One of the best things about summer: the food! And it’s easier than other times of the year to eat healthy.

That’s partly because there’s an abundance of fresh, in-season foods available. Older adults who want to age in place can also cook more often in one of the healthiest ways – that’s on the grill.

“Eating right can help keep your body and mind healthy and extend your quality of life,” says Kathy McManus, Director of the Department of Nutrition and Director of the Dietetic Internship, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in her research on Harvard Health Publishing. “M…

Many older adults are vaccinated and ready to safely socialize again. Home entertaining is on the agenda for people eager to be with family and friends after a long hiatus.

Not only is socializing fun, it has health benefits for older adults: Socializing keeps feelings of loneliness at bay and helps sharpen memory and cognitive skills, according to Mayo Clinic Psychologist Craig Sawchuk. Socializing also boosts your levels of happiness and well-being.

So here’s help for vaccinated older adults who want to socialize again – five tips for home entertaining.
Consider sa…

Many older adults want to come out of their winter cocoons to safely socialize again. Is it possible?

Absolutely … as long as you stick to the key idea of safety. The pandemic still wears on, and not everyone is fully vaccinated. You might not face the same isolation as you did last spring. But this year’s socializing won’t be exactly like all the years before either.

Fortunately, older adults can safely socialize. Here are five ways to enjoy friends, family, activities and the outdoors in the coming months. And remember – you’ll want to be vaccinated to interact sa…

Make Life Meaningful
Many of us get stuck in a cycle of maintaining undesirable habits with negative effects. Individuals often struggle to commit to change. So, how can naturally reinforced habits be broken? Through the use of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) principles and positive language, we increase the likelihood of making our goals into habits. A helpful tool in the journey for a healthy lifestyle is James Clear’s Atomic Habits. In his book, Clear discusses the four laws of behavior change.  In this post, we’ll review these laws and how we can use them to achie…

Pets can help older adult’s enjoy life more and stave off loneliness. Research proves it. Pet lovers swear by it.

And now, a year after the onset of a pandemic, even the skeptical believe it. Pets can be a positive addition to almost any home, helping with mental and physical wellbeing.

Full disclosure: I was the skeptic about the virtue of pets – until the pandemic. Then I saw the power of a pet in an older adult’s life. My mother-in-law’s poodle was her lifeline. Woody was a constant companion, friendly buddy and fun distraction. He was a reason for her to exercise …