Winter Safety Tips for Seniors

Winter conditions can cause dangerous situations for seniors in many ways. As Wisconsin winds blow cold weather through our area, be sure the elderly in your life are properly prepared. Here are five weather safety tips for seniors to stay safe this winter season:

Wear Shoes With Good Traction and Non-Skid Soles

It is easy to slip on the ice and get injured. This can be more severe for older bodies, causing major injuries such as hip and wrist fractures, head trauma and major lacerations. Wearing shoes that have good traction like boots or athletic shoes prevent these falls from happening. A few other tips: wipe off your wet shoes indoors and walk slowly on stairs or sidewalks.

Dress Warmly With Layers

Consumer.healthday.com recently reported on a publication called the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (funded by the CDC), which states that men and women over the age of 65 see higher risks of hypothermia than other groups. Be sure to dress more warmly than you think you may need, but wear layers so you can adjust with changing temperatures. Healthinaging.org says, “Warning signs of hypothermia include cold skin that is pale or ashy; feeling very tired, confused and sleepy; feeling weak; problems walking; slowed breathing or heart rate.”

Prepare For Power Outages

Power outages can be dangerous for seniors in the winter, especially those living alone. Severe blizzards and winter weather can cause power outages at any time. Be sure to stockpile nonperishable foods in your home and have easy access to blankets and flashlights, as well as batteries in your radio. If you have a cell phone, it is a good idea to have a spare battery or charging unit to make a phone call to a family member or the police in emergency situations.

Clean The Fireplace and Replace Batteries in Carbon Monoxide Detector

Unless fireplaces and wood or gas stoves are properly vented, cleaned, and used, they can leak dangerous amounts of carbon monoxide—a deadly gas that you cannot see or smell. Deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning rise significantly in the winter months. Place smoke detectors and battery-operated carbon monoxide detectors in strategic places, especially in areas where you use fireplaces, wood stoves, or kerosene heaters.

Get Your Car Serviced and Elect Roadside Assistance

Safe driving can be harder for seniors with delayed reflexes, especially when road conditions are less than ideal. Senioradvisor.com suggests:

“During the winter months, have the oil, tires, battery, and fluid in your wipers checked. Ensure your roadside assistance is up to date. Keep a couple of extra blankets and an emergency kit in your truck in case you’re disabled on the roadside and have to wait for a tow truck.”

These are all great ideas for staying safe on the slippery roads during winter.

Winter causes all kinds of delays and inconveniences in our schedule. Being prepared for the worst-case scenario could potentially save a life this season.

At Waukesha Springs, we are wishing all a safe and well winter season!

Simple Solutions to Prevent Falls

Falls can put you at risk for serious injury and are a leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries (including broken bones, head injuries, and bone fractures) for individuals over the age of 65. In addition to physical injuries, the pain and embarrassment of falling can make older adults become inactive, depressed, and anxious. If you or a loved one are at risk, take a few precautions that can help prevent falling.

Move More Consciously

Be more conscious of your body movement. This could mean taking the time to move more slowly from a sitting to standing position or taking a moment before ascending or descending stairs. Gathering yourself before you move can be a simple but effective way to prevent falling.

Aim to be Active

It might seem a bit unreasonable, but staying active will help to prevent falls. Engaging in regular exercise is important. Activities like water exercises, walking, dancing, and meditation can improve strength, balance, coordination, and flexibility, all of which can go a long way in preventing falls.

Have a Vision Checkup

Sometimes, something as simple as improving a current prescription or getting new glasses can help you improve your vision and help in preventing falls. Consult with a vision specialist to make the most of your eyesight. In addition to a vision checkup, it will benefit you to have an overall health assessment to check for things like dizziness, pain, and certain eye and ear disorders that can increase your risk of falls.

Communicate Current Health Conditions

Consult with a doctor about current health conditions and medications. Are you experiencing side effects from medications that make it more difficult to carry out once-simple routines? Perhaps you are forgetting to take them all together. If that is the case, it will help to establish a better tracking system to ensure you are getting the appropriate doses.

Make a Few Changes at Home

Taking a few precautions can limit the risk of falling in your home. Keeping your home clutter free, and removing hazards such as loose carpeting and slippery rugs can help prevent you from tripping over. Consider what else you can do to safeguard your home from danger, such as installing guard rails and non-slip mats in stairways and in the shower. If you are looking to make a bigger change, move into a single floor home to eliminate the need to move between floors.

