Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows.” Getting outdoors is important for people of all ages and walks of life. In addition to wiping the internal slate clean, lifting our spirits, and giving us a chance to reconnect with life’s most important things, getting outdoors is a great way to relax and take peace from the natural beauty that surrounds us. While being outdoors is critical for all people, it’s especially essential for seniors. Recently, research conducted by the graduate students at the University of Minnesota proved that green, outdoor spaces have the potential to improve the health and wellbeing of seniors. According to the research, seniors who spend ample time in blue and green outdoor areas, such as grassy parks or on the edge of koi ponds, enjoy increased feelings of connectedness and renewal. With these results in mind, it’s clear that getting outdoors on a regular basis is an incredibly important step for seniors who want to safeguard their health and live a more fulfilled life.

Why Getting Outside Matters

As the University of Minnesota study points out, a senior’s day-to-day life can be mundane. Thanks to things like declining health and limited mobility, most seniors aren’t able to go out and explore new places like they once did. This leads to a senior feeling isolated and stuck in the same daily routine. Without the experience of getting outside, monotony goes unbroken and can enact an adverse impact on the senior’s happiness. Luckily, simple things like the sound of flowing water or the sight of birds eating at a feeder can easily break up the daily routine and offer mental and spiritual relief for seniors. In addition to helping to add some freshness to everyday life, getting outdoors also encourages seniors to increase their physical and mental activity levels, which, in turn, can contribute to warding off things like dementia, cognitive decline, immobility, and disease. This, perhaps, is one of the largest benefits of getting outdoors for senior. Simply sitting in a green space or listening to the sound of falling water helps people feel more alive, and for seniors who struggle with depression or feelings of hopelessness, this is an immeasurable gift. According to Richard Ryan, a prominent psychology professor at the University of Rochester, “research has shown that people with a greater sense of vitality don’t just have more energy for the things they want to do, they are also more resilient to physical illness. One of the pathways to health may be to spend more time in natural settings.” By breaking up daily routines, exposing seniors to new things, and providing an outlet for frustration and sadness, exposure to the outdoors can improve a senior’s sense of well-being and increase happiness across the board. What’s more, seniors who get outside on a regular basis feel less tired – Ryan’s research reports that a whopping 90% of people feel more energized after a day connecting with nature.

Five Facts About Outdoor Exposure for Seniors

1. Being outside boosts vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D is directly related to an improved immune system and a more positive outlook. Spending about 15 minutes of time each day in the sun is an ideal way for seniors to boost their vitamin D levels.

2. Nature can help boost immunity.

By helping seniors feel more positive and increasing mental health, the great outdoors help seniors build and maintain healthy immune systems.

3. Being outside helps seniors feel more energized.

Tired? Take a walk! Getting outside is a great way for sluggish seniors to feel more active.

4. People who spend time outside recover from injuries faster.

Exposure to natural light is powerful, and people who spend lots of time outdoors can recover from injuries faster.

5. Being outside helps seniors improve focus.

Being outdoors gives the brain a break from everyday multitasking and allows it to form new memories and heal itself from over-extension. This contributes to higher attention levels and improved mental health.

How to Help Seniors Get Outdoors

Unless the senior in your life is particularly spry, a challenging hike is probably out of the question. There are, however, dozens of ways to encourage seniors to get active and spend time outdoors. Here are a few easy places to get started:

1. Hang a bird feeder outside a senior’s window

People of all ages love bird feeders, and adding one to a senior’s view is an excellent way to bring some of the dynamic and beautiful interactions of nature just a bit closer. In addition to being easy to maintain, bird feeders are also perfect for virtually any housing situation – even those with limited outdoor space. Because bird feeders don't require any porch or patio square footage, they’re ideal for places like apartments and assisted living facilities. To take the experience of the bird feeder just a step further, get the senior a birding book and notate and identify each new bird species seen. Ideal for people with limited mobility or declining health, a bird feeder is a great way to experience nature without exhausting the senior in the process.

2. Arrange pots of colorful flowers outdoors

Flowers are bright, cheery, and a wonderful way to increase a person’s enjoyment of nature. Plus, they’re incredibly easy to plant and maintain. If a senior has a patio or deck, run a rim of planted, colorful flowers around it. Ideal for brightening the view and providing some of the serenity of nature without all of the efforts it takes to get outside, flowers and other planted greenery is a great way to help a senior improve his or her outlook.

3. Spend some time by water

If the senior is in decent health and can venture outdoors either by walking or in a wheelchair, spend some time near a body of water. Ponds, lakes, streams, creeks, and rivers are all ideal. The slow, trickling noise of moving water has been proven in multiple studies to calm people and promote a feeling of relaxation and well-being. Spending time by water as often as possible is a wonderful way to help seniors connect with the outdoors and enjoy the experience of new things and dynamic places. Plus, it’s something that is accessible for virtually every senior.

4. Go for a walk

Most cities and towns have paved community trail systems designed for walking or biking. What’s more, most retirement or assisted living facilities have paved walkways designed for strolling. For seniors who are physically able, going for a walk is a prime way to get out and enjoy nature. Because walking is a low-impact activity that boosts the heart rate slightly, it’s a wonderful way to reap the benefits of both exercises and the outdoors at once. For best results, keep walks well within the senior’s comfortable distance range and alter the route to pass a body of water, if at all possible.

5. Have a picnic

A picnic is a great way to combine the healing benefits of getting outdoors with the positive benefits of being around friends and family. For a successful picnic, pack up the loved ones and some tasty treats and head to a favorite place, like a lake or riverside, for a nice outdoor meal.

Getting Outdoors: A Critical Health Move for Seniors

Getting outdoors is a wonderful way for seniors everywhere to improve their health and wellbeing and combat some of the typical rigors of age. In addition to promoting mental and emotional health, getting outdoors is also a wonderful way for seniors to improve their physical health on a daily basis.  

