5 Tips to Expand Your Social Circle after Retirement

“Man is by nature a social animal,” said Aristotle, and we couldn’t agree more with the Greek philosopher!

Socializing, meeting new people and making friends is an integral part of our lives. Not only is it great for our mental well-being but it’s also beneficial for our physical health.

Unfortunately, as we grow older, we tend to become socially isolated and lonely. This increases the risks of cognitive decline, depression and other chronic diseases. Fortunately, there’s a lot that can be done to counteract the negative effects. One way is to expand your social circle during retirement.

Here are some tips on how to do so.

1. Volunteer

Volunteering locally not only allows you to become a part of a greater goal and fulfill your role in society, but it also helps you connect with like-minded individuals and spend quality time with them. Some good places to volunteer could be animal rescue shelters, food pantries, local libraries and more.

2. Join a Club

One of the best avenues of building new friendships during retirement is to bond with people over similar interests. You can beat feelings of loneliness by joining a club such as a sports club, book club or a fitness club. This will allow you to meet new people while engaging in activities that make you happy.

3. Use Social Media

Social media has made it a lot easier to make new friends and stay in touch with old ones. You can create a social group, invite your friends to join it and start conversations on it. This is definitely one of the easiest ways to expand your social circle.

4. Take a Class

Now that you’ve retired and have some spare time, this is your chance to indulge in your favorite hobbies. Sign up for a class; whether its cooking, dancing, photography or art, learn what you love to do properly and make new friends along the way.

5. Consider Relocating To a Senior Living Community

By relocating to a senior living community you can become a part of a strong and active social network. Senior living communities offer a wide variety of social opportunities such as fitness programs, trips and games where the residents can spend quality time together.

If you’re looking for a luxurious senior housing community in Calabasas, CA, you should consider AvantGarde Senior Living and Memory Care.

We are committed to providing comfortable and luxurious living arrangements for seniors, where they can feel right at home! Along with independent living, we also offer assisted living plans and specialized memory care for patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Call us at (818) 881-0055 and take a virtual tour of our community today!

 


Sins of Senior Isolation

Social isolation has long been victimizing senior people in our community. From being too embarrassed to take our aging parents out with us to a fancy place or too shy to introduce our friends to them, we’re all complicit.

On top of this, retirement from work and physical illnesses can further isolate them from social company. The same bed they used to crave during their work years becomes a prison that chains them during old age.

Here are some sins of senior isolation that you need to be mindful of.

1. Increased mortality rates

A study by the National Academy of Sciences revealed that loneliness and social isolation can increase the risk of mortality in people who are older than 50 years of age.  One possible explanation for this phenomenon may be that in the absence of someone’s company, elderly people are more likely to fall prey to fatal accidents. Delays in getting medical attention can turn into loss of life in many cases. Fatal outcomes may also occur if seniors have a terminal illness; this worsens in the absence of a vigilant helper.

2. Negativity and mental health

Sitting by themselves all day in their armchair can cause elderly people to develop a chain of negative thoughts. This leads to a vicious spiral of negativity that’s bad for their mental health.

Senior people who are subjected to isolation are also more likely to display signs of poor physical health. This is because your mental wellbeing has a serious impact on your overall health, and problems may surface in the form of physical symptoms.

3. Cognitive decline and dementia

Even though there’s a certain degree of forgetfulness and inattentiveness that comes with age, dementia is a more intense level of memory loss that can jeopardize quality of life. Social isolation can also trigger the process of cognitive decline and seriously dampen cognitive performance in simple tasks. These findings have been confirmed by doctors at the University of Chicago. The reason behind the problem being the same: humans are social species and they function optimally in the company of other people.

We’re an assisted senior living community in Beverly Hills, California that welcomes your loved ones wholeheartedly. Our doors are always open to those who are looking for new friends because no age is ever too old for friendships. You can find your lifelong friends among the family of seniors that our roof is home to.


Ways To Find Meaning and Happiness In Old Age

What does it mean to be happy when you cross 50 years? Does it only come in the form of young grandchildren running about and giggling from the next room? Or does happiness stem from the achievements of your children?

While it’s true that there’s nothing like the relief of knowing that your family is well-settled and satisfied, their happiness is not personal happiness; it’s more like happiness by proxy. Then what does it really mean to be happy in old age?

Finding happiness and meaning in the simplest of things is often what motivates senior members of our community to get through the difficult journey through old age.

Medical conditions that arise during our later years often restrict them to the confines of their house, while a general cognitive decline may also isolate them from their friends.

