Cantissimo Senior Living Blog

Traveling can be a great way to keep in touch with your grandparenting duties. Whether you are an aunt, uncle, or grandparent, here are a few tips on how to prepare for a trip with the grandkids, especially if they are little ones that are seven years or younger. The most important thing to remember is that you are always in charge. Also, these younger kids may challenge and test your patience. Just remember that you love them and that they really can't help it sometimes! By following the tips in this article, you can create a trip that is fun and safe for everyone.

As a musician and music lover, I've always been captivated by its powerful potential to influence my emotions and even impact my brain activity. When I was younger, I listened to music while studying (a practice I maintain to this day). To this day, certain songs or melodies transport me to that place and connect me to whatever I was doing at the time. While science has determined that scent is the strongest sense tied to memory, sound—in this case, music—has a strong correlation to memory as well.

Music does something special to people. Different frequencies are known to produce very specific effects on people of all ages. Over years of study on the effects of sound and music, a therapeutic method called Music Therapy was developed. As a result, many people suffering from various mental disorders and disabilities have engaged in music therapy to great effect.

When it's time to make long-term care decisions for your senior parent or disabled loved one, you may be unsure as to whether they will be better off at home or in a facility-based care community. Unless your loved one has a long-term care insurance policy, you may also be wondering how you're going to pay for your loved one's long-term care expenses — as average annual costs range between $18,746 and $100,379. To learn more about long-term care planning and for some advice on paying for long-term care services, read on.

Exercise is important at every age, but it becomes increasingly important as we get older. Regular physical activity helps to maintain our strength, balance, and flexibility, which can help to prevent falls and injuries. Exercise can also improve our cardiovascular health, helping to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other conditions. And don't forget about the mental health benefits of exercise! Regular physical activity has been shown to improve mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and even improve cognitive function.

Despite all of these benefits, it can be tough to find the motivation to exercise on a daily basis, especially as we get older. We may feel like we don't have the energy, time, or resources to commit to a regular exercise routine. But the good news is that there are plenty of ways to find your daily exercise motivation and make exercise a sustainable part of your life. Here are 13 tips to help you get started!

Being a family caregiver isn't like other jobs. For one, your day doesn't stop at 5 p.m. — or ever. Putting all your energy into another person's care also drains you and stresses you out, as few other jobs can. As much as you love your family member, you need to take time away from your caregiving duties for your own health.

Old age tends to slow us down. We believe that our mental and physical abilities are not as strong as they were in the years of our youth. While we may not feel as energetic as before, we should acknowledge the advantages of our golden years. We finally have the time to concentrate on our health, the wisdom to make better choices, and the freedom to welcome change. Do not let your senior years go to waste. Unhealthy eating habits, an inactive lifestyle, and weight gain will only expose you to a greater risk of developing chronic illnesses at this stage. Instead, make the most of this special time!

It is essential to stay fit and look your best during these golden years, so they become the best years of your life. You never know where life may take you or what will come your way. Prioritizing your health is the key to be prepared for everything. Staying fit at this point in life will inspire your younger family members to embrace healthy living as well. The fitter you are, the less prone you become to conventional health problems and personal injuries associated with old age.

Abide by these five golden rules to prove that age does not get in the way of becoming the best version of yourself!

The days of retirement are the golden years of your life. You finally have the time and freedom to do anything you want. Remember that age is just a number, and you're only as old as you feel. You may have loved your job, and the change of routine can seem difficult at first. You might feel lost and bored right after retirement, but that state of mind shouldn't last once you realize all the possibilities. This is your time to relax and truly enjoy life to the fullest.

Live Your Best Retirement Life with These 10 Ideas

For some retirees, the opportunity to slow down and enjoy life from the sidelines is a welcome respite. For others, retirement doesn't mean the end of the career path. In fact, it may be the start of a brand new journey! If you're an active senior looking for ways to improve your overall quality of life and health and embark on a new adventure, options abound for both professional and personal enrichment and fulfillment.

Do you ever experience prolonged fatigue lasting more than two days after exercising or playing a game of golf? Do your muscles fatigue quickly? Do you want to improve efficiency in your muscles and move and feel better in your body?

When muscles are not performing optimally and efficiently, they often feel weak, tight, or are limited in their range of motion.

The reason for the weakness, tightness, or lack of range of motion is often met with forced stretching and strength training which can prove ineffective when the cause is neuromuscular. 

There is a great misconception in the movement rehabilitation industry that we need to strengthen our muscles constantly. Truthfully, however, our ability to contract and release our muscles comes from messages sent down from the brain. We need to ensure that our muscles are getting the right messages to stay functional and efficient. Our muscles need a regular “reboot” to stay working well, particularly as we age.

Have you had this experience? You keep working harder and trying to improve your strength, but you do not feel like you are getting stronger?

The latest research shows that rates of stress have skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic, and it is starting to affect our health. A big part of this is isolation, working from home, and disrupting our usual social activities, leaving us feeling disconnected and tired. 

An online article published in Healthline on February 5, 2021, interviewed the service chief of a psychiatric hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Michael Young. In the interview, he stated, “Social connection is a fundamental source of well-being and renewal for most people, and the ongoing social restrictions from the pandemic continue to disrupt many of the well-established social routines.”

We, as humans, are social beings. We require interaction with others. The inability to do so increases the body’s natural stress response, amping up our nervous systems, leaving us feeling more vulnerable, increasing our pain.