We all want our grandparents and older parents to live as long as possible, while having an independent and full life. While many factors go into this, diet is perhaps the easiest factor to change to help our loved ones stay healthy into their golden years.
Here are 8 delicious “super foods” that can help improve your loved one’s diet.
Blueberries are not only delicious, but they are also packed with antioxidants. These help to encourage good cell growth and to fight off free radicals. Diets high in antioxidants can help reduce the risk of cancer and coronary heart disease.
Like blueberries, this fruit is full of antioxidants, and one in particular – Lycopene. Lycopene is a nutrient that has been show to help prevent prostate cancer. However, women can also benefit from increased consumption of Lycopene as it also helps the digestive system, which slows down with age.
Green tea is a super food that is especially beneficial for seniors. While caffeine in excess can be dangerous, studies have shown that green tea’s moderate caffeine levels actually have a positive impact on heart health. In addition, recent studies have shown that green tea can also help improve bone strength in older adults.
Wait, alcohol is on the list? Well, only red wine—and only one glass! Drinking one small glass of red wine per day has been shown to offer meaningful health benefits for the heart. Its anti-clotting properties can help to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. In addition, red wine is full of polyphenols that can help reduce the risk of cancer – in fact, red wine has more antioxidants than other “super foods” such as Açaí.
Whether your grandparents like kidney beans, green beans or even baked beans, there are many benefits to adding this to their shopping list. Beans are indeed a “super food” for seniors because of the high levels of of fiber, protein and calcium they contain. Not only do they help to regulate the digestive system, but they also help promote bone and muscle strength.
Iron deficiency is one of the most common ailments affecting all adults. The good news is that dark leafy greens, such as kale, spinach and Swiss chard can help boost iron levels, improving the body’s ability to carry oxygen from the lungs.
Omega-3 is a fatty acid that is important in helping the body’s metabolism. This acid can be found in oily fish, such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. But be careful of overdoing it - while Omega-3 supplements are often sold at the pharmacy, the health benefits of supplementation are unproven.
We have already told you caffeine and alcohol can have positive health effects, so maybe it won’t seem strange to suggest that a delicious pastry can also have a place in a healthy senior’s diet. At least if that pastry has a lot of cinnamon and not a lot of calories… Cinnamon contains a molecule known as cinnamaldehyde which gives the spice its signature taste and odor. Cinnamaldehyde has been shown to reduce cholesterol, fight the onset of dementia, and even help kill bad breath!
As we get older, it is important to remember that eating healthy does not have to mean eating things we don’t like. There are a number of super foods that can help our seniors get the vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants they need to help live a long and tasty life.
Have you noticed your older loved ones slowly losing interest in the things around them? Or, are they looking for new ways to spend their time?
Staying active and engaged, both in mind and body, is extremely important at all ages. You can help your elderly grandmother, grandfather or parent discover new hobbies in their golden years.
Gardening allows your loved one to spend time with nature, while enjoying fresh air and soaking in some Vitamin D. It is also an activity that allows them to nurture something, watch it grow, and in turn take pride in their work. Many seniors enjoy gardening as a hobby.
If getting outside is difficult, or not appealing, for your loved one, indoor gardening is an option. You can easily set up some plants on your loved one’s window sill or kitchen counter, or even have a hanging indoor garden.
Not everyone is interested in writing, but it can be an engaging and therapeutic exercise for people who enjoy it.
A great place to start is with your loved one writing letters to family members – remember when people used to do that! Your older family member may also be interested in simply documenting interesting childhood experiences, favorite memories, or wisdom that they’ve accumulated over the years. Some may even have a creative bent and be interested in writing stories.
The nice thing about writing is that it can be done almost anywhere, and with very little material resources. You could gift your loved one a nice pen and some decorative stationery, and they’ll be ready to get started!
Reading, on its own or via joining a book club, can be a rewarding and engaging hobby for interested seniors for various reasons. First, there are countless genres and topics that can be explored – there is always something for everyone. Reading helps to keep the mind sharp and engaged and if your loved one joins a book club, it is also a great way to get out of the house and socialize with others. Reading will not only help them catch up on the books that they missed reading during their working years, but it can also provide a great avenue for them to meet new people with similar interests.
