the supplements is actually accurate. And that’s exactly what the researchers found. Using a system of identifying the supplements’ DNA,
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Sarah Dessen said, “Music is the great uniter. An incredible force. Something that people who differ on everything and anything else can have in common.” But it seems that music not only unites people with each other, but also with their own minds. As we mentioned in an earlier blog post, researchers began a singing lab with seniors who have moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease.  The seniors were brought together three times a week to share the music of their youth.  Half of the participants were lead in singing songs from their young adulthood while the other half listened. While the
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As more baby boomers enter their retirement years, many are pushing for change.  Instead of being quietly pushed into a nursing home, seniors are demanding more and better ways of living.  So, what exactly does the future hold for this growing population of seniors? 1. More seniors will live at home.  It has become clear for some time that today’s seniors prefer to remain at home or in retirement communities.  And their health doesn’t have to prevent them from living where they want.  As quality home caregivers, like Freedom Home Care, are readily available and affordable, relying on nursing homes is a
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As the season of fall takes full effect, let’s think about another kind of fall.  The kind we want to prevent; the kind that can cause injuries to seniors. Falling does not only cause physical harm but can be very expensive as doctor bills begin to arrive.  Seniors want to stay as safe as possible, doing what they can to prevent slips and falls.  But some of the suggestions people make to seniors to help prevent falls is simply not true.  Here are two things that, despite the hype, do NOT prevent falls. 1. Supplements.  Seniors are sometimes told to take
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