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Senior Health Care Tips for Staying Active and Healthy

Senior health care is a topic that is rarely in the eye of the public. It can be an intimidating subject, with a lot of hesitation, since exercising as an older adult can pose challenges. You’ll find that as you age, exercising requires more dedication and patience. You still have plenty of adventures ahead of you, so now is the time to make a positive change and McClellan Senior Living is here to help!

Maintain a Balanced and Nutritious Diet

You are what you eat, in a sense. At this stage in your life, your diet can and will influence your health significantly. The word “diet” never sounds positive, but it is a big part of senior health care and a key to your wellness. While you can enjoy the occasional snack or two, it’s best to never overdo it. Drinking water, as well as other healthy alternatives like green tea, can also help improve your health. Water is the most basic and essential human necessity, and you should never deprive yourself of it.

The importance of a healthy diet is present, no matter how old or young you are. Adding certain foods to your diet may significantly reduce the risk of certain diseases or ailments. Coffee is one of these, which sounds unusual, but it is true! Having a few cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by up to 60%! A good portion of superfoods typically are tasty or diverse, so there’s almost something for everyone! Just remember not to drink too much coffee, as high levels of caffeine can have adverse health effects as well.

Get Moving with Physical Activity

Physical activities are another critical component to senior health care. When you hear “you need to exercise,” you likely have a negative image in your head but physical activities don’t have to be strenuous in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Getting outside and taking a nice walk around the park can be very beneficial to your health. Even going out and running errands can give your body some much-needed activity. As long as you get up and stay active, you’re helping your body out!

Stay Mentally Active

Group Of Seniors Playing Game Of Bingo In Retirement Home

A great way to keep maintain brain health, stay sharp, and reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease is to participate in mental activities. Mental exercises such as playing games, puzzles, reading books, or coloring all have brain benefits. Activities that get your mind working are some of the most important ones out there. Your mental health, as well as your social inclusion, are significant for keeping your brain active and keeping you healthy.

McClellan Senior Living realizes it’s not always easy to break out of your routine but these simple, senior health care tips can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle for years to come! Of course, we recommend that you speak with a primary healthcare provider before changing your diet or starting an exercise regimen.

LIKE US ON FACEBOOKMcClellan Senior Living proudly offers an all-inclusive experience. Whether it’s independent living or assisted living, our community serves as a hub for like-minded individuals; we give our residents the lifestyle they deserve and a community they love. If you would like to learn more about our all-inclusive experience, please contact us or schedule a tour!

4 Essential Tips to Help Older Adults Avoid Online Scams

Due to the continued rise of ever-evolving technologies, there has been an increase in the popularity of online scams, fraudulent companies, and hackers. Many scammers frequently target older adults because they are likely believed to have more finances than most, be limited in their tech-savvy knowledge, and are more open to trusting strangers than other age groups.

Knowing the difference between a suspicious link and a trusted one, or whether a company is legitimate or not is not always easy. Many times, scammers and fraudulent companies attempt to mask the fact that they are not following the law by using official logos that embody a sense of trust.

McClellan Senior Living wants to educate our residents and guests about the dangers of online scams. We’re sharing four tips that will help you and your loved ones avoid being scammed online!

Don’t Trust Suspicious Links

Contrary to popular belief, many links on the internet have ill intentions that can pose a threat to your security or the health of your device. Once a suspicious link is clicked, there are a series of things that can happen. You may be directed to a page that seems legitimate but is only a copy that mimics the original. On these sites, users believe they are merely logging into their online banking or their Facebook account, but they are entering their information into a system that records their username and password.

Remember to double-check any URLs that you aren’t sure of, and if you don’t know where the link goes, don’t click it!

Protect Personal Information

As digital transactions become more popular and companies continue to request personal information from consumers, the risk that you may be targeted for an online scam is significantly increased. The more often your personal information is shared over the internet, the more likely you are to be an appealing target for hackers, scammers, and fraudulent companies.

Remember to only share personal information with companies and people you trust. You should never have to enter a social security number to make a regular purchase or transaction online, so avoid using your social security number unless it’s necessary.

Create Strong Passwords

Although passwords can be hard to keep track of, it is essential that you create a strong password rather than entering something easy to remember. The purpose of a strong password is to prevent and deter people from attempting to either guess or steal your password. If your password is only your name and birth year, it is going to be much easier to guess than a password that is much more complex.

When creating passwords, it is recommended that you include letters, numbers, and symbols if possible. Make sure to include upper-case and lower-case letters to increase the strength of the password. Finally, it is essential to avoid using common phrases, dates, names, or other terminology that someone could learn about you in a few minutes. Get creative and come up with an uncrackable password!

Shop Carefully

When shopping on the internet, it’s easy to forget about the dangers of online purchases. You may be accustomed to purchasing goods from Amazon or other reputable companies because it is widely known that they are legitimate. Some businesses, however, are not anywhere near as renowned as some of these more massive conglomerates and can be misleading at times. As previously mentioned, it is not difficult for someone to create a fake shopping website that is intended to steal your credit card information.

To avoid risking a financial crisis, it’s best to stick to the companies you trust and avoid shopping on any websites you haven’t seen before. If you’re able to purchase the item at a location, rather than on a website, you can reduce the risk that your financial information will be stolen. Alternatively, if you absolutely must buy something from a site that doesn’t look trustworthy, make sure to use a card that is prepaid, so scammers don’t have access to your real credit card information.

As scammers become more intricate and challenging to catch, the methods that they employ can be increasingly hard to recognize. Remember to never trust anything that you’re skeptical about and avoid releasing your personal information as much as possible.

McClellan Senior Living is dedicated to improving the lives of seniors and being a useful resource to the community. If you would like to learn more about our community and the services we offer, please visit our website!

