Senior Living Fall 2022

SENIOR LIVING

Finding an in-home care match

One of the realities of liv ing with impairments and the health conditions associated with old age is that it can be come increasingly difficult to care for oneself.

It’s why assisted living facili ties exist, but many people want to stay in their own homes for as long as possible. One solution is hiring an in-home caregiver.

You’re not alone in this need.

According to the University of California’s Institute for Health & Aging, nearly 12 million Americans are unable to live independently and around 41 million of them have a chron ic health disease. According to PHI, a nonprofit advoca cy group, there are more than 2.4 million U.S. workers who provide in-home personal and health care for seniors and those with disabilities. This number has doubled since 2010 in part because more people want to stay in their own homes.

Types of caregivers

This outside help can assist with household care, personal care, or even healthcare. They can help with tasks that used to be easy — eating, dressing and bathing. A qualified person can help administer medicine, encourage mobility and run errands.

AARP lists several kinds of inhome caregivers:

• Personal care aides: These workers are not licensed and serve as helpers and companions.

• Home health aides: These workers can monitor a person’s health conditions, check vital signs and help with basic life activities.

• Licensed nursing assistants

and certified nursing assistants: These workers perform medi cal-related tasks as directed by a registered nurse or nurse practi tioner. They help with personal care and domestic chores.

• Skilled nursing providers: Also known as licensed practi cal nurses, these professionals are licensed by states and can evaluate, manage and observe a person’s care and provide direct

medical care such as adminis tering IV drugs, tube feedings and shots; change would dress ings; or provide diabetes care.

• Registered nurses: These de greed and licensed profession als can provide direct medical care from all the things that skilled nursing providers do to operating medical monitoring equipment and assisting doc tors in medical procedures.

Choosing a caregiver

You want to make sure you have the right caregiver for your needs. Elderlaw recom mends the following tips:

• Assess your needs.

• Write a job description.

• Develop a contract.

• Identify prospects.

• Prepare for and interview applicants.

• Check references and do a background check.

Form connections

Once you have hired a care giver, you’re going to need to form good connections with that person to get the best care and to make sure your expecta tions are met. Ideally this per son will become a good com panion, one with whom you form an authentic relationship.

AgingCare recommends ways you can form relation ships including exchanging stories, connecting through music, and sharing hobbies and activities.

If a caregiver is not provid ing the care that you need or your personalities clash, then find a new one. It’s important that you form good bonds so that you can enjoy remaining in your home and all the com forts that it provides.

Caregivers: Struggling to provide care

By Gail Sonnesso, MS Founder and Executive Director, GEM Adult Day Services, Inc.

In my work in a skilled nursing facility and with GEM for over 30 years I have met many caregiv ers. Caregivers are young, old, rich, poor and strug gle to provide the “best care!” Caregiving is called the “36 hour day” espe cially when you are caring for a person living with dementia or brain change.

The caregiving role en compasses a varied and complex set of tasks, from monitoring medicines, assistance with toileting, to “being with their loved one to keep them safe.”

The role of caregiver in cludes helping with fi nances, monitoring medi cines and interacting with health care professionals in many situations. Care giving also results is huge family costs as stated

below in The 2022 Na tional Strategy to Support Family Caregivers.

“While family caregiv ing is rewarding, it can be challenging, and when caregivers do not have the support they need, their health, wellbeing, and quality of life often suf fer. Their financial future can also be put at risk; lost income due to fami ly caregiving is estimat ed at $522 billion each year,” stated the 2022 Na tional Strategy to Support Family Caregivers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Ser vices (HHS) through its Administration for Com munity Living (ACL).

Ask most people where they would prefer to live and they will answer “at home!” Enabling people to stay at home requires total commitment of both time and dollars from their caregivers.

Many seniors are at a point in their life where they are down sizing, making it difficult to know what to get them as gifts.

Here are some ideas of what you can get the older people in your life that they are likely to treasure and appreciate.

Experiences

Give the seniors in your life tickets to movies, musicals, mu sic, dance performances or sym phonies. Better yet, buy a block of tickets and make it a group outing that will build memories. If there is a nearby community theater that does work the se nior in your life enjoys, get them season tickets.

