Rhode Island

Senior Information on Living Longer

Living longer is the goal for many healthy seniors. As long as someone is healthy and happy, the desire to live a long life is present. The good news is that more and more seniors are achieving this. The life expectancy has increased around the world and seniors are living longer than ever. The key to this is living healthy. Below is a list of facts regarding the increased life expectancies.

1. Improving living conditions can help lengthen life. If seniors live in a clean and safe environment, they are more apt to be healthier.

2. The improvement in general health is largely due to public health efforts that aim to prevent disease and improve the living conditions of seniors.

3. There has been a drastic increase in life expectancies over the past 170 years. In fact, the life span has increased at an astounding rate of 2.5 years each decade. This is equivalent to 6 hours each day.

4. As people age, their chances of death increase. However, if an individual were to reach the age of 110, their chances of death do not increase anymore. Instead, it holds steady at a 50% chance.

5. As people begin to live longer, it causes changes in the way younger adults think. If they believe they will live a long life, they should begin to take care of themselves better. This is the hope for the younger generations. It is important to remain as fit, healthy and active as possible, no matter what your age is.

Source:  http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2010/03/aging.html

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923

Seniors Benefit from Accepting their Physical Appearance

Being physically attractive and appealing is a desire for millions of people. In fact, some seniors are still caught up in issues of vanity. These individuals should realize that looking good does not bring health and happiness. These two things should be the priority for most seniors. To learn to love and accept your body, some of the tips below can be helpful.

1. Everybody wants to be a supermodel, but for most seniors, this will never be a dream that comes true. To overcome this, seniors need to learn how to love their body. This is done by noting the positive and not dwelling on the negative.

2. Keep in mind that being different from another person is what makes us all unique. If everyone were a model and had perfect features, there would be no personal satisfaction or gain when a goal is reached.

3. Losing weight may help get your body trim again, but it is not the most important thing in life. Never compromise general health for vanity.

4. Looking good comes from feeling good. If you are comfortable with the person you are on the inside, chances are you will have a better chance of accepting the physical aspects as well.

Source: http://www.fromfat2fit.com/articles/a2.html

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923

Aging Can Be a Gift!

Aging is not always a terrible thing. Many seniors will experience tough times, such as deteriorated health or the loss of loved ones. While these can be difficult to deal with, there is always a positive side. Below is a list of ways seniors can take a different look at life and aging.

1. Wrinkles and baggy eyes may be a sight in the morning, but most seniors recover from the shock in the mirror very quickly. Many even say that the wrinkles are only caused from living a full life.

2. Most seniors will say that they would not trade their full life and loving friends for a flat stomach or a full head of hair!

3. Seniors often experience many losses during their lifetime, including the passing of dear friends and family members. Though this is a horrible experience, many seniors take it as a chance to realize they are lucky to still have the gift of life.

4. Sometimes, some of life is best forgotten. Even though some seniors experience minor memory loss, they do realize it is a part of aging. They simply redirect their thoughts and energy to enjoying what they still have.

Source: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/03/25/the-incomparable-gift-of-old-age/

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923

Weight loss is a difficult thing to accomplish. Many seniors realize they have put on some pounds over the years. In addition, many of these seniors are unable to do any strenuous physical activities. The following list provides some great tips that can help seniors lose weight without having to exert themselves physically.

1. After eating a meal, push yourself away from the dining table. Do not stay for seconds!

2. Instead of sitting for that second helping, bag it and take it for a lunch the following day.

3. After supper, close the kitchen. Try to avoid late night snacks.

4. Use stairs whenever possible. This will help improve circulation and is a great form of exercise.

5. While walking, when the donut shop comes into view, keep walking!

6. Eating out can bring about many impulses. It is important to avoid supersizing any meal.

7. When dining out, take your leftover meal home. Do not feel as though you have to eat everything on the plate.

8. Instead of using the remote to the television, get up to change the channel. This will add a bit more exercise to the day.

9. When shopping, do not go on an empty stomach. Also make sure to leave unhealthy foods on the shelf.

10. Rely on your will power. It may be difficult to change old habits, but these tips can help lose weight quickly.

Source: http://www.fromfat2fit.com/articles/a10.html

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923

An Alzheimer’s diagnosis can be hard for seniors and their families to cope with and that’s because there is no known cure, and no proven ways to stop the progression of the disease. But, there is new hope as there have been recent discoveries that could bring big changes.

