EVERBROOK IS HIRING? CLICK HERE
Monday - Sunday
8:00am - 8:00pm
Tour any of our communities. Click here to get started.
162 College Highway
Southampton, MA 01073
Our Professional Referral Program is available for your residents. Simply complete our form to begin the process.
Now Hiring! We are currently looking to
fill positions at all of our established Everbrook communities.
Our newest community, Islebrook Village
at Wiscasset is underway, with plans to open in Spring of 2025.
From youth through older adulthood, we’ve all experienced the power of music in our lives. Whether it’s a moving instrumental piece or a swift beat with diverse vocal range, music has the power to shift your mood, inspire creativity, enhance concentration, evoke memories, and make mundane tasks more enjoyable.
The influence of music on health and behavior, particularly among older adults, is a topic of growing research interest. A specific set of 10th Century musical frequencies, known as the Solfeggio Frequencies, lay the foundation for modern interest in music and health.
In this article you’ll learn more about:
According to the National Poll on Healthy Aging (2024), more than 50% of adults age 50-80 listen to music daily and 98% stated they feel music provides health benefit. In particular, the older adults also indicated that listening to music reduces stress and tension and helps them relax. Since stress plays a crucial role in many disease processes, the ability of music to reduce a person’s experience of stress is important to wellbeing. Participants also reported that music:
Even though these findings are subjective—meaning they are a compilation of data as reported by the participants, the results align with findings from well-designed studies on music and health. A variety of studies show that music has effects on:
Overall, the research points to music as a valuable intervention to support older adult health and wellbeing. Some studies even indicate music as a useful therapeutic intervention for people who are experiencing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease as well as other conditions that affect learning and memory.
So, what do the ancient Solfeggio Frequencies have to do with music and older adult health?
What are the Solfeggio Frequencies?
The effects of music on health and behavior fascinated the ancient Greeks and the great thinkers of other early civilization. The earliest effects of music on states of wellbeing were observed using a specific six-tone scale, a.k.a., the Solfeggio Frequencies.
The Solfeggio Frequencies are most commonly associated with Gregorian Chants, a form of spiritual music common to early Christianity and ancient Sanskrit chants. The intention was to use sound to evoke a trance like state to facilitate deep spiritual insight or meditation. Over the millennia, the scale has been incorporated into all types of modern instrumental and vocal music. Think of your own everyday experiences of listening to music through film, radio, live performance and how the tones and scales evoke feelings and allow us to form a connection between the music and oftentimes, other things happening in our life at the time. This unique feature of music, as intriguing as it is, is not the reason why the Solfeggio Frequencies matter to health.
The Solfeggio’s six scales were claimed to be associated with specific healing attributes:
When the modern 12-note scale was introduced, only a subset of spiritual practitioners retained the tradition of Gregorian Chants; the Solfeggio was nearly lost to history. Around the 20th Century, a resurgence in Gregorian Chanting brought about interest in the healing effects of music and scientific inquiry into music tuned to the Solfeggio. This led to the scientific and medical research of today, as well as the use of music therapy in clinical settings and in older adult wellness programming.
It's easy for older adults (or their caregivers) to bring the healing power of music into their lives to promote health and wellbeing. Here are a few ideas:
For someone living with disorders of memory, consider these approaches:
If you aren’t sure where to begin with music for health, inquire with a holistic practitioner for a referral to a music therapist or a sound healer. Or contact one of the following organizations to find a practitioner in your area:
International Sound Therapy Association https://ISTASounds.org
The Association of Sound Therapy https://harmonicsounds.com/association-of-sound-therapy
Sound Healers Association https://www.soundhealersassociation.org
American Music Therapy Association https://www.musictherapy.org
World Federation of Music Therapy https://wfmt.info
Resources
Chandra, ML. & Levitin, DJ., “The Neurochemistry of Music.” Trends in Cognitive Sciences, (April 2013) 17:4. Accessed 4 May 2017: https://daniellevitin.com/levitinlab/articles/2013-TICS_1180.pdf
APA.org “Science Watch: Music as Medicine.” Posted by Amy Novotney; (Nov 2013 44:10). Accessed on 4 May 2017:
Sloboda, J.A. and O’Neill, S.A. “Emotions in everyday listening to music.” In Music and Emotion: Theory and Research (Juslin, P.N. and Sloboda, J.A., eds) (2001) pp. 415–429, Oxford University Press. Accessed 4 May 2017
Unlike most major league sports, baseball seems to harken us back to a more nostalgic time. Whether you have grandkids visiting or are gathered with friends at your senior living community, we can’t think of a better way to enjoy the World Series than by baking cookies while watching the game.
Check out our favorite recipes (and we've tested many!), then pair your baking with a classic baseball flick before the games begin. Remember, baseball games seem to go on forever… so you’ll need a lot of cookies!
Back to the Sandlot
Only a handful of movies seem to perfectly capture the nostalgia of a baseball era gone-by. Movies like A League of Their Own, Field of Dreams, The Bad News Bears, Angels in the Outfield, and (of course) The Sandlot come to mind. These are wonderful movies to watch while the cookie-making is getting done… sparking memories and stories to come back to life, to be passed on from one generation of baseball fans to the next.
The Sandlot “Chocolate Dirt” Cookie Recipe—like the famous baseball in this movie, which spends most of its time covered in dirt, this scrumptious chocolate cookie will delight just about every baseball fan.
If chocolate doesn’t hit a homerun for your group, then sweeten-up things up with Baseball Sugar Cookies prepared in fun baseball gear shapes. Making (and eating) these cookies will be a big hit among your little leaguers and big leaguers alike!
If you have a particularly picky crowd for the big games, you might need to break out an extra special baseball cookie recipe. These White Chocolate Baseball cookies elevate the oreo-style cookie to a whole new level in the cookie game! Pairing white chocolate, vanilla crème and/or chocolate crème filled cookies, this recipe delivers on being fun to make and delicious to eat.
Make Baseball Cookie Making a Team Event
Now that you’ve got your recipes, gather your friends and loved ones into teams and have them decorate the cookies with the colors or logos of the teams their rooting for.
While everyone’s hands are busy, fill hearts with baseball stories, historic moments, and Hall of Fame players that you look up to. Go around the room and have everyone share a favorite baseball moment—historic or personal. We will bet there is someone in your group who has a “sandlot story” of their own to tell.
Ah… the big 5-0! Whether you’re just celebrating the “half century” milestone, or you’ve been in your 50s for a while, you’ve probably noticed the subtle signs of aging in the way you move, how you handle stress, and your energy level. Fear Not!
You can continue to age wise and well by following our tips for aging into your fifties—giving additional longevity to your mind-body vitality.
The aging process actually begins in earnest shortly after age 30. At this point, age-related changes tend to be slow and subtle, but become definitively noticeable by the time you enter your forties.
For both men and women, the body loses physical and emotional resilience as they age. Once you get to age 50, there are several noticeable changes such as:
Some of these changes will be due to hormonal fluctuations, such as the loss of estrogen during menopause for women, and dropping testosterone levels for both men and women.
Really, why do we age?
New research points to inflammageing as significant underlying cause for the aging process. The theory goes something like this:
Age-related changes happen due to inflammatory responses that occur in in the body over time. These changes have effects on all the major physiological systems: immune, nervous, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and endocrine. Essentially, everything from the brain and nerves to muscle and bone, heart, lungs, and metabolism go into decline.
What’s that mean, exactly?
You start to feel less resilient to the stresses of life, the environment, illness, and so on. This “inflammageing” process looks different for each person based on factors such as:
Here are our 5 essential tips to support optimal health and youthful vitality in your fifties:
Tip #1: Stay Up to Date on Health Screenings. Be sure to see your healthcare provider for the appropriate age-specific health screenings. For example, if you’ve been a smoker, then a lung cancer screening may be essential. And, if you do still smoke, try to quit—it’s never too late! You likely also need to have routine screenings for breast cancer, prostate cancer, colonoscopy, among others.
Tip #2: Stay Mentally Fit. Mental stimulation is essential to protecting the brain from age-related decline and dementia. Stay mentally engaged by learning a new skill or teaching someone a skill you are good at. Put you mind to work on a daily puzzle or crossword.
Tip #3: Prioritize Sleep. If you don’t have a sleep routine, it’s not too late to create one. Quality sleep isn’t just about how many hours you're asleep; it’s the quality of those hours. A sleep routine includes a routine such as a warm bath or skincare ritual before bed, darkening the room and keeping the temperature cool, and turning-in and waking at consistent times each day. Remember to unplug from digital devices within 2 hours of bedtime.
Tip #4: Eat Fresh, Whole Foods. A “rainbow on your plate” is a great way to think of healthy eating. Be sure your diet is full of a variety of fruits, veggies, lean protein, and unprocessed grains. Limit eating foods from a box or bag as this will reduce your intake of sodium, sugar, and trans-fats. Hydration is important, especially for older adults. Be sure to drink more water, less soda and alcoholic beverages to support optimal health in your fifties.
Bonus Nutrition Tip: Aging bodies don’t always absorb nutrients as well as when we were younger. And sometimes, as we age, we don’t or eat a balanced-enough diet to provide essential nutrients that aging cells need. You may want to consult with your doctor about nutritional supplements for older adults, including: calcium, magnesium, fiber, vitamin D, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, probiotics, and Omega-3 fatty acids. You may also need more protein in your diet.
Tip #5: Move Your Body. Daily physical activity helps to protect the heart, lungs, muscles, bones, and joints. Your 50’s is the ideal time to participate in gentle, weight-bearing activities to help slow down bone loss. New to exercise? Follow the physical activity guidelines for older adults, or consult with a certified fitness professional who specializes in older adult exercise and wellness.
Tip #6: Connect with Others. Social connections are crucial to mental health at every age, and even more so in the older adult years. Connecting with others reduces loneliness, which the US Surgeon General has stated is as deadly as smoking! Look for ways to engage with people of all ages and in different settings. If your family and friend circle is small, consider volunteering in your community or joining a book or board game club at your local library or bookstore.
At Everbrook Senior Living, we view the fifties as a time to focus on you! After years of attending to family, a career, and community obligations, we support your health and wellness journey through state-of-the-art residential and wellness amenities. We offer programs, clubs, classes, and outings that help you preserve and enhance your physical and emotional well-being. Contact us today and come see for yourself what aging wise and well looks like at Everbrook!
It’s easy for anyone to overheat in the summer months. Older adults, especially, are more sensitive to fluctuations in temperature. It’s important to stay aware of how you’re feeling during hot weather, or you can quickly overheat and be at risk for a serious—and potentially dangerous—heat illness.
People age 65 and older typically do not adapt easily to changes in temperature, particularly the sudden and extreme bouts of heat that we’ve been seeing in recent years. Unlike younger people, older adults don’t have the physical resilience to adapt quickly, produce sweat and regulate their body temperature.
There are few reasons why this happens. including:
Signs & Symptoms of Heat Related Illness
According to the CDC, as the body becomes overheated, a person can be in danger of heat-related illness including:
The symptoms of these illnesses can range from mild to severe, and one can quickly progress to another. For example, heat cramps and exhaustion may precede heat stroke.
Some signs that you are experiencing heat illness include:
Keep an eye out for these serious heat illnesses:
Heat exhaustion occurs when your body can no longer stay cool. This often appears as feeling thirsty, dizzy, weak, uncoordinated, or nauseated. You may sweat a lot and have cold and clammy skin, or a rapid pulse.
Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Signs can include fainting, behavior changes, high body temperature (over 104° F), dry skin, a strong and rapid pulse, a slow and weak pulse, and no longer sweating even though it’s hot outside.
Seek medical care immediately if you suspect heat illness.
The best way to stay safe is to know the signs of heat illness and know what to do to address those signs and protect yourself or a loved one.
Older adults can stay safe in hot weather by following these tips:
Hot days are not time to try to keep up with the young kids in your life. Stay cool, stay hydrated, and protect yourself from the heat so that you can enjoy summer days without risk for illness.
Do you feel like you are having to keep tabs on your aging parent? Are you second guessing if mom or dad should still be living on their own and may need more supervised care? There are several hidden warning signs that can be indicators an aging parent needs assisted living care.
When observing your older adult parent in their living space, you’ll want to keep tabs on the following warning signs to assess whether or not they can continue to independently care for themselves and their home. You may want to keep a notebook, so you can see patterns of behavior and can share this information with your parent and their physician. This information will be helpful for decision making and for engaging with assisted living counselors when you start evaluating residential options for your parent.
When you are making notes about these changes in your aging parent, you’ll also want to observer how they respond to the changes themselves and how they respond to you when you try to discuss these things with them:
1. Forgetfulness. It may not seem like a “hidden warning” because forgetfulness in older adults is something we typically think of as really obvious. Before forgetfulness gets to the problematic point, it progresses, for most people, at a slow pace. You’ll want to look for consistent, insidious patterns of forgetfulness. This is more than just occasionally misplacing the car keys—something all of us do from time-to-time. When the car keys (or anything else) go missing more than occasionally, and to the point where the keys can’t be found so your parent can’t drive the car, that’s the kind of progression that’s a sign something more serious is going on with memory.
A red-hot warning sign for forgetfulness, which can have tragic outcomes is your aging parent forgetting to take their medication. Be sure that you are keeping tabs on their dosing—that they aren’t taking too much or too little (or none at all), which could result in a medical emergency situation. Other significant warning signs for forgetfulness include: not remembering where they placed important documents, forgetting to cash checks received, to pay bills electronically or by mail, or placing perishable foods in a cabinet instead of the fridge.
2. House is a Mess. If your parent wasn’t a messy person most of their life, and their living space starts to look in disarray, that could be cause for concern. Take notice of:
These things could be signs of forgetfulness and/or changes in mobility, meaning your parent is no longer able to do these things and is ashamed to tell you.
3. Changes in Mobility. The obvious signs are frequent falls and similar mishaps with movement. Before that degree of change, you’ll want to look for these hidden warning signs in your aging parent’s mobility:
4. Poor Personal Hygiene. If an aging parent suddenly looks unkept, has body odor, or seems to be wearing the same clothes over again, these are subtle signs they are losing the ability to independently care for themself. So pay attention to these things each time you visit:
5. Not Engaging in Activities. If your aging parent has discontinued participation in their usual hobbies, social outings with friends, or routine shopping... and this is not due to an acute illness or minor physical set-back, be concerned. You’ll want to talk
Is it Time for Your Aging Parent to Move to Assisted Living?
If you find that your aging parent displays any of these hidden warning signs of not being able to care for themselves and their living space, then it may be time to consider assisted living. This is especially important to do if you are unable to take-on the challenge of caregiving for your parent. Everbrook Senior Living offers support from compassionate care counselors who can in help you decide about assisted living care that meets your parent’s unique needs. We provide the resources and options necessary for making an informed and affordable choice. Not only do our state-of-the-art, luxury residences provide medical attention your loved one may made need, they will also have access to a full complement of recreational, social, emotional, and cultural activities to support their well-being in their Golden Years.
We’ve covered a great variety of health topics on our blog—most of which focus on encouraging older adults toward an active lifestyle to support their social, physical, and emotional wellbeing. This month, in recognition of National Men’s Health Month, we want to focus on a topic important to men’s emotional and mental health: depression in men. To be clear, depression is not a part of the normal aging process. Depression in older adult men can be overlooked when other health conditions are present, such as dementia. This makes it all the more important to understand and be able to recognize depression in older adult men.
The experience of depression can be quite different for men compared to women. It’s important for loved ones to be able to understand a man’s unique experience of depression so they can best provide support for coping with this serious mental health condition.
Of all the mood disorders, depression is the most common, afflicting over 21 million Americans from all ethnic groups, ages, and backgrounds each year. Annually, over six million men suffer from depression. In general, men (compared to women) have been less open about reporting symptoms of depression to a healthcare provider. In recent years, thanks to high profile stories of men speaking openly about their mental health and a movement to de-stigmatize conditions like depression, men have been more forthcoming about their struggles with depression.
There are still generational differences around mental health, including depression. Some older adult men may not be willing to admit to feeling depressed—they may look for a “logical reason” for what they are feeling, and become despondent and/or angry when they can’t pinpoint that reason to explain their depressed mood.
A Man’s Experience of Depression
Ups and downs in mood are a natural part of being human. Hour to hour, day to day, our emotions can shift based on events in our lives and our perceptions of these events. Clinical depression in men reflects a disturbance in mood and emotion over a period of time, interfering with a person’s usual daily routine and their ability to derive enjoyment from living as they usually do.
If you are concerned that a man in your life may be struggling with depression, ask yourself if there is evidence of the following signs/symptoms:
What Can Trigger Depression in Older Adult Men?
For older adult men, depression can be triggered by situations that create feelings of helplessness, anger or stress, such as:
Remember: There isn’t a single cause of depression; sometimes, it can afflict a man for no apparent reason. This is why addressing depression must consider biological (genetic factors), psychological, and social factors as well as things like lifestyle choices, relationships, and coping skills.
Men can do many things to help protect against risk of depression. The following healthy living tips are a good start:
Get Cuddly. Hugs, a gentle hand on the back, and other affectionate touch is shown to reduce stress, and lower heart rate and blood pressure. It also increases the hormone oxytocin, which plays a role in our desire for social and romantic bonding. Touch, ideally, is between two people who care for one another’s well being, but older adults can also benefit from cuddling a dog—a live animal or a robotic therapy pet!
Stay Social. Older adults need in person social connections to support their emotional wellbeing. People who maintain social ties—over a cup of coffee, lunch, dinner, or a game of cards—have lower risk for depression and other health problems, tend to live longer, and report having happier lives, overall.
Eat a Brain Smart Diet. The food you eat influences the production of brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that play a role in regulating emotional experience and mood. A brain smart diet includes primarily plant0based whole foods, lean cuts of poultry and fish, and, less frequently beef, as well as a variety of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables.
Mood Lifting Movement. There’s a significant link between exercise and positive mood. You don’t need to have a racing heart rate to get the mood boosting effects of exercise. You can benefit from taking a stroll through your neighborhood, dancing in your living room, splashing around in the pool, plating catch, or even doing yoga in a chair. If you can get a partner to join you, even better: You’ll reap the benefits of social connection while engaged in mood lifting movement!
In older adults, what looks like depression could be another underlying health condition—such as sleep deprivation or dementia. And, some health conditions common to older adults can mask a depressive disorder. If you suspect that you, or a loved one, is experiencing depression, please speak to a healthcare provider right away.
Resources
Anxiety and Depression Association of America. “Men’s Mental Health”
Mental Health America. “Depression”
Murray, M.T. and Pizzorno, J. “Depression.” Cited in Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (3rd Ed.) 2012. New York, NY: Atria Paperback: Simon & Schuster, Inc. p. 497-498.
When Mom resides in an assisted living facility, Mother’s Day might look different than celebrations in years past. However, you can bring a unique Mother’s Day activity to her at her residence. Take a look at our list of festive ideas to inspire how you share this special day with your mom.
Before you make plans, be sure to check with the staff regarding updated policies and procedures at the assisted living community. This is especially important if your mom happens to be taking medications or has had a recent change in their health status that could affect her mobility, energy level, or social skills.
If your original plan requires accommodations, ask the staff to assist you in accordance with your mom’s needs and the facility policies.
A Day of Reminiscing. If Mom lives close enough to her original hometown and you can have her out and about for the day, then plan to take her down memory lane! Begin with brunch at her favorite restaurant and car ride or stroll around the old neighborhood. Bring her by schools, homes of friends, parks, and other places she frequented during her life and in raising her family. If some of those places no longer exist, you can show her how the neighborhood has changed. Alternatively, you can bring out old photo albums and gather the kids and grandkids to hear Mom share stories of her youth. Wrap of the day with a home-cooked meal or a meal all together back at the assisted living facility.
Spend Time on Her Favorite Hobby. Maybe your mom has had a lifelong love of gardening, or art, or reading books. Pick-up some terra cotta pots, assorted bulbs and live plants and plan a day of potting plants that will bloom in the weeks to come. This will provide healthy décor for her living space and serve as a beautiful reminder of your time together. Similarly, you could bring a paint and pottery project to her and makes something together, visit local art museums, or take her to a thrift bookstore to stock-up on new reads. Conclude the day with dinner out or at her residence.
Create a Family Recipe Book. Spend the day cooking favorite meals from your childhood—and hers! Prepare a breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. In between the cooking and eating, gather together all the recipes that mom has kept over the years—including all those “secret ingredient” ones she tries to keep from everyone. Work together to create a paper or digitized family recipe book.
For any of these activities, you can have the grandkids and any of your siblings stop by throughout the day, or the weekend, to participate.
If these ideas aren’t on par with what will work for your mom, the following tips may help you come up with meaningful ideas that are just right for your mom:
What are some of your mom’s favorite things from over the years: music, books, hobbies, places? Brainstorm ways to bring those things into her assisted living residence. For example, she may not be able to visit Hawaii again, but you can put together a slideshow of her trip there and watch Hawaiian themed movies, together.
Does she still have close friends from her neighborhood? If so, consider bringing some of these folks to her on your next visit, or arrange a group video call.
Does she have a bucket list item? Consider some of the things your mom has always wanted to do or see—and try to find a way to bring that wish to life for her.
There are many ways to make Mother’s Day special for a mom residing in assisted care. A little creativity and a lot of love and thoughtfulness will help you plan a wonderful celebration with, and for your mom.
Spring is blooming all around us and as soon as the chill leaves the air, you’ll be wanting to step outdoors to recreate. Older adults can keep the spring in their step and prevent falls by maintaining a simple routine of balance and strength building exercises.
If you’ve felt unsteady around your home during the winter months, or if you (or a beloved older family member) have a history of falling or being unsteady, it’s important to step into physical activity with extra caution. Though it is tempting to venture out on a long walk on the first warm day of the spring season, not being physically ready for the increase in physical activity can lead to a potentially devastating fall or other injury. Older adults want to pay attention developing and maintaining balance, coordination, and strength in the legs as well as their core muscles around the midsection.
“Having good balance can help older adults avoid both the frequency and the severity of their falls, reducing the the likelihood they will suffer a serious injury that will lead to a significant and permanent change in their quality of life. That is why exercise is so important on a daily basis!”
~ Michael Levandowski, B.S. EP-C, CDP, Everbrook Exercise Physiologist
The following are basic exercises that senior citizens can be doing year-round, particularly during the weeks and months leading up to spring. If you haven’t participated in an exercise program in quite a while, be sure to get cleared by your physician before you begin. Also, seek the guidance of a certified fitness trainer who specializes in working with older adults.
