Boost your physical health with a good walk. Boost your mental health with a safe “Awe Walk.”

Even as the weather changes, older adults who normally enjoy the outdoors can get the benefits of walking inside or outside. And researchers recently found you can maximize any walk by taking more moments to be “awed.”

Older adults who took a fresh look at world around them – in a way, “drank it in” – felt more upbeat and hopeful than people who didn’t take the moments to look around. The Awe Walk boosted their body and mind, according to research from Memory and Aging Center…

Sometimes delays are gifts.
I remember a day in 2017.  It had been a particularly busy one.  And I was in transit to continue on with “more busy-ness”. On top of everything else, it had rained all day.  It was one of those dismal afternoons. When all of a sudden, traffic backed up on this particular overpass and came to a complete standstill for about 10 minutes. However, had this not occurred in this exact spot, at this exact time, I would have missed the view of this beautiful rainbow.

Most, if not all, cultures and spiritual orientations have given meaning to …

Eating healthy should be enjoyable, whether you’re homebound or on the go.

But older adults sometimes lose interest in eating, find food preparation taxing or leave behind good eating habits. And that’s dangerous because eating right can help keep your body and mind healthy and extend your quality of life, according to researchers at Harvard University.

Fortunately, older adults can start or reignite necessary healthy eating habits, regardless of their activity and mobility levels.

“An important consideration, is it’s never too late to build better habits and impro…

Making your home accessible as you age is a key factor in staying in your home. This video explains the most common home modifications adults make and explains why they are important.
 

Contributed by:
Nancy Thomas, MS, OTR/L, CAPS
Care Coordinator

Nancy is a licensed occupational therapist (OT) in Pennsylvania who is also Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) certified. Her passion is to help older adults thrive in place! Since the start of her OT career, she has been working with the older adult population in different long term care settings including…

Especially during stressful times, we can all benefit by taking a moment to relax and unwind. This progressive muscle relaxation exercise can help you learn how to reduce stress and anxiety in your body.  It will guide you to slowly tense, and then relax, muscle groups in your body. You can do it sitting or laying down.  Whenever you feel the need to slow down and relax, gift yourself ten minutes of self care.

Did you follow along and practice the technique? Do you feel more relaxed now?  We encourage your comments.  Ple…