How Much Water Should Our Seniors Drink to Stay Healthy?

 

How Much Water Should Our Seniors Drink to Stay Healthy?

   How much water should our seniors be drinking each and every day? It sounds like a simple question, but in reality it’s not so easy to fulfill!

                  

Let’s start off with some facts surrounding the health benefits of drinking enough water. Well, water makes up a majority of your body weight. It is involved in many different functions like flushing waste from your body, regulating your temperature, and even helping your brain function! Water helps form saliva and mucus - saliva will help you digest your food and keep your nose, mouth, and eyes moist, which is very much needed because everyone has experienced dry sinuses and it’s a horrible feeling.  Water will also improve your skin health. When you are dehydrated, your skin becomes more vulnerable to damage than if your skin was hydrated. I believe your skin is like a plant - you will always need to water a plant to look beautiful and healthy; well, it is the same way for your skin. Studies have also shown that "just losing 2% of your body weight in fluid can decrease performance by up to 25%. Whether you are an athlete, someone that works out regularly, or a weekend warrior." www.webmd.com Drinking water will genuinely save your body in many aspects.

 

 

 

Now we know all the benefits of drinking water, but the question still is, how much should I drink daily? Well, according to the (mayoclinic.org), "Drinking eight 8- ounce glasses of water a day" is the best way to remember and reach your water-drinking goal. So how do you drink eight, eight-ounce glasses of water every day? Try sipping on some water before every meal; you can add some flavor to your water by squeezing fresh fruits and herbs in. The longer you infuse your water, the better it will taste. When you are in one of those modes when you need something fizzy to drink, try drinking some flavored seltzer water to help get rid of that feeling of needing soda. Also, maybe reward yourself for drinking water and make it a goal every day to get yourself a sweet drink or something from Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks. There are many ways to make it competitive or fun to drink water.

 

         As in saying that, drinking water helps you prevent dehydration. The definition of dehydration is "when you use or lose more fluid than you take in, and your body doesn't have enough water and other fluids to carry out its normal functions." (MayoClinic.org) Studies have also shown that some dehydration symptoms are "feeling very thirsty, dry mouth, dark-colored pee, dry skin, feeling tired, and dizziness." So if you feel any of the symptoms, It is the best time to start drinking water and make sure your body has everything you need to function and feel better about yourself. Make water an option to drink and making it a goal for yourself every day is a great way to better yourself.  

 

Article Written by Kendall X. Hicks II, Wellness Coordinator with The Community at Sunset Wood

 

 

Citations

 

https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/water-for-exercise-fitness#1

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086



How to Practice Wellness in Everyday Life

How to Practice Wellness in Everyday Life 

by Kendall X. Hicks II, Wellness Coordinator with The Community at Sunset Wood

  Having a daily routine and structure is very important for everyday life. It all starts from getting out of bed, getting dressed, and seeing what the day offers you. There are many challenges when you start to get older, but I would like to give a few tips on providing you with an excellent balanced day. Our Sunset Wood Wellness model hits 4-pillars of wellness - Physical - Mental - Spiritual and Social, so let’s go over each one of these in a bit more detail.

         Let us say you roll or hop out of bed and the first thing you should do is, start your day off with a few stretches, prayer, meditation or Yoga. It is a great way to get your body going and give your mind some time to relax before you start the day. In addition, this has been proven time and again to reduce both stress & anxiety. Next, you should find some breakfast; we all heard the famous phrase “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” - originally, this came from a marketing ad in order to sell more cereal. However, it actually has value when it comes to our physical wellness, too!. According to ScienceDirect.com, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as it provides sustenance and energy for whatever activities lay ahead." Another essential part is finding the time and place to exercise, whether it is in your home, outside or in a gym. You should exercise for at least 15 to 30 minutes a day. An excellent way to keep yourself accountable is to contact a friend or family member after you have worked out and tell them you have done it. As in saying that, staying connected is a perfect way to stay social. Research has shown that older adults' depression and health issues can indeed hinder you in the end. Therefore, by using modern social platforms like Zoom, Facebook, Skype, and other video chat tools, it can help you keep in touch with friends and family - even creating clubs can give you the sense of being around many people. For example, book club, arts and crafts, woodwork, cars, and team meetings, can be done online with a camera phone, laptop, or tablet. 