Consider buying them class es at a local pottery or painting

Lloyd Minerich and Maxine Minerich

Did you know that “Mil lions of older adults and people with disabilities would not be able to live in their communities with out this essential support – and replacing it with paid services would cost an estimated $470 bil lion each year,” stated the

COURTESY GEM ADULT DAY SERVICES

National Strategy report. There is help on the horizon! The Nation al Strategy includes po tential government ac tions that address issues that family caregivers say are most important, including:

1) Access to respite

services

2) Support with day-today and complex medical tasks

3) Inclusion of caregiv ers in care teams

4) Financial education on caregiving costs

5) Better identification of family caregivers

6) Research on the needs of family caregivers “Access to respite ser vices” covers a wide range of programs and services. The most well known is a paid caregiver that comes to the home, but respite –or “relief from the care giving role” – includes a multiple programs and services. Respite can be provided at memory ca fes, group respite pro grams and licensed adult day programs to include both social and health models.

GEM Adult Day Ser vices, Inc. is a local non-profit that provides

Meaningful gifts for seniors

shop. Buy two samplers of teas — one for you and one for them — and have tea parties over Zoom or in person.

Gift tickets to a local sporting event. Have they always wanted to learn to golf? Buy them golf ing lessons. Pickleball is popu lar among seniors; buy a set of lessons.

You can also provide your fa vorite senior with a day of in dulgence. Consider getting a gift certificate for a mani/pedi or a day at the spa. Buy them a gift certificate to their favorite salon.

Consumables

Food and beverage can make great gifts for seniors, though

you’ll want to be aware of what they can and cannot eat and if they are on a restricted diet.

These gifts can range from a basket of specialty sauces and jams to a coupon for a homecooked gourmet meal that you will come and prepare in their home. There are also many com panies that will deliver month ly boxes filled with a variety of surprises from pasta to wine to chocolates to smoked meats.

Health-related items

Gift a session with an agingin-place specialist who can do a safety inspection of the senior’s home and make suggestions that can help them stay in their home longer.

Fitness trackers and step

counters aren’t just for the young. Pick out a model that is compatible with the recipient’s phone and comes with an app that provides workout programs.

Safety and location items

A practical gift idea is to in vest in tracking or location tech nology for seniors. Personal lo cation devices can help people find their keys or other essential items.

If you are willing to make a monthly investment, medical alert systems are a great gift that can help a senior stay in their home safely for longer.

Home modifications can al so help to achieve that goal. You can gift a senior such things as the installation of grab bars and

Harmony Café, a free weekly program which engages both the care partner and the partici pant in activities that are enjoyable to both! We en joy music, arts, pet ther apy, puppet shows, gar dening, educational pro grams, chair exercise and a delicious snack or lunch. We collaborate with com munity organizations and local churches enabling us to offer these programs at no cost to the attendees.

GEM is working with national, regional and local organizations to provide a wider variety of respite programs in Dare County. We hope that this national report will garner more funding and support for family caregivers.

To learn more about GEM program, call Gail Sonnesso at 252-4803354 or visit our website: www.gemdayservices.org

rails.

Nostalgia Other oft-beloved gifts are those that tap into nostalgia, that bring back memories of be loved moments.

There are several services that will arrange interviews, sometimes in the form of sever al questions a month for a year. They will then gather up the an swers and photos and create an autobiographical book.

Consider giving a photorelated gift. Digitize the se nior’s collection of photos. Gift them with a digital photo frame that you’ve loaded with shared moments. Order a blanket that has been printed with photos or create a calendar.

While millions of older Americans retired during the pandemic, 2022 has seen them returning to work in much faster rates than other age groups.

The U.S. Bureau of La bor Statistics said that in 2022, the participa tion rate for people aged 55 to 64 has returned to pre-pandemic levels with an estimated 1.5 million of retirees going back to work.

AARP lists several rea sons why older people are coming out of retirement to return to work — most often to part-time jobs:

• Inflation during 2022 was at rates higher than what has been seen since 1981.

• The stock market has

Going back to work

been very volatile, which causes 401(k)s to shrink.

• More workers can now work remotely which ap peals to older people tired of commutes or concerned about catching COVID-19.

• Many older people need health insurance coverage as medical costs rise.

• Loneliness has become a bigger problem since the pandemic.

Popular job options

While many seniors face age discrimination or are unable to find jobs that pay as much as they used to make, there are a few industries and occupa tions that welcome older workers.

The Urban Institute

performed a health and retirement study and found the following oc cupations are most com mon for college graduates who are hired at age 62 or older:

• Teachers and college instructors.

• Administrative assistants.

• Nursing jobs.

• Real estate agents.

