Dance for Your Health!

Dancing is wonderful, and age does not have to slow anyone down – people can enjoy dancing their whole lives! In fact, dancing is very beneficial for seniors! Here are some reasons why we love dancing at Private Home Care:

Improving Strength, Mobility, and Balance

Many older adults have balance and mobility issues, which can lead to feelings of instability and increased risk of injury for falls. As we know, falls can be very dangerous for seniors, but luckily dancing can help reduce the risk or even help avoid falls! This can also have the bigger effect of compromising independent living. Several types of dance can help improve mobility, flexibility, and balance, while strengthening the muscles. By helping support and strengthen the way the body moves and functions, people are able to age in place safely and live a high quality life.

Good for Heart and Cardiovascular Health

All doctors recommend regular cardiovascular exercise as an essential practice for maintaining good heart health and preventing cardiovascular disease. Even though you may not realize it because you are having so much fun, you can get the same cardiovascular benefits from dance as they would through traditional cardio exercises like walking or cycling! Another great thing about dancing as exercise is that it can be done basically anywhere, with no special equipment or particular location needed. Dancing is available to those who may be physically limited – chair dancing is just as fun! All you need is some music, knowledge of the steps, and the will to practice. (And sometimes you don’t need knowledge of the steps, you can just ‘wing it’ and move however makes you feel good!) Regularly practicing dance can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, maintain a healthy body weight, and protect the heart from cardiovascular problems.

Reduces Muscle Pain and Joint Stiffness

A high percentage of seniors suffer from chronic inflammation that often results in joint and muscle stiffness. In addition, knee and hip issues are highly prevalent. Promising research into relieving chronic joint and muscle pain showed that low impact dancing routines can actually offer comfort as well as improved mobility! One study showed that after 12-weeks of a low intensity dance program, the participants with an average age of 80, reported being able to reduce the amount of pain medication they were taking for their stiff joints and muscles. They were also able to move around more freely and easily, helping to maintain an independent lifestyle. This goes to show the power of dance and how it can improve lives: dancing can help older adults stay living in their home for longer as well as reduce the amount of pain medication needed. Instead of pills, put on your dancing shoes!

Socialization

Dancing is a fun and social activity! Whatever style dance you choose – swing, latin, square dancing, or zoomba, it is tremendous fun to dance with others and meet new friends! Loneliness and isolation are a major issue for seniors, and can lead to health issues as well as a lower quality of life. However, when you socialize and connect with others, it is beneficial for your mental, emotional and even physical health! It has been proven that those who are most socially active and maintain meaningful relationships throughout their lives and in old age do end up living longer! Age does not have to be a factor for dancing as long as you practice and are doing it from the heart. (If truth must be told – some of our younger caregivers and staff have had seniors dance circles around them in dance classes!)

Minimizes Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

All exercise helps Dancing has been found to have a positive effect on mood! A study in Australia showed that older adults battling anxiety and depression, improved their mood levels and experienced a reduction in stress through dancing. Just a two-week program involving tango lessons showed significant improvements, due to the social and physical benefits of the activity. When you practice and improve at dancing, it can also give you more confidence!

The potential health benefits of routine dancing for seniors are tremendous. The physical, social, and mental aspects make dance one of the best overall health practices for seniors to boost independence, mobility, balance, mood, and overall wellness.

Defends Against Dementia

When compared to other leisure activities like playing golf, doing crosswords, reading and cycling, dancing appears to offer the best chance of helping stave off dementia. According to a 21-year study led by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, aging adults who danced regularly had a 76 percent reduced risk for developing dementia. Experts theorize that dancing is beneficial for our brains because it combines cardiovascular exercise with split-second decision making that taxes our neural network, forcing it to create new pathways.

What is special about dancing is that it is a universal form of exercise and recreation as well. Every culture or country has their own type of dance, and engaging in that is a way of celebrating that! Seniors with conditions like Parkinson’s disease, dementia, cancer, arthritis, asthma and heart disease can all participate. Research into using dance as a therapy for each of these ailments has unearthed a host of advantages and very few risks. However, it’s always important to clear any exercises with a doctor before beginning a new regime, especially for those with pre-existing health conditions.

