If you want to grow old gracefully and enjoy all that your senior years and retirement have to offer, you need to stay fit! American House Senior Living Senior Living Communities understand that, and that’s why their life enrichment directors plan exciting and engaging outings and in-house activities. These activities are designed to stimulate both the body and the mind. We share the benefits of exercise for older adults in this article.

Exercise benefits everyone at any age. Unless your doctor tells you not to add activity to your daily routine, we believe that older active adults who do exercise regularly typically enjoy happier, healthier and longer lives.

The Benefits Of Exercise For Older Adults

Chances are, you know people who seem to look and act “older than their age.” The reason could simply be that they’re not getting up and moving around. Exercise for seniors doesn’t mean you need to run a marathon or climb a mountain, but what it does mean is making sure you’re getting some daily activity. The exercise you get involved in will be determined by your level of fitness, how active you currently are and the recommendation of your doctor.

You certainly don’t want to go from couch potato to marathon runner. But you can go from limited movement and activity to taking a short walk outdoors or strolling the hallways outside your apartment here at American House in Michigan.

Staying active might eliminate the risk of certain diseases and could also help prevent trip-and-fall injuries. Older adults who are more active are also more likely to have better balance than their more sedentary counterparts.

What are some habits that older adults can have to stay active?

1. Park your car further from the store and walk.
2. Take the stairs instead of an elevator.
3. Practice chair yoga.
4. Ride an exercise bike.
5. Get up and do some stretches during television commercials.

Adults who want to be more active find simple ways to work more movement into their daily activities.

How will physical activity benefit you as you age?

1. Lowers your risk of heart disease, stroke or type 2 diabetes.
2. Improves your balance and strength.
3. Could alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
4. Could help with overall mental health.
5. Movement prevents bone loss.
6. You might see a boost in your mood!

What activities can a senior citizen easily do?

1. Take a walk.
2. Try chair yoga.
3. Do stretches.
4. Lift “weights” at home by using canned foods as your weights.

Find a friend or an accountability buddy who wants to walk with you to help keep you motivated. And it’s more enjoyable to share an activity with a friend, right?

Now that spring is in full bloom and summer is just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to add activity to your daily routine!

American House was founded in 1979 to enrich the lives of seniors and their loved ones in an environment that fosters independence, compassion, quality services and meaningful relationships. We provide a wide range of senior living options, including independent living, independent living with assistance, memory care services provided by a third party, respite stays and hospice in Dearborn Heights, Farmington Hills, Rochester Hills, Sterling Heights and Westland.

Call an American House Senior Living community near you today to schedule a tour of one of our beautiful facilities and ask questions to help put your mind at ease if you’re considering a move for an aging loved one, spouse or even for yourself.

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One of the many things that children of aging parents don’t want to think about is, “where will mom and dad live when they can no longer live safely at home?” Aging adults also share that fear. When it comes to where aging loved ones will live, we have insight into how senior living communities offer peace of mind for both the adult child and the aging parent.

At American House Senior Living in Michigan, our six communities provide social interaction, healthy meals and a safe environment in which to live. Whether you have an older parent who can live independently or your aging loved one requires a higher level of care or even memory care, do your research on living arrangements that will be suitable for mom and dad and the entire family. Try to involve your aging loved one as much as possible in the decision on where to live and when to make the move into a senior living community. To make the move as stress-free as possible, you must remain sensitive to your loved one’s feelings. The effects of “relocation stress” should not be ignored or minimized.

How Senior Living Communities Offer Peace Of Mind

In some instances, the decision to move an aging loved one or a spouse into a senior living community comes following an unexpected injury. The sudden onset of an illness that makes it impossible for you to care for them at home could also be a deciding factor in making a move.

It is not always as straightforward as the situations mentioned above, though. You may find that your aging parent and his or her chronic health conditions or bouts of forgetfulness are troubling. It’s important to pay attention to sometimes subtle behavioral, mental and physical changes that may prompt a move into a senior living community.

