Retirement is the ideal time to travel the world, and if you’re a senior who’s been dreaming about retiring somewhere away from San Francisco, then there’s no better time than the present. But before you make your decision on where to retire, here are some tips for choosing a great place to live abroad when you retire:

1. Consider the cost of living – the cost of living varies from country to country and city to city, so make sure you do your research and choose one that has a cost of living that is lower and well-suited to your retirement budget

2. Find out the regulations for living in a country where you’re not a citizen – in countries like Mexico, retired seniors can receive residency permits that can be renewed annually; or for those with their own homes there, with a monthly pension of $1000 a permanent residency status can be granted

3. Think about your health – the climate and environment of various places abroad can have an impact on your health. Also look at the type of health care system in the countries you’re considering retiring to; some developing countries do not have the same standards as those we’re used to in the US while others have even more comprehensive health care systems

4. Choose your lifestyle – depending on what you’re looking for from your retirement, different destinations can meet your requirements. If you dream of senior years on a beach, Mexico, Spain or Italy might be a good choice; but if you want a historical experience look at Greece or England

Via: Retirement Story

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Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

Stretching is important for people of all ages when engaging in physical fitness, but it’s even more crucial for seniors to prevent injury and improve flexibility. Here are some tips to stretch safely and get the optimal benefits from fitness:

1. Stretch after a workout when muscles are warm and flexible, and stretching is not going to result in pulling anything or cause an injury before the fitness routine even begins

2. Stretch during physical activity if any part of the body begins to feel tight. By stopping to stretch it out seniors can prevent the likelihood of injury

3. Never stretch before warming up. Stretching cold muscles can result in injury, so be sure to warm up for 5 or 10 minutes with light exercise before stretching. This will give seniors the optimal benefit from exercise and reduce the chance of sprains, strains and muscle pulls

4. Breathe through a stretch. Inhale in preparation and exhale during the stretch while the muscle begins to lengthen and stretch

5. When stretching hold it for 5 seconds, release for 5 seconds and then start again so there is no strain and the stretch really has a chance to penetrate the muscles

Via: Real Age

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Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

Most grandchildren love visiting their grandparents, but once they get there they find themselves bored stiff because they just don’t share anything in common with seniors when they’re children. Families can be brought together with the following activity ideas, suitable for multiple generations:

1. Take a field trip – take your senior care recipient out on a day trip, and even invite other caregivers and their seniors to come along. Travel to a museum, go see a movie, or visit a nice park. Keep the whole day to 6 hours or less, so it’s not sure long that the seniors still enjoy themselves. A nice day like this can help seniors and their caregivers bond.

2. Throw an intergenerational party – get all generations of family together for a nice meal and a casual day of games that everyone can enjoy. Serve foods that are good for even the pickiest eaters

3. Document family history – when all generations are together, use a tape recorder or create a scrapbook of family history. Let the older generations lead and have the rest of the family add on

4. Get creative – art is a great way to bridge the generational gap. Purchase some simple supplies and create a mural, or do a group craft together suitable for all ages

5. Garden – setting up a garden and getting all the family involved, creates a bonding experience which can be enjoyed over family meals when the fresh garden produce is cooked and consumed!

Via: Suite101

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Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

You can feel out of control during your elder years, as the status of your health and cognitive functions can change without notice and you experience loss around you. Here are some simple ways that you can regain that control, and make a difference in your life that will increase your appreciation and enjoyment of life.

1. Take a class – learning lasts a lifetime, so take advantage of the opportunities that you have in front of you in older adulthood. Take a college extension class or see what classes are offered at a local community center. You can take anything that interests you, whether it’s active, crafty or intellectual

2. Be social and seek support – don’t withdrawal from social activities like so many seniors have the tendency to do; no matter what’s going on in your life stay in touch with friends and family members with social activities, and get support from groups with any issues you’re dealing with

3. Live and laugh – they say laughter is the best medicine for a good reason, make sure that you do things that you enjoy that make you laugh and smile. Laughter is a great way to cope with grief, overcome stress, and gain a better appreciation of life!

