Seniors Site

I don’t know why but it seems that along with recession comes the unexplainable hatred for 9-5 jobs. Many have taken the plunge, finally donating those corporate suits for comfortable casual wear as well as choosing a more flexible work schedule over the seemingly dead-locked office routine. I must admit, running your own business from home may cut almost half of your working hours, leaving more time for other endeavors which are otherwise not possible. There are weeks when you just work 20 hours and still earn the same amount of money as you would when maintaining an office job. Lucky are those who have the determination and capability to have it their way, but what about those who are not lucky enough to be able to leave their dreadful jobs?..
I have heard stories from my senior friends, old enough for retirement but not financially ready to give up work yet. As much as possible, I don’t share too much of my “newfound joy” as I see pain and hurt in their eyes when I do. I know, they wish to someday be able to live a liberated life but I also do understand what holds them back. I just wish it will be easier for them.
So what makes seniors hate their jobs? According to my experience—and to my friends’ as well, there are many varying factors to one’s satisfaction at work. Bottomline is, a team can never be as efficient and effective if there’s one unsatisfied teammate. For business owners out there, it is very important to monitor your workers’ level of satisfaction as it can directly affect their level of competency. This usually occurs when someone new joins your staff or some friction has been started.
Seniors find it boring if their work falls into a routine, something that they do on hourly basis. It is easy to hate a job that poses no challenge no matter how comfortable and easy the job may be. If there is no variety, seniors are bound to hate it sooner or later. On the other hand, an overly demanding job tends to burn workers out. Heavy workload with lots of deadlines is not only physically taxing but also mentally and emotionally draining—a factor that will push a worker to hate his job.
Unrewarding jobs are the most arduous to do. These jobs include dead-end positions without a promotion in sight, or when you work hard and still not get recognized for it. The same goes for jobs that are not really in line with your interests.
Working environment is important as well. If your boss is a perfectionist and nothing you do seems to hit the spot or if he is mean and yells at you, one can fully understand why you hate your job. It is also advisable to have a healthy working atmosphere in the office so it would be easier for you to come to work everyday.

Yoga is not all exercise, in truth, it is a lifestyle for all yoga enthusiasts. As your yoga instructor might be teaching you, practicing Yoga means releasing distractions your mind and body might be having right now.  In order to maintain a healthy, balanced equilibrium, Yoga teaches us to limit disturbances in our daily lives by way of unburdening ourselves of lies, hatred, violent thoughts, unfaithful acts, and even refocusing our thoughts away from material things which tend to occupy a human’s mind most of the time. The practice of Yoga will not only make you physically fit and strong but also will help you maintain a mind that is both balanced and aligned to each and every part of your body, making movements more controlled.
Like most seniors, the major reason for us to get engaged in Yoga is fitness and hopefully regaining balance. I must admit, the first few sessions were harder than I thought it would be. I found myself dangerously swaying left to right, even toppling over many times while I eye enviously other seniors in the room confidently doing all the poses without hesitation. Fortunately, my instructor has been very patient with me, helping me to attain right form and posture during sessions, even allowing me to rest when needed.
But like I said, Yoga does not stop there. To further help us in achieving perfect health inside out, we must also give attention to the food we eat. Eating the Yoga way, both quantity and quality are considered. It should be a source of your body’s vitality and restore health no matter what age you are in. A Yoga diet is mostly veggies and fruits. As much as possible, it should be fresh and natural. In a Yoga diet, it is also advisable that we eat less than our capacity everytime so that we are always light and active.
Proper digestion is very, very important in a Yoga diet. Chewing your food slowly everytime you eat will tremendously help your digestive tract in processing your food intake hence proper digestion. Overeating is a big no-no as it will only make you feel heavy, not to mention overloading your digestive system, making it harder for the body to absorb essential nutrients.
The practice of Yoga also believes that the food we eat has a direct effect on our mind and body’s equilibrium. It influences the way we think and act thus keeping a wholesome diet is very important if we want a physically and mentally healthy life. Those who are strictly into Yoga diet know that avoiding stimulating food and beverages is a must such as coffee, alcohol and spicy food.

