Visiting Angels September 2019

Visiting Angels September 2019

September 2019

5274 Scotts Valley Dr., #102 Scotts Valley, CA 95066 831-430-0616 www.VisitingAngels.com/CentralCoast 229 Reindollar Ave., Suite E Marina, CA 93933 831-392-0876

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Pawprints on Our Heart W hen I was young, my grandparents always had a new pet around the house. This was largely due to my grandfather’s big heart. He was always bringing home strays. It drove my grandmother crazy. Once, she wrote a story for him about a woman who was going to leave her husband if he brought home one more pet. I don’t think my grandfather got the hint. He kept bringing home strays, but my grandmother still loved him. That said, after he passed away, my grandmother never got another pet. I think she had her fill of them by that point. feel needed, something we all can relate to. Of course, owning a pet Pet Ownership and Senior Health

comes with challenges. There are situations in which a senior may not be able to care for a pet, or having a pet

I wonder now if I should have tried to convince my grandmother to get a dog or cat when she was older. In the last few years, there has been so much research into the health benefits of pet ownership. I’ve read articles about how caring for a pet reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, improves heart health, and even helps people get more exercise. Anyone can benefit from pet ownership, but pets can be especially valuable for seniors. Last fall, a poll sponsored by the AARP and the University of Michigan found that 88% of seniors who own a pet said their pet helped them enjoy life. Pets can also help combat loneliness. Of the seniors surveyed, 72% said their furry, finned, or feathered friend helped them cope with physical or emotional symptoms. This is really great to hear, because loneliness has been associated with numerous health problems, including poor sleep, higher stress, and inflammation.

around may pose a danger to a senior’s well-being. However, when appropriate, I’ve seen how the joys of caring for a pet outweigh any of the drawbacks. Though my grandmother never got another pet of her own, there was a neighborhood cat who came by the house almost every day. My grandmother called the cat Moochi because he was a mooch. Gram insisted it wasn’t her cat — she would even chase the cat out whenever he got into the house — but she always bought cat food at the store and worried when Moochi didn’t turn up for a few days. I remember how my grandmother would sit on the porch to have her morning coffee and how the cat would come along and keep her company. Moochi brightened her day and highlighted the value pets bring to our lives.

Cindy Saunders, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

For seniors whose families live far away, their pets become their family. Being able to take care of a pet can help seniors

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Personalized Homecare ... When You Need It ... From People You Trust!

Stay Toned by Lifting Weights at Home

THE ANTI-AGING BENEFITS OF FREE WEIGHTS

In her best-selling lifestyle guide “French Women Don’t Get Fat,” Mireille Guiliano advises women in their 50s to invest in a set of free

own body weight (like pushups and situps), you build strength, muscle mass, and flexibility.”

You don’t have to join a gym to reap the benefits though; just pick up a set of free weights and a resistance band and research how to safely use them in your own home. Bodybuilding.com recommends designing a workout routine that includes one or two exercises for each of the major muscle groups: legs, back, shoulders, arms, chest, and abs. Try 8–10 repetitions per set, but don’t push yourself to use heavy weights. Even options that are 10 pounds or less should be enough to keep you chasing after your grandchildren for years to come. One public figure who has taken the weightlifting creed to heart is Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The documentary “RBG” shows the 86-year-old judge at the gym, pumping lightweight iron with her personal trainer, and she even walked spring chicken Stephen Colbert through her routine on “The Late Show.” Ginsburg has called her trainer “the most important person” in her life apart from her family, which is a ringing endorsement for lifting weights if ever there was one.

weights — nothing too heavy, perhaps 3–5 pounds — in order to maintain their toned, youthful appearance and range of motion. She

notes that lifting weights isn’t entirely necessary during your 20s and 30s, but it’s essential to maintain muscle tone and bone density in your later years. Though Guiliano’s evidence is anecdotal, the science confirms that lifting weights can be an indispensable aid to healthy aging for both men and women. A study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information recommends strength training 2–3 times per week to lower your risk of health problems and preserve bone density, independence, and vitality. According to WebMD, “Muscle loss is one of the main reasons people feel less energetic as they get older. When you lift weights, work out on machines, use resistance bands, or do exercises with your

FINDING FULFILLMENT IN YOUR GOLDEN YEARS

Why More Adults Over 55 Continue to Work

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, upward of 40% of people aged 55 and older are continuing to work past the normal retirement age. There are a number of reasons why people are choosing to stay employed, with one of the biggest being a lack of retirement funds, but some are also using work to keep their minds and skills sharp. In fact, most of the jobs that the 55-plus crowd goes after keep them engaged with the community and help them lead more active lives.

These seven jobs are projected to grow between 8–14% over the next six years according to BLS >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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