In a show of appreciation, we received the following email about one of our lovely aides: I'm writing this email to say thank you for sharing an amazing aide with us. Omotolla Williams came to us in July and since her arrival things have really changed for our family. My mother Louise Aarons is a blind woman who has Parkinson's disease and dementia. My mother also has a brain tumor which sits on the top of her brain. We are so thankful that we have been placed with such a caring, positive and gentle person to look after our loved one! We would like to see Omotolla stay with our family permanently as we all have grown to love her and she has become a part of our family! It is definitely fitting for Omotolla to be awarded aide of the month! I'd nominate her for aide of the year if I could! Thank you again. Best, Carla Garrido for Louise Aarons

Today, roughly 28% of seniors live alone. This adds up to nearly 12.5 million people. While many seniors enjoy living alone and want to maintain their independence for as long as possible, living alone can pose some serious security threats to seniors. Luckily, there are ways to ensure that living alone is safer for seniors around the country. Read on to learn more.

14 Simple Safety Tips for Seniors Who Live Alone

For many seniors, living alone is ideal. Whether they want to continue driving, caring for themselves, or interacting with their friends and communities in the ways that they always have, living alone is a major benefit for many seniors around the country. For seniors who want to continue living alone as long as possible, these fourteen safety tips can help maintain independence and security for years to come.

1. Stay in good health

One of the biggest risks for seniors who live alone is injury. If a senior slips and falls and there is nobody around to help, a simple concussion could quickly become life-threatening. Because of this, it’s essential for seniors who live alone to stay as healthy as possible. Things like exercise, a healthy diet, an active social life, and drinking plenty of water drastically cut down on the health risks that face solitary seniors, and make it much easier for seniors to remain safe and happy in their own homes.

2. Build a close circle of friends

Senior isolation is a big problem, and it’s one of the single most dangerous things for seniors who live alone. While living alone doesn’t always mean being lonely, the two things go hand-in-hand for many seniors, and it’s a potentially life-threatening mixture of things. According to a 2012 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, senior isolation has a dramatic impact on mortality rates: increasing them markedly in seniors ages 52 and older. What’s more, senior isolation can contribute to depression, poor health, and the worsening of cognitive decline. With that in mind, it’s clear that one of the primary things seniors living alone can do to stay safe and healthy is to maintain an active social life. Seeing friends on a regular basis is a fantastic way to boost health and wellbeing and to develop a support system so that, if anything does go wrong, the senior has people to call on.

3. Keep plenty of medication on hand

If a senior who lives alone runs out of medication, it can be a devastating situation. Because of this, specialists recommend that the senior keep extra medication on hand so that running out prematurely doesn’t lead to a disastrous event. In addition to preventing frantic trips to the pharmacy, this approach also makes it easier to stay on track in the event that a senior misplaces his or her medication.

4. Develop a disaster kit

All people (and especially seniors) should have a disaster preparedness kit on hand. This kit, meant to be used in the event of power outages, freezing weather, or natural disasters, should include survival supplies like dried food, blankets, bottled water, flashlights, matches, candles, and medical supplies. Ideal for tending to one’s own needs while help arrives, this simple little disaster kit can make severe weather or rolling blackouts easier for a senior to endure on his or her own.

5. Keep the home in good repair

A home that features preventable hazards like exposed cords or slippery stairs is dangerous for seniors who live alone. In fact, the National Institutes of Health reports that 1.6 million seniors go to the emergency room as the result of falls each year. With this in mind, keep the home in good repair to prevent dangerous hazards that could harm a senior.

6. Lock doors and windows

When a senior lives alone, the risk of theft and burglary is very real. Because of this, it’s wise for seniors to be smart about home security. This means locking doors and windows and ensuring that the entire house is locked up when nobody is home. In addition to preventing break-ins, this step also helps ensure that the senior’s safety stays intact.

7. Consider an alert system

In the last several years, there have been several new senior alert systems to hit the market. Things like Life Alert and similar alert systems can be very helpful for seniors who live alone. In the event of a fall or accident, the senior just presses a button (worn on a necklace most commonly) and help is summoned. This is an excellent idea for any senior who lives alone.

8. Install a peephole in the door

Seniors are often targeted by scammers and thieves. Because of this, it’s smart for all seniors to install peepholes in their doors so that they can keep tabs on who is knocking before they decide to open the door. While this is a simple security tip, it’s one that can go a long way toward ensuring the senior’s safety and security for years to come.

9. Install a home security system

Depending on a senior’s needs and requirements, a home security system is a wonderful way to keep the senior safe and secure. Available in various configurations and options, home security systems keep a visual eye on the home and property so that the senior (or his or her family members) can keep an eye on the goings-on and spot any suspicious activity.

10. Develop a list of emergency contacts

Emergency contacts are critical for any senior who lives alone. To ensure safety and proper care in the event of an accident or injury, all seniors should develop a list of emergency contacts and keep it by the phone. This list should include the senior’s medical professionals, family members, and friends.

11. Install motion-activated lights

Motion-activated lights help spot suspicious activity and stop it in its tracks. For the utmost in safety and security, install these lights over prominent windows and doors on the senior’s property. This helps prevent break-ins and ensures that the neighbors or passers-by can spot an attempted burglary if one were to take place.

12. Have friends or family pick up packages when the senior travels

If the senior goes away to visit friends or family for a period, a friend or family member should retrieve the senior’s mail and packages from the doorstep so that the house doesn’t look vacant. This can discourage would-be thieves and help keep the property safer.

13. Install handholds and bars in the bathroom

The bathroom is a very dangerous place for seniors who live alone. Thanks to water and slippery floors, this is one of the highest-risk places for a fall. Because of this, seniors should consider installing handholds and bars in the bathroom (around the shower and toilet) to make falls less likely.

