Seniors who are living with addiction might find it hard to become sober because they might have been struggling with it for a long time. It may even be harder for them to break free from addiction because of how their body behaves when they get older.

When seniors are suffering from addiction, the first step is usually to get them to undergo detoxification. The essence of detoxification is to remove toxic substances in the body that might be harmful.  

These substances are sometimes the buildup of substances like drugs and alcohol that have accumulated over the years.

In the case where the senior is not addicted to substances, they would not have to undergo detoxification.

When a senior stops using drugs and alcohol, they may experience withdrawal symptoms which might be unpleasant for their health.

With detoxification, the effects of these symptoms may reduce, which would make the seniors fit and strong to receive addiction treatment.

Seniors will also have to attend counseling sessions which is an integral part of addiction treatment.

Counseling helps to create a therapeutic alliance between the patient and the counselor. This makes it easy for the patient to trust the counselor so that they can aid them to achieve sobriety in the long run.

Importantly, counseling is also important in identifying underlying health problems that may not be physically visible. The senior also needs the counselor’s motivation all through addiction treatment help so that they can pull through.

Also, seniors may have to undergo inpatient treatment or outpatient treatment depending on the severity of their addiction. Irrespective of the treatment type or facility that seniors opt for, what matters is their comfort.

Inpatient treatment or rehab is for older adults with more severe addiction cases. Such people might need close monitoring from time to time.

Seniors who go for outpatient treatment may not need to remain within the treatment facility, as they can come from home to get treated and return.

As our bodies get older, it might be difficult for us to manage the way we handle stress. This is one of the problems that seniors face when they go through stressful situations.

When older adults are stressed, they are likely to experience health problems like Depression, Anxiety, Diabetes, Headaches, Asthma, etc.

Even though it might look impossible to eliminate all the stressors in the body, here are some tips to bring down stress levels in seniors

Keep social relationships

One of the ways that seniors can keep their stress levels down is to maintain social relationships. Keeping close relationships come in handy when you’re going through difficult situations and you need someone to lean on.

Having a good relationship with family and friends is one of the profound ways to ease stress feelings.

Engage in physical exercise

Another tip to reduce stress in seniors is to stay active. Older adults can benefit from exercise because it comes with mental and physical exercise.

A good rule of thumb is to engage in 30 minutes of exercise 3-4 times a week. Some of the physical activities that seniors enjoy doing are cycling, walking, gardening, yoga, etc.

Reduce work commitments

For seniors who are still working to earn a living, they need to reduce the volume of work-related activities that they handle to reduce their stress levels. They can consider delegating some of their duties so that they can have more personal time for self-care.

Take nutritious meals

Seniors should also be more intentional about what they eat. It would be best to reduce or stop the amount of fast food that they take. Rather it would be best to follow a good dietary plan from a nutritionist to know the right foods to take, and the ones to avoid.

Another habit that seniors need to incorporate is going for regular checkups from their healthcare provider. This is important to spot any underlying health issues that might become complicated if left untreated.

Introduction

As people approach old age, they sometimes find it difficult to transition from being the helper to the helped. As some begin to approach retirement, anxiety, and depression begin to set in. 

When a person has issues with entering a new phase of life, they may put themselves under unhealthy pressure. Some seniors become intensely afraid of cognitive decline that may happen as they age.

Some are afraid of being public perception to their age. The counselor may be required to help them transition into old age. 

Counseling therapy for seniors is quite important. There are a couple of mental health problems seniors face. Anxiety, stress, depression, and medical problems like dementia can be fixed through counseling therapy.

Tips for Counseling Seniors and Retirees

• Avoid Ageism

Ageism is discrimination based on a person’s age. Ageism is exhibited when the desires or opinions of an elderly person are neglected.            

As a counselor, never ignore the personal desires or opinions of a senior. People wrongly ignore older people’s views and it is viewed as a form of disrespect by the seniors. The counselor who should provide succor to them should not be involved in the disrespect. 

• Recognize their Weaknesses

Older adults may have not the same level of mental acuity as younger people. As a counselor, you must recognize this weakness. 

Seniors may be slow-talkers, they may require time to gather their thoughts together. You should be patient with them and don’t rush them into giving answers. 

• Make your Environment Comfortable 

As a counselor, your office needs to be comfortable for your clients. For older people, there is a little twist. Old people are more likely to sleep off in a reclining position hence, avoid the use of reclining chairs.

Use comfortable chairs that won’t cause damage to their backs or necks. If possible, have a bowl of fruits in the office to ensure your clients feel comfortable.

Introduction

With old age comes an increased risk for falling ill. Your body cannot make the same lifestyle you adopted as a young person. Hence, you have to set more boundaries and pay closer attention to your health.

Some seniors live in assisted-living facilities where their health care is prioritized by their caregivers. Some others have to personally monitor their health and take basic steps to protect themselves.

In this article, we will review some of the simple health tips for seniors and retirees.

Simple Health Tips for Seniors and Retirees

• Eat Well

One popular saying is “you are what you eat”. As a senior, you can’t afford to joke with your diet. You have the freedom to eat anything you want but your body may not be able to deal with everything you eat.

You have to pay close attention to what you eat. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, avoid red meat and sugary foods. At old age, your body is in less demand for energy-giving food and is in more demand for immune boosters.

• Exercise Frequently 

You may not be able to do intense workout sessions. However, you can go on short runs and walks. The most important thing is keeping your body active.

As a retiree, you are without work to keep your body active. You should try to engage in exercises. You could spice things up by joining group exercises or by engaging in weekly recreational activities.

• Rest Well

Seniors have an increased risk of stroke and memory loss. To prevent these illnesses, you should learn to rest often.

Sleep becomes more important as you grow older. Rest and sleep are good ways to improve the immune system. The brain does not operate at the same capacity anymore hence, sleep is needed to keep the brain at optimum capacity as a senior.

Conclusion 

Other tips include washing your hands frequently, reduce your alcohol intake, quit smoking, etc.   

Being a retiree involves the fact that, you do not have to answer to anyone if you were formerly employed. If you are the owner of your business, it implies that you have handed over to someone who is capable or trustworthy.

This does not undermine the fact that, you will still need to check up on the business on a periodic basis, but it would not be like before.

One of the best ways to have a nice retirement time is to take care of yourself. To start with, you need to ensure you exercise on a daily basis. As a retiree, your sedentary lifestyle is bound to increase, and it is not good for your health.

Hence, it is necessary that you exercise. You can start by walking for some minutes each day. This could be all you need to remain fit.

Also, it is also important that you prioritize relationships. During the process of working, it could be hard to prioritize relationships.

There is a high possibility that, when you were working, you did not have time for family and friends. However, this is the best time to meet up with family and friends, and make up for lost time.

You should bear in mind that, it is not too late to build close bonds with people who matter to you. Good relationships are beneficial for a good mental health.

In addition to this, it is important to factor in medical appointment into your retirement plan. It is good to have regular check-ups and test, and this would help you have a healthier and longer life as you age.

You might not enjoy going to the hospital for checkups on a regular basis, but you will get to discover that it is worth it in the long run.

Furthermore, you should also ensure that you read more books. This could be a time to catch up on books that you have not been able to read when you were actively working.