Guest Blog: The Secret behind the Bond of Senior Citizens and Pets
The research demonstrates the importance of pets in older individuals’ well-being and life expectancy. The aim of developing measures is to ensure that older adults can sustain a high level of health and well-being must include approaches that encourage the importance of pet-senior relationships.
One can be very socially isolated in old age. Nearest and dearest as well as mates shift somewhere or may die of old age, and it becomes increasingly tough to engage in once-loved hobbies. But there is one source of comfort and affection that helps seniors in many ways. These pets need affection and care, but they will surely offer their owners as much or more love in return. These should be handled nicely and taken care of as well. One can find lots of tips online on PetSafe’s official website that guides regarding pet handling and health concerns.
Researches have also shown that it can be physically and psychologically helpful for people of any age to own a pet. For elderly people, only 15 minutes of animal interaction causes a metabolic chain of events in the mind, reducing the stress and anger hormone, cortisol, and increase the release of the happiness hormone serotonin.
Pets are buddies, partners, mental state boosters, and perfect for fitness and social connections. Dogs and cats can add profound meaning to the life of an elderly person.
Let’s discuss few benefits of keeping pets for seniors
This reduces loneliness by having an animal companion with you. Some pets make perfect friends for traveling, as well. The elderly with pets have less anxiety than the elderly without pets. You get a chance to interact with other fellow humans as you take your dogs outside for a walk. And maintaining better relations with people around you is good for mental health so that pets implicitly make you more social. Pets allow you to frequently wake up, eat, work, exercise and sleep. Routines provide the objective and rhythm of your day that is helpful for dealing with depression.
Keeping pets can keep you healthy.
Let’s dive deeper into few health benefits associated with having animal companions:
Heart Benefits
Those with dogs or cats are less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease. Pet owners have much higher chances of surviving the heart attack, lesser resting pulse rate, and blood pressure. Also, it is being shown that pet owners have smaller increases in heart rate and blood pressure in reaction to stress and anxiety, and faster recovery from stress.
Mental Health Benefits
Many older adults are isolated, and dog walks can assist them to interact with others. Plus, when the house itself is quiet, a pet friend becomes a center of affection, which decreases the sense of loneliness.
It turns out that pets are a big inspiration for their owners. In general, dogs are perfect for inspiring owners to exercise, which can be good for depressed people. They can help to relax and ease the mind by petting, lying next to an animal, or playing. Pets are like members of your family and give you a sense of being the one with whom you can share your everyday routine.
Active and sound body
A person who walked with pets increased their usual walking pace and duration and was much more inclined to go out for a walk than others who walked with a human partner. Human partners sometimes discourage one another from walking. In addition, dog-walking was correlated with lower body mass index, no other commitments in daily life, fewer medical visits, more regular moderate exercise.
For elderly people, other advantages of pet companionship also include decreases in blood pressure, cholesterol, and pulse rate. A study revealed that seniors who’ve had pets are 21 percent less likely to visit the doctor’s office and exhibit reduced symptoms of aging.
Seniors’ Pet Therapy
Those working to care for the elderly claim that walking and pampering the pet, helps seniors come out of their isolation, offers mild exercise and cardio, as well as provides a way to feel valued and engage with the world. Pet therapy can also assist with the Sundowners Syndrome of Alzheimer’s. For older individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, nighttime can be very disturbing and discomforting. This is when certain people with Alzheimer’s decision to run away or leave their families. Having those with Alzheimer’s associated with and distracted with a pet can prevent this problem.
Guest Blog: Estate Planning: 10 Common Mistakes Seniors Cannot Afford To Make
We plan on having a good day, a good year, and a good life. But usually, we stop there. We often disregard planning for a good end of life, but it is important to consider how the world will continue to feel the effects of our lives when we are gone. Estate planning is a crucial step in preparing for the future.