How time flies! I barely felt January and guess what, the next thing I know it’s already February—and a weekend too! Few more days and we’ll find ourselves thinking of ways to spread the love, either with our partners, loved-ones and even with people we barely know. Actually, I’m already seeing stores and malls sporting heart-shaped cutouts and cupids, even supermarkets are flooding with chocolates of all shapes and sizes. In truth, it’s hard to miss that giddy feeling that goes with every Valentine’s Day when everybody around you has nothing but love!
As much as love knows no age, Valentine’s Day is also a celebration for all ages. It doesn’t matter if you have a partner right now, what matters most is that you are with your loved-ones and that you really want this day to be celebrated with them. But for those who are with their spouses or partners, lucky you! Here are some activities you can do to celebrate Valentine’s Day:
·    Impromptu getaway—there’s nothing as romantic as an impromptu getaway to somewhere no one knows where! If you are currently with a partner, surprise him or her by dropping by their office and asking for a date. It doesn’t matter if it’s near or far, just as long as nobody knows where and no one will be able to reach you. Yes, it’s time to turn off those phones as well. Consider this as your special day when no one else matters but you and your partner!
·    Visit places you both have fallen in love with—Nothing fancy here. It may be a café where you first dated as a couple or a nearby ice cream shop you used to bring your kids when they were younger. Something to rekindle that “fire”.
·    A day of surprises. Hide love notes and little somethings here and there. Seniors can add spice to it by organizing something like a scavenger hunt wherein the hunter will ultimately arrive at a price.
·    Pamper yourself. With or without a partner, go for a relaxing spa. Your Valentine’s Day can be more enjoyable if your body is without its usual aches and pain. Pampering your aging body will surely make you feel a lot lighter—and younger too! It will also prepare you for the long night ahead!
·    Cook for your special someone. Expect popular restaurants to be jam packed and overly crowded. If spending a quiet, romantic night with your partner is more of your type, then gather those dusty cookbooks and find something that can easily be prepared. It need not be something elaborate, besides, it’s just you and your partner.

It may be a little late for this but I need to write it down now rather than wait for the next holiday to come. Of course, due to my very busy schedule, I tend to forget good and useful materials to write and would only remember them out of the blue later on. I know, the little signs of dementia, you would say.
So this is it. My tips to caregivers worldwide for avoiding holiday stress which normally occurs during the month of December, since that month, particularly, has the longest and festive weeks in it. It can also occur during summers when everyone is in vacation mode and you helplessly look from the sidelines just because it might break the normalcy you and your senior have somehow managed to create.
It is just so tempting to turn a blind-eye everytime a potential holiday break is about to come. This is because, to a caregiver, going through a holiday means more work to do, more tasks to secure and most of all, an extra effort to an already humongous job. No matter how much you and your senior like to join the party, it isn’t that easy to do anymore.
One of the concerns, caregivers tend to worry about is the disruption of schedule. All caregivers will agree, caring for an aging parent or an ill spouse is no joke. It is more like walking on eggshells, or perhaps a walking time bomb? That’s how delicate a caregiver’s life truly is. Sadly, somehow holidays tend to give an added pressure to a caregivers life, threatening its hold so it is only understandable if a caregiver skip celebrations altogether and just choose to continue their routines without interference.
Regardless of your senior’s present condition, it is your and your senior’s right to be happy once in a while. And, you must! The idea is to make it easier for you to attend festivities by figuring out a way that will work for you and your senior. Would throwing your own house party be easier for you or would you rather transport your senior to the party venue so you won’t have to deal with the after-party mess? You can rely and discuss these concerns with the party organizer. Unless they really don’t want you and your senior there in the first place, they will surely make room for adjustments.
To avoid holiday stress from affecting you, never allow yourself to worry about mishaps. Just as long as you have your senior safe and secure, you don’t have to worry about things that may or may not come. Also, it will help if you can avoid emotional situations as it will surely affect everyone in the room, especially your senior. This should be a time for getting together and catching up with family and friends, this should be a happy event to begin with.
Know when to say “no”. It is not always that your senior—or even you—is in good shape, much less attend a party. It’s already a given fact that attending a party means advance and careful planning, without these things, it is not possible for you to even set a foot out the door. The party host will surely understand your situation if explained properly.

