Benefits of Pets in the life of Older People

                                                      

I love pets! I love dogs! I love cats! They get me up and moving. They give me unconditional love. 

They listen to me, they are there when I am sad, mad, sick and are happy when I am happy.

I know I am a better person because they have been in my life. I think I try to live up to the person they think I am.

I have lost pets and the grief is beyond words. Getting another pet after losing one, it has felt like it diminishes the love, the value of the pets you miss. But it doesn't. They want us to be happy. And rescuing another pet is saving a life. 

The following is a study on the health benefits for older people of having pets. 

Share your positive thoughts about life with pets in the comments!

Source:
Taylor & Francis
Summary:
New research calls for increased understanding about older adults, the relationship between pet ownership and health, and the current barriers which limit older adults' chances to own a pet. The stud goes into detail about physical and financial risks for older adult pet ownership and how it can be diminished.

Research published in Activities, Adaption & Aging calls for increased understanding about older adults, the relationship between pet ownership and health, and the current barriers which limit older adults' chances to own a pet. The study, Fostering the Human-Animal Bond for Older Adults, goes into detail about physical and financial risks for older adult pet ownership and how it can be diminished.

Medical problems that arise with older adults, such as physical illness and emotional issues, have the potential to be mitigated by companionship of pets because it reduces social isolation and enhances physical activity. But illnesses that are often associated with aging, ranging from arthritis to diabetes, make it hard or impossible for older adults to provide routine care for their pets. Financial barriers are another issue that older pet owners face.

In the article, the researchers describe these common issues affecting older adults, particularly those living alone. They tell a story about Janet, a 75-year old obese woman who has diabetes and arthritis, but really wants a cat for company. Though she described herself as a "cat lady," she worries about the monetary investment and the fate of the feline should she fall ill or pass away.

When asked about what sparked the study, author Keith Anderson from the University of Montana commented "As a geriatric social work researcher, I've always been interested in finding creative, cost effective ways to improve the lives and well-being of older adults…My co-authors direct the Veterinary Outreach Program, affiliated with The Ohio State University, which provides mobile wellness care for the pets of older adults and/or homebound residents. Our interests overlapped and we began to discuss ways in which we could link pets in shelters with older adults who may benefit from pet ownership." The study was funded by the WALTHAM Foundation.

The researchers found that programs are beginning to arise to overcome these obstacles. "Programs are emerging that facilitate the adoption of pets by older adults. These programs match older adults with adult shelter animals and provide support throughout the adoption and ownership processes." 

Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks that these programs need to overcome, but the authors seem hopeful about finding potential solutions: "Lower-income older adults often live in buildings where there are fees and deposits associated with owning pets. We need creative solutions to address these financial barriers."

"Future researchers should continue to explore the human-animal bond for older adult populations, particularly for those with cognitive, physical, and financial limitations. There is so much potential benefit here for both pets and potential pet owners" wrote the research team.


Story Source:

Materials provided by Taylor & Francis. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Keith A. Anderson, Linda K. Lord, Lawrence N. Hill, Sandra McCune. Fostering the Human-Animal Bond for Older Adults: Challenges and Opportunities. Activities, Adaptation & Aging, 2015; 39 (1): 32 DOI: 10.1080/01924788.2015.994447

Cite This Page:

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Taylor & Francis. "Pet ownership and its potential benefits for older adults." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 23 June 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150623141736.htm>.

 

Self Help Tips for Holiday Blues

                                                               
Women of all ages experience holiday blues. We are blasted with "perfect people" on commercials. with "Perfect families. We may look back on past holidays, longing for those times again. We may look back on past sad holidays ... all of it can be a roller coaster ride!

I am not an expert, I do know what I experience in my own life. 

Some things that help me:

* Listening to "white noise" through earphones. I do this throughout the day. "Using earplugs or a white noise machine may also help drown out noise from outside the bedroom that could be keeping you awake. Not only do these behaviors promote sleep, but they can also helpease depression." (according to sleep.org)

* Watching youtube videos. I love watching short videos : funny pets, funny kids, people. I will take time to listen to music videos. I am amazed there are current artists out there who have some awesome music!

* Time Out. I have a childhood friend that I talk to at least once a week. We are more like sisters. She has always been kind of hyper. When I hear it in her voice, I remind her to take time out. Time to do nothing. Time to just be. I really find that it helps me. We are so overloaded with information, constant...just taking a few minutes each day to focus on being still is so important.

Below are some more suggestion. I will post the link to the full article below.

Self-help tips

1: Reach out and stay connected

If you’re depressed, you may not want to do anything or see anybody. But isolation only makes depression worse. On your own, it can be difficult to maintain perspective and sustain the effort required to beat depression. That’s why support matters—so make an effort to connect to others and limit the time you’re alone. If you can’t get out to socialize, invite loved ones to visit you, or keep in touch over the phone or email.

But remember: digital communication isn’t a replacement for face-to-face contact. Do your best to see people in person on a daily basis. Your mood will thank you! And remember, it’s never too late to build new friendships.

Get out in to the world. Try not to stay cooped up at home all day. Go to the park, take a trip to the hairdresser, have lunch with a friend, visit a museum, or go to a concert or a play.

Volunteer your time. Helping others is one of the best ways to feel better about yourself and expand your social network.

Join a depression support group. Being with others facing the same problems can help reduce your sense of isolation. It can also be inspiring to hear how others cope with depression.

Take care of a pet. A pet can keep you company, and walking a dog, for example, can be good exercise for you and a great way to meet people. Dog owners love to chat while their pets play together.

Take a class or join a club to meet like-minded people. Try joining a senior center, a book club, or another group of people with similar interests.

Create opportunities to laugh. Laughter provides a mood boost, so swap humorous stories and jokes with your loved ones, watch a comedy, or read a funny book.

Self Help Tip Guide

Positive relationships boost self-esteem and vice versa

                                                       

                                          

                              Robust reciprocal link found across life span

Date:
September 26, 2019
Source:
American Psychological Association
Summary:
Does having close friends boost your self-esteem, or does having high self-esteem influence the quality of your friendships? Both, according to a meta-analysis of more than two decades of research.

Does having close friends boost your self-esteem, or does having high self-esteem influence the quality of your friendships?

Both, according to a meta-analysis of more than two decades of research, published by the American Psychological Association.

"For the first time, we have a systematic answer to a key question in the field of self-esteem research: Whether and to what extent a person's social relationships influence his or her self-esteem development, and vice versa, and at what ages," said study author Michelle A. Harris, PhD, of The University of Texas at Austin. "The answer to what age groups is across the life span."

The research was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Harris and her co-author, Ulrich Orth, PhD, of the University of Bern, analyzed 52 studies involving more than 47,000 participants (54% female) looking at either the effect of self-esteem on social relationships over time or the reverse effect. The studies, all published between 1992 and 2016, included multiple countries (e.g., 30 samples from the United States, four from Switzerland, three from Germany, two each from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, Greece, Russia and Sweden). Participants were 60% white, 2% Hispanic/Latino, 12% other predominantly another ethnicity and 19% mixed ethnicities. Samples ranged from early childhood to late adulthood.

The authors found that positive social relationships, social support and social acceptance help shape the development of self-esteem in people over time across ages 4 to 76. The authors also found a significant effect in the reverse direction. While earlier research had yielded inconsistent findings, the meta-analysis supports the classic and contemporary theories of the influence of self-esteem on social connections and the influence of social connections on self-esteem, according to Harris. The findings were the same after accounting for gender and ethnicity.

"The reciprocal link between self-esteem and social relationships implies that the effects of a positive feedback loop accumulate over time and could be substantial as people go through life," according to Harris.

The authors discuss the idea that positive relationships with parents may cultivate self-esteem in children, which leads to more positive relationships with peers in adolescence, which may further strengthen the self-esteem of emerging adults, and so on into late adulthood. However, the field is still in need of an integrated theory that can explain whether relationships have such a cumulative effect across life, or whether certain relationships become particularly important at certain ages.

When self-esteem or quality of social relationships is low, Harris noted, it can negatively affect the other factor, and set off a downward spiral, making clinical interventions especially important to offset this potentially adverse development.

"The fact that the effect did not differ significantly among studies with different sample characteristics strengthens confidence in the robustness of our findings," said Harris.

"We found a limited number of longitudinal studies on self-esteem and specific relationships in adulthood as well as studies using measures other than self-report, so our findings only begin to speak to these groups, and we look forward to future work oriented towards filling these gaps."


Story Source:

Materials provided by American Psychological Association. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Michelle A. Harris and Ulrich Orth. The Link Between Self-Esteem and Social Relationships: A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2019 DOI: 10.1037/pspp0000265

Cite This Page:

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Chicago
American Psychological Association. "Positive relationships boost self-esteem, and vice versa: Robust reciprocal link found across life span." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 September 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190926092416.htm>.

Women Celebrities who Joined the 60's Club in 2018!

         



                                                           

                                                 Madonna (image Instagram/Backgrid

I turned 60 last year and I've wondered about women celebrities who will join the 

"60's Club" this year.

Madonna turns 60 August 16, 2018. 60, sounds so old, until you get there...

So, the photo on the left is a wonderful selfie Madonna took, in a bathroom. The photo on the right was taken late after a night out. Hey, that one on the right is a beautiful as the one on the left!

                                         

                                                                     bustle.com 

Age is only a number. That's something many Twitter users have quickly found out after learning Ellen DeGeneres is turned 60 on Jan. 26. It truly is mind-blowing to think that The Ellen DeGeneres Show (director: Liz Patrick) host could be 60. She has such a youthful spirit that her age is understandably sometimes forgotten by her fans (*raises hand*). Ever since she tweeted on Jan. 20 about her 60th birthday, Twitter users have been reacting quite hilariously. They cannot get it through their minds that DeGeneres is 60 years old.

On Saturday, she tweeted, "I can’t believe I’m going to be 60 this week! I love rating your babies but this week I want to rate the 60 year olds in your life. #EllenRateMy60YearOld."

For those unaware, she regularly has a segment on her daytime talk show called, "Ellen Rate My Baby". On Jan. 8, she even showed a special edition of "Ellen Rate My Baby: Staff Edition." Obviously, she is changing it up in honor of her birthday and wants to "rate the 60 year olds" people have in their lives.

Click on the link at the to Bustle to read the replies on Twitter

*BTW. I think Ellen looks Amazing!

********

                                                            

                                                                    Michelle Pfeiffer 

Michelle Pfeiffer joined the 60's Club April 29, 2018

As her kids grew up, Pfeiffer “took for granted how nice it was to not be under the spotlight,” she told the New York Times. “I remember thinking, ‘Do I really want to step back into [acting]?’ And I just realized that I’m not done. I have a lot more to do and a lot more to say. I’m never going to be one that retires.”

*Michelle is a genuine beauty. She is just as talented as far as I'm concerned!

                                                   

Health News: Synthetic cancer indicator: An artificial mole as an early warning system

                                                                 

ScienceDaily 
Date:
April 18, 2018
Source:
ETH Zurich
Summary:
Researchers have developed an early warning system for the four most common types of cancer. Should a tumor develop, a visible mole will appear on the skin.

Alongside cardiovascular disease, cancer has become the top cause of death in industrialised countries. Many of those affected are diagnosed only after the tumour has developed extensively. This often reduces the chance of recovery significantly: the cure rate for prostate cancer is 32 percent and only 11 percent for colon cancer. The ability to detect such tumours reliably and early would not only save lives, but also reduce the need for expensive, stressful treatment.

Researchers working with Martin Fussenegger, Professor at the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering at ETH Zurich in Basel, have now presented a possible solution for this problem: a synthetic gene network that serves as an early warning system. It recognises the four most common types of cancer -- prostate, lung, colon and breast cancer -- at a very early stage, namely when the level of calcium in the blood is elevated due to the developing tumour.

The early warning system comprises a genetic network that biotechnologists integrate into human body cells, which in turn are inserted into an implant. This encapsulated gene network is then implanted under the skin where it constantly monitors the blood calcium level.

As soon as the calcium level exceeds a particular threshold value over a longer period of time, a signal cascade is triggered that initiates production of the body's tanning pigment melanin in the genetically modified cells. The skin then forms a brown mole that is visible to the naked eye.

The mole appears long before the cancer becomes detectable through conventional diagnosis. "An implant carrier should then see a doctor for further evaluation after the mole appears," explains Fussenegger. It is no reason to panic. "The mole does not mean that the person is likely to die soon," stresses the ETH professor. It simply means that clarification and if necessary treatment are needed.

The researchers used calcium as the indicator of the development of the four types of cancer, as it is regulated strongly in the body. Bones serve as a buffer that can balance out concentration differences. However, when too much calcium is detected in the blood, this may serve as a sign for one of the four cancers.

"Early detection increases the chance of survival significantly," says Fussenegger. For example, if breast cancer is detected early, the chance of recovery is 98 percent; however, if the tumour is diagnosed too late, only one in four women has a good chance of recovery. "Nowadays, people generally go to the doctor only when the tumour begins to cause problems. Unfortunately, by that point it is often too late."

Read Full Article

It's Time to Play! Senior Play Grounds!

                                                             

                                                           

                                                                            Fit After Fifty



 Playgrounds for older people? Wouldn't that be awesome? If only..well, in many places, it is actually a reality!

I miss swinging on a swing set, laughing as you went down the curly chute slide, the bouncy horse, merry-go-round, a simple place to just have fun!
We need a simple place, just to have fun! "Fitness Centers" are fun..to a point. Most feel too structured.
You need to be able to feel like you're going to have fun, and know it when you do!

goric.com:

"We are all lucky to live in an age of expansive play. Adult playgrounds and similar facilities are available throughout the U.S. for most anyone’s enjoyment and benefit. Each one serves as evidence that playgrounds, parks, and even businesses are increasingly paying attention to the kid inside us all.

Most of these spaces go well beyond promoting child’s play for adults. The adult playgrounds highlighted below facilitate both creative and challenging activities that can help us stay in shape mentally and physically."

medicarefaq.com

Benefits of Senior Playgrounds

The health and life benefits that seniors can reap from playgrounds designed for their needs of course includes all the cardiovascular and wellness benefits associated with any type of exercise. But there are specific advantages associated with the machines and equipment commonly found in these parks, such as:
Improved balance that prevents falls. Falls are one of the main contributing factors for seniors entering assisted living and care facilities.
Increased flexibility and range of motion to make it easier for seniors to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), such as independent bathing and dressing. Inability to perform ADLs is a major reason that seniors stop living independently.
Encourages seniors to exercise outdoors which has been found to be more beneficial than solely indoor activity.
Has been found to increase socialization. Many of the playgrounds are designed with social interaction in mind. Increased socialization and physical activity have been shown to improve mood, decrease depression and slow cognitive decline.
Turns exercise into play rather than work. This is not a benefit to be overlooked. Many of us associate exercise with boredom, drudgery and possibly pain. Changing that association to having fun playing with friends and peers is powerful and can encourage more consistent activity.
Why Specifically “Senior” Playgrounds
Some may question the need for senior focused outdoor activity areas when weight rooms and gyms abound, but senior playgrounds have some advantages as well over traditional exercise spaces such as gyms.

Seniors may be less likely to join gyms out of fear of feeling out of place or self-conscious. “Gym intimidation” is a real phenomenon and can be intensified in some gyms that are geared to younger clientele.

Also, gyms and other indoor fitness centers such as the YMCA have costly monthly membership fees and many require annual contracts. These expenses can be an insurmountable barrier to exercise for many seniors on fixed incomes, as is the case for a large percentage of senior women. Senior playgrounds located in municipal parks can provide a free, welcoming space that could encourage more seniors to remain active.

For seniors to gain maximum benefit from activity while remaining safe, the activity and equipment must be focused on their health and safety needs. Upper body exercises become more important as we age to maintain back and arm strength.

Gaps on such equipment as rope bridges must be designed with a senior’s stride (larger than a child’s but smaller than a young adult’s) in mind. All equipment must be sturdily built and include steady handrails to assuage seniors’ fully justified fear of falls.

Senior focused playgrounds don’t necessarily have to be seniors only. While some countries like Spain and Germany build exclusive senior parks due to their aging populations, others are building multi generational parks where seniors and kids can play simultaneously.

KaBOOM! a nonprofit organization that builds playgrounds in under served and low-income areas has begun to focus on building multi generational playgrounds. These playgrounds can be ideal in urban locations where space is at a premium and where many seniors may be the primary caregivers of their grandchildren.

Where are Senior Playgrounds in the United States

Until recently in the United States, most senior playgrounds have been built within gated senior communities or associated with senior centers. In addition to nonprofits like KaBOOM!, for profit companies such as Must Have Play and Play by Design are moving to expand senior playgrounds into community parks.

Florida has several senior or multi generational playgrounds in Miami, Orlando, and Tampa, but they are also starting to pop up in Georgia and Texas. As more seniors hear about and try senior playgrounds, hopefully more organizations and Parks departments will take notice and the playgrounds will become more widespread.

Today’s seniors are looking to stay active and independent as long as possible. Senior playgrounds can be another way to make exercise more fun, more accessible and more effective for more seniors."



If you’re a senior that’s currently enrolled in Medicare and need additional healthcare coverage for you medical bills we can help! Some plans include a membership to the popular fitness program SilverSneakers! More Info

Fun Indoor Senior Games

   
                                                 Senior Indoor Games 

                                                 

What do seniors like to do? What do you like to do? When I was a kid I loved board games. So why not now?

Well, let's start with what we like to do as far as inside activities.



Taking a look online, there are some games that seem like fun.
Well, let's start with what we like to do as far as inside activities.

Senior Moments Game

Play the game that challenges you to find your lost keys! Designed with the silver set in mind, this board game is just as fun for you youngsters in middle age and below. It tests your memory in all kinds of ways. For example, you're given a series of things to remember. Try these colors: sky blue, sunshine yellow, espresso brown, cotton white, mold green. As the game progresses, you'll need to remember these. Game comes with 48 Senior Moments cards, 8 Lost Key cards, 2 game booklets, a game board, colored markers and a die. Now, give us three of those colors from your list. Not as easy as it sounded, is it? For 2 to 8 players.
Material: Cardstock, paper, plastic
Type of Game: Party games
Playing Time: 30 Minutes or Less
Includes: Game board, cards, markers, game pieces, dice, instructions 2-8 players

You can take a look at it here and even order it

Here's a simple, fun game that makes you get up and move, just a little bit.

Carnival Table Tennis Ball Toss

Step right up to big fun and toss the plastic balls to rack up points! Use this toss game as a carnival game or use it in the classroom as a math game. Don't forget to stock up on carnival prizes and rewards for your game champs on our site! Includes cardboard game and 4 plastic 2" balls. (5 pcs. per unit) 15 1/2" x 15 1/2" x 4". Simple assembly required.

Learn more Here