How Seniors Can Improve Mental Health June 18, 2019 11:26

Socially isolated seniors have a 59% greater risk of mental and physical decline than those who do not experience social isolation, according to Forbes.

Improving Seniors Mental Health

Exercise for Seniors is Essential June 17, 2019 11:21

Exercise has countless benefits for those of all ages, including a healthier heart, stronger bones and improved flexibility. For seniors, there are additional benefits, like the fact that regular exercise reduces the risk of chronic diseases, lowers the chance of injury and can even improve one’s mood.

Chair Exercise DVD

Could You Afford Home Health Care? New Study Says No for Many Seniors June 12, 2019 14:35

Without some help, those elderly are much more likely to wind up in a nursing home, said lead researcher Richard Johnson. He is a senior fellow with the Urban Institute's Income and Benefits Policy Center, in Washington, D.C.

Paid home care can significantly improve the lives of older adults with disabilities and their families, but recipients often incur substantial out-of-pocket spending. We simulated the financial burden of paid home care for a nationally representative sample of non-Medicaid community-dwelling adults ages sixty-five and older.

We found that 74 percent could fund at least two years of a moderate amount of paid home care if they liquidated all of their assets, and 58 percent could fund at least two years of an extensive amount of paid home care. Among older adults with significant disabilities, however, only 57 percent could fund at least two years of moderate paid home care by liquidating all of their assets, and 40 percent could fund at least two years of extensive paid home care. Paid home care could become less affordable if growing labor shortages raise future costs.

The Benefits of Yoga for Seniors June 11, 2019 10:14

“What I discovered as I practiced was that the holistic approach of yoga benefited my body, but most importantly, my mind and spirit,” says Drisdell. ”Yoga practice somehow truly affects the rest of your life.”

Chair Yoga DVD for Seniors

Home Exercise Programs Lowers Fall Risk by 36 Percent in the Elderly June 7, 2019 09:40

falls in seniors are the third-leading cause of chronic disability, Liu-Ambrose and her team are now looking at whether the exercise program can result in reduced medical costs in this high-risk population. This study shows the importance of a home exercise program and how all adults can benefit from increased muscle strength and balance.

Fall Prevention for Seniors

Love, creativity, happiness: Those are a few of the rewards that a long life brings June 4, 2019 10:29

Age is such joy! It brings hard-earned wisdom, a wealth of experience, inspiration for new passions and the confidence to try something new; it brings appreciation for long friendships, a capacity for compassion and a curiosity about the world that youth doesn’t offer.

Activities for Seniors

Downhill Skiing...at 101 Years Old. May 31, 2019 12:40

At 101 and a half years old, George Jedenoff is back skiing Utah. This year we take a look at George's exercise program that he credits with keeping himself in shape to ski.

Seniors Health and Fitness

A Freeze On Your Credit Report? You'll Be Frozen Out Of Online Medicare Enrollment May 15, 2019 13:18

It used to be that you could go to the Social Security website to enroll in Medicare only. You’d simply answer a few questions and you were done in about 10 minutes. But now there’s a new twist.

Chair Exercise DVD

Exercise can ease arthritis pain and stiffness May 10, 2019 11:01

Exercise is crucial for people with arthritis. It increases strength and flexibility, reduces joint pain, and helps combat fatigue. Of course, when stiff and painful joints are already bogging you down, the thought of walking around the block or swimming a few laps might seem overwhelming.

Chair Exercise for People with Arthritis

The Oneida Nation (NY) to Host Aging Well Elders Conference May 7, 2019 15:22

The Oneida Nation (NY) to Host Aging Well Elders Conference

A recent adopter of the Stronger Seniors program, Oneida Nation Elders will host the 18th annual “Aging Well: Healing and Hope” conference for American Indians and their caregivers on May 24 and 25.

Elderly Exercise Program

For New Medicare Enrollees May 3, 2019 11:42

One of the questions a new Medicare beneficiary is likely to ask is, “Should I get a Medigap Plan F or Plan G?”

The answer, if this were 2014, would likely have been Plan F; the answer today, Plan G.

The basics

Once enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B, a person has hospital and medical insurance. However, Part A and Part B come with a slew of out-of-pocket costs. For example, in 2019, there’s a $1,364 hospital deductible, a $167.50 per day co-payment for days 21-100 in a skilled nursing facility, and a 20% Part B coinsurance (once the deductible is met). And, most important, there is no maximum limit on out-of-pocket costs. A person stricken with cancer, for example, would be responsible for 20% of every radiation or chemotherapy treatment.

