Tag Archive for: mental health

Self-Care for Seniors: Simple Tips to Boost Mental Well-Being

October 10, 2024

Taking care of your mental health is important at any age, and seniors can especially benefit from simple self-care tips. These tips can help improve mood, increase energy, and support a healthy mind. Here are a few simple recommendations to think about:

Stay Active

Daily Walks: Walking is one of the easiest ways to stay active. Aim for a 20-minute walk around your neighborhood or in a park. Walking helps clear your mind and boosts your mood.
Chair Exercises: If walking is challenging, try chair exercises. These can include leg lifts, arm circles, and gentle stretches. Chair exercises improve flexibility and strength while being easy on the joints.

Eat Well

Healthy Fats: Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish like salmon and tuna are known to improve brain function. Incorporate these healthy fats into your diet for optimal mental well-being.
Balanced Meals: Eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can boost your mental health. These foods provide essential nutrients that support brain function.
Stay Hydrated: Drinking enough water is crucial. Aim for 6-8 glasses a day to keep your body and mind hydrated and functioning well. Avoid sugary drinks and excessive caffeine, as these can negatively impact your mood and energy levels.

Connect with Others

Regular Phone Calls: Talking to family and friends regularly can lift your spirits. Schedule weekly phone calls or video chats to stay connected.
Join a Club: Find a local club or group that interests you, such as a book club or gardening group. Socializing with others who share your interests is a great way to make new friends and feel part of a community.

Practice Mindfulness

Deep Breathing: Spend a few minutes each day focusing on your breath. Inhale slowly through your nose, hold for a moment, and exhale through your mouth. Deep breathing helps reduce stress and calm the mind.
Simple Meditation: Set aside ten minutes a day to sit quietly and focus on a peaceful image or thought. Meditation can improve focus and reduce anxiety.

Keep Your Mind Engaged

Puzzles and Games: Engage your mind with puzzles, crosswords, or board games. These activities can improve memory and problem-solving skills.
Learn Something New: Consider learning a new hobby or skill, like painting or playing an instrument. Learning stimulates the brain and keeps it active.

Maintain a Routine

Set a Schedule: Having a daily routine provides structure and purpose. Try to wake up, eat, and go to bed at the same time each day. A consistent routine helps regulate your body’s internal clock.
Plan Activities: Make a list of activities to look forward to each week, whether it’s a new recipe to try or a movie to watch. Planning enjoyable activities can create a sense of anticipation and joy.

Take Time for Yourself

Quiet Time: Spend some time each day doing something you love, like reading a book or listening to music. Quiet time allows you to relax and recharge.
Nature Time: If possible, spend time outdoors. Sitting in a garden or walking in nature can lift your mood and provide a sense of peace.

Get Enough Sleep

Create a Bedtime Routine: Establish a calming bedtime routine, such as taking a warm bath or reading a book. This signals to your body that it’s time to wind down.
Limit Screen Time: Try to avoid screens before bed, as the light can interfere with sleep. Instead, listen to relaxing music or a calming audiobook.

Seek Support

Talk to Someone: If you feel overwhelmed, it’s okay to talk to someone about how you’re feeling. This could be a friend, family member, or professional. Sharing your thoughts can provide relief and guidance.
Access Resources: Many communities offer resources and support for seniors. Check your local community center or library for workshops and classes that focus on mental health and well-being.

Taking care of your mental health doesn’t have to be difficult. By adding these simple self-care tips into your daily routine, you can enhance your mental well-being and enjoy a more fulfilling life. Remember, taking small steps every day can make a big difference in how you feel. Embrace these tips and discover what works best for you, because caring for your mind is just as important as caring for your body.

It’s your life. Live it your way.

WelbeHealth provides full-service healthcare and personalized support to help you age well at home and in your community. Our Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) meets the changing needs of seniors, often at no cost. To see if you qualify, visit: welbehealth.com/contact

Top 5 Ways to Care For Senior Mental Health

May 1, 2023

In the famous words of Isaac Newton, “A body in motion stays in motion.” As you age, it’s important to stay active to maintain your body’s ability to perform various activities throughout the day.

Did you know this principle also applies to your mind? There are many things you can do to support your mental health as you age.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’ve put together five of the best ways to care for senior mental health.

1. Eat Well

A healthy diet can help boost your mood and keep your body and mind feeling well. After all, around 20% of your daily calories go toward powering your brain, so it only makes sense that how you eat would impact your mental health!

Incorporate as many of the following into your daily diet as you can:

Fruits
Vegetables
Legumes and nuts
Whole grains

Also, do your best to limit saturated fats and processed sugars.

2. Stick to a Sleep Schedule

Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is one of the best ways to preserve your mental health as you age. Despite popular belief, even seniors need around eight hours of sleep every night!

To help you get restful sleep and cut the number of times you wake up throughout the evening, practice good sleep hygiene habits. Reduce as much noise and light in your sleeping space as you can, invest in a high-quality mattress and pillow, and put screens away before you get ready for bed.

