7 Healthy New Year's Resolutions Older Adults Should Make

Many seniors enjoy celebrating the New Year, and this is the perfect time for them to plan their resolutions for the upcoming year. However, seniors sometimes get tired of the same old resolutions that have been broken in the past. Here are a few fun and healthy New Year’s resolutions your elderly loved one is sure to appreciate and find easy to achieve.

1. Try a New Healthy Food Each Week

Meal planning can become boring. Encourage your loved one to expand his or her culinary skills by making it a goal to prepare a new type of food each week. Whether adding some acai berries to a breakfast smoothie or venturing into more exotic dishes, your loved one can look forward to turning mealtimes into an adventure.

Consider hiring a professional caregiver if your loved one needs help planning meals. Aging adults who require assistance with the tasks of daily living can benefit from reliable in-home care. Prescott, AZ, families trust in Home Care Assistance to provide the high-quality care their elderly loved ones need and deserve. Our caregivers are trained to help seniors prevent and manage serious illnesses and encourage them to make healthier decisions as they age. 

2. Find a New Hiking Trail

Walking is an excellent form of exercise for seniors, but a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood may be insufficient. Help your loved one challenge new muscle groups by searching for a new hiking trail nearby. Make sure to provide your loved one with companionship until he or she knows the trail well enough to avoid getting injured or lost.

3. Contact a Long-Lost Friend

It takes courage to reach out to someone from the past, but your loved one likely has many people who will be excited to hear from him or her. Help your loved one identify a few old friends to reconnect with, and search for them on social media. Once your loved one adds these friends to his or her social connections, he or she may benefit emotionally from having new people to talk to.

4. Create a New Signature Beverage

Seniors are at high risk for experiencing the damaging effects of alcohol, and they can benefit from cutting back. If the goal is to quit drinking completely, help your loved one discover a new signature beverage that becomes his or her go-to choice. Experiment with fruit juices, herbal infusions, and non-alcoholic flavorings to find a drink that rivals your loved one’s former favorite alcoholic beverage.

5. Revive a Forgotten Passion

Over the years, your loved one may have given up on the dream to become a painter or writer. In fact, he or she may even feel sad about letting these dreams go. Remind your loved one that it is never too late to learn new things, and encourage signing up for a class that teaches skills in his or her favorite fields.

6. Join a New Social Group

Loss during the senior years often leads to isolation that affects physical and emotional health. Help your loved one socialize by finding a new group to join in the community. Whether your loved one sings in a church choir or prefers to exercise in a senior swimming class, getting out in the world promotes a greater sense of physical and mental wellbeing.

For families living in Prescott, AZ, respite care can be a wonderful solution when their aging loved ones need companionship and socialization a few hours a week or just need minor assistance with daily household tasks. At Home Care Assistance, we thrive on helping seniors maintain their independence while living in the comfort of home.

7. Adopt a Shelter Pet

Seniors who own pets enjoy perks such as lower blood pressure, and they are more likely to exercise when their dogs need to go for a walk. Adopting a pet can also make your loved one feel good about giving an animal a much-needed home. Make adopting a pet a part of your loved one’s New Year’s plans, and watch as this resolution provides ongoing health benefits over the coming years.

Hiring a professional caregiver is another way you can boost your aging loved one’s health and wellbeing in the upcoming year. Aging adults who need help around the house, transportation to medical appointments and social events, and assistance with exercise can benefit from having an in-home caregiver. Prescott seniors can enjoy greater independence and receive regular mental and social stimulation when relying on a trusted professional who is expertly trained in various aspects of senior care. To hire a professional caregiver, call Home Care Assistance at 928-771-0105 today.

Visit us today online @ www.homecareassistanceprescott.com 

How To Reduce the Risk of B-12 Deficiency in the Elderly

B12 deficiency can result in a variety of health conditions, including mood swings, general lethargy, insomnia, a loss of appetite, and vision problems. While this vitamin is found in several foods, seniors often face difficulty in properly digesting these foods. However, with a few lifestyle changes most aging adults can prevent B12 deficiencies.

If your aging loved one needs help managing everyday tasks or encouragement to adopt healthier lifestyle choices, turn to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of home care in Prescott. Our professional caregivers are available around the clock to help seniors live longer, happier, and healthier lives.

Here are a few ways to reduce the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency in seniors.

Get Tested

One of the reasons several B12 deficiencies go undiagnosed in seniors is because the symptoms are often similar to other age-related issues. This is why seniors should be tested for major nutritional deficiencies once every few years. You should also consider having your loved one tested for vitamin deficiencies if he or she exhibits warning signs such as numbness, tingling, a loss of appetite, constipation, cognitive decline, heart palpitations, or pale skin.

