Seniors Site

Even in your golden years, your credit score still stands as one of the most important factors in one’s life. You will need a good credit score if you are planning to get a mortgage or perhaps a new car and, of course, loans—which tends to be a “jack-in-the-box” kind of thing in a senior’s life. Yes, obviously your credit score needs to be protected and nurtured as long as you live!
And indeed you have every responsibility to do so, unless you want to spite your stubborn son or daughter and give them a major headache in figuring out your debts! Aside from that, you need to maintain a good credit score if you are currently single in status and now looking forward to marrying again. This, you also have to check with your potential partner prior to marriage since it can seriously affect yours once married.
Alarmingly, according to a study conducted by AARP, the senior citizen group is the fastest growing in terms of credit debt. That alone shows how seniors are faring amidst the economic crisis and clearly, it’s not good. But, if you have been a good boy or girl and vigilantly keeping an eye on your debts and credits, chances are, you are now enjoying its benefits. One of the advantages of having a good credit score is of course, hassle-free loan eligibility which means you don’t have to wait too long for it and no need to forward 101 documents to have it granted. Also, keeping a good credit score means you will be able to enjoy lower interest rates as well as compared to those who are not too careful of their debts. These things should be reason enough for seniors like us to maintain a high credit score so that when the time comes that we need a loan, it won’t cost us heaven and hell to get that kind of money!
Contrary to public notion, your credit score does not depend on you being debt-free all your life. In fact, if you don’t own a credit card, now or even then, chances are, you don’t have any credit record in any agency. No credit history means no credit score for you sir, hence nothing to look at in case you apply for a loan. Chances are, your application will get rejected by the lender. Also, if you were a plain housewife and your husband did all the transactions in the past, don’t expect the authorities to be keeping track of your “neighborhood store” debts. In other words, these loans and debts need to be legal, binding and a pack made with authorities, something that can put you behind bars if you don’t pay up!
The easiest, most convenient way to improve your credit score is by using your credit card at least twice a month. This way, your name will be charged with a small enough amount that you can pay right on its due date. Just make sure you make the payments right on time or else, it will lower your credit score. As much as possible, stay within 25% of your maximum limit and keep old credit card accounts with you as it will prove you pay well. Small loans are also okay, just to keep everything running. Consider these things as an investment, even if you don’t really need them now.

Elderly romance is almost always met with a frown especially from sons and daughters and even relatives. Like medical ageism, it seems like the opposing side’s intentions are not too clear, it is just they don’t trust senior’s instinct and capabilities to decide for their own, even if their happiness is at stake.
I don’t know, but apparently, when you get older, younger people—people you’ve helped shape minds when they were younger—begin to assume the “adult” role and start deciding for you, no matter how clear your mind might be at the moment. Tables have indeed turned as seniors are most likely to find themselves sneaking out of the house to meet their “secret partners” somewhere far and secluded while enlisting friends’ help to cover up their tracks. The sad part of the story is, these interferences and resistance are sometimes not done out of their love for the concerned senior but mainly for the inheritance they are about to receive. Sad but true.
On the other hand, there are those who have genuine fears for the welfare of the seniors. These people tend to be overly protective of their senior just because they smell scam. Their fears are warranted since there were reports in which con artists victimized lonely, elderly widow. One example of which is the sweetheart scam—a heartless scam in which the con artist works his or her way into a lonely senior’s heart. Sometimes, it takes as little as gifts and personal favors, but there are those who are really after the senior’s financial reserves.
If you are one of the caregivers and you find yourself torn in such situation, please consider your parent’s or grandparent’s feelings before declaring an all out war against the blossoming relationship. Just think back when you were younger and you fight for someone you love even if everybody around you were clearly against it. It’s more or less the same. Instead of “belittling” your senior’s decisions, why not try to get to know the “partner” and see why your senior fell in love with this person, in the first place. By keeping an open mind, you’ll know what’s lacking in your senior’s life and what they wish to have. If it’s something you can give, then why not? If it’s not, then it is wise to just back off and wish them all the best, right? Bear in mind that not everything essential in life, you can provide so please give other people a chance to be happy.
Speaking for the caregivers and worried children who fearfully watch their parent go crazy in love, it is really weird to see a parent whom we considered as our champions, turning all giddy and mushy and even foolish. This sight is enough to alarm our hearts and minds if the senior is indeed in the right mind to tell whether or not the relationship is good for them so before you ward us off, please take a closer look on what apparently is amiss and ensure us that you got it all covered.

