Easing the pressure: Stress Relief for Seniors 

Ever feel unbearably stressed out? It’s called being human. Stress is a totally natural response that urges us to deal with the threats and challenges in our lives. It’s just that too much stress isn’t healthy—especially for the elderly. 

When stress in seniors becomes overwhelming it can have all kinds of negative consequences. This is especially true when it comes to metabolic syndrome, which is made up of a range of factors that include obesity, hypertension, and low HDL cholesterol. Stress can also contribute to an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. 

The good news? There are a range of mental and physical stress reduction techniques for seniors. Mental therapies include engaging in an activity-rich social life and practicing mindfulness. Additionally, physically managing stress through aerobic exercise and resistance training can be similarly beneficial. 

Encouraging older adults to develop a healthier social life has been shown to reduce the impact of stress. Meaningful activities such as arts and crafts, games, singing, or playing a musical instrument are all great ways to enhance the quality of life in older adults. 

Practicing mindfulness has also shown incredible results. A recent study demonstrated that an 8-week program of mindfulness-based stress reduction significantly reduced loneliness in older people. A separate study showed that this same technique improved symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress while also lowering blood pressure and body mass index in patients with coronary heart disease. 

As a physical treatment for stress, exercise has also proven to be effective in preventing metabolic disease—without the need for pharmaceuticals. In fact, the CDC recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity and 75 minutes of vigorous activity every week. It’s also been shown that resistance training three to four times a week has been highly beneficial. 

So what are our go-to tips for senior stress reduction?

Here’s what we recommend:

    1. Recognize that stress is natural, everyone feels it

    1. Develop a healthy social life by engaging in group activities

    1. Engage in consistent aerobic exercise 

    1. Perform resistance training three to four times a week

    1. Practice mindfulness-based stress reduction

For more information on The Plaza Life Protocol, or to book a tour, contact our friendly staff at The Plaza Assisted Living.M

Getting Nutrition Right: What’s on the Menu for Senior Citizens

As you age, eating healthy foods matters more than ever. Maybe in your younger days you could indulge with impunity. Maybe what you ate didn’t have a noticeable impact on how you felt. But eventually, time catches up with us all. For seniors, nutritional needs change over time, and diet becomes everything. 

Protein is the most important thing on the menu for senior citizens. A diet that is high in protein—even beyond the recommended amount—can improve muscle health, reduce age-related muscle loss, and support maintenance during low-energy times. 

Fat and carbohydrates play a role in overall nutrition, especially after a fasting period, like breakfast. But their importance takes a backseat to protein consumption. The average elderly person who is active and consumes the required amount of protein can still lose 0.2kg of lean muscle mass per year—and as much as 0.2kg per day if hospitalized. Because of this, most elderly people should aim to consume 30 to 40 grams of protein at every meal. 

So where should seniors get their protein? Animal products, such as milk, meat, and eggs are most effective for synthesizing protein. It’s also important to note that protein should be consumed several times throughout the day—especially in the morning and before bed. While we sleep, our bodies enter a fasted state, and eating before bed can help build muscle tissue. 

A note about sweets: when elderly people stop eating fructose, they have a better chance of avoiding metabolic issues like obesity, liver damage, and insulin resistance. Even more so, less fructose improves protein synthesis, allowing you to build muscle mass quicker. So remember to go easy on dessert. 

So what are our go-to tips for senior nutrition?

Here’s what we recommend:

  1. You need more protein than you think, 30-40 grams per meal
  2. Eat protein throughout the day, especially in the morning and at night
  3. Prioritize animal proteins over plant proteins to build muscle mass faster 
  4. It’s not just meat—animal protein includes milk, seafood, eggs, and yogurt
  5. To build muscle mass, combine a high protein diet with resistance training

For senior citizens, strong bodies start with a strong diet. But eating nutritious can still be delicious. At the Plaza, we keep this in mind when it comes to our menu for senior citizens. 

For more information on The Plaza Life Protocol, or to book a tour, contact our friendly staff at The Plaza Assisted Living.

How to Approach Exercise for Seniors

There’s a reason we all start to slow down as we age. The older we get, the harder it is to maintain muscle mass. The medical term for this is called “sarcopenia.” But with the right exercise programs for seniors, this decline in strength and muscle can be prevented—allowing people to live longer, healthier lives. 

So what causes sarcopenia? A lack of exercise and a low protein diet can put seniors at risk. Other factors include conditions that typically come with aging like insulin resistance and inflammation. Frailty is common for seniors that develop muscle loss, putting them at higher risk for falls, fractures, and loss of independence.  

With early detection and the right strength training for seniors, sarcopenia can be prevented and even reversed. In fact, it’s well known that progressive resistance training can effectively halt the loss of muscle tissue in people over 60 years old. Some other benefits of exercise for older adults include lowering insulin resistance and lessening the impact of age-related metabolic diseases. 

The key to resistance training is a personalized, gradual, and progressive approach. Start small, do what you can, and go at your own pace. The important thing is to be consistent. It especially helps if exercise can be integrated into daily routines, and is accompanied with positive reinforcement and community support. 

So what are our go-to tips for senior exercise?

Here’s what we recommend:

  1. Consistency is key
  2. Go slow and steady with a gradual, personalized approach
  3. Integrate exercise into daily routines
  4. Give positive reinforcement 
  5. Seek out community support and encouragement

For more information, or to book a tour, contact our friendly staff at The Plaza Assisted Living.

The Benefits of Hydration for Seniors

We all know that staying hydrated is kind of a big deal. But as we age, hydration becomes a really, really big deal. Our sense of thirst decreases, our kidney function changes, and we might even take medications that can cause dehydration. The good news? Just remember to drink more water. Let’s dive deeper into the importance of hydration.  

Dehydration in the elderly can jeopardize metabolic health, raise stress hormone levels, and speed up biological aging. It can also affect the gut microbiome, which can slow down metabolism and lead to inflammation. Staying hydrated is especially crucial for decreasing the risk of conditions like dementia, stroke, and heart disease.  

The healing power of drinking water goes even further. Recent studies have shown that good hydration in the elderly can even help overcome preexisting health conditions. For example, increasing water intake can improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity—even for those at risk of metabolic disorders like diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.

So what are some of our go-to tips for staying hydrated? Here’s what we recommend:

  1. Seniors should drink at least 2 liters of water every day

  2. Set up visible reminders, like post-it notes, to drink water

  3. Keep a water bottle on-hand that can be refilled regularly 

  4. Avoid sugary drinks like soda and juice

  5. Stay mindful of medications that cause dehydration

For more information on The Plaza Life Protocol or on topics related to health, senior living, or to book a tour contact our friendly staff at The Plaza Assisted Living.