National Dance Day

Get your dancing shoes ready – National Dance Day is tomorrow, Saturday September 19th!

Established in 2010 by American Dance Movement co-founder, Nigel Lythgoe, and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, National Dance Day is an annual celebration dedicated to dance, and encourages Americans of all ages to incorporate dance into their lives. By creating a focused day of celebration to show support for dance as a valuable form of exercise and of artistic expression, American Dance Movement aims to educate the public about dance and its many benefits, as well as make dance accessible and inclusive to everyone.

American Dance Movement (ADM) believes that participation in dance connects the mind and body, promotes health and wellbeing, connects us with others and enables us to find joy through dance and movement. National Dance Day (NDD) is a day of celebrating dance, in all its forms, and takes place annually on the third Saturday in September.

At 77 years old, Madame Poole is a long standing professional ballerina. She has been dancing through life for over seven decades and aging gracefully. She is still dancing and teaching, and performs at senior centers. Not only is it entertaining, but it is inspirational for those her own age to see someone continuing to pursue their passion and push their body physically.

September is National Intergeneration Month!

September is National Intergeneration Month! The goal of this event is to connect generations and to prompt people from varying age groups to befriend and learn from each other. Research from the Intergenerational Foundation identified the need to set aside a time each year to focus on intentionally connecting generations to better communicate age-related gratitude and needs.

At Private Home Care we are proud every day to engage in building and fostering strong intergenerational relations with our clients, their loved ones, our expert caregivers, and the community at large.

Why is this important? Different kinds of friendships and relationships enrich our lives, and this is especially so for intergenerational ones. Connecting with someone of a different generation helps remove preconceived notions about a certain age group, and see them as individuals. You can have conversations that you would never be able to have with those from the same age group, like a senior WWII veteran sharing his stories with a high schooler, who is in turn showing him how to use Facebook and Instagram.

Although people are digitally connected to each other more than ever before, apart from family, those connections are typically between people in the same generation. Both young and older people can feel disconnected and isolated, but we can find a sense of meaning by connecting with one another. Sometimes a younger person needs the wisdom of a senior to help guide them in life, and often when an older adult has a good connection with a younger person, it can make them feel relevant and young again. Often what we learn from each other is completely unexpected! Those relationships can help improve your life, and society as a whole.

Traditionally, great places to meet someone from a different generation are public areas, like a park, library, or museum. You might get lucky and meet someone from a different generation in your favorite crime mystery aisle at the library who can lead you to more favorite authors. At the park, you could make a new chess playing partner or friend who is also a dog enthusiast. Whatever your preference is, make room in your schedule, life, and heart for intergenerational relationships because they are truly some of the most fulfilling in life.

Balance Awareness Week with Private Home Care

At Private Home Care, we are passionate about helping people maintain their balance and providing education about this matter. Why? Falls account for a large percentage of hospitalizations and deaths for the elderly. After the age of 60, your body’s vestibular and balance system starts declining, sometimes without us even realizing it. Often we don’t think about our balance until we lose it. It can be hard for older adults to realize that the activities they have been doing their whole lives (walking up or down stairs, carrying a heavy box), may increase their risk of a fall. However, there are actions you can take to prevent this from happening. Practicing regular exercise as well as exercises and movements specifically designed to bolster balance can make a big difference for maintaining balance. Regular doctors checkups are also beneficial to detect any possible balance issues because they may be able to catch any signs of imbalance before it starts to really affect day to day living. Check out this video to see the best balance exercises for seniors!

Private Home Care are experts in fall prevention. We provide fall prevention home safety assessments of your loved one’s living space to ensure that your loved one can age safely and happily at home. They say that balance in life is key, and we agree!

During Balance Awareness Month, Private Home Care challenges you to test you balance and see how you can improve it!

Balance Awareness Week 2020

This week is Balance Awareness Week, September 13-19th. 

