Category: Mind

3 Reasons To Stay Active In Your Retirement

Staying active in some capacity throughout your retirement years is a very common trend for adults who are 55 or older. With so many opportunities to stay active physically and or mentally, there really is a sport, event or activity that can be enjoyed by the vast majority of people. And there are great benefits for individuals seeking to remain active within their community and through different organizations.

Helping a Parent Dispel the Gloom of Depression

Depression is common in older adults as they are forced to deal with many difficult life changes that go along with aging. Although it's normal to feel "down" or "blue" when confronting illness, personal loss or death, it is not normal to feel sad or hopeless all the time.

Comfort Life News Round-Up: "Till Mid-Life Do Us Part"

While the overall divorce rate on a steady the decline with the Generation-X er's, the divorce rate amongst young seniors and the newly retired is steadily climbing! There has been a lot of speculation and discussion as to the reasons why the "I do" ends with "I don't".

Comfort Life News Round-Up: Seniors And Dating

Its no surprise that in light of the increasing divorce rate amongst new retirees and the younger seniors, (see last weeks news-round-up), that there is also an increase in the amount of seniors hitting the dating scene again. With that flood gate open, we've seen a lot of new services and resources available to help seniors prepare for date night!

Falling In Love Again: Focus 1 - Exclusivity

In our last advice on relationships blog, we navigated the waters of Stage Two of Dating: Uncertainty. Once you have decided to focus on a primary romantic relationship, you are entering the 3rd stage of dating: Exclusivity. Previously you were flushed with the anticipation of getting your needs met while testing to see if you really wanted to get involved. Now you are choosing to open up, give freely and experience getting what you need in return.

Your Time

It is important to take time each day to spend for and on yourself. It may seem you don’t have the time, it is selfish, or there are more important things to do. In fact, in the scheme of things and as a caregiver, one of the most important things you can do each day is to spend at least ten to fifteen minutes on yourself. By doing so, you help yourself as well as those around you. Those ten to fifteen minutes spent on yourself can help you relax, ease tension, and refresh yourself. That time can help you return to your caregiver tasks with renewed energy and a new perspective.

5 Of The Largest Growing Senior Recreational Activities In Ontario

Everyone is now well aware of the push by health advocators and the senior demographic to stay active throughout their retirement years . The question is though, what are the activities that are of interest to me personally? Here are 5 activities that are becoming the talk of seniors across Ontario

Men and Depression: Seven Things You Need to Know…Now

Traditionally, men have been reluctant to acknowledge that they’re feeling depressed, and even more unwilling to seek medical help. However, say Todd Patkin and Dr. Howard J. Rankin, depression is not a sign of weakness—it’s a medical condition that men need to know about and watch for. It’s a matter of health!

Tips On How To Prepare For Holiday Gift Expenses

It's time to pull back the spending reigns and prepare for holiday gift expenses. During a time when most shoppers are reducing their spending altogether, it's especially important to make a realistic budget for your gift list.

3 Ways to Stay Active and Warm This Winter

After one of the warmest summers in recent memory, the focus now shifts on ways for seniors to remain active throughout the winter months. It is important that seniors remain active throughout the entire year and not just when the weather outside is pleasant. Here are three ways that seniors across Ontario are braving the cold winter and staying active within their local communities.

How to Find Peace During the Holidays

Find Peace on Earth…(and Peace Within): Eleven Steps to Help You Tune into Your Inner Self and Forgive and Love Unconditionally

Dr. Amy: Maintaining a sense of control during illness

Probably one of the most difficult parts of being ill is losing a sense of control of life. As caregivers, we can help our loved ones and ourselves continue to feel some control. Even though we may both feel powerless against the illness itself, we have many choices that we can make along t

Goals Keep You Going

Last week, I wrote about the importance of finding balance in your life to fit everything in you want or need to do. To achieve everything you want, it is vital to have a well thought out plan by goal setting.

Can the Cardio

To speed-up fat loss and rev your metabolism (for ultimate fat burning), forget long and boring cardio sessions that last anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes.

Resistance Training to the Rescue

Once you reach your 40’s, you will begin to naturally lose lean muscle from the body. This slows the rate at which you burn up your food and drink for energy. Instead, you store it as body fat. To stop this muscle loss and maximize calorie burning to stay lean and strong, you must engage in a quality, resistance-training program that involves weights.

