There’s nothing worse than getting out of bed every morning only to still feel tired; you just don’t feel like doing anything, seeing anyone or making the most out of your life when all you can think of is your exhaustion. Take control over your sleeping patterns, however, and you’ll find that you’re ready to embrace every single day to make it as productive and enjoyable as you can! This is easier said than done for many seniors, and if you’re one of them, then try these tips for a better night’s sleep and a better retirement:

1. Get the right amount of sleep for your body – everyone needs a different amount of sleep, make sure you get enough to feel well rested, whether it’s 5 hours or 10 hours

2. Regulate your sleep schedule – go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday in order to ensure that your body falls into a regular routine

3. Talk to your doctor about medications – if you’re having trouble sleeping, speak to your doctors about medications that might cause insomnia  and see if there are better alternatives

4. Try relaxing activities – yoga, meditation and other relaxing activities can reduce physical and emotional stress to help ensure a better night’s sleep

5. Set the stage – make sure that your room is dark and quiet, and ensure that it’s an environment even more conducive to sleep by keeping other activities, like watching TV, out of the room!

Via: WorkingCaregiver.com – “The Secrets to a 36 Hour Day”

Home Health in Greater Phoenix & Home Health in Central Phoenix helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.

With October being breast cancer awareness month, it’s a good time to learn how you can help someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer, or has had a recent scare. Your support is the best thing you can offer, and here are some ways that you can make yourself available to them:

1. Just listen – you don’t need to try and provide advice, especially if you haven’t lived a similar experience.  Just listen, lend them your presence and your ear so they feel they have the support of someone

2. Support with facts – instead of giving advice, do some research about the disease and provide the facts about treatment options, support groups that are available and other resources that could help

3. Support their decisions – no matter what your loved one decides through the treatment and coping process with breast cancer, support it

4. Don’t play a role – not knowing how to deal with someone with breast cancer sometimes causes people to act unusually. Simply be yourself, you’ll appear more genuine than if you try to play a role

5. Make a support network – have other friends and family members come together to extend their support so your loved one with breast cancer knows there are others there for her

6. Laugh and have fun – there might be a grieving process after a breast cancer diagnosis, but keep up the fun activities. Laughter really is the best medicine, so create enjoyable and memorable situations

Sources:

1. SheKnows.com

Home Health in Greater Phoenix & Home Health in Central Phoenix helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.

Many seniors dream of retiring by the sea, but now there’s also the option to live on it in floating retirement cities like the Alegria, which is a cruise ship that features a city structure. We’ve seen floating communities before, but they haven’t always been affordable to the average senior; but floating cities do offer retirement living that’s attainable to any American senior. Start dreaming about your retirement spent on one of these ships that have the following features:

• 100 staterooms are available on the ship that are between 160 and 340 square feet and come fully furnished like a typical cruise ship

• The cost is between $159,000 and $399,000 for each room, plus a monthly maintenance fee, just like at a land-based condo

• The maintenance fee covers weekly housekeeping, all meals on the ship, a local country club membership, port fees, and a shuttle

• Each month the ship takes a trip to another vacation destination. On a monthly basis it travels to closer areas like the Bahamas, and once a year ventures farther out to sea to Central America or into the Caribbean

• 12 guest rooms are available to guests of the residents, at no cost and include all meals

Sources:

1. Let Life In

2. Homes for NH

Home Health in Greater Phoenix & Home Health in Central Phoenix helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.

Many seniors who find themselves to be empty nesters later in life feel like they’ve lost their purpose. But instead of allowing their new lifestyle to bring them down, they should take advantage of this alternate stage in life and overcome empty nest syndrome in the following ways:

1. Take time to yourself – while your life might have been about everyone else previously while caring for children, a spouse and a household, as an empty nester, appreciate and take advantage of the quiet. Enjoy the time you have to yourself instead of allowing it to remind you what you no longer have

2. Make new connections – finding yourself with an empty nest can feel lonely, so fill the void by reconnecting with family members and friends, and making new ones by joining social groups and activities available in Phoenix

3. Renew marriage vows – it might feel like your life has been all about the children for decades, but reconnect with your loved one and renew your  vows to remind each other what brought you together in the first place!

4. Do something meaningful – being a parent is one of the most meaningful jobs , and finding a way to fill that void after the children have left home is a challenge. Do something else that makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something important; volunteer somewhere you can make a difference!

5. Get out there – with new found time on your hands, achieve the things you never had time to in the past. You can travel or take on a new hobby.

Via: Let Life In 

Home Health in Greater Phoenix & Home Health in Central Phoenix helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.

Breast cancer screening is supposed to begin around the age of 40, but out of fear for the process, many seniors in the United States have still never been screened for breast cancer. This month, for breast cancer awareness, receive your mammogram; here’s what you can expect from the process:

1. When dressing the day of the mammogram, avoid applying deodorant, talcum powder, or any other heavily scented items that can be irritating to others, or that could affect the imaging. Also wear a 2 piece outfit.

