During your lifetime, you might never have had the opportunity to see the world away from Houston due to familiar obligations and career-related responsibilities. That makes retirement a great time to try something new and lead a new lifestyle. Choosing where to retire overseas can be an overwhelming decision, here are your choices:

1. Consider the cost of living – the cost of living varies from country to country and city to city, so make sure you do your research and choose one that has a cost of living that is lower and well-suited to your retirement budget

2. Find out the regulations for living in a country where you’re not a citizen – in countries like Mexico, retired seniors can receive residency permits that can be renewed annually; or for those with their own homes there, with a monthly pension of $1000 a permanent residency status can be granted

3. Think about your health – the climate and environment of various places abroad can have an impact on your health. Also look at the type of health care system in the countries you’re considering retiring to; some developing countries do not have the same standards as those we’re used to in the US while others have even more comprehensive health care systems

4. Choose your lifestyle – depending on what you’re looking for from your retirement, different destinations can meet your requirements. If you dream of senior years on a beach, Mexico, Spain or Italy might be a good choice; but if you want a historical experience look at Greece or England

Via: Retirement Story

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Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Exercise is an important part of maintaining the health of any Houston senior. But one element that often gets overlooked is stretching, which can prevent the likelihood of injury and create more benefit from the workout. Every time you exercise as an older adult, make sure you follow these 5 tips for stretching safely as a senior:

1. Stretch after a workout when muscles are warm and flexible, and stretching is not going to result in pulling anything or cause an injury before the fitness routine even begins

2. Stretch during physical activity if any part of the body begins to feel tight. By stopping to stretch it out seniors can prevent the likelihood of injury

3. Never stretch before warming up. Stretching cold muscles can result in injury, so be sure to warm up for 5 or 10 minutes with light exercise before stretching. This will give seniors the optimal benefit from exercise and reduce the chance of sprains, strains and muscle pulls

4. Breathe through a stretch. Inhale in preparation and exhale during the stretch while the muscle begins to lengthen and stretch

5. When stretching hold it for 5 seconds, release for 5 seconds and then start again so there is no strain and the stretch really has a chance to penetrate the muscles

Via: Real Age

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Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Many seniors fall into a slump, allowing senior stereotypes to take over their lives and dictate their actions in older adulthood. Don’t let this be you, take control over your life and you will find that with these 4 ways to make the most of aging will improve your life:

1. Take a class – learning lasts a lifetime, so take advantage of the opportunities that you have in front of you in older adulthood. Take a college extension class or see what classes are offered at a local community center. You can take anything that interests you, whether it’s active, crafty or intellectual

2. Be social and seek support – don’t withdrawal from social activities like so many seniors have the tendency to do; no matter what’s going on in your life stay in touch with friends and family members with social activities, and get support from groups with any issues you’re dealing with

3. Live and laugh – they say laughter is the best medicine for a good reason, make sure that you do things that you enjoy that make you laugh and smile. Laughter is a great way to cope with grief, overcome stress, and gain a better appreciation of life!

4. Safety first – take the opportunity to look at how you can improve your safety so an accident doesn’t put a damper on your chosen lifestyle. Should you still be driving? Can you avoid busy driving periods or roads? Are there improvements you can make to your house? Are you aware of common frauds targeting seniors, and do you know how to protect yourself from them?

Via: Associated Content

Image: todaysseniorsnetwork.com

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Watching someone you love virtually forget who you are is ranked amongst the hardest things you’ll have to do in your life without a doubt, and while it can be easier to retreat and limit interaction in order to cope; don’t forget that your loved one deserves the opportunity to enjoy themselves to. Spend time together trying some of these fun activities great for seniors with dementia:

1. Reintroduce old favorites – reintroducing seniors to games and activities that they once enjoyed can activate old memories and nostalgia, and they are generally enjoyable. Try tic tac toe, checkers, cards, or large piece jigsaw puzzles.

2. Bond over magazines – looking through magazines like Reminisce or Good Old Days are a great way to share stories; or simply pick up any publication a senior enjoys  for an entertaining way to pass the time and create conversation

3. Reminisce with photos – get out the family photo albums to remind seniors of cherished memories or family members. This is also a great way to start sharing stories and memories of great times with loved ones

4. Get online – for a senior who loves to learn, get online and browse travel destinations, look up information about activities or facts that interest the senior, or simply use it to look at pictures. If your senior is feeling really adventurous, you can even get them signed up on Facebook or Twitter

5. Share a treat – a great activity can be as simple as going to a local bakery or ice cream shop to bond over a sweet treat. Or, it can be made at home and enjoyed there

6. Get outside – don’t underestimate the power of fresh air and sunshine for a senior, get out there!

Via: Suite101

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Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

It might seem impossible to get the recommended number of fruits and vegetables into your diet everyday, but you’re already aware of the benefits that they have, especially in older adulthood that go far beyond nutrition, so you know just how crucial it is. Here are some tips for ensuring you get at least the recommended number of fruits and vegetables everyday.

1. Visit a Houston farmer’s market – instead of visiting the grocery store, check out a local farmer’s market where all of the in season fruits and vegetables will be available often at a more budget-friendly price. Plus, seeing the produce in a different environment might inspire you to try something new.

2. Mix color – try to ensure that you incorporate fruits and vegetables from every color group into your meals everyday to get the ultimate nutritional and health benefits.

