Home Care New Braunfels enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.

Seniors are just like any other person. Just because they are older, this does not mean that they do not enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day. Many seniors still have spouses, and since Valentine’s Day is a day to recognize love, seniors often engage in the exchange of cards and gifts. If you have seniors in your life, there are some special things you can do to help them celebrate. Below is a list of great ideas to bring some cheer on Valentine’s Day.

1. Make handcrafted Valentine’s cards. This can be a great project for school classrooms as well as adult groups. Seniors would be very appreciative of any cards that were hand delivered. Taking the time to make and deliver something by hand can have a huge effect on seniors.

2. Small gifts provide a bit of cheer. For senior family members, use a heart shaped picture frame to display family photographs and present to your senior loved one.

3. Chocolates and cookies make great gifts. Be sure to check if the senior is on a restrictive diet before buying sweet treats. Many sugar-free chocolates are available and cookies that are made at home can also be made to suit a particular diet.

4. A “heart attack” is not always a bad thing! If you are able to decorate living spaces with hearts and other Valentine’s symbols, you will be giving a senior a positive “heart attack.” This can also be done through the mail by filling an envelope with heart shaped paper and confetti.

Source: aginggrandparents.suite101.com

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

It’s true that the tradition says to wait until the New Year has begun to start a resolution, but here at Home New Braunfels, we see many seniors who are starting even earlier. In fact, seniors often begin their resolutions as soon as they decide what changes they would like to make. This can be very beneficial to seniors, especially when those changes involve their health. The list below includes reasons and tips for starting resolutions earlier than the first of the year.

1. Millions of people make resolutions each year and many of them are seniors. These goals are often centered on changes that will improve daily life, so there is no better time to start than now!

2. Resolutions do not have to be made just for the New Year. You can make a resolution at any point during the year and begin working on it as soon as you can. There is no need to wait until the first day of a new year.

3. When starting early, you will see there are benefits. You will begin improving your life sooner. Self-discipline is one of the most important factors of any resolution success, so start early and make changes for the better.

4. Keep your goal in mind, no matter when you start to work on your resolution. Create a plan that will allow you to stick to your convictions and achieve your goals. Resolutions not only improve life, they also help people grow physically, emotionally and psychologically.

Source: ehow.com

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

There are many websites that are available as resources for seniors who have set important goals for themselves this year. These sites are usually free and can offer some great tips for reaching your goals. Seniors can sometimes have difficulty with resolutions, especially if they pertain to losing weight or implementing new diets. Home Care New Braunfels has collected a few of these helpful sites and listed them below.

1. ResolutionsReminders.com – This is a free site that can help you stay on track and attain your resolutions. The site was established in 1997 and has been going strong ever since. It contains valuable resources and users can sign up to receive email reminders.

2. DietTV.com – This site is great for anyone who has set diet goals for the New Year. A personalized program can be created, including a customized diet plan. The site has many areas that will help with all diet and exercise needs, such as an exercise finder and support groups.

3. StopSmoking.net – Many seniors still smoke, and many members of the senior population make resolutions each year to quit smoking. This is one of the hardest goals to achieve, especially for seniors who have been smoking for many years. The site also offers tips on how to quit as well as the option of creating a personalized stop smoking plan.

Source: helium.com

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

New Braunfels Home Care knows that there are a number of reasons why goals and resolutions of seniors are often not accomplished. This year, seniors who make them need to overcome these regular hurdles by avoiding the common traps that can lead to resolution failure:

1. Don’t procrastinate – get started with them right away. As soon as you set your goals, get going. The longer you procrastinate, the less likely you’ll ever begin on your journey

2. Overcome the hurdles – it’s Murphy’s Law that what can go wrong will go wrong; but just because you encounter hurdles while trying to meet your New Year’s resolutions doesn’t mean that you need to give up. Overcome!

3. Don’t let a plateau discourage you – no matter what your goal is, you’ll see a lot of progress early on and then hit a plateau. This doesn’t mean you’re not meeting success, this a natural occurrence, and you simply need to keep moving forward with your goals

4. Recognize that if you feel discouraged, it’s simply an emotion – at some stage along your journey to reaching a goal, you’ll likely feel discouraged. But that doesn’t have a bearing on your success, especially once you recognize that it’s simply an emotion and you can get through it

Via: Huffington Post

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

The elderly population is no different than any other. They make New Year’s resolutions and desire to make some small changes in their lives. While resolutions made by seniors cannot always be compared to those made by the younger generations, the process of achieving the goal is about the same. Below, you will find a list containing tips that can help anyone reach their goal.

1. Keep the list of goals as simple as possible. Make sure that each goal can be attained. Goals should provide a sense of satisfaction when they are achieved.

2. Goals should be realistic. Seniors cannot set the same goals as younger people because those same goals are not always realistic.

3. Have a plan. Each goal should have a specific plan to go along with it. This makes achieving goals much easier. It may be helpful to make a list of things that can be done to meet a goal and cross it off when it is attained.

4. Set a timeline. You should have a deadline for yourself. This will help motivate you to meet your goal.

5. Write a list. When making resolutions, be sure to write them down. People who make lists of their goals are much more successful at achieving them.

6. Keep tabs on your progress. You may want to use a journal to take notes. This will help you see what kind of progress has been made already and what is left to do.

Source: associatedcontent.com

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

If your senior has pledged to lose weight in 2010, the challenge has just begun. Most exercise and eating practices towards losing weight are best done with another person. Join your senior this year in losing weight by doing simple exercises and changing your diet towards a healthier lifestyle.

• Change Old Eating Habits—Two may be better than one in this instance. Try and eat with your senior, switching out high calorie foods for healthier dinner staples such as salads with vegetables and lean proteins.