When I was still working a 9-5 job, I always find myself with aching back and almost numb butt at the end of the day. I also developed the so-called “one-pack abs” which is supposedly a version of the very famous six pack but this time it all concentrated to one, bulging area, similar to a beer belly. I also found my rear end to be growing each and everyday like it has a life of its own. I used to fool myself thinking that this might be the way Jennifer Lopez grew that sexy backside but when mine grew out of proportions, I knew I had to do something.
Just imagine the relief I felt by the time I bid my absentee boss goodbye. I was thinking that maybe now that I have more time in my hands, I can be healthier, go to the gym everyday and even attend fitness classes in between. I even got as far as envisioning myself in a really tight swimsuit the next summer! The first thing I did after kissing the office door goodbye was to go straight to the gym and sign myself up! That was a year ago..
Now that I have my home office up and running and me being the all-around girl, I usually find myself sitting almost all day, all night! Not that I have regrets or complaints, in fact, I love what I am doing right now—part of the reason why I can’t stand being away from my office for too long. The only problem is, I am, again, stuck in a chair without much of a choice. I bet there are about a million older adults like me experiencing the same so I refuse to give up!
There are ways to beat immobility at its finest. Here are my suggestions for what I fondly called as “healthy sitting”:
·    Replace chair with a stability ball. You know what’s funny, this idea came to me when I saw a picture of corporate workers sitting on a stability ball. Then it hit me: why not?! I must say, it improved my posture while working since I need to balance myself when doing so and took away a great deal of back pain. I still keep an ordinary office chair at bay though when I need a back rest.
·    Move around at least every 20 minutes. Some say, it should be 45 but why wait when at 20 your aging body is already feeling uncomfortable? Stand, walk, get some fresh air, do some stretching, anything to get you out of that sitting position!
·    Avoid slouching by adjusting all your things in a position that will keep your body upright. One of which is your computer monitor which your body tend to slouch over when working. If you have to put it above your head just to keep your body straight, then by God, do so!
·    Install stimulators in your chair. Seniors must have massage chairs when working. It helps alleviate muscle tension and stress during working hours and can also help you relax in times when you badly need so.
·    Make your office space a personalized one. Your space should answer perfectly to your body’s needs. It need not be stylish if it will only sacrifice your comfort and health. If clutter works for you, then clutter all you want!

It’s quite heartbreaking to see Haiti in the news nowadays, despite the fact that weeks had passed since the destructive earthquake and help from global communities just keep on pouring in. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing, volunteers from all over the world keep on arriving everyday but still those who lost a loved-one are not yet allowed to mourn as they need to keep the spirit alive for those who are lucky enough to survive. If there’s one good thing that the disaster brought the country of Haiti, it is the awareness of how bad we have been treating our environment and sadly, we are the same species to ultimately suffer.
I would say that if this is something that can be remedied in a week, most likely it would be forgotten by now. But, the magnitude of destruction the country of Haiti had experienced would require long-term planning and solution as the country is literally in shreds and yes, any form of help is most welcomed at this point and hopefully when Haiti is finally restored, it will be better than before.
Which got us all thinking, in times like these, we only have ourselves to rely on. We do damage, we suffer the consequences, we try to restore. For those who were miles away from Haiti or even those in its safer neighboring cities when the disaster struck, we cannot help but thank God we’re safe. But it doesn’t have to end there, we should also think of ways to extend our help for our fellow Haitians. It really doesn’t matter what kind of help, just as long as you exerted enough effort to help those in need. Seniors are no exception!
A retirement home in Canada started collecting milk bags which residents there started weaving to create plastic mats for rescue operations in Haiti. It may not be much but the doctors there thank these elderly volunteers for spending time to do such things as these mats prove to be very useful in maintaining a certain amount of cleanliness when they operate on a rescued person.  Raffles sponsored by senior groups and organizations started to circulate to help raise funds for Haiti. Indeed, anybody, no matter what your status in life seems to be can help in your own ways. There are also several websites accepting monetary donations for those who are unable to actively participate in rescue efforts in Haiti. Here are some websites you can try:
http://www.hopeforhaiti.com/
http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.unicef.org/index.php
http://doctorswithoutborders.org/

