Health and Wellness

Staying Mentally and Physically Fit in Retirement

"When planning for retirement, most people focus on financial matters. But how you spend your retirement, including how you take care of yourself, is just as important.

The transition to retirement life can be hard. Your days may lack structure and you’ll need to get accustomed to this new lifestyle.

But one of the best ways to overcome the uneasiness of not working is to create a new daily schedule that focuses on staying physically and mentally healthy."

This blog article comes from Wildpine Residence in Ottawa, Canada. Although the source is Canada-based, it still applies to most retirees. The Wildpine site has an excellent list of resources addressing retirement living.

AARP Staying Sharp

"AARP Staying Sharp, an online program that shows you how to build habits that support your brain health — and have fun doing it!"

"How you spend your day can have a big impact on brain health, research shows. Eat well, move often, see friends, get good sleep, manage stress, keep learning. We'll share the whys and the how-tos."

What Do I Get?

"Take the Cognitive Assessment and other tests to see how your memory and attention are working today, then learn strategies to support brain health as you age. We've also got games for a fun distraction."

Cognitive Assessment and Lifestyle Check-Ins

Knowledge is power. Take some time to understand your cognitive skills. Thirteen tests in all to help you think about what strategies to practice for your brain health.

Make Brain Health a Habit

AARP's Global Council on Brain Health reviewed the latest research to offer the best advice. The result is the six pillars of brain health. Learn how to build habits around all six.

Choose Your Path

An extensive menu of interactive challenges and activities plus meditations, exercise demos and TED videos. Need a healthy recipe? We've got you covered.

PLEASE NOTE: AARP offers a free version of these tools and an expanded version with AARP membership. Check it out!

LA FRONTERA Arizona / EMPACT - SUICIDE PREVENTION CENTER

EMPACT – Suicide Prevention Center

“Your Partner for a Safe, Strong, and Healthy Community”

La Frontera Arizona / EMPACT – Suicide Prevention Center offers comprehensive crisis and community behavioral health services to children, adults, and families. Services are provided in the home or at one of our offices located in metro Phoenix, San Tan Valley, and the City of Maricopa."

"In addition to providing direct services, EMPACT is an active in our communities providing prevention programs, training, outreach, and advocacy. We partner with police, fire, schools, places of worship, legal systems, and other agencies and organizations seeking to promote safe, healthy, and resilient individuals, families, and communities."

Check out LA FRONTERA's website to learn about all the services offered.

NOTICE TO PATIENTS

This practice serves all patients regardless of ability to pay. No one will be denied access to services due to inability to pay. We have a discounted/sliding fee schedule available based on family size and income. Please enquire at the reception desk to apply.

AVISO PARA PACIENTES

Los centros de salud ofrecen servicios sin considerar la capacidad para pagar. Los cargos generados por servicios de salud son calculados de acuerdo al nivel de ingreso del paciente. Pacientes pueden aplicar con la recepcionista. Gracias.

How to get Financial Assistance for Adjustable Beds

"Adjustable beds typically start at $500 in smaller sizes and can easily cross the $2,000 threshold for split designs, making them a significant financial investment for most buyers. Using Medicare or Medicaid can lower your out-of-pocket payments. That said, there are a few stipulations with both of these programs to consider."

This editorial from the Sleep Doctor was written by Garen Glazer in February 2024 explains how you can receive financial assistance from Medicare or Medicaid to lower out-of-pocket costs for an adjustable bed. Check the following link: Financial Assistance for Adjustable Beds: Medicare, Medicaid, and More (sleepdoctor.com)

What to Know About ADLs and IADLS

"Essential Tasks Needed to Sustain Survival and Well-Being"

"If you spend time in a healthcare facility, you may hear the term "ADL" used by staff. ADL is medical shorthand for "Activities of Daily Living." Learning this shorthand and what it entails can help you advocate that your basic needs are addressed in a medical situation.

By definition, ADLs are the essential tasks that each person needs to perform, on a regular basis, to sustain basic survival and well-being. The term helps healthcare professionals quickly communicate the level of assistance an individual might need or how their health is impacting their day-to-day life."

What Are IADLS?

