Seniors Site

Imagine a life without an eyesight, or perhaps one day you’ll wake up and discover a world that is much lesser in color and not as bright as it once was. As we grow older, our vision is expected to undergo some changes. While there are few others who made it to their golden years with as little as few prescription eyeglasses, almost half of the senior population is not as lucky–bound to completely lose their eyesight anytime soon. Unfortunately, this is all because they have failed to take care of their eyes.

According to eye experts, age is not the only contributing factor for failing eyesight. Age, although closely associated to eye problems, is only one of the many factors which results to an eye problem. For one, there is an existing hereditary factor which is present right after a person is conceived. Next is the lifestyle we chose to lead. Bottomline is, when you start to consider your eyes as a separate entity which needs to be taken care of, you increase your chances of delaying–if not preventing altogether–eye problems from happening. Here are some tips on how to minimize your risk early on:

·    Once you reach the age of 40, start visiting an eye doctor for regular checkups. Also, take note of any disease that you may have right now. Diabetes is a disease known to affect one’s eyesight. If you have one, you should take extra care of your eyes once you notice slight abnormalities and even before it.
·    Having a poor eyesight is an accident waiting to happen. A senior with an eye problem is prone to slips and falls increasing their chances of fractures. Failing eyesight cannot be stopped once it transpires, but some safety measures can be applied such as installing brighter lights all throughout the house.
·    Smoking can cause age-related macular degeneration.
·    The sun’s glare is also damaging for your eyes. Never look at it directly for whatever reason and protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses when you go out.
·    Have your daily dose of vitamins A, C and E. They are good for your eyes.  Examples of which are carrots, fruits and spinach.
·    Prevention is always better than cure—the same cannot be said enough for your eyes.
·    Eye injuries can occur anytime. Protect your eyes at all times especially when you come in contact with potential causes like spray cans and cleaning products.
·    Heed its call. When your eyes are tired, it will definitely let you know. Once it does, then its time to give it its much-deserved rest.
·    It is common for seniors to experience eyes that are either extremely dry or annoyingly wet. It happens when your tear glands are not working properly anymore. Eye drops can help you alleviate these symptoms and it must come with a prescription. Talk to your eye doctor about it.

When we get older, one of the most common questions that we may have is how to live longer and healthier. As seniors, we know that it is always proper nutrition and exercise so as soon as we recognize the signs of aging, we quickly jump into the “health wagon”, hoping that it’s not too late for us. What we don’t know is that prevention starts earlier than we ever expected and people who actually grow older than a hundred are living healthy since birth.

Knowing this for a fact should teach us not to expect too much especially if we start treating ourselves right a little too late. On the other hand, it’s better late than never right? Plus, healthy changes in your lifestyle can never hurt you.

According to a study conducted to a group of senior men, age is not the only factor that affects longevity. Among the top 5 affecting factors in one’s health, particularly that of an aging man, are:  smoking, diabetes, weight, blood pressure and exercise. These health factors increase the risk of dying early tremendously. This study also concluded that those who survived are living well despite any diseases they may have right now. This only shows that even if seniors are plagued with illnesses, their healthy lifestyle doesn’t need to stop but it has to be maintained all throughout.

Smoking is one of the best-known killers of all time and it becomes doubly harmful for seniors. Its direct effects are fatal enough but long term use has its own set of side-effects that can seriously impair a man. It can reduce bone density exposing you to fractures. Quitting the smoking habit can be your best choice, so far and quitting it early is definitely a plus. Read more about this study in this post:    5 Easy Steps to Living Long and Well.

It is also recommended by healthcare providers for seniors to maintain an adequate weight by eating healthy and exercising as much as possible. Along with aging comes the tendency of the digestive system to slow down making it harder for the body to remove toxins. To combat this condition, digestion-friendly foods should be introduced. Fiber should be included in a senior’s diet since it aids in healthy digestion and removal of waste. Hydration is also important in maintaining a healthy body.

Overall, keeping all aspects of your life active is your best weapon in maintaining a healthy, longer life. This involves physical, social, emotional and spiritual. Start early so the body can adjust well even before it shows signs of aging.

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.

Seniors need not be alone at the age of 60. There’s too much in life that ending it at retirement is almost a sin! Retirement is supposed to be a new leaf offering liberation and freedom from bonds that hold us down. This should be a chapter in your life when all you need to do is take care of yourself and do whatever it is that pleases you the most hence the need to stay in tiptop shape when approaching retirement.

Seniors’ lifestyle nowadays is gearing towards healthy living and staying in shape. By adapting this kind of lifestyle, they possess greater chances of enjoying their retirement since they’re able to stay active and keep up with the demands of life. Also, when a senior is healthy, it increases his or her chances of finding love again!

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle at 60 is tough and sometimes, it leaves no room for love since you tend to shuffle back and forth to doctors and other appointments. In this kind of pace, it is hard to keep up with one another since your partner is most likely be doing the same things as you are. While these activities are healthy for your own body, it is definitely not healthy for the relationship you are currently having with your chosen partner.

When seniors engage in a relationship, most of the time it is for the companionship it brings but if one is unable to fulfill this need then what’s the use of having your partner around? If your healthy lifestyle is already putting a strain to your perfect relationship then it’s time to apply some certain tricks to make “dating while staying healthy” happen.

The idea is to spend quality time with your partner whenever possible, unfortunately, maintaining a healthy lifestyle also demands a serious amount of hours per day. The trick is to combine both activities so that you are hitting two birds with one stone. Assuming that your partner is also pro-healthy, why don’t you plan an activity you can do everyday together like biking, running or jogging. You can even go to the gym at the same time your partner does. This way, you’ll be seeing more of each other everyday while doing the things you need most.

Dieting is always better when done alone but dieting with your partner is way better because you can be each other’s diet police. Also, cooking with your partner gives that romantic feel you guys most certainly need. The best part is, plan your “cheat day” together and see how sweeter it is when compared to just plain dining out.

Doctors and lab appointments? No sweat! Why don’t you guys go together and be each other’s strength in times of need or when something unexpected comes up. Sharing your life’s experiences with someone close to your heart is a very rewarding experience, like taking off a heavy baggage from your heart and letting this person help you in carrying the little of it that’s left inside. It makes life a little more bearable than normal.

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.

If you are a caregiver or you have been living with a senior for quite sometime now, are you sure your senior is healthy and not on the verge of malnutrition? Sometimes seniors tend to forget about how important good nutrition is for them and just eat whenever they feel the need to, unfortunately when a senior is experiencing too much pain or is suffering emotionally, the last thing on their minds would be eating and nutrition. It now depends on their housemates to monitor their nutrition more than ever.

There are many varying factors why seniors may have overlooked their health. It can be due to the fact that some seniors live alone thus they don’t see the need to cook real food and opt to dine elsewhere. It can also be due to digestive problems which limit food choices for older adults while others find it hard to keep up with food preparation due to mobility problems. These reasons alone can tell you how vulnerable seniors are to malnutrition. Below are signs you need to look for when you are in doubt about your senior’s health:

·    Loss of appetite. When trying to determine whether your senior is eating right, don’t just ask them because if they were not, they won’t know the difference. Try spending time with the beloved senior and dine with them. Notice their appetite when served with their favorite foods as well as their reaction when invited to dine out.
·    Sudden weight loss. Drastic weight loss in a span of 3 months is not at all normal. Weight loss can be a sign of many different health conditions, emotional and otherwise. Consult a doctor immediately when you see this sign.
·    When visiting a senior, check their pantry and refrigerator just to have an idea what they have been eating these days. Check expiration dates and for spoiled foods. Throw away items that may endanger the senior’s health when mistakenly eaten and do the honors to replenish their stock with nutritional foods.
·    A dead-giveaway of malnutrition is the skin, particularly its tone. It should have healthy and hydrated look to it.
·    Positive disposition. Sudden change in the senior’s outlook in life can signify of something that others should be alarmed of. When a happy person suddenly turned lethargic and withdrawn, it’s about time you interfere.
·    Seniors with mental problems are often nutrition-neglected so do the best you can by making sure your senior gets everything his or her body needs.
·    The medications they take can also affect the way they taste foods, often making them lose appetite and do without eating altogether. When you notice this effect, discuss this with their doctor at once.

Along with aging comes physical changes that most of the time, seniors find them embarrassing to handle. Unfortunately, no matter how much we loath these changes which signify advance age, they will come. For seniors, it seems that the only thing we can do for this inevitable predicament is to delay them as much as possible, face them when they come and just make the most out of these changes. In other words, if we like to stay “likeable”, we must do damage control when the need be.

One of these physical changes that seniors suffer is dental problems. Although dental problems are not an imminent danger to one’s health, it can bring about embarrassing situations if not taken cared for beforehand. Also, it is most important for seniors to keep in touch with their dentist especially as they age further. This is because many mouth problems may indicate other underlying health problems that can be more serious and threatening to our health.

If the only thing that’s been hindering you to visit your doctor today is the fear that he or she may pull all of your damaged teeth out, then fret no more. Today, every dentist worldwide goes for restoration as they possibly could because they know all too well how a toothless grin can affect one’s self-esteem. Needless to say, a senior should not hesitate to go to his or her dentist to get the mouth job done. Here are some few good reasons why you need to see a dentist today:

·    It is common for seniors to suffer dry mouth or xerostomia. Seniors should be aware that dry mouth can cause tooth loss and other oral problems like sores, sore throat and gum disease. Dentists say that the number one contributing factor of dry mouth in older adults is the medication they take.
·    Receding gums is closely related with your weakening bones. When your jaw bones shrinks, the gums follow suit. Furthermore, gum diseases especially when they are left untreated for years now, can encourage your gums to recede in a much faster phase. This can lead to tooth loss and root decay.
·    Tooth discoloration or darkening teeth on the other hand is more of a lifestyle condition which can worsen overtime. To stay away from tooth discoloration, experts advice seniors to avoid beverages that can darken your teeth such as coffee and tea. Smoking also induces tooth discoloration.
·    Gum diseases are usually caused by our own oral hygiene. If it had been poor then your gums are now prone to gum diseases that proved to be very troublesome when they manifest. Plaques for one, can cause tooth loss to affected seniors.

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.