14. Check-in often

Seniors who live alone should check in often with friends and family members. This allows the support system to help if something is awry and makes it easier for loved ones to spot potential dangers.

Senior Security Starts Here

For seniors who live alone, home security is a real concern. Luckily, these simple tips make it easier for seniors to stay safe in their own homes, both now and in the future.  

For most seniors, hitting the age of 65 doesn’t mean slowing down. As we age, though, it’s common for our energy levels to dip and many seniors find that, despite wanting to get out and enjoy their golden years, they simply don’t have the energy they once did. This can be a frustrating and discouraging experience. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be a permanent one. With a few simple tricks, seniors can boost their energy levels and jump back into life once more. Read on.

Get Active! 13 Ways for Seniors to Improve Their Energy Levels

1. Take a hike

Even if your knees aren’t up for a major climb, a brisk walk along a neighborhood trail or an indoor track is a fantastic way to make you feel alert and focused. For best results, take a walk outside (but don’t forget to wear sunscreen) to enjoy the added boost of Vitamin D. If walking isn’t your thing, you can also consider an energizing morning yoga sequence or a fun Jazzercise class. Any brisk activity that doesn’t wear you out will work wonders on your energy levels. Research has shown that exercise boosts the efficiency of your cardiovascular system and improves neurotransmitters associated with energy production, like dopamine, so get out there and get active!

2. Drink plenty of water

Getting dehydrated has a devastating effect on energy levels, especially for seniors. According to Human Kinetics, body dehydration of as little as 2% can result in a 30% decrease in capacity for activity. With that in mind, make it a conscious effort to drink about 2 liters of water each day. If you notice yourself feeling sluggish or tired, drink a glass of water and have a healthy snack. Your energy levels should perk right back up!

3. Avoid smoking

While many people believe that smoking increases energy levels, just the opposite is true. While nicotine produces a short burst of energy, the effects are short-lived, and individuals who smoke tend to experience more drastic dips in energy levels than their non-smoking counterparts. Because smokers have a diminished lung capacity, their lungs aren’t able to supply as much oxygen to the brain and muscles as those systems need to function at their peak capacity. This, in turn, leads to fatigue and declining energy levels. With this in mind, avoid smoking. If you currently smoke and would like help quitting, visit Quitday.org.

4. Amend your diet

While it’s an often-overlooked factor, diet has a significant impact on our energy levels. Diets that are too rich in carbohydrates, sugars and processed foods will make you feel groggy and listless. On the other hand, foods rich in quality protein, vitamins, and lean fats are ideal for sustained energy and an alert and positive outlook. Turn to whole food sources like chicken, tuna, and turkey as well as eggs, seeds, and leafy greens for optimal energy levels.

5. Get a good night’s rest

If you’re not sleeping well, you can’t expect to feel rested and active the next morning! Unfortunately, many seniors suffer from sleep problems that impair their ability to wake up feeling refreshed. Consult your doctor if you have ongoing sleep issues. Some things, such as sleep apnea or chronic insomnia, may need medical attention to be adequately resolved. Once you’ve done this, turn your attention to developing healthy sleep habits, such as banning electronics from your bedroom, making the space as dark as possible, keeping the room cool, developing a bedtime routine, and using a white noise machine if you’re a light sleeper. While these are simple tips, they can go a long way toward making you feel more rested and giving you more energy during the day.

6. Meditate

Meditation works wonders for everything from our health and well-being to our energy levels. Multiple studies have proved links between meditation and increased productivity, focus, and energy. Because meditation allows your brain to “shut off” for a period, it can help you recharge and re-focus, much the same way a mid-day nap would. If you’ve never maintained a meditative practice before, don’t worry. Today, there are dozens of ways to get into meditation without the requirement of prior experience. Look around your community for a local meditation group or yoga center that offers meditation sessions. If you can’t find one, use an app like Headspace for quick, guided meditations to help you feel more energetic.

7. Address your stress

When left untreated, stress can balloon into an all-consuming thing that sucks up our energy and makes it difficult to function during the day. Because of this, it’s essential to develop methods for dealing with stress in healthy and positive ways. Meditation can help, as can getting out for a relaxing walk. Consider talking to a therapist if your stress is rampant, or call up a trusted confidant for a heart-to-heart. When we control our stress, we have more energy left over for the most important things in our lives.

8. Call a friend

Connecting with other people is critical for feeling engaged, happy, and loved, and it can help ban feelings of sluggishness, as well. If you find yourself feeling sleepy in the middle of the day, call a friend for lunch or coffee. This simple little perk may be all you need to feel active and alert once more.

9. Play brain games

You’ve heard the saying “use it or lose it,” and it’s just as true for your mind as for your body. When you keep your mind active, you put sluggishness and lethargy at bay. Luckily, it’s easy to do. Play brain-focused games like chess or scrabble or get a subscription to a brain training service like Lumosity to help keep your brain active and engaged. As an added benefit, playing brain games like this can also help prevent dementia and cognitive decline!

10. Get excited about something

Sometimes, people who aren’t learning anything new or taking in unique experiences will feel lethargic and tired. Luckily, this is a simple fix. If it’s been awhile since you took on a new challenge or learned something new, consider adopting a new hobby or joining a class. Simple things like arts courses or book clubs can go a long way toward making you feel more engaged and giving you something to get excited about each day. Sluggishness be gone!

11. Supplement your diet

Feelings of excess tiredness are often the result of a vitamin or mineral deficiency. If you’ve made changes to your lifestyle but still notice that your energy levels are lacking, consider supplementing your diet with vitamins like E, C, B, or A. Talk to your doctor about the specifics.

12. Go on a vacation

Sometimes, feeling lethargic and tired is a result of having been in the same place for too long. If you can, take a small vacation with your friends or family. A change of scenery can go a long way toward shifting your perspective and helping you feel more active and engaged every day.

