Guide created by Lighthouse Autism Center
3 Ways to Enjoy Life in Retirement
Retiring can be a little bewildering. After decades of following a corporation’s rules and regulations (if you worked for a company, or trying to measure up to your client’s expectations) or if you ran your own business, you might feel a little disoriented because you have nothing much to do anymore. You suddenly find yourself in an unfamiliar phase of your life. Now comes the new challenge of learning how to deal responsibly with your freedom. Here are three suggestions on how to enjoy life in retirement:
Enjoy the Benefits of Assisted Living
If you need some assistance with daily living, you might discover that an assisted living facility offers many more benefits than you might have realized. Places like Bel Air Assisted Living provide a variety of options. But it’s important to distinguish between assisted living and a retirement home. Retirement homes can tend to be dull, drab, and unhappy environments. But assisted living is like a community, but with so much more. Besides the obvious benefits of getting help with daily tasks, getting your meals prepared, reduced stress about self-care, and a feeling of safety, you’ll also enjoy the pleasure of an active social life. Many senior living facilities even have innovative technology, like Entertain360℠, a retirement home TV with a selection of the best channels at a lower cost.
Find a Hobby You Love
If you’ve always wanted to learn how to be a marvelous cook but were always too busy with your career to pursue this hobby, now is the perfect time to begin. Cooking your own food from scratch will allow you to make healthier meal choices. If, say, you are gluten intolerant, you can learn to cook delicious dishes like the Gluten-Free Homemade Peach Cobbler Recipe.
Also, consider creative crafting hobbies to take up. If, for example, you like to work with textiles, you could try weaving, embroidery, macramé, appliqué, knitting, crocheting, lace-making, tapestry art, felt-making, or quilting. You could also try your hand at paper craft, woodcraft, or glass crafts. Crafting isn’t just an enjoyable way to spend your time, it also offers some unexpected benefits:
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Crafting provides cognitive benefits: Following instructions on how to design something provides cognitive benefits because it stimulates various regions of the brain.
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Crafting gives therapeutic benefits. Many seniors take up crafting as art therapy–because crafting lifts your mood, reducing feelings of loneliness, anxiety, or depression.
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Crafting supplies social benefits: Crafting offers opportunities to create new friendships because you can spend time sharing your latest craft work with other people who enjoy this hobby.
Some hobbyists even become famous. After carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders for many years, President George W. Bush is now an excellent project painter and has acquired some fame for his paintings to honor veterans.
Practice the Art of Yoga
Exercise is essential to maintain health, and one of the best forms of exercise for seniors is yoga. Yoga can help you reduce stress and mitigate aches and pains. These gentle exercises can pick up your mood, too, reducing anxiety or depression. Yoga can also strengthen bones, enhance balance, improve mobility, increase flexibility, and build strength. After a few weeks of practicing yoga, you’ll notice how well you sleep at night and how much more energized you feel during the day.
Although it’s possible to learn yoga from books or by watching videos, it’s usually best to go to a class to get in-person instructions. This will reduce the risk of injury caused by choosing the wrong exercises, doing them incorrectly, or trying too hard to push your body to perform an exercise that you’re not flexible enough to assume. Many retirement communities and senior centers offer yoga classes. If you can’t find a yoga class for seniors where you live, then sign up for a beginner’s class at a health studio.
All things considered, retirement can be fun. You don’t have to feel isolated, bored, or listless. In fact, if you make the right living arrangements, take up an interesting hobby, and practice yoga, it might surprise you how enjoyable your retirement can be. These are great ways to enjoy life in retirement.
Graduation Gifts Your College-Bound Teen is Sure to Appreciate
It seems like only yesterday when you heard the news that your baby was about to have a baby. From the moment your grandchild entered the world, you did everything in your power to make sure that you were there to love, nurture, and care for them. You’ve been there through their many milestones, celebrated every birthday, cheered them on at games or other activities, and reveled in the joys of being a grandparent. Now, your grand baby has finished high school and is about to embark on the journey of young adulthood. Certainly, high school graduation is worth celebrating. The only problem is, you’re not sure what to purchase as a gift. They’ve outgrown toys, chances are they won’t like your sense of fashion choices for clothes, and giving them cash or a gift card just seems impersonal. Shopping for a teenager can be stressful, but here is a list of graduation gifts your college-bound teen is sure to appreciate.
Me and my grandson, Spencer. He’s going off to college this fall.
Backpack/Duffel Bag
Your teenager will thank you for a new backpack or duffel bag. As college campuses are a lot larger than high school, they’ll soon realize just how strenuous it can be to lug books, laptops, and other supplies from one class to the next. A sturdy book bag or duffel bag, however, provides them with the comfort and support they need to travel without straining their backs.
