Blogs

The Holidays are an excellent time for travel. Whether you are visiting the grandchildren or planning a vacation, travel can be a wonderful opportunity for seniors. Some tips to remember to make the most of your trip include a little preparation ahead of time. The most crowded days for travelling are the Wednesday prior to a holiday and the Sunday after a holiday. Travelling during peak days are more stressful and may expose oneself to many more viruses than travelling during days that are less crowded.

In a perfect world families should be able to all live together and get along perfectly. But that isn’t always what happens when changes occur within the family dynamics of everyday life. Parents age and after all they have done for their grown families, a time comes when the children need to step up and take care of them. The ‘sandwich generation’ consists of the adults that are still working, raising their own children, and needing to assist their aging parents.

A safe and inexpensive form of exercise is walking. Walking can be done anywhere and at any time that is convenient for you. The wonderful thing about walking is that almost anyone can enjoy this form of exercise because you can do it at your own pace. Consistent walking helps increase endurance, strength, and mobility. It can also help to maintain a healthy weight! The benefit of walking with a partner is a great form of entertainment too! Conversation and enjoying a nice walk with a friend will not only help you physically but mentally also.

Aging gracefully is an art. Have you noticed that some seniors are happy, active, and connected to their community? This feeling of community comes from the concept of volunteering. There are so many opportunities in the world where people can help other people and at the same time feel rewarded for their efforts.

After spending so much time meeting with seniors in the community and at the local Senior Centers, I have decided to share some insightful knowledge. There are some terrific and vital seniors who have great advice and suggestions on healthy aging. This is the first of several blogs on aging gracefully.

Laughter and joy incorporated into our lives makes life more fun. In fact there have been studies to suggest that laughter may even be good for our health! Our heart rate increases with laughter and subsequently causes our circulation to increase. This effect of laughter mimics the effects of exercise. This is not to suggest that laughter could be substituted for exercise but that it is an additional means to a healthy lifestyle. Laughter brings people together. It fosters friendships and acceptance.

Three years ago, in 2006, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts passed the Health Care Reform Act with the intention and purpose of mandating universal health care insurance coverage for all residents. Although a lot of good has resulted, the citizens of Massachusetts are still finding health care unaffordable. As of June 30, 2008, the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy showed that only 2.6% of Massachusetts residents remain uninsured compared to more than 15% nationally. This is the benefit of the Health Care Reform in Massachusetts.

A Living Will or Advanced Health Care Directive provides your preferences regarding medical care to your health care team in the event that you are unable to do so. They can vary from state to state in the type of documents that need to be filled out. In most states the Advanced Health Care Directive accompishes two things. It states what your choices for care are, and appoints another person of your choice to supervise and make decisions regarding your medical care. Some states may require two separate documents to declare your appointed spokesperson and your wishes.

“Motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among 65 – 74 year olds and the second leading cause (after falls) among 75 – 84 year olds.” (American Medical Assoc., National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) There is concern in the general public’s eyes about the increasing number of senior drivers who will be on the road with the ‘baby boomers’ quickly approaching maturity! So how do we make sure that our driving skills are still sharp?