Over time, the struggle to find reasons to be happy becomes as real as the struggle to reach for the glass of water on their bedside table. So what do you do to make it better? We’re glad you asked.

Books Are A Man’s Best Friend

When people fail to stick by your side through sickness and in health, it’s all those hardbacks that had been lying on your shelves for decades that come to your aid. There’s a different kind of comfort to be found in enveloping yourself in the pages of a book.

The fictional setting becomes your world and you become a character in it. If anything, it’s like a recreational drug that allows you to escape reality for as long as you wish to.

Often times, the characters and their life struggles serve as a mirror to your own life, and make you feel recognized. It’s through someone else’s lens that you learn to find beauty in the minute details and become happy.

Use Your Age As Your Aid

Most people disdainfully reflect on the time when they were able to ride on horseback without the fear of falling or swim long laps without running out of breath. True, old age does put a limit on your physical mobility, but it’s important not to discount what it adds—years of experience and knowledge. If you’re a mastermind at planning and strategizing, for instance, we bet there’s no one who’s as good as you in a game of chess.

If you’ve been able to con people and come out unscathed—all in good fun of course—maybe you can become a master of card tricks in your circle! Remember: with seniority, comes the advantage of experience and expertise, both of which are invaluable assets to the entire community and definite reasons for lasting happiness.

At AvantGarde Senior Living and Memory Care, we help an assisted community of seniors live independently in Beverly Hills, CA. Join hands with us and find new reasons to smile under our shelter! Contact us for more details on how and where to reach us. We’ll be waiting for our new family!

 


3 Most Frustrating Things About Being Chronically Ill

The next time you read the words: ‘health is the greatest blessing,’ pause before you mock the cliché. When a young and healthy person is derogatory toward such statements, it reeks of privilege. Health and fitness are nature’s gifts, but this gift doesn’t come without the responsibility to value it while it lasts.

It’s convenient to stereotype old people as cranky, frustrated and weak when you don’t know the struggle they live through every day. While aching joints and weak muscles are problems enough, their drooping shoulders are further weighed down under the burden of chronic illnesses.

If you’re wondering why terminal or chronic illnesses strike during our later years, it’s because your immunity weakens with age, making you more susceptible to them. Chronic illnesses not only take a toll on your overall health and wellbeing, but also severely affect your mood. Imagine living with searing back pain throughout the night and day and still keep a smile on your face. It’s hard to stay happy in the worst of times. Here are a few things that make you sick of being sick!

Monotony

Experiencing the same kind of pain monotonously every day is a different degree of painful. When you talk about chronic pain, we can’t emphasize the word chronic enough, because we literally mean all day, every day. Under such circumstances, random bouts of frustration over the ceaseless pain are reasonable.

Confusing Diagnoses

When you’re in pain, there’s nothing like the hope of a cure to make you smile on the bluest of days. Even though a ‘cure’ is sometimes a fantasy for people with chronic pain, the struggle of going from doctor to doctor is the only hope you have.

The medical industry has made huge strides in the last few decades, but patients of chronic conditions still complain about confusing diagnoses. You may be suffering from an illness that has been ruled out on several grounds by multiple modalities before. Therefore, dealing with the confusion that comes with conflicting diagnoses is an added stressor that affects your mood.

Rigid Schedules

Being on pain medication and other prescription drugs can put you on a pretty stringent schedule. This will most likely rule out socialization, family time, and professional growth.

If you can’t stay up past your prescribed bedtime because of the effect of tranquilizers, that won’t stop your friends from hanging out and, naturally, you’ll miss out.

 

If you’re told to cut down on certain foods due to cholesterol problems, you can’t hang out with your buddies at a barbecue party.

The point is, your medical condition will do more than impede routine things; it’ll go the extra mile and influence your social life as well. It’s important to protect our senior loved ones from social isolation because of their illness. The best way to start their emotional rehabilitation is by not criticizing them for being frustrated all the time, because they really can’t help being in pain.

We’re an independent assisted living community in Beverly Hills CA which helps senior loved ones dealing with chronic illnesses enjoy the simpler luxuries of life. With our amenities, we intend to make their life as comfortable (apart from their illness) as possible. Contact us for more details.


How To Make World A Better Place For The Elderly

Have you ever felt like a foreigner in your own home? Sounds strange, doesn’t it? But that’s exactly how we treat elderly people in our society.

Not only are they made to feel obsolete, unproductive, unneeded and unloved, but they’re also made to feel like they’re not a part of the place they built their careers and families in.

As a community, we’re marginalizing the elderly by confining them physically and taking away their home.

