Positive Affirmations Can Help You Change the Way You Think!

An affirmation is a statement repeated and believed, which can shape our thoughts and feelings. When we focus on positive affirmations, we can re-program negative thought patterns and change the way we think and feel about things. Positive affirmations help us concentrate on our goals, rid ourselves of negative beliefs, and find solutions we didn’t even know existed. 

Getting into the habit of turning the negative into a positive is especially helpful for seniors including developing a positive attitude toward the aging process. In fact the Yale School of Public Health conducted a study led by Becca Levy, a professor of public health and psychology, which found a positive outlook on aging, can add 7.5 years to someone’s life. The study also suggests a positive attitude toward growing older can reduce the risk of one of the most established genetic risk factors of dementia, the ε4 variant of the APOE gene. 

So how do we change to glass half-full thinking? Experts say it starts with little things. Rather than berating yourself for forgetting where you left the keys, and worrying you getting old and forgetful, remind yourself you were busy putting groceries away and not paying attention to where you set the keys. 

Other positive ways to grow old is to remain confident in your abilities to try new things. Make a point to broaden your horizons and remind yourself retirement is your time to try the things you have always wanted to do but didn’t have time. Tell yourself you are strong and capable, and ready and able for new adventures. Don’t define yourself by boundaries, and remember pain is not a part of old age but rather your body telling you something is wrong and you need to see a doctor. Remind yourself you still have a lot to contribute and that you deserve to be treated with respect. 

MorningStar of Sparks represents the best senior living Reno offers. Our community has 128 bright suites for independent living and 80 for assisted living. We also provide 32 secure suites devoted to the care of those with Alzheimer’s and other dementia related diseases. Currently we are accepting new residents and invite you to visit our website for contact information. 

MorningStar of Sparks’ unique mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest” sets us apart from other senior communities. Committed to creating a true home for residents within a gorgeous setting, our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing our seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to serve. We invite you to contact us to learn more about exceptional independent living and assisted living in Reno.

High Blood Pressure and What You Need to Know

While many of us understand that high blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is dangerous, we may not know how high is too high?  Even if you thought you knew the “numbers,” you may be unaware that the American Heart Association (AHA) recently lowered the guidelines in November 2017.  Now the threshold for a healthy blood pressure is 130/80 mmHg, and experts say that means more than 100 million Americans, or 46 percent of us, now have high blood pressure. 

However the good news is doctors say hypertension can be effectively managed and by taking action, we can usually bring our levels down into a normal range.  If you already know your numbers are high or are unaware of what your BP is, medical professionals recommend tracking your BP at home to reduce your risk.  Please remember hypertension is called a “silent killer” for a reason, and most likely you will not know you have it unless along with your medical provider, you track it. 

Your blood pressure reading consists of two numbers –systolic over diastolic.  Systolic is the top number and indicates the pressure of the heart pumping blood to the rest of the body.   The lower number, diastolic measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats.

The AHA states a hypertensive crisis is when blood pressure levels reach 180/120.  The individual may experience symptoms of a headache, shortness of breath, nosebleeds and acute anxiety.   Doctor’s explain a “hypertensive emergency encompasses an elevated blood pressure reading and symptoms of chest or back pain, weakness, numbness or difficulty speaking,” and requires immediate medical attention.

There are several things you can do to reduce your BP.  While your doctor will determine if you require medication, simple lifestyle changes include getting regular exercise, quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, moderating your use of alcohol and limiting the amount of salt you consume.  In addition it is recommend that you track your own blood pressure at home and share your findings with your doctor. 

If you are looking for trusted assisted living in the Reno area, take a look at MorningStar of Sparks.  In addition to compassionate assisted living, we offer independent living and memory care.  Taking the utmost care of your loved one and of our community, we are safely accepting new residents.  Check out our website for a virtual tour of our community and contact info for availability and pricing.   

MorningStar of Sparks’ unique mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest” sets us apart from other senior communities.  Committed to creating a true home for residents within a gorgeous setting, our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing our seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to serve.  Please visit our website for information on the area’s most trusted assisted living in Reno.  

Source:health.usnews.com/conditions/heart-disease/high-blood-pressure?int=hp_condition_guide_section_health

Things to Put in a “Comfort Basket”

If you have an elderly relative living alone or in assisted living and they are isolating themselves from the novel coronavirus, you probably would love to do something to brighten their day but just not sure how.  One idea is to send them a “comfort basket” filled with goodies to eat and drink, gifts to entertain, and items to make their lives a little easier or more pleasant. 