Estate planning is the process that involves the management of your assets and the distribution of your wealth after you die. Keeping your estate planning up-to-date is important to ensure an efficient and smooth transition for those you leave behind. And while it is uncomfortable to plan for the end, all of us know that no one will live forever.
Mistakes in estate planning commonly occur because many people do not understand how their assets (real estate, bank accounts, etc.) will be distributed after they pass away. Therefore, it is extremely crucial that you have all the information on hand before finalizing any decisions regarding your estate.
So here are the common estate planning mistakes Seniors cannot afford to make:
10 Common Estate Planning Mistakes Seniors Cannot Afford To Make
- Fail To Have Real Plan In Place
Those who fail to plan for the future can find themselves without anything in place for their assets. And this can create many problems down the road. Planning is a process that requires time and effort on your part. You cannot expect your situation to change overnight, so you must have a realistic plan in place, to begin with. A good estate plan should address these issues: Who are my Trustees? Who will inherit my assets? (Spouses and children) What must be done with my assets after I die? (Include funeral arrangements, estate taxes, etc
- Failing to Update Plans With Time
While time is on your side, it can quickly speed by without you taking any action to make sure you are on the right path. Losing track of time is a common mistake that commonly occurs with those who fail to update their plans with time. Death happens to everyone, and your plan must account for this fact. Estate plans need to be updated after significant life events, when your goals change, or when public policy changes. For instance, if you transfer to a new state, you must review your estate plan. Legal instruments like wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives often need to be changed from time to time.
- Not Plan for Long-Term Care and Disability
Failing to include long-term care practices in your estate plan can be expensive for your loved ones down the road. No one plans ever to get old or disabled, but the reality is that both are common occurrences. Therefore, you must have a solid plan for both of these situations. A will is not enough when caring for yourself at home or when you travel out of state. Those who fail to plan and include long-term care provisions in their estate plan can find themselves in a significant amount of legal entanglements down the road as they depend on others to provide care for them.
- Lacking Liquidity
All of us know that the world runs on money and items of value. Having enough assets to provide for you and your family should be a top priority. Those who fail to plan for liquidity can find themselves at a disadvantage down the road. Many people often make significant financial mistakes but do not realize that they are creating a trap. It is hard to plan for the future when you are stuck with bills that require immediate attention. Therefore, it is important to have enough liquid assets in place so that you can always provide for yourself and your loved ones when life’s unexpected events occur.
- Failure to Plan for Estate Tax Liability
For many, estate tax planning is a nightmare they wish they never had to face. People finally realize the importance of estate planning after death occurs. While estate tax laws are constantly changing, one thing remains constant: death is the one thing we can be certain of. The government wants its share when it comes to inheritance, so you must be prepared with an estate tax plan to minimize any losses your beneficiaries may encounter when you pass away.
- The Improper Ownership of Assets
Another common mistake is taking an asset you held for your lifetime but never transferred over to a beneficiary. Where there is confusion about ownership, there are disputes after someone dies. You can avoid these problems by properly transferring assets between loved ones. Do not just assume that assets will be distributed where they belong–transfer them after you pass away. This includes the transfer of title on real estate and bank accounts to the proper parties (beneficiaries). Also, it is important to make sure beneficiaries have the right powers of attorney so they can access your assets with ease when the time comes.
- Not Taking Into Account The Financial Impact of Income Taxes on You and Your Beneficiaries
Proper tax planning can make an inheritance last for generations to come. However, not planning for the future can lead to significant problems. One of the common (and costly) mistakes seniors make is failing to plan how income taxes will affect their estate plans. For instance, you may be leaving a sizable inheritance behind after you pass away, but your beneficiaries may be forced to sell off all their assets in order to pay off estate taxes. You want to avoid this scenario at all costs since it will leave your beneficiaries with nothing leftover in their pocketbooks when they pass away themselves.
