September is known as Healthy Aging Month, as it is just a great time of year to make some lifestyle changes. As our hot, summer days wind down, we all tend to draw on that “back to school” urge embedded in everyone from childhood. It is a time to focus and take precautions that help…
National Senior Citizens Day, August 21, is the day to let seniors know how much you care and it’s an opportunity to recognize their accomplishments. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed this holiday to raise awareness about issues that affect senior citizens and their quality of life. The Administration for Community Living for 2023 is Aging…
This is the season when the Brookhouse Home is especially beautiful because of our lovely grounds and gardens. We also benefit from the salt air and sea breezes off of Salem harbor. From our vantage point, we get to watch the schooners and sailboats come and go from the Derby wharf area and see…
On May 3, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new advisory calling attention to the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in our country. Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately half of U.S. adults reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness. The Surgeon General warns that disconnection fundamentally…
Stress and the Elderly: April is Stress Awareness Month. Many older Americans are facing extremely stressful circumstances— and may encounter emotionally stressful situations that are more severe and occur more frequently. Some situational causes of increased chronic stress in older adults include: Retirement Loss of a loved one Heart disease Too much unstructured time Declining…
An extraordinary 85-year-long Harvard research study found that retirees don’t miss working, they miss the people, and it is one of the biggest challenges in retirement for seniors. The study began in 1938 by gathering health records from 724 people from all over the world, asking detailed questions about their lives at two-year intervals over…
On January 20th this past week, a report came across our evening news that made us all sit up and listen. A nine year study by Johns Hopkins researchers found that socially isolated older adults have a 27% higher chance of developing dementia than older adults who aren’t, meaning dementia and social isolation are related.…
January is often a long month after the excitement of Christmas and the New Year holidays, and is considered to be one of the most difficult times of the year. In fact, studies suggest that many people feel the January Blues, with the most depressing day of the year named as Blue Monday, on the…
Happy New Year 2022! Have you made any New Year’s Resolutions? Reaching some goals and making lifestyle changes is something that makes all of us feel good at any age. We uncovered these top ten suggestions for seniors making New Year’s resolutions including tips from the American Geriatrics Society’s Health in Aging Foundation. 1. Eat…
The use of pet therapy in health care is a definite growing trend. In fact, animal-assisted therapy is an acceptable treatment that is now being considered for chronic health problems, according to a recent article by the Mayo Clinic staff. Although pet therapy is a broadly used term among health care professionals, it helps people…