4 Benefits of Seniors Having a Daily Routine

We all benefit from having a daily routine, but for seniors who are enjoying their retirement years, a daily routine becomes even more important. Once someone retires, they have a little less structure in their life and significantly more free time, so they may need help creating a new daily routine that gives them a sense of fulfilment and purpose. 

As humans we all need to feel a sense of certainty, and no one likes to wake up feeling aimless. If you have older adults in your life who have recently retired, we know they’d greatly appreciate assistance with creating a new daily routine for this new phase of their life. Here’s why having a routine is beneficial:

Reduces anxiety and stress for seniors

Are you afraid of the unknown? Many of us would answer yes. As people age, it’s normal for them to slowly lose control over certain things like independence, mobility, and cognitive abilities, and this loss of control can make older adults feel anxious and stressed. 

One way to combat anxiety and stress is to plan and create a structure, in this instance via a daily routine. If your senior loved one knows what is going to happen and when, as well as knowing that you’ll be there to help, this creates a sense of comfort and stability.

Promotes safety and security for older adults

For older adults who need assistance with certain daily tasks, like cooking, cleaning, driving, or attending appointments, creating a daily routine helps them stay safe and secure. This is especially true for seniors with memory issues. For example, if your aging parent tries to stand on a step stool to change a light bulb and they fall, how long will it be until someone finds them and they get medical care? Take a walk around their house and make a list of everything that needs doing, and let them know you’re taking care of it. 

Enhances senior sleep patterns

It’s common for seniors to have trouble sleeping, yet proper sleep is a critical part of remaining healthy in our older years. Many doctors recommend doing certain daily activities at the same time each day, like bathing and eating, to establish a sense of routine and to facilitate better sleeping habits. Sticking to a daily routine during the day and even having a specific bedtime routine at night can help seniors sleep more soundly through the night. 

Increases control over the day’s events

As mentioned above, we lose control of many parts of our lives as we age, but retaining a sense of control is important to our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. If your loved one is feeling anxious or bored throughout the day, sit down together and work out a daily routine, then do your best to stick to it. 

Daily routines in assisted living

There comes a point when it’s no longer best for seniors to remain in their homes, and if you feel you’ve reached this point with your loved one, it may be time to consider assisted living. Senior living communities provide a sense of structure and routine, while also ensuring residents remain safe and healthy with access to medical professionals and caregivers around the clock.

For more information about our senior living communities across NJ, or if you have any questions, please contact our team today. Discover how we can help create a successful daily routine for the seniors in your life by visiting our website at: https://umcommunities.org

Original blog posted on https://umcommunities.org/health-wellness/4-benefits-of-seniors-having-a-daily-routine/

3 Health Benefits of Yoga for Seniors

If someone invites you to a yoga class it may conjure images of ultra-flexible people doing back bends, but the average yoga class is far from that stereotype. At your local yoga studio or fitness center, you’ll find many beginners who enjoy practicing in a calm, supportive environment. Millions of people have discovered the mental and physical benefits of yoga, and for seniors, a regular yoga practice can reduce anxiety, improve flexibility, reduce high blood pressure and improve stability. Perhaps the best thing about yoga is that people of all ages and abilities can participate, and everyone can go at their own pace. If you or a loved one are still on the fence about giving yoga a try, our senior health teams have put together a list of the three biggest health benefits of yoga for seniors that might change your mind. 

1. Yoga Improves Flexibility and Joint Health

There’s a reason that so many sports coaches recommend their athletes attend regular yoga classes. Yoga improves your overall flexibility and helps strengthen your joints, both of which are very important as we age. Stiff muscles and stiff joints can result in injuries, and recovery can take longer when you’re not in good shape.

Conditions like arthritis and painful joints are common in older adults, so if you’ve got stiff knees, stiff wrists, or stiff hips, why not try a beginner yoga class? Gentle stretching and moving your body in new ways can be very beneficial, and after a month or so, we’re sure you’ll feel a positive difference. Be patient on your yoga journey, however, and don’t expect to see dramatic results instantly. Change takes time, so enjoy the process. 

2. Yoga Reduces High Blood Pressure

There’s no way to get around it: life is stressful and we often can’t control the circumstances. Stress is known to contribute to a variety of health issues, including high blood pressure, which can be especially dangerous for seniors. When you take a yoga class you’ll focus on deep breathing and breath control, quieting your thoughts, and focusing on the moment, all of which can reduce stress and in turn reduce high blood pressure. 

3. Yoga Improves Balance and Stability

We’ve all had those moments where we suddenly lose our balance out of nowhere. If you don’t catch yourself in time, you can fall and injure yourself. Our balance and stability tends to get worse as we age, and falling becomes a serious hazard, especially for seniors who live alone. 

Practicing yoga regularly can greatly improve your balance and your stability. Yoga works by strengthening the muscles around your joints and your spine, muscles that many of us don’t often use in our everyday lives. You’ll also learn a variety of balancing poses in your yoga practice that’ll help you feel more stable on your feet. 