Today, you can smell love in the air and there’s no denying it, it’s infective as ever! It’s hard not to get caught up with all the hustle and bustle of it. Whether you’re single or attached, you’ll certainly get the feeling that you need to join in the celebration and make someone feel loved today. Just this morning, my granddaughter who is currently living with me just arrived after spending the night at her cousin’s house holding a little heart-shaped balloon and a lone, red rose which I dearly suspect came from my own garden. She extended those chubby arms and in her 8-year old, high-pitched voice, shouted at the top of her lungs “Happy Valentine’s Day, Nana!” with a grin so big, it made my heart melt. I don’t know but little gestures like this, I appreciate more. I held back the tears because this kid might take it the wrong way, said thank you and I love you then kissed her cheeks.
These things made me think how important it is for me to stay alive longer, to be able to see them grow and build their own lives. I want to be there when they need me and knowing how they appreciate my being there for them is enough for me to go on, no matter how hard life can be. Since it’s a heart day, let’s direct our attention to that little muscle which has both medical and profound meaning, the human heart.
Now that I am old, I take an extra effort to take care of my heart as I see it getting vulnerable everyday. Of course, dying of an unexpected heart attack is not my idea of a stylish death so I am really conscious of getting my aging heart as healthy as can be.  Oftentimes, seniors tend to forget about their hearts, setting aside its needs, until they experience usual heart problems such as chest pains and palpitations. Problem is, when you reach this point, it is usually too late as the heart disease already progressed into something more damaging—and yes, life threatening too. As much as possible, make it a habit to care for your heart and never wait for the worst to come. Here are some easy ways to take care of your heart:
·    Do cardiovascular exercises. When you do these exercises, make sure you clearly know where your intention lies. Cardio is done for many reasons; some go for it to lose weight while others do cardio to tone their legs. Yours should be moderate cardio exercises that will just keep your heart beating adequately. No need to stress your heart, just give it its much needed exercise.
·    Go for high-fiber, low-cholesterol diet as it is the most heart-friendly diet. Make it a point to eat oats in the morning as it lowers cholesterol.
·    It was found out that lack of sleep causes calcium buildup in the arteries of the heart which leads to heart attack and stroke. If you love your heart, get enough rest and sleep. Read report here:  Lack of Sleep Linked to Heart Problems
·    Avoid stress as much as possible. Stress triggers hormonal reactions vaguely understandable by the body thus it fires up signals for which the heart takes the direct stress. As you get older, you must learn how to manage stress in your own ways.
·    Take supplements prescribed by your doctors. Your supplements should consist of Omega-3, antioxidants, and B-vitamins.

As we grow old, we find it very important to know every little thing about how the brain works, particularly how it loses brain cells. Primarily because, we fear that someday, we will lose our memories and give in to the ever popular Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is terrible, just thinking about it is enough to make a senior cringe. I have witnessed seniors in very advanced age whose brains are no longer capable of functioning but the body refuses to break and I must admit, they really are a sad story to tell.
What’s really fascinating is that, no matter how persistent researchers are to be able to solve this mystery once and for all, the only thing they were able to ascertain is that when Alzheimer’s disease is present, there will be plaques in the brain. One can determine the extent of the disease just by looking at how these plaques multiply or grow. In other words, we can only go as far as determining if Alzheimer’s disease is present when a senior dies but there is no surefire way to prevent them since we don’t have a single clue how it really begins or what triggers it. This is exactly what the medical community is trying to pursue.
Averagely, by the time we reach the age 65, our brain cells start declining in numbers. Some say, the brain shrinks although there is no existing scientific basis so far. Normally, during these times, seniors may experience frustrating “senior moments” and start improvising just to help them remember things. It was said that the brain works like a computer system. You are most likely to remember the things that your brains currently or usually use. Others just get dumped somewhere. Sleeping, on the other hand, is your brain’s time to “reboot and defrag”, assigning things to where they should belong. Just like your computer, it has an expiration date, such that when it reaches its maximum level of use, it should go. Unfortunately, we don’t have brain upgrades as of the moment so we just have to deal with what we have now.
Perhaps it was also the idea behind a study made to distinguish the effect of our lifestyle to our brain cells later in life. According to this study, a person who doesn’t subject himself to mental stress on a regular basis showed slower rate in terms of declining brain cells. Moreover, those people who are physically active but have calm minds react similarly. On the other hand, people who always worry and are prone to depression produces high levels of cortisol which is a suspected substance that shrinks the brain. See full report here:  Personality and lifestyle in relation to dementia incidence

