In your life, there will come a time when you will no longer be able to take care of your loved one. Regardless if it’s due to personal, financial, or health reasons, there will be a moment when you’ll have to hire a caregiver. Even when you find a perfect person for the job, you might find problems. Elderly people often refuse outside help. Older adults can be stubborn and refuse help, even when they start to experience issues with daily chores. Today we are going to show you the best ways to introduce an in-home caregiver.

How do you introduce an in-home caregiver to your loved one?

Slowly introduce the idea of a caregiver

Having a complete stranger in the house can be scary for seniors, even if their intentions are honest. You need to slowly present this idea to your loved one so that they can accept it before a caregiver starts caring for them. A slow start for a strong finish.

Make it about you, not them

Seniors will accept a caregiver faster if they believe that they are there to help you, not them. This way they will be able to preserve their dignity and think that they have more independence.

Tell them that the doctor advised in-home caregiving

The elderly tend to consider doctors as people of authority. They will eagerly accept an outside caregiver if they believe that a doctor prescribed it.

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Convince them that it’s a free service

If you are paying for the in-home caregiver by yourself, it might be a good idea to tell them that their service comes for free. This might appeal to them, as seniors are known for their love of free coupons and other services.

Tell them that Caregiver = Friend

One of the ways to make seniors transition to a new caregiver easier is to tell them that he or she is a friend who needs something to do. This way they will feel that they are doing a favor to the caregiver and not vice versa.

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Source: CareTips

There are different ways that good nutrition protects your body. With proper food, you won’t get sick as often and there is less chance of getting cancer. However, have you ever wondered how good nutrition can protect your body from getting sick? There are three main ways of protecting your body with good nutrition.

Antioxidants

Why are antioxidants important? They are on the front line when fighting cancer cells. Processed food contains low amounts of antioxidants. You may eat cooked vegetables and think you eat healthy, but the thing is that the majority of antioxidants are destroyed during cooking. Always choose to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. And eat them as often as you can. They are usually the main source of antioxidants for every person. In addition, they are also full of vitamins and minerals which help in protecting your body.

Alkaline Food

Certain types of foods are acidic, while others are alkaline. For example, meat and sugar are too acidic, while lemons and green vegetables fight against it. The more acidic food you eat the more you are prone to getting cancer. Studies suggest people should eat 75% non–acidic food every day.

Balance

The key to staying healthy is balance. This especially refers to your protein:fat ratio. Fats are not necessarily bad for you. However, a diet full of carbs and fats, combined with low amounts of protein won’t do any good. If you have inflammation, think about what you eat every day. Nuts, olives, fish, etc. are full of healthy fats and some of them have a decent amount of protein. Pay attention to this ratio and your immune system will be grateful to you.

These are three ways to protect your body from diseases. Eat food rich in antioxidants, avoid acidic food, and find a perfect balance between protein and fats.

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Everyone wants to make sure that their loved one is receiving the best care available. So when you hire an in-home caregiver, you want them to do their job professionally and thoroughly. But you may always have worries. This is why we have listed for you a couple of tips on how to keep an eye on your caregiver even if you are not at home. If it turns out that the person you hired is dedicated to their job, you will be able to sleep at night peacefully.

How do you keep an eye on your caregiver?

Make unexpected calls or drop by the house

One of the best and simplest ways to check on your caregiver is to pay them an unexpected visit. You need to make sure to do this frequently, not only in the first few days or weeks after you hire a new caregiver. If you do this, the person you hired will know that you take the job of caring for your loved one seriously. This way they will do the same.

Trust your guts

If you have any doubts about the caregiver you hired, even if it’s just a hunch, don’t hesitate, investigate. Trust your gut. If you are unsure about the caregiver you want to hire, then don’t. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

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Talk with your senior

The best source of information you will have is your beloved senior. Talk to them casually about their day, what they were doing, how are they getting along with the caregiver. It’s essential to have an honest relationship with your loved one to be able to provide them with the best assistance.

Include neighbors in your monitoring

Your elderly must have neighbors. You should talk to them and ask them to keep an eye on your loved one. If they notice something fishy, they should tell you. Having someone who can see the situation without prejudice is a great idea.

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Volunteering reduces loneliness regardless of age. However, older adults tend to feel lonelier than other generations, so interacting with other people is quite important for them. This is especially true if they are recently widowed. Volunteering in the elderly is becoming more and more popular all over the US since it is a great way to not just be with other people, but to feel more useful.

How does Volunteering in the Elderly Reduce Loneliness?

In April 2018, a study done at Georgia State University was published in The Journals of Gerontology. The study was primarily focused on widows and how lonely they are. In addition, they also investigated the impact of volunteering for this group of people, and they came up with astonishing results. Volunteering can actually have a huge impact on your condition.