3. Engage in Social Activities

Our relationships are at the core of our well-being. Having strong relationships can help you feel happier and even slow the progression of dementia and cardiovascular diseases.

Talking with close friends and family throughout the day can help you feel a sense of purpose and fill your days. If you can, set up in-person visits with your loved ones, as you’ll get a greater sense of connection than from texting or a phone call.

4. Incorporate Movement Into Your Day

Efforts to maintain your mental health can be greatly boosted by matching efforts to maintain your physical health. While you don’t have to push yourself to discomfort or pain, even moderate movement throughout the day can have lasting benefits for your mind, including stress relief and increased levels of energy throughout the day.

If you’re the kind of person who benefits from exercising in community, you have many options available to you. See if there’s a gym in your neighborhood that holds gentle yoga, stretching, or other classes accessible for seniors. If not, try your local library, or gather a group of friends yourself!

5. Exercise Your Mind

Finally, exercising your mind is just as important as exercising your body. Even a few minutes of brain teasers and word puzzles every day can go a long way toward maintaining the long-term health of your mind. Next time you hit a patch of boredom, consider picking up one of the following activities:

Jigsaw puzzles
Crossword puzzles
Brain teasers
Sudoku
Scrabble
Bingo
Solitaire

Caring for Senior Mental Health

By eating well, getting enough sleep, maintaining relationships, and prioritizing movement throughout the day, senior mental health can be preserved for years to come. Go grab a friend, a crossword puzzle, and your walking shoes, and get started today!

Here at WelbeHealth, our goal is to help seniors thrive. We do this by prioritizing human connections, pursuing resourceful solutions, and working toward a common purpose. Together, we want to help you gain access to live the life you deserve.

Want to find out if you qualify? Contact us today!

Supporting the Mental Health of Seniors

September 1, 2021

Health care doesn’t just include care for the physical body; it includes care for the mind too. Solely focusing on physical health and disregarding the mental health of seniors can reduce their quality of life. WelbeHealth recognizes this. As a PACE provider (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), WelbeHealth addresses all aspects of wellness to keep seniors living safely in their community.

An estimated 20 percent of Americans over age 55 have a mental health disorder. Unfortunately, only three percent of those individuals seek out mental health services. WelbeHealth supports the mental health of seniors through a collaborative, gentle approach to improve well-being and health outcomes.

1. Building Trust

Rona Lomeda is a Complex Case Nurse for WelbeHealth. Her 30 years of experience in behavioral health and geriatric care have shown her the key to successfully treating the mental health of seniors is trust.

Lomeda says, “The most important thing we do is make sure our seniors feel loved. That’s what develops trust in the relationship. Ultimately, that’s how we provide the best care to seniors struggling with mental illnesses.”

WelbeHealth also builds trust by being available 24/7. Whether participants are at the day center, in their home, or on the road, WelbeHealth is just a call away. Staying in close communication with seniors lets them know that they always have someone they can lean on in times of fear, confusion, or loneliness.

2. Nurturing Companionship Among Peers

Over 40 percent of seniors report feeling lonely on a daily basis. And, studies have shown that loneliness can be as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. That’s why WelbeHealth helps provide companionship for all participants, especially those with mental illness.

WelbeHealth participants find companionship through:

Coming to the day center
Eating meals with other participants
Engaging in center activities that interest them
Visiting with caring staff members
Calling the WelbeHealth team via phone or tablet
Visiting with drivers and other participants during transportation rides

3. Providing Individual Care and Education

Untreated mental illness can have a domino effect on other areas of health. For example, a senior who is severely depressed may not feel like taking their diabetes medication, which can harm other areas of their body.

To help solve this, WelbeHealth provides individualized care and education.

Lomeda says, “If a patient has trouble taking daily pills, we consider administering their medicine through injection once a week. These kinds of adjustments can make all the difference in the health of the participant. Once we have trust built, we can educate them on the importance of taking their medication and find the best ways to administer it for them.”

Professional therapists are also available to support the mental health of seniors at WelbeHealth. Therapy sessions are done in person or via telemedicine when needed. Visiting with a therapist regularly can help older adults work through feelings of grief, accept a challenging health diagnosis, and support them in overcoming anxious thoughts and feelings.

“We try to connect seniors to therapy instead of prescribing medication right away,” says Lomeda.

4. Giving Relief to Caregivers

Some WelbeHealth participants live alone. Others live with a caregiver, such as a spouse or adult child. Being a caregiver can be exhausting, especially if your loved one has a mental illness. WelbeHealth makes it a priority to provide support to caregivers, so they can best care for their loved one.

Caregivers of WelbeHealth participants benefit from:

Respite care
Education
Transportation for their loved one
Support groups
Home care assistance

Supporting the mental health of seniors is just one way WelbeHealth helps older adults and their families. WelbeHealth provides primary care, physical and occupational therapy, dental care, vision care, and more. Visit our FAQ page or contact us for further information.