13. Be careful with the caffeine

If you’re an avid coffee drinker, it may be wise to cut back. While many people use coffee to wake up, it can actually have the reverse effect if consumed in large quantities. Because coffee is both a vasoconstrictor and a diuretic, it dehydrates the body. This, in turn, can lead to a boost in blood pressure and feelings of sluggishness and lethargy. With that in mind, limit yourself to one cup of Joe a day and resist the urge to brew yourself another pot in the afternoon since doing so can interrupt sleep patterns.

Conclusion

Nobody likes to feel sluggish and tired. Luckily, these 13 tips can help you ward off sleepiness and participate in your life actively once more!      

If you’re planning for retirement, it’s likely that you’re interested in tips and tricks to make your efforts more efficient. It’s no secret that retirement planning has never been easy – past studies have revealed that only 18% of seniors expect to be better off in retirement than they are now. While preparing for and living well during retirement requires discipline, careful planning, and plenty of foresight, today’s innovative online tools can help make the process more intuitive. From tracking your investments to helping you budget your monthly expenses, today’s web-based tools are a fantastic way to make retirement planning just a bit easier. Here are seven of our favorite online retirement tools:

1. You Need a Budget

Even if you’ve saved hard throughout your life for retirement, the only way to make those funds last is through careful money management tactics. You Need a Budget is a budgeting tool that offers educational videos, a user forum, and plenty of tutorials to help you learn to manage your money better. The tool offers a free trail month and then costs $60 after the 34-day trial period is over. While this may seem like a big investment – it’s worth it. Available on Windows, OS X, iOS, and Android, the app plugs in to your financial information and helps you keep track of your spending by importing information from your checking accounts, credit cards, retirement funds, and various other financial platform. What’s more, the app isn’t complicated, which is surprising for one that does so much. It’s easy to use, offers mobile apps for all devices, and can help you manage your money and learn to make your retirement savings last.

2. Personal Capital

Personal Capital is a free investment tracking tool that’s popular among people planning for and living in retirement. In addition to tracking the performance of your investments, Personal Capital provides an easy-to-understand asset allocation breakdown and syncs with data from both tax-advantaged and taxable accounts. People love Personal Capital for its easy chart and graph displays and simple retirement planning tool, which allows users to adjust their investment strategies, analyze the performance of current investment portfolios, and keep tabs on their overall net worth. Additionally, Personal Capital offers a simple cash flow analyzer, so you can keep track of your daily, weekly, and monthly spending, as well as an innovative fee analyzer that helps prevent seniors from paying too much in fees on broker accounts, including mutual funds and retirement and investment accounts.

3. Moneydance

Moneydance is a simple personal finance platform that allows users to manage any currency from one simple online platform. Moneydance is available on Linux, Windows, and OS X and offers complete, integrated support for online banking. Depending upon what users prefer, Moneydance allows financial transactions to be uploaded manually or for the platform to connect with your financial institution to import transactions automatically. The home dashboard acts like an electronic checkbook ledger and displays every transaction you make, so you always know where your funds are being allocated. Additionally, Moneydance allows users to set up automated transactions for things like monthly payments, which makes financial management easier and less stressful. Despite the fact that it does so many things, Moneydance is simple, streamlined, easy to use, and amazingly flexible. Moneydance offers a limited free trial (usually about 100 transactions), after which users will need to pay $50 for full access to the app.

4. BlackRock Portfolio Analysis

Unlike the other tools mentioned so far in this article, BlackRock’s Portfolio Analysis isn’t so much a tool as it is a page. Hosted by reputable financial agency BlackRock, Inc., this page offers several helpful tools and resources that can help you get a handle on your retirement savings and learn what you can do to help them stay healthy. The page includes things like a tool that can provide side-by-side comparisons of five closed-end or open exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, or indices. The page also features a hypothetical portfolio tool which can help users understand how acquiring new funds will allow the portfolio as a whole to perform. Ideal for seniors who have extensive investment platforms and want to ensure that they continue to perform well and provide a constant stream of income during retirement, BlackRock’s Portfolio Analysis page is a great one-stop-shop for investment advice.

5. My Calculators

One of the simplest tools on the list, My Calculators offers a selection of pared-down financial calculators, including savings and investment calculators, 401k calculators, retirement calculators, and rate and yield calculators. With this selection of calculators, it’s simple to determine how long your retirement savings will last with monthly withdrawals. The calculators factor in inflation and available Social Security payments and give users an idea of their after-tax withdrawal rate.

6. Budget Simple

Yet another online budgeting tool, Budget Simple allows users to focus on their personal finances and ensure that they’ve developed a budget that works well for them. The tool helps users analyze finances, spending, and saving, and create a budget that allows them to meet financial or investment goals. The tool works by analyzing a user’s finances and then creating personalized suggestions on areas where money can be saved, how a user can plan better for set financial goals, and how to make retirement savings last. Budget Simple is a fantastic way to make developing and maintaining your retirement budget easy and the tool offers a simple, approachable, user-friendly dashboard and platform. Ideal for seniors who want to make a budget but aren’t comfortable with complex tools or involved online platforms, budget simple is a great way to manage money without feeling overwhelmed.

7. Mint

Mint is a comprehensive online financial tool that allows users to build budgets, keep tabs on credit scores, and gain access to customized financial tools and tips. The service plugs directly into a bank account and offers users alerts if any unusual account charges pop up. The service also encrypts all financial information for maximum security.

Conclusion

For seniors who need help budgeting their retirement funds, these seven innovative online tools are a fantastic place to start. From building monthly budgets to tracking funds and getting on-the-go account notifications, these tools can make planning for and living well during retirement easier than ever.

