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Southgate at Shrewsbury

Retirement community near Shrewsbury and Worcester, MA

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Three Keys to Remaining Happily Healthy in Retirement

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Understanding Senior Depression

In order to optimize happiness in retirement and avoid senior depression, it’s important to understand the unique difficulties the elderly community faces. As we get older, we are more likely to live alone and feel isolated. Friends, family and neighbors have moved, and the landscapes around us have changed. We are also more likely to deal with physical and mental ailments.

Depending on the study, it’s estimated that up to almost 25% of seniors deal with or have dealt with senior depression. It can often be difficult to identify because the symptoms can be conflated with other mental and physical issues associated with aging.

Because depression can be left undiagnosed, it behooves seniors to combat depression proactively. It is also key to understand the difference between grief (which lasts for a limited time and is linked to a jarring event such as death or a move) and chronic depression. The following tactics will help you maintain a fulfilling life in retirement.

Make New Friends

As we get older, it is inevitable our social landscape will change. A recent study conducted at Michigan State University highlights how valuing friendships later in life correlated to overall improved mental and physical function even more than family. This is not to say family is not important, it is meant to highlight the truly powerful value of quality friendship.

As we grow older, our interests and abilities may change, but our need for a fulfilling social life does not. If you’re looking to make new friends in retirement, try taking a class, volunteering, joining a group or getting a part-time job. Keep yourself in environments where you’re stimulated and meeting new people—depression will have a harder time creeping in and affecting your mental and physical state.

Watch Your Nutrition and Be Active

Proper nutrition and physical activity are important at any age, but as we grow older, the problems associated with having poor nutrition and lackadaisical exercise habits can be significantly more hampering. Poor nutrition and low activity levels not only lead to a myriad of physical health issues like high blood pressure, brittle bones and increased risk of diabetes, they also increase the likelihood depression will take hold.

While you’re physically active, endorphins are released into the brain’s opioid receptors, causing you to feel euphoric. When you’re exercising effectively, you also stave off physical ailments that can lead to time away from activity and lead to more feelings of isolation.

Ensuring quality nutrition habits will not only help stave off illnesses such as diabetes and various forms of cancer, it will keep your brain functioning more powerfully and help regulate mood. This 2017 study found people with depression that adopted a better nutrition plan felt their symptoms improve. Check out this WebMD article to help you with your nutrition, but also …

Talk to Your Doctor

As we age, it becomes more important that we have regular check-ups with our doctors. Always keep your doctor in the loop! If you have a broken arm, you will obviously tell your doctor, so why not do the same for your brain? Your doctor will be able to assist you in gathering the resources you need to best take care of yourself, whether it be the right medication, the right diet or the right medical professional.

All in all, remain engaged with the world around you and you will be much less likely to suffer from senior depression. This can be difficult as your world changes, which is why independent living communities like Southgate at Shrewsbury provide residents with a bevy of activities and events to keep them engaged, active and happy. If you’re concerned about depression as you enter retirement, an independent living community might be the best option for you.

Prediabetes Awareness & Diabetes Prevention: What You Need To Know

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Diabetes awareness and prevention is always a hot topic among the senior population, but what about prediabetes? Awareness of prediabetes is incredibly important to our overall health, yet the CDC estimates a staggering 88 million American adults have prediabetes and 84% of those are unaware they have it!

So what is prediabetes? Simply put, prediabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes doesn’t have any clear symptoms, so it often goes unnoticed and undiagnosed.

The good news is that a prediabetes diagnosis does not mean you will surely progress to having type 2 diabetes. It means you are at greater risk, but with proper mitigation and the guidance of a medical professional, it also means you are better educated and able to make the changes necessary to avoid type 2 diabetes.

How Do I Know If I Have Prediabetes?

Talk to your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested, regularly. Particularly if you fall into any of these more at-risk groups:

  • Having a family history of diabetes
  • History of gestational diabetes
  • Being overweight
  • Limited physical activity
  • African American, Hispanic/Latino American, Native American or Pacific Islander
  • Diet rich in processed meat & sugar-sweetened beverages
  • Over 45 years old
  • Tobacco user
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome
  • Disrupted sleep patterns or sleep apnea

I Have Prediabetes. What Now?

In a way, finding out you have prediabetes is a beneficial tool in preventing type 2 diabetes. Because you haven’t progressed to type 2 diabetes, you likely aren’t experiencing the symptoms associated with diabetes. You can make a few simple lifestyle changes to control your blood sugar levels and prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Change Up Your Diet

If you have a lot of red meat, processed foods or sugar-added beverages in your diet, start switching those out for healthier snacks and beverages. Introduce more fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains into your diet. Switch your vegetable and canola oil out for healthier olive and avocado oil, and make sure to cut down on the processed foods and meats.

Cutting out those sugary beverages can be tricky if you’ve become accustomed to the sweetness. Try phasing them out by introducing new beverages you can make easily at home such as infused water or replacing it with kombucha or green tea.

Increase Your Activity

Increasing your activity levels will also help stabilize your prediabetes. You don’t need to start running marathons, just simply introduce 15–30 minutes of moderately strenuous activity into your daily routine!

woman swimming

This can take many forms, whether it be walking, jogging, swimming, or exercising with weights and machines. Physical activity helps moderate your blood sugar levels, but you will want to stay consistent!

Prediabetes awareness is very important, particularly for seniors, as it can help us make the lifestyle changes we need to ensure a longer, healthier and happier life. Be sure to talk to you doctor about getting your blood sugar levels tested regularly, and check on your diet and lifestyle. Your golden years should be just that—golden!

Unleash Your Inner Artist

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Get Creative as You Age

Ah, retirement. You’ve finally entered the golden years, when you’re supposed to kick back, relax, and enjoy the reprieve from work that you rightfully deserve. There’s just one problem—what are you supposed to do with all of this extra time? If you’re feeling a bit anxious about transitioning from the daily grind of a full-time job into the laidback retirement lifestyle, don’t fret. The answer is simple: pursue an artistic hobby! Participating in the arts is a great way to stay active and involved with your community, and it’s also been proven to boost your wellness and happiness.

So what’s your artistic dream? Would you like to write a novel, or a collection of poems? Perhaps you’ve always wanted to learn how to paint, play an instrument, dance, act, or even produce a film. No matter your dream, retirement is the perfect time to embark on a new artistic journey. In the words of the venerable C.S. Lewis, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

Creative, Healthy Aging

It’s no secret that wellness and the arts go hand in hand. Numerous studies have shown that when you tap into your creative side, you’re simultaneously enhancing your personal health. One famous study conducted by Dr. Gene D. Cohen, director of the Center on Aging, Health & Humanities at George Washington University, found that senior citizens who were involved in weekly arts programs scheduled fewer doctor visits, took less medicine, were in better physical health, and performed better on mental health measures than seniors who did not participate in weekly arts programs.

“Engaging in community-based arts programs has a significant positive impact” on the health of older adults, says Gay Hanna, executive director of the National Center for Creative Aging. “What we’re finding is that older adults [who participate in the arts] have better brain health. The brain, contrary to the popularly-held belief, can continue to grow new cells just by being creatively engaged.”

Similar statistics were found in a study performed by Don D. Coffman, a professor at the University of Iowa. Published in 2009 in the International Journal of Community Music, Coffman’s study analyzed survey responses from more than 1,000 musicians in the New Horizons International Music Association. On average, New Horizons musicians are 70 years old, played an instrument in high school, and currently play their instruments for an hour each day.

The survey asked New Horizons musicians about their health and happiness. Approximately 74 percent of the survey respondents cited emotional well-being benefits from playing their instruments. Another 24 percent reported physical well-being benefits; 21 percent reported cognitive stimulation; and 20 percent believed they received socialization benefits.

As Hanna points out, socialization through arts participation is crucial to maintaining health and independence as you age. “Engaging in the arts allows a person to continue to learn and expand their social network, and to leave a legacy for their family and community,” she says.

Finding Your Niche

Once you’ve decided to get involved in the arts, the trick is finding a program that works for you. There are many ways to engage in the arts, so you don’t have to be Picasso to have a good time.  Here at Southgate at Shrewsbury, we pride ourselves on being a sophisticated, arts appreciative community.  Donald Flanagan, founding partner of Southgate, recognized that social, recreational, and artistic pursuits were the basis of a fulfilling lifestyle for seniors.  From our “Art Matters” course to our painting classes to our theatre productions to our summer concert series, Southgate at Shrewsbury has something for everyone to keep those creative juices flowing.