For older adults, certain movements or activities can present cause them to feel unsteady and increases their risk for falling, such as:
Sit-to-Stand Exercise
The sit-to-stand exercise builds leg strength and improves body mechanics and balance, which are important in reducing falls. This exercise mimics the movements that are necessary to rise from a seated position and return to that position. Seats of varying heights can be used based on a person’s starting range of motion and ability to move independently or with an assisted device such as a cane or walking stick.
Balance Training Exercises
The ability to stand on both feet, and on either foot independently, is essential for fall prevention as well as for climbing or descending a flight of steps. At home, it’s easy to work on balance training exercises. Just be sure you are nearby a steady piece of furniture, such as a couch or a countertop that you can easily reach out to if you do feel unsteady.
Standing Feet Apart
Start with both feet on the ground, shoulder distance apart. Stand without holding onto anything for 10 seconds, working your way to 1 minute for a set of 3-5 repetitions.
Standing Feet Together
Start with both feet on the ground, shoulder distance apart. Stand without holding onto anything for 10 seconds, working your way to 1 minute for a set of 3-5 repetitions.
Standing on 1 Foot at a time
Yoga or Tai Chi Class
If you are already steady on your feet. Practicing yoga or Tai Chi 1-3 times a week is an excellent way to maintain and even improve your strength, balance and coordination. You might also benefit from a regular workout, twice a week, using strength training equipment under the supervision of an exercise specialist, as noted above.
Fitness and Wellness at Everbrook Senior Living
Senior fitness and wellness are a priority at Everbrook Senior Living. Whether you are part of our independent living community or require assisted living services, our cutting-edge exercise program is led by a certified exercise physiologist who delivers evidence-based, safe and fun exercises designed for older adults. In addition to a focus on individual needs, we also offer a variety group exercise and Wellnes 4 Later Life programs, all designed to help you feel your best at every age and state of life.
We’d love for you to see what the Everbrook family of senior living residences has to offer you. Get in touch with us, today, to schedule a tour.
Additional Resources on Fall Prevention Exercise for Older Adults
Tufts School of Medicine “Exercise Decreases Fall Risk for Elderly People”
Is forgetfulness, faulty memory, or even dementia hardwired into the brain’s destiny as we age?
Some scientists think that terrifying idea may hold some truth; but hope lies with scientists who are studying just the opposite question:
What can we do to protect brain health, particularly as we get past age 40 and progress into the older adult years?
One important area of research is the role of nutrition for a healthy older adult brain. What we are leaning is that, indeed, key nutrients and dietary habits can help protect the integrity and longevity of brain cells and nerve pathways.
Let’s learn a bit more about how older adults should eat to nourish a healthy brain!
Scientists believe the dementia disease process begins when protein builds-up in brain tissue, causing damage to nerve cells. This evolves over a period of many years (sometimes as much as 10-20 years) before symptoms show up. Genetics, lifestyle, dietary habits, and environmental factors influence the onset of dementia and the rate of deterioration for each person is different for each person.
Since research shows a variety of factors influence the development of the dementia, it’s important to learn what factors you have the ability to exert some control over—to potentially alter your brain’s destiny, such as
Keep in mind, the earlier in life you establish these habits, the better your overall health will be and the better the protection you give to your nervous system and brain. Let’s take a closer look at smart eating for older adults.
Nutrition Tips for Brain Health in Older Adulthood
Choosing fresh, high quality, and nutrient rich foods is the foundation for eating for brain health. Whole foods (not boxed, packaged, and processed), provide the greatest nutrient density and it is nutrients that work in your cells to exert healthy effects on organs and tissues in the body. Plus, fresh food simply tastes better!
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (fish oil) help reduce inflammation in the body; this includes nourishing and protecting brain cells. Your body cannot make Omega-3 fatty acids, so you must get these nutrients from the food you eat or from a supplement. Omega-3 rich foods include salmon, tuna, halibut, krill, as well as flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts. Ideally, you want to take in 1000-2000 mg of Omega-3s for optimal health and brain support.
Vitamin B-6 is known to support the body’s ability to fight germs and produce energy, and it supports brain development early life. As we age, B6 is involved in more than 200 physiological interactions, but with age and typical changes to eating habits, we get less of this nutrient. Studies show high levels of homocysteine have been associated with different types of dementia and general cognitive decline. Vitamin B6 helps the body regulate levels of homocysteine in the blood, so it can support brain health. Foods rich in B-6 include chicken, salmon, nuts, chickpeas, and some fruits. A b-6 supplement should be discussed with your physician to be sure you don’t take too much.
Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds in plants, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This means these plant chemicals help protect cells from inflammation and do a better job of reducing inflammation that does occur. To get your daily dose of brain-boosting polyphenols eat 5 servings a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables.
Probiotics have been getting a good deal of attention for the role they play in supporting gut health. You might have heard about the gut microbiota and the microbiome? Well, as it turns out a healthy gut supports the immune system, helping to keep undesirable bacteria levels low, and encouraging good bacteria to flourish. There’s also emerging research showing strong connections between gut health and brain health (known as the gut-brain-axis). It seems certain probiotics can protect from cognitive decline and/or support healthy cognitive function, but more conclusive evidence is needed. There are many strains of probiotics so it’s important to speak with your health provider about which probiotic supplement is best for your brain health concerns.
These are just a few of the key nutrients that support brain health for older adults. There are other vitamins and minerals, as well as herbs, that can support a healthy, aging brain. Please check-in with your healthcare provider for the approach for your healthcare needs.
Nourishing Mind and Body with Exceptional Amenities at Everbrook
At Everbrook Senior Living, you’ll find exceptional amenities to support your lifestyle. Our best-in-class dining venues provide our residents with nourishing, delicious meals. Our Wellness 4 Later Life offers a variety of activities, excursions, and hobbies to support a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Contact our care coordinators to learn more about our living options—or schedule a tour of one of our charming New England properties.
Resources
TED Radio Hour. “Lisa Genova: Can Alzheimer’s Disease be Prevented?”https://www.npr.org/2017/07/21/537016132/lisa-genova-can-alzheimers-disease-be-prevented
NIA.NIH.gov“What Causes Alzheimer’s Disease?”https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-causes-alzheimers-disease
NutritionData.com. Foods Highest in Total Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Ahttp://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-012140000000000000000.html?maxCount=20
Alzheimer’s Association. The Healthy Brain Initiative: A national public health road map to maintaining cognitive health. (published with the CDC).https://www.alz.org/national/documents/report_healthybraininitiative.pdf
Cederholm, T., Salem, N. & Jan Palmblad; ω-3 Fatty Acids in the Prevention of Cognitive Decline in Humans, Advances in Nutrition, Volume 4, Issue 6, 1 November 2013, Pages 672–676.https://doi.org/10.3945/an.113.004556
Older adults can celebrate Valentine’s Day and American Heart Month by treating their senior sweetie to a heart-healthy treat: Dark chocolate.
More than just an indulgence, nutrients found in dark chocolate can support cardiovascular health, which is important for aging adults. But not just any ole’ dark chocolate; you want to indulge in dark chocolate with a high cacao content. What’s so special about cacao? Glad you asked!
Cacao: Raw Chocolate, Food of the Gods!
Considered by ancient Mayan culture to be the ‘food of the gods,’ cacao is cocoa (chocolate) in a raw, less-processed form. Cacao grows from trees called Theobroma cacao, which are native to South America and West Africa where more than half of the world’s cacao comes from. After harvesting, cacao is processed to make various chocolate products. The more cacao is processed, the more nutrients it loses. Less processing not only helps dark chocolate retain nutrient density, less additives are mixed-in, such as added sugars, palm oils, butters, and artificial flavoring.
To derive maximum health benefit from eating dark chocolate (in moderation) choose chocolate that contains 70-85% cacao (60% is the minimum cacao content).
Like most plants, cacao contains nutrients and plant compounds (known as polyphenols) that support health. Dark chocolate, that is minimally processed, contains several health-promoting compounds. When cacao-rich dark chocolate is eaten in moderation as part of an otherwise healthy diet for older adults, it is associated with the following heart-healthy benefits:
Knowing that dark chocolate can support heart health isn’t a free pass to eat bars of it every day. When nutritionists and healthcare providers suggest eating dark chocolate, they are talking about an ounce or two a couple of times a week. They also intend for you to reduce your intake of overprocessed sweets and snacks and replace those with cacao-rich dark chocolate. In a nutshell, dark chocolate should a part of an older adult’s healthy diet inclusive of veggies, fruits, lean meats, poultry, and plenty of water.
Check out these 12 healthy versions of dark chocoalte recipes – our favorite: The Dark Chocolate Fondue.
This Valentine’s Day, surprise your sweetie by making cacao-rich dark chocolate fondue and sharing dipped fruit together. Remember to use chocolate ingredients that is 60% or higher in cacao content.
Fun Flavor Fact: Raw cacao has a unique flavor profile! Depending on the cacao content, dark chocolate can be slightly to very bitter compared to its more processed chocolate cousin. This is why many high-cacao dark chocolate products are infused with other nutrient-dense ingredients, such as dried fruit (raspberry, acai berry, blueberry) or fruit extract (orange, berry) or nuts (walnut, cashew). These ingredients cut the bitterness and enhance the sweet, tangy flavor profile of dark chocolate.
There are many simple ways for an older adult to make, and keep, a New Year’s resolution. Whether you want to exercise more regularly, drink less soda, or learn how to draw, the following tips can help you be successful with your resolution for 2024.
First, kudos to you for recognizing it’s never too late to make a change, try something new, or otherwise enhance an area of your life.
Perhaps the most important thing to know is that change is a process. The more ready you make yourself for it, the easier it can be to follow through to successfully keeping your New Year’s resolution.
A few things to keep in mind:
Know Your Why. Write down why you want to make a particular change. Motivation is an important predictor of behavior, so be honest about your why. If your motivation for change isn’t important enough to you, you are less likely to stick with your 2024 resolution. Make note of how you want to feel when you achieve your resolution.
Grant Yourself Patience and Kindness. Whether you’re adding a healthy habit like eating more fruit throughout the day or trying to reduce a poor habit such as smoking or watching too much TV, making a change takes about 6 weeks before the behavior becomes routine for you. Be patient with yourself. If you slip-up, intentionally or on purpose, be kind to yourself. Every moment, every day, is a chance to begin again and do better. Berating yourself will only make you less motivated to stick with your resolution. Be kind to you!
Do Set Goals. Don’t Aim for Perfection. Of course, you’ll set goals to guide your process during those six weeks and beyond. It’s also important to understand that making a behavior change involves more than just good planning. There will be emotional ups and downs, progress and setbacks that will be different for each person. Plan for success and be realistic about challenges you may encounter. Try to anticipate how you will handle challenges that pop-up (our list below can help with this). If you are moving toward your goals 80% of the time, you are doing great!
The Golden Years can be a time of adventurous change for many older adults—and the New Year is the perfect time to embark on a specific change for yourself… check out these ideas:
Resources
Young, S. “Healthy Behavior Change in Practical Settings.” Perm J (2014, Fall) 18:4: 89-92. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4206177
NIH.gov “Changing Your Habits for Better Health.”