Caring for an ill spouse is always a difficult process, but it’s especially trying for seniors. In addition to coping with their own aging process and potential health issues, seniors who are caring for ill spouses must also contend with the emotional and mental strain of watching their loved one become ill and die. This can be exhausting and can easily have an adverse impact on the health of the surviving spouse. Fortunately, there are many ways to make caring for an ill spouse just a big easier for seniors to manage.

1. Ask For Help 

One of the most important things seniors caring for their ill spouses need to remember is that it is okay to ask for help. Often, spouses feel the need to provide for their sick husband or wife’s care all on their own. While this is a valid feeling, the execution of it often leads to seniors who feel overwhelmed, get injured, or become ill themselves. Fortunately, you can avoid this by asking for help. Asking for help is a pivotal part of providing quality care for your aging spouse. With this in mind, consider asking an adult child or a neighbor to assist you with tasks that are physically challenging for you (lifting heavy objects, for example) or hiring a housecleaning service to lighten your load. In addition to allowing you to focus more fully on your spouse’s care, these steps can also go a long way toward helping ensure you don’t feel overwhelmed or chronically stressed.

2. Know Your Limits

It’s difficult to provide quality care if you’re injured, ill, or disabled. Because of this, it’s important to know your limits well enough that you won’t push yourself past them in an effort to care for your spouse. This means not doing jobs that are too difficult for you to manage and not sacrificing your health to look after your spouse. While it can be difficult to know your limits and set boundaries surrounding them, it’s an important aspect of providing quality care for an aging spouse.

3. Find A Home Care Agency 

For a senior that’s been attempting to provide a spouse’s care all on his or her own, finding a quality home care company can be a lifesaver. Contrary to what many people believe, hiring a caregiver doesn’t mean you have to relinquish responsibility for your spouse’s care entirely. It simply means that you can share the burden of round-the-clock care with someone else. In-home caregivers can assist you with daily activities like helping your spouse bathe or get dressed while also helping to manage things like medication schedules, doctor appointments, and chores like house cleaning and cooking. While many seniors are reticent to hire an in-home care aide, doing so can be a huge help. While it’s difficult to care for an aging spouse at any point in life, it’s especially difficult when the healthy spouse is older than 60 and not as physically able as they once were. Because of this, hiring in-home care assistance can be a great way to safeguard your health while also providing your spouse with the care he or she needs.

4. Make A Choice About Your Attitude 

While caring for an aging spouse is a difficult process, it’s also a continuation of the vows you took when you married. By remembering this and seeing your care as an act of tenderness toward your spouse rather than a burden you must cope with alone, you can make a conscious choice to be happy and to care for yourself well throughout the entire process. There are many trying aspects of caring for an aging spouse, and making a choice to maintain a positive attitude and be happy throughout can impact the care you’re able to give and help enhance your satisfaction and mood. If you need help looking on the sunny side of things, consider joining an online support group or seeing a therapist.

5. Don’t Forget To Care For Yourself 

Caring for an ill spouse can be all-consuming and many seniors get so wrapped up in the tasks at hand that they forget to eat, drink, and exercise as they normally would. While this is a normal response to the extraordinary burden of caring for an aging partner, it’s also a dangerous place to put yourself. If you’re not healthy, you can’t provide quality care, which does nothing for your spouse. Keep yourself in good health by eating well, sleeping enough, drinking enough water, and getting some exercise in on a daily basis. While it may seem like a small step, these things can have a huge impact on your ability to provide quality care. One of the best things you can do while caring for your spouse is to set aside some time – even if it’s only ten minutes – each day for “you time.” This can help safeguard your mental health and ensure that you’re getting the respites you need to stay healthy and happy.

6. Safeguard Your Mental Health 

Spouses caring for their ill husbands or wives are at a high risk for depression and anxiety. Because of this, it’s important that you safeguard your own mental health while caring for your loved one. Consider seeing a counselor or therapist or simply making time each week to meet with a trusted group of friends or confidants. Having space to vent your frustrations, sadness, or difficulty is incredibly healthy and can help ensure that you don’t go crazy while attempting to care for your spouse.

7. Know Your Options

While spouses caring for sick husbands or wives often feel alone, there are dozens of community and local organizations that can often offer a helping hand. Depending upon your unique situation, things like Meals on Wheels or an adult daycare program may be appropriate. You may also have access to free assistance from a church or community group. If you’re struggling to care for your spouse on your own, don’t be afraid to explore the options available to you in your local area. This can help relieve some of the burden you feel surrounding your spouse’s care and may make the entire thing more bearable for you.

Conclusion

While caring for an aging spouse is a difficult experience, there are many things seniors can do to make the process easier, less stressful, and more manageable on a daily basis. From enlisting the help of friends and family members to hiring an in-home caregiver, seniors aren’t as alone as they may think. Additionally, seniors can safeguard their physical and mental health by ensuring that they’re sleeping enough, eating well, drinking enough water, and exercising daily. Some seniors may also benefit from seeing a therapist or counselor to cope with feelings of grief, anxiety, or depression. These measures can go a long way toward ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of the spouse providing the caregiving in order to make sure that the ill spouse gets all of the care he or she so badly needs.    

If you believed everything that society told us about senior living, you’d think that senior living is a place the elderly go when they have no more options and can no longer care for themselves. How dismal! Fortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Many of the often-perpetuated myths about senior living are false. By debunking these myths, seniors can understand more fully what senior living means and how it can benefit them.

What is Senior Living?

Senior living facilities are places where seniors can live with as much or as little assistance a they want or need. While senior living facilities do indeed provide a whole host of essential care services, they also provide fun, companionship, stimulation, and exposure for active seniors from all walks of life. Options included in most senior living facilities include independent living, assisted living, nursing care, rehabilitation, and more!

