Senior Living Blog by UMH | senior caregiving

Four Unique Ways to Give Thanks This Thanksgiving

By: Marissa Salvesen November 14th, 2024

For many, the month of November is a time for gathering with family, friends, and plenty of turkey. The Thanksgiving holiday brings us together amid the colder, darker days of late fall and can provide a necessary opportunity to pause and reflect on what we’re grateful for. Political division, a changing climate, global tensions, and even the stress of growing older can make the world feel anxiety-inducing on the best of days. While not a panacea for every emotion or every situation, taking the time to cultivate an “attitude of gratitude” has frequently been linked to lower stress levels, among other benefits for seniors. In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, we are exploring four unique ways that seniors and their loved ones can give thanks this year.

What Types of Services Can I Expect from an Assisted Living Community?

By: Elizabeth Bemis July 13th, 2022

If your loved one is showing signs that they require some help with the activities of daily living, you’ve likely been seeking out resources to help navigate the type of support they realistically need. Often, this is the time seniors and their families consider the prospect of transitioning to an assisted living community. Many offer an abundance of services that can make moving to an assisted living residence incredibly helpful and worthwhile.

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8 Must-Take Steps for Touring Assisted Living Communities

By: Elizabeth Bemis June 20th, 2022

Searching for the right assisted living community for your loved one can feel like climbing a mountain, especially if you’re new to the process. It’s an important decision, and one you’re unlikely to take lightly, as the community you choose will have a major impact on your loved one’s health, happiness, and financial outlook. Deciphering what differs one community from another and making essential considerations around issues like budget and value require a well-planned approach.

Memory Loss with Age: What’s “Normal” for Older Adults?

By: Elizabeth Bemis May 13th, 2022

Aging is a natural process, one that comes with its fair share of changes and challenges—not the least of which include those related to memory. Plenty of older adults joke about having “senior moments” when they forget something or lose focus. And truthfully, some forgetfulness and lapses in memory are to be expected with age.

Unexpected Advantages of Pet Companionship for Seniors Living with Dementia

By: Elizabeth Bemis April 13th, 2022

Pets are those loyal companions who bring joy and meaning to the lives of those around them. From traditional pets, like dogs and cats, to other varieties including birds, rabbits, and more, there’s simply nothing quite like the feeling of bonding with an animal. It is for these obvious reasons that many seniors enjoy living with or spending time with pets. But did you know there are some unexpected benefits to pet interaction, particularly for seniors facing memory struggles such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia?

Why Quality Memory Care Programs Tap Into the Healing Power of Music

By: Elizabeth Bemis March 8th, 2022

Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia can have one of the most tragic effects on a senior’s life: stealing their precious memories. There is, however, one key brain area that goes relatively undamaged in the process, and that is musical memory. A senior’s memories linked to music may be largely preserved, even for those in highly progressed stages of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Alzheimer’s & Medication Management: What Every Caregiver Should Know

By: Elizabeth Bemis February 8th, 2022

One of the most prominent challenges for seniors living with Alzheimer’s is consistently remembering to take their medication—in the exact prescribed dosages and at the correct times. Depending on an individual’s specific physical and mental health needs, there’s likely to be a number of different medications to manage, with quantities and/or physician directives changing as the senior’s circumstances change. Ultimately, this process can become a highly complex one, and handling it properly is absolutely critical to a senior’s health and well-being.

How to Help Seniors with Dementia Cope with Colder Weather

By: Elizabeth Bemis January 18th, 2022

In many parts of the country, winter’s chill is forcefully gripping the air. The next few months will urge the majority of us inside to keep warm and avoid the discomforts of colder weather. For seniors, the prospect of facing a snowy, icy, or otherwise freezing climate can be a daunting one. But these conditions are even more hazardous for those living with dementia, as the bite of winter often presents a number of heightened risks to their physical and mental health.

The Importance of Celebrating Valentine’s Day with Your Aging Loved One

By: Marissa Salvesen February 14th, 2017

Valentine's Day is a holiday for couples. This holiday can be very painful when a loved one doesn’t have their husband or wife by their side. For your widowed mom or dad, they could be experiencing this pain. Watching others celebrate with their spouses can trigger deep sadness, and even depression, in your aging loved one.

The Value of Stories

By: Jim Stinson December 5th, 2013

A Blog by Jim Stinson, Director of Spiritual Life for United Methodist Homes “Do you Remember when, Grandma…?” As my family was waiting for Thanksgiving dinner to be ready they were doing what most families do at holiday time. They were reminiscing. Since “Grandma” always lived with us she was a source of many memories, especially as she grew older and had ever-greater senility. No one was ever sure what she would say or when she would say it.

Senior Living Homes Celebrate Older Americans Month

By: Elizabeth Bemis May 3rd, 2013

The Administration of Aging publicizes and celebrates “Older Americans Month” in May every year as a way to help organizations demonstrate our commitment to honoring the value that elders contribute to our communities. This year the theme is “Unleash the Power of Age!” This month celebrates the contributions that thousands of older Americans across our nation have made. Currently 52% of older Americans volunteer their time through unpaid community service. They bring not only their experiences, talents, interests and skills to the organizations they serve, but also their creativity and vitality which help to enrich the lives of those whom they work with as well as their own.