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diet-nutrition/changing-habits-better-health
Medium.com “10 Science-backed Tips to Making a Health Behavior Change that Sticks.” Posted by Paige Brown Jarreua;https://medium.com/lifeomic/10-science-backed-tips-to-making-a-health-behavior-change-that-sticks-8655c3bbde50
APA.org “Making Lifestyle Changes that Last”https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/lifestyle-changes.aspx
Finding the time for holiday shopping, selecting the right gift for each person at the best price – it's enough to stress out even the jolliest of shoppers. When you have a loved one in assisted living, it can be difficult to know what to gift that person. To help you avoid defaulting to baked goods and gift cards, try the suggestions on our list: “Mindful Gift Giving for Loved Ones in Assisted Living”.
A mindful approach to gift giving can ease your shopping stress, help you find greater joy in the giving process, and provide your loved one in assisted care with a more meaningful holiday experience.
To give mindfully, you must give some thought to what you know about your loved one in assisted care and pay attention to what is important to them or needed by them. Mindful gift-giving also requires that you slow down and give thought to why you are giving the gift. You can discern this by engaging in the following simple, pre-shopping exercises:
The gift of presence. If you recognize that your loved one is lonely – missing their significant other who has passed, or not socializing much at their care facility, give the gift of being there with them. Bake holiday treats together, put on holiday classic music from their generation, and stream a few holiday movies. Play games or make holiday crafts, together.
The gift of skill or talent. Maybe someone needs your unique skills. If you draw, paint, take pictures, offer to do a portrait of the person – make them feel like a model for a day; then hang the portrait when it is ready. If you are an excellent cook, plan a time to create a few day’s worth of healthy meals or snacks (*aligned with their dietary needs). Then, sit down to enjoy one of those meals, together. Or, teach the person your craft or skill.
The gift of memories. Write a note, a poem, or create a collage of photos and captions of special and everyday experiences that you’ve shared with your loved one or that they’ve shared with others across their lifetime. Reminding them of these special times and giving a memento such as this is a wonderful way to give a gift that keeps on giving.
The gift of helping hands. If you noticed they have an old radio with poor reception, update it. Or, if they are still tech savvy, gift them a digital music player and teach them how to use it. (preload it with tunes they will enjoy). Are there repairs to be done around their assisted living apartment that the on-site maintenance doesn’t take care of? Step-up and help out with that.
If there are grandkids around, all of these mindful approaches provide an opportunity to create lasting memories, and to share in one another’s life experiences.
With this mindful gifting approach, you can add joy and meaning to the holidays for yourself and your loved one.
If you need more ideas, check out this article from Harvard Health. If you still want to go to a traditional route with gift, have a conversation with your loved ones CNA or other on-site care provider before you purchase something that either don’t need or can’t have in their assisted living space.
Everbrook Creates Home for Seniors at Every Level of Care
Everbrook Senior Living embraces the unique needs and qualities of each of our residents. Muchmore than just a place to live, it is our goal to provide a home for every resident. We are involved in every aspect of the design of exceptional, elegant, and affordable residences from independent living to assisted living and hospice care. We offer first-in-class health and wellness programs that are backed by the latest research. Our team of professionals are thoroughly assessed and bring to their work a devotion to the care of older adults, a willingness to learn from them, and the ability to their interests, personal needs, and sense of community.
Come see for yourself: schedule a visit, today.
Caregiving for a family member who has a chronic health condition is taxing for even the most resilient individuals. If you are a family caregiver, it is essential for you to take steps to support and maintain your own wellbeing.
With the aging of the U.S. population, more people find themselves in the role of caregiver for an older adult who has a chronic health condition such as dementia, physical disability, cancer, and other serious illnesses. Consistently, those in a caregiving role report high levels of stress. This stress is compounded for those individuals who have careers and families of their own.
Whether the caregiving role is one you’ve prepared for and willingly taken on or is something that comes as a surprise addition in an already busy life, the stress of caregiving is very real. Fortunately, there are things you can do to prevent caregiver burnout and support your own wellbeing, including
1. Create a Support Network
It’s essential to build your support network early in your caregiving role. Look for support groups offered through local hospitals, libraries, area agencies on aging, senior centers, and mental health advocacy organizations. Through these groups, you will find helpful resources, guidance for dealing with difficult situations, and the invaluable insights of those who have already navigated caregiving challenges.
2. Ask for Help
Knowing where to find, and having access to support is not the same as asking for help. If you are overwhelmed, showing signs of caregiver stress (see below), then you must put ego aside and ask for the help you need. Your loved one’s medical provider or patient advocate froma local hospital or support group is a good place to start.
3. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is not only for people who meditate. You can learn to bring mindfulness strategies into daily life—from folding laundry to walking the dog. You can also cultivate a formal mindfulness practice, which has been shown to significantly reduce stress, chronic pain, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Many community programs such has yoga studios, parks and recreation, YMCA/YWCA offer mindfulness groups or look for a mindfulness-based stress reduction program for caregivers offered through a local hospital or medical arts organization.
Also, see the Zen Caregiving website for resources.
4. Self-care is Essential for Caregivers
There are three things caregivers can focus on to maintain their own wellbeing: sleep, balanced nourishment, and daily physical movement.
Sleep is essential to overall health and wellbeing. During sleep, the body recovers, heals, and develops innate resources to support how we live, work and play during waking hours. One sure sign that you are getting sufficient sleep is waking-up feeling refreshed and restored. If you don’t awake most mornings feeling this way, then you may want to create a sleep routine. A healthy sleep routine includes going to bed and waking the same time each day; using room darkening curtains; lowering the room temperature; and not using digital devices in the bedroom with the hour before going to sleep.
Balanced nourishment means including a variety of real, whole foods in your diet—and enjoying sweets and treats in moderation If you eat mostly packaged and boxed foods, your body is not taking in the vitamins and minerals and fuel nutrients (carbs, protein, healthy fats) that it needs for optimal function. Without a balanced diet, you will feel the effects of stress more sharply and you are likely to throw-off your sleep routine, which compounds stress. If you need some guidance on healthy eating to support your caregiver role, local hospitals and wellness centers usually offer nutrition workshops.
Physical Movement – While vigorous physical activity a few times a week is ideal, it may not be realistic for you as a caregiver, to get 3 or 4 workouts in a week. Instead, aim for daily physical movement that gets your heart rate up for 30 minutes. This can be a walk, bike ride, working in a garden, yoga, taking a fitness class, or turning on music and dancing in your living room. Movement releases hormones that help support a positive mood, strengthens and tones the body, and helps relieve stress. Find something you enjoy and move every day!
5. Know the Warning Signs of Caregiver Stress
The stress of caregiving puts the caregiver at risk for health problems such as burnout, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, headache, sleep disturbances, and relationship tension. Warning signs of caregiver stress and burnout can include:
If you are experiencing symptoms such as these, it is imperative to seek support and medical guidance so that you can recover your wellbeing and continue to be of support for your loved one.
These are just a few of the many approaches to self-care for caregivers. Additional resources can be found at Mayo Clinic and the Caregivers Actions Network.
If you find the caregiver role has become more burdensome than you can manager and still maintain your health and wellbeing, it may be time to consider other options for your frail loved one. Everbrook Senior Living offers support in helping you make this decision along with the resources and options necessary for placing an elderly older adult in assisted living care.
When it comes to Halloween, you’re never too old to pretend to be something or somebody else! Older adults, and their caregivers, can enjoy a safe, fun, and memorable Halloween through a variety of activities.
The Halloween activities we’ve chosen for older adults are not only fun, they provide several benefits including:
Taken together, these benefits support an older adult’s social-emotional and physical well-being, can provide moments of meaningfulness, and foster a sense of belonging.
The activities on our list are easy enough for you to bring to your older adult family member at their home, or set-up as a group activity at a senior living community or local senior center.
Cook-up a Scare: Shrunken Head Apples & Apple Tart Pie
Any cooking experience involves a variety of mental and physical tasks. First, there’s thinking that goes into planning and preparing the recipe. Some recipes require a little physical stamina and dexterity during preparation (ex: standing to cut, chop, mix, and serve).
We chose Shrunken Head Apples because this is a non-edible cooking experience that results in Halloween memento that will last up to a few years! It’s perfect for creating memories with friends, family, and especially with the grandkids. It has many steps involved and is ideal for the kitchen in a senior living center or your home. For an edible favorite, that’s healthy too, check out this Shrunken Head Apple Tart Pie recipe.
Deck the Haunted Halls with DIY Halloween Decorations
One doesn’t have to be an artiste to enjoy making Halloween decorations. From simple paper bat garland to no-carve face-painted pumpkins and wickedly simple-to-make door decorations, there are many safe and fun decorations for older adults to make. Once you have a great selection of decorations, put them up around the house--or deck the haunted halls of the senior living community!
Halloween Trivia & Scary Movie Night
This is perfect for those who don’t enjoy crafting, but want to revel in the spirit of All Hallows Eve. The tv shows movies listed range from horrifying classics to humorously haunting…something for every taste and every age.
For older adults who don’t enjoy scary-movie marathon, break out the trivia games. Always fun, always entertaining, trivia games tend to bring everyone out of the dungeon to play! Play can be set-up for individuals going head-to-head or competition between teams (be sure to have some fun, and funny, prizes for the winners).
There are many haunted trivia games on the market that you can adapt to suit your audience and game format. Search online for more info on these (or other) games: The Halloween Game Trivia Book, Trivial Pursuit: Halloween Edition, and even some of the Halloween trivia sets made for teachers of school-age kids or this spooky trivia set from the Today Show.
Halloween Costume Ideas for Older Adults
Last, but not least, is to dress-up in a Halloween costume that is safe and fun for an older adult. The ideas we share here are easy to put together from clothing seniors already own, or can modify, or can be found with a little savvy shopping.
If these ideas don’t fit your vision for your haunted alter-ego, by all means bring out the horns, fangs, and broomsticks for a more traditional Halloween costume!
Ahh…Autumn in New England. It’s the perfect time of year to fall into the pages of a good story.
What’s your reading pleasure? Is it a heart-pounding thriller or a poignant romance? A perilous adventure story or a hilarious whodunnit? Maybe you’re one for historical fiction or true crime?
No matter the genre, stories are a powerful vehicle for transporting you out of real time and into imaginative places and encounters. But there’s more power in reading than just spurring the imagination: Older adults who are avid book readers are doing a lot to support their health—and they may live longer lives as a result!
Spoiler alert: Don’t miss the book list—featuring dynamic older adult characters, provided at the end of this post!
Book Reading Supports Good Mental and Physical Health
Reading books can enhance both the mental and physical health of older adults in a variety of ways. The benefits presented in the list below come from research that focused on reading books. Magazines and newspapers are a different type of reading experience; while that type of reading has its own benefits, it is not necessarily the same as when reading books. In fact, when comparing people who read books to non-book readers studies show something very interesting: Book-readers have a 20% lower risk of mortality compared to non-book readers. Essentially, book reading adds years to your life span! Here are some of the other important ways reading supports older adult health:
Reading Books as Therapy: Bibliotherapy
You might have heard from someone, or even stated yourself that reading is therapeutic. Now, there is research to back-up the therapeutic value of book reading.