- No Plans In Place for Underage Children or Beneficiaries
One of the most significant goals of estate planning is to make sure your kids are cared for in the case of you or your significant other’s untimely death. You must also have a proper will in place that designates a guardian. Beyond designating a guardian, spell out instructions for how the money should support the kids. This way, the money is properly allocated for the children to meet their needs.
- Not Making Gifts to Reduce Your Estate Tax
The impact of estate taxes is felt the most by those who leave larger estates behind when they pass away. This can be curbed by making gifts to various people during your lifetime. Many people fail to make gifts while alive because they find it more difficult to part with their hard-earned money. However, there are ways to share your wealth with others without losing all control over it through gift trust, charitable giving, and family support trusts.
- Choosing The Wrong Person to Handle Your Estate
The most important thing is to select the right person to handle your estate. This can be an attorney, financial advisor, or someone else with a lot of practical experience planning for estates. Experts recommend that you work with an estate planning attorney or a financial planner who has expertise in all aspects of estate planning and trusts. Trusts are complex documents, so you need assistance from someone who knows what they are doing, or it could cost you dearly later on.
Remember, this is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Successful estate planning does not happen overnight. It is a process that takes time and effort on your part. If you begin to think about people’s common mistakes when planning their estates, you could avoid them yourself by having a well-designed estate plan beforehand. Remember that estate planning begins now, today, right when life begins. The sooner you start, the better!
Author Bio
Andrea Gibbs is the Content Manager at SpringHive Web company, a firm that offers web design services, maintenance, and Internet marketing. She specializes in content marketing, social media, and SEO. She also serves as a blog contributor at Wellness Home Care, devoted to encouraging healthy lifestyle choices in senior citizens. When she’s not writing, she can be found running hills or hiking trails, rooting for her favorite team (the Pittsburgh Steelers), or watching a good Netflix series.
Guest Blog: Top 6 Things You Need To Work On For An Effective Education
Education is a tool that provides people with knowledge, skills, technique, and information. It enables them to know their rights. Proper and adequate education is essential for all of us. It facilitates quality learning throughout life among people of any age, group, caste, creed, religion, and region. Education is going out to institutes to gain knowledge, but there are online schools like online high school South Africa, which lets us understand without much effort. You can also read books of famous authors for their knowledge power, like Mike Holt books.
So as there are many benefits of education, it must be practical and purposeful. Here are some ways to make teaching effective:
- Communication:
To know the art of communicating is very important in education. Information is delivered and received through communication, whether verbal, written, or any route from practical demonstration to artistic interpretation. Anything that gets your point to others is communication. Being a teacher, you need to have excellent communication skills to deliver your knowledge and ideas to the pupils. Simultaneously, the students must develop this ability for their future by joining a debating society or writing in a magazine.
Creativity:
For effective education, you need to be creative, and learning must be creative too. People learn best when something is fun and creative; according to the national standard of education, learning must be fun and exciting. You can take up an artistic hobby pr get used to sharing ideas and brainstorming. Creativity not only helps with a practical education but also enhances your thinking ability.
Patience:
As said, patience is the key to success. Patience is essential in education. You are supposed to do things as many times as it takes. If you are a teacher, you need to teach one thing to students every time they understand it. As for the student, education requires patience; you need to learn things with patience. You might need to try several times to learn something by heart, which needs patience. When you face challenging behavior, you need to stay calm and patient and not lose your temper. You can improve it by practicing before you speak or make patience your goal.
Enthusiasm:
Enthusiasm boosts your aim, and you aim to make education effective. If you have to do something boring, you can turn it into something you are enthusiastic about. You can make a game of data entry or write poems to help you memorize facts. But the most important thing to bring in enthusiasm is to do what you love. It would be best if you opted for the education of something you are passionate about. This will help you perform effectively in your education field.
Confidence:
One of the essential factors in making education effective is to build confidence in you. Being an education instructor, faith must be the priority. One cannot teach someone if he lacks confidence in himself because there is a vital element to pass to students’ confidence in teaching. A teacher must show spirit, so the students learn its importance and value. And for students, they must know how to gain the confidence required in every field of life. Also, learning involves belief.