• There is a brain plaque that is detectable in the brain long before any cognitive decline begins to surface

• The plaque referred to as amyloid –beta has been discovered to cause damage when present in certain areas of the hippocampus

• Previously, it was known that the plaque was present in seniors with Alzheimer’s, but it was unknown if it was toxic or if its presence was coincidental

• The presence of the plaque can cause neurons to die, which can be related to cognitive decline

• Since there’s no way to redevelop neurons that have already died, further research is necessary to see if there is a way to prevent the build up of this plaque earlier before it causes irreversible damage

Via: Herald Sun

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-292

Memory Skills Help Seniors Live Alone

There are two things that many seniors fear – losing their independence in older adulthood, and losing their precious memories. Unfortunately, those two things can decline hand-in-hand as well. But, if seniors help keep their memory skills strong, they’ll be in a better position to care for themselves independently and continue to live alone.

1. Take in your surroundings – it happens at every stage of life; when someone talks to you but you’re not really focused so you don’t actually recall what they said, or miss many of the important details. That a prime example of how focusing is important. With age, it’s even more essential, because a conscious effort needs to be made in order to help seniors retain memories. When seniors put something away, they should make a conscious effort to mentally note “I put my keys on the counter”. That will help with recall, particularly for important daily events

2. Talk through it – actually saying something you want to remember outloud can benefit seniors. Talking about it improves memory alone, but in addition to that; pausing to talk can remind seniors to really stop and focus

3. Have a place for everything – there is nothing wrong with forming habits, especially when it comes to day-to-day functions that allow seniors to thrive independently. They should have a spot for their keys, for their medications and for other crucial items so they don’t even need to rely upon executive recall to find those items and remember to follow through on important tasks

Via: Harvard Health http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/3-tips-for-staying-sharp-as-you-age?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialmedia&utm_campaign=032610_tw

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-292

Rhode Island Home Care enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.

One of the best mobility activities for aging seniors is the Day at the Beach. This stretching exercise allows seniors to have some exercise and physical activity. It is one of the preferred activities for seniors who have poor vision. Though most seniors will be able to complete the activity on their own, some may need verbal guidance when they first begin. Regardless, the senior will benefit from this stretching exercise if done daily.

1. Take a beach ball and hold it at chest level. Both hands should be on the ball.

2. Stretch the arms outward. Make sure to keep them as straight as possible.

3. Return to the original position with the arms at the chest.

4. Each motion should be help for 10 counts. This will ensure the stretch is complete and that the senior is getting the maximum effect from this mobility activity.

5. This activity can be done anywhere the senior is comfortable. To add to the exercise, do it while listening to music. If desired, the senior can also move their feet to the beat of the music while doing the exercise.

Source: getmommoving.com

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923.

Rhode Island Non-Medical Care enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.

Many seniors enjoy drinking lightly. This could include a drink after a meal or when socializing with family and friends. In either case, there are some medical benefits to consuming light amounts of alcohol. The following list contains some of the health benefits for seniors who drink lightly. These benefits are only applicable to seniors who drink in moderation.

1. By consuming light amounts of alcohol, seniors can reduce their chances of developing a physical disability.

2. Alcohol consumption may also lower the risks of dying. This applies to those who drink small amounts of alcohol only.

3. Preventing physical disability is a major concern for seniors. Recent studies have indicated that having small amounts of alcohol can help prevent disability by up to 23%.

4. Alcohol consumption can also improve cardiovascular heath and can increase the levels of good cholesterol.

5. Seniors should not consume more than 15 drinks in one week. By monitoring the amount of alcohol consumed, seniors will be able to enjoy a drink while reaping the health benefits without worrying about other complications that could be caused by heavy drinking.

6. Most seniors will choose to drink a glass of wine with dinner or after their meal. Red wine has many health benefits and is one of the most common alcoholic beverages among seniors.

Source: cnn.com

Image: sciencedaily.com

Home Instead Senior Care in Rhode Island provides non medical home care services for seniors and the elderly who choose to live at home instead. Please call us for more information on our in-home care services at 401-667-2923.