Bibliotherapy is a creative arts therapy devoted to helping an adult or child move through challenging emotional and life experiences. Using books, primarily, but also poetry and picture books; fiction and non-fiction alike, bibliotherapy provides therapeutic, educational, and developmental support with the goal to improve wellbeing, both overall, and in specific situations (school, work, home, social situations, etc.). It can be used when people are recovering from illness, surgery, a traumatic event, as well as when learning to cope with changes to emotional or physical health.
Five Types of Bibliotherapy
You might find yourself engaged in informal bibliotherapy upon learning about a new medical diagnosis, or if you are part of a support group for a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease, or if you are part of a reading group or other type of interest group in your community.
The benefits of bibliotherapy go beyond the benefits of book reading, in general, including but not limited to: helping to reduce clinical symptoms, improve social functioning, reduce loneliness/isolation, instill hope, foster creativity and problem solving, and support recovery.
Books Featuring Older Adult Characters
Having the opportunity to read books that feature characters similar to ourselves as well as those with life experience different from our own is one of the unique features of the reading experience. We asked a few librarians, and we discovered some terrific online resources, to curate this book list—all featuring older adult protagonists, villains, and sidekicks.
Romance
An unlikely friendship—and something more—blossoms between the retired Major, a proper Englishman and Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. But can it survive village gossip and the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of culture and tradition? NY Times Book Review
Mrs. Bertrice Martin—a widow, some seventy-three years young—has kept her youthful-ish appearance with the most powerful of home remedies: daily doses of spite, regular baths in man-tears, and refusing to give so much as a single damn about her Terrible Nephew. Then proper, correct Miss Violetta Beauchamps, a sprightly young thing of 96 (ahem, “nine and six”), crashes into her life. When you’re of a certain age, your take on life looks a lot different and Mrs. Martin is going to have the adventure of a lifetime doing things and exploring relationships on her own terms. Author’s Website
Comedic
In this series, Oceans 8 meets The Golden Girls! The Senior League—five residents of the Diamond Retirement Home—Martha, The Genius, The Rake, Christina and Anna-Greta—turn to a life of crime. You’ll be laughing all the way to the end as you follow this cracker-jack gals through three books in the series. Learn More
Suspense
As the story in this book opens, there’s a retirement-community caper in process. A missing neighbor. A shiny, mysterious object left in place. A photograph that goes viral and an identity long kept hidden faces risk of being exposed. And the dead body pops-up eventually. Things are not always as they seem, and this story quickly evolves into a deceptively dark mystery.
More at Foreward Indie Book Reviews
Horror
Written by one of the masters of the genre, this gothic-horror tale centers around a single question asked by the four elderly men of the Chowder Society: “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” The question drives the men as they meet to share intensely chilling ghost stories and consume expensive cocktails. But are these stories more than fiction? A chain of mysterious events and death hangs over the Chowder Society. But whose to blame for the suicides and “accidental” deaths that surround them…is something sinister at work? Or is the past finally catching up with the men of the Chowder Society? More books like this at Nightfire
Mystery
There’s no other way to describe this book of connected stories than to repeat what Kirkus Reviews wrote: “Five connected stories about a murderous old Swedish lady.” Each tale of main character, 88-year old Maud’s misdeeds (murder, even!) doles out a dose of “senior justice”.
Dick and Dora Zimmerman from are sixty-something crime solvers, specially those of the murderous type. You know, like when a dead body body turns up in an ice box with a note that says, "contents rotten." The Zimmermans are lovable characters with the time, money, wit, and "chutzpa” to get involved despite warnings from police and criminals to stay away. There’s a cast of characters-- residents of the condos where the Zimmermans live in Manhattan and Vegas, who all to eagerly seek Dick and Dora's help whenever foul-play is suspected. *adapted from the author’s website)
Resources for Finding Books with Older Adult Characters
We were impressed that across these lists there were very few duplicate books, So if you haven’t found a book you love among our resources, be sure to talk to the staff at Everbrook Senior Living Community about their book resources, book clubs, and special interest groups.
25 Books with Older Adult Protagonists. This list encompasses books written by authors from various backgrounds and featuring different cultural settings, storylines, and genres. You’re bound to find a few to suit your interest.
Midlife BookList on Facebook. Books that show what makes older adults get fired-up, ticked-off, and maintain their sest for life. These books (and there are a lot) reveal the many perspectives that seniors have on the second half of life—their hopes, fears and challenges, and all of it is weaved into a wide variety of storylines, settings, and dilemmas. From humorous to horrific, from all-to-close to real life to purely fantastical, there is something for everyone in this book list.
Must Read Books Featuring Mature Characters. This list features heroes and heroines having incredible adventures that will make you want to celebrate and empathize with them as you reflect on your own life’s journey. From feisty senior ladies and gents to salty old dogs and timeless romantics…there’s a character in these stories for everyone to love!
Learn More about the Health Benefits of Reading
Why Reading Books Makes You a Better Person, According to Science. Inc Magazine
Benefits of Reading Books: How It Can Positively Affect Your Life
Recently, one of our Everbrook Senior Living team members shared a unique encounter she had had while vacationing in southwest Florida. It’s a story we want to share in celebration of National Senior Citizens Day, which has been observed on August 21 every year since 1988 when then President Ronald Regan signed Proclamation 5847 to salute “older people have achieved much for our families, our communities, and our country… throughout their lives and for all they continue to accomplish…” as citizens of the United States.
Upon exiting the beach, she encountered a group of a dozen or so people surrounding an older woman who was telling stories from under the shower, rinsing sand from her silvery hair. She was so animated, it was impossible to just walk past. The 78-year-old shared stories of her youth: She was born in the Philippines and her family of origin hailed from Japan, Hawaii, and other island nations (places where she had lived as a girl and young woman). What caught our staff member’s attention was not only the way this spry older woman spoke about her history and her life now, but the rapt attention from the onlookers. There was a reverence and admiration for her as she spoke about:
Her “big collection of thousands of shark teeth” found while snorkeling off the coast. Of growing pineapples and tangerines in her backyard; of competing across Florida as a senior champion pickleball player. Of sharing hardships and adventures with her now 80-year-old husband “who I force to retire 15 years ago, or he work both of us to the grave!” Most days, she started her day “playing pickleball for 2 hours before the sun rose to bake the courts” then cooled-off in the Gulf of Mexico followed by bringing treats from her garden to the lifeguards. The rest of the day was for making time to mingle with tourists and locals around the beach town and “doing good deeds.” Fondly known as ‘Granny Kau’i’ (ka-OO-ey), she is living life true to the meaning of her Hawaiian name: ‘the youthful one.’
Thinking Differently About Aging
Kau’i is enjoying a ‘second youth’ in the prime of what we Americans typically refer to as the Golden Years. It’s a time in life that, as one astute teenager in the sandy-toed group observed, “Usually, people my age just ignore older people. Most older folks I know aren’t active like you. You don’t act old. You’ve made me think differently about what being older looks like and can be.” Many of the adults in the group, who hailed from various parts of the U.S., Europe, and Canada nodded agreement and shared similar sentiments.
Sadly, she’s right; phrases like “old man” and “granny” aren’t titles of respect and love in many societies. Instead, they conjure images of older adults who don’t engage much once careers come to an end. This can be for several reasons:
Social & Cultural Factors Behind National Senior Citizen’s Day
Another crucial factor affecting how older adults function in society has to do with social and cultural biases on aging: what it means to grow older and to be a senior citizen. One of President Regan’s intentions with declaring National Senior Citizen’s Day was to combat such misperceptions of older adults and the aging process in our youth-centric American society.
Regan understood two things about aging and society:
National Senior Citizen Day served as a way to draw attention to these issues and to ensure that “our communities are good places in which to mature and grow older — places in which older people can participate to the fullest and can find the encouragement, acceptance, assistance, and services they need to continue to lead lives of independence and dignity.”
From this proclamation, came the growth of organizations, services, and living options (and more legislation) to address the evolving needs of older adults. Since 1988, many more older Americans, like Granny Kau’i, are able to live their best lives in ways that suit their interests, health status, financial resources, and personal preferences. This is the quality of living every older adult deserves and which we, at Everbrook Senior Living, devote ourselves to providing for our residents every day, 365 days a year.
Bringing the Best Solution to Seniors in Later Life.
From your first contact with one of our senior living advisors, you are considered family. We understand that every older adult has unique needs and our living arrangements, programs, and health services are intentionally designed to support those needs from active, independent living to various levels of assisted care.
Each of the Everbrook Senior Living communities is nestled within a community that affords residents the opportunity to take life at the pace they desire…
Everbrook Senior Living embraces the unique needs and qualities of each of our residents. We are involved in every aspect of the design of exceptional, elegant, and affordable residences. We offer first-in-class recreation and wellness programs that are backed by the latest research. And we have a carefully selected team of professionals who are devoted to older adults, seek to learn from them, and nurture their interests, personal needs, and sense of community.
At Everbrook, you live among like-minded peers, experience new adventures, and enjoy the simple luxuries of an active, independent ‘second youth’. Come see for yourself: schedule a visit, today.
Free from the obligations of work and raising a family, older adulthood can be a time to celebrate independence. Let’s explore essential tips to help you (or a loved one) maintain—and celebrate independence in older adulthood.
For some people, the ‘golden years’ present the opportunity to take life at as fast or slow of a pace as one desires. It can be a time to explore hobbies, travel to exciting destinations, rekindle or create new friendships, and spend quality time with beloved family. Maintaining independence throughout older adulthood does take some focus and effort, if one is to stay physically able-bodied and mentally sharp.
Tips for Supporting Older Adult Independence
Stay Socially Connected
Preventing social isolation is crucial for older adults’ physical and emotional wellbeing. As we get older, our social ties can decline because of changes to our health, relocation, and death. It’s important to keep renewing our social connections, which can protect our social emotional health, particularly from depression, anxiety, and memory-loss related conditions such as dementia. Social connections for older adults are kept strong through mutually rewarding activities and interests such as:
Living in a senior living community, such as Everbrook Senior Living, makes it simple for older adults to stay young-at-heart. These communities often provide on-site wellness programs, trips, dining clubs, and maintenance-free living so you have the time to enjoy your free time.
The Game is Afoot!
Games are a wonderful way for older adults to keep the mind sharp, connect with others, and have fun with a significant other, grandkids/ family, old friend, or to make new friends. Board games or card game clubs can be found through your local library, senior center, YMCA, or JCC. Such clubs are also present at most senior living communities, and often are peer-led by residents of the community, making it easy to make new friends. Check out these crafts and games designed to celebrate senior independence on Independence Day.
Stay in Motion
Exercising in older adulthood helps to maintain physical strength, stamina, coordination, emotional wellbeing, and mental sharpness. When you feel strong and capable, that supports independence. If you were an athlete earlier in life, you may very well be able to maintain vigorous activity during older adulthood. For other folks, being physically active in older adulthood means changing the intensity or type of activity—if your knees aren’t up for running, switch to power walking or swimming, for example. There are so many types of exercise routines that can be modified for an older adult’s needs, from weight training to yoga. Just check with your doctor before starting an exercise program or switching to a new activity.
Elegance and Independence at Everbrook Senior Living
When you reside at an Everbrook Senior Living community, you’ll have access to the Wellnes 4 Later Life Program, which addresses all of your physical, social, and emotional needs. You’ll work with an on-site exercise physiologist and have access to physicians to assess and monitor your health. At Everbrook, you can live among like-minded peers, experience new adventures, and enjoy the simple luxuries of active, independent living in your golden years.