Those could include:

1. Leaving the stove on.
2. Not remembering to eat meals.
3. Becoming forgetful.
4. Inability to perform simple daily personal hygiene tasks.
5. Living in a home that is simply not senior-friendly and that has trip or fall hazards.
6. If your loved one is a danger to themselves or others.

The peace of mind offered by a move into an American House Senior Living community is a benefit to both the adult child or spouse and aging parent. We do suggest that conversations about where your aging parent will live should occur before the need arises. No one wants to be faced with making a major decision like a move into an adult-living facility during a crisis situation. We invite our potential residents to call a nearby community and ask to schedule a personal tour. When you and your loved one can see the possibilities and benefits that come from living in an American House community in Michigan, the eventual move will be a less stressful situation because of the pre-planning.

How would a move into a senior living community bring peace of mind to you, your family and your loved one? Here are a few of the many ways to consider:

1. Access to medical assistance if needed.
2. Increased safety.
3. The ability to live in a maintenance-free apartment and not have to worry about yard and lawn care or repairs.
4. Access to activities and outings.
5. Healthy prepared meals.
6. The opportunity to make new friends.

Many people who are faced with moving mom or dad or a spouse into a senior living community can feel anxiety and a sense of loss. It’s a normal feeling, but when you weigh the safety and security of your loved one, you know you’re doing your best for them – even if it’s not easy to recognize that in the beginning.

American House was founded in 1979 to enrich the lives of seniors and their loved ones in an environment that fosters independence, compassion, quality services and meaningful relationships. We provide a wide range of senior living options, including independent living, independent living with assistance, memory care services provided by a third party, respite stays and hospice in Dearborn Heights, Farmington Hills, Rochester Hills, Sterling Heights and Westland.

Call an American House Senior Living community near you today to schedule a tour of one of our beautiful facilities and ask questions to help put your mind at ease if you’re considering a move for an aging loved one, spouse or even for yourself.

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At American House Senior Living in Michigan, we understand that as we age, the risk of developing dementia increases. “Dementia” is a term that encompasses a wide range of neurological conditions. These conditions tend to worsen over time.

According to the National Institutes of Health*, there are four main types of dementia, with Alzheimer’s Disease being the most known.

The symptoms of dementia that should raise red flags if you or your loved one develop them include:

1. Mild – getting lost or repeating questions
2. Moderate – impulsive behavior, difficulty remembering the names of loved ones
3. Severe – unable to communicate

Dementia can lead to:

1. Behavioral and emotional changes
2. Difficulty with movement
3. Language and communication difficulty
4. Cognitive decline
5. Sleep disorders – sleeping too much or too little
6. Visual hallucinations

Understanding Dementia And Its Effects On Your Loved Ones

Watching a loved one age, or aging yourself, is sometimes difficult to navigate. When you add dementia into the mix, it is even more troubling. At American House, we understand the importance of proper care services and safety measures, and that’s why we offer Memory Care** services in several of our communities.

Remember: Symptoms of dementia can appear as early as the mid-forties. If you notice any troubling symptoms in yourself or a loved one, reach out to your primary care doctor, who can work with you on a primary diagnosis and offer next steps. While there is currently no cure for dementia, there are treatments available that can slow or minimize the effects.

Contact an American House Senior Living Community near you to take a tour and also ask us about the benefits of moving into one of our communities. Imagine spending the holidays in your new home in American House Sterling Heights.

American House was founded in 1979 to enrich the lives of seniors and their loved ones in an environment that fosters independence, compassion, quality services and meaningful relationships. We provide a wide range of senior living options, including independent living, independent living with assistance, memory care services provided by a third party, respite stays and hospice in Dearborn Heights, Farmington Hills, Rochester Hills, Sterling Heights and Westland.

*NIH

**Provided by a trusted third-party home care company. Our emphasis is on person-centered services while offering support to their loved ones.

