As we age, it becomes increasingly important to prioritize our health and wellbeing. Staying active and healthy in our golden years is essential for maintaining independence, preventing chronic diseases, and improving overall quality of life. A healthy body and healthy mind is what makes any age enjoyable!

Regardless of your age, it is important to keep moving and staying fit. Maintaining an active lifestyle can contribute to longevity and help prevent stress, depression, and other health issues. Staying healthy and active can reduce your risk of chronic health conditions, such as heart disease and arthritis. 

Personal care and maintaining a clean home are also important for your health and well-being. Prioritize taking care of your personal hygiene and living in a clean environment.

In this article, we will discuss 8 simple ways to achieve this goal:

1. Exercise
​Regular exercise is essential for older adults to maintain muscle mass, prevent falls, and improve cardiovascular health. Low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming, and yoga are excellent choices for seniors. Strength training and balance exercises are also important for maintaining mobility and preventing falls. Seniors should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, along with 2-3 days of strength training.

• Balance exercises: such as standing on one foot or walking heel-to-toe can help improve stability and reduce the risk of falls.
• Strength training exercises: such as lifting weights or using resistance bands are essential for maintaining muscle mass and preventing age-related muscle loss.
• Low-impact exercises: such as walking, swimming, and cycling are great for seniors as they are gentle on the joints and promote cardiovascular health.

2. Nutrition
Eating a healthy and balanced diet is crucial for seniors to maintain good health. To stay healthy, older adults should eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. They should also limit processed foods, sugary drinks, and alcohol. Staying hydrated is also important.

3. Sleep
Getting enough sleep is essential for older adults to maintain good health. Seniors should aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night and establish a regular sleep schedule. Creating a relaxing sleep environment, such as using comfortable bedding and keeping the bedroom dark and quiet, can also help improve sleep quality.

4. Socialization
Socializing is important for older adults to combat loneliness and depression, and can have positive effects on both their mental and physical health. Social activities, like joining clubs or volunteer organizations, are good for seniors' wellbeing. Also, staying connected with friends and family will help them stay socially active. By prioritizing socialization as part of their overall health routine, older adults can lead happier and healthier lives.

5. Mental Stimulation
Staying mentally stimulated is essential for seniors to maintain their cognitive abilities and prevent cognitive decline. Reading, doing puzzles, and learning a new skill are all effective ways to keep the mind active. Mental stimulation has been shown to improve memory, reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, and improve overall emotional well-being in older adults.

6. Preventative Healthcare
Regular check-ups and preventative screenings are important for older adults to stay on top of their health. Get regular physical exams, blood pressure checks, cholesterol screenings, and vaccinations, like the flu shot and shingles vaccine, for seniors.

• Physical exams can help identify potential health concerns and track overall health status.
• Regular check-ups with a healthcare provider are essential for early detection and treatment of health conditions.
• Blood pressure checks and cholesterol screenings can help track cardiovascular health and identify potential risk factors for heart disease.

7. Safety
Taking steps to ensure safety is important for older adults to prevent accidents and injuries. Use canes or walkers, change the home environment to add bathroom grab bars, and wear appropriate footwear to reduce falls.

8. Spirituality and Relaxation
Incorporating relaxation techniques and spiritual practices into our daily lives can have a positive impact on our mental and spiritual well-being. Relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and yoga can reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep quality, and enhance emotional well-being. Engaging in spiritual practices such as prayer, mindfulness, or gratitude can help foster a sense of inner peace and contentment.

Final Thought
Staying active and healthy in your golden years may require some effort, but the benefits are well worth it. By incorporating these 8 simple ways into your daily routine, you can maintain good health, independence, and an overall better quality of life. Remember to always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise or dietary program.

Image via Pexels

Caring for an elderly loved one can be challenging to help them eat healthier. Whether it's because of a lack of accessibility to fresh food or time constraints for preparation, the main issue is that cooking has become more difficult.

Fortunately, there are ways you can help your loved one get on track with eating better. With the proper guidance, they can eat healthier while enjoying the foods they love most.

Here are eight tips that can help you assist an older loved one eat healthier:

1. Introduce New Food Slowly In Their Diet.
When helping an elderly loved one eat healthier, the most important thing is ensuring they don't feel like they're being forced into anything. When transitioning your loved one onto a new diet, you must introduce fresh foods slowly and gradually. By doing so, they will feel more at ease with the changes and make it easier for them to adjust their current habits accordingly.

2. Avoid Lecturing
Although you may feel like lecturing your loved one on the importance of eating healthier is a good idea, it's important to avoid this if possible. Lecturing can end up being more harmful than beneficial and make your loved one feel more stressed about the situation. Instead of trying to push a diet onto them, find ways that you can work together and come to compromise and decisions that are mutually beneficial for everybody involved.

3. Find Out What Your Loved One Enjoys.
When it comes to helping your loved one eat healthier, the first thing you should do is figure out what kinds of foods they enjoy. Some people may prefer eating fresh fruits or vegetables while others may want more processed foods like chips and other snacks. You must find out what they enjoy to prepare meals much easier.