The Ten Biggest Fears About Senior Living

While many seniors appreciate the benefits offered to them by senior living, not everyone fully understands these facilities or what they offer. If you or your loved one has concerns about moving into a senior living facility, read on for our answers to the top ten concerns about senior living:

1. Senior living means I’ll lose my independence

Many people believe that moving into a senior living facility is akin to giving their freedom away on a silver platter. Fortunately, this isn’t true. There are many different options available to seniors who chose to move into a senior living facility. People who choose the assisted living option, for example, will get help with cooking, cleaning, laundry, or whatever else they may need. Seniors who choose independent living will enjoy their own apartment with no help, unless they need it down the road. The entire goal of senior living is to support seniors at all life stages. Because of this, the assistance offered ranges from light cleaning to intensive rehabilitation care. Older people in senior living will never receive help they don’t need and won’t have to worry about being infantilized or coddled.

2. Senior living is lonely

One of the biggest myths surrounding senior living is that it is an isolating experience. People worry that moving to a senior living facility means that they’ll sacrifice all of their relationships and lose interaction with their friends and family. While this is an understandable fear, it’s not altogether rooted in reality. Senior living facilities support interaction with friends and family and provide a whole host of opportunities for new relationships to form. Seniors living in senior living facilities will enjoy community events, classes, social hours, and educational opportunities that allow them to meet other seniors while also enjoying a comfortable living space where they can entertain their pre-existing friends and family. While seniors worry about isolation in senior living, many people find that their social lives become more active when they move into a senior living facility.

3. Senior living is unaffordable

It’s true that senior living can be a large financial burden. It’s also true that there are dozens of financial options to help seniors afford senior living. From Social Security to VA benefits, there are scores of ways to make the cost of senior living more manageable. Additionally, seniors can choose from a variety of senior living programs – some elaborate and some more simple – to fit their budgets and their lifestyles. While senior living is often regarded as the most expensive care option, it’s important to consider that, in many cases, it’s less expensive than staying at home and hiring full-time in-home care.

4. Senior living will make me age prematurely

While many people worry that moving to a senior living community makes them “old,” the opposite is often true. Between the activities available at a senior living community to the customized care intrinsic in the structure of these facilities, it’s completely possible to look and feel younger than ever while also enjoying the enhanced ease, social activity, and free time a senior living community offers. Senior living facilities aren’t a trap for the aging – they’re a way to increase a senior’s quality of life across the board.

5. I can’t trust the senior living staff

Many seniors considering senior living worry about the competence and trustworthiness of the staff. They may also worry that their children will just drop them off in this strange place and that their care will be totally unmonitored from then on out. Fortunately, this isn’t true. The fact of the matter is that senior living facilities are meant to make seniors comfortable. If you’re not comfortable with your caregivers, something is wrong. Good senior living facilities are run by professional senior care personnel that care deeply about the health and well-being of the residents and legitimate senior communities pride themselves on improving the happiness and quality of life for their residents. Seniors who are concerned about the staff at a new facility should make this clear to their family members, and close contact should be maintained during the first few weeks of care.

6. I won’t have control over my own life

Many seniors confuse the schedule of a senior living community with that of basic training or boot camp! While it’s true that there are plenty of activities to take part in, it’s important to remember that they’re all voluntary. Nobody is going to force a senior at a senior living facility to take part in arts and crafts if they don’t want to and many seniors live in senior living communities while maintaining the patterns and habits of their regular lives. As a senior ages, it’s possible that their need for care will increase. In this case, a senior living facility may be the best choice for both the senior and his or her family. It’s important to remember, however, that senior living facilities respect the autonomy of their clients and aren’t on a mission to force people into abandoning their daily routines and habits.

7. I’ll be bored

While many seniors worry about being bored in a senior living facility, they need only to talk to the people who already live there to understand this isn’t a genuine threat. Senior living facilities take the happiness of their residents seriously, which is why they offer such a wealth of activities. It’s not uncommon for a senior living facility to provide field trips, hair salons, language classes, social hours, games, cooking classes, or therapy animal sessions. More likely than note, a senior living facility exposes seniors to more activities then they’d have access to in their own homes!

8. Family won’t visit in a senior living facility

While many seniors worry that their friends and family will forget about them in a senior living facility, the opposite is often true. The fact is that older people in assisted living communities often have more time on their hands and enjoy more time with their friends and family than they did before. Plus, many senior living facilities do special family days that encourage a senior’s children, siblings, or other family to visit and participate in fun activities.

9. Senior living means I’ll have to give up my taste

Many seniors worry that living in a senior living facility means they’ll have to renounce their ability to decorate or manage their own homes. While additional assistance is available to those who need it, the purpose of a senior living facility is not to rob a senior of his or her personality or style. Seniors are encouraged to decorate their living spaces they way they’d like to and are encouraged to continue participating in the things they love.

10. I’ll have a hard time integrating into senior living

Many seniors worry that they won’t make friends or fit in in a senior living community. While adjusting to a new way of life can be difficult, many seniors find that they enjoy a senior living community and become more comfortable with the new pattern over time. While it’s unfair to say the transition will be seamless, most seniors find actually enjoy living in a senior living facility. While seniors may feel many fears surrounding the concept of senior living, many seniors truly enjoy their transition to a senior community. From providing assistance with daily chores to helping seniors meet new friends and be more active, there are many benefits to senior living facilities and many seniors find that these communities improve their happiness and quality of life.  

