After a long life with your soul mate, it can be hard to know how to go on when a spouse passes away in their senior years. Anniversaries can be the most difficult as you pass those important milestones that had meaning in your relationship; whether it’s a wedding anniversary, the date you met, or even the day your first child was born. Here are some tips for getting through anniversaries after the loss of a spouse:

1. Don’t do it alone – talk to someone about your fears as the day approaches, seek support from a group with other surviving spouses or bond with others who knew your loved one by sharing memories
2. Do something to acknowledge the grief – if it helps, visit the gravesite, plant a flower in honor of the life of your spouse or loved one, release a balloon in the air or do something that has significant meaning to you
3. Eat right – anxiety or feelings of depression might shift your focus away from your own health, but remember to eat properly with nutritious meals. If your emotional state makes it too much for your to prepare them while the anniversary is approaching, ask for help from a family member or friend, hire a caregiver, or use a service like Meals on Wheels
4. Exercise – exercising regularly can help you to release stress and anxiety and will improve your disposition overall
5. Do something to remember your loved one – overtime as you learn to cope with the grief that comes with loss, you might be ready to celebrate their life on anniversaries. Go to a New Braunfels restaurant you used to frequent together, or make a new tradition by dining out with family at a new favorite spot. Take a trip you and your spouse always dreamed of taking; do something that helps you to honor the life you had with them

Via: Silent Grief

Home Instead Senior Care San Marcos, New Braunfels, Schertz, Canyon Lake, Seguin. Call 830-624-8380.

When it comes time to make the hard decision that an older adult in your life needs help, it can seem impossible to decide what is best for them. You can choose from nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or keeping them at home with a senior caregiver. With Home Instead Senior Care, the decision is easy. Your senior can remain at home with comfort and independence, and remain only in the best hands since our caregivers are thoroughly screened and trained.

The traits of  Home Instead Senior Caregivers:

• Dependability - work history and employment reference checks are completed for all staff members
• Honesty - drug test and background checks are completed by HISC
• Experience – personal or professional experience in the senior care industry or dealing with senior citizens is considered
• Compassion – a sense of compassion for giving seniors a better quality of life is looked for during the interview process
• Motivation – someone who is motivated in everything they do is better suited to ensuring that seniors are provided the highest quality of care

HISC also has a Caregiver Leadership Training Program that focuses on creating a fantastic caregiver experience by focusing on the following elements:

• Treating CAREGivers with dignity and respect
• Nurturing positive relationships
• Showing appreciation
• Humanizing and professionalizing the caregiving journey
• Connecting CAREGivers to Home Instead, its mission and other CAREGivers
• Dealing with issues openly and honestly.

Home Instead Senior Care San Marcos, New Braunfels, Schertz, Canyon Lake, Seguin. Call 830-624-8380.

image soure: jupiterimages.com

September is prostate cancer awareness month, but rather than simply focusing on the identification of the disease – it’s also important to take a long and hard look at what seniors can do to cope with a diagnosis. Receiving news of a critical illness can be almost as bad as the symptoms it exhibits physically, so seniors must focus on dealing with the emotional effects of prostate cancer too.

1. Embrace knowledge – knowledge really is power, so research the disease, the symptoms, and the treatment options so you know exactly what to expect from it. At a time when you might feel hopeless, this can help you regain a sense of power over the situation
2. Accept support – you don’t have to do it alone; accept support from family and friends to the degree that you’re comfortable with and form a united front against the disease. You can even join a support group for other seniors with similar struggles
3. Recognize your partner’s struggles – even if you have the disease, your partner is suffering almost as much at the time of diagnosis. Don’t shut her out; try to get through it together
4. Don’t let it affect your masculinity – many men fear prostate cancer because it can mean loss of sexual function. Not all options lead to this, so do your research so you can make an informed decision. Also know that whatever happens, you aren’t less of a man, and no one who loves you would ever think that!
5. Be honest – don’t hold back; recognize your physical symptoms and share them with your doctor. Also don’t hesitate to let him/her know if you want a second opinion form another New Braunfels doctor, or if you’re uncomfortable with a treatment option
6. Keep pushing forward – no matter what happens, don’t accept defeat. Keep things going, never stop looking for knowledge, and never allow anyone else to make decisions for you as long as you’re able

Via: Prostate Cancer Institute

Bio-Medicine

Image Source: jupiterimages.com

Home Instead Senior Care San Marcos, New Braunfels, Schertz, Canyon Lake, Seguin. Call 830-624-8380.

