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Guest Blog: Places to Visit in Dubai for Senior Citizens
Introduction
If you are a senior citizen, then you must know that Dubai is the perfect place to visit. This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and has everything you need to have an amazing time. Not only is it filled with beautiful buildings and attractions, but it also has great weather all year round and you can get discount tickets for Dubai attractions! You’ll never run out of things to do here in Dubai; there are plenty of museums, restaurants, hotels and malls to explore when visiting this amazing city!
Burj Al Arab
The Burj Al Arab is located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. To get there, you can take a taxi or drive yourself.
The hotel has 730 rooms and suites, all of which are decorated with opulence and luxury in mind. The hotel is also known for its 5-star restaurants that serve traditional Arabic cuisine as well as international dishes such as steak tartare or duck confit salad. Other facilities include a spa offering facials and massages; an indoor swimming pool; an outdoor tennis court; a gymnasium with personal trainers on hand to assist guests who wish it; underground parking space for cars (or other vehicles); room service available 24 hours per day; free Wi-Fi throughout the entire building–and much more!
Dubai Festival City Mall
Dubai Festival City Mall is a great place to visit if you’re looking for something that has it all. It has a number of restaurants, cafes and shops, as well as cinema, bowling alley and roller skating rink. There’s also an indoor play area for children called Kidzania where kids can work in different professions such as doctor or chef.
The Dubai Mall
The Dubai Mall is one of the most popular places to visit in Dubai. It’s located at the heart of Downtown Dubai, which makes it easy to get there by public transport.
The mall has more than 1,200 stores that offer everything from clothing and jewelry to cosmetics and electronics. It also has a variety of dining options including food courts, fine dining restaurants and cafés. There are also plenty of entertainment options including an ice rink where you can skate during winter months (December through February). If you’re feeling adventurous try out one of their roller coasters or go on one of their rides like “The Falcon”. The mall also hosts events throughout the year such as concerts by international artists so check out their website for more details!
Sharaf DG Mall
Sharaf DG Mall is located in Al Quoz and is a popular destination for senior citizens. The mall has a wide range of shops and restaurants, as well as an ice skating rink, laser tag arena and bowling alley.
The mall stays open 24 hours a day, seven days a week so there’s no need to worry about your elderly parents getting bored or hungry while they’re there! It also has plenty of space for them to sit down if they want to rest their legs after walking around all day long (or even just popping out quickly).
There’s an underground car park at the back of the building which makes it easy for you or other family members who may be with them when visiting this beautiful place 🙂
The Wild Wadi Water Park
The Wild Wadi Water Park is the perfect place for families and friends to spend a day. There are so many slides and rides that everyone in your group will find something they enjoy. The park also has food and drinks available, so you can keep your energy up while you’re having fun!
The park is open from 9am-6pm daily (except Fridays), though it does get busy at weekends so it’s worth booking tickets online if possible. Entry costs AED120 for adults and AED90 for children ages three-12 years old.
These are some of the places you can visit with your senior citizen relative.
There are many places to visit in Dubai, and you should take your senior citizen relative to them. You can also do other activities, like go shopping or eat at a restaurant. Some good places to stay are the Burj Al Arab Hotel, which has a very nice pool with dolphins; the Jumeriah Beach Hotel (it has a great view of the ocean), or even just staying at home!
Conclusion
We hope that this list has inspired you to visit some of the best places in Dubai for senior citizens. If you have any other suggestions, please let us know!
Daycare’s 5 Fun Online Activities for Seniors
As a person ages, it’s important for them to maintain a healthy routine of regular social engagement as well as physical and cognitive exercise.
There is a myriad of activities that a senior loved one can do to achieve these outcomes. From reading newspapers and playing card games to visiting friends and family and even going out for walks.
But what can seniors do during days when they can’t or don’t want to leave the house?
Below we’ve gathered a list of five (5) fun online activities for seniors. Read on to learn more!
Safe Online Usage
Before we move on to discuss the five fun online activities seniors can participate in, let’s first talk about how seniors can stay safe online.
Seniors are one of the most vulnerable age groups when it comes to online scams. It’s important to practice precautionary measures to keep loved ones safe while they explore the online world.
Families could get caregiving services that can provide their elderly loved ones with assistance during online activities. Caregivers are skilled and equipped to assist seniors in their day-to-day activities in an attempt to make things easier and safer for them.
A few other things family members can do to help keep their seniors safe online are:
- Warn your loved ones not to give out personal or sensitive information to anyone online
- Teach loved ones how to identify the SSL or “secure” symbol on websites and address bars
- Remind loved ones never to click on pop-up advertisements on websites and emails
You can write all these on a notepad or sticky note so your senior loved ones can easily look at out whenever they need to be reminded.
Fun Online Activities for Seniors
Senior Exercise Classes
Since seniors are more susceptible to contracting COVID-19 than any other age group, it’s important for them to lessen their exposure to others. This has led them to spend more time at home where there is a lesser chance for them to get enough exercise and stimulation.
As a response to the growing need for physical activity and exercise in seniors, plenty of fitness studios and gyms have started offering exercise classes online.
You can find a variety of workouts for seniors to try online. From Yoga and Pilates to Tai Chi and even dancing.
Ask your loved one about the workouts he/she prefers and help them find a reliable site online to start exercising!
Online Games
It may be hard to believe, but a lot of older adults actually enjoy playing online games. There are plenty of free options that can provide seniors with intellectual stimulation to prevent cognitive decline and improve memory!
Choose among a variety of household favorites, such as word search, mahjong, solitaire, crossword puzzles, checkers, and chess.
Some websites may even allow you to play together with friends and family members! The AARP has a collection of online group games and activities that seniors can enjoy when they sign up for a membership. You can check out their game roster here.