If there’s one group of people who gets classified in two contradicting characteristics, it must be the seniors’ group. Why? It is because we’re believed to be wise due to the countless life experiences we were able to gather through the years and yet, midlifers—particularly our kids–see us as gullible human beings. How on earth can a person be wise and gullible at the same time? Well apparently, or so others believe, seniors can be both.
I say, getting manipulated is not at all age-related, nor a phenomena that occurs only during the so-called golden age. Anyone can fall into someone else’s manipulative scheme if they are not too careful or they tend to easily trust what other people say. Aside from that, let’s consider the fact that most con artists pick on seniors as their prey just because these seniors are either too lonely and in obvious need of a companion or they have an amazing amount of money stashed somewhere—in some cases, both.
Sadly, there are other forms of manipulation which are not intended to snatch your pot of gold but rob your self respect. You may or may not recognize it at once but most of the time, you feel bad and really frustrated since it sort of “locked” you in a situation less desired. Manipulation occurs when someone have it their way and never bothering about you. It can be a boss who refuses to hear your opinions, instead, adamantly insists on doing things to his liking, or it can be a friend who always calls during ungodly hours just to have a chat with you, mostly to tell you her latest adventures.
What seniors should know is that, master manipulators actually size up their potential prey prior to moving in for the kill. In other words, they try to gauge the opposite person if they can be manipulated or not. With that said, you should be conscious enough of your actions and try to create an impression that you are not the type they are looking for. Here are the usual warning flags that you should avoid:
·    Being passive. You just let everything pass you by, even if they are annoying. You don’t acknowledge your true feelings just because you hate confrontations and are afraid that someone might get hurt.
·    Allowing others to control your life. You just go with the flow. You let someone else move you to places. You never decide for yourself.
·    Afraid of your own opinions. You get all nervous just by the thought of opening your mouth and having your say on important issues.
·    Fickle-minded. When you jump from one decision to another and then back again even without strong and apparent reason, it expresses your inability to make strong judgment.
·    Approval seeker. One strong sign of insecurity.
·    Not valuing one’s self. If you love yourself, you know that there are some people who are just not worth your time and effort.

In many occasions, moving is beyond senior’s control. They will be moved no matter how they feel about it. In reality, no one can ever tell what could take place during a move especially if a senior is involved. It can be emotional and worrisome which can be understood considering that most of them prefer not to be moved at all. Unfortunately, moving can be a necessity for seniors due to many varying reasons, particularly health.
When seniors move, it can be moving in his or her kid’s home or moving to a smaller place since their current home is too much of a hassle to manage for an aging body. It can also be moving to happier retirement communities where life would be so much easier. Sadly, a number of moving seniors are destined to live in assisted or nursing homes. The latter group is usually the saddest among the bunch–and the hardest to move! If your senior has been living in his or her current home for many years, allow more time to adjust.
On the other hand, it is imperative for the responsible party to consider these factors when moving a senior. If you are the one in charge of convincing the senior to move, please always remember that moving is a process and it should never be rushed. Bear in mind that for seniors, moving signifies unwelcome change, never a new leash in life.  With that said, your first step is to assure the senior that everything will be alright and their priceless possessions will not get violated in any way. Assurance indeed goes a long way!
Moving a senior takes more time than a regular moving act. Also, you need to walk them through the process as they will need help and lots of encouragement. Expect tasks to be accomplished slower than usual. Moreover, caregivers need to be patient at all times. Another thing to consider is the moving budget. Of course, when you move, you need to pay for it, and it can really be expensive especially if you are moving a lot of stuff which seniors tend to do under such condition. NEVER force a senior to sell their belongings or else you blow up your chance of ever moving the senior. If you need to move your senior, you just have to do it under their terms.
Getting your senior involved in each and every step is a must. They must, somehow, feel they are in charge and you are only helping them with the move, nothing more. However, you must always be one step ahead by making sure that important documents are not left out such as medical records, insurances and others.

There has been an ongoing debate whether or not there is an existing issue of ageism in terms of receiving medical care especially for cancer cases. Ageism by definition is age discrimination. If an elderly person is denied of anything just because they belong to a certain age group, particularly that of the elderly group, he or she is a victim of ageism. It can be in forms of work, service and even healthcare.
But how would you know if you were denied of something important for your wellness just because you’re old or if it was really for your welfare? Many healthcare providers refuse to give seniors the same kind of treatment options available for other patients of different age. Chemotherapy, the most popular treatment method for cancer, is known to be skipped altogether in cases when a person developed cancer at a very late age, instead, seniors were only given symptomatic treatments to alleviate pain, if there’s any. Unlike in younger adult’s case, aggressive treatments to kill cancer cells and boost immune system were given, a senior is most likely to receive milder therapy, mostly to make life easier but seldom a cure to the disease itself. Some seniors consider this as unfair but others just give up and surrender to their doctor’s verdict. Others believe that there, indeed, is ageism and it is costing us our seniors’ lives.
The usual reasons why doctors prefer not to give seniors anymore aggressive treatments are their state of health, i.e if their body is already laden with one hundred and one illnesses and diseases that might react defiantly upon treatment, and if the cons outweigh the pros significantly. As health care provider, doctors are very cautious of their methods to prevent further discomfort of the patient. Unfortunately for others who have the means to pay for treatments and the will power to live, they, too, were denied of these treatments no matter what they felt or believed. Other groups who see it the other way think that doctors are not giving their elderly patients with much of a choice.
The problem is, almost 50% of cancer victims belong to the senior group, age ranging from 65 and above hence it only goes without saying that almost half of our cancer suffering population is not really getting proper care—or cure. It was also found out that only a handful of these seniors were encouraged by their doctors to proceed with chemo treatments and fortunately they did well under these treatments. As to how these doctors pick their candidates is beyond anyone. For me, I think it depends on the doctor’s preferences and how well he knows his patient. If you think you are not getting enough care from your current doctor and by all means, go find another one!

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.