Eight Tips for Staying Safe in the Summer Heat

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Summer means gardening, cookouts, and just enjoying the great outdoors, but a heat wave can pose a major threat, especially for seniors. “Seniors won’t have as great an ability to sweat as younger people, and sweat is how you cool yourself, explained William B. Greenough III, MD, a geriatrician and professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. Dehydration may increase the risk of a serious cardiovascular event like a heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure. An Australian study found that during a record-breaking heat wave, there was a significant increase in trips to the emergency room for heat-related illness and dehydration, particularly in those age 75 and older for whom the heat triggered a 13 percent increase in deaths. “It’s very important to stay well hydrated, increasing fluids and salts to accommodate for the salt losses,” Dr. Greenough said. Try these tips to keep your cool during sizzling summer days.
Drink up – Dehydration is a major concern for seniors in the summertime heat, but don’t wait until you feel thirsty to reach for a beverage. “Drink plenty and a variety of liquids,” advised Heidi White, MD, associate professor of medicine in geriatrics at Duke University in Durham, N.C. “Too much water can lead to electrolyte imbalance. Concentrated urine is a bladder irritant and actually increases trips to the restroom.” Instead, keep plenty of sweat replacement drinks, such as Gatorade, on hand and drink them when you’re sweating more than usual.

Cut out caffeine – Skip your usual iced tea or coffee in the summer to help avoid hydration in a summertime heat wave. All that caffeine “works on our kidneys as a diuretic, depleting our bodies of needed liquid,” said Dr. White. “It is also a bladder irritant and increases trips to the restroom. Why spend your summer searching for a restroom?” Opt for water or sweat replacement drinks instead.

Layer your clothing – If you’re going back and forth all day between scorching summer heat and frigid air conditioning, dress in layers so that you can adjust all day long, suggested White. Dressing in layers “ensures comfort with indoor air conditioning and outdoor heat,” she said. Also, wear lightweight clothing in breathable, natural fabrics like cotton that allow your skin to breathe, said Greenough.

Skip the sun exposure – When the sun is blazing hot, it’s best to avoid being outdoors to prevent overheating, dehydration, and sunburn. Stay inside where it’s cool. When you do spend time in the sun, make sure you wear sunscreen to prevent a sunburn, and put on a hat with a wide brim and sunglasses to protect your eyes, said White.

Cool off your kitchen – Who wants to cook — or eat — a hot meal in the blazing heat of summertime? Turning up the stove will only heat up your kitchen and your home, and that may not sound too appetizing. Switch to tasty cold dishes instead, suggested Greenough. Enjoy cold fresh salads loaded with vegetables and fruit, sandwiches, fruit smoothies, and hard-boiled eggs. You’ll feel nourished and keep your home cooler, too, without having to run the air conditioning overtime.

Wash off the heat – Taking a cool shower or bath can help bring down your body temperature when your skin is sizzling from the summertime heat. “Evaporation gets rid of heat from the body,” explained Greenough. You can also soak a small towel or cloth in cool water and drape it around your neck or on top of your head to help cool down when you need it, especially if you’re outdoors and can’t get back inside into the air conditioning.

Temper the air conditioning – When it’s really hot, do turn on the air conditioning, especially when you sleep, to help you stay comfortable and get a good night’s rest. “Our body temperature naturally drops a small amount at night to promote sleep. Being too hot at night will make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep,” said White. If you don’t feel it’s quite hot enough to run your air conditioner, Greenough suggested turning on fans and opening up the windows in your home to allow cool air to circulate and help you cool down with a breeze from the outdoors.

Step on the scale – Protect yourself by looking for early warning signs of dehydration, such as urine that’s very dark in color, and taking quick action by increasing fluids. Greenough also suggests stepping on the scale and weighing yourself regularly. Know your normal body weight, and look for any deviation. “If you’ve lost 2 to 3 pounds, you need to drink it back up to your normal body weight,” he added.
Here at Southgate at Shrewsbury, we know the importance of summertime safety for seniors. We want you to enjoy the season, but also to stay safe and healthy. We offer a myriad of indoor activities you can participate in to stay active while keeping cool. If you would like to know more about some of the fabulous amenities to take advantage of this summer at Southgate, please click here.