Give us a call today to learn more about all that we have to offer.
When you were a kid, did you have a hobby? Whether you collected stamps, dolls, or comic books, repaired bikes or dabbled in model cars, you can probably recall your hobby ‘getting you in the zone’. Being so fully immersed in what you were doing that it was hard to break away to even eat dinner. When your former hobby comes to mind, it may bring up feelings of joy, satisfaction, and accomplishment. No matter your age, the positive feelings that arise from being engaged in a hobby contribute to emotional and physical well-being. Even if you haven’t had a hobby for many years, it’s never too late to find a new hobby and experience the health benefits.
Hobbies are a simple yet profound way to support an older adult’s health and happiness. A hobby can provide an outlet for creativity, an intellectual challenge, pure fun, and social engagement. When engaged in a hobby, we are immersed in a state of pleasure and detachment from the drama of daily life.
Some of the ways hobbies contribute to an older adult’s well-being include:
Now that you know hobbies are good for your health—what if you haven’t engaged in a hobby in a while—where do you begin? There are some very simple ways older adults can discover a new hobby. Before we tell you how to find a new hobby, let’s talk about your mindset with starting something new: The key is to not be afraid to experiment or to try new things. Step outside your comfort zone. For example, if you tend to be a homebody, consider a book club to get you out of your home and engaged with new people who share a common interest. Additionally, keep an open mind. Don’t give up after one try—remember that a hobby should be about the process, not the outcome or product (that would make a hobby feel like work!) Finally, don’t put pressure on yourself; give yourself permission to fail, and to start over again. Give it the good ole "college try" before you walk away from a hobby that just doesn’t feel like a good fit for you.
If you happen to live in an older adult community such as Everbrook Senior Living—or if you are thinking of moving to such a community—you’ll be glad to know there are many resources available to help you discover a new hobby in later life. From board game clubs to yoga classes, art studio to music or film appreciation... you’ll be amazed at the opportunities offered by a senior living community. And, as a bonus, if you’re already proficient with a particular hobby then make sharing your skill your next hobby! Many senior living communities love to have a resident volunteer to introduce and teach a skill to other residents with the same interest.
Are you looking for a senior living community with a robust social community, wellness program, and affordable luxury? Come visit Everbrook Senior Living to see all that we offer—and the sense of belonging our residents experience as they live, play, and thrive in our older adult communities across Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
Resources
National Institutes of Health: Participate in Activities You Enjoy As You Age
Penn State University, “Social Trends”: How Hobbies Boosty Your Health
Widespread loneliness in the U.S. poses health risks as deadly as smoking, according to new information from the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy. According to the report, 50% of U.S. adults are experiencing loneliness that interferes with or otherwise affects their wellbeing. The ill-effects of loneliness can be even more detrimental for older adults.
The social and emotional health effects of loneliness have been well documented. These effects were exacerbated during the isolation periods during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, new information shows the ill-effects of loneliness carry over to a person’s physical health.
According to the Surgeon General’s report, the “epidemic of loneliness threatens public health”:
Murthy’s report indicated the increased risk of premature death associated with social disconnection is comparable to smoking. However, the report did not provide any data that illustrates how many people die directly from loneliness or isolation.
Loneliness Prevalent Among Elderly
Among older adults over age 60, 50% are at risk of social isolation and one-third will experience some degree of loneliness in later life. Older adults who self-isolate or who experience loneliness as a result of loss of significant relationships have a heightened risk to their mental and physical health.
Social circles among the elderly tend to shrink due to loss of functional abilities, illness, and death of significant friends and partners. Therefore, it is imperative for older adults to have healthy outlets for connecting with others and maintaining a sense of meaning and purpose for their lives.
Stay Active. Whether it’s a walking buddy or group, participating in aqua-exercise classes, or trying chair yoga, physical movement is as good for the mind as it is for the body. For older adults, appropriate intensity exercise boosts mood, strengthens the mind-body connection, and keeps the body physically strong. Physical activity with a partner or group reduces social isolation and reduces risk for mental distress and depression.
Keep Good Company. The old saying is ‘misery loves company’, but the same can be said of positivity! It’s well-known that laughter is good medicine. Choose to spend time with others who make you laugh or whom you make laugh. For those who are home-bound, be sure they have frequent visitors—or consider the benefits of animatronic pet therapy to help an older adult cope with loneliness.
Keep the Mind Sharp. Engage in intellectual activities with others who share the same interest such as chess club, book club, arts and crafts club, board game groups, maybe something more intellectual. Not sure about your interests…be adventurous, try something new… it’s a great way to find a new hobby and new friends!
Do Good For Others. Helping others through volunteer work is a great way to build and maintain social connections. Plus, doing good for others through volunteerism has lasting beneficial effects on health and wellbeing for older adults. Older adults who volunteer experience better physical health, less depression and anxiety, and have a brighter outlook and sense of purpose for their life.
Senior Living Programs to Reduce Loneliness
Every resident at Everbrook Senior Living Communities has access to the Wellness 4 Later Life programming, which helps older adults maintain good health, independence, connection with like-minded others. Our holistic approach is personalized to the needs of each resident to best support their emotional, social, and physical wellbeing. From individualized movement and fitness programs to movie nights and special interest clubs, our residents are inspired as they engage in activities that support living, learning, and laughing throughout the golden years.
We invite you to come see for yourself all that Everbrook Senior Living has to offer. Call today to schedule a tour.
Further Reading
Healthy Intimacy is Important for Older Adult Wellbeing. https://everbrookseniorliving.com/blog/itemlist/tag/senior%20friendships
Older Adult ‘Holiday Blues versus Depression: What’s the Difference? https://everbrookseniorliving.com/blog/item/22-is-your-elder-family-member-experiencing-more-than-the-holiday-blues
One of the best things older adults can do to improve health and vitality is to maintain a walking routine. Many chronic illnesses, diseases, and everyday ailments can be prevented or better managed with moderate-intensity walking. Research also shows that walking has protective benefits for the physical and emotional health of older adults. Let’s take a closer look at these benefits, learn walking safety tips for older adults, and easy ways for older adults to fit a little more walking into their day.
Physical & Emotional Health Benefits of Walking for Seniors
Walking provides the following physical health benefits for older adults:
Walking also has the following emotional health benefits or older adults:
As you can see, walking improves the older adult’s overall quality of life!
When walking for wellness, older adults have a few options for how to proceed. First, always begin with a check-up with your personal physician. Once you’ve got the ‘go ahead,’ you’ll want to wear proper footwear and attire (see Tips, below).
To reap the wellness benefits of walking, older adults want to move at a pace that makes them feel slightly out of breath, but \ still able to hold a “huffy” conversation. Don’t worry if that's not manageable at the start. Rather, focus on moving safely, for as long as is comfortable. Build-up walking endurance by adding 5 minutes to each walk. If you’re not quite ready for 30-minute long daily walks, try some of the walking tricks below to get more steps each day.
3 Tricks for Fitting in a Little More Walking Each Day
You don’t have to take long walks every day. If all you can fit in is 10-15 minute bouts of walking a couple of times throughout your day, research shows that’s just as good as a longer walking routines. A few simple tricks for increasing the amount of walking in your everyday routine include:
8 Fitness Walking Safety Tips for Older Adults
The tips below apply to anyone: If you are just starting a walking program, these tips will get you off on the right foot. If you’ve been walking regularly for fitness, these tips are a good reminder.
One thing we want to emphasize to older adults: Don’t be shy about using assistive supports such as trekking poles, a cane, or even a walker.
Everbrook Senior Living Community Walking Trails
Each of the Everbrook Senior Living Communities has beautiful grounds for walkers. For those who want more variety (or challenge) in their walking routine, you’ll find parks and trail systems that are accessible from your front door to within minutes or a short drive of each of the Everbrook communities.
Colebrook Village in central Connecticut, in the town of Hebron, is within immediate access to a variety of places to walk. Whether it is downtown Hebron, or the hiking trails at Gay City State Park, or along the shoreline…you don’t have to travel far for a beautiful walk!
Cedarbrook Village located in Ware, Massachusetts, is surrounded by rolling hills, river views, and a variety of outlets for easy to vigorous walks. From parks to mountains to spa retreats with beautiful walking grounds—you’ll find it all accessible minutes to a a short drive from Cedarbrook.
Elmbrook Village in the quaint town of Bozrah, Connecticut is accessible to seaside walks as well as park trails, not to mention the lovely grounds at the property, itself. Gardner Lake and Maple Farms Park are two favorite spots for walking and recreating.
Stonebrook Village in Enfield, Connecticut provides a variety opportunities to get your walk in. Wheter you venture downtown or to Enfield Falls or venture along the Windsor Locks Canal, there’s much wildlife, foliage, and sights to enjoy!
We also have Brookmeadow at Blue Hills, in Stoughton, Massachusetts, and Hillsbrook Village in Allenstown, New Hampshire (opening this summer). Both with exceptionally beautiful grounds and access to charming villages and recreational areas suitable for walkers of every stripe!
Resources
American Academy of Family Physicians. Exercise and Seniors. May 2022.
Walking Tip Sheet for Older Adults from HealthyAging.org
Walking Programs for Seniors from HowdyHealth at Texas A&M Life Extension
European Society of Cardiology. Exercise, however modest, found progressively beneficial to the elderly. 15 May 2015.
Fahmy, S. Study: Regular walking nearly halves elderly disability risk. UGA Today. 15 July 2018.
“Laughter is the most inexpensive and most effective wonder drug. Laughter is a universal medicine.”
– Betrand Russell, philosopher (1872-1970)
No one really needs an excuse for a good belly laugh—right? But older adults sure have plenty of reasons to go out of their way for a good laugh. Laughing eases stress, promotes social bonding, helps lower blood pressure, and lifts your mood. Laughter also strengthens your body’s defenses against illness. The more you know about the health benefits of laughter, the more you’ll want to find ways to bring humor into your life!
Laughter and Health
The study of laughter and its effects on health has become an important topic in the field of psychoneuroimmunology. That’s a fancy word for the study of the way the mind (psych), the body (neuro/nervous system), and the immune system (immunology) interact when confronted by disease-causing agents such as stress, inflammation, or bacteria, and viruses.
What we’ve learned from research on laughter is…
How Does Laughter Effect Health?
The health effects of laughter are activated in two ways: First, and most obvious is laughter in the moment—so as you are laughing, wonderful things are happening in your body and mind. Second, depending on the individual and the extent of the funny moment, those effect can last for minutes and up to a few hours. Most researchers theorize that the more occasions for humor and laughter in your life, the greater the cumulative effect on health!
BREAK OUT item (like a boxed item): Do you remember the movie about the life of Patch Adams? Dr. Patch Adams was physician who embraced and modeled the restorative and healing benefits of laughter for critically ill patients. Now, “healing through humor” has a real place in medicine—not just for treating for the critically ill, but for routine healthcare, as well.
7 Easy Ways Older Adults Can Laugh More to Support Good Health
At Everbrook Senior Living Communities, our Wellness 4 Later Life program keep residents inspired to live their best life. We embrace a holistic approach to support your physical, social, emotional, financial, and spiritual wellbeing. From personalized fitness programs to movie and comedy nights to clubs and social activities, there are plenty of opportunities for living, learning, playing, and laughing!