Dedication:
Gaining or delivering education can be challenging at times, but you can succeed if you are dedicated. Energy levels are to be at their highest while learning and teaching. At times you will consider yourselves discouraged, but that does not let education have its effects. Instead, it is of no use if you are not dedicated. To make teaching effective, you need to be a dedicated teacher and a dedicated learner.
We need to get a high-level awareness about the importance of knowing more than before. Effective education is essential for each and everyone to improve experience, way of living, and social and economic status throughout life. Getting proper education is the birthrights of everyone restricting, which is a crime. Education is the ultimate way to get victory overall personal and social problems. It is essential to all of us as it plays a crucial role in our life. It transforms us entirely from inside and outside by changing our mind and personality and improving our confidence level. It changes our life completely as it is constructive.
Guest Blog: Senior Drivers – How to Keep Your License
America’s senior citizens are often stereotyped to be bad (sometimes unsafe) drivers. But the truth is that simply growing older does not impair a person’s ability to be safe behind the wheel by default. Many healthy seniors remain skilled drivers and are as adept and alert as anybody, but others struggle with the early signs of health conditions that can affect driving, and would like to do what they can to keep driving and be safe. If physical or cognitive health conditions have progressed to a point where focus and reflexes are hindered even during daily activities not behind the wheel, then driving is not advised.
How Age Affects Driving Competence
Dementia: Cognitive diseases, like Alzheimer’s can hinder an elder’s memory, critical thinking, and problem solving skills needed for minding the road.
Vision and Hearing Impairment: Aging may naturally dull a driver’s sense of sight and hearing. Aged eyes may be more sensitive to sunlight in the windshield or headlights at night. It is important for senior drivers to routinely schedule vision and hearing tests to make sure they are safe to drive.
Arthritis and Weak Joints: Conditions like arthritis can hinder hand dexterity required for turning steering wheels or shifting gears. When joints are weak, actions like buckling a seatbelt or pushing the brakes may be difficult which can be unsafe for drivers.
Reflexes: Sometimes it’s not you who mess up, but other drivers around you. Adept reflexes are crucial to reacting to dynamic developments on the road. Reflexes can be tested by doctors during checkups and physicals to guarantee senior safety.
Over-cautiousness: Sometimes seniors become self-conscious about their difficulty focusing on what’s going on, and may be too safe by going dangerously slow to prevent speeding or car crashes, but actually put other drivers in danger who try to maneuver around them.
Tips for Senior Drivers to Keep License
- It’s wise for very aged seniors who notice the warning signs to stick to familiar destinations with short distances and avoid any anxiety or possibility of getting lost.
- Driving while stressed or tired can lead to making mistakes on the road, which can lead to a revoked license. Only drive when you feel completely ready.
- Keep track of how medications may impact driving skills.
- Always make sure to check your mirrors constantly, especially when changing lanes.
- Give other drivers space by not driving too close behind.
5 Places for Seniors to Get Fit and Make Friends
Aging Baby Boomers want fun, creative exercise that not only keeps them active, but also provides an avenue for making friends. Luckily, programs across the country are stepping up to meet this growing demand. Here are five innovative places and programs that are keeping seniors active, independent, and social.
SilverSneakers
SilverSneakers is a unique senior wellness program that gives older adults access to over 13,000 fitness centers and classes across the country, all free of charge through qualifying health plans. Organizations that participate in SilverSneakers offer senior-centric fitness classes like low-impact circuit training, yoga, seated exercise, water aerobics, and fall-prevention fitness. More than just an exercise program, SilverSneakers emphasizes the value that friendship and social support bring to senior health. In fact, 74 percent of active SilverSneakers members report they’ve made friends through the program.