Holiday Hazards

For our first blog entry, we’re gearing up for a busy time – no, not for Christmas, but for the many calls that come in after the holidays! Adult children, home for the holidays, see Mom and Dad is a new light and call with concerns about their abilities to live safely in their home.

Exercise Your Brain To Keep Young

As humans age, our thought processes get slower which can have an effect on our language. The words can be harder find. We need extra time to respond to what is being said. We are slower to respond. The thought of losing half our brain by the time we’re adults is pretty depressing…

7 Ways Grieving Affects Your Health

The toll of grief goes beyond an emotional cost. Our mental struggles also affect our physical health. Don't hesitate to see your physician for advice and help as you go through this difficult time. Here are seven common symptoms mourners experience.

Inexpensive Ways For Seniors To Exercise

Exercise is a key ingredient in any senior's ambition to accomplish healthy aging. Participating in regular exercising will greatly benefit your physical and mental conditions. Unfortunately there are several myths out there suggesting that the elderly should save their strength instead of exercising or the common myth we all hear, "I am too old to get any value from exercising."

Dr . Amy: Health and Wellness for Caregivers

Caregivers need to tend to their own needs in order to be most effective in helping their loved ones who are ill. Our continuing quest for good quality of life needs to include ourselves as well as the patient. Read more...

Finding the best Alzheimer's home: Nine tips

Choosing the right Alzheimer's home for your loved one can be a frightening experience but sound information makes it easier. When choosing the Alzheimer's right home, the philosophy and appropriate level of care, preferred location and budget all need to be considered. Here are nine tips to help you find the best Alzheimer's home for your loved one.

VIDEO: Positive People Live Longer

VIDEO: Studies show that positivity adds years to your life. Ethel Goldschmidt sure knows the power of positive thinking. She started her own brewery at 88!

Drug Abuse in Seniors: Tips For Managing Prescription Medications

Drug abuse in the elderly is a significant issue. As people age, they may have more illnesses, and the number of drugs prescribed to manage those illnesses rises as well. It can be difficult to balance the potential side effects and drug interactions with the benefits of the various medications. The following tips may help manage prescription medication use and lessen the overuse of prescription medications in seniors. Read more...

Is living in a retirement home a positive thing?

Caring for aging parents: Reduce stress by saying 'no'

When you are caring for an aging parent you may feel overwhelmed. Here's how to say no to tasks that are not a priority.

Five ways to reduce Alzheimer's risk and keep memory strong

What five ingredients reduce our risk for getting this disease and keep our memory strong? One ingredient is learning how to manage stress.

How to set goals for exercise: Three great tips

Goal setting ensures that you actually do the exercises you planned to do. It gives you purpose and a timeline so you stay on track.

Giving to your community is good for your brain

VIDEO: Volunteering your time not only gives you a social life, it develops new pathways in your brain, improving memory and helping you live longer.

Getting your elderly parents the rehab care they need

When your elderly parent is in rehab they need to stay long enough to get proper care. Here is how you can help ensure they do.

Caring for Aging Parents: Five ways to Find the Humour

Fed up dealing with your aging parents? When was the last time you laughed? Try this to ditch the stress and get the funny back.

Caring for Elderly Parents: How to Feel Positive

As a caregiver you constantly battle emotions and balance responsibilities and demands every day. But don't forget what brings you happiness.

Tips to Improve Your Mental Health

May is Mental Health Month, but these are some tips you can use year-round to reduce stress, improve your self-esteem, and stay sharp. Read more...

Five Ways Dark Chocolate Boosts Seniors Health

Want to boost your brain's function and reduce cardiovascular disease? Eat dark chocolate! Be sure to try the easy recipes here too.

Seniors and Depression: Fight It Naturally With Social Engagement

Many seniors experience depression because of lost loved ones, loneliness or physical limitations. But depression is not inevitable if you are social.

Senior Care Resources: Getting Help at Home

Need advice planning your health care options or want to find support now? The Senior Care Advisor Tool can help! Read more...

Need motivation to exercise? Try prediction events!

With warmer spring weather comes our desire to be outdoors and active but it can be hard to stay motivated. Prediction activities can help!

Caring for aging parents: Feel like your life is on hold?

Does caring for your aging parents make you feel your life is on hold? Here's how to make peace with your guilt and conflicting emotions.