I still remember a few years back when sex in seniors was almost considered as a taboo. Even my then teenage daughter confessed to a friend—which I accidentally overheard—that there is no way she could imagine her parents having sex, even if we—i.e her parents—have been sharing a room for years and have nothing better to do during colder nights! And that was what, I was only on my midlife, not yet qualified for Medicare! Fortunately, the topic of sex in seniors, although there’s still that certain amount of embarrassment when faced in a discussion, has been slowly coming out as a normal, human behavior for older adults. I say, we should thank the internet as well for making it easier for us to come out of our shells and prove that we, too, are part of the world!
So yes, sex is present in a senior’s life, there’s no doubt about it. However, the difference between a “youthful” sex and a “mature” sex lies in one’s intention. I would like to think that sex has two aspects, the physical aspect and the emotional aspect of it. Both of which can deliver a certain level of high and satisfaction. While sex in younger people tends to be physically inclined, seniors do it to satisfy the heart—and if lucky, the body as well. In fact, seniors are more apt to have a satisfying sex since they know what they want and they usually get it from a partner.
A fulfilling sex life does not always depend on the capabilities of a partner. There should be a sexual connection; a link that connects two person in a sexual act. Without it, it can never be as enjoyable as it should be. Seniors, due to their extensive experience with life and better understanding of how sex should be, are able to fill in both shoes thus enabling them to get more out of it.
Although physical changes are to be expected during golden age, it only brings a different perspective when it comes to sex. Seniors can indeed experiment and overcome their limitations, if and when, they come to terms with these changes soon enough.  However, senior sex is no exception to safe sex rule. It was found out that the senior citizen group has an alarming, steadily-rising number of HIV infections these past few years which authorities are now taking a closer look to what’s going on before it’s too late.

There’s no doubt everybody in this room has had their so-called “senior moments” or in cyber lingo, mental glitches, like it’s something you can defrag, reboot or upgrade when necessary. Although subjective memory loss is almost always a portent of dementia, or so these medical researchers say, let’s for once consider this as a matter of being unorganized and always in a hurry. I say, there’s totally no harm in considering ourselves normal, healthy persons, right?..
Milder terms for memory loss are forgetfulness and absent-mindedness. These two, for me, connote that I am indeed a busy person that I have no time for such unimportant things like my keys and my wallet. Yes, I like fooling myself sometimes just for the humor of it. But let’s face it, sometimes it gets so irritating to forget things just when I needed them most, especially in cases when I need to take medications on a strict schedule then I find myself in the middle of the day wondering if I took my morning meds and have absolutely no idea if I did. Talk about frustration!
Let me tell you, forgetfulness knows no age, gender or whatsoever. This morning, my grandkid asked her mother if she saw his toy truck when I just witnessed him the night before bragging about it like there’s no other one like his toy. You see? Only when it occurs to seniors, we’re “marked” FOREVER! Here are my tips and tricks to avoid the inconveniences of forgetfulness and at the same time improve senior’s memory skills:
·    Maintain an organized life. It may be harder to do but take it from me, it really does wonders! I always make it a point that I visit stores with office supplies in them or even bookstores and browse through racks to see if there’s something new for me to use such as an organizer with better organizing capabilitites, sticky notes, etc. Anything that will help me remember things round the clock!
·    A place for everything and everything in its place. A bowl just beside the door proves to be very helpful to my key-hunting activities because I just throw them in the minute I step inside the house and pick them up on my way out. All my medications go to my bedside drawer as it is easier for me to reach for them when I need them.
·    Take memory enhancing vitamins. There’s no use hiding forgetfulness from your own doctor. Let him do his job and make your life a little easier and more convenient.
·    Brain exercises are the best! Try online games that will challenge your memory skills. Some can be downloaded to your computer so you can access them even offline.
·    Make it a habit to calm the mind. A calmer mind is a focused one. You will easily remember things if your mind is not too cloudy with unnecessary things.

