Written by Shirley Price

Once we are into our 50s and 60s most of us start to give a lot more thought to where and how we are going to live as we continue to age.  Who would have thought how fast the years would go by and that the time would come when these things would have to be considered?

Seniors enjoying their independence .

Like me you have probably watched friends and relatives dealing with issues with their aging parents or you may have even been dealing with your own parent’s loss of independence. It is a constant reminder of how life changes as we get old and what our own ability will be to stay living at home and being independent.

As we consider what is best for our aging parent sometimes it just isn’t possible to do what they or we would really like to for them.  Sometimes heath issues dictate the decisions, also finances or physical location can play a factor.

Over the years I have seen families dealing with their aging parents, having the worry of making decisions on what’s the best accommodation option for them in their old age when they are no longer able to be independent.  As well they are often dealing with the guilt of having to make less than ideal decisions for their parents.

Things have changed a lot in recent years, where at one time many elderly were determined to stay in their house or apartment, often living alone. They stayed until they were just not able to care for themselves any longer.  From there they had to go into a home, stay with family or just passed away.

Today many seniors are taking the initiative and making their own decisions of where and how they will live, and making that decision much sooner. Often they will decide to live in a retirement community of their own choosing in order to have a better way of life as they age. There are so many lovely places around that offer excellent accommodation, companionship, and a social life.  They can be self sufficient, cooking for themselves, or they can join others in the dining room where meals are prepared for them.  They have outings and lots of entertainment.

Of course making a decision to leave your home is a huge one, and a big part of this is the realization that for many it will probably be their last move before they die. Some people put off making the decision to move much too late and find it distressing as they are too old to adjust and end up not getting the enjoyment and company that they could have.

My Aunt and Uncle lived in a small community; to get to the nearest town or city they had to drive for almost an hour on quite treacherous roads.  Being in such a small community had driven my aunt crazy for years, so she was always driving to the city to shop and to visit other relatives. This got to be a lot more of a challenge as she aged, especially the driving.  She wanted to sell their house and move to something more suitable for a number of years but her husband, my uncle didn’t want to leave the house and the garden that they had lived in for over 30 years. Besides my aunts wish to move my uncle was beginning to have a problem coping with all the work in the garden that he had once loved . Eventually he gave in and agreed to a move.  They purchased a new condo in a senior community and like so many people discover, they wished they had made the move years earlier. The complex had a club house where they got together with their neighbours to have parties, play cards etc. They made great friends, took trips and everything they needed from shopping to medical services was so convenient.  It was the perfect situation for them.

Another couple that had been disabled for years but had still managed to stay living in their home on a large piece of property eventually decided to go into a senior facility. They too wished that they had made their move sooner. They had their own small apartment in the facility, they were free to come and go whenever they wanted, there’s always medical help available for those that need it. They have nice grounds that they can appreciate without having to worry about looking after it. They love their life there and have a blast. They are so busy living life these days.  They have special events that family members can attend and a family barbeque every couple of months.

When you think about it, it makes much more sense to make some sensible decisions while you are still able to and not put this type of decision on your family. Make up your mind how and where you want to live and start checking out the options.

No matter how old you are you probably want to be successful, but once you reach 50 it’s often a time for making changes. It’s another phase of life and many people take stock of their life and realize there are things that they really want to change or do.

If you want to be successful at something first you need to know what success means to you. How would you know that you are successful?  It’s hard chasing something when you don’t know what it is.

Do you want to be a successful at having great health and fitness into old age, to have a successful relationship or be successful at a specific sport? Do you want to be a successful teacher, grandparent, dancer, pianist, guitar player, writer, cook or gardener; the options are endless and also very personal.  To be successful at something that has meaning to you is a great feeling and adds to your confidence and self worth.

Whatever success means to you there are certain rules that you do need to follow.

1.    Everything starts with a thought so what you think will most definitely affect your life and what you do. Start with examining your thoughts and if they are actually in alignment with what you say you want.

2.     Decide what you really want and make sure that it’s really important to you. What are your goals and dreams? You need to know that it is appealing enough that you are willing to put in the effort and stay the course.