Card games, like Bridge or Gin Rummy, are great hobbies for seniors to enjoy. They are typically social activities and allow for casual conversation while the game is being played. They are not strenuous from a physical point of view, so they work well for someone who is less mobile. Some games, again like Bridge, are very strategic and help to keep the mind actively engaged.
Some seniors take the opportunity to explore their creative side during their golden years. Photography can be another great hobby – one can find inspiration almost anywhere, and it can be taken up as a serious hobby or as a casual one. Your loved one can always start with a relatively inexpensive camera, and as the interest grows, upgrade it to a more sophisticated one.
Even as a senior, there are many ways to give back to others in the community. Acts of service, while not exactly hobbies, can be very engaging and rewarding.
There are some volunteer opportunities that are very well suited for the elderly. For example, an after-school reading program for children or programs for seniors to visit their peers living in nursing homes can provide fun and rewarding interaction and conversation.
There are also other ways to give back to the community without ever leaving the home. For example, if your elderly parent or grandparent likes to knit, they can make scarves, mittens and hats and donate them to families in need.
Hobbies – any type of hobbies – can help seniors stay active and engaged and provide them with an opportunity to interact with others. So help your older loved one figure out what types of activities might interest them and get started!
You pick up the phone to call your grandma, grandpa, or even elderly parent, and after the usual, “Hello! How are you?” you find yourself wondering what to talk about next. Sound familiar?
Connecting with an elderly loved one, as silly as it may sound, may not be the most intuitive thing. Aside from figuring out what to talk about, actually getting them to hear and understand what you are saying can also be a challenge. If your loved one is starting to experience cognitive decline or hearing impairment, these difficulties can be exacerbated.
Here are some tips to make phone calls or in-person chats with your senior loved ones smoother, more interesting and even more fun.
Guess what grandma is probably most interested in hearing about? What the family has been up to!
This is particularly true if it is difficult for her (due to distance or lack of mobility) to take part in family get togethers and see her loved ones frequently. No doubt she’d love to hear how little Joe is starting to crawl, or how Elaine has finally decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science!
Even things that you may not think of as particularly interesting can help grandma feel like she really knows what’s going on. Perhaps you have a new project that you’re working on at work. Or, maybe you are evaluating day cares for your little one. Simple updates like these can be nice for your loved one to hear.
Aside from being a wealth of knowledge and wisdom, our elders often have some great stories from their childhoods as well! For example, ask grandpa what his favorite hobbies were growing up, or what he and his friends used to do for fun. Listening to his stories will really make you appreciate how much change grandpa has seen and experienced during his lifetime!
These stories are not only fun and engaging for you to listen to, but reminiscing about them can be very therapeutic for your older loved one too.
Perhaps your loved one is the type to keep up with the world around them. Or, it’s possible that they do not. Either way, current events can make for great conversation.
Start by asking your elderly relative if they've heard about XYZ in the news. If they have, you can jump right into expressing your point of view on the subject or asking them theirs. If they have not, then start by providing a summary of the event or news item.
It is very important that you do not make them feel silly for not knowing about whatever it is that you choose to discuss – this could cause them to withdraw instead of encouraging them to open up.
In addition to making for interesting discussion, current events can also help to keep your loved one take interest in what’s happening in the world at large. This could prompt them, for instance, to want to keep up with the news more broadly, or perhaps even just focus more on the specific issue you discussed together.
In having a conversation with your elderly parent or grandparent, it is very important to be thoughtful about how you have the conversation with them.
If your loved one has hearing impairment, you’ll definitely need to speak more loudly than you typically do. In addition, you should make sure to enunciate your words carefully. If in person, speak face-to-face, don’t speak to one side. Also, consider whether visual cues can be used to help convey meaning (for example, putting your hand on your stomach when mentioning that you are hungry).