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In life, we have many choices that determine how healthy we are, and those choices also lead to how healthy we stay – or can stay – as we age. There are some conditions that are genetic and out of our control, but there are other steps we can take to help us age in a healthy way. We have put together this list of 6 tips to help you age in a healthy way.

If you’re like most people, you want to age as healthy as you can and live as long as you can. Living longer also means you should take care of yourself – starting today – to ensure you have a high quality of life as you age. Being an active adult is what Baby Boomers are seeking, and staying healthy and happy means taking a few, mostly easy, steps toward a healthy lifestyle.

6 Tips To Help You Age In A Healthy Way

Physical health matters. This is obvious, we know, but it’s still true that people aren’t as healthy as they should be and that can be attributed to many factors.

• Get up and get moving. Physical activity is one of the most important steps you can take toward good health. Take a walk. Do chair yoga. Go swimming. There are many simple steps you can take to get more physically active. Call an American House Senior Living Community near you because we welcome “drop-in” visitors to our physical and fun activities.  
• Wear an activity bracelet that counts your steps. Challenge yourself to go just ten more steps today than you did yesterday. Even if you can’t get outside and walk, there is no reason you can’t walk around your home or march in place during television commercials. Any physical activity is better than no activity.

Eat healthy foods. We know it’s easy to grab processed foods from the cupboard or stop at a fast food drive-through and there’s nothing wrong with that occasionally. Make smarter food choices, and that coupled with physical activity will help you stay healthier.

• Cook meals at home. Eat the meals we offer our American House Senior Living Community residents because they are healthy, balanced meals.
• Count calories.
• Eat fruits and vegetables every day.
• Eat lean proteins.
• Watch your salt intake.
• Make whole grains a part of your daily diet.
• Don’t skip meals.

Get your zzz's. Your body needs a good night’s sleep to repair and rejuvenate itself. Lack of sleep could make you depressed, forgetful, irritable and more prone to falls. If you can’t sleep at night, talk with your doctor.

• Strive for seven to eight hours of sleep a night.
• Individuals who sleep fewer than six hours a night may be at a higher risk of developing dementia.
• Lack of sleep can make depression symptoms worse.
• Getting a good night’s sleep can lower your risk of heart disease or obesity.

Live a healthy lifestyle. There are many habits we may have carried with us from our youth, and if we can rid ourselves of these unhealthy habits we may live longer and healthier.

• Cut back on alcohol use. Wine or beer or spirits in moderation is not a bad habit but drinking to excess can lead to health issues.
• Quit smoking.

Don’t skip doctor’s visits. Prevention is better than trying to cure an illness that has gone unchecked.

• Go to the doctor once a year, at a minimum, for your annual health screenings.
• Follow your doctor’s advice.
• Have regular health screenings that your doctor may recommend. If you’re experiencing symptoms, you may lose the chance of having your doctor catch a disease in its earliest stages, when it would be most treatable. Regular check-ups can help ensure you could start treatment months or years earlier than would have been possible otherwise.

Mental health matters. Your mental health is an essential component of your overall quality of life and health.

• Manage stress. Monitor those times when you feel stress and anxiety. When you make note of them, you might be able to avoid those stressful situations. Physical activity helps combat stress. Journal about those items or times that cause you stress and anxiety.
• Monitor your moods.
• Seek out friendships and social interaction.
• Combat loneliness.
• Social isolation was detrimental for so many older adults during the pandemic. We also know it’s not as easy to make friends and stay in touch as we age.
• Make use of technology to call friends and family or ask for help setting up video chats. Connecting and being able to see the faces of loved ones can help combat isolation.

Protect your cognitive health. There is no truth to the myth that we should stop learning because we’re aging. Don’t let your cognitive health decline and put you at risk of dementia.

• Get more than 100 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous activity. Find something you enjoy and you’re more likely to stick with it.
• As mentioned, stop smoking and drinking heavily.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Engage in activities that are mentally stimulating like writing, reading, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles or card games.
• Getting a full night’s sleep will also protect your cognitive health.
• Learn something new.

All of this may seem overwhelming, but many of the items mentioned here naturally go together to help you age in the healthiest manner possible. Look at these items and pick and choose one or two things to try for a week. Next week add something new. We hope our 6 tips to help you age an a healthy way gives you food for thought!

Here’s to your healthy aging.

Contact an American House Senior Living Community near you and take a tour and also ask us about the physical and fun activity sessions you could try out!

 American House was founded in 1979 to enrich the lives of seniors and their loved ones in an environment that fosters independence, compassion, quality services and meaningful relationships. We provide a wide range of senior living options, including independent living, independent living with assistance, memory care services provided by a third party, respite stays and hospice in Dearborn Heights, Farmington Hills, Rochester Hills, Sterling Heights and Westland.

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Spring is here and summer is just around the corner. Residents at American House Senior Living Communities in Michigan are happy to welcome the warmer, longer, sunnier days and the sense of renewal and purpose the season brings.

Experiencing flowers bloom, trees full of green leaves and the scent of a newly mown lawn should be celebrated. Whether you’re a resident in one of the American House Senior Living Communities or an older adult living in Michigan, now is the time to get out and enjoy the warm weather.

7 Spring Activities For Older Adults To Enjoy

Here are a few of our favorite ways for older adults – whether that’s you or a loved one – to throw open the doors and welcome the new season.

Grab a chair and sit out in the sunshine. Breathe in the fresh air. Enjoy the feeling of the sun and its warmth. Don’t forget to put on sunscreen so you can enjoy the sun safely without fear of sunburn.  

Take a walk. Lace-up your walking shoes, go outdoors and take a walk. Whether you walk with friends or family or enjoy a solitary stroll, getting up and moving is crucial to good health.

Plant a garden. Whether you plant a garden at your home, on a patio or a kitchen windowsill, the activity is bound to put a smile on your face. Nurturing what you’ve planted and enjoying the fruits of your labor is satisfying (and delicious)!  

Spring cleaning may not sound like fun, but it brings a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when you are “out with the old and in with the new.”

Try a new spring recipe. Use herbs you’ve never used before. Cook up seasonal veggies in a new way. Plan meals around in-season fruits and vegetables that you pick up from a local farmer’s market. A great, and easy way, to enjoy vegetables is to slice them up, drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar on them, sprinkle on some pepper and pop them into the oven until the veggies are cooked through. Roasted vegetables make a delicious side dish.

Get crafty. Try out a new hobby or craft. At American House Senior Living Communities, our life enrichment directors are always coming up with fun, unique crafts for our residents. Check out your local library or senior center to see if they offer craft classes for adults.

Search out free, open-air events like outdoor concerts or movies. Many communities offer these during the summer months. It’s a great way to meet like-minded individuals while enjoying a warm summer afternoon or evening.

If you’re a caregiver, get your aging loved one involved in spring and summertime activities. Even if you and your loved ones just sit outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine, it’s a welcome change from being in the house all winter long.

Spring is not only a time of renewal in nature, it can also be a time to reconnect with an aging loved one. Spending time together while being involved in an activity is a great way to give your loved ones a chance to share memories of their lives with you.

Cherish these times just as you cherish the new season.

Contact an American House Senior Living Community near you and take a tour.

American House was founded in 1979 to enrich the lives of seniors and their loved ones in an environment that fosters independence, compassion, quality services and meaningful relationships. We provide a wide range of senior living options, including independent living, independent living with assistance, memory care services provided by a third party, respite stays and hospice in Dearborn Heights, Farmington Hills, Rochester Hills, Sterling Heights and Westland.

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We have heard “it takes a village” to raise a child and it is true when caring for aging loved ones. Moving your aging mom and dad into your family home, though is something that needs to be a well-thought-out plan. There are at least 3 considerations before your aging parent moves in that you need to discuss with members of your household. Your aging parent may not want to “be a burden” and may not want to feel “forced” to move in with you and that needs to be explored, as well.

Imagine having to move back in with your parents. If you’re an adult who has been on your own for years, it would be a major upheaval in your life and in the lives of your parents. They may welcome you with open arms, just as you’d welcome them, but it is not as easy as making sure they have a place to sleep.

A study by the AARP, in 2020, found that close to 20% of adults in the United States care for someone who is fifty years old or older. If you’re thinking of having your aging loved one move in with you, you’re going to be one of those statistics. An aging loved one who can no longer live alone is a stressor for your family because you worry if they’re safe, if they’re eating and how they are coping with loneliness, if they’re bathing and many other things.

3 Considerations Before Your Aging Parent Moves In

Before you open your doors to your aging parents, ask yourself:

1. Does your aging parent require special assistance for mobility or do they have mental or physical health issues you may not be equipped to handle? Aging loved ones who are healthy and relatively independent and require only a small amount of care is, honestly, much easier than moving in a parent who requires care you may not know how to provide. We know that sometimes a fall or other health issue is what leads to a loved one moving in and this “crisis” move is stressful for everyone.
2. Do you have the time to provide any supervision or physical or personal assistance your aging parent requires? If you work outside the home or if you work at home and are raising children, caring for an aging loved one might not be physically possible for you. You need to consider your own health and well being as that of your loved one.
3. What kind of relationship do you have with your aging parent? This is not a consideration to be taken lightly or brushed off. If you have long had a contentious relationship, moving them in with you won’t change that. In fact, it may make it more obvious and the living arrangement more difficult.

Here are a few more items you and your family and your aging parent need to think about and consider before your aging loved one moves in.

1. Will you need to make special accommodations to your home? Ramps? Wheelchair accessible items? Are the doors in your home large enough to accommodate a wheelchair or walker? Will you need to retrofit your bathroom? Is there a bedroom available for your loved ones that they can call their own? They – and you – won’t want to have to share a space all the time.
2. Will you ask your aging parent to contribute to any of the household expenses? They may think you’re moving them in, and they can live rent-free. It’s a conversation you need to have before you make any kind of move. Talk with them about current and potential expenses and talk about any home remodeling or upgrades projects needed to accommodate them safely into your home.  
3. Do you have buy-in from the rest of your family? Is your spouse or significant other truly on board? How about your children? It may be one thing to have Grandma and Grandpa visit for a few days or weeks a year than it is to have them move in. Also, will they try to intervene in the way you are raising your children? You need to talk about all these things before they move.

What happens when mom and dad are no longer healthy enough to live with you? Where will they go? Even if you’re planning on having them move in with you right now, it makes sense to tour senior living communities and find one in which they want to live should the need arise in the future.

In some cases, it may make sense for your aging parents to move into a senior living community rather than into your home. Moving is stressful and having to move more than once adds to that stress.

Contact an American House community near you, take a tour and also ask about how you can connect with General Fausone to ensure you or your loved one is receiving the veterans’ benefits you, or they, have earned.

 American House was founded in 1979 to enrich the lives of seniors and their loved ones in an environment that fosters independence, compassion, quality services and meaningful relationships. We provide a wide range of senior living options, including independent living, independent living with assistance, memory care services provided by a third party, respite stays and hospice in Dearborn Heights, Farmington Hills, Rochester Hills, Sterling Heights and Westland.

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Before we go to sleep on Saturday, March 12 we need to remember to set our clocks ahead by one hour. Daylight saving time, also known as “springing forward” happens on March 13 in Michigan. Turning our clocks ahead may not seem like a big deal, but to our body’s natural rhythms it is. There are many ways that daylight saving time impacts older adults and American House Senior Living Community wants to share ways to make it less of an impact.

Time changes, whether forward or backward, can have a negative impact on the health of older adults. This may be especially true for those suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

American House Senior Living Community in Michigan explains three of the ways in which we know our residents may be impacted by the upcoming time change.  

