Maintaining an ideal body weight is essential to preventing arthritis—plus it can help with pre-existing arthritis by lessening the stress put upon joints. A good diet can also help build strong muscles, which will help prevent joints from rubbing against each other.

Movement is one of the best treatment options for arthritis. In most cases, staying active can help prevent the onset of arthritis completely. Particularly for those with osteoarthritis, movement exercises can help ease pain. If the senior in your life has arthritis, meet with them and their doctor to discuss how movement can help ease their pain.

One of the most difficult aspects of arthritis is the chronic pain. Many people find alternative therapies helpful, including using gentle warmth to relax muscles, listening to music, taking vitamin D and meditating.

There are plenty of arthritis-friendly products out there. If the special senior in your life is struggling with routine tasks like removing the top of a medicine bottle or holding a pen, know that there is probably an affordable version of the product you’re looking for that’s actually earned the Arthritis Foundation Ease of Use commendation.

This May, spread the word about arthritis. If the special senior in your life struggles with arthritis, speak with them about ways to improve their comfort and lessen their arthritis pain. Often, the best way to brighten someone’s day when they’re struggling with arthritis is just to spend some time with them!

For more information about arthritis and what you can do to spread the word about prevention and treatment, visit arthritis.org.

Speak with the special seniors in your life about getting active and improving their health. Besides the physical benefits of improved balance and strength and managing disease, regular exercise and healthy nutrition can help reduce feelings of depression and can improve mood and overall well-being. Additionally, helping the senior in your life stay fit and healthy is a great way to spend quality time together.

Getting started can be overwhelming, so the National Institute on Aging developed Go4Life, a program specially designed for older adults. Even sedentary seniors can participate in simple activities that can improve their health, such as stretches and improving their diet. Before the senior in your life embarks on any exercise plan, it’s recommended that they speak with their doctor and make sure they stay safe.

On May 30th, get started on your fitness! Take the special senior in your life for a stroll, plan a healthy meal, or even just start a conversation about staying healthy and the important benefits exercise and nutrition have for physical and emotional well-being.

At AlmaVia of Union City, we’re here when you need us. If you need tips with helping the senior in your life maintain a healthy diet and active lifestyle, or would like more information on any of our services please contact us at (510) 400-7250 or by email at info@almaviaofunioncity.org.

Families play a vital role in the well-being of seniors with memory loss and dementia. Emotional, social and developmental support cannot be found just through dedicated and skilled care. Family-centered care helps maintain the dignity of both individuals and their families.

By ensuring that families stay involved in the care of their loved ones, family-centered care allows patient and family perspectives, including values, beliefs and cultural backgrounds to be incorporated into the planning and delivery of care. Family-centered care also enables a strong base for communication in which health care practitioners share information with both patients and their families. In the case of memory care, it’s incredibly important that families receive timely, accurate information about their loved ones.

If someone in your family has memory loss or dementia, you and the rest of your family also require compassionate care as your family changes. The best care is available when residents, their families, staff and the surrounding community work together to build a warm, intimate environment that celebrates the dignity and individuality of each resident, while upholding the family networks that love and care for them.

AlmaVia of Union City is proud to provide family-centered care, and strives to meet the needs of residents, families and staff. For more information about our programs, visit http://www.almaviaofunioncity.org.

While you enjoy the sunny afternoons, don’t let the sun catch you or the special senior in your life with your guard down. Protecting yourself from the sun is incredibly important. Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers, and overexposure to sunlight can increase your risk of developing cataracts. Even milder sun ailments like sunburn and dehydration can be unpleasant. Remember these tips to protect yourself and your loved ones from the sun and heat.

- Wear sunscreen and lip balm with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher that protects against UVA and UVB rays. As we age, our skin’s ability to repair sun damage declines, so this is incredibly important. Try to apply sunscreen about an hour before going out, and reapply every two hours.
- Cover your skin with hats and long sleeves. A hat with a broad brim and clothing that is closely-woven provides you with your own portable bit of shade.
- Wear sunglasses that have at least 99 percent UV absorption. This will protect your eyes from bright light and wind, in addition to protecting you from increased risk of developing cataracts. Sunglasses that wrap around protect your eyes from all angles.
- Protect yourself from the sun even on cloudy days. The sun doesn’t feel as hot when its cloudy, but the UVA and UVB rays still shine down and get absorbed by your skin.
- If you’re particularly sensitive to heat, avoid going outside during the hottest hours of the day, and seek out air-conditioned environments.
- Remember to drink plenty of water. Feeling thirsty isn’t actually a reliable indicator of dehydration—by the time your brain signals thirst, your body may already be dangerously dehydrated. Eating fresh fruit and vegetables can help you keep hydrated.