If your parents are nearing their 50’s, it’s time to start discussing what their plans are for retirement. Be gentle, you don’t want to make them feel like you’re stepping in and taking over; but you do want them to feel like you’re looking out for their best interests and want to make sure they can live the retirement that they’ve dreamed of their whole working careers. Talk to your parents about their retirement wishes and about how they can plan for retirement, that way you can help make sure they’re on the right track.

1. Start early – talk to your parents about their retirement plans by the time they are 50…earlier is okay too, but don’t wait too long! However, if your parents are already retired, it’s not too late to have this conversation

2. Know their retirement goals – where do your parents want to live when they retire? Do they want to remain in New Braunfels? Do they want to travel? Do they want to take on any new hobbies or continue with old ones? This will help determine their financial needs for retirement

3. How much? – you might not feel comfortable asking your parents about their finances, but it’s important to know if they have saved enough to get them through their retirement, while still meeting their goals. Ensure you let them know that they can’t live on their Social Security Benefits alone; according to studies, these only cover about 40% of retirement living expenses

4. Check Social Security Benefits – although seniors can’t live on their Social Security Benefit alone, requesting to know how much they will receive can help with financial planning for retirement

5. Let them know early retirement might be a possibility – whether or not they hope to retire early, with the economy today, many people are forced to retire at an earlier age. Take a look at the industry that your parents work in; if they are in an industry that’s really being effected, it might result in early retirement

6. Discuss health care – knowing what your parents would want with regards to their health care is perhaps the most important so you know what to do if they are not able to speak for themselves. You can also encourage them to draft a living will, but make sure you know what they’d want with regards to senior services as well as health care

Via: Senior.com

Home Instead Senior Care San Marcos, New Braunfels, Schertz, Canyon Lake, Seguin. Call 830-624-8380.

No matter what your age, you’re never too old to set a goal and meet it, and with these 10 ways to be successful at any age, you’ll be well on your way to achieving anything you set out to do!

1) Think positive – visualize yourself accomplishing whatever it is that you want to achieve with success. Avoid negative thoughts and negative people
2) Set your goals – be specific about your goals, whatever they may be. Set a date and stick to it, for example, tell yourself “next month I am going to start volunteering in the community”
3) Stick to your goals – if you set a goal, find a way to make it happen. Don’t make excuses or let fear hold you back. Without follow through goals don’t mean anything!
4) Embrace new wisdom – you’re never too old to learn something new, and you can never think that you know everything. Take a class, whether it’s at a Houston college, or to learn a new hobby from a craft store or other place that will teach you about your new interest
5) Be persistent – not all goals can be accomplished immediately, but if you keep your eye on your goals and work through any trials and tribulations, you’ll get there
6) Make decisions wisely – get all the information you need an analyze decisions before you follow through
7) Invest in your future – if you have a goal, it’s okay to filter your time and money into achieving it. Don’t feel guilty or let anyone stand in your way!
8. Communicate – talk to others about your goals, ask them to be open and honest and give them the same in return
9) Be different – don’t set goals just because someone’s told you there’s certain things you should achieve in older adulthood, do what’s right for you!
10) Admit when you’re wrong – it’s okay to make mistakes, just make sure you admit it when you’re wrong

Sources:

1. About.com

Image Source: pro.corbis.com

Home Instead Senior Care San Marcos, New Braunfels, Schertz, Canyon Lake, Seguin. Call 830-624-8380.

What would you say if I told you that you could shave years off the way you feel whether you’re in your 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, or even your 90’s? I know, it might sound too good to be true; but it’s really simple. It’s all about healthy habits and lifestyle changes according to these 4 ways to age with health and happiness. 1) Pick healthy habits that you can stick with – if you don’t enjoy your lifestyle changes with regards to diet and exercise, you just won’t stick with it. Choose physical activities that you like doing, so you’re motivated to keep it up, and don’t just choose foods that you know are healthy – stick with ones that taste good, agree with your cooking style, and that provide you with a well-rounded diet! 2) Stop thinking that it’s too late to make healthy changes – it’s never too late to start exercising and to receive benefits with regards to strength, flexibility, bone density and more. No matter what ails you, don’t ever think that it’s too late. Any steps you take to improve your health are helpful and positive! 3) Don’t let fear hold you back – you might worry that exercise will cause injury and greater problems, but if you suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure or other common illnesses for New Braunfels seniors, then the risks that can come from NOT exercising, are actually much greater than the risk of injury when you do 4) Make small changes to your diet – making small changes to increase the fiber in your diet, or the fruits, vegetables and other nutrients, can make a huge different. Gradually replace your less healthy food choices to those that will have a more favorable impact on your body! Sources: 1. Family Doctor Home Instead Senior Care San Marcos, New Braunfels, Schertz, Canyon Lake, Seguin. Call 830-624-8380.