To control these costs, a Medicare beneficiary can purchase a Medigap policy, officially known as “Medicare supplement insurance.” This is coverage sold by private insurance companies to help pay bills that Medicare Part A and Part B do not cover.

In 47 states, Medigap policies are standardized. There are 10 plans, each labeled with a letter. Each letter-plan represents a different package of benefits and cost sharing. For example, Plan A is very basic, covering 100% of four benefits. Plans K and L offer coverage of six benefits. However, for five of the six benefits, the individual must pay a portion of the cost (50% or 25%).

Plan F has been called the “Cadillac of Medigap plans.” It covers the maximum allowed for all nine benefits. Pay the premium and there’s first dollar coverage, which means the plan pays from day one. The beneficiary faces no out-of-pocket costs when using healthcare providers who will accept Medicare patients. According to AHIP, in 2016, 55% of those with Medigap policies had Plan F or its high-deductible version.

May is National Senior Health and Fitness Month! April 8, 2019 11:25

Spring has sprung...it's time for older Americans to get moving. Ask your local communities for a calendar of events that will serve your health & fitness goals.

Stronger Seniors Chair Exercise DVD Programs

Chair Exercise is Fun! March 28, 2019 10:12

"A friend and I started a "senior exercise" class at church. We watched many videos before choosing this one to use. It is great!!                                               - Jan D.

Chair Exercise DVD Videos 

The Real Benefits of Strengthening Your Core March 19, 2019 14:22

Senior Nutrition March 9, 2019 11:48

Eating a healthy diet is important as we grow, but do we need to be as concerned about diet as we age?

A Second Chance to Switch Medicare Advantage Plans March 4, 2019 12:51

A new opportunity to switch Medicare Advantage/Part C plans is happening right now. The annual Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP) which runs from January 1 to March 31

Chair Exercise for the Elderly

Kind Words from Facebook Fan Barbara S. February 27, 2019 09:46

Kind Words from Facebook Fan Barbara S.

I've been using the Stronger Seniors videos since 2013 in peer-led exercise classes at our town hall in Richford, NY. They have been very popular with our exercisers, who range in age from mid-50s to mid-80s. I appreciate Anne Pringle Burnell's coaching style and respectful attitude, especially after reviewing another DVD where the instructor was condescending to the elderly demonstrator (i.e. "Isn't she cute!"). - Barbara S.

Chair Exercise for Seniors

The Benefits of Social Activities for Seniors February 18, 2019 18:02

Activities to Keep You Engaged and Socially Active

Studies show that seniors who stay socially active and engaged experience a variety of benefits- staying connected with others helps give you a sense of purpose and a true sense of belonging.

Senior Exercise Video

Anne Burnell Chosen as Spokesperson for Cubii February 13, 2019 10:24

Anne Burnell Chosen as spokesperson for Cubii. Cubii is the new seated elliptical device designed to burn calories and strengthen the core.

Chair Exercise for Seniors

Growing Bolder...Great Organization! January 31, 2019 18:21

Growing old is such an inevitable part of life it should be embraced with a light heart and years worth of wisdom and planning. January 1, 2019 15:46

Quite understandably, few look forward to the twilight of their life and all that it brings in its wake — deteriorating health, loss of vigour, restricted mobility, increasing dependence on others, not to mention a sense of foreboding and anxiety. Yet, ageing is an inevitable part of life that one has to learn to cope with willy-nilly.

At 74, I’ve found that old age need not necessarily be a period of physical and mental decline — though some ‘erosion’ is unavoidable — if one prepares oneself for it adequately in advance. First and foremost it’s imperative to prepare to accept old age all brace for all the restrictions or limitations it imposes on one’s mobility or ability to do things that one did when younger.

Equally important is the need to adopt a positive attitude towards life. Darkly regarding old age as the evening of one’s life must be avoided at all costs if one is to weather and overcome the difficulties and irritants that life is bound to throw up. An optimistic frame of mind or a light-hearted approach does help. Indeed, nothing prevents one from looking at the sunny side of life even in one’s sunset years. American statesman Bernard Baruch, who lived to a ripe old age, once remarked, “To me, old age is always fifteen years older than I am!” And, when asked his age, British satirist Jonathan Swift once quipped evasively, “I’m as old as my tongue and a little older than my teeth!” Is there a cleverer way to parry questions about one’s age?

