Columbia Aged Care

Healthy ageing means the process of ageing well and maintaining your physical and functional health.

The factors that help you age well include being independent, having social relationships, being able to enjoy life, staying productive or volunteering, having a purpose or passion, emotional support and how well you cope with difficulties.

It is important to understand the factors that help you to age well because you can actively add years to your life or increase your quality of life.

National Seniors Australia has provided some great tips to help you age well:

Maintain physical activity: Try to do at least 30 minutes of moderate activity each day. Work different muscles in your body by doing different types of exercises.

Maintain your balance: You need to maintain you balance to reduce your risk of falls. If you have concerns about your balance speak to your doctor to address any issues.

Smoking and alcohol use: Smoking dramatically speeds up the ageing process and will cause a number of related health problems. Drink alcohol in moderation by keeping to the rule of two standards drinks or less.

Maintain a balanced diet: Eat at least three meals each day, drink lots of water and eat a variety of healthy foods. You can speak with your doctor about how to create a healthy eating plan.

Keep your brain active: Make sure you exercise your mind by taking on challenges and doing mental activities. Do a puzzle or a crossword, learn to play a musical instrument or learn a new language.

Social connections: Spend time with your family and friends and maintain your social relationships with them. Get involved in a group or organisation to make new relationships with other people. By spending time socialising with other people, you can greatly boost your wellbeing and happiness.

Maintain a positive attitude: Keep an open mind and a positive attitude towards life and try to look on the bright side of a negative issue. This will help you to cope effectively with difficult situations.

Here is a simple Healthy Ageing Quiz you can take to determine if you are ageing well. It also provides you with tips to improve your score and increase your ability to age well. You can also download a copy of the Healthy Ageing Quiz here.

Read the full article here.

 

There are 3.85 million people in Australia who are living with arthritis. Arthritis can make even the simplest of everyday tasks difficult and painful to complete, with many people unable to enjoy the best quality of life possible.

Bluesky Healthcare have provided several simple and practical tips to help relieve the pain of arthritis, keep you mobile and make daily activities easier so you can improve on your quality of life.

1. Keep Moving
Regular exercise is one of the most effective treatments of arthritis as it helps to strengthen your muscles and bones which increases flexibility and helps to reduce pain in muscles and joints.

Some great exercises for arthritis sufferers include:

• Warm water exercises such as aqua aerobics, aqua therapy or even simply swimming laps in a pool.
• Regular walks
• Chair-based exercise classes
• Tai Chi is a gentle exercise that involves smooth, flowing movements that helps reduce pain and stiffness

2. Pace yourself and rest when you need to
When living with arthritis it is important to work out a balance between work and rest.

Break larger tasks like cooking dinner into smaller steps and rest in between each step. Don’t set high expectations – enjoying exercise, time with family and leading a happy life is much more important that cooking a five star meal or maintaining a spotless house!

3. Enjoy a good night’s sleep
Sleep helps your body recover and repair itself and most people will feel much better after a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, arthritis can make it difficult to sleep and as less sleep lowers your pain threshold this can quickly become a vicious cycle.

Owning a bed with a supportive mattress can help to put an end to this cycle and can help you achieve a better night’s sleep.

Read the full article here.

Staying active as you age can benefit the body in so many ways. It can help build muscle strength and flexibility, help prevent diseases such as heart disease and can help with balance. Exercise is also good for mental health and well being as it keeps the brain active.

However, although exercise is good, it is important to ensure it is done properly and that the right sport or fitness regime is chosen. 

WNCNews has provided some examples of the types of sports that are appropriate for the elderly.

1. Yoga
Yoga is a fantastic exercise that helps both body and mind. It helps to develop core strength, increase muscle mass, increase flexibility and help with cardiovascular endurance. It is also helps deal with stress through meditation and relaxation techniques.

2. Swimming
An excellent sports choice for those who experience joint pain. It is a good work out for the entire body and not only helps with core muscle strength but it can also help strengthen arms and legs. Swimming is also very good for those who experience breathing difficulties or asthma as it forces your breathing habits to change.

3. Walking
An exercise that can be enjoyed by all people at any fitness level. Around 30 minutes of walking a day is a great habit to get into and can really help with fitness levels. Walking is also a very relaxing exercise and a great way to spend some quality time by yourself or with friends.

Not all sports are appropriate for elderly people and it is important that before starting any sport or fitness regime to consult your GP and have them test your health levels and vital organs, such as your heart and lungs, to find out what you can and cannot do.

Read the full article here.

Gardening is an enjoyable pastime and it can benefit seniors in many ways. It is a therapeutic activity that promotes good health, wellbeing and relaxation. Gardening is also an excellent form of exercise for mobility, flexibility, strength and endurance. This type of activity helps prevent medical conditions such as osteoporosis and reduces stress levels.

 Disabled-World.com has provided some great words of advice for seniors who garden or want to start gardening.