Also, it helps to use questions and make statements that are clear and direct, and without filler words and slang. Expressing one idea at a time, or sticking to one topic at a time, can also help.
Though conversing with your older parents or grandparents can be tough at times, appreciate these opportunities. There will come a time when you will not be so lucky as to have the chance to speak to them.
Also remember that even just a short chat can really brighten their day. So make the time to regularly connect, and put in the time and effort during these conversations to really show them that you care.
Aging means change, no matter how you look at it. And unfortunately, aging is often accompanied by varying levels of mental and physical decline.
There are, however, some basic principles older adults can follow that will help them to live healthier and, perhaps, longer lives.
In some ways, these are the same practices that contribute to health and wellness for people of any age. However, as our loved ones age, some factors for healthy living become more important than others, and our changing bodies and circumstances must be considered as well.
Your elderly loved ones should devote regular time and attention to maintaining cognitive and mental health. Earlier in life, work demands and other circumstances were often enough to keep the mind active, but there are typically fewer opportunities for mental engagement in old age.
In addition, older people are much more likely to have degenerative neurological diseases like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. Aging brains change and experience reduced plasticity, and are less able to remember and learn.
Research hasn't proven with certainty that brain training games improve mental health. However, there is some evidence to suggest that practicing cognitive tests and mental exercises may help delay the consequences associated with the aging of the brain.
For people of all ages, there are important health benefits to physical activity. For the elderly, however, in addition, exercise can help with maintaining mobility and avoiding falls.
In general, seniors should focus on four key areas of physical activity:
Eating healthily is an essential part of successful aging. A few basic guidelines to follow include: eating plenty of fruits and veggies, avoiding excess salt and sugar and trying to maintain balance in the diet.
However, seniors often need to pay particular attention to sodium intake, and female seniors need plenty of calcium for strong bones. In addition, medications or health conditions may require other dietary adjustments for optimal health.
It goes without saying in today’s world that smoking has no place, regardless of age. While seniors may think it’s too late to stop smoking, quitting this habit at any age can positively influence health.
Regular doctor’s visits are essential to healthy aging. Sometimes older adults are more reluctant to visit their doctors than younger folk for fear of discovering new ailments. However, regular check-ups play a critical role in prevention and/or early detection of serious health issues.
No doubt, aging well means a better quality of life in later years. For your elderly parents and grandparents, it can equate to less pain, fewer symptoms that typically accompany common health conditions and a greater level of activity and engagement.
For some seniors, aging in place is not an option, and they need to relocate to assisted living facilities or nursing homes.
However, home likely holds very special meaning for our parents and grandparents. It is where they are most comfortable and secure, and where many memories were formed. Home also means the many friends, neighbors and larger community that they've grown attached to over the years.
Thankfully, aging in place is possible for many seniors, with just a little bit of work. Remodeling the home (by installing grab bars or lifts, for example) or simply reorganizing it can facilitate mobility and make it possible to for the elderly remain in a familiar environment.
Home retrofitting contractors can help with these changes.
Retrofitting to enable seniors to stay in their homes often involves three primary strategies:
Retrofitting contractors can also make changes to kitchen counters and other such elements so that people of varying heights and with varying physical abilities can more easily use them.
A virtually endless array of home adaptations are possible, including things like motion sensors for hallway lights, mirrors that can be easily used when seated and better use of colors throughout the home (for example, high-contrast colors) for those who have trouble seeing.
If your elderly loved ones are in relatively good health and are candidates for aging in place, the first step in a home retrofit is a needs assessment. Not long ago, this would have required a visit from an occupational therapist or other health professional, something that would have required a prescription from a doctor in many cases.
Today, however, certified aging-in-place specialists from the National Association of Home Builders are available to conduct the evaluation for a fee. This typically takes 30 to 60 minutes and costs approximately $100 to $150. This specialist will provide a list of suggestions, tailored to specific budget and needs, which can be shared with a contractor.
There’s no reason that preparing the home for aging in place needs to be terribly complicated or expensive. Here are five tips that can help you and your elderly loved ones get started: