Keeping Seniors Active and Healthy

An active life begins with healthy joints

(ARA) – What many people don’t know is that our joints are the critical part of the body that allows us to be active and do the activities we most enjoy.

Approximately one-third of Americans 35 and older say their joints prevent them from doing their favorite sport or activity in the last year and more than 50 percent of them just accepted that as part of the aging process, according to a recent study. The good news is there are simple and effective steps you can take to strengthen and protect these “forgotten soldiers” – ensuring your joints a healthy kick-off to an active year.

Dr. Kevin R. Stone, an orthopedic surgeon at the Stone Clinic and founder of the Stone Research Foundation and Joint Juice, a San Francisco-based joint health beverage company, offers five tips for helping to maintain healthy joints:

1. Manage your weight – You won’t just look better – you’ll feel better. Every extra pound puts four times the stress on your knees and other weight-bearing joints. Even a small amount of weight loss will give your joints relief.

2. Be supplement savvy – Dietary supplements like glucosamine have been proven to help maintain joint function and mobility. Glucosamine is produced naturally in the body, but due to the physical demands of everyday life (let alone running, tennis or even walking), our body’s supply is often not enough. Joint Juice beverages provide an easy way to drink your daily supply of glucosamine and avoid having to swallow two big horse pills a day.

3. Stretch – Stretching isn’t just for workouts. Take breaks throughout the day, especially at the office, to get re-energized. Range-of-motion exercises are a good way to keep muscles and ligaments flexible and strong.

4. Use good technique – When sitting, standing and especially when lifting, using the proper technique will prevent fatigue and injury. Ask an expert if you don’t know how to do it, but be sure to assess your technique for these simple daily activities.

5. Make a date with your doctor – See a physician for a routine check-up at least once a year. Request an examination of your joints – from head to toe – and ask for tips on protecting your joints from daily stress.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Visit us at  www.assistingangels.com for help with an aging senior in the Mauldin SC area.

Having Family Meetings to Resolve Eldercare Issues

A crisis can bring a family closer together and illustrate strength and love; or it can drive a wedge of resentment between members. Whenever a loved one’s heath, safety or wellbeing becomes a concern, it is important to be proactive and address your loved one’s issues. If the issues come to a point of crisis, families – often spread out across several states – need to call themselves together to discuss the changes which are occurring and will occur in the future.

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If you and your family need help with the care of an aging loved one in the Greenville SC area,  please visit www.assistingangels.com for more information.

Common Caregiving Misconceptions

Dispelling Caregiving Myths
Caregiving is an emotional subject which is likely the reason so many myths surround it. This article focuses on dispelling some of these caregiving myths. It’s a must-read for anyone currently involved in caregiving including those who are considering hiring or perhaps even becoming a caregiver. Below are some common myths related to caregiving:

Caregiving is a negative experience
For some, this is true. There are a number of reasons why a caregiver/care receiver relationship doesn’t work out. However for the majority of people, caregiving is a rewarding experience. Caring for another is a wonderful way to feel important and it’s a way to make a positive difference in their life. A sense of companionship, mutual respect, and self-worth are some of the benefits caregivers receive. For many, caring for others fills a void in their lives.

Adult children no longer provide care for aging parents at home
While stories of adult children abandoning their aging parents make for interesting reading, this is just not true. What is true is that families live further apart from one another than ever before and that situation sometimes presents caregiving challenges. But adult children are not abandoning their parents. Advances in communication make it easy for adult children and aging parents to stay in regular contact and improvements in transportation make it easy to be together whenever necessary. With services such as Assisting Angels available, quality care is easily available to those who require someone “on location” that can help with care.

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For care and assistance for your loved one in the Mauldin SC area, visit www.assistingangels.com.