Yoga Classes at Senior Communities in New Jersey

In addition to the benefits discussed above, yoga can improve your posture, help reduce anxiety, lessen lower back pain, and unlock the power of meditation. Most yoga instructors will guide you through a short meditation session with controlled breathing at the beginning and end of each class, which gives you a chance to unwind and focus on your practice. 

Staying active during your senior years is important, and yoga is an excellent activity for people of all abilities. For more information about the senior fitness classes we offer residents at all of our full-service assisted living communities, please contact the team at UMC today. You could also visit our website to learn more about how we prioritize senior health and fitness here: https://umcommunities.org

Original blog posted on https://umcommunities.org/blog/3-health-benefits-of-yoga-for-seniors/

5 Communication Tactics to Help your Parent Move to Assisted Living

As our parents age, their physical abilities and overall well being often change, especially if they have certain medical issues or mobility limitations. While it would be great if we could care for our elderly parents full-time, the reality is that most of us don’t have the medical expertise or time required to provide the level of care they need.

If you think it’s time to have the conversation about moving your parent into an assisted living community, we’ve put together this list of five helpful communication tactics to support you in the process. It’s normal to receive some resistance from your parent when first bringing up the idea. However, with love, patience, and a little bit of advice from our team of experts, you’ll be able to make the best choice for your loved one and your family.

Plant the seed early.

We recommend having the assisted living conversation with your elderly parent well ahead of when the need arises. It’s an emotional topic for many of us, and normalizing it through family discussions will make the transition easier when the time comes. Don’t position it as if you’ve already made the decision on their behalf – it’s important for your mom or dad to feel as if they’re in control of their own choices.

Do your research.

Make a list of assisted living communities in your area, and ask your loved one if they’d like to join you for some tours. It’s likely they’ll be resistant at first, and if that’s the case, don’t get discouraged. Pushing them will likely result in them growing even more resistant to the idea, so simply wait a few weeks then suggest it again.

Highlight the benefits.

Many older adults feel that moving into assisted living means losing their independence, when in fact the opposite is true. Many of the benefits your parent will enjoy, like help with cleaning, chores, and meal preparation, will leave them more time to focus on hobbies they love. They’ll also have assistance with their medications, more time to themselves or to socialize with fellow residents, and around-the-clock access to nurses and medical care if needed. 

Let it all sink in.

As the old saying goes, “time heals all wounds.” People need time to reflect on big changes in their lives, especially emotional decisions like this. Give them time to process their feelings. Also, make it clear that you’re always there if they want to talk things through again in order to feel more secure with the decision. 

Arrange a family meeting.

While we don’t recommend anything serious like an intervention, we do think it can be beneficial to have a casual family get-together where everyone can talk through the decision together. Give your parent a chance to express their concerns, and be empathetic to their worries. Allow your other family members to share their opinions, as well. Hearing their children’s thoughts, and learning how much better they’d feel if they knew mom or dad was in a safe assisted living community instead of living on their own, can help your mom or dad adjust to the idea. 

Having peace of mind is essential, and your parent’s well-being is of the utmost importance. If you need support to foster the assisted living conversation with mom or dad, please contact our team at UMC today. 

To learn more about our assisted living communities across New Jersey, please visit our website at: https://umcommunities.org

Original blog posted on https://umcommunities.org/blog/5-communication-tactics-to-help-your-parent-move-to-assisted-living/

Mood Boosting Activities For People With Dementia

If your senior loved one has been diagnosed with dementia, you may feel overwhelmed and confused about how best to move forward. You’ll undoubtedly have many questions about providing the best care, how to keep them engaged and interested in mental and physical activities, and how to keep them comfortable and safe. 

Staying mentally and physically active is important for people of all ages, but for older adults with dementia it’s especially important. Certain things like music, exercise, outdoor activities, and games have been proven helpful for those with memory loss. The effects of dementia can cause anxiety, moodiness, and loss of interest in regular interests, so our teams throughout the Tapestries memory care neighborhoods put together a guide of mood-boosting activities you can do with your older loved one. 

Memory games for dementia

Having a regular game night is a great way to get your loved one mentally engaged and thinking about new things. Perhaps you can do jigsaw, crossword or sudoku puzzles together, or maybe the whole family can enjoy a night of boardgames. If your loved one enjoys card games, you can start with simple games like Go Fish or Uno.

There may also be some trivia nights or bingo nights you can attend together at a local bar or restaurant, or you can host one of your own with family and friends at home. 

Exercise and outdoor activities for seniors with dementia conditions

We’ve all had times where we’ve felt stressed out and frustrated, only to take a short walk to get some fresh air and instantly feel better. Seniors with dementia often feel frustrated, anxious, and agitated, so exercise and outdoor activities are a wonderful way to mitigate those feelings. Additionally, there are many outdoor activities you can enjoy together, allowing you to spend valuable quality time with each other. 