3. Get creative with cooking – if there are vegetables that you don’t enjoy as much because of the textures or tastes, try blending them into a soup or stew so you don’t miss out on the nutritional benefits.

4. Try smoothies or juice – in order to increase the number of servings of fruits and vegetables you get in a day, blend them into smoothies or juices.

5. Buy frozen – frozen fruits and vegetables still offer the same nutritional benefits. Frozen berries are versatile; blend them into a smoothie, or thaw them in the morning to add to your cereal or oatmeal.

6. Add fruit – breakfast is the perfect meal to add some fruit. Add bananas or strawberries to your cereal, or instead of plain pancakes, add the fruit too!

7. Maintain good habits when eating out – when you’re eating out, make sure you get at least one serving of fruits or vegetables.

8. Be open to salad – you don’t need to stick to traditional salad ingredients. Start with deep green lettuce and add any vegetables you have on hand that seem appealing. The more colorful, the better! Add  bell peppers, tomatoes, beets, or avocado. Drizzle your salad with lemon instead of fatty dressings for a vitamin C boost.

9. Go with stir fry – stir fry recipes are a great way to incorporate a wide variety of vegetables into a meal. Start with a bed of rice, flavor with garlic or ginger, and then include a vegetable from every color group.

10. Analyze your meal – when you sit down with a meal that has a wide variety of vegetables, notice if you favor one color group over another, and make a point to add more of the others to your next shopping list.

Via: Body and Health

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Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Flu season is almost here and that’s a source of anxiety for many seniors who worry about contracting the illness. Some of this anxiety comes from a lack of understanding surrounding effective prevention methods and other aspects of the illness. Here are some of the myths about Swine Flu prevention so that seniors and caregivers know how to protect themselves against the affects of the virus.

1. Since the H1N1 virus derives in pigs, it can come from pork – Swine Flu cannot be transmitted from eating pork, although it does often occur in those who are in contact with infected living livestock. The current outbreak, however, is coming primarily from human-to-human transmission

2. Symptoms of Swine Flu different from the seasonal flu – the symptoms of Swine Flu are very similar to the seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue

3. There is no effective treatment for Swine Flu – Tamiflu and Relenza are medications that have been used to effectively treat H1N1

4. There aren’t enough flu drugs to treat the pandemic – the federal government has in fact stockpiled enough flu drugs to treat 50 million Americans with Swine Flu, and some states actually have additional stock

5. The 1970’s Swine Flu shot offers protection today – as diseases adapt and change, it becomes more unlikely that a previous vaccination will offer prevention for the H1N1 virus of today

6. Flu drugs can prevent the Swine Flu – it’s not recommended that the flu drugs used to treat the swine flu are taken for prevention. There is however, a vaccine under development

7. Seniors are most at risk – healthy seniors actually are not believed to be the demographic most at risk for the Swine Flu. The vaccine that will be available will first be offered to individuals aged 25 to 65 as they are most at risk

8. The spread of Swine Flu can’t be stopped – it’s not yet known how contagious Swine Flu is, however, like any illness, the spread of it can be prevented through frequent hand washing, covering mouths when coughing and disinfecting surfaces that might carry germs

Via: Loyola Medicine

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Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Despite the fact that high cholesterol has a proven link to dementia, research has shown no evidence that cholesterol lowering drugs, statins, play a role in preventing dementia later in life. It’s known that having high cholesterol during midlife can greatly increase the risk of having dementia 30 years later; but in a study of 25,000 older adults, statins played absolutely no role on in changing or improving cognitive functions.

Statins may not play a direct role in preventing Alzheimer’s and dementia, but it is possible that by taking them during midlife when cholesterol is found to be high, lowered cholesterol could in turn decrease the risk of cognitive impairment later in life. So while the impact might not be direct, a long-term study over decades might just find that statins do play a bigger role in cognition, just as we originally thought!

Sources:

1. MSNBC

2. Cognifit

Image: HomeInstead.com

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Mall walking is a great way for [location] seniors to receive exercise in a social setting. They can begin mall walking independently, or find a major mall that holds daily or weekly mall walking sessions for seniors. Mall walking can be made even more enjoyable and can better contribute to your health if you follow these 9 ways to make mall walking more enjoyable:

1. Don’t walk alone – part of the fun of mall walking is to socialize, so bring a walking buddy; either a family member or friend, but make sure that they’re at your fitness level so you can keep the same pace and get the exercise benefits

2. Window shop – since you’re already in the mall, scope things out. You’ll spot stores that are having sales or other great bargains as you pass by the shops

3. Take motivational music – take your MP3 player with a compilation of music that motivates you to walk and push yourself to get the best fitness benefits

4. Make plans – having plans for after mall walking will help to motivate you. Make it a regular date to go for coffee with friends, or hang around to shop at the mall

5. Set incentives – organized mall walking programs may have prizes if you meet certain goals, but even when walking independently you can set your own goals, meet them, and then set some more!

6. Take in your surroundings – walking in the mall you can take in the décor, especially coming up to holidays and people watch

7. Clear your head – when exercising, there’s no better time to clear you head and make positive plans. Don’t allow your worries to plague your mind

8. Play games – when walking with a buddy, play games based on what you see around you. Try Eye Spy or other fun games based on signs and other things in the surroundings

9. Reward yourself – reward yourself after completing a mall walking session, it will help you want to come back and do it again and again!

Via: Grand Times

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Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.