The Vestibular Disorders Association began Balance Awareness Week to highlight just how much of an impact inner ear and brain disorders can have on an individual’s daily life. Patients who suffer from balance issues associated with vestibular disorders often experience chronic physical, mental, and emotional pain. Examples include intense dizziness, ringing of the ear, vertigo, and even depression. During the week of September 13-19 make it a point to familiarize yourself with the many issues that Balance Awareness Week tackles. Watch this video to learn how the body’s balance system works. Keep reading for our next post about just how important balance is for older adults and seniors!

Zen and the Art of Coloring

Zen and the Art of Coloring

Coloring is a form of art therapy, which is highly beneficial for seniors, and an effective treatment for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s. But what does coloring have to do with zen? And how is it beneficial for the brain?

When you color, you are practicing mindfulness, which means that you are focused on what you are doing in the moment. You are only concentrating on one thing, which is moving the colored pencil in methodical strokes to keep the color within the lines. Any mindfulness activity can be considered as a meditation because you are wholly present and it quiets the mental chatter in your head so you are not thinking about other things. Coloring has many of the same positive health effects as meditation, which has been proven in many clinical styles to be an extremely effective health enhancing activity.

Coloring elevates your mood! It helps people de-stress and relax. Coloring has been shown to decrease agitation and irritability in Alzheimer’s patients because it is a soothing activity. When you are relaxed or in a good mood through coloring ‘meditation’, it increases your ability to focus, which may help with other cognitive functions as well. Researchers as well as art therapists say that coloring can help preserve cognitive function because the more in the habit you are of concentrating, the sharper your brain stays. If you can practice the skill of concentrating on a mindfulness activity like coloring every day, your brain will remain more plastic and alert than if you do not.

Coloring is a creative outlet, which is positive in so many ways. Sometimes people, especially loved ones with dementia and Alzheimer’s, may have difficulties with verbal communication and trouble with expressing themselves and their emotions. Coloring is a way to express their thoughts and feelings without having to use words.Coloring is a wonderful way for older adults to let out those feelings and thoughts in an enjoyable way. This can be a source of relief and joy, which decreases stress and helps overall health. Studies have shown that coloring can help treat anxiety and depression.

Coloring helps mood and memories. When seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s color, it reminds them of childhood, which is important since the long term memories are often the memories that are left even after the shorter term memories have all disappeared. Life can be frustrating with those diseases, and ordinary tasks may no longer be accessible. But Coloring is also a task that is simple to understand but complex enough to be engaging and rewarding. When someone finishes a coloring project, it helps give them a sense of pride and accomplishment. It can also be a great gift to give to someone!

Coloring can be beneficial for those who struggle with arthritis because it is great for maintaining fine motor skills, and the muscles associated with writing. It helps with hand-eye coordination as well because your eye is following along where your hand is coloring, and supports dexterity through gentle gripping. Coloring is a lovely activity that is readily available, especially those who may be physically limited. It is portable and you can sit both inside or outside when coloring (you can get fresh air into the lungs and absorb vitamin D!). Those who may be bedridden can also color and create. Coloring promotes socialization when in a group, and encourages cooperation.

There are now many beautiful options for adult coloring books, ask the senior in your life which images or themes they like best! Grab a coloring book and some pencils or markers and start showing us your true colors!

National Coloring Day is September 14th

Today, September 14th, is National Coloring Day! Whether you use crayons, colored pencils, markers, pastels, watercolor pencils, digitally, and more, today we celebrate coloring! What is great about coloring is that it is a fun, easy activity to do at any age! Many people have fond memories of childhood spending hours coloring, but coloring is not just for children. In recent years, coloring books for adults have become hugely popular. The art therapy benefits are becoming widely known to the public, and this activity is finally getting the appreciation it deserves! Today, celebrate National Coloring Day by taking part in this activity that is one of life’s simple pleasures and add color to your life!Watch this great video about how a 92 year old WWII veteran with dementia found his passion and talent in coloring. (P.S. Check out his fabulous sweatshirt! It says ‘Papa – The Man, The Myth, The Legend’) Read on to learn the many benefits of coloring!