Our Houston Caregivers help seniors live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.

The health of a caregiver is very important. Staying fit is essential if a caregiver wishes to continue being effective at their job. There are many programs that can be used. These programs can also include seniors. By joining forces and working to stay fit together, seniors and caregivers can both reap the benefits. Below is a list of resources and tips that can be useful when striving to stay fit.

1. There are many programs available through AARP that will be helpful when trying to get in shape or stay fit. These programs offer some great ideas on starting points and can also provide structure for those who are already active and wish to follow a schedule or set a regimen each day. Seniors can also join in with many of the activities provided, allowing another opportunity for the caregiver and senior to have special time together.

2. The benefits of exercise far exceed just toning the body and staying fit. There is a mental and emotional component to it as well. The Fat 2 Fit journey is a great program for seniors and caregivers to do together. This program will walk you through the steps to losing weight and keeping it off. It also provides some daily exercise that will benefit seniors and caregivers.

3.  Make sure to take time for mental breaks. If you have a negative thought about the way you are exercising or your weight at the current time, it may be time to take a break. There are links on the source page that contain useful information for keeping your mind as healthy as the rest of your body.

Source: aarp.org

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.

Home Care Houston enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.

The fun of Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to expire with childhood, or once you’re no longer in a new relationship. It can carry out throughout life, even if the focus is more upon fun and friendship than romance. Here are some great ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day as a senior:

• Attend a community event – visit a senior’s center or community center hosting Valentine’s Day celebrations. Performances like concerts by choirs, plays and poetry readings can be fun to attend and great for the whole family

• Try doing some crafts – seniors who are already part of craft groups are likely to be beginning themed activities for Valentine’s Day, but do them at home as well. Seniors can also make cards and decorations with their family members

• Do some baking – Valentine’s Day is often associated with treats. Chocolate and goodies are usually a feature of the holiday. For seniors that can eat these items without any health repercussions, they can do some baking with family members. Otherwise healthier recipes can be tried incorporating food coloring of heart shapes to get into the spirit!

Via: Suite101

Image: daylife.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.

While most of the population will wait until the beginning of the year to start working on their resolutions, seniors are starting early. Getting a jump start on a resolution could make a huge difference. At Home Care Houston we see many seniors make resolutions that are related to their health, so there is no better time than the present to begin those changes to a healthier lifestyle. The short list below includes some tips and reasons for starting your resolutions early.

1. Millions of people make resolutions each year and many of them are seniors. These goals are often centered on changes that will improve daily life, so there is no better time to start than now!

2. Resolutions do not have to be made just for the New Year. You can make a resolution at any point during the year and begin working on it as soon as you can. There is no need to wait until the first day of a new year.

3. When starting early, you will see there are benefits. You will begin improving your life sooner. Self-discipline is one of the most important factors of any resolution success, so start early and make changes for the better.

4. Keep your goal in mind, no matter when you start to work on your resolution. Create a plan that will allow you to stick to your convictions and achieve your goals. Resolutions not only improve life, they also help people grow physically, emotionally and psychologically.

Source: ehow.com

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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.

The internet offers many resources for seniors who have set a goal for themselves this year. These goals are not always easy to achieve. Some sites can offer information, tips and strategies for seniors trying to reach some goals in the upcoming year. Keeping a resolution can be difficult, so any extra resources can make a huge difference. Home Care Houston would like to share some helpful websites that offer resources for some common
resolutions made by seniors.

1. ResolutionsReminders.com – This is a free site that can help you stay on track and attain your resolutions. The site was established in 1997 and has been going strong ever since. It contains valuable resources and users can sign up to receive email reminders.

2. DietTV.com – This site is great for anyone who has set diet goals for the New Year. A personalized program can be created, including a customized diet plan. The site has many areas that will help with all diet and exercise needs, such as an exercise finder and support groups.

3. StopSmoking.net – Many seniors still smoke, and many members of the senior population make resolutions each year to quit smoking. This is one of the hardest goals to achieve, especially for seniors who have been smoking for many years. The site also offers tips on how to quit as well as the option of creating a personalized stop smoking plan.

Source: helium.com

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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.

At Home Care Houston, we know that setting and sticking to a goal can be tough, many seniors get stuck and become discouraged, but this is something that can be overcome. This year, make sure that you set goals that will change your life and follow through on them:

1. Don’t procrastinate – get started with them right away. As soon as you set your goals, get going. The longer you procrastinate, the less likely you’ll ever begin on your journey

2. Overcome the hurdles – it’s Murphy’s Law that what can go wrong will go wrong; but just because you encounter hurdles while trying to meet your New Year’s resolutions doesn’t mean that you need to give up. Overcome!

3. Don’t let a plateau discourage you – no matter what your goal is, you’ll see a lot of progress early on and then hit a plateau. This doesn’t mean you’re not meeting success, this a natural occurrence, and you simply need to keep moving forward with your goals

4. Recognize that if you feel discouraged, it’s simply an emotion – at some stage along your journey to reaching a goal, you’ll likely feel discouraged. But that doesn’t have a bearing on your success, especially once you recognize that it’s simply an emotion and you can get through it

Via: Huffington Post

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

Often when a New Year dawns, many people vow to improve their health and they focus upon physical aspects. While these are positive goals, the mind often goes forgotten and its health is of utmost importance. Seniors in particular can benefit from simple activities that will keep their minds active and engaged. This way, memories they make in the New Year, will be ones they have the chance to remember.

1. Keep your brain active – use training sessions that keep your brain active regularly. Try memory games, activities that require skill and logic, or learn new skills in order to help keep your brain on its figurative toes!

2. Snap out of your routine – when you follow the same routine day after day, your brain is no longer actively engaged. Simply by doing the same routine tasks in different ways you can keep your brain sharp

3. Think positively – since stress can affect memory, think positively about all aspects of your life. Don’t expect that your memory is likely to fail simply because of family history. Understand that you can take some control over your future in a positive way!

Via: AARP

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

If you are caring for a senior, you may be concerned about their health, specifically their fitness routine. Senior caregivers can help their seniors change their diet and exercise practices by doing some of the activities with those elderly loved ones.

• Change Old Eating Habits—Two may be better than one in this instance. Try and eat with your senior, switching out high calorie foods for healthier dinner staples such as salads with vegetables and lean proteins.

• Record What You Eat—Sometimes writing it all down will give seniors or their caregivers some perspective on their eating habits. By recording what you eat, a senior can easily reduce calories just by visualizing those foods causing the most damage to a slim trim.

• Exercise Together—While reducing calories can help lose weight, seniors must go one step farther and exercise to see results. Take long walks daily with your senior, working together to reach fitness goals. If a senior goes it alone, they may be less likely to stick to that daily walk.

• Meditate—As strange as it may seem, negative thoughts about your body and weight can ruin any fitness efforts. Find a quiet place in your home for 5 minutes a day, and just focus on breathing. This simple act will help clear the mind from critical thoughts about your body, allowing for a greater appreciation of the physical self.

Source: aarp.org

Image Source: sxc.hu

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

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

New Year’s resolutions don’t need to be a burden, and the fact that many are is one of the reasons that they are rarely carried through on. This year, pledge to try fun resolutions that will improve your health as a senior.

1. Be social – attend parties, classes, and social groups. Seniors who are socially active have better physical and mental health than those who are isolated. It’s not uncommon for seniors to withdraw, but avoid it in 2010

2. Try healthy indulgences – controlled amounts of red wine and dark chocolate are enjoyable and can improve health by preventing diabetes, lower blood pressure and more

3. Laugh a lot – you’ve heard laughter is the best medicine. It’s true. Laughter is about the only thing you shouldn’t do in moderation. People should get in a good laugh a couple of times a week to improve the health of their blood vessels

4. Take a snooze – heart related death has been proven to be reduced in seniors who nap for 30 minutes at least 30 times per week. It can also help seniors feel refreshed and improve their immune systems

5. Dance for health – dancing can help to prevent dementia, and is a great form of exercise. Get out those dancing shoes in 2010!

6. Eat some fat – linoleic acid and safflower oil can actually help seniors with a few pounds to shed lose weight, so incorporate them into your diet

7. Get some sun – don’t forget the sunscreen, but vitamin D can lift spirits and reduce the risk of heart disease

8. Try tai chi or yoga – these activities can improve mental health through meditation and help with balance, strength and flexibility

9. Have sex – many seniors give up sex, but it can help you to sleep better, reduce pain, blood pressure and stress

10. Spend time in nature – anxiety and depression are greatly reduced in those who appreciate green space!

Via: AARP

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

Got the blues over the holidays because you’ve got too much on your plate as a caregiver, or miss years gone by as a senior? Here are some tips to help you get through the holiday season.

1. Surround yourself with people – even if you don’t have family or friends around that you can spend time with, do join other social events taking place in your community

2. Volunteer – no matter what’s happening in your life, you’ll feel great when you volunteer and give back to those in need

3. Join a support group – sometimes it’s not easy to talk to family about the emotions you’re struggling with, so join a support group that allows you to share your feelings

4. Don’t put pressure on yourself – it’s okay if you don’t feel like celebrating over the holidays, don’t push yourself. Get involved with those things that make you happy, and don’t get down on yourself if you don’t feel joyful

5. Avoid alcohol – alcohol can depress your mood, so even though the wine and eggnog is flowing over the holidays, stick to the non-alcoholic stuff!

6. Know the signs of depression and seek treatment – the holiday blues are one thing, but you also need to recognize depression and get help

Via: Health in Aging

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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.

We all know that the elderly population is forced to live on a fixed income. Many things change financially after retirement. This is why when seniors travel; they should make use of a travel agent. These agents have access to information that many of us cannot get on our own. Discounts for seniors are available in many ways when traveling. For example, people over a certain age may receive a discount on airfare. To find the best deals available, follow the tips below.

1. Make sure to know personal preferences before contacting a travel agent. These requests should be made in advance. Some common requests for traveling seniors include aisle seats on airplanes, morning flights and non-smoking accommodations.

2. Be sure to deal with a travel agent directly. Many travel agents have personal assistants that relay messages. If possible, try to arrange to speak with the agent directly.

3. If there are time constraints, make sure to have a back-up plan. Use a calendar to plan for schedule changes. Often times, a change in time could mean a greater discount.

4. Inquire about car rentals and hotel rooms. Your travel agent may be able to book a complete package which would offer additional savings.

Source: www.ehow.com

Image source: sxc.hu

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.