Many older adults want to come out of their winter cocoons to safely socialize again. Is it possible?

Absolutely … as long as you stick to the key idea of safety. The pandemic still wears on, and not everyone is fully vaccinated. You might not face the same isolation as you did last spring. But this year’s socializing won’t be exactly like all the years before either.

Fortunately, older adults can safely socialize. Here are five ways to enjoy friends, family, activities and the outdoors in the coming months. And remember – you’ll want to be vaccinated to interact sa…

Make Life Meaningful
Many of us get stuck in a cycle of maintaining undesirable habits with negative effects. Individuals often struggle to commit to change. So, how can naturally reinforced habits be broken? Through the use of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) principles and positive language, we increase the likelihood of making our goals into habits. A helpful tool in the journey for a healthy lifestyle is James Clear’s Atomic Habits. In his book, Clear discusses the four laws of behavior change.  In this post, we’ll review these laws and how we can use them to achie…

Pets can help older adult’s enjoy life more and stave off loneliness. Research proves it. Pet lovers swear by it.

And now, a year after the onset of a pandemic, even the skeptical believe it. Pets can be a positive addition to almost any home, helping with mental and physical wellbeing.

Full disclosure: I was the skeptic about the virtue of pets – until the pandemic. Then I saw the power of a pet in an older adult’s life. My mother-in-law’s poodle was her lifeline. Woody was a constant companion, friendly buddy and fun distraction. He was a reason for her to exercise …