Noise-Canceling Headphones
Trying to get into a zone on a college campus isn’t as easy as it sounds. Whether you’re jogging around campus for exercise or trying to study in your dorm room, there’s always a bunch of noise and distractions surrounding you. Help your college-bound teens stay focused with a nice pair of noise-canceling headphones. They can listen to their favorite music playlist, radio station, or podcast without being disturbed.
GRAPHIC TEES OR STATEMENT SHIRTS
Teenagers these days love expressing how they feel on social media. If you notice that your teenager likes posting pictures of themselves online, get them cool, funky or funny graphic tees or statement shirts to wear for their social media photos. Know their hobbies, favorite movies, interests, past time activities, so you will know what kind of shirt to buy. If you have no idea at all, try a funny T-shirt that you think will cheer them up. Trendy statement hoodies are also very popular with teenagers, so get one with your teenager’s favorite color.
Underwear
Though most college campuses have laundromats on-site for students to use, maintaining a regular laundry schedule isn’t always at the top of the list of priorities for your teenager. Between keeping up with classes, after-school jobs, and their social lives, laundry can pile up pretty quickly. If you want to purchase them something they can appreciate, why not spring for underwear. A pack of undershirts and boxers or briefs for your grandson and trendy racerback bra and matching boy shorts for your granddaughter, at the very least, ensures that they have on clean underwear every day.
Grocery Store Gift Card
While you may want to give them something more personal than cash, a gift card to a grocery store near campus can really come in handy. Students soon learn that paying for meals on campus can get expensive. So, they tend to get pretty creative and prepare meals in their dorms. Having a gift card on hand that can be used to get groceries means they can save their cash for other college expenses. Along the same line of thought, think about the things that your college bound teen likes to eat. If he (or she) likes jerky, send a jerky gift box from this online store! They will thank you over and over for that.
Technology
No teenager can resist the convenience of technology. If you really want to get your college-bound grandchild something they’ll appreciate, you can’t go wrong in this category. If they don’t already have one, you could purchase them a laptop or tablet. These days most coursework and books are available through digital platforms, so having up-to-date technology will ensure they can keep up with their classes.
If you can’t afford to spend that much on a graduation gift, there are still other ideas like portable chargers, plenty of charger cords (they somehow always seem to lose those), or even a mobile hotspot for times they need to connect to the internet on the go.
Dorm Room Decor
Being able to create your own personal space in college means everything to a teenager. Find out what the theme is for their college dorm room. Then, you can purchase things like bed sheets, comforters, area rugs, posters, throw pillows, artwork, picture frames, and whatever else they might want to add personality to their otherwise plain dorm rooms.
It’s crazy how quickly time flies. Once a tiny newborn you could hold in your arms, your grandchild is now on their way to college. Send them off the right way by purchasing them a gift that they’ll not only appreciate, but be able to use to help them through the first few months of college life.
Celebrating Special Occasions With Your Family During the Pandemic
As you patiently remain at home to reduce your chances of contracting the coronavirus, you’re missing out on all the wonderful milestones and special occasions with your loved ones. Your grandkids are graduating from school, holidays are zooming by, your adult children might even be getting married, expecting a baby, or celebrating a housewarming. These things are all times to celebrate and be happy, but when you’re unable to attend or get involved it can make you feel a bit sad and lonely. So, how are you celebrating special occasions with your family during the pandemic?
For most senior citizens, your family is what you live for. You enjoy the regular interactions with them, seeing them grow and evolve, and celebrating the best times in their lives. So, being apart from them can become emotionally overwhelming (which isn’t good for your health). Fortunately, there are ways you can connect, celebrate, and be involved with those you love most while remaining safe. Here are some suggestions listed below:
Tap in Virtually to Special Occasions With Your Family During the Pandemic
Are your grandkids having a graduation ceremony that you can’t make? Perhaps your adult child is hosting a baby shower, housewarming, or family barbecue this summer that you don’t want to miss? Whatever the case may be, you can always tap into the event virtually. With the right video chat application, you can call in, talk to everyone, and even spend a few moments watching the celebration. If the event is being recorded, you can also request to stream it live so you can feel as if you’re right there with everyone. My adult children and I all get on Zoom every other Sunday to talk about what’s going on in each other’s lives. It is so much fun! It’s almost like being together in real life.
Send Gifts
You may not be able to head to a nearby store and go shopping for gifts for your loved ones, but that doesn’t mean you can’t let them know you care. Instead of risking your health during the pandemic, pull up a chair, and go shopping online. You can find everything your family may need or want on the internet.
Is your daughter having a baby shower? You can go online and find her everything from baby clothes and blankets to breast pumps and nipple cream and have them delivered to your daughter’s home. Want to let your grandkids know you’re proud of them for finishing out the school year? You can send them digital gift cards or browse the inventory at your favorite stores and send them a personal gift. Maybe the family is having a barbecue in the near future? You can pay for a nearby restaurant to drop off anything from chicken and pasta to cold cuts and beverages to pitch in on the food for the family.