Learn and Improve Skincare Techniques
Older adults have very specific skincare requirements. This is due to the fact that senior skin is often thinner and drier, making it more sensitive to cracking and dermatitis. Both conditions can make senior skin more vulnerable to bacterial infections.
There is a myriad of effective natural skincare techniques that seniors can try out online. These techniques can help promote better skin health and protect loved ones from harmful and life-threatening infections.
Adult Daycare
The term adult daycare is often seen in a not-so-positive light among older adults. That’s because the term “daycare” is often linked to programs designed for toddlers or younger children. However, that isn’t the case with adult daycare.
Online adult day programs are designed to help older adults explore their interests in a variety of studies and industries. It also helps them develop new skills and improve cognitive and physical health.
For example, some adult daycares may provide online arts and crafts classes for older adults who are more creative with their hands. They may also offer virtual museum tours, exercise classes, music classes, and many more!
Blogging
Does your loved one have a skill or talent that they are passionate about? Perhaps they are experts at a certain topic, like marketing or advertising?
While blogging might be seen as something only the “youngsters” can do, older adults can also get a ton of benefits from the activity. Not only is it a way to make money on the side, but blogging can also act as a medium for older adults to share and communicate their thoughts, opinions, and teachings to an entire audience.
Seniors can write about practically anything, from how to plant vegetables in your garden the right way to self-help-type articles to help youngsters find a little more balance in the world.
There are plenty of blogs out there that accept senior guest writers to write for their blogs. You can find a couple of great places here on Wowitloveithaveit.com.
The Bottom Line
Age shouldn’t be a reason for a person to quit on their hopes and dreams. Encourage your loved ones to try new things every day. You never know, they might just be the next Julia Child or Stan Lee!
Amputation
Background
Amputation is an acquired condition that results in the loss of a limb, typically from disease, injury, and/or surgery. There are approximately 278,000 new amputees each year in the United States (Amputation statistics, 2012). Seventy-seven percent of these cases are from circulatory problems, particularly peripheral vascular disease (PVD) related to diabetes, while most of the rest are due to trauma.
Warning Signs
Most amputations involve the lower limbs, above or below the knee. The greatest risk factor for amputation is diabetes with peripheral vascular disease, with African American men having a 2.3 times greater rate of amputation than Whites with diabetes. Advanced age and the incidence of diabetes in the elderly make this a potential problem in the older age group. Additionally, a recent study showed that HgbA1c level was a significant predictor of foot amputation (Palmer, et al,et al., 2011).
Diagnosis
In the acute phase of recovery after surgery, it is important to prevent contractures of the knee joint and maintain normal muscle power and range of motion in remaining joints. The limb should not be hung over the bedside or placed in a dependent position. Both in acute care and rehabilitation, the stump should be conditioned to prepare for the wearing of a prosthesis (an artificial limb). In certain cases, an older person may choose, after speaking with the doctor, not to wear a prosthesis. But, this is usually only when there are other health problems, such as poor balance from another disease or disorder that would make falling and injury more likely with the use of an artificial limb.
Treatment
Initially, there may be drainage from the surgical site, and a sterile dressing will be kept in place and changed at least daily. Eventually, the staples or sutures will be removed and a thick, black eschar (like a hard, dark scab) will form at the amputation site and gradually come off. An Ace wrap or stump shrinker sock (elastic) is used to help prepare the stump for wearing a prosthesis. Several factors should be considered when preparing the stump to wear this artificial limb. These include a movable scar, lack of tenderness/sensitivity, a cone shape, firm skin, and minimizing any swelling. All of these can be achieved by proper wrapping of the stump. The prone position (laying on the stomach), if tolerable, is an excellent way to promote full extension of the residual limb.
It is also important for the person to begin therapy right away. Persons wearing a prosthesis use more energy to walk. An older person with an artificial leg generally has a 40% decrease in speed but uses 80% more energy to walk than the average healthy adult (Chinn et al, 2005).
When using the prosthesis at first, an older adult may tire easily. Be sure to take into account any coexisting problems, such as heart of lung disease, when considering energy expenditure. However, the newest technologies allow prosthetics to be light, durable, and more comfortable.
Patients and families will need to learn about stump care, mobility, adaptation, coping, and self-care. Home maintenance, dealing with complications and/or additional health problems, wear and tear on non-weight-bearing joints, adapting to the environment, accessibility, stigma, depression, role changes, decreased energy, and chronic pain are all issues to be aware of related to amputation. It is likely that the person with a leg amputation will experience some shoulder problems over time due to the additional stress on the non-weight-bearing joints. Phantom limb pain, or pain sensations in the nonexistent limb, is more common after traumatic amputations and may last for weeks after amputation. Massage and medications may help with this type of pain control (Beers, 2005). Additionally, proper wrapping of the stump (in a figure-eight wrap) may help decrease the chance of phantom limb pain later (Kalapatapu, 2012). Also, people with an amputation may struggle with difficult feelings about the changed appearance of their body. They might worry if their spouse or loved ones will see them differently. They might fear what others will think and worry about getting their life back to what feels normal.
In general, older persons with amputation may return to a normal quality of life with some adaptations. The care provided by nurses and physicians in rehabilitation after amputation may make the difference in the person’s ability to cope with the changes that result after surgery. Nurses can help with the transition back into the community after amputation by educating patients and families about resources to assist with adaptation.
Adapted from Mauk, K. L., Hanson, P., & Hain, D. (2014). Review of the management of common illnesses, diseases, or health conditions. In K. L. Mauk’s (Ed.) Gerontological Nursing: Competencies for Care. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Used with permission.
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For more information on Amputation, visit The Amputee Coalition at:
http://www.amputee-coalition.org/
http://www.amputee-coalition.org/
Download this care page as a PDF: Amputationkme
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