July 26, 2010

Senior Years Really Are Golden

Happiness increases after age 50, Gallup poll finds

Aging may seem like a pain, but a new study suggests that getting old is no reason to despair.

The study, based on a Gallup poll from 2008, finds that most people feel increasingly happy starting around age 50.

In general, life satisfaction is high at age 18 but sinks until about 50. Then, it starts to climb again, increasing so steadily that most people feel better about their lives at 85 than they did at 18.

“It’s a very encouraging fact that we can expect to be happier in our early 80s than we were in our 20s,” Andrew J. Oswald, who teaches psychology at Warwick Business School in England, told The New York Times. “And it’s not being driven by things that happen in life. It’s something very deep and quite human that seems to be driving this.”

Read more HERE.

July 15, 2010

TAKE A WALK TO BETTER HEALTH AND INDEPENDENCE

Science Daily has reported a University of Georgia study that states older adults can decrease their risk of disability and increase their likelihood of maintaining independence by 41 percent by participating in a walking exercise program.

The study, which appears in the current issue of the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, also found that walking program participants increased their peak aerobic capacity by 19 percent when compared to a control group and increased their physical function by 25 percent.

“In the past decade, researchers have focused on the benefits of strength training in maintaining independence, but until now we didn’t have good evidence using an objective performance measure that a walking program would improve physical functioning,” said study co-author M. Elaine Cress, professor of kinesiology and researcher in the UGA Institute of Gerontology. “Our study found that walking offers tremendous health benefits that can help older adults stay independent.”

Getting people to stick with exercise programs can be notoriously difficult, but the researchers found that every single member of the group stayed with the program for its four-month duration. “People really enjoyed the program,” said Moore-Harrison, now a post-doctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. “It gave them an opportunity to make new friends and get to know their neighbors. By increasing their aerobic capacity, the walking group was better able to perform their daily tasks and had more energy left over for recreational activities, like going out dancing.”

The researchers assessed health status and bodily pain through questionnaires and examined disability by measuring performance on factors such as balance and walking. Physical functioning was measured through both questionnaires and through tests that measured how well the volunteers performed daily activities such as climbing a flight of stairs and putting on and removing a jacket.  The researchers found that physical function increased by 25 percent in the walking exercise group, compared to a decrease of 1 percent in the control group. And while the control group saw their risk of disability increase over the four-month period, the walking exercise group saw their disability risk go from 66 percent to 25 percent – a decrease of 41 percent in just four months.

“We know that walking is good for you, but too many people still aren’t doing it,” Moore-Harrison said. “This study shows that just walking on a regular basis can make a huge impact on quality of life.”

The research was supported by the UGA Institute of Gerontology Seed Grant, the Northeast Georgia Area Agency on Aging and the Georgia Gerontology Consortium Seed Grant. The research was done in cooperation with the Athens Housing Authority.

March 2, 2010

How Having a Positive Attitude Helps You Age Gracefully

We ran across some great information that we thought we should share:

Research shows that having a positive attitude towards aging can actually add almost 8 years to your life span! Researchers believe that a positive attitude increases a person’s will to live.

Individuals with a positive attitude actually seem to be more proactive about their health and well being. In fact, the benefits of a positive attitude are not only improved health, but those with a positive attitude enjoy stronger personal relationships. They also experience less stress and are more productive individuals.

An aging senior with a positive attitude, takes responsibility for their successes and failures. They have an “I can do this” attitude. Those with a positive attitude reevaluate situations, determine what outside force was responsible for their failure and find solutions to lead them to a successful outcome. 

They do not take failure personally and revel in the part they played when they are successful. The good news is, a positive attitude can be learned. You can rewire your thinking and start enjoying better health and less stress in your life. 

Tips to finding happiness in everyday living 
Tips to finding happiness in everyday living 

“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Abraham Lincoln

“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

“The world of those who are happy is different from the world of those who are not.” Ludwig Wittgenstein

When you come to the realization you have control over how you feel and your thoughts, you can make a choice to find happiness in everyday things. How we react to everyday situations determines our happiness level.

Here are a few tips to finding happiness in everyday life:

  • Practice positive affirmations, in doing so, you can rewire your thinking to change from negative thinking to positive thinking.
  • Remember, your thoughts become things, make them good ones.Surround yourself with positive energy. Listen to uplifting music, read books that promote positive thinking and develop relationships with positive people.

Identify your strengths and acknowledge your shortcomings. Work on both to improve yourself. Consciously make an effort to change your thought process to see the positive in everyday living. Over a period of time, your thoughts will become your reality. Make them positive ones! 

Resource: ElderHope 
ElderHope provides written materials, downloads that deal with grief,loss and caregiving, and online classes. www.elderhope.com 

Leaving on a Positive Note: Positive thoughts on aging
• One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young
• Yeah, being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
• One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.
• The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
• Some people try to turn back their body’s odometers. Not me, I want people to know “why” I look this way.
• I’ve traveled a long way and some of the roads weren’t paved.
• Maturity means being emotionally and mentally healthy. It is that time when you know when to say yes and when to say no, and when to say “WHOOPEE!”
• How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
• When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of algebra.
• I don’t know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.
• Age seldom arrives smoothly or quickly. It is more often a succession of jerks.

February 24, 2010

Healthcare Summit

What better time to post then now. We mentioned last time that our next and first legitimate topic of conversation will be the inescapable topic of Healthcare. Whether for or against, the results of the matter will affect you and your loved ones. We want you to be well versed on the subject so you can make not bias but smart decisions.

If you have not heard C-Span is covering the President’s Healthcare Summit this Thursday 2/25/2010, check your local listings for times. Hopefully we can come out of the broadcast knowing the facts.

Can’t wait? Check out these sites in the mean time:

http://www.healthreform.gov/

http://www.whitehouse.gov/Issues/health-Care

We will post on Friday with our thoughts of the Summit, and we would like to hear from you.

January 21, 2010

Welcome CMK Home Care’s blog, also referred to as the Karma-Log!

The Karma-Log will take you through a journey of topics concerning you and your loved ones. We will cover an array of issues that either pertain to your daily living or are just simply interesting. Some days you will find yourself informed; other days you will be amused. Our discussions with you will get you to think about other ways to carry-on a long, successful and joyous life. So please do not mistake any entry as a “scientific reference” (you will find those on the learning center page of this site). However; we do endeavor to provide you with some great material.

Our hopes are to keep you talking… whether to us, loved ones, friends, coworkers or if you prefer, strangers. Who knows what the chats will bring but we are surely excited to find out and optimistic that you will join us on this continuing voyage of insightful exploration.

Make sure to tune in for our first themed based entry; the one thing on everyone’s mind… the undeniably unavoidable Health Care Reform. For it? Against it? Know the facts, check out HealthReform.gov for what’s new on the subject.

“I’m a great believer that any tool that enhances communication has profound effects in terms of how people can learn from each other, and how they can achieve the kind of freedoms that they’re interested in.” ~ Bill Gates