It seems like everywhere we look right now, there’s new technology available that can do the job of a human caregiver. The most recent that’s on our radar is the Memo, a robot designed to assist seniors with Alzheimer’s, which can essentially do the job that a caregiver would; either allowing seniors to remain in their own homes independently, or give their family caregivers some much needed respite while knowing that their loved ones are safe.
The Memo Alzheimer’s assistive robot can provide seniors with medication reminders, help them find objects that they’ve misplaced and even provide companionship by playing games or carrying a conversation. With all of these services available from a machine, people can’t help but wonder if human caregivers might be replaced entirely over the coming decades. It’s looking more and more that it might be the realistic progression of caregiving; but there’s one element of caregiving that an assistive robot will never be able to replace, and that’s delivering that special human touch.
Who says seniors are too old to come up with new concepts? Who says seniors are too old to remain active during their elder years? Not today’s seniors responsible for the invention of a fun new sport, Pickelball, that’s for sure! It’s a combination of tennis, and ping pong but uses a wiffle ball to travel more slowly; making the sport suitable for even those seniors who have more limited mobility. Here are the basic rules of the new sport:
1. Serve – like in tennis, the serve comes first! Players start at the right of the court and then switch sides each time it’s their turn to serve
2. What makes a good serve – the serve has to make it diagonally across the court, and also land past the volley line.
3. The volley – like in tennis or ping pong, if the serve is good both players volley (hit) the ball back and forth over the net until one player makes the ball hit the net or puts it out of bounds
4. How to score a point – only the serving player can score a point, and to win the game players must have 11 points and have a lead of at least 2 points
Yoga is all the rage today, but despite just how trendy it’s become, it isn’t just an activity for the younger demographic. Yoga benefits people of all ages, but for those Palm Desert seniors who want to try out the popular activity that can help older adults to relax, improve flexibility and balance as well as overall health, there is chair yoga for those with more limited mobility.
How chair yoga is beneficial for seniors:
• One or two chairs are used to provide balance and support in poses to seniors who might not be as limber
• Virtually all yoga poses can be done in modified versions using a chair, so seniors still get the same benefits without risking injury
• Despite the fact that seniors feel as though they won’t receive the same benefits by using a chair, all poses are still kept challenging, and many are surprised about how difficult chair yoga can be without the strain!
• Yoga, even when using a chair can improve concentration and help seniors to alleviate symptoms of insomnia and other health issues
If you’re a senior who has found it a challenge to come up with a physical activity with a range of benefits that won’t put too much strain on your body; try chair yoga!
Today’s seniors are changing the way we look at aging. No longer are they seen as small and vulnerable, today’s seniors are feistier than ever, and those on the wrong side of the law just might have another thing coming if they try to take advantage of today’s empowered elderly. Recently in the news, seniors in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s have all fought off robbers, animals, and the stereotypical purse snatcher – and many of them have been women! All seniors can learn from these examples, and also take advantage of the things that they have on hand that can help them fight off those meaning them harm. Of course, all seniors need to evaluate the situation and determine how the criminal will respond to a fight, because in the case of a purse snatcher, sometimes it’s just better to let a robber take what they want so something much more important isn’t stolen; a senior’s life. Here are some basic tips for self-defense for seniors
1. Use what you have – a form of martial arts using canes has become popular and even if seniors don’t have specific training (which will be available across the US in nursing homes and senior centers) they can use their cane in self-defense
2. Remain fit – physically strong seniors have a better chance of fending off attackers, so all older adults should work out with cardiovascular activity, weight training, balance and flexibility activities
3. Take regular self-defense classes – knowing the points to hit on an attacker are crucial for surviving an attack. Self defense classes can teach these areas and also help seniors make sure that they remain safe and free from injury even when defending themselves.
The senior care industry is transforming before our eyes, and while the care structure is changing from one that relies on nursing homes and assisted living facilities to one focused on independence and aging in place, there are new technologies in development that will make aging in place even more possible. Japan has recently unveiled a number of new futuristic technologies that can help alleviate the physical burden of caregiving and provide care to seniors in their home without any personal help from another individual.
Here are some of the coolest innovations in senior care:
1. Human washing machine – made by the Sanyo Electric Company, it’s a clamshell-shaped assisted care bath. It releases body wash and shampoo, and creates suds to make the wash process happen automatically
2. Robot mobility suit – currently In the planning stages, this pant-shaped innovation will have the goal of helping immobile seniors get around without assistance
3. The Wakamaru device – this is a mobile speaking robot that’s 3-foot high that can help caregivers who also work out of the home to keep an eye on their loved ones at home
4. Cleaning robots – these might still be a ways off, but robots and other technological devices can help with housework and chores that make it challenging for seniors to live at home and keep up with the responsibilities
5. Transferring robots – since some seniors struggle with getting in and out of bed, or in and out of the tub, Japan has created a prototype robot that services this exact purpose
In another example that you’re never too old to accomplish your goals, an 82-year old senior from Palm Springs is not only leading an active life, she’s acting as an example to other older adults by teaching exercise classes. Fit After 50 is an exercise program that has been operating in the Palm Desert area since 2002, under the umbrella of the Riverside County Office on Aging.
At 82-years old, Betty Robinson, a former volunteer with the program, now instructs a few Palm Springs exercise classes a weeks, and has even helped expand the program by providing training to other instructors who want to learn how to safely teach older adults how to exercise and improve their health.