Another critical topic to talk about is staying intellectually active or keeping the brain thinking. Now that we have been in quarantine, it might be the best time to find old or new projects that you have always wanted to do but never had enough time. Hands-on activities like drawing, building, and knitting are great ways to activate both body & min. There are also brain games, including Sudoku, chess, crossword puzzles, and maybe even words with friends. Now the last topic to talk about is getting enough sleep; studies show that "Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as all adults – 7 to 9 hours each night" (www.nia.nih.gov). In addition, as we get older our bodies need more time to recover which means that sleep becomes even more important. Create a sleep routine and try to avoid napping during the middle of the day. Many people fall victim to sleeping too much during the day and being restless all night. Remember, not only is length of sleep important, but quality sleep is equally as high of a priority! When speaking of quality, keep your room a comfortable temperature,  and stay away from caffeine - these great ways to get a good night’s sleep and wake up refreshed and ready to go. In addition, although you may think a few glasses of alcohol could “knock you out,” keep in-mind that alcohol turns from a depressant to a stimulant after being processed by the body. This means that your “night cap” could actually be hindering your sleep as opposed to helping it!

Citations

https://www.sciencedirect.com

www.nia.nih.gov

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/how-to-sleep-well-as-you-age.htm

Sunset Wood Launches New Wellness Program

SW Profile-01.jpg

The Community at Sunset Wood is proud to announce the launch of our BRAND NEW Wellness Program! SW Wellness has been designed to address what we call "the 4-pillars of wellness" including our Physical, Mental, Spiritual, and Social health. The sun in our SW Wellness logo (designed by McGrogan Design) represents everlasting energy that empowers us to become healthier physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially.

"We have already begun to change internal programming for the betterment of our tenants' overall wellness," says Dominick M. Manfredo, Executive Director / CEO. "Our goal is to find out what each tenant enjoys on a personal level, and engage them in that program. Already, we have seen a 100% increase in participation for our socially distanced physical programs like Walking Club - and there are only more surprises to come!"

The SW Wellness Program is led internally by Kendall X. Hicks II, Sunset Wood's Wellness Coordinator. "Moving forward we will see programs that are aimed to improve not only physical, but mental, spiritual and social wellness, too. Our goal is to bring innovative & creative programs that tenants can enjoy all while improving their level of independence."

For more information on the SW Wellness Program please visit our new tab on the website https://www.sunsetwood.org/sw-wellness-program

Sunset Wood Phase 3 Infographic

Message from Our Chaplain 6-23-2020

MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAPLAIN 6-23-2020

God’s Breadcrumbs

“O Lord, you have enticed me, and I was enticed;
you have overpowered me, and you have prevailed…”

(Jeremiah 20: 7)

 

What kinds of things appeal to you? Something like a good sandwich when you’re hungry or a tub of popcorn at the theater with lots of butter, maybe a hug from a friend when you need it, or, perhaps, someone to love you just the way you are. God does this. He finds, meets and loves us where we are at in any given time or place. He shows up even when we don’t think we need Him. It is almost as if He places little enticing breadcrumbs along our life journey for us to pick up and let us know that He is there. Those little morsels that lead to something better as a bird is lead to the bird feeder for more food.  We may not recognize it, but when we think about it, we can’t help but know that it was God. He does this for all of His creation. It’s His way of saying, “I love you today, tomorrow and always.” Can you think about some ways that God has whispered to you, or placed you in the path of something (a class, a picture, a person, an experience, etc.) that you couldn’t say, “No” to and you didn’t really understand why? The other day an older man who was bent over and having trouble walking with a cane came into the area where I was seated while waiting for a friend. He spoke to me for no particular reason and I responded kindly. I felt a pull to pray for him and sitting there I followed that leading. It was the Holy Spirit enticing me to do something for someone else. It wasn’t for me to question, but to obey. A breadcrumb.

In another story, a young man who had been raised as an atheist was training to be an Olympic diver. The only religious influence in his life came from his outspoken Christian friend. The young diver never really paid much attention to his friend's sermons, but he heard them often.
One night the diver went to the indoor pool at the college he attended. The lights were all off, but as the pool had big skylights and the moon was bright, there was plenty of light to practice by. The young man climbed up to the highest diving board and as he turned his back to the pool on the edge of the board and extended his arms out, he saw his shadow on the wall. The shadow of his body in the shape of a cross. Instead of diving, he knelt down and asked God to come into his life. As the young man stood, a maintenance man walked in and turned the lights on. The pool had been drained for repairs.