Most people visualize themselves aging gracefully and living a long, healthy life filled with good friends, family, and plenty of activity. While this is something that many people dream of, it’s far from being a fantasy. The fact is, many seniors do it. So what’s their secret? How do these people enjoy all of the benefits of old age while maintaining good health and a happy state of mind? Here are their top twelve secrets:

1. Avoid Stress

Stress is a common factor in dozens of chronic diseases and conditions. According to a 2015 study conducted by the University of California – San Francisco, women suffering from chronic stress have significantly depleted levels of Klotho, a hormone that can help protect the body and brain from aging. An earlier study, published in the British Medical Journal in 2012, found that people who are under lots of stress are at a 20% increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Because of this, avoiding stress as much as possible is one of the best ways to live a happy, healthy life for many years. While it’s impossible to cut stress out of life entirely, it is possible to cope with it better by learning stress-management techniques, like meditation, and doing healthy things like going for a walk, cooking, or meeting with friends when you feel stressed.

2. Maintain a Healthy Social Life

You knew that your friends made you feel happy, but did you know that they can help you live longer, too? Multiple studies have found that being alone as you age is a significant risk factor in everything from premature death to heart disease and stroke. Because of this, it’s wise to ensure that you maintain a healthy, active social life as you get older. Doing this will not only protect you from depressive symptoms – but it will also help guard your brain against symptoms of cognitive decline, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.

3. Exercise

If there were a fountain of youth, it would look a whole lot like a daily walk or run. Exercise is one of the best ways to keep your body and mind fit as you age. In addition to helping you avoid chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, daily exercise can also help increase mood-boosting hormones in the brain and will contribute to keeping your body fit, healthy, and capable throughout your golden years. Additionally, exercise is a fantastic way to meet new people, stay engaged in a community, and continue learning new things.

4. Volunteer

Volunteering is one of the best ways to make a difference in your community and give back to a cause that you believe in. It’s also one of the best ways to ensure that you enjoy your golden years as much as possible. Studies have shown that people who have a higher sense of purpose – either through faith, religion, or community service – live longer than people who don’t. While there are no “one-size fits all” rules for determining how and when you give back, it’s clear that getting involved in something bigger than yourself is one of the best ways to stay active, engaged, and passionate as you age. In light of this, it’s wise to get involved in something you believe in. It doesn’t matter if this is a church, a volunteer organization, or a faith-based community. Simply pick something you’re passionate about and dedicate some time to it. While this may not seem like it has a direct correlation with your longevity and happiness, it’s more important than many people believe.

5. Find Someone to Love

Did you know that being half of a partnership can help you live a longer, healthier life? Whether you’re married or you simply have a sweetie you enjoy spending time with, finding someone to love can significantly reduce your risk of premature death. A 2013 study conducted by Duke University Medical Center and published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that of 4,802 people, those who were married were far less likely to die prematurely. While researchers still aren’t exactly sure why this is true, many believe that having a partner helps reduce stress and provide a source of support, which makes life more enjoyable.

6. Eat Well

It’s impossible to be truly healthy unless you eat a healthy diet. People who eat ample amounts of wheat, rye, barley and other whole grains enjoy longer lives than those who don’t. The reason for this is that these foods offer nutrients called polyphenols, which can help reduce the risk of early mortality, protect brain health, and decrease the possibility of cancer, heart disease, respiratory illness, and diabetes. To ensure maximum health, ensure that you’re eating a proper mix of nutrients, including plenty of leafy greens, vegetables, protein, and fiber.

7. Sleep Enough

Sleeping well is associated with much more than just waking up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed – it’s also related to living a long, healthy life. According to one study conducted by the University of California – San Diego, people who sleep seven hours each night lived significantly longer than people who slept less than five hours or more than eight hours each night. Because of this, it’s wise to prioritize sleep in your quest for overall well-being. In addition to helping you feel healthier and more alert, getting the right amount of sleep each night will help protect you from early death and can contribute to guarding against cognitive decline and other age-related symptoms.

8. Participate in Something Bigger Than Yourself

Time and time again, studies have found that people who have a sense of spirituality or faith live longer than those who don’t. While you don’t need to pray your way to longevity (if that’s not your thing), it is healthy to participate in a cause you believe in – be it a church, spiritual community, or volunteer organization. These things can all go a long way toward decreasing depressive symptoms, mitigating the risk of chronic conditions, and helping people feel more connected to and happy within their communities.

9. Avoid Overeating

In addition to helping you avoid dangerous weight gain, avoiding the temptation to overeat can also help you enjoy a longer, healthier life. According to a 2008 study conducted by University of St. Louis researchers, eating until you’re roughly 80% full can help you age slower. The reason for this is that limiting calories, even moderately, helps decrease the production of a thyroid hormone known as T3. This boosts your metabolism and slows down the aging process.

10. Stay Away from Too Much TV

Watching too much television is a surefire way to suffer from decreased health and limited longevity. According to one 2010 study, people who watch more than four hours a day of television are 46% more likely to die from any cause than their counterparts who watched less than two hours each day. With this in mind, pick up a good book rather than tuning into re-runs the next time you have a quiet day.

11. Wear Sunscreen

In addition to helping you avoid the risk of skin cancer, avoiding excess sun can help keep your skin looking young and healthy. While enjoying the sun is an important part of a healthy life, be sure to slather on the SPF the next time you hit the beach with your family or friends. Even if you’ve never been a sunscreen wearer, it’s never too late to start adopting good habits.

12. Enjoy Limited Amounts of Alcohol

While there’s no question that consuming too much alcohol can have disastrous health effects, studies have found that small quantities of alcohol can actually have protective health benefits. One drink a day (an 8 oz. serving of wine or beer) can help keep your heart healthy and your brain sharp. With that in mind, don’t be afraid to enjoy a nice glass of vino with dinner. A long, healthy life is something that virtually everyone wants and, fortunately, it’s not that difficult to obtain. By practicing good habits in diet, exercise, and sleep and maintaining an active social and community life, you can ensure that you enjoy your golden years from a standpoint of good health and longevity.