• Record What You Eat—Sometimes writing it all down will give seniors or their caregivers some perspective on their eating habits. By recording what you eat, a senior can easily reduce calories just by visualizing those foods causing the most damage to a slim trim.

• Exercise Together—While reducing calories can help lose weight, seniors must go one step farther and exercise to see results. Take long walks daily with your senior, working together to reach fitness goals. If a senior goes it alone, they may be less likely to stick to that daily walk.

• Meditate—As strange as it may seem, negative thoughts about your body and weight can ruin any fitness efforts. Find a quiet place in your home for 5 minutes a day, and just focus on breathing. This simple act will help clear the mind from critical thoughts about your body, allowing for a greater appreciation of the physical self.

Source: aarp.org

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

New Year’s resolutions just don’t typically make it through the year. But these are 10 fun resolutions that can change seniors’ lives, and will make 2010 a better year!

1. Be social – attend parties, classes, and social groups. Seniors who are socially active have better physical and mental health than those who are isolated. It’s not uncommon for seniors to withdraw, but avoid it in 2010

2. Try healthy indulgences – controlled amounts of red wine and dark chocolate are enjoyable and can improve health by preventing diabetes, lower blood pressure and more

3. Laugh a lot – you’ve heard laughter is the best medicine. It’s true. Laughter is about the only thing you shouldn’t do in moderation. People should get in a good laugh a couple of times a week to improve the health of their blood vessels

4. Take a snooze – heart related death has been proven to be reduced in seniors who nap for 30 minutes at least 30 times per week. It can also help seniors feel refreshed and improve their immune systems

5. Dance for health – dancing can help to prevent dementia, and is a great form of exercise. Get out those dancing shoes in 2010!

6. Eat some fat – linoleic acid and safflower oil can actually help seniors with a few pounds to shed lose weight, so incorporate them into your diet

7. Get some sun – don’t forget the sunscreen, but vitamin D can lift spirits and reduce the risk of heart disease

8. Try tai chi or yoga – these activities can improve mental health through meditation and help with balance, strength and flexibility

9. Have sex – many seniors give up sex, but it can help you to sleep better, reduce pain, blood pressure and stress

10. Spend time in nature – anxiety and depression are greatly reduced in those who appreciate green space!

Via: AARP

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

Most people look forward to the holidays, but for seniors, especially those who have experienced loss, can find themselves dreading the joy and celebration of the season. Help return the positive to the holidays for the seniors in your life with these 5 tips:

1. Allow memories and past rituals to live on – don’t discourage seniors from reliving those important memories of holidays past, thinking that it will prevent depression. Share memories of family members no longer with you, look at photos, and keep old family traditions alive

2. Make sure visiting seniors are comfortable – to help reduce the stress of seniors coming into your home over the holidays, make sure that your home is senior-friendly, with safety being the primary concern

3. Avoid impulsive holiday activities – to ensure that seniors can be involved with all holiday activities, avoid being impulsive that way seniors can be well-rested for more excitement

4. Focus on the joy – while it’s okay to reminisces, over the holidays make sure that all memories discussed focus on the positive

5. Create new traditions – while you can focus on incorporating old rituals into the holidays, create new ones as well that give the whole family, including seniors, new things to look forward to doing together. Holiday activities can’t just focus on the past

Via: ArticleBase

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

If you are a senior, or a caregiver of an elderly loved one, you should be aware that there are many discounts available when traveling. While many seniors do have specific travel needs, there are often discounts when booking a complete travel package. The best way to find a good travel deal is to make use of a trusted travel agent. The agent will work with you to find the lowest possible cost for the trip, without sacrificing any personal preferences. The following list of tips will help prepare a trip and find the best price available.

1. Make sure to know personal preferences before contacting a travel agent. These requests should be made in advance. Some common requests for traveling seniors include aisle seats on airplanes, morning flights and non-smoking accommodations.

2. Be sure to deal with a travel agent directly. Many travel agents have personal assistants that relay messages. If possible, try to arrange to speak with the agent directly.

3. If there are time constraints, make sure to have a back-up plan. Use a calendar to plan for schedule changes. Often times, a change in time could mean a greater discount.

4. Inquire about car rentals and hotel rooms. Your travel agent may be able to book a complete package which would offer additional savings.

Source: www.ehow.com

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

If you ask many baby boomers or seniors about their plans for retirement, you’re likely to get the same answer: what’s retirement? While in the past, seniors found ways to bide their time until the age 65 threshold which would allow them to retire; today’s older adults look at things a little bit differently. Many older adults prefer to remain in the workforce, rather than being idle in their later years; others need to keep working at least part time for financial reasons. Regardless of the reasons that seniors are choosing to work, the realities are, it’s something that they’re doing, and it might come as a big surprise, but studies have shown this is beneficial to senior health.

While you might think that remaining in the workforce would pose undue stress on seniors, it allows them to maintain a sense of purpose, a regular income, and keeps them active. Seniors don’t need to continue to work full-time to receive these benefits, working part-time, temporarily or from home offers the same. Keep working seniors, and you’ll find that your body and mind will thank you in the following ways:

Benefits of Work on Senior Health:

• With a transition period from full-time work into retirement with part-time work, temporary work or work at home, seniors find it’s less of a shock to their mental health. Seniors who immediately retire from full-time work can find that feelings of loss of purpose can cause anxiety and depression

• Seniors who remain in the workforce longer, even part-time are more functional, and often have greater mobility while remaining active members of society

• Instances of high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, lung disease, heart disease, and stroke are some of the common medical problems that are reduced in working seniors

Via: Home Instead Senior care

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