This diver was compelled to look at his shadow on the wall. Truly, he must have seen it hundreds of times before, but this time was different. He saw what was needed to be seen at that specific time, a cross. Because of this, his life was saved. God will give us what is needed to become closer to Him. Why does God do this? One big reason is that He loves us. As disciples, when we come to the point in our relationship with God that we can begin to trust His love, we begin to want to “…understand more about what Jesus is seeking to teach us and what we need to learn from it.” (Emilie Townes)

Jesus’ first act on Earth was a huge breadcrumb. The Apostle John speaks of this in chapter 2 at the wedding in Cana where Jesus performs His first miracle. The beautiful morsel, of course, was turning water into wine. Two things happened here; obedience occurred and the crumb was dropped. What was it about Jesus that made the servants obey? We don’t really know, but could come up with some good guesses. God always seems to catch us at just the right time to see the enticement of what has been placed in front of us, choosing to follow where it leads and wishing to do what is bided for us to do. We are not beaten into submission. We are loved into submission and we choose to obey.

In our obedience, we choose to hear, trust, submit and surrender to God and his Word. We are asked by Jesus to trust him. “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). Jesus was the perfect representation of obedience and He wants us to be like Him. Obedience to God shows our love for Him and our faith in Him. It is also a way in which we show an act of worship.  Obedience emerges from our hearts with gratitude from the grace that we receive from our Lord. We are also rewarded in our obedience as well. “But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.” (James 1:25)

Our lives have been filled with morsels from Christ. Sometimes we see them, or maybe trip over them, sometimes we seek and find them. But always they are there showing us, compelling us, enticing us closer to the One who created us. Follow the breadcrumbs Jesus leaves for you and obedience to His ways will become more natural as you become closer to Him. You will continually be blessed in all your endeavors and be richer for it. Your journey has only just begun. Let God prevail.

Blessings, upon blessings, upon blessings,

Pastor Elizabeth

How Exercise Is Essential in Maintaining Overall Health for Older Adults

            For almost every senior, it is crucial to work out or stay fit. Exercise can be an essential part of maintaining overall health and well-being.  There are many exercises and activities for every age group that can increase your health and fitness level. So let us take a moment to see all the other reasons why you should start exercising.

 A clean and straightforward workout routine can help to prevent diseases like heart and diabetes, improve mental health, decrease the risk of falls, improve cognitive functions, sleep better, and create a social platform. Today’s seniors are in more peril than ever before, “ A recent study suggested that about 67 percent of the older population is sedentary for at least 8.5 hours each day, suggesting a need to improve activity level for senior health.” ( Wellness.nifs.org) So what that tells me is that it’s time to get up and become more active in the best way possible – this can be walking, swimming, yoga, golfing, or an actual workout routine.

Now you don’t want to jump into a workout routine without knowing some fundamental guidelines to exercise for seniors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “If you are 65 years of age or older, are generally fit, and have no limiting health conditions, you need at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. It is also essential to do muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week.” For strength, you want to be able to do 8 to 12 reps of that exercise before you take a break. Then it would help if you tried to repeat that exercise three to two more times depending on your fitness level and health concern.

As in saying that, having some physical activity with those guidelines is better than none at all. Older adults need to move more and sit less throughout their day. Older adults that can do some physical activity will increase their health. According to My Senior Health Plan, “One of the best things about exercise is that there is always something for everyone, and it is never too late to start moving.” As I said before, you can begin dancing, walking, swimming, yoga, Tai Chi, gardening, or playing with your grandchildren.

Now you are going to get to a point where you have been doing your physical activity, and you seem to feel better and more confident as well.  “Research has shown that exercise is not only good for your physical health. It also supports emotional and mental health.”(nia.nih.gov) it is also the social aspect of being able to grab a friend or be in a group and give you emotional support when you are exercising. Therefore, when you are feeling down, get up, grab a friend, and start moving!

Now that you have the information, it is time to take your first step - get up, be healthy and be great!

Article written by Kendall, X. Hicks II, Wellness Coordinator for The Community at Sunset Wood

Sunset Wood Phase 3

Dear Tenants,                                                          June 12, 2020

 

        It has been so nice to “reconnect” with so many of you over the course of this week. We are hoping each one of you are able to find something enjoyable with the current programming whether it be taking advantage of our socially distanced exercise classes, or simply getting outdoors for some fresh air.

        There have been some positive briefings this week that have led to the Mohawk Valley being able to enter Phase 3 of reopening. Here is what that means for us internally:

-        Regarding the salon, the equipment has shipped so we should be up and running for Thursday, July 2nd. Guidelines on this will be released in the next few weeks.