Widowed people who volunteer 100 hours a year or more feel far less lonely than widows who don’t volunteer. This means that only 2 hours each week can have a significant impact on your emotional health. The point of volunteering is helping others, but you can also help yourself. Of course, you can volunteer more than 2 hours a week if you feel like it.

The point is: if you feel lonely, mingle with people. Volunteering is one of the easiest ways to interact with people from different backgrounds. Also, helping others will give you a sense of purpose, something that the elderly tend to lose once they retire. Luckily, it is very easy nowadays to find an organization to volunteer for. See online what NGOs are near your neighborhood. Check out the Red Cross and its activities. Consider volunteering abroad. There are plenty of options and different opportunities. It is only up to you whether you will embrace them or not.

Read here about what else you can do in your retirement to make the most out of it.

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Do you want to stay young as long as possible? Would you like to know how to age healthily? First of all, you need to exercise regularly (read more about that here). The second thing is that you need to pay attention to your nutrition. You are what you eat. Today we’re questioning the impact of the Mediterranean diet on aging. You will learn more about the diet itself and what benefits it brings.

What Is the Impact of the Mediterranean Diet on Aging?

What actually is a Mediterranean diet? The Mediterranean diet includes a lot of nuts, cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil, fresh fruits as a desert, fresh vegetables every day, and whole grains. The diet suggests avoiding processed meat, limiting intake of dairy products and consuming fish minimally. Red wine is allowed, but only moderately.

The diet is known to reduce the risk of having a heart attack, but it has also been proved to have a positive impact on cognitive function. Also, there are new studies that suggest there is a relationship between the Mediterranean diet and reduced inflammation. Also, it protects the body from oxidative stress and reduces factors leading to the development of cancer, according to the studies.

Similar to the China Study, this diet promotes plant-based nutrition with limited amounts of meat and other animal products. There are more and more studies that show a correlation between disease and animal-based nutrition. Reducing your meat intake will help you age healthier and protect your body from getting diseases, such as cancer.

The Mediterranean diet is a quite simple one and doesn’t require any huge steps. Perhaps eating less meat every day will bother you in the beginning, but you will soon get used to it. Always remember that this diet has a positive impact on both your physical and mental condition.

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Mediation is a powerful tool to cope with stress and daily problems. Although you may be retired and don’t work anymore, you face new challenges every day, and meditation may help you more easily get through the day. There are many myths about meditation that perhaps are preventing you from trying it. Today we will bust four meditation myths and prove that all people can embrace the positive things it brings.

Meditation Is Too Long

Many claim people need to meditate at least half an hour to feel the effects of meditation. However, this is far from the truth. The optimum length is between 15 and 20 minutes. Each practice less than 15 minutes may not have any effect, but surely you don’t need to meditate for half an hour.

I Don’t Have Time to Meditate

This excuse we use quite often in our everyday life: I have no time. However, do you really not have 15 minutes a day? If you are retired, you surely have plenty of free time, and even if you still work, you can probably find 15 minutes to spend on meditation.

My Mind Is Too Busy

One of the biggest myths about meditation is that you don’t want to do it because you cannot empty your mind. Having a perfectly empty mind requires years and even decades of practice. The point of meditation is not having a clear mind, but to release the body from stress. Don’t give up the first time if you have a bunch of thoughts coming to your mind. Let them pass and continue to focus.

I Must Sit in “Mudra” Position

This is believed to be a traditional position for meditating and that all people must sit like that. However, anything that makes you comfortable is ok, you can even lie on a bed, or be in any other position you like.

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There’re still a few months to go until Labor Day, but it’s not a bad idea to plan in advance. If you want to spend a day with your loved one but haven’t planned any activities, we have a couple of suggestions for you. Below you can see the best ideas of how to spend Labor Day with your senior loved one.

How to spend Labor Day with your senior loved one

Picnic

Labor Day is unofficially marked as the end of the summer season. This means that weather will be fine for outdoor activities. You and your loved one should take advantage of the last sunny days and clear skies to enjoy a picnic. For the location, you can use your local park or any other green area in the vicinity. You should accent beautiful nature and fresh air. To help your elderly loved one have a beautiful day, you should prepare their favorite foods, but also be sure it is healthy. Be sure to bring plenty of fruits, salads, yogurt, and light snacks.

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Backyard Movie

Staying at home doesn’t sound like much fun, but it can be if you help them create a theater in their backyard. Watching a movie is always a good idea. The best thing to do would be to pick one of their favorite films that your entire family can enjoy together. Surprise them with a classic, which aired in theaters in their youth.