Host Small Yet Safe Functions
You may not be able to attend a graduation ceremony, baby shower, or family barbecue if there are too many people around, but, if you really want to celebrate with your loved ones, you can host something small and safe at your place. Inviting fewer than 10 people to your home, you can have a barbecue, a family dinner, or a small party of your own. Try to host the event in your backyard as it is a lot safer than being in a closed-in space like your home, keep the guest list small, and ensure that everyone is wearing personal protection equipment like face masks and gloves (especially when handling food) to reduce the spread of the virus. It may even be ideal to check everyone’s temperature prior to having them enter your place just to be on the safe side.
My four adult children talked amongst themselves, and came up with a plan for Mother’s Day. The three girls all sent money to my son via Paypal so that he could pick up a dozen roses, two pounds of crab legs, a box of my favorite snack cakes, and a card from all of them. My son and I had a nice dinner for two, then we got on Zoom with the girls so I could tell them how special it made me feel for them to plan this Mother’s Day Celebration for me.
Though there has been no treatment or vaccine yet created for the coronavirus, in many states, the number of new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths has slowed dramatically encouraging government officials to reopen states and gradually return to normal. Of course, that’s great news, but for those who are considered high-risk, remaining in the safety of your home just a bit longer is strongly advised. While this means missing out on family celebrations and milestones, the good news is you can still keep in touch, remain connected, and celebrate special occasions with your family during the pandemic.
Keeping Up with the Grandkids
Meet Theresa, a good friend of mine. She’s also a good grandma! Her grandkids range from Danny, age one, all the way up to Lisa, who just started high school last fall. In all, Theresa has nine grandchildren, and she manages to keep up with them like nobody’s business. I asked her to share some of her secrets. Here is our conversation:
Q: Tell us your secret, Theresa. We all want to know how you can keep up with nine grandkids!
A: It makes me feel so blessed to have them! That’s probably the number one reason I can keep up with them. Gratitude. And I don’t want to miss a single moment, if I can help it.
Q: You and I have talked about your diet before.
A: Yes, absolutely. At least eighty percent of the time I eat a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet. I would say lately it’s more like ninety to a hundred percent. I just don’t want to risk it.
Q: Why don’t you tell us why you originally switched to a healthy diet.
A: I was tired all the time, my blood pressure was high, my cholesterol was high… the works. So I started searching to see if there was a way to reverse all of that. I found out that there was, through diet, so I threw myself into the diet. What I discovered was that I had so much more energy than ever before. There’s a documentary I tell people to watch on Netflix, called Game Changers. And there’s this guy in it that says something like, “I don’t have to keep up with my grandchildren. My grandchildren have to keep up with me.” I almost feel like that sometimes, and it makes me so happy.
Q: Besides a healthy diet, what else do you do to keep up with the grandkids?
A: Let’s see… Well, I get a moderate amount of exercise. I try to walk for half an hour or so every day. I also have been taking CBD gummies, usually on a daily basis.
Q: Do you really?
A: Yes. It’s said that they help you recover from exertion faster, and you know that I exert myself a lot. They also are supposed to help you sleep better, and I can tell you that I enjoy a good night’s sleep.
Q: Do you FaceTime the kids?
A: (Laughs.) Almost every morning! The youngest ones usually FaceTime me! Danny and his sister Cody, who is three. Danny’s one and a half.
Q: Can you imagine what it would be like to be that age and able to use video chat on a phone?
A: It’s like what they promised the future would be like when we were little!
Q: So you would say that you live a pretty healthy, happy lifestyle.
A: Absolutely. And honestly, I stay healthy for them, not myself. For example, I occasionally think about zipping through the drive through for a burger or fried chicken. But I don’t. I think about my grandkids, and I decide to skip it. I eat the whole foods, and I never regret it. I think about sitting on the couch all day, but I get up and I get moving. If it weren’t for my little darlings, I’d eat whatever I wanted and park myself in front of the TV, and I’d either have a hard time moving around, or I’d be dead.
Q: Jumping back to the CBD stuff we were talking about, I meant to ask one more question about that: Do you ever use them for stress?
A: Honestly I don’t think I have a lot of stress in my life! But who knows… maybe that’s because I take the gummies. Mostly, though, I think of it as whole body wellness with CBD.
Q: Are there any other supplements you take?
A: Besides vitamin B12 and CBD, I try to get everything else from eating a diverse, healthy diet. And for my vitamin D, I try to take my walks outside in the sunshine.
Q: I love a good walk in the sunshine.
A: Me too!