Eat More Animal Products

B12 deficiencies are fairly common among seniors who don’t eat animal products because few vegan ingredients contain this vitamin. If your loved one has a B12 deficiency, you should try out different animal products to see if it helps with his or her condition. Even eating fresh seafood just a few days a week should provide a senior with enough B12. You can also add B12-rich snacks such as hard boiled eggs, canned tuna, and chicken wraps to your loved one’s diet.

Families who find it difficult to care for their aging loved ones without assistance can benefit greatly from professional respite care. Prescott, AZ, family caregivers who need a break from their caregiving duties can turn to Home Care Assistance. Using our proprietary Balanced Care Method, our respite caregivers can encourage your loved one to eat well, exercise regularly, get plenty of mental and social stimulation, and focus on other lifestyle factors that promote longevity.

Take a Multivitamin

Multivitamins are designed for very specific age groups depending on what nutrients they contain. Unlike multivitamins for younger adults, senior multivitamins generally have high doses of vitamins B6 and B12. These products will be beneficial if your loved one has had any surgeries carried out on his or her stomach or intestines. Many weight loss procedures reduce the efficiency of the digestive tract and make it much more difficult to absorb nutrients.

Research Medications

Different medications will have an impact on how well a senior absorbs nutrients such as vitamin B12. Digestive issues are common among those who take diabetic medications and other drugs that affect the production of stomach acid. Seniors with B12 deficiency should speak with their doctor about altering their medications or trying alternative treatment options. You should take a look at your loved one’s over-the-counter medications to see if they might be impacting his or her digestive system.

Get B12 Shots

Seniors who have difficulty remembering to take their B12 supplements might benefit from scheduling B12 shots once every few weeks. These shots work almost instantaneously, and they give doctors control over exactly how much B12 is administered into a person’s system. Within just a few hours of administering these shots, many seniors feel a wide variety of benefits such as higher energy levels and a healthier appetite.

Quit Smoking

Smokers have much higher rates of nutritional deficiencies. They also tend to have poor dietary habits, and their bodies must also send additional resources to the cells that are being damaged by the tobacco products. A 2004 study published in the Nutrition Journal found smokers are almost twice as likely to be deficient in vitamins A, B, C, and D.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to dementia and other types of cognitive diseases. Professional caregivers can help seniors delay the onset of memory loss. For dementia care Prescott, AZ, families can count on, reach out to Home Care Assistance. Our compassionate caregivers use revolutionary memory care programs to help seniors stave off the progression of dementia, and they can also assist with a wide variety of important everyday tasks, including bathing, grooming, exercise, and cooking. To hire a dedicated caregiver for your aging loved one, get in touch with us at 928-771-0105 today.

Visit us online today @ www.homecareassistanceprescott.com

5 Ways Seniors Can Boost Their Emotional Health

Emotional ailments are often more difficult for outsiders to recognize than physical illnesses. However, it’s just as crucial for seniors to maintain emotional wellbeing as it is to enhance other aspects of their health. The Prescott elder care experts at Home Care Assistance discuss 5 ways your elderly loved one can boost his or her emotional health.

1. Revisit Old Passions

There should never come a point when your loved one feels too old to reignite passion in activities he or she once loved. Even with physical limitations, there are still ways to get involved in practically any hobby or leisurely pursuit once again. Seniors who used to go on long hikes can look for local parks with flat pathways and beautiful views, and those who once enjoyed drawing might be able to seamlessly transition over to painting or sculpting.

2. Celebrate Personal Accomplishments

Taking a few moments to celebrate small accomplishments throughout the day is an excellent way to maintain a positive mindset. Whether it is learning to cook a new meal or getting around to finally calling a family member, small steps such as these can add up. Seniors who only focus on their mistakes and shortcomings will find it far more difficult to protect their emotional health.

3. Stay Socially Connected

Withdrawing from friends and family members can have a major impact on your loved one’s psyche. Without social stimulation, emotional disorders like depression and anxiety will be a constant threat. Even a few minutes of social interaction a day can boost your loved one’s psychological health and happiness.

4. Continue Setting Goals

The sense of accomplishment seniors receive from achieving goals is extremely important to their emotional health. However, many seniors tend to toss their goals to the side when they are managing physical and cognitive limitations. Even the act of setting a goal can provide your loved one with hope and enhance his or her outlook on life.

5. Eat and Drink in Moderation

Not many people realize just how much their diet impacts their emotional wellbeing. Using food and alcohol to manage stress or unhappiness can be a dangerous habit. Though most foods and beverages are fine in moderation, using them as a crutch may set your loved one up for failure in the future.

If you are concerned about your loved one’s emotional wellbeing, consider hiring a professional in-home caregiver from Home Care Assistance. We are a leading provider of Parkinson’s, dementia, and Alzheimer’s home care Prescott families trust, and our caregivers are available 24/7 to provide social companionship and emotional support, assist with daily activities, and prepare healthy meals. For more information and to request a free consultation, call 928-771-0105 today.

Visit us online @ http:www.homecareassistanceprescott.com