It can feel like the opportunities are endless when you’re looking to retire, and to make the most of it, you might be looking to get away from Phoenix to adopt a different lifestyle. Here are some tips when choosing where to retire abroad and live out your senior years:

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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Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228

Stretching is a crucial part of any workout routine. Seniors need to make sure that they implement the stretching tips below every time they exercise to prevent injury and increase the workout benefits. With these tips, safety always comes first!

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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Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228

As you get older, don’t let senior stereotypes hold you back. Despite society’s views about aging, older adulthood is a time where you can pursue your dreams, and improve your way of living body and mind. Here are 4 ways to take control of  your senior years:

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

Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228

Gardening is a great pastime enjoyed by people of all ages, but it is a hobby that often older adults take on during retirement once they have more time to really nurture the items that they’ve planted and enjoy the experience. The benefits of gardening can affect the overall health in  Phoenix seniors in the following ways:

1. Exercise – gardening is a low impact cardiovascular workout that has benefits to the heart. More strenuous gardening, like hauling rocks can equate to 600 calories and hour, but lighter activities have their benefits too! Gardening is said to work all the major muscle groups and can increase flexibility, balance and strength.

2. Nutrition – if you plant a garden with fresh fruits and vegetables, you will take pride in what you created and will be more likely to maintain a healthy well-balanced diet with your produce straight from the garden, which once planted, is also budget friendly!

3. Stress reduction – gardening helps reduce stress, even just from allowing you to be out in nature. The colors and smells are stimulating and stress relieving, and the activities can help you take your mind off of the things that are on your mind. Horticulture therapy is a common practice, and it can even help those who are sick recover faster!

Via: Associated Content

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Whether you want to live longer or just hold onto some of your youth while you age, here are 5 ways that you can stay young:

1. Pick heart healthy foods – choose foods with strong anti-inflammatory affects that can help improve the health of your heart like fruits and vegetables, garlic, olive oil and fish. Steer clear of foods that can block the arteries like fried items or ones drenched in saturated fats

2. Drink water regularly – stay hydrated, it will help you to keep your energy level up, and help with the digestive process. Water can also help fend off hunger and prevent bad breath

3. Don’t forget your vagus – the vagus is a nerve that updates your brain about what’s happening with the rest of your body. A vagus that’s not kept healthy can result in issues with immunity and that can lead to viruses and illnesses. Try meditation, yoga and deep breathing exercises to keep the vagus healthy!

4. Take Asprin – one terrific thing you can do for your health barely takes any effort at all. Pop an Asprin daily with half a glass of warm water and help lower inflammation throughout the body and prevent colon cancer, esophageal cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer.

5. Use mind maps – it’s easy to become overwhelmed and stressed out when you have a goal in front of you. Instead of making a limited To Do List, use a mind map. Put your goal in the middle of a  piece of paper and draw lines branching out from it with other ideas about how you can reach that goal. This method allows you to be more open-minded

Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228

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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Statins are cholesterol lowering drugs that were once believed to play a role in dementia prevention, since high cholesterol levels during mid-life are shown to increase the risk that seniors will have Alzheimer’s or dementia in older adulthood.

Despite this positive research, a study that looked at 25,000 participants showed no support that the cholesterol lowering drugs have any influence when it comes to preventing Alzheimer’s or dementia later in life which seems to contradict previous research. The good news is, that since statins are so commonly prescribed to middle aged adults and seniors for high cholesterol, there are no risks of taking the drugs with regards to cognitive functions and perhaps in the future, research will show that one of these studies just might have been wrong. So if you’re a believer that statins might prevent dementia, keep on taking them and continue to hope, because you never know what benefits might be unearthed by scientists and medical professionals in the future.

Sources:

1. MSNBC

2. Cognifit

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Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228

No matter where you live, mall walking is a great activity for seniors who want to remain active. It’s a safe environment sheltered from weather conditions, as well as extreme heat or cold depending upon the time of year. Plus, it’s a great social activity for [location] seniors, where they can bond with others and lend their support and motivation for a healthier lifestyle. Here are some tips to make mall walking an even more enjoyable and rejuvenating experience!

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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Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228

Families are concerned about their seniors’ driving, because as cognitive skills decline with age, so can driving abilities which involve a great deal of decision making and problem solving. Making left turns are the most dangerous for seniors, according to a study which determined that the process involved with making a left turn involves an increased amount of cognition which can result in 9 times more likelihood of an accident. To stay safe behind the wheel, seniors should keep these 5 ways to make safe left turns in mind:

• Avoid left turns – instead of turning left at an intersection, make 3 right turns to go around the block and go straight through the intersection
• Only turn left on an advanced green – during certain hours of the day, some intersections may have left turn signals, or others may have them all the time. Only make left turns at an intersection with a left turn signal
• Drive during the day – with increased visibility, senior’s can have an easy time processing the visual stimulus and making a safe decision on when to turn
• Avoid busy times – seniors can avoid driving during busy times of the day, or in the busier areas unless absolutely necessary
• Take your time – when making a left turn, seniors should take their time and not feel pressured by other drivers. If there’s limited visibility, they can wait until it’s possible to see

Via: Cognifit

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Greater Phoenix Senior Living & Central Phoenix Senior Living provides home care for elders and seniors . Call us! 623-583-5868, 480-991-3959 or 602-265-8228