Seniors Site

The Art of Mindfulness was introduced as one of the many concepts of early Buddhism that’s still put in practice today due to its effectivity to calm the mind. In this concept, one is taught how to be conscious and aware of what the body is currently doing. It involves sensations, feelings, emotions and functions. Mindfulness techniques can teach you how to stay focused on the “now” and simplify life as it is. In western psychology, these techniques are also applied to alleviate most mental and physical conditions.

The idea behind Mindfulness is being consciously present on what is happening to your body right now and be able to disconnect yourself from all bothering thoughts of the past, future and other tidbits hidden deep within your subconscious mind. These negative thoughts are considered as stress factors and should be eliminated when practicing mindfulness. It was believed that a clear, conscious mind can help you achieve goals better than having your stressors push you everytime. Also, mindfulness yields better results since a person is deemed productive when he is mindful. However, there are some techniques in mindfulness that contradict other productivity principles.

Before adapting mindfulness into your life, you must remember that it is a kind of meditation practiced by Buddhists for centuries now. It is meant to relax your mind and free yourself of stress. It is most recommended for seniors who cannot afford anymore stress in their lives and subjecting themselves into one can even be harmful for their health. Here are some basic mindfulness techniques you can do today:

·    Avoid automatic reactions. When we do everyday tasks, our bodies immediately recognize the task hence turns on an automatic reaction to finish the task. It involves every muscle fiber in our body directly following orders from an “auto-piloted” mind. Notice how you absent-mindedly do household chores and finish it without even thinking about it or do them while your mind is wandering off to the next task. Being mindful is focusing your mind on what you do now.
·    Avoid multi-tasking at all costs. It is impossible to be mindful if there’s a barrage of whatnots going through your head. Multi-tasking is never encouraged in mindfulness. It will only confuse the mind resulting to undesirable results.
·    Worrying about the future will do you no good. If you have prepared well for it, there’s no need to worry about what the future holds. Surrender everything to the higher beings and enjoy the present moment because if it passes, it won’t ever come back.
·    Your aging body has had enough of living the fast-paced life and slowing down will certainly make your soul happy. Don’t rush through tasks in attempt to do it all at once. Give your body a chance to relax and do things at its own comfortable pace.
·    Spend time with loved-ones. I mean, REALLY spend time with them by being consciously there, absorbing every minute of it. You’ll soon realize that there’s more fun in bonding with them and appreciating the beauty of it.
·    Give yourself a quiet, 5-minute “me” time. This way, you’ll be able to rest your whole being and just relax. In a way, you’re also preparing for the next task ahead.

Stress can occur anytime, anywhere and can be caused by numerous factors. In fact, stress is a very general term used if the body experiences tension and unnatural discomfort. It can be physically, emotionally and mentally or even a combination of two. But, going to work seems to be the most stressful of them all since the workplace involves ALL factors of stress.

Please be reminded that when a person reaches a certain age, the body is no longer pliable to external assaults such as stress. When stress is induced to an aging body, it will then respond differently by bringing out underlying diseases and illnesses. These conditions are considered as stress-triggered and usually don’t have any existing cure yet.

Stress in the workplace is hard to ignore. It’s always there and no matter how hard you try to leave it when it’s time to come home, it will just follow you like a shadow. The best thing to do is try to minimize the stress as much as possible. Remember that it is your health that’s at stake so you really need to do something before it gets the best of you.

TIME AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT

When at work, your mortal enemy would be time. Time can do a lot of things to a person. It can even drive you crazy if you let it be. Along with time management, you also need to learn how to manage your energy and make it last longer so you don’t have to come home tired and stressed. In energy management, you need to know when you feel productive during the day and take on jobs that are appropriate for your energy level. Take small breaks in between jobs so you don’t lose momentum without draining your body of much-needed energy. Forget multitasking, it’s not healthy for you.

THE ART OF PRIORITIZING

Prioritizing means knowing what should be done first. It involves creating a timeline for your projects which will clearly indicate what needs to be done in advance and what can be left out for later. It also involves knowing when is the right time to do some certain tasks. Timing is important, know when to attack.

ORGANIZE! ORGANIZE!