• Sales jobs.

• Driving jobs such as delivery drivers, truck drivers, taxi drivers, bus drivers and chauffeurs.

• Clergy.

• Child care providers.

• Management consultants.

• Financial managers. • Writers.

• Electrical and elec tronic engineers.

• Musicians.

Planning for return-to-work success

Often retirees find that the workplace has changed since they were last in it. To make a suc cessful return to work, you’ll want to upgrade your skills and manage your resume to avoid age discrimination.

Computer skills are no longer optional. In fact,

more than 70% of employ ers, according to Pure Michigan Talent Connect, only accept online appli cations. So to even get your foot in the door, you need basic computer liter acy. For those who can go beyond that, IT jobs are always in high demand so pursuing training or a certification in that field can open up many opportunities.

Pay close attention to your resume, which is the first impression you make with a potential employ er. You want to showcase

your skills, but you don’t want to emphasize your age. Remove any dates from your education. Don’t feel you have to show every job you’ve ever done. Just show the work relevant to the position you are applying for.

The Balance Careers website offers several ways to “age-proof” your resume. Use a function al or combination resume rather than a chronolog ical one. Only include work from the past 10-15 years. Don’t say that you have 20-30 years of ex perience. Instead, say you have 10+ years.

Highlight your skills and show that you are connected by giving a link to your LinkedIn profile and — if they will hold up to professional scrutiny — provide your social media handles.

Network online at LinkedIn, which is an important way to stay connected and be alert ed to potential job opportunities.

Health benefits of yoga

Yoga is a form of fitness and meditation that is a low-impact activity, one that helps improve bal ance, flexibility, muscle strength, aerobic fitness and mobility. It’s an easyon-the-joints activity.

It is why yoga is great for seniors, even if you’re a complete beginner and have never done it before.

According to the most recent Yoga in America Study, conducted in 2016 by Yoga Journal and Yo ga Alliance, more than 14 million people over the age of 55 practice yoga.

Benefits of yoga for Older Adults

In an article for Medi care Advantage, Christian Worstell, a Medicare and health expert, lists sever al important benefits for older adults who practice yoga. These include:

• Reduced risk of a fall because yoga improves balance and stability.

• Greater flexibility and joint health, which can help manage osteoarthri tis in older women.

• Improved respiratory health and ability to toler ate physical exertion.

• Lowered blood pressure.

• Reduced anxiety, stress and improved mindful ness and relaxation.

• Pain management, es pecially pain in the back or arthritis-related pain.

• Improved posture.

• Better digestion as yo ga acts as an internal mas sage and stimulates the muscles needed for an ef fective digestive system.

• Strengthened bones as 10 minutes of yoga per day

can increase bone density in the spine and hips.

• Improved circulation.

Things to avoid

In 2022, Duke Health released an article about the many benefits of yoga for senior adults, but it al so issued a few warnings for adults who are new to the practice. When done incorrectly, yoga can cause injuries, which is also why people are encouraged to have an instructor rather than just learn from a vid eo. Duke Health’s warn ings include:

• Avoid straight-legged forward bends.

• Avoid seated postures on the floor.

• Avoid head-below-theheart inversions.

• Keep the breath flow ing and comfortable.

• Keep twists in the midrange with a fluid quality of motion.

• Avoid extremes of movement and breathing.

The organization Yoga for Seniors certifies yoga practitioners in the specif ic needs of older adults.

Yoga Poses for Seniors So what are some good poses for seniors? That’s where a yoga instructor

certified in working with older adults comes in. Yo giapproved.com suggests five gentle poses to start with:

• Mountain pose.

• Cobra pose.

• Tree pose.

• Corpse pose.

Chair yoga While many seniors are physically fit and have few restrictions to the type of yoga they practice, there are others who have mo bility impairments, bal ance issues or simply lack the confidence to do regu lar yoga.

It’s why chair yoga has been created. Healthline. com says that chair yo ga has all the benefits of regular yoga, but it is al so able to help with joint lubrication, balance and age-specific issues like menopause and arthritis.

Chair yoga is prac ticed while sitting in a sturdy chair (one with out wheels). Poses focus on warm-ups, strengthand flexibility-building and cool downs. Like any other form of yoga, you’ll want to listen to your body and if you find it hard to breathe, back out of the pose.

Pets play an important role in helping people stay healthy. This becomes even more true as we age.

