Overcoming Anxiety of Aging Solo

By Roz Jones

When you’re aging solo, it can be a daunting experience. Whether you’re an adult child who is caring for elderly parents or an older adult who is living by themselves, there can be many fears associated with this process. From worrying about medical issues to concerns about financial security, the thought of aging alone can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are many resources available that can help ease these worries and make the experience smoother and more rewarding. Let’s explore some of the common fears associated with solo aging and how to handle them.

Fear of Medical Issues

Aging solo often comes with anxiety over medical problems. From scheduling doctor appointments to finding reliable caretakers, it can be difficult to manage these issues on your own. One way to ease this fear is to create a network of support for yourself or your loved one—including doctors, nurses, friends and family members—who will be available in case of emergencies. It also helps to have a plan in place so that if something does happen, you know exactly what steps need to be taken.

Fear of Financial Security

For those aging solo, financial security is another major concern. The thought of outliving their income or being unable to pay for medical expenses can cause serious stress and anxiety. To ease this fear, it’s important to understand your finances and create a budget for the future. Researching long-term care options such as assisted living facilities and home health care services can also help provide peace of mind when it comes to finances.

Fear of Loneliness

One of the biggest fears associated with aging solo is loneliness. Without family nearby or close friends around during daily activities, it can feel isolating at times. But there are ways to combat this feeling through activities like joining senior centers or volunteering programs that offer companionship and engagement opportunities for seniors living alone. These activities can provide mental stimulation while also giving seniors a sense of belonging in their community during their golden years.

For those who are either facing solo aging themselves or caring for someone who is navigating this process alone, there will inevitably be fear and anxiety along the way. But remember that you don’t have to face these challenges on your own! Taking advantage of resources like online support groups or local senior centers helps take away some of the stressors associated with solo aging so that you or your loved one can enjoy life without worry or fear during this time in life!

Do you need caregiving assistance and services in your state? Check out AARP’s Family Caregiver Resource Guides created to help family caregivers access key programs, services, and agencies within their loved one’s community. Click or tap on a state to find tools and support for everything from health, legal and financial assistance to respite care!

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Do you have your days where you don’t feel like being a Caregiver? Check out my latest podcast episode to listen in on the conversation I had with my colleagues about their experiences on these days when their caregiver battery was low!

Being a caregiver can be a stressful, all-consuming job that will wear on anyone over time. The responsibility, ups and downs, and stress can pile up over time and lead to burnout.

If you find yourself thinking, “I am so tired of being a caregiver,” it is important to know you cannot take care of others unless you are taking care of yourself, so it is important to take the time to check in and seek help if needed.

Join me in this episode to listen in to a conversation I had with my colleagues about their experiences on the days when their caregiver battery was low.

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**3. LEARN TO:** Ask for help, accept help when it is offered, and acknowledge yourself on this caregiving journey. Hear from experts on how to balance caregiving responsibilities by taking care of your needs and involving others to help manage the natural stress and isolation of being a caregiver.

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7 Ideas for Including Your Significant Other in Your Morning Routine

By Roz Jones

Does a morning routine have to be a lonely endeavor?

Absolutely not! You can still carry out your morning routine if you have a partner living with you (or even just visiting). Better yet, you can make them a part of each step of your morning, giving you added time together and building your relationship.

How? Try these simple ideas:

Start Slow

There’s nothing like the two-alarm method for starting your day. Use the first alarm to wake up enough to cuddle time with your partner. This is the perfect time for a slow start for both of you. When your second alarm goes off, you know it’s time to get out of bed.

Pair Up for a Workout

Exercise together makes your significant other your accountability partner, while you get to do the same for them. Look for activities you can do together like jogging or playing tennis for added fun together.

Shower Together

Well, you wanted to bathe anyway. Showering together might not conserve as much water as you’d think, but it’s certainly a fun way to get clean in the morning!

Make Breakfast Together

Cooking together can be fun and rewarding. Or take turns, with one person cooking while the other sets the table. Then sit down and eat together for an added time to talk and reconnect.

Dance

Looking for a relaxing way to get the blood pumping? Why not put on your song and dance around the living room? This is a fun way to supercharge your morning and put a spring in your step.

Exchange Compliments

Sometimes we get pretty good at beating ourselves down with negative self-talk. We need to really learn when someone else says something nice about us. Every morning, tell the other person something you love about them or something you’re grateful for. These are words they can take to heart, building up their self-image. Now turn it around and take the words they say to you in this space to heart. Make their truth your own.

Kiss

Before one or both of you head out the door, say goodbye properly. A special embrace or kiss will make sure you both start your day with a smile.

While not every piece of your morning routine will wind up including the other person, you’ll feel more deeply connected as you go into your day by making some intentional connection points in your morning. What a beautiful way to build your relationship!

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How to Thrive as a Solo Ager

By Roz Jones

As the population ages and people live longer, more and more individuals are finding themselves entering their later years without a significant other or family nearby. This can be an especially challenging time for those who are aging alone, or “solo agers” as they are known. If you find yourself in this position, don’t despair! There are plenty of ways to successfully navigate life as a solo ager. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Maintain Your Social Connections

One of the best ways to thrive as a solo ager is to remain socially connected with your friends, family members, and community. Make sure you keep in touch with those close to you on a regular basis. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help if you need it! Consider joining online discussion groups or local organizations that meet regularly so that you can connect with others who may have similar interests and experiences.

Stay Mentally Active

Staying mentally active is one of the most important things for solo agers to do—it helps boost your mood and keeps your mind sharp. Reading books, doing puzzles, learning new skills, and engaging in activities like painting or gardening can all help keep your brain active and engaged in meaningful pursuits. It’s also important to stay physically active when possible; getting exercise will not only help maintain good health but also provide much-needed energy during the day.

Take Care of Yourself

It’s also important for solo agers to take care of their physical health by eating nutritious meals, getting enough rest, taking medications as prescribed by their doctor, and scheduling regular check-ups with their physician. Taking proactive steps such as these can help ensure that any potential health issues are caught early on before they become more serious problems down the line. Additionally, setting up an advance directive—a document outlining how medical decisions should be made should one become incapacitated—can provide peace of mind knowing that one’s wishes will be respected should something unexpected occur.
Navigating life as a solo ager can be difficult at times but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming! By staying connected with friends and family members, engaging your mind through activities like reading or puzzles, and taking care of your physical health through diet and exercise, it is possible to age gracefully while thriving independently! With proper planning and support from those around us, we can all make sure that our later years are filled with joy no matter what our circumstances may be.

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Are you providing care to your aging parents as an only child? Check out my latest podcast to learn the ways you can navigate caregiving as an only child!

Caregiving can be hard for anyone, but being an only child may add additional challenges.

As an only child, you may not have siblings to share the responsibilities of caregiving with, which can lead to feelings of isolation and burnout.

Additionally, you may have a stronger emotional attachment to your parent, making it harder to separate your role as a caregiver from your role as a child.

Join me in this episode to listen in to a conversation I had with my colleagues about how to navigate caregiving as an only child.

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Cardiac Arrest: What You Need to Know

By Roz Jones

On January 12, 2023, the world was shocked to learn of the passing of Lisa Marie Presley due to cardiac arrest and after watching the recent collapse of National Football League Buffalo Bills Player Damar Hamlin on January 2, 2023, during Monday Night football. Lisa Presley’s death and Damar Hamlin’s collapse serve as a stark reminder that cardiac arrest can happen suddenly and without warning. It’s important for us all to understand what cardiac arrest is and how we can protect ourselves and our loved ones from it.

What is Cardiac Arrest?

Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops beating suddenly and unexpectedly. The most common cause of cardiac arrest is a condition called ventricular fibrillation, which causes the heart’s electrical signals to become chaotic and disrupts its normal rhythm. Although there are many potential causes of ventricular fibrillation, one of the most common is coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to and from the heart, reducing blood flow and causing chest pain or discomfort known as angina pectoris.

Risk Factors & Prevention

There are several risk factors associated with CAD, including smoking, high cholesterol levels, obesity, diabetes, family history, age (especially over 45), and male gender. To reduce your risk of developing CAD, you should follow a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise; maintain a healthy weight; quit smoking; eat a balanced diet; control your stress level; monitor your cholesterol level; avoid excessive alcohol consumption; and manage any pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure. In addition, you should be aware of the signs and symptoms of cardiac arrest so that you can take action quickly if necessary – these include chest pain or discomfort; nausea; lightheadedness; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; fatigue or weakness; palpitations (feeling like your heart is racing); anxiety/panic attacks; dizziness/fainting spells; sweating profusely (especially cold sweat); severe headaches/migraines with no known cause; jaw pain/clenching teeth without reason. If you experience any of these symptoms seek medical attention immediately!

Treatment & Recovery

If your aging loved one experiences a cardiac arrest they will need immediate medical attention – CPR may help but only an AED machine can actually restart the heart’s electrical activity in order for it to beat again normally. Once an AED has been used to restart their heart rhythm then further medical care may be necessary depending on the person’s medical history. Depending on how quickly treatment is received after experiencing cardiac arrest recovery time varies from person to person but generally involves strict lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking (if applicable) exercising regularly eating healthier etc…It might also involve taking medications prescribed by their doctor such as beta blockers ACE inhibitors etc…In some cases, surgery may even be required in order for them to fully recover from their experience with cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest can happen without warning but there are steps we can take to reduce our risk—and those steps start with understanding what it is and how it happens. Knowing this information could save your life—or the life of someone you love—so please take some time today to learn more about this serious condition. And remember: if you ever experience any symptoms associated with cardiac arrest don’t hesitate to seek medical help right away! It could make all the difference!

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6 Things to Do at Night Which Will Keep Your Morning Routine on Track

By Roz Jones

What’s the best thing caregivers can do to put their morning on track? Set yourself up for success the night before.

Of course, better mornings are pretty easy once you have a morning routine in place, but your best mornings happen when you’re ready to hit the ground running. To do this, try doing these six simple things in advance.

Check Your Diet

Eating too soon before bed or having caffeine in the evening can make for restless sleep. By limiting what you eat in the hours before bed and switching out to decaf, you’ll feel better in the morning.

Lay Out Your Clothes

Nothing wastes time like hunting for accessories or discovering you don’t have clean socks first thing in the morning. By taking care of these things now, you’ll cut your prep time in the morning in half.

Check Your Schedule

Do you have early calls or appointments to keep? You might need to adjust your wake time to avoid rushing. A simple check will keep you on track regardless of what you have planned for the day.

Make a List

Speaking of planning, what are your goals for tomorrow? Write down a short list (no more than 3 or 4 things) of what you’d like to accomplish for the day. This will help you stay on task and help when it comes time to transition into work from your morning routine.

Choose a Bedtime

It’s crucial for caregivers to get enough rest at night to ensure they are on track to provide care to our clients and loved ones. The average adult requires 7 – 9 hours of sleep. Of course, you know your body. How much sleep do you honestly require to feel good? Coordinate bedtime with your wake time. Allow enough time to get through your morning routine to ensure your morning is never rushed.

Set Yourself Up for Great Sleep

Finally, you’re never going to start off on a good foot in the morning if your sleep was terrible the night before. Pay attention to the small details, like ensuring your room is at the right temperature. Also, make sure your pillow is supportive and you have a quiet and dark space for the best sleep.

The best part of all of this? None of these items takes more than a few minutes to set up. Why not make them part of an evening routine? Now you’re on track for a great day, every day!

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