In this time of social isolation due to COVID19, seniors may find themselves spending too many hours alone and lonely. To be sure, time alone does not necessarily mean one is lonely; we can be lonely in a crowd as well as just being alone. The issue is perceived loneliness, that is, if a senior feels or believes they are lonely, they are.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is an arm of the National Institute of Health (NIH), and NIA has looked at this issue for a number of years. The results of their research are troubling for many seniors; their website says this “Research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher risks for a variety of physical and mental conditions: high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and even death.”

I LOVE TOP LISTS, especially those that indicate what really is important about what we choose to do with ourselves as we age. Many experts talk about the top ten concerns of senior citizens.

There are so many, everything from the brand of mayonnaise we buy to what time we go to bed. Some are worth thought. Others are downright silly.

A week ago, I was introduced to five musts that came about as a result of spending, or maybe it was investing, in several days of being with our immediate family. I discovered what I have been missing. I discovered that I had pushed aside, too often, their presence in my life and had, as a result, missed

Social Interaction for Healthy Senior Living Friendships, companionship and interpersonal relationships are a human need at any age, especially for seniors who may not have the resources and health to leave home. As a caregiver, you may already feel the heavy responsibility of ensuring the health and wellbeing of your loved one. Your days may […]

Okay, seniors, the time has come when we need to assess our attitude quotient. If it’s morning, it’s time. Another day introduces us to the necessity of evaluating our perceptions, misconceptions, and reception of our current attitude. It ain’t gonna be easy. It, likely, will end up being a daily, 24/7 proposition. So here goes.

Do you allow the state of universal affairs to guide your thinking? ___yes___no
____somewhat

Are you influenced by the morning’s news and talk shows? If so how would you rate your response:

We have watched it all week at the Olympics. We have seen how dedicated determination takes one from goal to achievement. We have witnessed the sheer will to win and to come out on the other side with determined victory. It is a lesson for us all.

Those of us who are older now and whose health has begun to discourage us need the lesson of the Olympians, no matter their age. The point is not age, the point is in dedicated determination. The will to overcome, to succeed, to push the limits as far as they need be and can be pushed. Giving up is not an option. Deciding and doing are disciplines of one who knows that demonstrating to oneself and to others that you can do it is.

As we age, we discover some of the things that might have been foregone earlier on. And, we would likely be better off for it. An example: smoking. Some of our brothers and sisters still insist upon it, staining their fingers, coloring their teeth, shaking the room with a cough. At the time it seemed harmful enough; but now the damage is clear.

Apart from the very bad signal that it sends about yourself and the dilatory effects it has on health and body, smoking is one of the most insidious of the bad things that many refuse to surrender.

There are others. But, at the top of most lists comes this one. It really isn’t a sacrifice at all. The

It shouldn’t be a complicated thing to define and create a goal of being gentle in life’s actions and interactions as we age. Preferred behavior for seniors, having been through as much as we have by social security age, should be a fairly achievable accomplishment.

Mellow, serene, gentle behavior all are contributors to better health, less anxiety, more peaceful and tranquil life experiences. These are the elements of discovering how to live out a life in which the reward for defining such behaviors leads to a healthier lifestyle.

How you choose to define these behaviors, to manifest them in your day to day living, is a personal

Abnormal is the new normal. Especially for seniors. There are so many plates that are shifting in our perception, experience and understanding of the world, culture, economics, politics, discoveries, upheavals and major cataclysmic events. Denial is one of the features of current adaptation. It doesn’t work, but it is still regularly employed.

The world is no longer your grandfather’s world, or for that matter your father’s. It isn’t even ours. Understanding, grasping, accommodating the vast and somewhat overwhelming changes is a day to day function dedicated to our reading, listening, trying to filter just what is happening in the world in which we now reside.

Following is a Guest Post by Irene Watson. Although she writes from the perspective of the codependent, her message is right on for senior citizens everywhere. You can follow her blog at Rewriting Life Scripts.

Being in recovery can often be a balancing act. One point we may have difficulty with, which may not seem like a big deal but is nevertheless vitally important, is our sense of humor, our ability to laugh and especially to laugh at ourselves.

When we’re codependent, or addicted, or any other issue we have that is dysfunctional, we may feel like all the world is against us and we become overly concerned about what other people think. We may have exhibited

The Science of Probiotics We seniors hear and read a lot  about probiotics these days. The nurse-practitioner at the doctor’s office recently told us to start taking probiotics, and continue for the rest of our lives.  She also encouraged us not to get them at the local drug stores or big-box stores; rather we need […]