If you really care about your senior loved ones and want to make the world a better place for them, begin with making them feel at home. There’s nothing one wants more in their later years than having a place and people to belong to. This can be in the form of a physical home, a family, work, friends, or social purpose.

Changing Perspectives

Change begins from the roots, and the root of the problem here is our mentality. We think of elderly people as a burden and a drain on our limited incomes. This is a faulty and inherently problematic view of a major segment of society. Instead of categorizing them as such, they should be valued and revered as an asset for society at large.

It’s an achievement on its own to successfully survive 65 years or more in this world. Just the wisdom they have to share is a privilege that we can benefit from. True, they require more care, but that’s a small price to pay for the favor they’re doing to the community by imparting their knowledge.

Being infatuated by the cult of youth will neither help us grow out of our misplaced arrogance or harness their expertise.

It’s 2019, and age is no longer a determinant of productivity or abilities. A 70-year-old can be equally (or more) contributing to the economy and community than a 20-year old. If the senior population can contribute £61bn worth of services in the UK, why can’t we allow them to do the same in our country?

Support, Not Censure

The aging population is expected to witness an 87% increase in the next few years. With a segment growing large at this pace, it’s wise to address their needs instead of condemning them. Stereotyping old people according will only serve to lengthen the intergenerational gap. With that generation-divide in place, there’s nothing that can change the living conditions of senior loved ones for the better.

In order to improve their living conditions, we need to provide for medical facilities and luxuries that make life more comfortable for them. They’re in a stage of life where the slightest inconvenience can vex them; hence it’s important to make it as easy for them to live through the day as possible.

At AvantGarde Senior Living and Memory Care, we provide for amenities such as a 24-hour management team which is just a call away to tend to all their needs. We’re an assisted living community for senior loved ones in Beverly Hills, CA and wish to open the doors of our home for all others seeking love.


How Memory Loss Affects Family Life

Aging is a difficult process which entails a lot more than silver streaks in your hair. It’s easy to glamorize old age; we compliment people’s graying head or appreciate how well-maintained their figure still is. But only a person sailing in the old boat knows the pain of seeing their once flawless skin exhibit numerous tiny wrinkles.

However, the effects are more far-reaching and damaging than just physical changes. While many of us exclaim in the comfort of our age how great it would be to ‘wipe out old memories’ and start afresh, it’s not until you’re in this problem knee-deep that you realize the gravity of it. Memory loss is not only hazardous for the person undergoing it, but also deeply affects their family life. Your home is just not the same when a senior loved one with minor (or major) dementia is living in it.

Changes in perception of self

Studies have been conducted on senior people above 65 years of age that reveal that memory loss can lead to them forgetting their names or those of close friends and family, misplacing common items, and repeating themselves in conversations.

Even age-normal memory loss has led people to feel upset about their declining mental health, so it’s reasonable to expect serious grievances over major dementia. The embarrassment which stems from losing recollections of personal information challenges people’s self-image. Their self-doubt can easily translate into negative self-evaluations and trigger depressive episodes.

Changes in Work and Other Activities

Challenging work tasks and intellectually-demanding activities become a hassle to process and get through with when a person is dealing with memory loss. Since their cognitive health goes downhill with memory loss, it’s hard to focus all their energy on one task and see it to completion.

This includes projects that require coordination among many members such as high-stake presentations. From the agenda of a meeting to what they were going to say next, elderly employees tend to forget a lot of details.

Even though retirement might save them from the embarrassment of disappointing their team at work, the problem persists at home; the only difference is in the setting.

Changes in Relationships

Have you ever been confronted by a friend who you forgot to wish on their birthday? The wrath of a hurt friend in this context is the kind of feeling that’s perennial for people with memory. This is taxing on the senior loved one as well as their family.

It’s as difficult to live with memory loss as it is to live with someone who’s suffering from it. It might not seem as hard but it’s extremely frustrating to share a roof with someone who can’t recall answers to the most basic questions like where are you and what’s your name. This affects how they sustain connections in their social network (as it’s hard to remember names or their referee) or survive the embarrassment of ruining special family occasions like Christmas dinners.

 

We offer senior loved ones an assisted living community in Beverly Hills, CA that welcomes them in its folds wholeheartedly. Under our care, your loved ones will find family again and we’ll do everything possible to make them feel at home!

 


Why Elders Deserve Respect and How To Treat Them Right

Respect is the foundation of every cordial relationship; especially the ones we share with senior loved ones. They deserve respect from you and this shouldn’t ever come with any strings attached.

Follow one simple rule and life will be blissful for both you and your beloved elderly family members: give respect, expect nothing. Just remember on the way that for any relationship to reach the heights of excellence, it takes immense effort, tolerance and time.

Sadly, during the later years of their life, elderly people neither have enough strength in their bones or their hearts to invest in their relationships with younger folk. They’ve already done their fair share of duties while raising you to become the people you are; it’s time to give back to them. Respect can be the most gratuitous return for their selfless efforts.

What Respect Means To Them

It takes a lot less than physical hurt someone to damage a relationship. Slamming a door in the face of an elder or mocking their age-related health conditions is enough to trigger a depressive episode. Why? This is because disrespect is in fact a negation of their existence and a rejection of their agency. The worst thing that can happen to an old person is being made to feel unneeded and unloved.

One of the many perils of aging is losing your place in society, at home, and in the hearts of your loved ones. Just because they can no longer do plumbing repairs around the house or drive around all day to drop the kids off at school and soccer practice doesn’t mean they have no place in the home they built.

These senior loved ones may be retired parents or grandparents who are down with a lifelong illness. They’ve already life moved past their prime and that reality check is difficult enough to cope with. Piling on the hurt of your own negligence because you can’t respect them is nothing short of a disappointment. If anything, respect is not a favor; it’s a debt that we owe to them.

How Is Life For Them Without Respect

Elderly people are increasingly being pushed to the margins of the society, with no regard for their contributions whatsoever. These are people who have dedicated their entire lives in service to their families and society at large.

With retirement behind them, there’s nothing life-changing to look forward to. With no career aspirations, medical wonders, or service options in sight, it’s not unreasonable for them to think of themselves as nothing better than old furniture.

Respect is the last anchor they have in their old life and we owe it to them to not deprive them of this hope as well. It’s not only important to care and look after their needs, but also give them that place in our lives that makes them feel important. They’re usually in a crisis where feeling irrelevant in the fast-paced life of the younger generation is a perpetual dread. With respect and affection, they can be brought out of this misery and bloom once again.

 

We, at AvantGarde Senior Living and Memory Care in Beverly Hills, California, make sure your senior loved ones are treated with the utmost respect for all their wishes and care for their needs. We’re an assisted living community that helps elders sustain themselves independently. Contact us if you’re looking for a loving home for your loved ones.


It’s Never too Late! Smoking Cessation Tips for Older Adults

For a long time, smoking wasn’t considered a dangerous habit. Marketed as cool, the tobacco industry was promoting smoking through television, radio programs, newspapers—basically any medium you could think of.

However, we now have a complete report released by the World Health Organization that goes into detail about the systematic corporate deceit they practiced; how the industry knew that nicotine and tobacco were immensely addictive and dangerous due to their carcinogenic nature but kept on advertising it anyway.

And while the global population understands that now, the damage is done.

America’s Health Rankings reported that there are around 4.2 million smokers in the US who are over the age of 65. And 8.7 percent of these people smoke each day. Many of them understand that smoking damages almost every organ in your body and causes a number of diseases. But old habits die hard. And when that old habit is something as addicting as smoking, it can be almost impossible to let go of it altogether, but only almost!

How to Quit Smoking as a senior

If a senior loved one or you are thinking of quitting your smoking habit, here are some things you can do to get started on the right track:

  • Try Nicotine Patches or Products

Easily available and useful, nicotine gum or patches deliver very small doses of nicotine into your system through your skin, thus feeding your cravings just enough. Typically, your doctor will reduce your doses as you go so you can wean off them completely.

  • Opt for Prescription Medicine

There are actually prescription medications that you can take to treat your smoking habit. But like any allopathic medication, it will have side effects; never take anything without your doctor’s written permission.

  • Take it Nice and Easy

Going cold turkey works for some people, but if you’re used to smoking multiple packs a day, you’ll need to prepare yourself for bouts of cravings and the ensuing symptoms of withdrawal that’ll follow. Your patience and strength will be tested, but if you take things slowly and try getting to smoking once or twice in the morning, then in the afternoon, then at night, you’ll slowly start seeing the difference it can make in your health and energy levels.

  • Find a Companion

This is something we’ve seen a lot at AvantGarde Senior Living in Beverly Hills, CA. Often, one of our older residents will pair up with a friend or family member to quit smoking over time. Similar to how you go to the gym with a friend who encourages healthy living, having someone on the same journey as you will truly help since you’ll hold each other accountable.

Conclusion

The phrase “smoking can be hazardous to your health” is not an empty warning. Smoking causes 1 in every 5 deaths in the U.S. each year. It can cause lung disease, cancer, heart disease, respiratory problems, diabetes, eye diseases and osteoporosis and a number of other illnesses as well.