We invite you to come see for yourself all that Everbrook has to offer. Call today to schedule a tour.
Need for intimacy does not diminish as we grow older. Whether romantic or platonic, maintaining close relationships helps older adults experience greater vitality, a sense of belonging, and deeper meaning in life. There are also many health benefits that come with maintaining healthy intimacy during one’s golden years.
Benefits of Intimate Relationships for Older Adults
Whether it’s the closeness between two friends or sparking romance, there are some very simple ways to older adults can enhance their intimate relationships.
Everyday Moments Matter. Physical touch in small, mindful doses throughout the day is an easy way to let someone know of your affection for them. From a spontaneous backrub or foot rub to a gentle touch on the hand or shoulder, these signal to the other person that they are important to you.
Laugh Together. This is a good excuse to go to a funny movie or a comedy club: Laughing eases stress, promotes social bonding, and lowers blood pressure. It may even boost your immune system. Whether with your romantic partner or a special friend, think of ways that the two of you can laugh together more often.
Share More Deeply. Conversation with your significant person is a great way to build intimacy. However, discussion should be about more than the weather or the latest tragic story of the day. Sharing more deeply means opening up your heart, revealing feelings and disclosing hopes, fears, or dreams.
Switch-up Your Routine. By the time we reach older adulthood, we can be pretty set in our ways and routines. To create intimacy, get adventurous by switching-up your routines. This could be as easy as trying a new restaurant, working on a project/ hobby or taking a class together, or planning travel to destinations more exotic than you would typically consider.
It’s Thoughtfulness That Counts. We can get so accustomed to a platonic or romantic partnership that we forget to show appreciation for the other person by simply doing something nice for the other person. Enhancing intimacy can be as easy as offering a compliment, buying a small bouquet of flowers, helping with chores that are typically “the other person’s job”, or cooking a meal for the other person.
Unplug. Just like younger generations, older adults can get sucked into the digital world. Socializing on fine and developing new technology skills are great, but technology should not replace or interfere with personal interaction. Unplug and be fully present, in person.
Get a Little Sexy. Sexual intimacy in older adulthood can boost self-esteem, help reduce stress, enhance immunity, improve sleep, and help you maintain overall good health. If you’ve still got mojo to share (and who doesn’t) then get a little sexy! This might mean buying tasteful intimate attire for your partner, sharing a bed rather than sleeping apart (as many older couples resort to), exploring different ways to experience touch (e.g., massage), or if needed, working with a therapist who specializes in intimacy in older adulthood.
Healthy physical and emotional connection in older adulthood enhances intimate relationships. It’s good for your physical and emotional health and can strengthen friendships or spice-up romantic relationships.
At Everbrook Senior Living, the Life-Enrichment Activities Program is just one of the many offerings that focus on helping our residents establish and maintain meaningful relationships throughout the golden years. To learn more about our programs and arrangements for independent or assisted living, get in touch with us, today.
Resources
National Institutes of Health: Sexuality in Older Adulthood
Why is Intimacy Important for Older Adults? National Council on Aging
Navigating the variety of options for care for an older adult family member can quickly become confusing. Many different names are used to describe the various types of older adult care facilities. In reality, there are just two primary types of elder care: nursing home and assisted living community. Understanding the differences between nursing home and assisted living can make the process of choosing elder care less stressful and more reassuring for all involved.
A nursing home, also known as a skilled nursing facility (SNF), is permitted to provide extensive nursing and medical, under the supervision of a practicing physician. Nursing homes are equipped to perform near-constant monitoring of individuals who require extensive care due to physical disability, cognitive impairment, and/or unstable chronic health conditions. Depending on the degree of severity and prognosis for recovery, a person’s length of stay at a nursing home can be a short-term (several weeks) or long-term (months or years). For the latter, the nursing home may be referred to as a long-term care (LTC) facility.
Another important distinction is that a nursing home is a custodial arrangement in which the medical staff are the custodians of care for the older adult. In a custodial arrangement, the room to which your loved one is assigned is not their private dwelling. Because nursing homes follow a medical model of custodial care, medical staff and other personnel may enter the room at any time.
Nursing homes provide meals according to medical needs. They may have visitation hours similar to a hospital. Limited social and recreational programs, if any, are provided at a nursing home.
An assisted living community (facility or center) is a term used for a category of elder care known as Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC). Other terms used for CCRC include senior living community and life care communities. These communities are licensed to offer different levels of healthcare and wellness care to support the needs of older adults as their needs change over time, including their physical, medical, social and emotional, and spiritual needs.
Assisted living centers do not employ a custodial arrangement. Rather, the older adult’s dwelling (usually an apartment style set-up) is considered a private residence. Also, assisted living communities embrace a social model, with a focus on preserving well-being and maintaining the older adult’s independence. Assisted living communities uphold a resident’s right to personal privacy, autonomy, and dignity while promoting community and family involvement.
As part of a CCRC, assisted living may be a step within a senior living community that offers a transitional living pathway based on needs. As such, an older adult enters the community as an active and independent resident who needs minimal assistance, but should their health decline in a way that prevents truly independent living, the community provides a transition to stepped-up care. This can include receiving help with daily living activities, physical rehabilitation and adaptations in their same living space—or transitioning to more medically intensive long-term care services such as Memory Care or skilled nursing (with appropriate permits as required by law).
What Type of Care Does a Nursing Home Provide?
Nursing homes, also called skilled nursing facilities (SNF), focus on healthcare and personal care for residents. Primarily, though, nursing home services focus on medical care including:
Some older adults will stay at a nursing home for a short time after being in the hospital. After they recover, they go home. However, most nursing home residents live there permanently because they have ongoing physical or mental conditions that require constant care and supervision.
What Type of Care Does Assisted Living Provide?
Assisted living facilities can be transformative environments for aging adults. With a focus on wellbeing, supporting independence, and expanding social engagement, older adults residing in assisted living communities can forge new friendships with people their age, discover new hobbies, become more active, preserve cognitive function, and enjoy amenities that would be harder for them to access if they remained in a traditional home or in the care of a family member.
All residents who reside within an assisted living community are considered independent to the extent that they are capable of participating in or at least partially maintaining their basic daily activity needs within their private living quarters. The extent of assistance needed is a determining factor in cost to reside at an assisted living community.
Other daily services that assisted living provides – if and when needed by a resident can include:
As an assisted living “continuum of care” community, Everbrook Senior Living offers a wide variety of services, amenities, and living options to help older adult residents remain independent and thriving for as long as possible.
To sum it all up, nursing homes focus on medical care—from short-term rehab to long-term ongoing medical care. Assisted living is focused on supporting the wellness needs of older adult residents for the duration of their “golden years”.
Does My Elderly Family Member Need Nursing Home Care or Assisted Living?
Deciding if an elderly family member is better served by nursing home care or assisted living is a complex process. Foremost, this decision will be determined by your elderly family member’s medical needs and the extent to which you can provide what they need for the person to remain at home. Other factors will include the extent of their physical or cognitive impairment, medication management, and prognosis. You’ll also want to consider if their condition is likely to worsen over time, which means the care they need now will change in months or years.
Even an older adult who is mostly independent in their self-care, today, will encounter times when their healthcare needs become too extensive for living on their own, even within an assisted living community. This is why you want to choose an older adult community like Everbrook Senior Living, which provides transitional care to support your loved one as their health and wellbeing changes over time. It is much less stressful and easier for an older adult to adapt to changes in continuum of care when it is provided within the same residential setting than to have to move from one facility to another as level of care changes.
Resources
CT Assisted Living Association Resource Guide
https://everbrookseniorliving.com/images/forms/CALA-Consumer-Guide.pdf
Everbrook’s FAQs (again they reference CT in many of these responses so not sure about other states)
https://everbrookseniorliving.com/resources/frequently-asked-questions
Assited Living at Everbrook Communities
Assited Living v. Nursing Home: How do they Differ? https://www.healthline.com/health/assisted-living-vs-nursing-home
Residential Facilities, Assisted Living, and Nursing Homes https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/residential-facilities-assisted-living-and-nursing-homes
Helpful Guidance for Managing Older Adult Long-Term Care
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
800-633-4227
877-486-2048 (TTY)
800-677-1116
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
202-872-0888
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
You can also call your local Area Agency on Aging or Department of Human Services.
A therapeutic innovation launched during the COVID-19 pandemic is making its way into mainstream care of older adults who live alone and those who have dementia. Lifelike robotic cats and dogs are an effective way to help seniors enhance social interaction, improve symptoms of depression, and reduce feelings of loneliness. These robotic pets can even be purchased by family members to gift to a loved one – perfect for the holiday season.
Loneliness Increases among Older Adults in Winter Months
Feelings of loneliness, depression, and isolation can increase dramatically during the winter months, particularly around the holiday season. Among older adults, these feelings can become overwhelming – worsening their symptoms and increasing risk for accidents and even suicide. Research shows that something as simple as a lifelike pet cat or dog can significantly improve wellbeing for older adults, including those with Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias.
Therapeutic Animatronic Dog or Cat Enhances Social-Emotional Wellbeing for Seniors
The positive impact of these therapeutic robotic pets include improved mood and affect, better communication and meaningful social interaction, including having a sense of being needed by the companion robot pet.
Additional positive emotions experienced when interacting with a therapeutic robotic pet include:
Older adults who have access to a robotic pet may also have better outcomes during a hospitalization, including less delirium, loneliness, fewer falls, and reduced need for a 1:1 companion. Some studies point to older adults with a robotic pet having enhanced cognitive function, less agitation, and less anxiety; although more research is needed in these areas.
Animatronic Therapeutic Pets Ideal for Seniors in Many Living Arranagements
Initially launched in the spring of 2020, in a partnership between Ageless Innovation and the Department of Elder Affairs in Florida (among other states) the program provided lifelike Joy for All Companion Pets® as a means to facilitate and enhance interaction between an older adult and their caregivers and family members. Since the end of the pandemic, the therapeutic robotic pets have been used in a variety of settings including senior centers, hospitals, nursing homes, memory care facilities, and senior living communities.
Mood Enhancing Behaviors for Older Adults with a Therapeutic Robotic Pet
Some of the mood enhancing interactions that have been observed between seniors and their therapeutic robot pets include:
Features of the Robotic “Thera-Pet”
The robotic pet cat or dog (and now birds are available) has motion sensors in the head, cheek, back, tummy and other areas so the animatronic can respond to petting. Each also has sound effects (purrs, cries, barks), which can be turned off for an elder with audio sensitivity. The fur is very soft and inspired by the texture of real animal coats. The “pets” can mimic a “nuzzling” action, can detect light in the room and respond to it with vocalizations, can bark and purr depending on movement and room setting. The robotic pets come in a variety of colors, too.
To discuss incorporating a Joy For All Companion Pet into the care plan for your loved one, please inquire with your health care provider. If your loved one is a resident at one of the Everbrook Senior Living Communities, please inquire with our Wellness staff. If your loved one is not a resident at one of our beautiful communities schedule a visit today.
Resources
Florida Department of Elder Affairs
Hudson J, Ungar R, Albright L, Tkatch R, Schaeffer J, Wicker ER. Robotic Pet Use Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2020 Oct 16;75(9):2018-2028. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa119. PMID: 32789476; PMCID: PMC7566965.