Things are done better and more efficient when they are properly organized. Organization also means knowing how to delegate tasks and be able to monitor the project’s progress. You don’t have to do everything by yourself because if you do, you’re only subjecting yourself in a lot of stress. Find the most suitable person for a certain task and let them do the work. This will give you enough space to think of other productive approaches for the project at hand.

Layoffs are cruel, they come at the most unexpected time and place even if you feel confident about your job right now as well as the status of your company. They can hit a workplace at any moment without warnings and it can be very difficult for affected parties. Unfortunately, it cannot be avoided even if the management prefers not to cut back on resources due to the global economic status. Layoffs are meant to be irrational and sometimes, unfair but apparently, that’s how it really goes.

Years back, the most vulnerable workers for layoffs are the inexperienced and senior citizens. Nowadays, the ax is not as picky as it once was anymore. It will hit when the need be, anytime and most certainly anywhere, be it in the lowly janitors’ closet or inside the high-powered executive’s office.

Like stated earlier, layoffs are inevitable and the work climate now is very unstable therefore it is most recommended for seniors to prepare for layoffs especially if they feel the “doomsday” is coming nearer each day. Here are some tips on how to prepare for a layoff, and hopefully you won’t have to use it ever:

·    First off, you need to take a good look into your nest egg to know what your options are. This is the only way to determine where to go when a layoff strikes. If you feel you already reached an adequate amount then you don’t have to worry about layoffs anymore, instead take it in stride by exploring other venues for your own personal growth.
·    If your nest egg is not good enough and acquiring a new job is the only option available for you then it’s time to start setting aside for an emergency fund you can use after the layoff. Your emergency fund should be able to cover you in 6 jobless-months time.
·    Before you try to save anything for rainy days, clear off any existing debts first because if you don’t, it will only eat a portion of your saved money—and more. Debts accumulate interests and these, you have to pay too on top of the principal amount owed.
·    For existing credit card debts, examine closely which card gives lower interest rates and use this as your “only” card to use for all existing debts. Credit card debts are transferable—they even call your home number just to encourage you to do so.
·    Apply money-saving strategies in your lifestyle today. Create a reasonable daily budget that uses only the basics.
·    You’ll be amazed how part-time and freelancing jobs can sustain your needs especially if you’re able to come up with regular clients and steady demand for work.
·    Know your strengths and weaknesses. There is a high demand for skilled workers nowadays and knowing where your strength lies will help you focus on it more. Improve it in any way you can and don’t let age hinder your growth as a person.
·    Being employed has its own benefits and so does layoffs. Know if you are entitled to severance pay and other benefits that come with the amount of time you served the office.

Cohabitation is when a couple chooses to live together without getting married prior to moving in. It is a mutually-agreed decision made by both parties involved and they are socially acceptable nowadays. In fact, it is considered as the best alternative for marriage since it is free of any legal bonds that come with getting married. Cohabitation is also great for “trial period” prior to getting hitched hence its nickname “trial marriage”.

For younger adults, cohabitation is great especially if things got too fast and they would rather take time to know each other more as husband-and-wife. This will also help them determine if they would be able to stay married to one another thus eliminating the legal entanglement if the relationship won’t work. In other words, cohabitation is supposedly a testing ground for the relationship’s staying power. If it hasn’t any, then you call it quits and move on.

On the other hand, cohabitation for seniors is much more than testing relationships and taking time. For seniors, cohabitation takes a whole new different meaning and sometimes, it can be heartbreaking to hear. Usually, it is not about doubting his or her partner but it’s a matter of having no choice but to stay unattached to their respective partners. Remember that these seniors belong to a generation which firmly believes in marriage and it can be doubly hard for them to defy their beliefs. Aside from that, they face criticism from their loved-ones, particularly their kids, and friends. Sadly, more and more seniors are forced to face these consequences in the name of love due to many age-related factors as evident to recent surveys. Some of which are:

·    Financial reasons. It seems that the biggest, most contributing factor for seniors to cohabitate is their finances. Some seniors see marriage as impractical or not an option for their relationship hence they prefer staying unmarried living under one roof. Then there’s the question of taxes and senior benefits that are bound to change if and when a senior decided to get married. In other cases, it is done to separate debt incurred prior to the relationship to protect the other person involved.
·    Assets. If there are assets involved, sometimes their families would step-in and interfere with the supposed marriage. To avoid this embarrassing situation, some seniors prefer to live together peacefully but without marriage than get married and have a crazy life.
·    Personal choice. It may be a bad marriage in the past that has left a bitter pill in the mouth.
·    Their own children. Older adults’ descendants play a big part on the choices they make for their own life especially if their children’s welfare is at stake.