Also vital is the need for the elderly to stay physically and mentally active in order to keep geriatric health problems at bay, especially Parkinson’s disease. Regular physical exercise coupled with the pursuit of a hobby or pastime that keeps one mentally and usefully engaged, is the perfect antidote for the prolonged spells of ennui that plague the elderly. Keeping abreast of current affairs — political, economic and social — also does help to keep boredom away. And the spicier the social gossip or grapevine, the better.

My former British boss, based in Edinburgh and now a spry 84, still pursues his passion for fishing with a like-minded octogenarian friend whenever the weather permits. They jointly maintain a boat fitted with an outboard engine and like nothing better than to go off trout-fishing on their own. Further, he remains extremely keen to know what’s happening in Munnar’s tea plantations, over which he once ably presided as General Manager. More importantly, advancing years haven’t blunted his sense of humour which remains as robust as ever.

In fact, the role of humour and fun in dispelling gloom in old age cannot be overstressed. These indispensables are the spice of life guaranteed to bring cheer and bonhomie, besides keeping one’s mind off life’s grim realities. The elderly should let humour pep up their lives regularly by hobnobbing with those known to be witty and funny. And letting one’s hair down occasionally — the little that remains of it, at any rate — can certainly do no harm so long as one doesn’t overdo things or get carried away by American statesman Benjamin Franklin’s flippant remark that “There are more old drunkards around than old doctors!”

Old age, of course, gives one an opportunity to take stock of one’s life dispassionately and, at leisure, sift through and analyse one’s successes and failures, achievements and shortcomings notched up over the years.

Companionship, of course, is vital for the elderly. No human being is an island and isolating oneself from society, as the aged often tend to do, is not at all advisable. On the other hand, socialising — to howsoever limited an extent — can inject refreshing variety into the drab routine of a senior citizen’s life and give it a much-needed boost. There’s no substitute for staying connected with one’s contemporaries.

Old age, of course, gives one an opportunity to take stock of one’s life dispassionately and, at leisure, sift through and analyse one’s successes and failures, achievements and shortcomings notched up over the years. It’s also the time when the elderly inevitably reach ‘anecdotage’. They turn nostalgic and love to recall “those good old days” when they were young and life was radically different from what it is today. They try to pass on the benefit of their varied experiences to the younger generation though the latter seldom has the time, patience, or inclination to hear them out. In such circumstances penning down one’s experiences is a good way of keeping oneself usefully engaged in old age. One never knows — one’s memoirs may make the bestseller list some day!

True, physical debility will be a stumbling block for many, quite literally. Ageing and stiffening body joints will ‘creak’ in protest and make mobility difficult — something one should learn to take in one’s stride stoically. Some of the more spirited among the elderly resort to the pretence of acting and behaving as if they are not as old as they really are. This game of ‘make-believe’ is indeed known to help in making light of one’s physical infirmities.

Above all, peace of mind, which everyone seeks but few are fortunate to find, is absolutely necessary. It’s the vital and efficacious balm that brings equanimity to one’s life, helping to salve the inevitable discomforts, irritants and problems of ageing. And, of course, it does help to promote overall health besides physical and mental well-being.

The Biblical lifespan of three score and ten years is now a thing of the past. Thanks to dramatic advances in medical science and technology, we can now expect to live well beyond 90 years and perhaps even longer, given reasonably satisfactory health. And this, assuredly, isn’t wishful thinking. Indeed, it is said there are more nonagenarians and centenarians around today than ever before, negating American humourist Josh Billings’ caustic observation, “Three score years and ten are enough. If a man can’t suffer all the misery he wants in that time, he must be numb!”

Admittedly, many hope for longevity without the inherent disadvantages of growing old. However, trying to put off ageing is futile and unrealistic (no matter what such proponents may tell us to the contrary) for it’s an integral and essential part of life that can never be reversed. So we must resign ourselves to growing old (since it’s the only method known so far of living a long time!). And in the process let’s try to make life as fulfilling and meaningful as possible.

Thanks Northern Nevada Disability Access! December 6, 2018 14:31

A big thank you the Northern Nevada Disability Access for promoting the Stronger Seniors Chair Exercise Program.  

https://www.nnvdaccess.com/misson-goals/

Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging December 6, 2018 14:06

Hats off to Catholic Charities of Baltimore! December 5, 2018 11:06

Hats off to Catholic Charities of Baltimore for using the Stronger Seniors Programs! Catholic Charities is a movement to improve lives. We are a family of more than 2,000 talented and dedicated colleagues, supported by nearly 8,000 selfless volunteers and more than 10,000 generous donors.

Stronger Seniors Chair Exercise Programs