Your loved one’s doctor or memory care advisor will be able to give you more information about recommended levels of exercise, but short walks, gentle stretching, and practices like tai chi are easier on the body while still providing many health benefits. Getting outdoors for some exercise is great for everyone, not only for those with dementia, so we recommend starting a daily exercise ritual that the two of you can do together. 

Music and art activities for those with memory loss

People of all ages have a passion for music and art, and music can dramatically alter our mood and our emotions. If your loved one is often feeling agitated, put on a calming playlist and see if it has a positive effect on their mood. You may also want to try playing some songs from their childhood or younger years, since people with dementia can sometimes better recall song lyrics from decades ago. 

Arts and crafts are also a great way to stimulate the brain, and it’s a fun way to let creativity shine. You can find inspiration from hundreds of crafty YouTube videos tailored to skill levels ranging from beginner to advanced. To start, we recommend some simple art activities like making a family photo album or collage to hang on the wall, or creating a scrapbook together. 

Caring for a loved one with dementia can be frustrating and challenging at times, but finding things you can enjoy together like games, music, and art is hugely rewarding and helps strengthen your emotional connection. We hope this guide has been helpful and has given you some inspiration for new activities to try with your loved one. 

To learn more about our advanced memory care and therapies for residents with dementia, please give us a call today or visit our website at: https://umcommunities.org

Original content posted on https://umcommunities.org/blog/mood-boosting-activities-for-people-with-dementia/

Festive fall activities for older adults in NJ

The hot summer days are now behind us. As we enjoy cooler temperatures, crisp fall air, and the beautiful changing foliage, it’s a great time to get out and get active with the older adults in your life. If you’re looking for festive fall activities for seniors in NJ, we’ve got several great suggestions that the whole family will enjoy together. 

After spending much of the last 18 months indoors, it’s time to get outside and enjoy some fresh air with your loved ones. With Halloween and Thanksgiving just around the corner, there’s a huge range of local activities you can enjoy with the older adults in your life. 

Fall Pumpkin Patch 

It’s time to get your house ready for Halloween, and choosing the right pumpkin is a great way to get in the festive mood. You’ll find wonderful pumpkin patches in cities across New Jersey, and whether you want to have a pumpkin carving contest or make a delicious pumpkin pie, visiting your local pumpkin patch is fun for the whole family. Many pumpkin patches also have wacky-shaped pumpkins that are spooky for Halloween!

So head on over to your local pumpkin patch and grab some pumpkins for carving, and a few more for some yummy pumpkin pie. You can also roast the pumpkin seeds – they make a delicious, healthy snack.

Family-Friendly Crafts 

Crafting is something people of all ages can enjoy. Similar to cooking, it’s a great way to spend quality time with your senior parent and it gives you a chance to let your creativity shine. Some of our favorite family-friendly crafts include:

• Fall wreaths. Nothing says, “Fall is here!” like a beautiful fall wreath hanging on your front door. Take a trip to your local craft store and stock up on supplies like pine cones, fall-colored leaves, and mini-pumpkins.
• Thanksgiving centerpieces. You probably have fond memories of sitting down to a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner with your family – do you also remember the centerpiece? Whether you prefer something simple like a fall-scented candle in a glass casing, or something more elaborate like a flower arrangement, a centerpiece will give your table that warm, autumn feeling. 
• Knitting. Scarves, sweaters, gloves, and other autumn to winter must-haves are all great knitting projects, and they make wonderful gifts around the holidays. 

Indoor Gardening

Just because summer is over doesn’t mean you can’t still garden. Indoor gardening is a  popular activity your family can enjoy together. You can plant a little herb garden on your kitchen windowsill, or propagate some seeds in a small tray that mom or dad can take with them to their assisted living community. 

Succulents are notoriously hardy, so if you want some low-maintenance plants that can tolerate the colder temperatures, consider starting a succulent collection. Speak with someone at your local garden center who can recommend which plants or seeds will do well this time of year. 

Make Decorations

In addition to the Thanksgiving-themed crafts we talked about above, making Halloween decorations is a super fun festive activity for you, your kids, and the older adults in your life! Some of our favorite Halloween decorations are:

• Scary jack o’lanterns. Showcase your pumpkin carving skills and bring to life a scene from your favorite scary movie. A scary jack o’lantern on your front porch is sure to get everyone in the Halloween spirit. 
• Creepy cookies and spooky cupcakes. Get creative with some Halloween baking, and share your scary homemade treats with family and friends. Or even with trick-or-treaters this year!
• Spooky pine cones. How many pine cones do you see on the ground while on a relaxing evening walk? Using supplies from your local craft store, you can easily transform these pine cones into little Halloween characters. A tiny felt witch hat, a pair of googly eyes, some little pointy shoes – and voila! You have a great Halloween decoration. You can make ghosts, witches, and other festive creatures. 

To find out more about how we will be celebrating the fall season with our senior residents, give United Methodist Communities a call today or visit our website at: https://umcommunities.org/

Original content posted on https://umcommunities.org/blog/festive-fall-activities-for-older-adults-in-nj/