This is probably the most horrible news one could ever receive but unfortunately, senior abuse is not at all uncommon and they really do happen—a lot. No matter where you choose to leave your senior, there will always be a chance of them getting abused without you knowing it. What’s most painful is that the trust that was once there is now broken. Not to mention the trauma your senior must have acquired during the whole ordeal. Indeed, an experience like this striking any family is something we all have to avoid at all cost.

But how would you know? In rare occasions, a senior may report these cases themselves to proper authorities but again, this is not always the case. Usually by the time an abuse case concerning a senior reaches the police, it’s way too late. Reasons for not reporting vary widely from one senior to another, the most common of which are the inability of the senior to do things on his own and poor judgment to matters concerning their own welfare. Some of them admitted to authorities that they were either ashamed or too frightened to call for help even if they already did recognize danger. Most reported cases of senior abuse came from concerned neighbors and close friends who are quick to identify these warning signs.

Regular contact with your senior is the most effective way to prevent abuse from happening. If other people are aware that you have been checking regularly, they will think twice before doing something bad. It will also be for your senior’s best to check up on their affairs once in a while especially their finances which apparently is the most vulnerable—and very targetable—area of their life right now. Here are some of the most common warning signs that you should be looking for when you suspect senior abuse:

·    Discrepancies in their financial affairs and assets. Unscrupulous people will try to “milk it” as long as they stay undetected. They will apply tactics and other methods of persuasion just to get their hands on the senior’s money.
·    Signs of malnutrition. When you notice they are dropping weight like crazy then it’s time to intervene. When a person loses weight, there’s always something wrong with the picture, either he is not getting enough food to nourish his body or he is not receiving proper medical care while the body takes in all the blow.
·    Physical injuries or telltale signs of physical abuse. Take note of bruises, cuts, welts and broken bones. While it is normal to acquire these things when doing everyday chores, they should be explainable.
·    If your senior is living with someone who abuses them, your senior is bound to exhibit a different kind of attitude whenever that person is around. Also, signs of emotional withdrawal is noted when a senior is subjected to abuse.

Imagine driving almost your entire lifetime, dodging every traffic ticket there is, knowing the road even if you drive blindfolded and virtually conducting your everyday tasks and jobs inside your car. As an evidence, one look inside your old, trusty car and one would know what kind of business you’re running nowadays. Above all these, the connection between you and your car have grown through the years and come to think of it, your relationship with your car even surpassed that of your first spouse! If you feel this way, then you’re certainly not alone for there are thousands of senior drivers unable to will themselves away from their cars and would rather drive even if the situation has become more dangerous for them to do so.

There have been several posts in this blog about safe driving for seniors but nothing beats a refresher course conducted by the experts. Due to many road incidents concerning senior drivers, and also the great concern expressed by their family and friends, organizations who look after the welfare of older adults are now moving to make the road a safer place for seniors nowadays. We all know how age-related physical changes can affect one’s driving skill, no matter the amount of years-experience they acquired. Not only are these seniors putting themselves in a very dangerous situation but also they pose a great threat to pedestrians, other drivers and the road in general. This is how important a refresher course is to driving seniors.

Various organizations such as AAA, and AARP offer materials, seminars and short courses to assist driving seniors and hopefully make them “fit for the road” once again. There are also online courses for those who are unable to physically make it to classes and workshops and it was said to be as helpful and accurate as the ones taught in classes. However, class instructors encourage seniors to participate in real classes since it provides interaction between the instructor and the student. Included in these classes are age-appropriate and defensive driving tips that are perfectly suitable for seniors. Also, instructors encourage seniors to accept their limitations early on to avoid difficult situations from happening.

Driving schools are now offering refresher courses that actually put seniors behind the wheel to show them how to properly drive and work with their limitations such as changing lanes or staying in appropriate speed lanes. Some programs go as far as evaluating the driver medically for easy-spotting of problems. Most organizations offer them for free while others can go as high as $20.

There’s a new trend in town and it is infecting seniors worldwide. They are fun and addicting and boy, they really take the blues away!