With a few simple lifestyle changes, you can prevent painful and debilitating falls. For more information on health and rehabilitation, visit Waukesha Springs Health & Rehabilitation Center.

Caregiving Tips for the Sandwich Generation

The sandwich generation is a term to delegate people who are raising their children while simultaneously taking care of their aging parents. The sandwich generation has the double duty of multigenerational care, which can be both rewarding and exceptionally stressful. In order to provide the best quality care, these special kinds of caregivers must know how to balance a seemingly endless list of responsibilities while also taking care of their own needs. Learn how to balance your responsibilities without losing your own health below:

Prioritize

When it comes to multitasking responsibilities and duties, it’s integral to prioritize. Set short-term and long-term goals and get yourself organized. Think about how you can minimize your workload while still getting the most out of your day. Be flexible and adaptable to changing situations, and know when to delegate responsibilities. Prevent stress by sharing responsibilities with your siblings, spouse, and children. Chances are that your older children can participate in chores and household duties that will benefit the whole family.

Find Support

Find a network of support to help you through stressful times. Your partner can be a pillar of support, but seek comfort and encouragement from family members and friends as well. Consider seeking out support groups made of people who understand what you are going through in challenging and stressful times.

Learn to Handle Stress

Between the chores, responsibilities, engagements, and duties, the stress can amount quickly. It is crucial to learn how to decompress. The superhuman mentality of “I can do it all!” can be damaging. Learn when to pause and when to say “no.” It can be hard for caretakers to ask for help because they can see it as a failure to their family, but be forgiving on yourself and understand that one person cannot be expected to handle it all. It takes a village, after all.

Take Care of Yourself

It’s true what they say: If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of loved ones. Set aside time to take care of yourself. Follow a healthy diet, get proper sleep, and make time for adequate exercise; your physical health needs care, too! Remember to engage with friends and prioritize your passions; your emotional and mental health matter as well.


The sandwich generation might seem like a cute nickname, but the novelty wears off rather quickly. Take time for yourself, ask for help, and prioritize your family’s needs (as well as your own) and you’ll do just fine.

For more resources on comprehensive care services and resources for caregivers, visit Waukesha Springs Health & Rehabilitation Center.

How to Stay Connected With an Aging Parent

It can be difficult to connect with your parents at any age, but it can be especially tough to connect with elderly parents. Building a relationship is one thing, but maintaining a strong and close relationship can be another. Have a look below at how you can better connect with your aging parents:

Connect Through Technology

Communication across distances has become so much easier with the introduction of smartphones, instant messaging, and more. Get your parents comfortable with using smartphones, internet apps, and video chats to spend time together if you live far away. If your parents don’t have experience with this technology, take some time out of your weekend to teach them. Social Media sites like Facebook and Twitter are seeing a rise in demographics from the older generation—this could be another way of bonding with them! Helping them to learn how to use technology can help them reconnect with other family members and friends.

Engage in New Hobbies Together

If you too often spend time together at home or at their assisted living facility, it may be time to venture out and do something new together. Take walks around a new park, visit a new restaurant, and see movies and theater shows together. If it is too difficult for your parent to be mobile, bring new experiences to them. Invite some friends over, cook your parents a delicious dinner, watch a new show, and introduce a new game. Experiencing something new together can build bonds and strengthen your relationship.

Share Stories

It can be hard to connect to your parents and older relatives (or anyone, for the matter) if you don’t share much in common. One way to reconnect is to share stories and memories together. This can be an excellent way to build bonds and to find common ground. Bringing along your kids can help them make bonds with your parents as well. Share stories and memories. Spend time together organizing family photos and passing down recipes, and more through the generations.

Make an effort to connect with your parents at every opportunity. Reconnecting, growing closer, and rebuilding those relationships now will make you happier in the long run.

Visit Waukesha Springs for more information on providing care to your aging parents.

Crafting Projects for Seniors

Crafting projects for seniors can provide mental stimulation, encourage feelings of accomplishment, and make for an enjoyable way to pass the time and reduce depression. The act of working with your hands can improve focus and finger dexterity.