Seniors Fight Depression Naturally With Exercise and Sleep

Seniors can help themselves to alleviate depression with regular exercise. It improves mood, strength and balance and sleep.

Living Well With Dementia Photo Contest: Closed

There are almost 500,000 people living with dementia in Canada. Help increase awareness right now by entering the Living Well with Dementia Photo Contest. Read more...

How to cope with your elderly parent's anxiety: 15 tips

Your parents may become increasingly fearful and anxiety-ridden as they age and it can be very difficult to help them. There are ways to cope.

How to communicate with a parent who has Alzheimer's

If your parent has Alzheimer's, they can become very frustrated trying to make their wishes known. Here's how one family turned things around.

My midlife crisis with a geriatric twist

NEW Column: Caring for my elderly mum has had more downs than ups this past year but there have been laughs too. Here's what I've learned.

Helping your aging parent when they have to give up driving

Giving up the independence of driving is one of the most difficult aspects of aging. This expert advice will help you to help your parent.

VIDEO: Retirement Homes Help Seniors Become Tech Savvy

VIDEO: Seniors are becoming quite computer savvy thanks to the many retirement homes that have helped their residents get more involved.

Seniors Fight Depression Naturally With Diet and Nutrition (Part 2)

The timeless wisdom, "We are what we eat," is as valid as ever, especially for seniors. It can even impove mood and help avoid depression.

Create your caregiving experience, don't just react to it

Caring for elderly parents can make you frantic with no time for the things that bring you joy. Here's how to get some perspective.

Best Retirement Quotations Ever

Need a quick pick-me-up? Here are some of the funniest and most profound (or most profoundly funny) retirement quotations we've heard in a long time!

10 Easy Ways for Seniors to Lose Weight

Sometimes losing a few pounds is a necessary step to improving your health. Here are ten easy ways to lose weight and improve wellbeing.

Six ways to improve your life this summer

If your life needs a lift, summer's a great time to make it happen. You can influence your own happiness much more than you think.

Ten great ways to relieve the pain of arthritis

Arthritis causes a tremendous amount of suffering in people of all ages but there are many ways to find relief. Here are 10 of those strategies.

Help the sandwich generation de-stress on Twitter!

Are you stressed out? Are you a member of the Sandwich Generation? Are you on Twitter? Join us for solutions and a fun tweetchat!

Make Caregiving a Choice and Reduce Your Stress

Most people are caregivers by default which causes a lot of stress. If you view caregiving as a choice, you can change all that for the better.

Welcome to Peri-Menopause Lane

The peri-menopausal years are quite a trip. Crying jags, hot flashes, mood swings and 'cougar' hormones. And those chin hairs no one tells you about...

How to volunteer at a retirement home

Volunteering at a seniors home is one of the most rewarding things you'll ever experience. Here's what you can do and how to sign up!

Get your mental house in order before retirement: Five tips

Retirement will be challenging enough without bringing emotional baggage into it. Here's how to break bad habits and get your house in order.

It's 11 o'clock. Do you know where your mother is?

What happens when you call your elderly mum to check in on her and she doesn't answer? And several minutes later she still doesn't?

The Real Deal: Life at Seasons Retirement Homes

'Life at Seasons' showcases how this retirement community engages residents with fun activities and superb service that separate them from retirement homes of the past.

Herbal Tea Gardening: Grow Your Own Herbal Iced Teas

Herbs are not only delicious and great for cooking, but are also packed with health benefits. Here's how to grow your own for herb tea.

Bucket List Ideas: 17 Ideas That Might Change Your Life

Looking for some ideas to add to your bucket list? Here are 17 great, mostly unconventional, bucket list suggestions. Read more...

Have a Drink! Mom's Retirement Home Trial Stay Was a Bust.

What do you do when you realize your mom's trial stay at the retirement home was a bust? Have a drink? Yikes!

How to move on when your parents pass away

When your parents are nearing the end of their lives, you need to take some practical steps, plan your post-caregiving life and prepare your heart.

Seven Best Places to Retire in Canada

Comfort Life presents seven of Canada's top retirement cities and towns from coast to coast. Do you agree? What are your favourites?

Down with Bingo? Real Life Programming in Assisted Living

Bingo is great but it shouldn't be the default activity in retirement homes. Let's get over our pretenses and provide real life programming.

Do seniors with mild dementia belong in independent living?

What do you do when a senior needs more help than a retirement home can provide? And when they won't accept the help that is offered?