If you are a senior who finds so much time in your hands with too little things to do, it’s about time to try your hand at blogging and see how far it can get you. It can be a great past time, hobby or even an income generating activity to fill up those vacant times you seem to have nowadays. Soon you’ll find yourself deeply engaged to blogging that it will be quite impossible to pry you away from that computer! The good news is, now you’ll have more reasons to blog since experts say it might even be good for your aging brain.

For those who got interested in blogging, let’s cover the basics first. Blogging is when you write for a blog and get your entries published realtime. Its functionality is very much similar to a website, only made simpler for normal people like you and me. For beginners who would like to test the waters first, you can sign up for free in blog platforms such as Wordpress and Blogger. After a little while, you can opt to buy your space and register it for more flexibility. It’s simple enough to learn and baby steps will work out just fine as most blog owners did when starting out. Typically, a blogger would write about their interests since they are the easiest to work on. Some notable blogs maintained by seniors are about cooking, fishing, barbequing and other hobby-related stuff. There are also senior blogs which chronicle their lives including its pain and joy as it happens. Interaction is highly encouraged in senior blogs.

With that said, we now move on to the benefits of blogging to seniors aside from the interaction and social aspects of it. Studies show that blogging has been the best alternative for traditional mind sports like chess and crossword puzzles. It helps an aging mind to stay sharp and focused. Furthermore, blogging requires constant researching to come up with quality articles to post, this in return makes seniors keep up with current events. Blogs provide a great way to connect and meet people who happen to be interested with the very same things you do too. Most of all, blogs allow you to share valuable life lessons through writing and posting. In a way, earning you recognition and fame for a job well done.

You’re in your midlife, she’s in her senior years, now you are having a hard time connecting to her. Does this scenario sound familiar? Probably yes, since it is a very common communication problem between a senior parent and her adult offspring.

Experts say the problem stems from the fast-paced life we seem to be leading now. Due to the demands of an average adult life, it is easy to leave your family behind, especially if they are already slowing down and are not able to keep up with the pace anymore. Even with the advances in technology today which enable us to connect with each other even if we’re miles away, it seems that it’s never enough to establish a good connection with an aging parent. Counselors recommend children of aging parents to build a good foundation, relationship-wise, early on so communication problems would be avoided later in life.

Light exchanges are highly encouraged between a parent and a child. This way you’ll be able to get to know each other more in a way that a child could determine what tone of voice to use and what words work for the parent. If you are sensitive enough, you eliminate the possibility of miscommunication. On the other hand, imposing to your parent is never good at any age and let me tell you, this is a trap most adult with aging parent fall into unconsciously. When you care about the person, you don’t impose.

It is important to share yourself too. How else can you earn trust if you cannot trust someone too? It need not be anything painful but hobbies and routines you’ve grown to love can also be shared with your aging parent to establish a common ground—a crucial part of an effective communication. Moreover, if you aim to improve your relationship which is by the way the most important step in communicating with seniors, it has to start somewhere. Shared hobby can be your easiest point of entrance. If you are unable to establish this kind of mutual relationship and time is pressing tremendously on your side, then get someone close to your senior parent whom he or she trusts with his life to act as a mediator. It will also help you if you can remember to be his child first before a life planner even if you’re the one supporting him financially right now.

When approaching a senior, never be the bearer of bad news all the time otherwise your senior will turn defensive everytime you come near. There are many things under the sun that you can discuss with your parent other than committing her to an adult care facility or submitting her to yet another lab test or even her declining health. These topics are all but depressing. Make it a habit to try cheering them up everyday.

Looking for the perfect gift to give to your loved-ones? Are you tired of hunting for the perfect gift and has been contemplating with the one you have right now? Why not try gift baskets?

Gift baskets have everything you need in a gift. It is practical, useful and one hundred percent personalized for the person in mind. Gift baskets are sure to delight a recipient of any age but most especially elderly loved ones.