Take a look at some of the crafting projects for seniors listed below. These projects are adaptable depending on ability and can easily be personalized.

Bird feeders can be an excellent project for seniors who enjoy nature and bird watching. It’s also an excellent project to make with the grandkids because seniors can impart their wisdom of the outdoors to their grandkids. Build a bird feeder from simple scraps of wood or buy a ready-made bird feeder to paint. Alternatives to a wooden bird feeder could be made from recycled milk cartons, soda bottles, egg cartons, or foraged pine cones.

Mandala making is a great project for seniors who prefer solitude. In fact, adult coloring books are relaxing, effective forms of art therapy that help increase focus and concentration. Switch up coloring tools between crayons, markers, chalks, and paint, as well as coloring surfaces to maximize the therapeutic effect of mandala coloring.

Flower arranging is a wonderful project for elders who loved to garden and nurture plants. Simply choose a few blooms, and create a grid of tape over the top of a wide mouth vase. Cut the stems at a diagonal slant and insert one or two flowers into the opening of each grid. As you get better, learn about how blooms complement each other, how to create color themes, and how to add accents.

Scrapbooking and collage making are other projects that seniors can enjoy with their grandkids or with students at intergenerational care facilities. Use recycled magazines, scraps of colorful paper, photos, and more. Create and celebrate your favorite memories together for a scrapbook, or create collages from fun themes that focus on color, feelings, activities, or memories.

Arts and crafts projects for seniors can be relaxing and stimulating. Choosing the right projects can be engaging for solitary seniors and can help socialize and bridge connections between seniors and their families.

For more ideas on stimulating activities as well as interesting information on short-term care and rehabilitation for seniors, visit Waukesha Springs.

How to Talk to Aging Parents About Long-Term Care

One of the most difficult conversations a child can have with their parents is the conversation about long-term care. It is far too common for families to delay or avoid the conversation of long-term care because it may be too awkward, too uncomfortable, or too painful, but proper discussion can ease the process. Where do you begin talking about retirement living arrangements, long-term care, inheritance, and funeral wishes with mom and dad? When approached with sensitivity and patience, the proper planning of long-term care can make the transition much easier and much less stressful on your relationship with your parent.

Organize a Family Meeting

The most sensitive and efficient way to have this conversation is to plan it well in advance. This is not a conversation you want to bring up casually over a social event or holiday dinner. Plan to have this conversation with your parents and siblings in person so everyone can be on the same page about such important decisions. Allow everyone time to process what will be discussed, analyze your financial situation, and reflect on your own emotions and how you can best approach the desires of your parent.

How to Listen

Listening to the desires of your parents is essential. Listening will be more important than talking. Give them your undivided attention, and ensure that all sides of this intimate family conversation are heard. Encourage honesty and feedback. If emotions run too high, give yourselves a break before regrouping and continuing the conversation. Always take a moment to remember the nature of such a sensitive conversation.

Prepare the Essentials

While a box of tissues may likely be an essential item to bring into the conversation due to the high emotions that coincide with such a serious discussion, prepare important questions to address to make sure all the bases are covered. A prepared list of questions can also keep your discussion on track and will prevent scrambled thoughts and emotions. Every family discussion will be different, but make sure you and your family consider the most essential questions: what do your parents desire in the event that they can no longer care for themselves? What are their financial resources? What areas does insurance or your parents’ healthcare plan cover? What are the roles and responsibilities that you and your siblings will take on? Where do your parents want to spend their last days? What do their funeral desires look like?

Get the Details Straight

Whether in the same conversation or a subsequent conversation, iron out the fine details. When looking at long-term care responsibilities, decide together what kind of facility your parents would be most comfortable with. Consider such factors as independence, health needs, financial resources, location, and other needs. Plan with legal, financial, medical, and day-to-day living factors in mind. Having a fully-formed plan in mind can help relieve pressure and free up your time to spend with your family.

The conversation of long-term care decisions is a difficult one for families. Take the time to have a meaningful conversation with your parents and siblings to ensure that your parents receive the best possible care and consideration. Be open and honest with each other, and keep your parent’s desires and best interest at the forefront of the discussion.


For more information on short and long-term care and rehabilitation services, visit our website.