How pets benefit retirement home seniors

You need not feel lonely at a retirement home. These days many homes allow you to bring an old or new four-legged friend with you!

Charming Senior's Video Wins Online Contest

Ever made a grilled cheese sandwich with an iron or corn on the cob in a kettle? Watch 88-year-old Shura do it in her winning Cyber-Seniors video!

Refill Buddy Makes Refilling Prescriptions Fast and Easy

What if there were a way to manage your prescriptions without having to call the pharmacy, stand in line or visit the doctor's office? There is!

How to find the best long-term care home

Before choosing a long term care community for your family member, consider some of the following key questions.

How Portable Music Players Help Keep Seniors Minds Active

Jerry Bloom recounts how he uses his iPod to keep his mind and his memories active, and how this device can be valuable for any senior. Read more...

Caregiver Support: Health and Wellness Tips

Finding yourself stressed out and overwhelmed? Consider some of these tips to avoid caregiver burnout. Read more...

Lost in the Continent of Incontinence: maximum protection for those fits of laughter

There comes a time when roles are reversed and it's your turn to care for your parents. In this post, Nicole McKechnie shares one such moment where laughter made the issue much easier to "absorb". 'Read more': Read more...

Book Review: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Take your own journey with Harold Fry. Enter to win your own copy of this wonderful book. Read more...

10 Steps For Better Mental Health

A healthy mind is important to all aspects of your life. Follow these 10 easy steps to help you achieve better mental health [Read More] Read More...

When Your Family Doctor Retires — Advice for Seniors

In Canada, many seniors who have been with the same family doctor for years are suddenly finding themselves in need of a new doctor. Having your family doctor retire poses a number of challenges These tips will help you find a new doctor to meet your current and future medical needs. Read more...

6 Benefits of Interest Classes for Seniors

There are lots of benefits for seniors who take special interest courses including good mental and physical health, community involvement, having fun and learning new things. Read more...

VIDEO: The Importance of Active Living

Studies show that sedentary lives lead to obesity, diabetes and numerous other health problems as we age. On their own, these are all great reasons to keep active.

Book Review: "Solace" by Walter St. John, Ed.D.

"Solace: How Caregivers and Others Can Relate, Listen, and Respond Effectively to a Chronically Ill Person" by Walter St. John is an exceptional resource for caregivers of the chronically ill. Read more...

September is Alzheimer's Month

September is Alzheimer's month. A great way to acknowledge those Canadians suffering from Alzheimer's Disease is to celebrate their contributions. Read more...

5 Ways to Avoid Alzheimer's Disease

There are ways to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease before any signs of it begin to manifest. Here are some of them... Read more...

VIDEO: Living in the Present

VIDEO: Joan Main is a pragmatist, this certainly helped her make the move to Amica in Vancouver when she decided that the best way to adjust was to live in the now. Read more...

Comfort Life's New Ebook: Alzheimer's and Dementia Handbook

Resources for adults, seniors and caregivers who are at risk, or living with someone who has Alzheimer's or dementia. Read more...

Salt-Free Recipes for Autumn

Trying to cut down on your salt intake? It is easy to stick to your low sodium diet with these salt free recipes that are perfect for your next autumn outing. Read more...

The Benefits of Eating Fish

Is it okay to eat fish regularly or should you be concerned about the mercury risk? Get answers to these common questions. Read more...

Living Life to the Fullest: How an Avid Cyclist Spends His Time

Cyclist Jack Hyatt's inspiring daily routines prove that it's never too late to accomplish your own fitness goals and live life to the fullest! Read more...

Evaluating those ‘Brain Fitness’ Programs

Thinking of a brain fitness program as a Christmas gift? Learn whether they really help ward off dementia, and of less expensive alternatives. Read more...

Gene and the Mayo Clinic – Watching A Small Miracle

Gene's caregiver used a personalized brain health program (including sensory activities) to help him unlock memories and work towards recovery. Read more...

Why Getting Older is a Good Thing

Are older people really happier? The Revera Report on Happiness reveals that older people are much more positive about aging! Read more...

Brain Health for Seniors & Their Families

A brain workout is just as important as regular exercise and good diet when it comes to good, long-term health. Read more...

How's your memory?

Baycrest Health Sciences have created an online test for seniors that will determine their brain health status. This online test has been created by experts for those worried about dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Read More...