As long as you take protective measures, spending time in the sun can be a blast. Enjoy the warm weather!

Celebrating National Poetry Month might be a way to enjoy a lifelong pleasure, or a way to discover something new. Here are just a few ways to celebrate National Poetry Month. The Academy of American Poets has listed more ideas here.

- Select a poem you love and carry it with you. Share it with the people you encounter.
- Play a game with a group of friends, where each player adds another line or word, until you’ve made a poem.
- Put a poem in a letter. April is also National Card and Letter Writing Month! Receiving and sending mail is always lovely, and the experience is made even more special by including a poem.
- Visit your local library and select a book of poetry to read. It can be by a poet you already know and love, or a poet you’ve never even heard of before.
- Write a poem yourself!

Poetry is a companion for every occasion, from joy to grief and everywhere between. America has a rich and complex history of poetry, but literally every country and culture in the world has poetry to offer.

Seniors, in particular, have much to offer to the realm of poetry. Poetry is an excellent way to share experience and memory. Many famous poets didn’t begin writing until late in life. Wallace Stevens, a famous American poet who won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1955, for instance, didn’t publish his canonical works until he was well into his 50s. Many poets continue writing through their 80s and beyond, and several states name Senior Poet Laureates.

Enjoy this year’s National Poetry Month, try writing your own poems, and read some good poetry, whether it’s an old favorite or brand new to you.

Take a few steps to help you or your loved on get some relief from spring allergies. Find your triggers. Do certain budding trees or flowers make your allergies worse? Maybe hot, windy days are more problematic than cooler, breezy days. Pay attention to what aggravates your allergies and avoid triggers. Also, try to stay inside during the mornings. Between 5 and 10 a.m., pollen counts are higher than during any other time of day.

Allergies aren’t just an outdoor problem, however. Studies show that the levels of indoor pollution in U.S. homes exceed the levels of outdoor pollution by 2 to 100 times. Make sure your air conditioning systems have the proper air filters. Regularly dusting and cleaning carpets and upholstered furniture can help rid your living environment of pollutants. Leaving windows open allows pollen to drift in on the breeze. If you go outside and come back in, you’re bringing in allergens with you. If you’re sensitive to pollen, changing clothes or taking a shower after being outside can help cut allergies short.

Remember, there’s no reason to suffer from allergies. Check with your doctor to see if over-the-counter remedies like nasal sprays or antihistamines are safe for you to use. If your allergies are more severe, your primary care doctor should be able to administer a simple allergy test to see what’s causing the problem.

Don’t let allergies keep you or your loved ones from enjoying the spring weather. Get outside and take advantage of the sunshine!

Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus three days after his crucifixion. The holiday also marks the end of Lent, a forty-day period of fasting, prayer and penance. Religious celebrations include a complex Easter Vigil that begins on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. Secular celebrations include the coloring of hard-boiled eggs, playing games with eggs such as egg-rolling and egg-hiding, and giving children baskets of candy, (delivered by the Easter Bunny, of course!). This year, Easter takes place on April 8th.

Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival that commemorates the story of Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. It is said that when the Israelites were freed, they fled in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread dough to rise or leaven. Observant Jews remove all chametz (leavening) from their homes for the duration of the holiday, which lasts seven or eight days, and replace it with matzah, a flat unleavened bread. On the first night of Passover, it is traditional to gather with one’s family for a special dinner called a seder, during which the story of Exodus from Egypt is retold and symbolic food is eaten. This year, Passover lasts from sunset of April 6 to nightfall of the 13th or 14th.

April is also a month to celebrate nature, with both Arbor Day and Earth Day celebrated. On Arbor Day, planting and caring for trees is encouraged. The first Arbor Day was held on April 10, 1872, and an estimated 1 million trees were planted that day. Arbor Day always takes place on the last Friday in April. This year, it’s observed on April 28. Earth Day is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s natural environment. This year, the Earth Day Network urges everyone to “pledge an act of green,” whether it’s to eat more whole plant-based foods, or encourage more recycling in the work place. Earth Day is observed on April 22.

So, whatever you choose to celebrate this April, take the time to learn about the great variety of holidays observed around the world this month, and enjoy!

By better understanding how brain research benefits people of all ages, we can make the connection between improving public health and supporting research. Continuing brain research is especially important in learning more about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Nothing is more essential to learning how to treat and prevent memory loss than brain research.