The Best Houseplants for Seniors

Bring your love of nature and beautiful greenery indoors! Indoor plants can improve mental health and lower blood pressure, stress levels, and anxiety. Plants can brighten up a room and act as natural air purifiers that rid an area of toxins. The plants below are excellent options for seniors that are experienced gardeners as well as those who want low maintenance plants:

African Violet

A plant that blooms all year round, the African violet comes in a variety of colors and sizes. This plant is best suited for bright, but indirect sunlight and moderate temperatures. Avoid watering directly on the plant’s leaves to prevent foliage damage and watch the moisture levels of the soil.

Aloe Vera

An easy to maintain succulent, aloe vera is an ideal indoor plant. It’s also a handy plant to have around because it can provide healing properties to soothe skin cuts and burns and it can clear the air of pollutants and toxins. While it doesn’t need much water, make sure to place it in an area with plenty of sunlight.

Amazon Elephant Ear

A tropical plant with massive leaves shaped like elephants ears, this plant loves indirect sunlight. The Amazon Elephant Ear requires a warm and humid environment. To mimic the humidity of a jungle, mist the leaves with water regularly.

Bromeliads

Belonging to the same family as the pineapple, bromeliads last a long time, and they have the ability to produce side shoots that replace the original plant. With zebra-striped leaves, bromeliads enjoy temps around 70 degrees, making it perfect for the indoors. Just be sure to have good drainage with this plant so the roots don’t suffer.  

Peace Lily

A unique and beautiful plant with dark green leaves and curving white blooms, the peace lily enjoys warm temperatures (although not direct sunlight). Preferring low humidity and low light, this plant would thrive in rooms with fewer or smaller
windows.

English Ivy

Named by NASA as the best air-filtering houseplant, the elegant English Ivy is incredibly easy to grow and maintain. Keep it in a pot on the floor or hang it from the ceiling. This plant is best suited for medium sunlight and moderate temperatures.


Caring for an indoor plant has the power of improving your mental and physical health, and it’s excellent for decorating, lighting up the atmosphere and detoxifying the air. Didn’t see your favorite on the list? Comment below with your favorite houseplants!

Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Diet in Your Golden Years

Maintaining a healthy diet is difficult at any age. Especially for seniors, getting the proper nutritions from your food is important. As we age, certain health-related issues become more prevalent, and healthy dietary changes must be made to compensate. Here are a few things to keep in mind when creating a balanced diet in your golden years:

Increase Your Fruits and Veggies

The USDA Food Guide MyPlate Plan recommends that seniors fill half their plate with fruits and vegetables. Vitamins in fruits and vegetables show themselves with color. Bright fruits not only look appealing, but they are the best for your health. And you can’ go wrong with a dark, leafy vegetable. Ph.D. and RD Diane Stadler of Oregon Health & Science University says, "The darker the red, the deeper the green, the more yellow, the more orange -- they're the foods that have function." 

Pro tip: steaming is a good way to get your veggies if you have dental issues.

Take Care of Your Bones

Plenty of dairy is essential in your diet as you age, as they are excellent sources of vitamin D and calcium. The average person doesn't get enough dairy in their diet, and as an older adult, it is even more important. If you cannot tolerate dairy products, stock up on water instead of sugary or caffeinated drinks.
Pro tip: Try low-fat or nonfat dairy products to keep the added fats from dairy products at bay.

Stock up on Grains and Fiber

Known as powerhouse foods, grains like whole wheat, quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice, and whole grain pasta are essential to your diet. Fiber and grains are good for your digestive health as well as a healthier way to get plenty of carbohydrates.
Pro tip: don’t like the texture of whole grains? Try mixing with regular options (half flour pasta, half whole grain) to transition yourself.

Chose the Right Proteins

Protein is essential to keeping strong muscles, but too much meat has, in the past, been seen as a source of strain in kidney health. As we now know, protein is an important source of vitamins linked to bone health as well as muscle health - the key is to know your proportions. When picking a cut of meat, remember that visible fat equals saturated fat. The average portion of meat for an adult is about the size of a deck of cards, so anything larger is seen as excess.

Cut Back on Sodium

In nearly anyone’s diet, too much sodium is a big no-no. High sodium intakes pose a greater risk to high blood pressure, hypertension, stroke, and heart and kidney issues, meaning seniors, especially, need to pay close attention.