Mental Health Wellness Guide For Your Child
Mental Health Wellness Guide created by Sami-Aid
Tips for Making Travel Easier for Grandma and Grandpa
Planning a family vacation with grandparents? This is a great way to bond and create multi-generational memories. But it might not always be easy. Senior adults tend to get tired much more easily than the grandkids. And if you have a packed schedule without enough downtime, the trip might really take a toll. Follow these tips for making travel easier for Grandma and Grandpa.
Limit long-distance walking
Even if you have athletic grandparents who take their workouts seriously, it’s still a good idea to limit the amount of long-distance walking involved in your trip. Don’t plan activities such as hiking and backpacking, because Grandma and Grandpa might be left behind. You can also avoid choosing a destination that will require a long ride in the car to get there.
Plan transportation accordingly
Proper planning is essential if you’re traveling with the seniors. Schedule everything you’ll need for the journey ahead of time so you won’t have to wait a long time to be served. If you’re flying, book the seats ahead of time so you can choose the most comfortable ones. You can also book an extra room so your grandparents won’t have to cram into rooms with lots of other people. Do your research and come up with appropriate transportation for the seniors, considering their comfort and safety. Having their own room so they can get rested is one way of making travel easier for Grandma and Grandpa
Invest in an upright walker
Some seniors may have mobility issues. Consider investing in upright walkers or mobility chairs to make traveling a little easier. These walkers are safe, cost-effective, and highly flexible. Invest in the best walker on the market to ensure flexibility and comfort. Your grandparents may not be able to stand for a long time due to issues such as fatigue and poor balance, but with an upright walker, you won’t be leaving them behind. Click here to see a great example of an appropriate walker that will ease their mobility.
Consider dietary restrictions ahead of time
While this applies to travelers of all ages, seniors are more likely to have diet restriction issues because of the many health issues that can be associated with old age. They might need to adhere to a strict diet to remain in good shape. Changing someone’s diet abruptly can have a severe effect on their health. Be mindful of what types of foods you’re going to eat while on your trip and if they’re appropriate for your grandparents. Researching tips for nutrition in senior adults can help you identify the best types of restaurants to pick. And, if one or both of the grandparents are diabetic, make sure to have a snack on hand in case their blood sugar drops too low. Having the right foods helps make traveling easier for grandma and grandpa.
Carry medication
Your grandparents may have health conditions associated with old age that they need to manage with daily medication. When traveling, don’t make the mistake of placing essential medications in the checked baggage. Instead, put them in a small handbag and ensure you have it close wherever you go. You should also bring along a list of medications and their appropriate dosages just in case you need to see a doctor while on the trip.
Have fun
Traveling with your grandparents can be a blast, and you’re going to make a lot of memories together. So don’t forget to enjoy the moment! Do what you can to make the trip easier for any senior adults along, but then set aside the logistics and focus on creating new memories together.
Tips For Dealing With Fire And Smoke Damage On Your Property
No one wants to ever have to deal with fire or smoke damage on their property, but accidents can happen, and suddenly you might have to deal with it. It’s important to know what to do in this situation, so here are some tips for dealing with fire and smoke damage on your property.
Call A Restoration Company
First, it’s important that you have somewhere that immediately after the fire has happened in order to get the property assessed and evaluated. Calling a restoration company is a good idea because they’ll be able to go through all the options you have when it comes to getting your home repaired and back to normal. They’ll be able to highlight all the areas of concern but also anything that you might not be able to see. It’s a good idea to have this done sooner rather than later in order to avoid any further damage that the smoke might be causing as well as the structure of your home that might still be cooling down. The sooner you can get them out to visit the property the better, and it can also be good to have someone there to get the ball rolling so that you can get back to normal sooner rather than later, and have the fire and smoke damage repaired.
Speak To Your Insurers
Next, you want to speak to your insurers and this is also something that the restoration company is likely to do for you. It’s best to speak to them as soon as you can in order to make sure you’re valid when it comes to your insurance. This will be something to put your mind at ease to when it comes to what’s available to you in terms of the financial help you can get to restore and fix your home.
Find Temporary Accommodation
Temporary accommodation is something that you’re probably going to want to find if you think you’re in a position where you can no longer sleep in your home due to fire and smoke damage. It’s very unlikely that you’re in a situation where you can stay in your home, so firstly look at what accommodation you might be able to get with friends and family before taking out the option of renting an Airbnb, for example, or nearby hotel for the time being.
Try To Keep To A Normal Routine
It’s important to try and keep up a normal routine after experiencing a situation like this. It’s going to be hard to get through because a lot of your valuables and parts of your home are going to have perished. The emotional toll it can take is hard enough, but try to keep to a routine where you can. It will certainly help for you to get through it a lot easier than if everything was up in the air all the time.
Dealing with a fire or smoke damage on your home is something you don’t want to happen but when it does it can be challenging. Use these tips to help!