1. Sleep struggles. Interruption or disruption of routine sleeping patterns is a major issue that impacts almost everyone when the time changes, especially senior citizens. “Losing” an hour of sleep skews your body’s circadian rhythm. That change can affect sleep in the days that follow the time change. Springing ahead could lead to a loss of mental acuity and the feeling of grogginess for a few days following the change.
2. Heart attacks spike by more than five percent after the time change.  
3. Studies show that car accidents spike in the Monday following the time change. It’s estimated that close to twenty percent more accidents occur the day after the time change.  

The Ways Daylight Saving Time Impacts Older Adults

What can you do to help yourself adjust to the new time change? The professionals at American House Senior Living in Michigan have outlined five steps we will take to help our residents cope:

1. Keeping regular routines is crucial Don’t change the time you go to bed or wake up.  
2. Resist the urge to nap following the time change. If you didn’t nap before, don’t nap now because it will not allow your body to get accustomed to the new time.  
3. Stay busy. Get outdoors or find a place to soak up some sun. Spending time in sun will help your circadian rhythms “catch up” to the time change.
4. Don’t change meal times. We won’t be adjusting the time we serve meals, either. It might be tempting to switch dinnertime to make up for that lost hour, but you should stick to your usual breakfast, lunch and dinner times.
5. Don’t change the time you take your prescribed medications simply because the time has changed.

Even though you may lose an hour of sleep, we’re also getting closer to spring and summer! Here are a few ideas we’ve put together to help you embrace the time change and the start of a new season in Michigan.

1. Clear out your closet. Get out your summer clothes in anticipation of the warmer weather. Don’t pack away all your winter clothes, you never know what Michigan weather will bring!  
2. Plant some seeds. Flowers or even fruits and vegetables can be planted from seed and transplanted outdoors when the time is right.  
3. Decorate for spring! Spring brings Easter and spring showers that will lead to May flowers! Participate in our arts and crafts events and welcome the new season!

Contact an American House community near you, take a tour and visit with our caring staff.

American House was founded in 1979 to enrich the lives of seniors and their loved ones in an environment that fosters independence, compassion, quality services and meaningful relationships. We provide a wide range of senior living options, including independent living, independent living with assistance, memory care services provided by a third party, respite stays and hospice in Dearborn Heights, Farmington Hills, Rochester Hills, Sterling Heights and Westland.

The post The Ways Daylight Saving Time Impacts Older Adults appeared first on American House Senior Living Communities.

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There are many reasons to continue working even though you’re retired from your long-time job, it may seem odd to look for a job now that you’re retired, but many of today’s retirees are looking for ways to transition into the life beyond full-time work. Many retirees want to stay active and stay happier and healthier.

Whether you’re a retiree or are nearing retirement age, you may not want to sit idly by even though you’re not working full-time.

If you’re considering looking for a part time job, you’re not alone. The AARP estimates that more than 50% of workers in the U.S. continue to work even after they’re retired. Statistics show that more than 40% will go part-time while close to 15% will work full time. Now is the time, many retirees say that they can pursue a career or a part time job for “fun.”

AARP also found that “workers 65-years-of-age and older are more than two times as likely to hold a part time job than individuals aged 25 to 64.”

Why do some individuals decide to work following retirement

1. Additional income is cited as the major reason
2. Working to afford the perks of retirement (travel, experiences)
3. Health advantages are another driving factor for senior adults continuing to work. Staying active keeps your brain sharp and staying physically active could help you stay healthier
4. They get a sense of purpose from their job
5. They work to combat loneliness and to maintain social connections

What are some part-time jobs that might be ideal for you? The AARP compiled a list and we are sharing some of those options here.

1. Bookkeeper
2. School bus driver
3. Administrative assistant
4. Home health aide or nanny
5. Customer service rep
6. Retail sales worker/cashier
7. Nurse assistant

Read the rest of the AARP article here.

What will you do to stay active and stay happier and healthier?

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