For your coffee drinking parent or grandparent, a bag of gourmet coffee and a nice new mug is one way to start your basket, or add a collection of teas that include decaffeinated and herbal options.  Are they a chocolate lover or prefer salty snacks?  Adjust your selection to include high-end chocolates and other delightful treats or a nice selection of crackers and cheeses.  For a book lover, add a novel you think they would enjoy or a coffee table book on famous gardens, architect, maps, photography or wherever matches their interest.   A collection of classic movies is also something many seniors would enjoy. 

Now pack the basket with items such as jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, word-search books, a new coloring book and fresh colored pencils or markers.  If they have low vision, include large-print playing cards and books.  If your loved one is feeling anxious or having a hard time sleeping, give them a weighted blanket.  While they come in many sizes, it is suggested you choose one that is 10% percent of their weight.   For example if they weigh 150lbs, buy a 15lb blanket, and if they do not have a blanket that exactly matches 10% of their weight, you can go up a couple of pounds.  

At MorningStar of Santa Fe, we offer the finest senior housing in Santa Fe, NM.  Our pueblo-style community has 56 bright suites for assisted living and 29 secure suites devoted to the individualized care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.  Please visit our website for information as well as pricing and availability.          

MorningStar of Santa Fe offers the very best in senior living with our distinct mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.”  Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents.  Visit our website or give us a call to learn more about the most trusted senior living in Santa Fe, NM.

MorningStar at Albuquerque’s All-inclusive, Compassionate Memory Care

We understand the devastation families feel when they get a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.  We know the path going forward is unplanned for, and we consider it our privilege – our calling to walk alongside the memory-impaired and their family on their unexpected journey. We are equipped to provide care to those in the early onset of the disease right through to the most advanced stages. 

In addition to MorningStar of Albuquerque’s assisted living option, our Reflections Neighborhood consists of 21 secure memory care suites.  The area is specifically designed to allow residents the freedom to move safely about their spacious surroundings.  Also given the nature of dementia, residents pay one price for their suite and their care regardless of the level of memory loss. 

As dementia care experts, our unique approach and philosophy to caring for those afflicted with the disease is called “Lavender Sky.”  We know the essence of the person remains despite the level of memory loss, and our job is to nurture and support the individual by finding ways to calm or stimulate as the situation demands.  Lavender Sky provides the path for us to enter, embrace, and explore the “purple world” of memory loss, and to cross over the physical, emotional, and relational boundaries that would otherwise separate us.   

Every aspect of our home is designed to provide the comfort, wellness and safety our special residents require including mealtime.  We know those suffering from memory loss can sometimes have compromised abilities at the table.  We address this by providing a selection of finger foods, texture-modified diets (mechanical soft and puréed, thickened liquids), and easy-to-recognize balanced meals that taste as good as they look.  

If you are looking for the best memory care or assisted living Albuquerque offers, we encourage you to contact us for more information and availability and pricing.  Also please know that during the coronavirus outbreak, we are staying abreast of any updates and closely following—in many cases, exceeding—guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to ensure the health and well-being of all those beneath our roof.  

MorningStar of Albuquerque proudly provides the very best in senior living with our unique mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest.” With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, we create a true home for residents amid a beautiful setting. Please contact us to learn more about the finest memory care and assisted living Albuquerque NM has to offer.

Give Mom or Dad an Easy to Care for Pet

Have you been searching for something for your elderly mom or dad that would provide some comfort and help ease their feelings of loneliness and isolation?  While you may think now is not the best time for them to assume the responsibilities of a new pet, you may want to take a look at one of the many “robotic pets” in the marketplace.

We know there has been a lot of research that supports the idea pet ownership is beneficial to seniors and a loving pet is a great companion.  Now researchers have also discovered that robotic pets may provide the elderly with many of the same benefits live animals do.   A 2017 study found that the interaction between older adults and animals, whether real or robotic, helped lower blood pressure, eased anxiety, reduced feeling of loneliness and improved the overall quality of life.

The advantage of a low-maintenance robot dog or cat is they are easy for seniors with little to no tech savvy to “care for.”  The realistic pets do little tricks such as a robotic dog who wags it tail, raises its eyebrow when you pet it, has a heartbeat, and makes a barking noise.  For people with dementia, robotic pets have helped ease agitation and anxiety and seem to have a calming influence.