For your own sake and that of those who love you, take the right steps toward rehabilitation!

 


4 Driving Safety Considerations Older Drivers Need to Keep in Mind

For someone who was active their whole life, realizing that they’re not as spry as they once were—especially when it comes to driving—might come as a nasty shock.

Realizing that you might have to be dependent on someone else for things like basic transportation is not something that’s easy to get on board with, after all.

But if you find yourself in this position, keep in mind that driving safety is important. Not just for your sake, but for other drivers and pedestrians as well. According to a 2015 news article from Consumer Reports, 14 million Americans were involved in accidents that were primarily caused by drivers over the age of 65.

This is why it’s crucial that you take some factors into consideration before hitting the road.

1. Physical Fitness

The fact of the matter is that your physical fitness isn’t what it was 20 years ago. And you need to be reactive, agile, and flexible enough to take the necessary steps to avoid accidents or collisions. In short, you need to still have good reflexes. You can keep yourself fit by power walking or opting for stretch exercises to keep your joints strong. But it always helps if you go to your physician to get an update on whether you should be behind the wheel or not.

2. Sensory Perception

Remember; objects in your passenger side mirror may be closer than they appear. Not being able to perceive distance, getting confused with directions, not being able to see or hear clearly—all of these are indicators that you might be experiencing some age-related sensory problems. You’ll need to get yourself checked and make sure to get the doctor’s approval before driving.

3. Skills

Take a defensive driving course. Switch your old manual car for an automatic car if changing gears is confusing you. Search for courses on driving safety that are especially for older adults in your local community. If you do face difficulties, never be afraid to ask for help when learning.

4. Limits

Be honest with yourself. If you know you won’t be able to drive safely on the road, don’t let your ego get in the way. Accept the fact that you’ll either need to choose a different vehicle or simply abstain from driving.

Want to Visit Our Community?

None of this will be a problem if you choose to live in either our assisted living or independent living community. We offer scheduled transportation 6 days a week using luxury cars such as a Lincoln Town Car and a Mercedes Sprinter Van so you should have no trouble going about errands in California.

So visit us in Beverly Hills, CA. AvantGarde Senior Living offers the best luxuries and amenities for all our residents. Find out more by visiting us in Tarzana!


What is Parkinson’s Disease and Can it be treated?

A worrying statistic was released by the Parkinson’s Foundation recently. According to the organization, nearly one million people in the US are going to develop Parkinson’s disease by 2020.

This combined number is higher than that of those diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease, muscular dystrophy, and multiple scoliosis. What’s worse, it’s increasing by 6,000 each year.

Yet, despite a large portion of the population living with this condition, a lot of us aren’t aware of what the root cause of the disease is, why it happens, or whether it’s hereditary or not.

As a community that caters to a number of senior citizens in different parts of California including Beverly Hills, AvantGarde Senior Living can help you understand the situation if your loved one has been diagnosed with the disease.

Understanding Parkinson’s Disease

A disorder of the nervous system, Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disease which causes brain cells to progressively die. Typically seen a slight tremor in one’s limbs at first, the disease can cause a number of other symptoms over time, such as well as slowness and stiffness in one’s limbs. Eventually, these symptoms worsen until the person can’t function effectively.

The patient’s facial muscles become a lot less responsive and any instinctive behavior does not come as normally as it should. For example, the person will not be able to swing their arms as one does when they walk. Their speech also becomes slow and slurred. In the coming years, the patient’s health will deteriorate to the point that they’ll be unable to live without assistance.

Causes of Parkinson’s Disease

The condition occurs when neurons in the brain start breaking down. This causes vital cell death. The cells in question in this case are responsible for producing dopamine, which is a necessary chemical that helps the brain control coordination and movement. The faster the cell death, the worse the patient’s symptoms will be.

Although we know the ‘what’ of Parkinson’s disease, researchers still have not been able to narrow down ‘why’ it occurs.

Some studies suggest that environmental factors might be to blame. Others suggest genetic factors and even one’s diet and exposure to certain metals and pesticides.

Can it Be Treated?

Parkinson’s disease cannot be cured; but it can be treated.

Doctors may recommend medication therapy or even surgery, which can help the patient live an active life for years and even decades. However, once their condition starts getting serious, they will require assistance.

And that’s where we can help.

As an assisted living community, AvantGarde Senior Living in Beverly Hills, CA can be your loved one’s new home if they require premium care. For further information, contact us and let us help your loved one live a happier, cared-for life!