Studies abound showing that seniors with pets have health ier hearts, more structured lives and suffer less loneliness and depression. A National Poll on Healthy aging co-spon sored by the AARP and the University of Michigan found that 88% of pet-owning adults aged 50 to 80 said their pets helped them enjoy life and 86% said their pets made them feel loved. Of the surveyed seniors who lived alone and were not in great health, 72% said their pets helped them cope with the symptoms of their ill health.

However, there is a danger that pets will outlive their own ers or that their owners will have to move to a rehabilita tion center or a long-term com munity or assisted living facil ity. Dogs live 10 to 12 years on

Plan for furry friends

average and cats live 10 to 14 years on average. So, it is im portant to make plans for one’s pets, especially the older one gets.

Estate planning for pets

When you are doing your es tate planning, make sure that your pets are cared for. Cher yl Sanford Aston, a volun teer and board member with Westie Rescue of Missouri, told APlaceForMom.com that needs can change unexpected ly, which is why it is a good idea to include a guardian for your pet in your estate planning or enough money to fund veter inary care, boarding and ex penses related to finding an animal a new home.

Talk to your lawyer or es tate planner about the possi bility of setting up a trust for your pet. This lets you legally

designate money, assets or property to pay for the cost of caring for a pet. A trust can al so let you express your wish es about the type and level of care you want your pet to have.

Support for pet care With all the benefits of

having a pet — and with the bond formed with a pet — you want to be able to keep the pet for as long as possible. It can be heart-breaking to have to separate from them. It’s why pet services can prolong the time you have with your pet, especially if you start to lose

Reading in retirement

One of the joys of retirement is that you finally have a chance to catch up on all that reading you’ve been wanting to do. Now you just have to figure out what to read.

Some of the best places to get recommendations for books to read are your family and friends, a local librarian, book clubs or online websites like Goodreads that help you find new books that match your past reading preferences. And while there are plenty of online book stores, a great place to find trea sures and get good reading sug gestions are your local, private ly-owned bookstores. Or, to get you started, try some of the books recommend ed below.

Something old

Do you enjoy nostalgia?

Something slightly historic and

written in the style of bygone days? While doing research for his historical fiction series on Nellie Bly, author David Blixt uncovered her previously un published novels. The lost nov els of Nellie Bly include:

• “The Mystery of Central Park”

• “Eva the Adventuress: A Ro mance of a Blighted Life”

• “New York by Night: A Fe male Reporter Tracking a $500,000 Robbery”

• “Alta Lynn, M.D.: The Ro mance of Two Girls Who Mar ried for Fun”

• “Wayne’s Faithful Sweetheart”

• “Little Luckie”

• “In Love with a Stranger”

• “The Love of Three Girls”

• “Little Penny, Child of the Streets”

• “Pretty Merribelle”

• “Twins and Rivals”

Something powerful

Perhaps you are one of those people who in 2020 committed to reading more books about social justice. If so, here are some that have come highly recommended:

• “The Immortal Life of Henri etta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot

• “She Came to Slay” by Erica Armstrong Dunbar

• “Black Fortunes” by Shom ari Wills

• “The Warmth of Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson

• “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent” by Isabel Wilkerson

• “Hidden Figures” by Margot Lee Shetterly

• “March Trilogy” by John Lewis

Something true Do you enjoy the

exciting stories of things that actually happened, whether lit tle-known events or the ones that have shaped our world? Here are some readable books about history:

• “Between Hope and Fear: A History of Vaccines and Human Immunity” by Michael S. Kinch

• “The Heartbeat of Wound ed Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present” by David Treuer

• “The Guns of August” by Barbara Tuchman

• “Guns, Germs and Steel” by Jared Diamond

• “1776” by David McCullough

• “Assassination Vacation” by Sarah Vowell

• “A Short History of Nearly Everything” by Bill Bryson

Something in the mirror

Everyone likes to be able to see themselves in what they

some of your mobility and flexibility.

Look into local dog walk ing services and services that will come to your home to per form grooming or scoop up the poop in your yard. Use online delivery services to order pet food or cat litter.

Finding a new home

If you have to find a new home for your pet, first turn to family members. These are the people who are most likely to bond with your pet and can arrange for you to visit them.