2. When arriving at the imaging office, you will be asked for copies of previous mammograms, if they do not have them already, and will also ask you to fill out a form with your medical records

3. Upon going into have the mammogram done, you will be asked to remove jewellery and clothing that can interfere with the procedure, including your shirt and bra, and any other clothing you have on above the waist

4. To prepare for the mammogram itself, one breast at a time will be placed on an imaging cassette and will be compressed with a paddle so that the maximum amount of breast tissue is visible on the image

5. The image will be taken and then the process will be repeated with the other breast

6. The images will be examined, not for results but to ensure they are effective. Typically, you will be allowed to get dressed and wait to find out if you are able to leave, or if more images are needed

7. The images and results will be returned for your doctor for review

Sources:

1. About.com 

2. Imaginis 

Home Health in Greater Phoenix & Home Health in Central Phoenix helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be on vacation everyday of your retirement? Wouldn’t it be a dream to wake up on a cruise ship day after day, week after week and find yourself in a new location? Well, it doesn’t have to be only a dream if you can foot a bill ranging from $2 million to $10 million; you can set out on the adventure of a lifetime and own a piece of real estate on board a ship like the Residential Cruise Line.  It’s a lifestyle that can be luxurious, but takes some adapting to, which you can do with the following tips;:

1. Pack products for seasickness – although large cruise ships do offer stability, be prepared for rough seas and before going aboard, talk to your doctor about medications or products that can help with sea sickness.

2. Pack wisely – remember, you might not have as much space for your wardrobe, so choose key items for your cruise ship suite, and make sure you have something for every occasion.

3. Think about how much you’ll be there – you can purchase a property that’s just for you on a floating community or choose one that’s shared if you still intend on staying at a primary residence for part of the year.

4. If it seems pricey, think about what you’d spend on travel – if you plan on taking trips annually, those costs can add up. Think about what you’ll spend annually, and remember, by investing in a property like this, your travel costs are virtually always covered and it tours the high seas worldwide.

Via: TrendHunter 

Home Health in Greater Phoenix & Home Health in Central Phoenix helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.

This might not be the first time that you’ve heard that fish is brain food, but a recent study has the evidence to substantiate it, and these are results you don’t want to miss if you’re a senior or approaching older adulthood. According to this study, if you eat fish even a couple of times a week, you can decrease your likelihood of Alzheimer’s or dementia by up to 20%! If you currently don’t have a diet that incorporates fish and the Omega 3 fatty acids that result in these benefits, here are some tips to adopt a diet for your brain.

1. Start slowly – you don’t need to overhaul your diet right away, start incorporating fish high in omega 3’s like salmon, tuna and sardines into your diet a couple of times per week

2. Make fish burgers – since red meat can increase the chances of dementia, replace traditional burger patties with tuna or salmon burgers. Buy them pre-made or create your own from steaks or canned fish

3. Put them on the grill – not only meat is good for barbequing, buy fish steaks, or make fish kabobs on the grill. Make sure you choose fish that won’t fall apart when cooked, like tuna or salmon

4. Buy canned – there’s nothing wrong with using canned tuna, salmon or other types of seafood for a fast lunch or snack. Put it over salad, on crackers, or make a sandwich on multi-grain bread, but make sure you use little or no mayo to reduce the bad fats!

Sources:

1. CogniFit

2. International Food Information Council

Image: squidoo.com

Home Health in Greater Phoenix & Home Health in Central Phoenix helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.

Research has shown that in order to be happier at any age, as a child, or as a senior or anywhere in between, all you need to do is practice positive thinking. According to a recent study, what you do with your brain can be responsible for approximately 40% of your happiness. So how can you practice positive thinking on a day-to-day basis to fend off feelings of depression and improve your overall disposition?

1. Make the time – even spending only a half an hour a day thinking about kindness and compassion can improve your overall level of happiness

2. Use verbal affirmations everyday – a verbal affirmation is simply voicing a positive thought or statement out loud. Seniors who are feeling lonely can say “I have a family who loves me and that I love more than everyone”, or that “better health will come my way”. Thinking about these things positively rather than negatively can help make them come true or change your feelings about them in any case!

3. Use positive language – just using positive words can make us happier, whether or not we actually believe them

4. Create positive images – surround yourself with positive images, of pictures of family and friends, post inspirational messages around your home or other images that keep you thinking positively

5. Be thankful – focus on being thankful for the things that you have; saying it out loud 50 times a day can make you feel grateful and it will help you start everyday out on the right foot

Sources:

1. Cognifit

2. We the Change

Image: discoverlife.org

Home Health in Greater Phoenix & Home Health in Central Phoenix helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.

Regardless of age, many of us take what our doctors say at face value, assuming they know more about our health than we do. But, when it comes to prescription medications, we need to be cautious, ask questions, and ensure that during our senior years when polypharmacy is common (multiple medications prescribed), there are no drug interactions that harm our health.

1. Keep medications documented – carrying a list of all prescription and non-prescription medications taken (including vitamins and supplements) can help ensure none are forgotten about when speaking with doctors and pharmacists. The list should also include why they’re taken, the dosage and frequency

2. Mention even over-the-counter medications to medical professionals –you might not think they’re important, but even over-the-counter medications, vitamins and supplements can interact

3. Don’t assume – don’t assume that your doctor remembers what they’ve prescribed you in the past. Doctors are often busy and frazzled. When they prescribe a new medication, don’t hesitate to ask them about potential interactions as a reminder

4. Make sure all doctors are aware of your prescriptions – if you’re a senor who sees multiple doctors or specialists, don’t automatically expect that information regarding your prescriptions have been shared. This is where having a complete list can come in handy and avoid issues with polypharmacy

5. Check out new drugs – sticking with one pharmacy will allow your pharmacist to verify that there will be no drug interactions; they might catch something your doctor hasn’t. Otherwise, take the initiative to research any new drugs for interactions yourself

6. Be cautious of side effects – don’t assume any side effects are just that, talk to your doctor to ensure they aren’t the result of drug interactions

Via: CSA Connections

Home Health in Greater Phoenix & Home Health in Central Phoenix helps elders and seniors in Phoenix remain at home safely and independently. Call us today at 623.583.5868, 602.265.8228 or 480.991.3959.