Finding balance in your life is plain hard work and unfortunately, it also requires tremendous amount of effort to do so. If you have, as of the moment, a partner, family and work, you may think that setting aside ample time for yourself is quite an impossible feat and singles are indeed luckier since they don’t have family to consume their time. THINK AGAIN, according to life coaches, singles also have this kind of problem—and more!
Shockingly, it was found out that most single seniors prefer to stay single just because they fear that with their busy, crazy life now, they are not anymore capable of handling a relationship and still function as an individual, human being like they used to when they were younger. This is especially true for those who have experiences of bad marriages and domineering partners. As much as they enjoy their single comfortable lives now, they still dream of having a partner to spend the rest of their lives but refuse to accept or even acknowledge this dream.
These fears are to be understood. Single seniors usually consider their newfound freedom as a liberating experience and think that this is their time to do whatever they want, whenever they want without having someone to tell them what to do. But upon deeper probe, these single seniors are found to have developed a different outlook when it comes to relationships and self-worth, far different from what they have 20 years back!
Single seniors want their independence, more than ever. This is one thing your partner needs to understand if they want the relationship to work.  Relationship experts suggest that you make it clear to a potential partner that you value your independence early on than risk it. Your partner, especially if he or she is about your age and status, would certainly understand it.
It was also suggested for single seniors looking to form a relationship with someone at this point of their lives to plan ahead, even if there’s no partner in sight as of the moment. Planning means you need to “draft” your priorities and your limitations as well as how far you are willing to give. Of course, plans can change during the course of the relationship itself but letting your partner know these things will help clear the air of expectations. It is also best if you express what you want from a relationship.
Remember to stick to your plans if you want balance in your life. There will be situations that will test your stand and you should be able to make wise decisions. If you feel uncomfortable at any point of the relationship, don’t hesitate to lay your terms and assess the relationship from there.

The other day, I was talking about how to protect your knees, today, I’m going to blog about what to do if it’s already damaged. We’ve heard about knee replacement surgery, as well as its twin sister—and equally gruesome, if truth be told—hip replacement. For a senior like me, I find it weird that parts of the body can be replaced with bolts, nuts and whatnot, making us, more or less, look and feel like half-man, half-robot.
Kidding aside, knee replacement surgery is a major operation. Seniors are the most likely candidates for such operation since their knees are usually beyond repair. Knee replacement surgery should be your doctor’s last resort. That is, if all else fails. Which means to say, there are many treatments available for your aching knees and you should try them all before subjecting yourself to a knee replacement operation.  By the way, it takes years of wear and tear before your knees finally give up, unless of course if it’s eating itself away!
In a knee replacement surgery, the doctor will remove the damaged knee and replace it with metal and sometimes, plastic held together by wires and cement. You would know if it’s time for you to undergo a knee replacement surgery if there is a persistent pain in your knee area despite of medication and treatments. This pain should be characterized by sharp, crippling pain which prevents you from doing normal activities of the body such as walking or just simple bending of knees. For seniors, there are many factors considered before a knee replacement surgery, some of which are:  age, overall health and bone density. Keep in mind that your doctor will still try to find other ways to save you from your aching knees other than surgery since the cons sometimes outweigh the pros. Total knee replacement is NOT recommended for adults 40-50 years of age, unless they suffered a badly damaged joints as those of athletes’.
For seniors who are having doubts about having their knees replaced, there is a new procedure which aims to lessen the recovery time after surgery but still achieve the same result as that of total knee replacement. MIS knee joint replacement or Minimally Invasive Surgery will only require a small incision to insert the implant. However, due to the “newness” of the technique, only a couple of doctors are known to do such procedure. If your doctor is not one of them, you are most likely to be referred to someone who does.
What you should expect after a surgery? Seniors are required to undergo physical therapy the soonest possible time to avoid stiffening of the surgical area. To avoid blood clots from happening, you will be given a series of medications to thin the blood. Bear in mind as well that these implants are not intended to live forever. They, too, wear out in time. However, in the mean time, you should enjoy your newfound knees and use it while it’s as good as new.