Basically, a gift basket is composed of variety of items most suitable for the recipient. To make it more personalized, you must know a little something about the person you are about to give gift to. On the other hand, if in doubt then opt to go for pre-made ones available in most specialty stores such as gourmet food shops and gift shops. You can also choose to work around a theme or a holiday, whichever is most applicable at the moment. Here are some gift basket ideas made specifically for seniors:

·    Food baskets. This is, by far, the most recommended for seniors instead of giving them something that they won’t ever need. Food baskets encourage seniors to eat healthy–granted that the items you include in your gift baskets are indeed healthy. Your food baskets could be fresh fruits, teas, pastas, and even chocolates. Just make sure that it won’t harm their health.
·    Organic bath gift baskets. Not that seniors don’t take a bath but most of the time, they tend to use those that are most convenient or readily available for them at the moment. By sending them a basket full of organic bath products, it will save them time and effort in buying these products for themselves. Organic bath products are great for seniors’ skin because theirs are prone to dryness and irritation.
·    Spa gift baskets. Seniors need to relax too. With a spa basket, it’s like giving them the ticket to do so. Think Zen when gathering up products for your Spa basket. Include products such as bath salts, body oils and body scrubs.
·    Gardener’s gift basket. Most seniors make gardening their hobby because it is fun and very rewarding. If you are planning to give your favorite senior a gardener’s basket, you must first know their “gardening level” and what kind of garden he maintains (herb, flower or fruit) so your items will fit them perfectly.
·    Treasured memories gift baskets. This can be a scrapbooking basket which includes basic and elaborate scrapbooking materials or a stack of photos and a beautiful album to hold all of it. If this is a grandma, don’t forget to send the kids too so they can work on it together.

To get your gift baskets together, here’s a step-by-step how-to:

·    Determine what kind of gift basket you are going to give then decide on its theme.
·    Find a suitable “basket” to hold your items. It can be a large bowl for food and pasta baskets or a pretty bag if it’s a spa gift basket.
·    Find a suitable filler to make it more attractive. It can be a crinkled color paper or paper shreds.
·    Get two major “highlights” and a couple of smaller ones for your gift basket. Smaller ones are placed in front while bigger items should be at the back so everything is seen at once.
·    Wrap it up with a translucent wrap and tie it with a ribbon. Gift baskets can also go without a wrap so it’s your call whether you want it or not. Either way, gift baskets are a delight to receive.

Stress can strike at any age. In fact, it can strike at any time without the person even knowing it. It was even recorded that a person is most likely to suffer at least one period of depression brought about stress in his or her entire lifetime. Furthermore, stress can be in forms of physical and psychological, the later being the more sneaky and destructive of the two.

Many have survived stress fairly unscathed, unfortunately, seniors are only a small number of it. Experts say that stress and depression in younger people are easier to detect since the person involved is most likely to recognize the signs at once while older adults, due to many stressful events they face everyday tend to overlook these telltale signs and dismiss them as part of the situation at hand. Some of the known stressful events which seniors put up with everyday are chronic aches and pain, illnesses and diseases, loss of a loved-one and financial status of the person. Here are some tips for seniors to reduce stress today, although it won’t guarantee a hundred percent no stress, it can alleviate and prevent it even for a bit:

·    Exercise is good for your mental and physical health. Even if you are not going for a hot bod, regular exercise makes a person feel good inside and out because for one, it releases toxins from the body and two, it activates the happy hormones.
·    Planning ahead will help you tremendously. When you plan, you’re well-prepared when the anticipated incident happens. Also, it will help you spot those potential problems that could occur along the way.
·    Get enough rest and sleep. It’s okay if you are having a hard time sleeping, you don’t have to push yourself too hard to sleep but instead, rest and don’t think about it. Just rest. It will help you refresh the mind for better understanding of things.
·    One of the most telltale signs of stress is when you suddenly feel short of breath as if there’s someone sitting right on top of your chest. When this happens, it’s time to back down a bit, breath deep and release tension.
·    Sometimes, anticipating bad things to happen is not pessimism. When you anticipate, you must be able to use it for planning your actions instead of dwelling on it for too long. You anticipate, plan and move on. While you’re at it, come up with backup plans too.
·    Counting your blessings will help you find peace of mind amidst chaos. Always do this in times of need.
·    Never take on a job that is too demanding for your age. Aging has its own limitations. Even if you feel much younger than your real age, it doesn’t mean you must use them all up.
·    Do things that are important to you. These activities can make you happy so you should stick with them.

Remember that happiness is a choice and when you choose to be happy, you’ll keep stress at bay. It’s okay to feel lonely every once in a while but the sooner you move on, the better it is for your own health.