In fact New York’s Department for the Aging (DFTA) was so impressed with the pets that they implemented a program to distribute mechanical dogs and cats to a number of seniors with the aim of easing loneliness. The DFTA’s Commissioner, Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez explains, “For the older person, social isolation really has a devastating effect on their health.” 

If you are looking for exceptional senior living, Phoenix MorningStar at Arcadia encourages you to contact us or visit our website for more information about our loving community. Along with 80 assisted living suites, MorningStar at Arcadia offers 30 secure suites dedicated to the specialized care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.  We are still accepting new residents during this difficult time, confident in our protective protocols.  Please see our website for more information about our community and a message from the CEO detailing our coronavirus response.

MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care at Arcadia offers the very best in senior living with our distinct mission statement “to honor, to serve, to invest.”  Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents.  Visit our website to learn more about the finest senior living Phoenix offers.

Five Things You May Not Know about Alzheimer’s

Thanks to the Alzheimer’s Association, we can stay updated on new advancements and treatments for Alzheimer’s by using their informative website.  For example the 2019 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) revealed several pieces of good news in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

One of the most significant news stories was that we will likely have the capacity to test for Alzheimer’s easily and more affordable in the very near future.   The Alzheimer’s Association says that researchers are currently working on developing a simple blood test to detect the signs of the disease early, accurately, and much more affordable than other methods used.  This means individuals can benefit from early interventions such as medications and cognitive activities and change modifiable risk factors like losing weight, getting enough sleep, and quitting smoking. The person also has time to plan for the future. 

Researchers also report, “500 new drug targets have been identified, which address everything from reducing inflammation in the brain to protecting nerve cell health.”  Another thing that emerged from the AAIC is evidence that a healthier lifestyle may decrease our risk for dementia.  This includes eating a low-fat, high vegetable diet, getting regular exercise, and engaging in cognitive stimulation.  In addition the report said intensive high blood pressure treatment can significantly reduce the occurrence of mild cognitive impairment, which can lead to dementia.  One other significant finding included discovering specific sex-based differences in women that put them at a higher risk for Alzheimer’s than men. 

Much of the research presented at the AAIC is done with monies from federal sources and fundraising efforts directed to the Alzheimer’s Association.  Their Part the Cloud initiative awards researchers grants to undertake the important work of finding a cure for this devastating disease.  
MorningStar of Santa Fe’s is a senior living community in beautiful Santa Fe, NM.  Confident in our protocols in the fight against COVID-19, we are safely accepting new residents.  Please visit our website to learn more. 

MorningStar of Santa Fe offers the very best in senior living with our distinct mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.”  Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents.  We encourage you to contact us for more information regarding unparalleled senior housing in Santa Fe, NM.
Source: alz.org/blog/alz/december-2019/alzheimer-s-and-dementia-research-five-things-we

Have Time on Your Hands? Renew or Start a Hobby

If you have more time on our hands than you planned, rather than resort to watching too much TV, consider it an opportunity to renew an old hobby abandoned earlier in life due to time constraints.  If your hobby cannot be done from home, maybe it is time to start a new one.  How about something you have always wanted to try but never got around to?    

Even if you do not know how to do the activity, the Internet offers lots of self-help videos to get you started.  For example if you want to learn to “knit,” find videos that walk you through the steps.  You can even join a knitting club for inspiration, which also offers the benefit of connecting to a whole new group of people.  If that’s not your thing, how about starting that novel or poetry book you have always wanted to write?  For feedback and encouragement, connect with a virtual writers’ group that routinely meets to review members’ work. 

Other suggestions for creative things to do at home include forming an online book club with your friends, challenging yourself with a large multi-pieced puzzle, trying your hand at baking, or taking an online dance, martial arts, or aerobics class.  While you are having fun, it is nice to know that regardless of what direction you take, studies show having hobbies can improve our mental health and wellbeing.

People with hobbies are less likely to suffer from stress, low mood, and depression as these pleasurable activities allow us space to decompress and relax.  Moreover researchers say it doesn’t seem to matter “whether your hobby is creative, academic, athletic, or something personal, the important thing is that you find it meaningful and enjoyable.”

MorningStar of Santa Fe offers the very best in senior living with our distinct mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.”  Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents.  We invite you to visit our website for more details on the finest senior living in Santa Fe, NM.
Source: https://www.psychreg.org/hobby-mental-health/