The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives is a nonprofit organization of more than 300 leading neuroscientists, including 10 Nobel laureates. Together, they put together the basics of good brain health as we age.

Physical activity is strongly linked with brain health, no matter your age. Moderate activity, such as walking, can sharpen memory skills. Next time you spend time with the senior in your life, suggest going for a stroll.

Mental exercise, such as trying to learn new things or pursuing intellectual stimulation, strengthens brain-cell networks. Completing mind puzzles, games, and reading in new subjects is enjoyable for everyone, and can be a fun shared activity.

Longer formal education is associated with mental sharpness among older people. Even if this isn’t an option for the senior in your life, see if there are some community activities or classes in which seniors can participate. Learning something new can be incredibly rewarding.

Self-efficacy, or the sense that we exert some control over our own lives, can help prevent cognitive decline. The reasons aren’t clear, but some brain experts believe that self-efficacy is linked with greater resilience against stress. That’s why it’s important to let seniors make decisions for themselves, whenever possible.

Social interaction is important for healthy brain aging. How social interaction benefits the brain is not well understood, but one theory is that a strong social network may facilitate new learning and engage people in mental and physical activity.

In our community, seniors can achieve many of the above brain-health basics in a safe, supportive atmosphere, particularly when it comes to helping them establish a strong and loving group of friends and peers. For more information on AlmaVia of Union City, please call 510-400-7250.

Anyone who’s ever had a bad night’s sleep can understand how vital sleep is to one’s overall health. Those who experience sleep insufficiency are more likely to have chronic diseases such as diabetes or depression, and continued lack of sleep is closely associated with anxiety, pain, and distress. A healthy adult should get seven to nine hours of sleep per night, but we often struggle with getting the right amount.

Sleep problems are common, especially among seniors and those who take care of them.
As we age, the way we sleep changes. The deepest sleep, slow wave sleep, becomes shorter and more elusive. By the age of 70, nighttime sleep shrinks to an average of just 6.6 hours per night. Here are a few tips that might help seniors get a better night’s sleep—and can help you catch a few quality z’s as well.

First of all, if the senior in your life is able to exercise, keeping physically active is one of the best things people of all ages can do to help them sleep at night. Even taking a walk every day can help. Studies have shown that doing some light stretching before bed improves sleep as well.

When you’ve slept badly, it’s tempting to doze in the middle of the day. Especially among seniors who aren’t very active during the day, naps can steal sleeping hours away from the nighttime. Try and limit naps to no more than 30 minutes during the early afternoon.

Eating a light evening meal and cutting down on liquids during and after dinner can also help reduce middle-of-the-night trips to the bathroom. Coffee can help you feel alert during the day, but consuming too much can leave you wide-eyed when it’s time for bed. Comforting foods like bananas, toast, or oatmeal are actually beneficial as late-night snacks before bed—the carbohydrates and potassium help release sleep-inducing brain chemicals.

Troubled sleepers of all ages can benefit from developing a calming nighttime routine that is free from worrying tasks. Leave stressful tasks like filling out insurance forms or organizing schedules for other times of the day. When you try to move directly from an involved activity to sleeping, it’s no surprise that it takes a while for your mind to slow down! Instead, take some time to relax before bed, and create an environment that is slightly cool, quiet, dark and comfortable for the best sleep.

For more information about sleep disorders, sleep health and sleep safety, visit the National Sleep Foundation’s website at http://www.sleepfoundation.org/.

Seniors whose vision problems interfere with their daily life can thrive in assisted living communities. Living spaces are designed for those who might have vision problems, with contrast tape, good lighting, and brightly colored light switches and stairs already marked for safety. Additionally, assisted living communities can provide optical devices to help seniors with AMD or low vision continue their daily activities. Magnifying devices can help with reading books or labels. Large-print keyboards can make using the computer a breeze, and audio-books and large-print books can allow seniors with AMD or low vision to enjoy literature without a struggle.

The number one way to present vision loss is to go to the optometrist regularly for vision tests. Not only does getting your vision tested ensure that you are implementing the right level of vision correction, but it’s also essential in identifying diseases like macular degeneration and glaucoma before they cause irreparable damage. Like most health issues, vision problems can best be treated when they’re caught early.

Regular vision checks are especially important for seniors, whose vision can deteriorate rapidly if conditions like glaucoma aren’t treated immediately, so make sure the senior in your life has regular appointments at the optometrist, at the very least once a year. However, taking proper care of your eyesight is important at every age, so make sure you get your vision checked regularly as well.

For more information, visit Prevent Blindness America’s website at http://www.preventblindness.org/.