Every caregiver knows the feeling of coming home at the end of the day entirely burned out. Maybe you sit down on the kitchen floor and eat cold cereal directly from the box for dinner or maybe you simply get into the shower and cry from exhaustion and stress. While these reactions aren’t uncommon, they also aren’t entirely healthy. While there’s no doubt that caregiving is a stressful and emotionally demanding job and that some strife is unavoidable, there’s also no doubt that one of the most important things caregivers can do is care for themselves. When a caregiver burns out as a result of improper or inadequate self-care, he or she has nothing left to give to clients. This results in poor client care and a risk of missing important warning signs. Additionally, burnt-out caregivers are at a high risk of becoming resentful of their jobs and leaving this all-important field altogether. Fortunately, caregivers who focus on providing themselves with positive self-care can continue to serve clients well for many years to come.

Self-Care 101: Four Reasons Caregivers Need to Tend to Themselves

While it’s critically important for caregivers to be aware of the importance of self-care, the concept is a foreign one to most people in the helping professions. Typically, caregivers are incredibly dedicated to their clients and it’s very easy to push through the days without giving much thought to the state of one’s own body or mind. Unfortunately, this inevitably ends in disaster for the caregiver. Here are the four main reasons self-care is so critically important for caregivers:

1. Caregiving is a health risk.

Study after study has proven that caregiving puts a person’s personal health at risk. More than 60% of caregivers suffer from some level of clinical depression, a large majority take prescription medications for anxiety disorders, and most caregivers are incredibly reluctant to slow down or get help.

2. Most caregivers are caregivers at home and at work.

75% of all caregivers in the U.S. are women who also have families and spouses of their own to support. Some caregivers are adults taking care of aging parents and some are adults who also tend to adult children in need of extra assistance.

3. Caregiving is a source of intense stress.

Hard days, late nights, and early mornings all add up to create a stressful environment for the caregiver. Unfortunately, stress is a factor in the majority of serious diseases and, left unchecked, stress has the potential to have a grave negative impact on a caregiver’s life.

4. It’s impossible to be a good caregiver without self-care.

You’ve likely heard the saying “You can’t give anyone water if the well is dry” and there is no profession in which this is truer than caregiving. In order to be a quality caregiver day in and day out, it’s important to ensure that the well of emotional and mental health is full on a daily basis

Filling the Well: Six Things Caregivers can do to Ensure Self-Care

1. Seek Support.

Most of us have grown up in a culture that tells us we’re weak if we ask for help. Unfortunately, this is untrue and damaging. Being a caregiver means learning to seek support in whatever way that resonates with you – be it the emotional support of prayer or a church group, the physical support of weekly massages, or the mental support of talking to close friends and family members. There are also dozens of web-based and in-person caregiver support groups around the country that can help caregivers cope with the stress and demands of their jobs in a healthy and productive way. No matter how you choose to seek support, doing so is one of the most important aspects of maintaining your personal health.

2. Allow for comfort.

You take care of other people all day so it’s important to take care of yourself sometimes, too. One of the best ways to do this is to allow ample room each week for something you find comforting. This could be reading a favorite book, watching inspirational videos, cooking and enjoying a favorite meal, or spending time with a loved one. These moments of comfort are incredibly important for replenishing emotional reserves and keeping stress at bay.

3. Address the guilt.

Most caregivers feel a huge amount of guilt at not being able to “fix” everything. This is exacerbated by the fact that most caregivers provide care to people with significant physical or mental difficulties for whom no cure is available. While the care the caregiver provides is important in helping these individuals live quality, dignified lives, it’s often difficult for the caregiver to rectify the fact that they can’t ultimately heal their clients or take the sickness away. Additionally, caregivers may also feel huge amounts of guilt for not being able to be the perfect child, parent, spouse, or employee. Caregivers also feel guilty when they get angry, resentful, or frustrated with clients. Part of self-care is learning to cope with this guilt in a healthy way. While all caregivers experience some level of guilt, the way it is dealt with has a large impact on mental and emotional health. Many caregivers see a counselor for support while others turn to prayer or religious communities for assistance coping. Reaching out to friends and family members may also be helpful.

4. Set boundaries.

A lack of boundaries is one of the most common reasons caregivers feel strung-out and overworked. While most caregivers give everything they have while on the job, it’s important to be able to set boundaries once the working day is over. While this practice looks different for everyone, common methods include not checking your cell phone or email while at home with the family, keeping work topics at work, designating one day to fully leave your cell phone at home and unplug, or refusing to take on more than you know you can handle. Setting boundaries takes practice but, over time, setting boundaries and knowing your own limits can become two of the most powerful defenses against resentment and burnout.

5. Take care of your body.

It’s impossible to be good at anything or healthy in any way if you’re not taking care of your body. From getting enough sleep and drinking enough water to making space on a daily basis for exercise, physical care is the foundation from which everything else springs. With that in mind, carry a water bottle with you to work and be sure to drink at least two liters each day (a great mental guideline is one liter before breakfast and one before dinner). Additionally, you should be sure to make space for some form of physical activity on a daily basis, be it a yoga class or a walk with your dog. Make time for regular health checkups and be sure to take a break if you feel yourself getting sick, run down, or excessively exhausted. While this may be difficult to do in the moment, it will pay off in the long run in the form of more resilient health and an increased capacity to cope with the difficulties of the job.

6. Take breaks.

Even if you absolutely love your job as a caregiver, taking breaks is a huge piece of self-care. Allow yourself to take a vacation every year and make time on a regular basis for mini-vacations – either in the form of a day off here and there or a lunch break during which you go outside, sit in the sun, read a book, and don’t take work calls or emails. These things, while they may seem simple, are hugely important for preventing you from becoming overwhelmed and unhappy.

Conclusion

While caregiving is one of the most demanding jobs in the world, it’s also one of the most rewarding. Most caregivers love their jobs and these self-care tips can help ensure that you stay healthy, happy, functional, and helpful for many years to come.