Aging and Happiness – The Benefits of Staying Social

As we get older, it’s all too easy to recede into ourselves and ignore the rest of the world.

But as innate social beings, we actually need social interaction.

Our bodies crave it - whether we know it or not.

In other words, social connections keep us healthy and happy. Because engaging with others keeps our minds sharp, gives us new things to be inspired about, grants us purpose, and helps us smile a bit more.

So, here are some easy ways to keep you socially engaged and connected for a happier life!

Choose Adult Day Care for a Healthier Life

For years, there has been a stigma surrounding the idea of adult day care. 

But that outdated belief is changing! 

Because the truth is that adult day care makes people’s lives happier and healthier. The truth is that adult day care offers you (or your loved one) an opportunity at a more productive and more loving lifestyle. Adult day care isn’t where you go when you don’t have any other options, it’s where you go when you want a fresher option.

Love at Any Age: Why Valentine’s Day is Just as Important for The Elderly

With Valentine’s day coming up, you could say that love is in the air! On the 14^th day of February, couples of all age groups will be filling restaurants, purchasing hordes of red roses, and dancing the night away to celebrate their love for each other. The image that most people have of Valentine’s day usually involves young couples, but here at Northeast Adult Day Care, we want to raise awareness about the importance of love and companionship for the elderly community. Seniors are often overlooked when it comes to romance – depicted as “past it”, or “too old to love”, but this couldn’t be further from the truth! It’s our mission to change people’s views about love and the elderly and to encourage those that want to find love to go out and get it!

The Importance of Socialization for Seniors

As we age, things in life that we once took for granted, such as a network of close friends, become harder to maintain and renew. This is often due to friends relocating to be near family, reduced mobility, or the need to relocate for health reasons, leaving once close-knit friendships torn apart as a consequence of aging. For some seniors, this results in loneliness, isolation, and eventually – depression. Medical professionals are only now recognizing the scale of the problem as well as the huge benefits that socialization has for seniors, which is why, here at Northeast Adult Day Care, we thought it would be a good idea to fill you in on the unique benefits that maintaining a healthy social life can have for you in your senior years. 

The Benefits of Adult Day Care

Adult day care is quickly becoming the preferred option for seniors who need help and supervision on a daily basis but also want to keep their independence and have control of their day to day lives. Nursing homes have often been the go-to choice, however, this is usually caused by a misunderstanding of the needs for those who are being admitted, meaning they could be paying way over the odds for care and treatment that is not necessary, and could also be unnecessarily limiting their personal freedom! Here at Northeast Adult Day Care – the premier adult day care center in Northeast Philadelphia, we want to illustrate how the benefits of adult day care may make it the best choice for you or your loved one! 

Adult Day Care vs Home Care and Long-Term Care Facilities in Philadelphia

When you or your loved one reaches that point when decisions about future care need to be made, the options can often be overwhelming and even down-right confusing! You’re likely to find yourself bombarded with information about home care, adult day care, and long-term care facilities such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities – and you may not truly understand what the major differences between them are! Here at Northeast Adult Day Care, we're going to break it down for you to give you the knowledge you need to make an informed decision to ensure the best care for you or your loved one!

Preventing Fall and Winter Depression in Seniors

The end of the summer brings with it what is known as the winter blues. For most people, this is a usual reaction to the shortening of the days and drop in temperature. However, for some people, this change in the season can spark seasonal depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. Symptoms of SAD are basically the same as the usual symptoms of depression, which includes a feeling of hopelessness, sluggishness, irritability, and a loss of interest in hobbies and usual interests. Physical symptoms include weight gain, loss of appetite and excessive tiredness. For seniors, the risk of developing SAD is higher as the change in the season can be much more limiting to their mobility outside the home and as a result of the physical effects of the cold. Here at Northeast Adult Day Care, we’ve got some tips to help you keep yourself well away from SAD and to ensure you stay mentally healthy this coming winter!

Back to School for the Elderly – Why You Should Never Really Want to Leave School!

We all know that keeping your brain challenged into old age gives you a better chance of keeping a sharp brain, and this is largely true. However, recent studies suggest that there are certain skills and ways of learning that have more fundamentally advantageous effects on your brain than others – namely, new skills.

While reinforcing old skills is certainly a good way to improve yourself, actively taking up mentally demanding new skills are the most effective of improving cognitive functions. This is because, by exploring something that is unfamiliar, your brain has to work harder to adjust to unacquainted activities, which in turn strengthens the synapses in parts of your brain that were previously not as strong. So, in effect, you’re going back to school!