-        Regarding the Dining Room, we will be reopening on Monday, June 29th.

o  However, NYS guidelines only allows us to open at 50% occupancy, which means 4-tops will be capped at 2 people, and the 2-person table will be for couples only.

o  In addition, next week you will be receiving a survey from the Kitchen which will ask your preferred dining seating time 4:00 pm or 5:00 pm – and preferred dining partners

o  In order for us to plan ahead, we ask you fill out this sheet and hand it back to the kitchen ASAP. We will report back to you which dining time you received. We will not seat anyone outside of their dining time.

o  In addition, your maître d will take your temperature prior to entering the dining room. Any temperature 100.4 F or greater will not be able to enter but instead will receive their meal via delivery.

o  You must wear your mask until seated in which we will have a spot for your mask to be placed until your dining service has ended

o  If your dining experience takes longer than 1 hour, we will wrap your food to-go as we need the next group of individuals to be seated.

o  Your server will be wearing their mask the entire dining experience

o  No guest meals are allowed in the dining room – however, they are available for takeout

o  More details will be released next week as we just received these guidelines from New York State

As we get back to a “new normal” I understand that some people may not feel comfortable coming down to dinner yet, which we respect highly. If you would like your meal sent up just for one day, or until further notice, please call the Kitchen Staff to inform them at (315) 796-5141.

Stay safe & healthy,

 

Dominick M. Manfredo, Executive Director / CEO

Sunset Wood Salon - Renovations Underway!

Sunset Wood has been taking the “shutdown” of our salon as an opportunity to make programs better. Since our opening in 1984, the salon has NEVER closed. Therefore, we think it is time for a complete makeover. New shampoo stations, all-purpose chair, dryers, and more! We are preparing to make our salon even more functional than before, all while abiding by the new guidelines released last week. Photos will be released later this month!

Sunset Wood Phase 2 Infographic

Phase 2 Reopening Infographic June 1st, 2020.png

*Exercise & Card games are permitted under the Executive Order of non-essential gatherings of 10 or less people. Proper sanitation & disinfecting standards will be in effect. All tenants must wear masks and programs are for internal tenants ONLY.

Dear Tenants,                                                                         June 1, 2020

 

          Each one of our tenants received our Phase 2 “reopening” infographic. As you can see, the following services will be affected:

-         Front Office & Housekeeping personnel will return to normal operating hours (Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm)

o   Our Front Office & Housekeeping staff stepped up BIG throughout this closure. However, it is time they return to their normal schedules and we are only starting this as we believe it is safe to do so.

-         Small group Wellness Programming / Activities will begin

o   As a team, we believe that participating in physical and social wellness programs could be lifesaving. Therefore, we will be moving toward a controlled process so you are all able to enjoy exercise classes & card games – while socially distancing

-         The salon will open once renovations have been complete and our stylist, Kim, has a plan in-place to operate within NYS guidelines

-         All participants in these programs must abide by social distancing guidelines (mask wearing, 6 feet apart, etc.).

o   If it is found that you refuse or are unable to do so, these programs will come to a swift and abrupt end

I would like to inform all of you that as of today, my daily briefings will discontinue. With services beginning to open I will allocate my time toward those operations. However, I will still write to all of you when needed and it has been wonderful receiving all of the positive feedback regarding these messages. Our staff loves what we do, and are proud to implement The Community at Sunset Wood’s mission of enabling seniors to live independently in a secure community that enhances the quality of life.

Stay safe & healthy,

Dominick M. Manfredo, Executive Director / CEO

Sunset Wood COVID-19 Update 5-26-2020

Dear Tenants,                                                          May 26, 2020

        I hope you were all able to find enjoyment in the Memorial Day Ceremonies held on each floor yesterday. I have been hearing wonderful feedback and am appreciative to all those who participated.

        This week, our staff will be working to determine what will be included in our INTERNAL Phase 2 reopening. This Phase will entail what we are going to do as a community – it will not necessarily be the same as our county. Sunset Wood will be addressing small group recreational programs, housekeeping services, front office personnel schedules, and more. By the end of this week, you will receive a Phase 2 reopening “infographic” that will cover our internal procedures moving forward.

        Keep in mind, although we look to reopen certain aspects of our community we still need to abide by social distancing standards. This means staying 6 feet apart when possible, small groups only, and wearing masks. More details will be included in upcoming documents.

Stay safe & healthy,

Dominick M. Manfredo

Executive Director / CEO