Research a good match for your pet and make sure the home is one that your pet will be compatible with. Consid er reaching out to profession al rehoming services such as Rehome by Adopt-a-Pet or Re home with Love. You might al so be able to get help from a breed-specific rescue organiza tion or a no-kill shelter.

read. If you are looking for books with older protagonists, start with this list:

• “A Man Called Ove” by Fred erick Backman

• The Ivy Malone mystery se ries by Lorena McCourtney

• “Prime of Life” by P.D. Bekendam

• “The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules” by Catha rina Ingelman-Sundberg

• “Call It a Gift” by Valerie Hobbs

• “The Secret Diary of Hen drik Groen” by Hendrik Groen

• “Mr. Loverman” by Berna dine Evaristo

• “Live a Little” by Howard Jacobson

• “These Foolish Things” by Deborah Moggach

• “The Buried Giant” by Kazuo Ishiguro

• “The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman

Arthritis and exercise

Almost a quarter of Americans have arthri tis, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Pre vention says.

That’s about 54 million people. And around half of those are limited in their activities because of arthritis and more than one in four adults with arthritis say they have severe joint pain.

The most common form of arthritis is osteo arthritis, but there are other forms, too, includ ing rheumatoid arthritis, gout and lupus. Symp toms of arthritis include pain, aching, joint stiff ness and swelling.

What is arthritis?

There are more than 100 types of arthritis. Most of those cause pain and stiffness around

affected joints, but some types can also affect oth er organs. People with inflammatory arthritis can also develop com plications with other ill nesses because they have weakened immune sys tems from the arthritis or the medications used to manage it.

Arthritis is usually di agnosed by taking a thor ough medical history, conducting a physical ex amination, taking X-rays and blood tests. You can have more than one form of arthritis at a time, but with all of them, early di agnosis and treatment is critical.

Physical activity

Exercise such as walk ing, biking or swimming can actually decrease arthritis pain, the CDC

says, and it also improves your mood and quality of life. The CDC recog nizes several programs as being beneficial for

Improving your balance

You may have noticed that, as you age, you be come more unsteady. It’s not just you.

Every second of every day, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Pre vention says, an adult over the age of 65 suffers a fall. One out of four older adults will fall each year in the U.S. and one out of every five falls causes an injury, such as broken bones or head trauma.

Preventing falls

Fortunately, balance issues can be prevented. Talk to your health care provider about your con cerns, including any med ications you take that may cause balance issues. The CDC recommends talking

to your doctor about tak ing vitamin D supple ments to improve bone, muscle and nerve health.

Once a year, you should talk to your health care provider about your eyes and feet. Update your glasses or other eyewear, if needed, and close ly monitor conditions such as glaucoma or cat aracts which may lim it your vision. Also dis cuss your footwear and whether you should see a specialist.

In the home, you should make sure to pick up things you can trip on, such as books, clothes and shoes, especially from stairs. Remove any rugs or use double-sided tape to keep them from

moving. Move things you use regularly to shelves that you don’t have to use a step stool to reach. You can also have grab bars installed in the bathroom and use nonslip mats to keep you from falling on wet surfaces. Upgrade lighting so that you can see where you’re going and use light draperies or shades to reduce glare.

Exercises

Also talk to your doctor about starting an exer cise routine that includes specific habits to improve your strength and bal ance. The CDC recom mends Tai Chi, which can work on your balance while improving strength in your legs, making you

arthritis sufferers, in cluding the Arthritis Foundation Aquatic Pro gram, the Active Liv ing Everyday program,

EnhanceFitness, Fit & Strong!, Walk with EaseGroup and more. Getting enough ex ercise can also help

you maintain a healthy weight, which can re duce your risk of osteo arthritis, particularly in your hips, knees and an kles. You should talk to your doctor before start ing any exercise pro gram and particularly if you suffer from inflam matory arthritis, which is helped by early treat ment and learning to manage the condition.

See your medical pro fessional if you experi ence pain that is sharp, stabbing or constant; pain that causes you to limp; pain that lasts more than two hours af ter exercise or gets worse at night; pain or swell ing that does not improve with rest, medication and hot or cold treatments; increases in swelling or your joints feeling hot.

feel more confident. A lack of exercise can lead to weakness and increase your chances of falling.

The Mayo Clinic says that just about any

activity that keeps you on your feet and moving can help with balance, but there are specific things you can do, such as standing on one foot

or walking heel-to-toe, to improve your balance. Always get clearance from your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.

Get out and play

Hitting the gym or the walking trail at a local park isn’t the only way to get in your exercise.

Local senior centers, recreational facilities and other organizations may offer recreational sports that you can get involved in. Recreational sports not only get you out and mov ing, they also introduce important social connec tions and even opportuni ties to travel.