According to Eatingwell.com, the average person needs less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium daily, but what exactly does that look like?

• 1/4 teaspoon salt = 600 milligrams sodium 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt = 1,200 milligrams sodium 
• 3/4 teaspoon salt = 1,800 milligrams sodium 
• 1 teaspoon salt = 2,400 milligrams sodium

Eat a Bigger Lunch

The time of day in which you eat is also important. Many seniors are are tired when dinnertime rolls around, and certain food issues can interfere with your sleep schedule. This is why a hearty lunch is important to a senior's diet. Lunch is usually a more thought-out meal, as dinners can become a scavenger hunt of leftovers in the fridge at the end of the day. Use your lunch time to stock up on vitamins, good proteins, and fiber.

Dietary supplements can help, but the best way to balance your diet with vitamins and nutrients is through your food. Our bodies are designed to turn food into energy, and overpowering your body with a certain type of vitamin can throw your digestive system out of whack. Always take nutrition advice from your doctor to heart when it comes to your health, but a properly balanced diet is a good first step to improving your overall health.

Top Ten Physical Activities for Seniors

An inactive and sedentary lifestyle can lead to increased rates of obesity, heart disease, and joint pain. This means it can be harder to play with your grandchildren and enjoy social situations and leisure activities. Regular physical activity allows you to remain active and independent, with the added benefits of reducing the risk of mental illness, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, and high blood pressure - to name a few. Regular exercise will also increase flexibility and balance.

For ideas on how to stay physically fit, check out our list of the top ten physical activities for seniors below:

1. 
   Walking. Simple, accessible, and free, daily walks can be an invaluable component to your health at any age. It can help you stay fit, improve cholesterol, strengthen bones, keep your blood pressure in check, lower your risk of a number of diseases, and lift your mood.

2. Jogging. Jogging can be a more efficient way of building muscle and improving physical health than running. Jog at your own pace, and you will gradually increase your mobility and independence.

3. Hiking. Hiking provides many of the same benefits as walking with the additional benefits of higher intensity aerobic exercise. Hike safely with a group, and always carry water, emergency supplies, and highly visible clothing. It’s an excellent way to connect to the outdoors and get some fresh air.

4. Biking and Cycling. An excellent endurance exercise, biking can increase your heart rate and breathing. It can also help keep your waist trim, and stave off the risk of diabetes and certain cancers. For a safe time biking, stay away from high traffic areas, keep yourself well-hydrated, and bike with a partner.

5. Tennis. Tennis is an excellent life-long sport to maintain agility and balance. It can help improve metabolic function, lower body fat, and increase reflexes. In addition to numerous health benefits, tennis provides social and health benefits as well. It is a suitable sport to play with your grandkids and to reduce stress.

6. Yoga. Yoga can benefit your muscle tone, balance, posture, and strength as you age. It can also improve your lung capacity and stress levels. To see what stretches would benefit you the most, read 6 Yoga Poses That Age Well.

7. Swimming and Water Aerobics. The perfect exercise for adults with joint pain, swimming and water aerobics are great exercises because they are less weight-bearing. The buoyancy of the water supports your body and allows you to move with more fluidity than you can out of the water.

8. 
   Dancing. Healthy aerobic exercise is important for your body as you age. It can help improve your energy levels and stay heart-healthy. Dancing is also an excellent way to stay social, make new connections, and increase your social circle. Experiment with different forms of dance to add some variety to your routine.

9. Strength Training. Lifting weights can keep your muscles strong and improve your strength and flexibility. Strength training can help you build and maintain muscles and increase your metabolism to keep your weight and blood sugar in check. An added bonus? The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Learn from a fitness trainer or physical therapist on how to correctly lift and strength train without causing pain and excessive strain.

10. Tai Chi. Combining movement and relaxation, Tai Chi is an accessible exercise for seniors because balance is an important component of fitness and aging. Tai chi is also excellent for improving lower body and leg strength, enhancing mental capacity and concentration, and improving conditions of Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s.

In addition to regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet, having regular wellness checks, stretching, and working on your mental and emotional health are all components of a healthy lifestyle. Engage in physical activities that you enjoy, and make the most out of your health. For more information, check out helpguide.org for more tips on exercise and fitness for seniors.