4. Safety first – take the opportunity to look at how you can improve your safety so an accident doesn’t put a damper on your chosen lifestyle. Should you still be driving? Can you avoid busy driving periods or roads? Are there improvements you can make to your house? Are you aware of common frauds targeting seniors, and do you know how to protect yourself from them?

Via: Associated Content

Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

When dealing with the emotional effects of watching someone you love undergo changes that come with Alzheimer’s or dementia, it can be easier to limit interaction to no more than the basic care needs you provide. But don’t forget that your loved one deserves enjoyment in their lives too, so try some of these fun activities that they’re sure to enjoy:

1. Reintroduce old favorites – reintroducing seniors to games and activities that they once enjoyed can activate old memories and nostalgia, and they are generally enjoyable. Try tic tac toe, checkers, cards, or large piece jigsaw puzzles.

2. Bond over magazines – looking through magazines like Reminisce or Good Old Days are a great way to share stories; or simply pick up any publication a senior enjoys  for an entertaining way to pass the time and create conversation

3. Reminisce with photos – get out the family photo albums to remind seniors of cherished memories or family members. This is also a great way to start sharing stories and memories of great times with loved ones

4. Get online – for a senior who loves to learn, get online and browse travel destinations, look up information about activities or facts that interest the senior, or simply use it to look at pictures. If your senior is feeling really adventurous, you can even get them signed up on Facebook or Twitter

5. Share a treat – a great activity can be as simple as going to a local bakery or ice cream shop to bond over a sweet treat. Or, it can be made at home and enjoyed there

6. Get outside – don’t underestimate the power of fresh air and sunshine for a senior, get out there!

Via: Suite101

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Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

Wish all you want, you can’t literally turn back time on the aging process, but you can start treating your body with respect so that you feel years younger than your age dictates!

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

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

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

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

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

Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

You’ve been told before how important it is that you eat your vegetables, especially during your senior years. But knowing you should do something isn’t usually as easy as actually doing it. Here are some tips to help you incorporate vegetables and fruits into every meal so you always eat your vegetables!

1. Visit a San Francisco farmer’s market – instead of visiting the grocery store, check out a local farmer’s market where all of the in season fruits and vegetables will be available often at a more budget-friendly price. Plus, seeing the produce in a different environment might inspire you to try something new.

2. Mix color – try to ensure that you incorporate fruits and vegetables from every color group into your meals everyday to get the ultimate nutritional and health benefits.

3. Get creative with cooking – if there are vegetables that you don’t enjoy as much because of the textures or tastes, try blending them into a soup or stew so you don’t miss out on the nutritional benefits.

4. Try smoothies or juice – in order to increase the number of servings of fruits and vegetables you get in a day, blend them into smoothies or juices.

5. Buy frozen – frozen fruits and vegetables still offer the same nutritional benefits. Frozen berries are versatile; blend them into a smoothie, or thaw them in the morning to add to your cereal or oatmeal.

6. Add fruit – breakfast is the perfect meal to add some fruit. Add bananas or strawberries to your cereal, or instead of plain pancakes, add the fruit too!

7. Maintain good habits when eating out – when you’re eating out, make sure you get at least one serving of fruits or vegetables.

8. Be open to salad – you don’t need to stick to traditional salad ingredients. Start with deep green lettuce and add any vegetables you have on hand that seem appealing. The more colorful, the better! Add  bell peppers, tomatoes, beets, or avocado. Drizzle your salad with lemon instead of fatty dressings for a vitamin C boost.

9. Go with stir fry – stir fry recipes are a great way to incorporate a wide variety of vegetables into a meal. Start with a bed of rice, flavor with garlic or ginger, and then include a vegetable from every color group.

10. Analyze your meal – when you sit down with a meal that has a wide variety of vegetables, notice if you favor one color group over another, and make a point to add more of the others to your next shopping list.

