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Slowly but surely this year’s brutal winter is fading away. The weather is getting nicer and it is time for you to get out and enjoy it.

Getting out is great for you at any age.

If you’re looking to stay active and healthy as a senior, outdoor activities are a great option.

Furthermore, it is a well-known fact that physical activity is helpful when it comes emotional, mental and cognitive health.

Participating in outdoor activities may also be a great way for you to meet new friends and build healthy relationships!

Basically, no matter how you spin it, outdoor activities are great for you no matter how you look at it.

In today’s post, I am going to give you 12 outdoor activity ideas that you can get involved with this year.

Outings for seniors: 12 outdoor activity ideas for seniors

Walking-Walking is always the easiest way to get outside. It doesn’t have to be a long walk. It could be a simple walk around your neighborhood which might include saying hello to everyone as you go along.

Running-If you were a runner in the past, this might be a good one to pick up again.

Hiking-Do you have hiking trails in your city? Visit them and take a hike.

Beach walks-This is certainly an option if you live in the San Diego and Orange County areas. I don’t know about you but there is something calming about walking near a beach and hearing the waves crash on the shore.

Climbing-Check to make sure this is a healthy activity for you before you get involved in climbing. Climbing can certainly be on the “daredevil” side when it comes to outdoor activities. So make sure you’re cleared to climb before you do.

Cycling-Cycling is another classic outdoor activity that does not require expertise except unless you will cycle complex trails. A ride in and around your neighborhood might be just what you need.

Swimming-Swimming is great exercise and laying in that water is always relaxing!

Fishing-Apart from the great conversations that can happen as you fish, you just might catch your dinner.

Bird-watching-Are you a nature enthusiast? You might enjoy bird-watching.

Hunting-While I have never understood the thrill that hunters have, they definitely seem to enjoy the experience. If you live in a rural area that allows hunting and you have the appropriate license, this might be a really good one for you.

Geocaching-Wikipedia defines geocaching as an activity where people use GPS receivers and other navigational techniques to find boxes and containers that are marked by coordinates all over the world.

If you ever enjoyed treasure hunting movies or would love to treasure hunt yourself, geocaching may be an excellent activity for you.

Camping-Sleeping in a house may be comfortable but it can get boring! Enjoy nature directly by camping out in the woods!

Fruit-picking-You will get your exercise in and have fruit for days to come.

There you have it- twelve outdoor activities for seniors.

And all of them accessible enough that you could start participating today.

If you enjoyed this post, share it with someone else who might be looking for outdoor activity ideas suited for them.


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Good nutrition helps fight off illness, provide strength, and fuel the body. Eating well is important for everyone. As a family caregiver, you keep track of what your loved one is eating.

But sometimes appetites diminish in the elderly. Your loved one may stop eating all together. It’s a heart-wrenching feeling when you realize your loved one isn’t getting the nutrients they need.

What You Can Do When Your Loved One Is Not Eating

When your loved one refuses to eat, what can you do? Here are five tips to help you inspire your loved one to eat again.

1.   Rule Out Any Medical Problems

Whenever eating patterns change, it’s important to rule out medical problems.  Ask your loved one about a sore throat, stomach aches, or any other pains that make eating difficult.

Be sure to mention the lack of appetite to the doctor and see if any tests are recommended. You may learn the change is due to a medication side-effect, or constipation.  

In addition to the doctor, take your loved one to the dentist for a cleaning and exam. Tooth pain can make eating a challenge, so you want to make sure they aren’t dealing with cavities or gum disease.

2.   Experiment with Flavors

Eating can be a pleasurable experience, utilizing multiple senses. People don’t just eat with their mouths. They use their sense of smell, sight, and taste to get the most out of mealtime.

As you age, it’s common for your senses to dull. This means food doesn’t taste as good as it used to.

To help overcome this challenge, experiment with flavors. Add bold seasoning to dishes. Try adding a squeeze of fresh citrus, or a sprinkling of fresh herbs. Your goal is to make the food as flavorful as possible, so it wakes up the taste buds.

You can improve the visual appeal of the food as well. Prepare a variety of healthy, colorful foods. Take time to plate them nicely.

Try to keep the food from all looking or tasting the same. This will keep mealtimes more interesting for your loved one.

3.   Serve Easy to Chew Foods

Chewing can become more difficult with age. Sometimes eating tires an elderly person out.

If this is the case, prepare easy to chew foods. These soft foods will be easier to eat and may encourage your loved one to eat more.

Here are ten nutritious, easy to chew foods you can add to the menu:

  • Soups
  • Yogurt
  • Smoothies
  • Fruit
  • Shredded meat with gravy
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Macaroni and cheese
  • Eggs
  • Rice
  • Tuna salad

4.   Ask Your Loved One to Help Meal Plan

Often, having a say in the food choice makes everything more palatable. If your loved one is able, ask what they’d like to eat.

You may discover they have a craving for a casserole their mom used to make, or a cheese zombie like they had in the elementary school cafeteria. Food memories are powerful and utilizing them can help encourage consumption.

5.   Eat Together

Eating alone can reduce the appetite of your loved one. Eat together whenever possible.

If joined meal times don’t work because of your schedule, you may need to get creative. Is there someone else who may enjoy a meal date? Could your loved one occasionally eat at a community center or church meal?

Think of ways to turn mealtimes into a social affair. Being around others who are eating can help spark an appetite.

Switch Things Up

Don’t be afraid to change things up a bit if your loved one isn’t eating. Try eating later in the day or having a snack between lunch and dinner.