• Warm up: this will help reduce muscle soreness felt later on.
• Keep hydrated: drink plenty of liquids and avoid alcohol.
• Be sun safe: always be sure your loved one is wearing sun protective gear such as a hat, long sleeved shirt and sunscreen and that they garden in the morning or afternoon to avoid the hottest parts of the day.
• Be careful with power tools: even small ones can burden worn or weary hands.
• Use adaptive tools: garden tools can be modified to suit the needs of seniors.
• Memory: If your loved one’s memory is becoming affected, securing gates and fences can help keep them safe while still allowing them to care for their garden.

It is important to know your loved ones limitations and make sure they don’t push themselves.

For more tips, read the full article here

It is no secret that as you grow older, health becomes a major aspect of life. However, growing older should not be synonymous with bad health. Improving on your health as much as you can will ensure the best quality of life.
 
One of the most important parts of leading a healthy lifestyle is to stay physically active. Without regular exercise, people over the age of forty are at risk of suffering from a range of health problems. Making even the smallest of changes to your physical lifestyle can benefit you and your body. Thirty minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every day (or most days) is extremely beneficial. However, if you are finding it hard to get active, here are some tips from Aged Care Australia:

• Choose activities you enjoy and find interesting. You more likely to keep up with an exercise routine if it’s fun, rather than a chore.
• Make a plan – start off slowly, and aim for small improvements. Keep track of your progress in a training diary for added motivation.
• Exercise with friends. They can help you keep to your plan, remain motivated and be a social occasion.
• Choose appropriate clothing, for example loose clothes and supportive shoes.
• Don't let yourself dehydrate – drink plenty of water before, during and after your activity.
• Don't exercise in hot weather or immediately after meals.

Read the full article HERE.

As your loved one grows older it is important that they maintain contact with friends or make new ones to avoid them becoming lonely. Group activities can be a way to see and learn new things, laugh with people and stay happy and healthy.

Your loved one can easily join in with an existing group activity, or organise their own. Group activities can ease loneliness and depression, bringing physical and psychological benefits. Old Age Health Tips have provided some great ideas:

• Meeting friends. Your loved one will feel cheerful after even a short chat with a friend. Maintain old friendships by meeting regularly for a cup of tea or a walk.
• Explore the world – or just the city. Join an organised tour with a friend or by yourself. Your loved one might find pleasure in exploring a new country, or even just a nearby town or garden.
• Senior dancing. Your loved one may like to learn a few dance steps – and they will be sure to share many more laughs.
• Clubs. Encourage your loved one to join a hobby group that matches their interest. There are endless types, like golf, church, singing, exercise, craft and book clubs.

Group activities will help your loved one surround themself with old friends and new ones, and maybe even find a new interest or skill.

Read the full article HERE.

While information technology has become second nature to younger generations, it still remains a bewildering and scary concept to many elderly people.

Technological advances now allow elderly people to have access to new systems and programs designed to help them live independently.

To help them make the most of technology, and stay in contact with friends and family more easily why not set aside some time to help them understand the concept and how to use technology, such as computers, the internet, emailing and even mobile phones.

Chad Hunter has provided four helpful tips on how to teach technology to the elderly these include:

1. Be patient.
Take your time and slowly go through the whole process clearly and concisely. Making the person feel rushed, stupid or incompetent will not help the situation. Remember this is all new and difficult to understand.Take your time and take breaks if you get frustrated.

2. Use analogies.
Elderly people are used to learning new things and have learnt alot during their lives. Use analogies to describe different terminologies and instructions to help them not only understand but remember when you aren’t there.

3. Spoon-feed terms.
World wide web, email, hard drives and symbols like ‘@’ are all new to elderly people with no technological knowledge. Go through it slowly since most of these terms seem like a foreign language to younger learners, you can imagine what your elderly student might be feeling. It would be a good idea to put together a glossary and instructions that they can refer to and study.

4. Practice makes perfect.
Sit with your student and go over concepts and practice exercises with them. Give them tasks and things of their interest to do on the computer. Show them how email can connect them to family. Show them how digital cameras can capture hundreds of photos.

Once you find things of interest for them, have them practice these steps as much as possible.

Aged Care Matters discusses the importance of finding the time for a daily walk.  

As in any other stage of life exercise is paramount to remaining fit and healthy. However depending on your level of fitness it is always wise to check with your doctor before embarking on any new exercise program.

It may be that what you are considering may not be suitable or recommended by your doctor. If there is no medical reason to prevent you from exercising, why not take a daily brisk walk. This will certainly go a long way to helping you achieve your fitness goals. Try and find somewhere interesting to walk so your enthusiasm for this activity does not wane over time. See if you can find a companion to go with you on these walks. Not only will your fitness be improved but also your personal relationships will be enhanced. Someone who perhaps you barely know as a neighbour in time may turn out to be a very close and trusted friend.

Why not join a walking group if there is one in your community. This too will provide opportunities to meet new people and may also prove a means to broadening your friendship base. Not only will it get you out of the house but as a bonus you will get to see more of your surrounding district whilst you work on maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle.