Never too late...

"It's Never too late to go healthy. Anybody, young or old, can successfully redesign the way they live to be healthier. While we don't have a say in our own genetic makeup, greater than 50 percent of our mental and physical health status is related to lifestyle. You can even start small: ride public transportation, reconnect with a long-lost friend, join a ballroom dance class, or follow guidelines on how to safely move around the community. The point is, try something new and be willing to learn."

Dr Florence Clark, University of Southern California

I love this quote from Dr Clark, key developer of the Lifestyle Redesign approach in Occupational Therapy. It emphasises the way in which a variety of things, such as socialising with friends contribute to overall health and well-being, not only the obvious things like diet and exercise. It also shows how being open to new ideas and ways of doing things can help to Age Proof your life.

This 'tip' was published in the Atlantic magazine last year. For the full article and all 5 Tips, follow this link:

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/02/professional-help-5-tips-for-senior-citizens-on-simple-healthy-living/252556/http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/02/professional-help-5-tips-for-senior-citizens-on-simple-healthy-living/252556/

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Money, money, money….

 

 

There is more to life than money, but lack of money gives you fewer choices and may restrict the activities you can participate in. Age proof your life by making sure that you are in the best financial situation that is possible for you. Obviously the younger you are when you start planning for your old age the better as you will be able to build up a better pension. However, even if you are looking to improve your financial situation later in life there may be a lot you can do. News reports regularly tell us that many older people are not claiming all that they may be entitled to so a few pointers are:

• Make sure you are getting any work pensions you should be. Many people paid into pensions for jobs they left many years ago, the funds will have continues to build over the years but you may not have kept the company informed of new addresses.
• Make sure you are claiming any benefits you are entitled to, for example free or concessionary travel, welfare benefits, heating payments etc.
• Become well informed about bogus callers, internet scams and the like. Sadly you are more likely to be a target for these as you get older.

There are many more things you can do to improve your financial situation. AgeScotland has a great Money Matters page that gives lots more advice and information to get you started.

Lifestyle..

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Lifestyle Redesign®

“..is a process of acquiring health promoting habits & routines in daily life” (Clark et al 1997)

“…is the process of incorporating health promoting habits & routines in your daily life. OTs look at how you ‘occupy’ your time and how the daily activities you engage in affect your overall health, wellness & life satisfaction” University of Southern California Faculty Practice

Four core beliefs of the Occupational Therapy profession informed the development of Lifestyle Redesign®:

• Occupation is life itself
• Occupation can create new visions of possible selves
• Occupation has a curative effect on physical and mental health and on a sense of life order and routine
• Occupation has a place in preventive care (Mandel et al 1997)

The concept is now widely recognised in occupational therapy and health literature (see report tab at top of page for more detailed information). The term ‘Lifestyle Redesign’ is trademark protected, but any OT can draw upon the methodology. I suggest reading the report as above as a starting point.

Knitting....

 

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Knitting…

 

 

A recent article in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy discussed the benefits knitting can have for personal and social well-being.

Knitting is an example of an activity which requires a level of skill and concentration, it is creative, it can be done alone or in a group, it produces something which may be of value or useful to the knitter or someone else. All these factors combine to make knitting an activity that can help to produce feelings of well-being and purpose and so contribute to overall health and happiness.

Knitting may or may not be for you but when you are thinking about Age Proofing your life, don’t ignore the importance of making time for activities that give some of the same benefits. I wonder if the same benefits would be found for other activities, woodworking, painting, cooking, mending watches….I’d be interested to hear what activities people find that have such benefits.

Reference:

Riley, J et al (2013) The benefits of knitting for personal & social wellbeing in adulthood: findings from an international survey. British Journal of Occupational Therapy 76(2) pp 50-57.

Joy

 

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“Joy’s soul lies in the doing”

William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida

 

 

Shakespeare knew what Occupational Therapists would eventually adopt as one of their core beliefs. Research using the Lifestyle Redesign® process has shown that older people who are engaged in meaningful and enjoyable activities have better health and use health and social services less.

Age proof your life by ensuring that you stay engaged in the things that give you the greatest pleasure, or explore new interests and social networks. Your Occupational Therapist can help if required.

Interested in IT

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Information Technology (IT) – or the ability to use it- is probably the most significant divider of generations in the early 21^st Century. Youngsters today are ‘digital natives’- they have grown up with IT and are at ease and confident using it. Everyone else is a ‘digital imigtrant’- they have had to learn a new language and culture. For some this has been relatively easy as they have learned gradually, often been provided with courses and training at work and began to use IT for daily tasks and social networking. They have become ‘fluent’. For others, it has remained something mysterious and strange and the faster things move the harder it seems to become to catch up.

IT does not just mean being able to use a computer. It includes using mobile phones and all the different things computers can do for you, such as social networking- Facebook, Twitter and the like. So, does it matter if you can do all these things? Well, if you are trying to Age Proof your life, IT cannot be ignored and you can find the bits that will work for you. There are many advantages to being able to use IT, even at a basic level.

Being able to use a mobile phone for calls and texting (SMS) gives you more flexibility and allows you to join in more easily with what younger generations in your family are doing. It could be important for safety too. If you can use the internet, you have many services at your fingertips that can be helpful if you become less able to get about, such as getting your grocery shopping delivered or buying gifts online. Social networking (Facebook, Twitter etc) often receive a bad press, but they can be a great way to keep in touch with friends and family and, perhaps more importantly, they are becoming the way that news breaks and the political process works, so the ability to use them helps you to stay engaged in the wider world. How about Skype to speak to and see friends and family on the other side of the world? 

If you don’t know where to start younger family members may be able to help. Your local library may have computers and possibly groups that will help you get started. Some councils run schemes to help older people use computers and the internet. To begin with keep it simple and concentrate on one or two things that will make a difference in your life. The other day I met a lady in her late 70s who had just bought a lap top computer. She had never used a computer before but her son is emigrating to Australia in 6 months and she is determined to start now and learn to email and Skype so that she can keep in touch. What better reason to learn something new?

Health and Happiness

 

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Health and Happiness…

Health and Happiness are closely linked. I have been looking at lots of different advice leaflets and websites with tips for good health in older people. There are some common themes so I have tried to summarise them below. Nothing is ‘high tech’ and the important thing is to look for ways to make them part of your every day routine.

• Keep physically active
• Keep mentally active
• Eat well, a good variety of food, not too much and not too little
• Don’t smoke!
• Drink in moderation
• Enjoy being involved with friends, family and your local community
• Have a hobby that is absorbing and enjoyable
• Don’t be afraid to try new things

All of these can be tailored to your own life, your own interests and physical abilities. Often you can combine a few, for example going to a local exercise class with friends might combine exercise and being involved with friends, if you went to a café or brought a picnic to share afterwards you could try new healthy food choices…

Your Occupational Therapist looks at the ‘whole person’ and sees that all aspects of your life are important and that it is important to have a good balance in your life. Your Occupational Therapist can help you to find ways to incorporate health promoting routines into your everyday life.

I’d love to hear if anyone has any tips that they would like to share…