Check out recipes together, and pick something new to try. Head to an unfamiliar restaurant.

You want to do what you can to ensure your loved one has the necessary nutrition.

Do you know someone else struggling because their loved one isn’t eating? Please share this post with them so they can benefit from the tips.

 


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When is it never stressful as a caregiver?

Everyone is depending on you to take care of them. Of course, it can get overwhelming!

According to the National Alliance on Care Giving and the AARP, in 2015, 43.5 million American were unpaid caregivers for their loved ones.

Sixty percent of these people were female.

Older caregivers were more likely to be retired or unemployed.

Additionally, they were actively involved in communicating with the medical and nursing teams regarding the care of their loved one.

The responsibility of care-giving including financial responsibility impacts your physical health and mental health greatly as a caregiver.

Throw in the holidays and you have a perfect “stress” storm.

You don’t have navigate these waters alone.

Moreover, it is important that you realize that you are not alone in your situation.

Taking care of yourself as a caregiver is important because try as you may, you simply cannot give people clean water to drink if you’re constantly drawing out of a well that is dry.

The best caregivers take care of themselves.

In this post, we’ll talk about 7 ways you can bust through stress during this season.

7 ways to bust through caregiver stress during the holidays

Give yourself permission to enjoy the season

You have worked hard this year.

As a caregiver, it can be easy to forget to enjoy the season because you are trying to attend everyone else’s happiness. Give yourself permission to stop, take stock of how amazing you are and enjoy the time with your friends and family.

Leave it to the professionals

Need help during this season? Request a free consultation with us at Green Tree Home Care and we would be more than happy to step in!

We now serve clients in the Orange County area as well!

If you’re reading this and don’t live anywhere within our service areas, find out if a local home care agency in your area will be able to help out.

Ask for help

If you don’t ask, people will hardly ever volunteer.

If you need to take an afternoon off just so you can gather your thoughts, ask available friends or family to help out.

And if you need to prepare family meals and have a lot of gatherings you’re responsible for, ask for help here as well!

Get a good night’s sleep

A lack of sleep will cause your body to be tired and ultimately makes stress and anxiety worse.

Make sure you’re getting as much sleep as you can so you can be rested enough to provide the best care to your loved one.

Be patient with yourself

Nobody gets it right all the time.

Be patient with yourself. If you’ve made mistakes in your care-giving journey, forgive yourself, make a note of those mistakes and develop solutions that will ensure you don’t make them again.

Journal

Researchers from the University of Iowa showed that journaling about stressful events helped people cope more than if they didn’t.

Writing down how you’re feeling can help you think through solutions that might be helpful. So may for a gift this year, you could buy yourself a journal?

Talk to a therapist

Talking to a therapist does not have to always be the last resort. Just like you would go to your doctor regularly for check ups, routine checks for your mental health is important as well.

Don’t have a therapist? Here’s how you could find one.

  • It is likely your city has a local mental health department. Call them and ask them what programs they have available or how they could put you in touch with a therapist.
  • Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance will help you locate local support groups for people struggling with these mental health issues.
  • Are you a veteran? The Veteran’s Administration has mental health resources for veterans to help them cope with mental health issues. They might be able to help with a therapist too.

Caregiver stress is real. Holiday stress is real. Combine the two and you definitely have a recipe for disaster.

You don’t have to bear the burden all by yourself.

Seek the right help and give yourself a chance to enjoy your holidays to the fullest.

Did you enjoy this post?

Share it with someone else who needs it.


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Did the recent California wildfires affect you?

We realize that this might be a difficult time for you as a caregiver or an elder affected by the fires.

There is some good news for California wildfire victims who are on Medicare: the deadline to enroll in and/or review and change your options for 2019 has been extended.

Regular open enrollment for Medicare ends on December 7. However, the fires may have caused you to move out of your home. Because of this, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare have given California wildfire victims an enrollment extension.

The Human and Health Services has categorized the fires as a public health emergency and thus they have also made other provisions for Medicare beneficiaries.

What you should know.

If you are or your elderly loved one is a Medicare beneficiary, here’s what is available to you.

  • Haven’t enrolled yet? Call the Medicaid hotline at 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on how to take advantage of the extension.

 

  • Waivers for skilled nursing facilities (SNF) and assistance for hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Here’s what that means.
    • If you have recently exhausted your SNF benefits, you could get renewed SNF coverage without having to start a new benefit period.
    • You had to evacuate or be transferred because of the wildfires. If you or your loved one needs skill nursing care (SNF), you can get temporary emergency coverage without a qualifying hospital stay.
    • If you lost your prescription medications in the fire, Medicare may cover the replacement cost of those medications. You can get coverage for up to the quantity your pharmacy originally dispensed.
    • To get more knowledge on what might be covered during this public health emergency period, you can either call the hotline or read detailed information here.

 

  • Because this is a public health emergency, Medicare Advantage plans will have to waive prior authorization and any similar requirements. This will help affected beneficiaries get care from non-network providers and hospitals faster.

 

  • Are you on dialysis? If you cannot get care from your regular provider, call the Northern California patient hotline at 800-637-4767 or the hotline number in Southern California at 800-637-4767. They will help you sort out where you can go for care.

It’s a difficult time…

We realize that these fires are a difficult time for everyone in so many different ways.

If you were looking to hear some good news during this time, I hope this helped.

At the very least, call the Medicare hotline to find out what is available to you.


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