Via: Body and Health

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Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

The prospect of flu season approaching is a very thought for many San Francisco seniors, and while it’s important that people of all ages take measures to protect themselves, a lot of this fear comes from a lack of understanding about the disease. Read through these 8 things that you need to know about Swine Flu, and find reassurance in the fact that you understand the ins and outs of the illness.

1. Since the H1N1 virus derives in pigs, it can come from pork – Swine Flu cannot be transmitted from eating pork, although it does often occur in those who are in contact with infected living livestock. The current outbreak, however, is coming primarily from human-to-human transmission

2. Symptoms of Swine Flu different from the seasonal flu – the symptoms of Swine Flu are very similar to the seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue

3. There is no effective treatment for Swine Flu – Tamiflu and Relenza are medications that have been used to effectively treat H1N1

4. There aren’t enough flu drugs to treat the pandemic – the federal government has in fact stockpiled enough flu drugs to treat 50 million Americans with Swine Flu, and some states actually have additional stock

5. The 1970’s Swine Flu shot offers protection today – as diseases adapt and change, it becomes more unlikely that a previous vaccination will offer prevention for the H1N1 virus of today

6. Flu drugs can prevent the Swine Flu – it’s not recommended that the flu drugs used to treat the swine flu are taken for prevention. There is however, a vaccine under development

7. Seniors are most at risk – healthy seniors actually are not believed to be the demographic most at risk for the Swine Flu. The vaccine that will be available will first be offered to individuals aged 25 to 65 as they are most at risk

8. The spread of Swine Flu can’t be stopped – it’s not yet known how contagious Swine Flu is, however, like any illness, the spread of it can be prevented through frequent hand washing, covering mouths when coughing and disinfecting surfaces that might carry germs

Via: Loyola Medicine

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Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

Today’s seniors are living longer into older adulthood than ever before , spending more time in retirement than in the years preceding. While this is no scientifically accurate method to predict exactly how long you’ll live, your genetics, lifestyle and overall health today can help determine whether you’ll live to 100.

We took the test provided by Livingto100.com and a couple of us found that we might live past that milestone 100th birthday. Despite what that means for our current lifestyle and predictions of future health into older adulthood, both of us were disappointed in our results. With personal experience witnessing loved ones live and struggle through their 80’s and 90’s, we’re not sure we want to live that long and suffer through what seems to be a lonely and trying time. We agreed that we’re all for how our current choices and our genetic influences might keep us in good health into or later years, but we’d rather enjoy our health without reaching that perpetual decline that is likely to come with living to 100, even with the progression of scientific developments to keep us alive in the future.

If you took the test, share your results with us and tell us know how you feel about the outcome. Would you want to live past 100, or will you join in our mentality in a cheers to leading a long and healthy life that hopefully isn’t too long?!

Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator

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Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

I work in a geriatric clinic in San Francisco where we see many seniors suffering from the later stages of Multiple Sclerosis. Mobility can be compromised due to problems with balance and muscular pain, and many seniors have increased sensitivity to heat. With these factors present, it can be hard for seniors to begin and stick to an exercise program; and many families and caregivers want to know how they can ensure that their loved ones remain active, while being safe.

In order to ensure that my patients have safe physical experiences, I send the families home with the following checklist to ensure that their routines make sure that health and safety always remains the top priority. When seniors with MS do use these methods, they can help to improve their overall physical condition, even with the disease present.

• Anytime you feel pain, overexertion or feel physically sick you take a break to rest, and if the feelings continue, you consult a medical professional

• You avoid exercising outside or in the heat of the day, especially if you are sensitive to hot temperatures

• You have built up your endurance by starting with 5 or 10 minute exercise periods at a time, until you are comfortable enough to exercise for 30 minutes

• You exercise near a grab rail or other safety support to assist with balance

• You exercise in a safe area where there are no tripping hazards
Image Source: HomeInstead.com

Home Care San Francisco Bay Area serving seniors in San Bruno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek and Concord. Call us at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.