Koh WQ, Ang FXH, Casey D. Impacts of Low-cost Robotic Pets for Older Adults and People With Dementia: Scoping Review. JMIR Rehabil Assist Technol. 2021 Feb 12;8(1):e25340. doi: 10.2196/25340. PMID: 33497349; PMCID: PMC8082946.
Ihamäki P, Heljakka K. Robot Pets as "Serious Toys"- Activating Social and Emotional Experiences of Elderly People. Inf Syst Front. 2021 Aug 14:1-15. doi: 10.1007/s10796-021-10175-z. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34413702; PMCID: PMC8364409.
Petersen S, Houston S, Qin H, Tague C, Studley J. The Utilization of Robotic Pets in Dementia Care. J Alzheimers Dis. 2017;55(2):569-574. doi: 10.3233/JAD-160703. PMID: 27716673; PMCID: PMC5181659.
Talking to a teen about a family member diagnosed with dementia can be incredibly difficult for caregivers. The approach taken when you have this conversation can help your teen cope effectively with the news and empower them to preserve a meaningful connection with their loved one.
When to Tell a Teen About a Loved One Diagnosed with Dementia
For most teens, the family member with dementia will be a grandparent or older family member, but for some it may be a parent. Even if, at some level, a teen had some awareness that the diagnosis was coming, hearing it spoken aloud is a hard-hitting reality. It’s imperative to have the conversation as soon as possible after a diagnosis of dementia is confirmed, so that your teen does not find out “accidentally” from someone else in (or outside) the family; this would compound stress for all and may feel like a breach of trust to the teen.
Beginning the Conversation about Dementia with Your Teen
Be prepared for the fact that your teen will experience a jumble of emotions from shock and anger to grief and even shame. Many teens feel they can’t talk to their peers about such devastating news. It’s also not uncommon for them to feel like they can’t go to other adults in the family whom they may see as struggling to cope with their own emotions while trying to plan for the family member’s medical care.
First, plan ahead for when and where you will have the conversation. If at all possible, avoid having the conversation with your teen when they’ve had a lousy day at school, work, or practice. Give them some space at home to recover from their day and then invite them to sit down for a chat.
Second, manage your own emotions. Begin the conversation about a family member with dementia when you feel as centered as possible. Your teen will need your guidance and support; they should not feel like they have to support you. You want to create a safe space for them to experience whatever emotions come-up for them.
Third, be prepared to provide support. Make sure you have resources ready to share with your teen, should they need them. Of course, they can lean on you; also, be able to recommend other family members, community resources, or support groups. The teen probably won’t want this at that very moment, but you can tell them you have these resources ready for them, should they be interested.
What to Say to a Teen about a Loved One with Dementia
When you do speak share the news with your teen, be honest and open from the start. If a rapid decline is expected, let them know this. Be forthcoming with whatever knowledge you have about the family member’s diagnosis. And, remember:
Some teens will understand more about dementia than others. They may dive into researching information to better understand how their loved one will be affected. Others may not want to know any details about the diagnosis. These are both coping strategies. For most teens, it may be helpful to have a family meeting with the medical providers or medial support staff who can answer questions and provide more specific advice to help you teen cope.
What Can Your Teen Do Once They Learn of a Family Member with Dementia?
In the days and weeks that follow the news about a family member having a diagnosis of dementia, your teen may wonder how they should act around this person. What should they—or shouldn’t they—say or do?
Teens often will be concerned about how their own behavior may affect the family member with dementia. Additionally, the teen will be concerned about the safety and quality of life of the family member with dementia. This is a lot for a teen to think about on top of all the usual excitement and stress that comes with being a young person on the verge of adulthood.
Help Teens Stay Connected with a Family Member with Dementia
There are quite a few things that your teen can do to help them maintain meaningful interaction with their loved one who has dementia include:
If the teen does not live near the family member, these approaches can help them maintain connection:
There are many other activities that a person with dementia can continue, depending upon the degree to which the illness is affecting them. Be sure to check with your family member’s medical support team for specific suggestions.
As you and your teen navigate the care of a family member with dementia, encourage your teen to talk or journal about their experiences and emotions. When necessary, meet with a grief counselor as a family. And remember, as you demonstrate healthy emotions and model ways of maintaining connection, you will help your teen work through their own concerns and feelings about how dementia will affect their loved one.
Everbrook Senior Living Helps Families Cope with a Dementia Diagnosis
When it comes to the support a family needs to cope with dementia diagnosis, the staff at Everbrook Senior Living go above and beyond to provide resources and support for all. We, too, are son and daughters, nieces and nephews, of person’s who have been placed in long term care due to dementia. We are available and approachable – often giving out our cell phone numbers as we help families navigate challenges that come with declining health due to dementia. You can trust in our healthcare experience; you can count on our compassion. Learn more about our Memory Care services and our EGIS program.
Resources
Parent Guide to Helping Children and Teens Understand Alzheimer’s Disease
https://www.alz.org/documents/national/brochure_childrenteens.pdf
Alzheimer Society. Helping Teens Understand Dementia
When a Friend or Family Member Has Dementia: Resources for Kids and Teens
Fresh air and colorful fall foliage make the autumn months ideal for spending time outdoors. An excellent way for older adults to be active outside is to become involved with a volunteer project in their local community. When senior citizens become active in doing good deeds for others, their health and well-being improve!
Someone who chooses to do volunteer work does so because they believe it makes a difference for others who are having a harder time in life. Research shows that such altruistic behavior also makes the volunteer feel good about themselves. Volunteerism helps give a person a refreshed perspective on their own life and a sense of belonging to something greater than themselves.
Beyond just feeling good in that moment of doing a good deed, volunteering also has lasting effects on several aspects of an older adult’s physical and social-emotional health and well-being.
Older Adults Volunteers Experience Improved Social Well-being
The isolation that comes from not feeling a sense of belonging and having a community that one can rely on is detrimental for an older adult’s health. Seniors who spend too much time alone can become depressed and anxious, which can contribute to other health problems.
When older adults get involved with volunteer work they experience benefits for their social well-being, such as:
Older Adult Volunteers Have Enhanced Emotional Well-being
When older adults are active in their community, using their time and talent to give back to others, it reinforces a sense of urgency, brings meaning to their life, and helps them acquire perspective on how much living and giving they still have left to offer. The emotional benefits of volunteer work for older adults include:
Older Adult Volunteers Experience Positive Changes in Their Physical Health
In general, people who volunteer are more physically active; have lower rates of heart disease, depression, anxiety; and overall take better care of themselves.
A few of the many physical health effects that come from being engaged in volunteer work include:
There are many ways for older adults to become active volunteers in their local community. Everbrook community program directors are always looking for local events. You may also reach out to your local library, children’s home, or food shelter to see what type of help they need. Perhaps you have a hobby or skill from your professional experience that can benefit a local non-profit. Maybe you want to try something new; volunteering is a great way to learn a new skill! Find a cause that is meaningful for you and get involved—you’ll be helping others and helping improve your health, too!
At Everbrook, we believe that interdependence helps to preserve independence. We encourage our residents to become involved in their community, both at and outside of their immediate residence.
Our caring and dedicated team will help residents discover what is significant in their life. Residents, with as much support as is needed for their functional status, can become involved, active, and healthier through a variety of activities at Everbrook and in the community beyond Everbrook. The hub for these opportunities is our Wellness 4 Later Life™ program, which encompasses seven dimensions of wellness: physical, spiritual, emotional, social, intellectual, vocational, and environmental, as are advocated by the International Council of Active Aging.
If you are looking for a senior community where you'll experience mutual respect and support among residents, as well as a place where all residents experience belonging, and can find meaningful ways to be involved in life, then please visit an Everbrook Senior Living community today.
Resources
NationalService.gov. “The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A review of Recent Research.” Corporation of National & Community Service. Accessed 13 Oct 2018: https://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/07_0506_hbr.pdf
Thebalancesmb.com “The 15 Unexpected Benefits of Volunteering that will Inspire You.” Accessed 13 October 2018: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/unexpected-benefits-of-volunteering-4132453
CreateTheGood.org “Health Benefits of Volunteering.” Accessed 13 Oct 2014: http://createthegood.org/articles/volunteeringhealth
Carlson, Michelle C., Erickson, Kirk I., Kramer, Arthur F., et al., “ Evidence for Neurocognitive Plasticity in at-risk older adults: The Experience Corps Program.” Jls of Gerontology: Series A, (1 December 2009) 64A:12, Pages 1275–1282, https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glp117
Cleaning up around the house isn’t just meant for springtime! The health benefits of picking up around your place has been shown to be good for your brain. Plus, it’s pretty good exercise. So, if you’re someone who has never been too keen about house cleaning, you’ve got good reason to change your mind! New research shows that the physical activity of doing household chores is good for brain health—even reducing your risk for dementia.
Being physically active increases blood flow circulation throughout the body and to the brain. Moderate physical activity promotes a positive mood, helps you manage stress, and can reduce inflammation in the body. A large research study recently published in the journal, Neurology, showed it’s not just exercise (such as brisk walking, swimming, or bike riding) that supports brain health. Daily activity from doing household chores also showed protective benefits against risk for dementia. Don't worry, we aren't talking about "bucket full of cleaners, rubber gloves, and a mop" type of cleaning. Just the simple, day-to-day, chores.
Essentially, the study team wanted to know “What lifestyle habits can reduce risk for various forms of dementia?”
Over 500,000 men and women participated in the study, completing various health and lifestyle questionnaires. Participants ranged in age from 40-69 years, with an average age of 56.5 years. The participants were recruited from England, Scotland, and Wales. The results of the study established a significant relationship exists between certain lifestyle factors and decreased risk for dementia over a ten-year period.
The findings indicate that 3 lifestyle factors are associated with reducing risk for dementia:
These results indicate a strong correlation between risk for dementia and each of the 3 lifestyle factors. Suggesting that simple lifestyle shifts contribute to reducing risk of dementia as we age.
What type of household physical activity reduces risk for dementia?
According to the research, the household physical activities that participants engaged in on a regular basis included the following:
Why might daily chores lower risk for dementia?
Even though the present study did not investigate the specific mechanisms of why engaging in chores is protective against the brain, other research lends insight into this. For example, doing chores also gets the brain thinking and planning. When house cleaning, you are not just moving; you are also actively planning the order of tasks, how to organize things, making decisions about what to keep or toss out, and so on. In a nutshell, doing chores involves a lot more of the gray matter between your ears than you might think!
When it comes to well-being in older adulthood, Everbrook Senior Living provides first-in-class health and wellness solutions to enrich the lives of our residents. Our Wellness 4 Later Life programming offers innovative classes and activities to support mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. From exercise classes to social programs, our staff work closely with residents and clinical teams to deliver fun, individualized programs that enhance self-sufficiency and independent living in later life.
Resources
Jianwei Zhu, Fenfen Ge, Yu Zheng, Yuanyuan Qu, Wenwen Chen, Huazhen Yang, Lei Yang, Fang Fang, Huan Song. "Physical and Mental Activity, Disease Susceptibility, and Risk of Dementia A Prospective Cohort Study Based on UK Biobank." Neurology (July 27, 2022) DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000200701
Psychology Today Online, “Doing Household Chores Linked to a Lower Risk of Dementia” written by Bergland, C., posted on 29 July 2022. Accessed 16 Aug 2022: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/202207/doing-household-chores-linked-lower-risk-dementia
