We spend about a third of our life sleeping.  That means if you live to be 90 years old, you’ll have spent about 30 years of your life asleep!  These days, a lot of people see sleep as a waste of time and they may cut out time in bed in order to have more hours in the day to get things done or to do things they enjoy.  So people often want to know whether sleep is really important, or whether it is just a waste of time. There are two ways to think about the question: “Is Sleep Just a Waste of Time?”.
Impact of Lack of Sleep
First, we can think about the way that peop…

COVID-19 Is Threatening
This pandemic has ramped up anxiety for those who already struggled with it. And it has ignited new anxieties for those who have not dealt with it before.  It makes sense.  The purpose of anxiety is to alert us to a threat.  And COVID is certainly threatening.  It is important to understand that this emotion we label “anxiety” is normal right now.  Despite it being normal, I know it can feel upsetting and uncomfortable.  That’s why I want to teach you about managing your anxiety in the time of coronavirus.

Ways to Help Manage Anxiety
You…

Exercise could be the best thing you do for yourself today – and every day. It’ll make you stronger, livelier and smarter.

Researchers recently found exercise bolsters brain power in older adults. Not only does exercise get your heart and muscles pumping. It gets your brain charged up, too.

Without getting too technical, here’s what University of California, San Francisco researchers found: When people (and mice) exercised, their livers pumped out a little-known protein. When that protein spiked a bit, out-of-shape, elderly study participants experienced rejuvenati…

This is the next post in the new VigR Chat series.  This series is created by the Friends Life Care Wellness and Care Coordination team.  Linda Hnatow, Care Coordinator and Registered Nurse, presents on pulse oximetry — an easy, no-needle test to measure the amount of oxygen in your blood.
“Oxygen is the Gas that Makes your Body Go”
The question has been asked if having a pulse oximeter in your house is necessary during the COVID crisis.  This webinar video explains the importance of oxygen in your blood, what a pulse oximeter does, how to use it, and whether you coul…

You have lots of family members you cherish. Even more friends you adore. You might have even a relatively active social life before the pandemic. So why do you feel so lonely?

You aren’t alone – even though if feels so desperately like that.

Social distancing. Sheltering in place. Locking down. Self-isolation. Getting groceries delivered. Waving at family from windows. Missing out on so much.

It’s taken a toll on loneliness.
The lonely concern is real
Everyone – from social workers and scholars to neighbors and children – is concerned about older adul…