Robinson is an example that you’re never too old to get active, making a difference in your own life or that of others; but as an instructor and developer of the program, as a senior herself, she understands the physical limitations and challenges that seniors can encounter, and knows how to safely push older adults in her classes to their limits within the parameters of health and safety, because her first-hand knowledge just can’t be duplicated!
Guided imagery is a great way for seniors to overcome problems like insomnia which can affect overall quality of life. This technique has also been referred to as visualization, and is sometimes mistake with hypnosis since it has similar characteristics. It can help seniors get a better night sleep by eliminating insomnia through relaxation and stress reduction. Guided imagery can be done by a holistic practitioner, or seniors can try it in their own Palm Springs homes by following these steps:
1. Get comfortable: either lie down, recline in a chair or sit up cross-legged; whichever way you can feel the most comfortable and relaxed
2. Practice deep breathing – take deep breaths right from the diaphragm and just focus on the breath
3. Start to envision yourself somewhere relaxing – picture yourself doing something that relaxes you most, like lying on a beach, floating in a pool of water, having a hot bath with a glass of wine, or sitting by a cozy fire with a great book
4. Involve all of your senses – when picturing your surroundings, use all of your senses; think about how your surroundings smell, look and feel
5. Let yourself relax – once you’re away from the stress of reality, allow yourself to stay there as long as you’d like. Once you’re ready to go back to the real world, count back from 10 and either tell yourself it’s time to wake up, or allow yourself to sleep into a deep sleep if you’re trying guided imagery for insomnia
It might be a stereotype portrayed in movies, with seniors who love to hit the slots at their favorite Atlantic City casino, but realistically, Palm Springs seniors enjoy taking a risk for the chance of winning too, and on top of the potential monetary rewards there are also health benefits! The number one benefit is probably the sense of social connectedness that gambling can have, which in turn helps to prevent depression which can lead to a whole host of other health issues. So now, Palm Springs seniors, gamble guilt free and know that you’re not only enjoying yourself, you’re doing your body a big favor.
The Palm Springs Palm Resort Casino is a great place for local seniors to try their hand at games they’ve been wanting to try, or just to revisit that satisfying sound of quarters dropping from the slot machines. There are over 900 slot machines there, plus a Platinum Room with high limit slots and table games for seniors who really want to up the ante! Later this month, there is a fieldtrip to the Palm Springs casino leaving from Irwindale Senior Citizen Center open to all seniors with memberships and who are aged 50 or older who are not residents. For a small fee, a bus will take seniors from the location to the casino for a little bit of gambling fun that will make for an enjoyable day that contributes to overall improved health!
You might already find enjoyment in gardening, but did you know that it also has extensive benefits to your overall health? Gardening can improve your cardiovascular function, your nutrition and your stress levels through simple maintenance, and unlike other activities that give you the same benefits, it’s enjoyable and doesn’t feel like a big effort to do!
Here are the specific ways gardening can improve your health:
1. Exercise – gardening is a low impact cardiovascular workout that has benefits to the heart. More strenuous gardening, like hauling rocks can equate to 600 calories and hour, but lighter activities have their benefits too! Gardening is said to work all the major muscle groups and can increase flexibility, balance and strength.
2. Nutrition – if you plant a garden with fresh fruits and vegetables, you will take pride in what you created and will be more likely to maintain a healthy well-balanced diet with your produce straight from the garden, which once planted, is also budget friendly!
3. Stress reduction – gardening helps reduce stress, even just from allowing you to be out in nature. The colors and smells are stimulating and stress relieving, and the activities can help you take your mind off of the things that are on your mind. Horticulture therapy is a common practice, and it can even help those who are sick recover faster!
National Grandparent’s Day is right around the corner on September 13th and it’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to show your elder loved ones just how much you love and appreciate them. The best gift you can give them is your company; try to bring the family together for a dinner or afternoon picnic in a Palm Springs park. But if you want them to give them a tangible gift that they can keep as a memory of the day, try these gift ideas:
1. Framed photo of grandchildren – put a nice photo of the grandchildren or great grandchildren into a frame, or purchase a collage frame and display photos of the whole family so seniors constantly have memories of those that mean the most to them
2. Something handmade – grandparents will appreciate anything handmade by their grandchildren or great grandchildren. Whether it’s a picture drawn in crayon, a painted ceramic knick-knack, or a homemade card, your grandparents will appreciate the effort!
3. A gift with personalized message – take advantage of the custom products available at many photo centers – make them a blanket with an inspirational message, or a shopping bag with a photo or handprints of the grandchildren or great grandchildren
4. Things that can make life easier – it doesn’t have to be a big ticket item, but gadgets or other home items that can make Grandma or Grandpa’s life easier will always be appreciated. Buy a rack that they can hang their keys, a special memo pad or some other neat gadget for seniors
5. A book to share – for those with young grandchildren or great grandchildren, buy a book that they can read together, like an anthology of fairy tales. It creates an opportunity to bond, and that’s the best part!
It seems like everywhere we look right now, there’s new technology available that can do the job of a human caregiver. The most recent that’s on our radar is the Memo, a robot designed to assist seniors with Alzheimer’s, which can essentially do the job that a caregiver would; either allowing seniors to remain in their own homes independently, or give their family caregivers some much needed respite while knowing that their loved ones are safe.
