National Healthcare Decisions Day is a day that encourages the public to take charge of their own healthcare directives. It is intended to “inspire, educate and empower” while highlighting the importance of advance care planning and advanced directives. Making a plan for your future helps you and your loved ones to be on the same page about your health and your wishes. It’s never too early to think about your future.
As we approach the end of the year, many are full of holiday cheer, merriment, and a little extra joyful spirit. It is a time that a lot of people will connect with family, loved ones, or friends. But the holidays can also be a difficult time, and can even bring up feelings of loneliness or isolation. A survey from AARP done in 2017 found that roughly 31% of adults had experienced feelings of loneliness during the holiday season.
When you have an arthritic flare up, or you’re feeling stiff and in pain, exercising may be the last thing on your mind. But keeping your joints moving and staying active is one of the best ways to help arthritis pain and stay healthy. Stick to low-impact exercises and low-intensity activities that are joint friendly to help stave off arthritis symptoms like joint pain and stiffness.
The nurses in senior living communities, from assisted living to memory care communities, Independent living or Skilled nursing facilities, play a key role in establishing the comfort, care, and support our residents need to thrive.
Assisted Living communities aim to offer a balance between independence and care, offering support to residents with the Activities of Daily Living, such as dressing, toileting, grooming, and getting around, as well as nursing support, to ensure the very best quality of life.
Reading is a wonderful pastime that can have a wide range of benefits for both intellectual and emotional health. Between learning about new information with nonfiction books or escaping to new worlds with adventurous fantasy novels, there are so many benefits to diving into a good book.
Why do we share jokes with each other? Play games, make silly faces, or play silly games? Because fun is good for the soul. And as it turns out, laughter can have other benefits too.
Laughing can help to boost moods, but is also known to help reduce stress and can have positive physical effects as well.
Animals play an amazing and important role in our lives. From working animals to household pets, therapy dogs, or farm animals, connecting with animals can have a profound impact on people. Pets, and animals in general, can bring out the best in us.
Pet and animal assisted therapy has many benefits, especially for older adults. Animal interactions provide a sense of unconditional love, tactile connections, and mental stimulation to seniors and residents of Senior Living communities.
With spring just around the corner, there is no better time to get outside. Being in nature and enjoying time outside has so many benefits for physical and mental health - especially for older adults and seniors.
Outdoor spaces have the power to help improve health and overall psychological wellbeing, can bring a sense of connectedness, and boost both mood and cognitive ability. Overall, spending time in nature can have a profound and positive effect on a number of aspects of our lives, so getting out in the natural world is an important part of our daily lives and routines.
Seniors and older adults who are 65 or older have a higher risk of stroke, heart attack, or coronary heart disease. Roughly 85.6 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with heart disease, and roughly half of that number is over 60. This includes heart problems such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or other heart problems.
In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The good news is that more often than not, it is also preventable. February is American Heart Month, and its aim is to promote Heart and Vascular health awareness. By raising awareness, heart month aims to educate others about cardiovascular disease risks, and help to stop preventable complications.
Living a full life is all about experiencing a sense of purpose and engagement. For most of us, this sense of fulfillment comes from a variety of sources, and learning to properly balance each of them leads to a full, well-rounded life. Research supports the importance of having healthy connections within a variety of wellness areas in order to live a full and balanced lifestyle physically, mentally, and emotionally.