Here are some sports to consider trying:

Swimming

Swimming strength ens muscles and builds endurance in a low-im pact environment that’s easy on aching joints and backs. And it’s more than swimming laps. Also con sider joining water aero bics classes or even a team sport such as water polo.

Biking

Bike riding is another

low-impact sport that’s easy on your joints. It’s also relaxing and a great family activity that peo ple of all ages can enjoy. If you want to dip your toe in without the expense of a new bike, consider rent ing a bike in your home town or even on vacation so that you can get an idea of you enjoy it.

Bowling

Bowling is an indoor sport that also promotes social aspects. Look into joining a bowling league at a local alley. Leagues and teams often have set times to meet. Bring your friends or make some new ones.

Pickle ball

This is another indoor activity. Pickle ball is a net game similar to tennis or ping-pong. It’s played with a net, racket and a ball like a large whif fle ball. It’s a team sport

that’s easy to learn and less stressful on the joints than volleyball or other net sports.

Golf

Yeah, it’s a stereotype, but it’s like that for a rea son. Golf is a great way to get in some physical exer cise, sunshine and meet friends. While clubs and gear may seem expensive, bear in mind that there’s plenty of used gear out there looking for a good home. Look into second hand shops or garage sales to find great deals.

Dancing

Dancing of all sorts — ballroom, Zumba, salsa and otherwise — is a great way to get in your steps and to reconnect with your partner or with oth er friends. Consider group lessons or just get started watching videos and cut ting a rug in your living room.

Over your lifetime, your feet will carry you more than 216 million steps, or more than 100,000 miles.

That’s a lot of time spent on your feet and, as you age, it becomes more im portant than ever to take good care of them.

“People unable to move about suffer numerous physical, psychological and social afflictions as a direct or indirect result of foot dysfunction,” po diatrist Michael J. Trepal told Healthline. “It is not simply how they look but how they work that mat ters most.”

Tips for tip-top feet

Healthline offers these tips for keeping your feet ready for walking:

• Don’t wear too-tight shoes.

• Don’t share shoes (or the bacteria that can live in them).

• Don’t share pedicure utensils.

• Don’t cover discolored nails with polish.

• Don’t shave calluses.

• Don’t DIY an ingrown nail.

Wearing poorly fitting shoes can cause corns, calluses, blisters, ingrown nails and even sprains and strains.

“Corns and calluses are areas of thickened skin resulting from abnormal pressure or rubbing,” Tre pal said. “They are not the problem but rather the result of abnormal foot structure or function.”

Some things you should do include:

• After a long day, try the legs-up-the-wall yoga

Foot health

pose to give your feet and legs a break.

• Give yourself a foot massage regularly.

• Roll a tennis ball under your feet.

• Soothe any irritation with a vinegar foot soak.

Check your shoes

Most people have one foot that’s larger than the other. You should always fit your shoes to the larg er foot and always buy the shoes with the best fit, not the ones that look the best. The American Or thopaedic Foot and Ankle Society says that properly fitting shoes should hold the ball of your foot com fortably in the widest part of the shoe. You should have enough depth that your toes don’t rub on the top of the shoe, and, while

standing up, you should have a finger’s width be tween your longest toe and the front of the shoe.

Walk around while trying shoes on to make sure you don’t have any rubbing or slipping. Wear heels

Recovering from an injury

As you may have already dis covered, as we age, it’s not as easy to bounce back from an in jury as it once was.

Especially if that injury forces you to sit out from your regular activities for any length of time. If you injure yourself while ex ercising, it can be tempting to abandon your new health rou tine. But stick with it. Here are some tips for recovering from injury from Helen Branthwaite, a senior lecturer in clinical bio mechanics at Staffordshire Uni versity in Great Britain.

Go slow

Just like when you started your exercise routine, you want to take your return to working out slowly, allowing your mus cles to completely recover be tween each session. Gradually increase the number and type

of exercises you do so that you don’t get too tired and sabotage the good form that helps keep you from getting injured in the first place.

Stand up

Part of restarting your exer cise regimen is just getting back on your feet, literally.

Long periods of sitting signifi cantly reduces muscle activity

and muscle mass. Stretch well and move around as often as you can, even if you’ve taken to working from home during the pandemic. Focus on improv ing your posture and balance while you move.