In the past, I’ve shared my mother-in-law’s ongoing struggle with mobility and health throughout her elder years with Carebuzz, and how recently she’s been trying to begin introducing physical fitness into her routine. It’s been incredibly hard for her; and she’s finding that even though she has so many other stresses in her life as a result of her changing lifestyle and health, beginning an exercise routine has been an additional source of anxiety. She worries about the impact that the exercises she’s using have upon her body, even though she knows that they should help her in the long run. She worries about how she will feel once she has managed to get herself active, because for her, it can be physically draining and a source of discomfort. She worries even more about what will happen to her if she doesn’t stick to the exercise program she has set for herself, and that is probably the biggest source of anxiety. But overall, instead of reducing stress and lifting her spirits with the knowledge that she is changing her life, it’s causing her further anxiety.

In order to improve her experience with exercise, her doctor recently made some recommendations to help her reduce her stress level so that she can follow through with her plan to lead a healthier life.

• Always choose activities that are enjoyable, otherwise seniors will grow to resent being physically active

• Avoid activities that are competitive to avoid creating natural tension. Seniors don’t need to do activities solo, but they should make sure that they avoid competitive sports and other physical activities that make them feel like they want to win

• Aerobic and anaerobic exercises can both help reduce stress. Seniors should incorporate 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise into their routines 3-5 days per week, and also try resistance training

• Don’t begin any activity without clearance from a doctor or assistance from a fitness professional. Seniors who worry that by completing physical activities incorrectly they will injure themselves, or are concerned about the affects upon their health can make sure these stressors are avoided

Sources:

1. Suite 101
2. Mayo Clinic

Image Source: istockphoto.com

Home Instead Senior Care San Marcos, New Braunfels, Schertz, Canyon Lake, Seguin. Call 830-624-8380.

Many New Braunfels seniors are aware that resistance training is an important part of their exercise routine, but according to a recent study the focus should be more upon increasing independence than building muscle mass. The study took senior women over 80 and had them undergo a resistance training program, then once the evaluation period was over, they asked the seniors to take an MRI in order to gauge how much muscle mass was improved. The results showed that there was no change. Although few senior women use resistance training as a way to build muscle, at least not visibly, this evidence just shows even more why seniors need to focus upon resistance training as a way to increase independence.

The study did show that seniors who use resistance training can increase their strength, and this can allow them to function better in their daily lives, therefore giving them more independence when they don’t need help with simple tasks like getting out of bed, bathing or dressing. So New Braunfels seniors, don’t look at resistance training as a way to get big muscles, look at it as a way to increase your independence!

Sources:
1. Health Discovery Canada

Home Instead Senior Care San Marcos, New Braunfels, Schertz, Canyon Lake, Seguin. Call 830-624-8380.

I’m a physiotherapist in New Braunfesls and day after day I treat seniors who are recovering from muscle, joint and bone injuries, or that have other conditions such as arthritis that can effect their day-to-day functioning. I always ask my patients about their exercise routines now that they’re coping with physical limitations or with an injury, and now, I’m no longer surprised when seniors tell me that the reason they avoid exercise is because they’re worried about doing greater damage by remaining active.

Ok, fair assessment – but way off. Seniors aren’t doing themselves any favors by calling it quits on physical activity entirely. Although they should be cautious, it’s about making smart choices when choosing physical activities to try. My top recommendation is always to try water aerobics, because for seniors and their physical fitness level, it has the following benefits:

• Provides support – although some level of resistance is provided when exercising in the water, approximately 80%-90% of muscle and joint injuries are prevented when in the water because it supports most of a senior’s weight and reduces impact
• Fast results – believe it or not, seniors can receive faster results, building muscular tone and strength in water, versus on land because of the resistance provided by the water
• Improves cardiovascular health – water aerobics are a great cardiovascular activity to help seniors remain fit and healthy, however, studies also show that the heart rate is maintained at a lower rate so it is less likely that a senior will harm their health
• Better temperature conditions – exercising outside can expose seniors to a variety of elements which can result in heat stroke and other complications. When exercising in the water, seniors remain in a cool, climate controlled environment, especially when at an indoor pool

Sources:

1. I Love India
2. Associated Content
3. Suite101

Image Source pro.corbis.com

Home Instead Senior Care San Marcos, New Braunfels, Schertz, Canyon Lake, Seguin. Call 830-624-8380.