4. Be Open-Minded
While you may be open to eating healthier, your loved one must also be. Emphasize the importance of eating better by providing them with some solid facts and figures. For instance, you can show them articles that provide researched-based evidence on the benefits of certain foods and vitamins. If they understand the reasoning behind your suggestions, they're more likely to cooperate with you and eat healthier.

5. Keep Meals Accessible
One of the biggest obstacles for older loved ones might be eating healthier because their diet may not be as accessible due to a lack of transportation or mobility. If this is the case, try making their meals more accessible so they can eat healthier without problems. Likewise, you could invite your friends and family over for meals and include them in the process. This will help your loved one socialize with others while ensuring they're eating healthy.

6. Keep a Food Diary
One of the best ways to help an older loved one eat healthier is to keep a food diary. In this process, you'll be able to find out exactly what their eating habits are like. Doing this and keeping track of what they eat will make it easier for you and your loved one to have healthy meal options during the week and monitor their overall diet.

7. Provide Accessible Tools
When it comes to serving your loved one, you want to ensure that everything is as accessible as possible. This includes the plates and utensils. If you have a loved one who has trouble with mobility, or a hand tremor, then you'll want to get them an assisted feeding device. These devices can help ease the strain of feeding and can be used in conjunction with other feeding methods, like assistive utensils or adaptive gadgets.

8. Make Them Comfortable
When helping an older loved one eat healthier, you also want to ensure they're comfortable. While you may not have much control over their surroundings, it is within your power to help them feel at ease and relaxed when it comes to eating. Make sure that the room and dining area are comfortable and that there are enough chairs for everyone to eat.

Conclusion:
With the right set of tools, it is possible to help an older loved one eat healthier. While it won't be easy, the more you provide them with proper information, the easier it will be for everybody involved. Using these tips, you can better understand how to make your loved one healthier and happier in the long run.

​Image via Pexels

Artesian Gardens: Sparks
Senior Care Home by the Pond.
​Our newest home, the Sparks Location offers quiet activity right outside the front door. Watch the fish and the flowers while sitting on the sunny patio.
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Artesian Gardens: Reno
Senior Care Home in the Countryside.
If you are looking for a place to have your parent taken care of comfortably then welcome to the beautiful Artesian Gardens Reno Location, nestled in the Mountain Countryside. Enjoy the peaceful setting, clean home and private or shared rooms.

You may want to look for signs that your parent or loved one needs assisted living ;
​

• Noticeable weight loss.
• Noticeable weight gain.
• Seeming more frail. 
• Strange body odor.
• Changes in appearance.
• Recent accidents or close calls.
• A chronic health condition that's worsening.
• Increasing difficulty managing the activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).
• Days spent without leaving the house. 
• Unopened bills.

4 Questions to Ask Your Group Home
Every person has unique needs. But we all share a common core of needs, which should not be forgotten as we think of senior care. These include physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs. So how do we address these four elements in a home-health care environment?

Here are some questions to ask the home-health management before entrusting Mom or Dad’s needs to others:

How will my parent get physical exercise?
Physical needs go beyond having the basic comforts of life. We all need to be moving. What will the care facility do to address range of motion and cardiovascular exercise? Even when someone is immobile, your loved one will be given the chance to change positions. Find out what is part of the daily routine to keep physical needs met.

What are the activities available to keep Mom’s mind active?
Is there Scrabble or Bingo night? It doesn’t have to be games. Maybe it’s listening to or playing music. Perhaps a library, book reading, or allowance for personal items in the room to peruse. Also would there be chances for stimulating conversation with other residents, visitors or staff? When our minds are inactive, depression can quickly set in. That is why it is so important to give opportunity for keeping our loved ones’ mind exercised as well as bodies in a care facility.

What happens when my parent is having a rough day?
Yes, bad days come to all people. We also need affirmation of the person we have been and are becoming until that final day. Our elder years can be a time for reflection, which may bring regrets as well as joy. It’s important to have access to emotional support at such times of reflection.

What is the potential for making friends? What are the visiting hours for you and relatives? If friends and relatives are not available, with whom will your parent be able to talk about his or her ups and downs? A smaller care facility can have its advantages with staff and others more easily aware and accessible to meet the emotional needs of residents. 

Can my parent feel comfortable practicing his religion or lack of one?
Traditionally, a nursing home is large enough to hold a chapel where residents can attend their particular style of worship service. If you’re looking into a smaller facility, is there opportunity for a religious service? Does a priest or other person from a religious community make visits to those who request it? How will the staff show respect for your loved one’s beliefs?

We will always have needs. The spiritual and emotional needs can intensify as we get older, which may surprise those around us who think these things could be disregarded because of age. The intellectual and physical needs are like muscles that must be exercised or we become incapable. Take the time to consider these needs and ask the tough questions so that Mom or Dad can continue living a healthy life in their new home.