The YMCA
The YMCA and YWCA offer a wide range of fitness programs designed for seniors. Whether you’ve just hit your senior years and want to stay fit with Zumba, or you’re limited to chair exercises but still want to get out and stay healthy, your local Y has a senior fitness program for you. Most Ys also have pools, which means that seniors of all ages can enjoy low-impact water exercise to build flexibility and endurance without straining arthritic joints. Seniors can make friends in class and join senior group outings led by YMCA staff.
Multigenerational Community Centers
Senior centers are becoming a thing of the past, and multigenerational centers are taking their place. The new multigenerational centers mix the therapeutic recreation typically found in senior centers with social activities, fitness classes, and recreational sports that appeal to all ages. By creating a place where active people of any age can come together — without neglecting the unique needs of aging adults — multigenerational centers let seniors stay healthy side-by-side with friends of all ages. And since interaction across ages has been shown to be more beneficial to senior mental and cognitive health than senior-to-senior socialization alone, multigenerational centers can help keep seniors stay fit in more ways than one.
Ageless Grace
Ageless Grace combines physical and mental fitness to keep seniors healthy in both body and mind. With lessons that range from memory recall and imagination exercises to upper body strength and joint mobility, Ageless Grace takes a holistic approach to senior fitness. The classes are taught by independent instructors and can be found in churches, retirement homes, schools, and community centers around the country. Since Ageless Grace lessons incorporate both physical activity and mental games, they provide ample opportunity for seniors to interact and make friends. Ageless Grace participates in the SilverSneakers program, so qualified seniors can access their classes free of charge.
Senior Sport Leagues
Nothing promotes bonding quite like team sports, and senior sport leagues are a great option for active older adults who want to meet friends while staying fit. Seniors can access established programs like Granny Basketball, Senior Softball, National Senior League Wii bowling, or the National Senior Games Association. There may also be team sports for seniors available through local community and recreation centers. And if there’s no established league in your town? Enterprising seniors can start their own social league by advertising through existing fitness and community centers.
Staying active in your later years does more than keep you fit. In addition to helping you retain flexibility, improve your balance, and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke, staying active can also be an excellent way to maintain a vibrant social life. And socialization comes with its own health benefits, from a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia to better physical mobility. With such a diversity of programs available, there’s a way for every senior to stay active and social.
Image via Flickr by sima dimitric
Chronic Sinusitis
Background
One of the common health complaints of the elderly is chronic sinusitis. About 14.1% of Americans 65 and older report suffering from chronic sinusitis; for those 75 years and older, the rate is slightly lower at 13.5% (American Academy of Otolaryngology, 2012). Age-related physiological and functional changes that occur can cause restrictions to the airflow. This results from irritants blocking drainage of the sinus cavities, leading to infection.
Warning Signs
Symptoms include a severe cold, sneezing, cough (that is often worse at night), hoarseness, diminished sense of smell, discolored nasal discharge, postnasal drip, headache, facial pain, fatigue, malaise, and fever (Kelley, 2002). The person may complain of pain around the sinus areas, and swelling and redness of the nasal mucosa may be evident.
Diagnosis
Allergies, common cold, and dental problems should be ruled out for differential diagnosis. When symptoms continue over a period of weeks and up to 3 months and are often recurring, chronic sinusitis should be suspected. A CT scan of the sinuses will likely show areas of inflammation.
Treatment
Treatment for chronic sinusitis is with antibiotics, decongestants, and analgesics for pain. Inhaled corticosteroids may be needed to reduce swelling and ease breathing. Irrigation with over-the-counter normal saline nose spray is often helpful and may be done two to three times per day. The person with chronic sinusitis should drink plenty of fluids to maintain adequate hydration and avoid any environmental pollutants such as cigarette smoke or other toxins. Chronic sinusitis is a condition that many older adults wrestle with their entire life. Avoidance of precipitating factors for each individual should be encouraged.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chronic-sinusitis/DS00232/DSECTION=risk-factors/
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.