4 Myths About Assisted Living

When learning about assisted living communities, it can be hard to find information without finding any misleading myths about the senior living industry as a whole. Oftentimes, myths aren’t that big of a deal, but when it comes to providing your loved one with an exceptional senior living experience, these myths may leave you feeling uneasy about the process of finding a place for a loved one.

McClellan Senior Living, located in Anniston, Alabama, is a senior living community that prides itself on providing excellent care to seniors. We would like to share four common assisted living myths with our readers to “debunk” the myths that you may think about communities like ours!

1. Assisted Living is Expensive

One of the most common myths about assisted living communities is that they are all expensive. This myth has widespread belief, but it’s just simply not true. Although some senior living communities may be over-the-top luxurious, and reflected in their pricing, most communities aim to offer affordable options for families. Most high-end communities base their prices on services and amenities you would like your loved one to have access to in their home.

Assisted living communities looking to be more affordable tend to bundle amenities and services together typically prove to come in at a lower monthly cost compared to the cost of living in a private, single-family home. So, when searching for an affordable community, “all-inclusive” is a great phrase to look for.

It’s also important to weigh the cost of your loved one’s stay at home. Not only does paying for in-home care get pricey, but bills, taxes, services, and other expenditures can add up. Also, home maintenance and seasonal home care won’t be a worry when choosing a senior living community.

 2. A Loss of Independence

Another popular belief is that assisted living communities can cause your loved one to lose their independence. Even though assisted living communities provide professional caregivers to aid your loved one with their daily tasks, that doesn’t mean they are going to be stripped of their independence. A community is intended to support and empower seniors, not take away their freedom.

At McClellan Senior Living, we dedicate ourselves to providing residents with an experience that not only enhances their opportunities for decision-making but allows them to enjoy their retirement the way they wish to. We have this philosophy because your loved ones are at the center of everything we do!

Active senior friends exercising at the park

3. There is Never Anything to Do

Senior living communities are sediment places where older adults sit around and do nothing, right? Absolutely not! The misconception that assisted living communities lacks exciting activities comes from the idea that seniors in an assisted living community tend to have a caregiver that helps them throughout the day. Although your loved one may have a personal caregiver, that doesn’t mean they can’t participate in the fun and games!

Assisted living communities are packed with a plethora of services, amenities, events, outings, and gatherings that promote activity and celebrate the lives of seniors. We recommend speaking to your loved one and asking them what they would like to enjoy in their daily life. Once you know what they want, look for a community that can offer them all their favorite amenities!

4. Assisted Living Communities Have Terrible Food

Contrary to popular belief, assisted living communities don’t serve the same atrocious food you may find on an airplane or in a frozen dinner. Many assisted living communities pride themselves on the food they serve because they use fresh and local ingredients.

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Some assisted living communities offer meal plans that feature several meals per day, but that doesn’t mean that they are hastily cooked meals. If your loved one is interested in moving into a community, ask to tour the community and check out the kitchen while you’re there. You can learn a lot about the dining experience by spending a few minutes with the staff

McClellan Senior Living is happy to clear up any misconceptions about senior living because we want your loved one to have the experience they deserve. If you want to learn more about what an outstanding assisted living community can do for your loved one, contact us!

 

3 Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning Products Seniors Should Be Using

Spring cleaning is tedious, and cleaning products used are often unappealing and potentially hazardous. Dangerous chemicals used to kill bacteria and wipe grime away from surfaces may also endanger pets, children, and seniors with harmful scents and problems when in contact with the skin. McClellan Senior Living cares about our residents and we would like to share some helpful information that you and your loved ones can use this spring!

Seniors should avoid harsh smelling cleaning products that may also have harmful effects when in contact with the skin, eyes, or when ingested in the lungs. Although protective clothing and equipment are available for cleaning, it’s best to skip using the chemicals altogether and go with a more eco-friendly and natural cleaning solution options!

1.   Vinegar

Vinegar has been used as a useful cleaning product for many years. The properties in vinegar have shown to be extremely efficient at removing odors and stains from fabrics, furniture, flooring, and other items in the home!

Vinegar has a wide variety of uses and can replace several of the popular cleaning products in the home if used correctly. Most solutions involve using vinegar with water to dilute it and then using a spray bottle to dispense the solution onto the surface that needs to be cleaned.

Research other uses for vinegar, as you’ll learn that it’s quite a versatile to use around the home!

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2. Baking Soda

Baking soda is a product that is used in a variety of cleaning supplies, odor removers, and even toothpaste! The reason that baking soda is so widely used is that it possesses several powerful cleaning properties that many other natural substances don’t have.

Baking soda is commonly used in refrigerators to absorb unwanted smells and can even be used to scrub odors out of your floors! Research some cleaning solutions that you can make at home that include baking soda. Many sprays, fresheners, powders, and deodorizers all include baking soda as the main ingredient!

3. All-Natural Soap

Most people start cleaning and go straight to using bleach, ammonia, and other harsh chemicals. As that may seem like the most effective solution, try to avoid using these chemicals and start with simple soap and hot water!

Soap is exceptionally versatile and can be used on almost any surface, depending on what material it is. Research which objects in your home are okay to clean with soap and do some spot testing to make sure they’re safe to use. By using all-natural soaps, you and your loved one will avoid the smells of chemicals, but also be using a natural alternative that doesn’t harm the environment!

By using safe cleaning products for spring cleaning, you won’t have to worry about damaging the eyes and lungs. Using environmentally friendly cleaning products is also an excellent way to prevent any harm to the ecosystem while cleaning this spring! Start researching other products that you can replace hazardous chemicals with today!

If you would like to learn more about McClellan Senior Living, make sure to ‘like’ us on Facebook for more senior living new and tips!