Gardening

Labor Day is a perfect opportunity to do some gardening with your dearest seniors. During this time of year, the flowers have already bloomed, and the garden needs to be prepared for the fall. By doing work around the yard, elderly people can practice their hobby and at the same time have a mild workout. Also, another thing that they can do during the Labor Day weekend is to look through their storage shed or garage for decorations for the upcoming holidays, such as Halloween.

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The eternal question: How to stay young? This depends on a huge number of factors: genes, nutrition, physical activity, stress level, etc. There are some things you cannot have an influence on—genes for example—but it is up to you when choosing the food you eat and how much you are physically active. The best anti-aging pill is exercising, and by exercising we don’t just mean walking. A high-intensity workout will help you to stay young and healthy.

How to Stay Young: Exercises

High-intensity training increases your need for oxygen. Muscles need more oxygen during exercising, so your heart needs to pump more blood through the vessels to the muscles. This way the capability of your heart and lungs is improved, which has a positive impact on preventing aging diseases.

Regular walking won’t help you much with improving your heart and blood vessels, but power walking will. When you walk fast enough that you start breathing harder and can’t maintain a proper conversation, then you are walking fast enough.

If you can’t run, start power walking. If you feel you can go faster, start jogging. It may seem difficult at the beginning, especially if you are over 60, but each time you will be able to go further.

Skipping is also one of the simple and effective ways to improve your heart condition. Also it is a good way to burn calories and lose fat.

These exercises may be quite difficult for you if you are overweight, so it is perhaps better to start with cycling. Each time, try to beat yourself and the distance you previously passed. Cycling also helps you to burn calories so you should be able to jog after a while.

Don’t neglect your health. Think about time, and exercise regularly. Here you can find more exercises for improving your heart condition.

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Many people assume that the elderly have bad breath because of their age, but is that simple? Here we are going to reveal to you the six most common reasons seniors have bad breath.

Most Common Reasons Seniors Have Bad Breath

GERD

One of the most common causes of bad breath in older adults is GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease). Because of GERD, stomach acid goes upwards into the throat and mouth. Stomach acid has an odor and also contains food particles. Because of this, it’s similar to vomit.

Dehydration

Because of dehydration, seniors often have a dry mouth. The lack of water intake dries seniors’ lips and the insides of their mouths. Breath has a worse odor when it comes out of dry mouths than those that are hydrated by saliva.

Alcohol and Tobacco Use

Bad breath is characteristic for people who abuse alcohol and cigarettes. This happens because tobacco causes the deterioration of the gums, tongue, and teeth. The tissue damaged by smoking and alcohol creates unpleasant smells. Alcohol worsens this state by drying the mouth.

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Denture Care

Older adults who fail to manage their dentures properly have issues with their breath. Seniors who don’t wash their dentures in a cleaning solution risk getting bacteria in their mouth. The accumulation of different bacteria is unhealthy and will create unpleasant odors in your mouth. It is even recommended to floss your dentures to be sure that the tiniest pieces of food are removed.

Respiratory Problems

People with respiratory issues have difficulties breathing through the nose, so they use their mouth more. Overusing the mouth’s breathing canals creates a dry mouth because of hot air from the lungs. Bad breath can be avoided by breathing through both the nose and mouth.

Tonsil Stones

These stones are accumulated particles that calcify on the tonsils and are known for causing bad breath. These stones are usually covered by dead skin, bacteria, and other microscopic particles.

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One of the most common problems in life is losing hair as we get older. The majority of men will start going bald sooner or later, while women’s hair is getting thinner. The color of hair also changes, and it goes gray with age. However, gaining hair can also be a problem. Some men and women start gaining hair on non-desirable places, such as the ears and nose.

Hair Changes in the Elderly

Women usually don’t go bald, but men often do. Some men start losing their hair in the elderly period, while others can start going bald even earlier. There are even men who lose their entire hair as teenagers. Although women usually don’t completely lose their hair, it becomes thinner as they age.

The age when people start going gray also differs. My grandfather barely had a few gray hairs at the age of 70, while some friends of mine were almost totally gray before they turned 30. However, the majority of people have some gray hairs by their 40s. The reason why people change the color of their hair lies in a particular pigment. Cells that are producing this pigment stop working after a certain period of time and that is the reason why we turn gray.

Besides losing hair and becoming gray, many elderly people cope with extensive hair growth from their ears and noses. We all have these hairs, but with aging and a change in hormones, they become longer and thicker.

Most of us don’t like these changes, but they are inevitable. There are some ways to stop, or at least delay, going bald, but in the majority of cases these procedures don’t give the desirable results. However, why be embarrassed with a natural process of the body? Turning gray, going bald, having extensive hair from the ears and nose? It is a normal thing that each of us must go through.

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