"You may look at the list about and think that even if you could safely do those nine items, there are still quite a few things that contribute to your quality of life. Don't worry, there is an extension to the list.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLS) refer to activities that support daily life and are oriented toward interacting with your environment. IADLs are typically more complex than ADLs. They are important components of home and community life but can be easily delegated to another person."

For more information check the website for this article written by Sarah Lyon, OTR/L for Verywell Health in February 2023.

How Couples Can Avoid Annoying Each Other in Retirement

Tips for creating separate spaces and respecting alone time

"Before retirement, most couples focus on big planning issues, such as finances, where to live and how to spend their time.

​It’s harder to anticipate the smaller irritations of retired life that can fester if left unresolved, like household noise, chore division, too much time together or not enough personal space.​"

A June 2023 article from AARP dealing with couples' relationships in retirement. Deals with common retirement conflicts.

10 Steps for Healthy Aging

Living a healthy lifestyle becomes even more important for better aging. The things we do to keep body and heart healthy—nutritious diet, physical activity, and social connections – also can help promote brain health and wellness. Here are 10 steps for successful aging:

Silver Sneakers at Copper Sky Recreation Complex

Available at no cost for adults 65+ through select Medicare plans.

Specialized classes designed to keep seniors active and healthy. These workouts include fall prevention drills and exercises to improve strength and endurance. A chair and handheld weights or tubing are generally recommended as aids.

7 Ways Exercise Can Boost Your Mental Health

"Studies find exercise improves your mood, helps depression and eases anxiety."

"For all the focus on looking and feeling fit, it would be easy to miss how much of a boon exercise is for mental health.

Besides increasing muscle tone and endurance, cardio and strength training can, quite literally, change your mind. Research finds that regular physical activity can essentially make your brain more nimble, even enhancing the organ’s ability to form neural connections so you’re better able to handle everything coming at you."

For more information on this subject see this August 2023 article from AARP.

Living Retirement to its Fullest - Tips for Creating a Bucket List

"When you retire, you often reflect on everything you accomplished during your life, along with the things you never had the chance to do.

And now, with all this free time on your hands, you can focus on doing the things you’ve always wanted but didn’t have the time for.

So, to help you live retirement life to the fullest, here are some tips for creating a bucket list along with inspiration for goals to add to it."

Check this blog article from the Wildpine Residence in Ottawa Canada. It's a great tool for helping to structure your personal bucket list.

Food Safety - Being Careful in the Kitchen

"The best place to be as a child was in Grandma’s kitchen, especially when she’s taking a fresh tray of cookies out of the oven. Sneaking a bite of cookie dough was a must for any youngster. Grandma may have thought nothing of it then, but today, the risks of eating raw eggs are well known. For seniors, these stakes are even higher. A caregiver may be today’s gateway to good health for their loved one, starting at the basic knowledge of food safety."

This article from Today's Caregiver talks about food safety risks for seniors and how to deal with some of the risks.

Why Seniors Don't Eat: It's Complicated

"More than half of older adults who visit emergency departments are either malnourished or at risk for malnutrition, but not because of lack of access to health care, critical illness or dementia. Despite clear signs of malnutrition or risk of malnutrition, more than three-quarters had never previously been diagnosed with malnutrition, according to the results of a study published online in Annals of Emergency Medicine (“Malnutrition Among Cognitively Intact, Non-Critically Ill Older Adults in the Emergency Department”)"

To learn more about this issue, check the link to this article from Today's Caregiver magazine.

How to Stay Healthy Longer

"It's not just about extending your life—it's also about how to continue feeling good in the years ahead. Here, the head-to-toe tune-up that will help"

"Well past ages 80 and 90, some people still haven’t slowed down.

They’re publishing books, entering bodybuilding competitions, earning degrees, racing boats, and socializing with family and friends who are decades younger.

While that used to be almost unthinkable, it’s becoming more common. Much of what we’ve learned about thriving in one’s later years is relatively recent knowledge. That’s because today, life expectancy is 26 years longer than it was in the 1950s."

"This guide will help you understand what typically happens in six important systems, how they may change with age, what you can do bolster them, and how to keep yourself in top shape for many years to come."

This August 2023 article from Consumer Reports discusses the importance of major body systems in extending your lifespan.