Switch it up

Don’t just work on the same exercises every time, even though you may be comfort able with them. This can lead to repetitive strain injuries. Challenging yourself works both your brain and your mus cles, improving not just your strength but also your bal ance, mobility and overall wellbeing.

Make sure you’re not work ing the same muscle groups, either. Small, postural muscles like the tiny ones in your feet, play just as much of a role in

sparingly because they can cause chronic knee, hip or back pain.

keeping you healthy as the big muscles in your glutes. Use ac tivation and control exercises — small muscles, small move ments — to help prevent injury.

Talk to your health care professional

As always, talk to your doc tor before starting or restart ing an exercise routine. This is especially true if you sought treatment for your injury or changed medications during your time off. You need to make sure it’s safe for you to exercise before you get start ed again, and follow your doc tor’s recommendations about how much you tackle at a time. Keep them posted as you prog ress and have them recheck the injury at the first sign of trouble.

We all know we need to eat a healthy and balanced diet, but you may be sur prised to learn that our nutritional needs change as we get older. Older adults need few er calories but general ly need more protein and other vitamins and miner als. Keep reading to learn how to eat well even as you get older.

Eating healthier

As you get older, you may not need as many cal ories as you did even in middle age. What you do still need are nutrients. So choose foods that are nutrient-dense and avoid empty calories such as those you get from chips, candy, soda and alcohol. I Instead, the U.S.

Keep nutrition in mind

National Library of Med icine says seniors should reach for fruits and vege tables in a variety of types and colors, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, seafood, lean meats, eggs, beans, nuts and seeds.

Your diet should also be low in cholesterol and fat, especially saturated fats and trans fats from pro cessed foods. Make sure you also drink enough liq uids. Some people can lose their sense of thirst as they get older and some medi cations can affect your hy dration. So make sure to drink enough to keep you adequately hydrated.

Troubleshooting

As your life changes, you may find it more difficult

to eat at all, much less to eat healthfully. Try jazz ing up your diet and your routine by organizing pot luck meals or cooking with friends. See your health care professionals regu larly to stay ahead of med ical issues that can make it more difficult for you to eat well, such as dental prob lems or issues with swal lowing. Add color and tex ture to your food to make it more interesting if you’re having trouble smell ing and tasting your food and plan healthy snacks through the day to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients and calories.

If an illness or disability is making it more difficult for you to eat well, your health care professional may be able to recommend

an occupational therapist to work through ways to make it easier for you to eat healthfully.

You may lose your sense of hunger as you age as well; regular exercise can make you hungry and

give you an overall sense of wellbeing that can lead to making better health decisions.

Strength training

Senior exercise pro grams focus a lot on bal ance and flexibility, but strength training is im portant for older bodies, too.

Strength training can help you keep muscle mass as you age, keep your bones strong and promote mobility, balance and good mental health. Sil ver Sneakers offers these tips for hitting the weight room in your golden years.

Get started

The best way to start with strength training is to, at least initially, skip the weights. Yes, you read that correctly. Instead, Silver Sneakers says, fo cus on your form first, us ing only your bodyweight to perform the exercis es. This will reduce your risk of injury and get you better results. Work up to performing three sets of 10-15 repetitions each. When that feels easy, start adding weight starting with the smallest amount available at your facility.

Keep it going Work your way up

through the weight as it’s comfortable for you. You should do strength train ing three to four days per week on non consec utive days to give your muscles time to recover. Focus on cardio in be tween strength workouts. Wait until any soreness is gone before working those muscles again. You may also opt to work with a trainer at your gym or facility for some one-onone lessons and perfect ing your form.

How it helps

While strength training — or resistance training as it’s sometimes called — focuses on the muscles, it can do so much more. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that strength train ing can improve glycemic control for diabetics, im prove lipid profiles in pa tients with heart disease, increase your metabolism and reduce pain from con ditions such as back pain and arthritis.

Studies also show that people who exercise reg ularly get better sleep,

boost self-confidence and improve your sense of well-being, the CDC says.

Keep in touch with your doctor

Of course, you should always talk to your doc tor before starting any new exercise program. Stop exercising and talk to your health care pro fessional if you have any of these things:

• A cold, flu or infection with fever.

• More fatigue than usual.

• A swollen or painful muscle or joint.

• Chest pain or irreg ular, rapid or fluttery heartbeat.

• Shortness of breath.

• A hernia.

Listen to your body, the CDC says, and take time to adjust to your new ex ercise program.