How to Stay Happy in Retirement

Retirement is something that we can all look forward to, but some people find that once it arrives, it’s not quite as ideal as they’d imagined. Aging has profound effects on one’s life, and therefore it’s important to know how you or your loved one can best benefit from a life of retirement. Here at Northeast Adult Day Care, we’re going to discuss the key benefits needed to make the most of retirement!

Games to Improve Your Mind’s Health

We often see brain games and puzzles advertised as being good for the health of the mind, but, is this actually true? Many studies suggest that playing games that keep your cognitive function high such as Sudoku, Scrabble and Boggle can actually have positive effects on your mood and help in reducing stress, which naturally has great long-term implications for your health as you age. There is also evidence to suggest that regular long-term engagement in brain games could reduce the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, which is another great reason to start!

Catching Alzheimer’s and Dementia Early: Five Warning Signs That Are Easy To Recognize

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are unfortunately on the rise with medical professionals scrambling to find ways to reduce the number of people who develop these debilitating conditions. But, there is one thing that really does help in the fight against them, and that’s spotting the signs early! This not only prepares you or your loved one for what may come, but it allows doctors to act early, slowing the disease’s progress and helping preserve quality of life. Here are some key indicators to look for, whether for yourself or for loved ones. If you experience any of these, visit your doctor immediately! Even if it’s a false alarm, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Northeast Adult Day Care of Philadelphia - Martha's Story

Transitioning into your elder years can be a real challenge and in some cases, the transition can leave people feeling lonely, insecure and isolated as their ability to see family and friends is restricted. Martha, one of our clients here at Northeast Adult Day Care knows this feeling all too well. "As I grew older, particularly after retirement and losing Arty, I really relied on my friends" she told us, "but within the space of about two to three years, I suddenly found they had all moved away to be closer to family or to spend their retirement in the sunshine, and I was left all alone". Martha spoke to us about how she struggled to cope with the isolation. "At first I thought it would be easy for me to make friends living at home, but when I was out of the house I didn't really find it that easy to talk to people. It sounds silly now, but a quick chat with the checkout girl at the store was the highlight of my day. Soon I became more and more depressed and just didn't want to get up in the morning".

Forming New Friendships And Finding Love As An Older Adult

Making friends can become increasingly harder as we get older. It’s natural that we forgo friendships for milestones in life such as relocating for work, long-term partners, or having children. All of these factors can mean that by the time we have retired and our children have left home, we’re literally so out of practice when it comes to making new friends, that it can be a major cause of loneliness. 

Northeast Adult Day Care recognizes this fact, which is why we have come up with some key points to think about when trying to make friends in old age.

Caregiving News 2018

2018 will likely be a landmark year for caregivers. With the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage Family Caregivers Act (RAISE) being signed into law in late January, politicians hope to increase recognition and support for the 40 Million plus family caregivers who operate in both the private and public sector here in the USA. What’s most encouraging about this law is that it is bipartisan, which means it’s a national strategy that both Republicans and Democrats can agree on – a very rare find indeed!

So, what can we expect?

How to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions A Reality In 2018

New Year’s resolutions are a great way to start the year and break the habit of a lifetime. However, for many people, these resolutions are too often broken, and as January slips into February, they find themselves right back at square one!  Follow these helpful tips to make a real change this year.

The Informal Caregiving Crisis

America is experiencing a greater need for senior care and long-term care (LTC) services as the “baby boomer” generation is entering retirement age. A crisis is arising because with so many people retiring and needing care, there may be a massive caregiver shortage. 

By 2024, the number of people that will need home health care services is estimated to reach 120 million. Unfortunately, there may not be enough caregivers to cover the rising home health care needs. This growing crisis is putting more and more pressure on informal caregivers.

Helping Visitors Make Friends

Thinking about attending a Day Care Center doesn't seem like a huge decision but it can feel like it to many who prefer the comfort of their own home. While Day Care Centers are activity filled, safe environments, one thing many people worry about, no matter what age we’re at, is making friends. At The Northeast Adult Day Care Center, we pride ourselves on providing a safe, caring and friendly environment for both new and old clients and of course, as creating friendships is important for an individual's emotional and mental health, it’s part of our focus. Friendship can greatly improve quality of life. As a care provider, there are various methods and strategies that we apply in order to make the first visit to our facility an easy and happy one!

Affordable Adult Day Care Center in Northeast Philadelphia

We all want that feeling of security when considering an adult day care service for our twilight years. Will I be able to make friends? Will I have all the help and support that I need? Will I find things to do to keep me occupied? These are all questions that worry people when thinking about their care needs.

At Northeast Adult Day Care, Philadelphia, we strive to ensure that all your needs and expectations are not only met, but exceeded to the highest possible degree. Our highly qualified, experienced staff are members of our team because they give 100%, all of the time. Senior caregiving is in their blood, and caring for fellow Americans in their time of need is their passion.