3.    Thinking and deciding about what you want is not enough, you have to take consistent action to make it become a reality. It is easy to talk about doing something but it’s another thing actually doing it. It’s the action that makes things happen without that it will just remain a thought or a dream.  You will never get fit by looking at exercise equipment you have to take action by using it.

4.    Continue to be a student of life. Lifelong learning is essential to a healthy mind and in keeping up with what’s happening in the world around you.  You will never know everything.  Those that think they do know it all are usually very closed minded and often pretty boring.

5.    To become successful at something usually means that you are in it for the long haul. You need to be persistent and consistent with your actions.  Always have your goal in view and don’t take on too much all at once as it will overwhelm you. Take things in bite size manageable chunks.

6.    Do your research first.  Find out what it will take to get you from where you are now to where you want to be. This will help you to know the steps you need to take, and to be able to plan ahead and be prepared.

7.    Stay focused on what you want to achieve.  Don’t let unimportant distractions take your energy and attention from what’s important to you.

8.    Share your successes with others and help others to achieve their goals too.  Ask for help and support when you need it.

9.    Be honest with yourself if you decide that what you are doing isn’t as important as you originally thought.  It’s okay to change your mind and choose something else.  It’s difficult to be successful at something that you don’t feel inspired about.

10.    Now that you are over 50 it’s time to not take life so seriously so have fun doing whatever it is. Make it fun and it will be easier to achieve your desires.

Lifelong Learning is the goal of many and it is vital for keeping an active brain in good shape. It stops us from becoming a boring person and from becoming bored. There are so many things to learn we should never run out of ideas nor will we ever know it all. There’s so much information to be learned about numerous topics, plus learning new skills and activities.

If we are going to put in the effort to learn something new it usually relates to an interest we have or it’s something that we need to learn. And sometimes it’s something entirely different that will catch our attention, something that we never thought we would take up as an interest or hobby.

Is music something that you enjoy? Could something music related be an interest in your future? Music is such a great way to connect, give pleasure and enhance moods. There are so many types of music and so many ways to get enjoyment from it. Whether it’s just listening to it, or participating by playing an instrument, singing or dancing.
It’s never too late to learn something new!

If you were going to learn a new music related skill what would it be? I absolutely love music and always have. It can put me in a totally different mood and lift my spirits in no time. I particularly love the sound of a guitar. If I had my time over again I am sure I would choose music and dance for a career.  I really admire a musical talent.  I’ve wanted to learn to play the guitar but as yet, I haven’t got around to it. When I do I will get a learn at home program as I like to repeat and repeat until I know that I have got something and I like to do things when I have the time and motivation so learning from DVDs will be good for me. Maybe next winter it’s going to happen. It’s easy to ask ourselves “what does it matter” if we don’t try the things we always wanted to learn or try.  The truth is WE CARE! It’s important to us. Whenever we don’t follow through with something we truly want we are letting ourselves down. This affects our confidence and self esteem.

Play Guitar

Have you ever gone to the beach or to a barbeque with a group of friends with and a guitar player?   It’s such a fun, social way of being with friends and family.  A guitarist is always a welcome guest to a party or social event.  Even if you don’t play an instrument you can just relax and listen or join in by singing songs we know and love.
Many of us may have started to learn an instrument in our younger years and much to our regret never continued with it.

Play Piano

When I was about 12 years of age my parents wanted me to learn to play the piano. One of our neighbor taught piano lessons so I had no excuse. The problem was it wasn’t something that I really wanted to do at that time in my life. Although I didn’t take lessons for long I did learn and retain something.

How I wished I had kept up those lessons. Just recently I listened in to someone I know who is a wonderful at playing the keyboard. I felt quite envious and at the same time a bit sad that I too may have been as talented had I stuck with it. I‘m sure that many of us have done similar things that we now regret. But don’t despair… It’s not too late!

Especially as we get older and have more time, we need hobbies and interests.  Why not have it be something that you’ve always wished you could do.  You may not cut a CD but you can have fun and entertain yourself and others while achieving a life-long desire

Play Drums.

Drummers tend to spend more time in the back ground of a band than other members. The guitarist and vocals tend to be more to the forefront. However it would be difficult to have a good band without a drummer. Given their turn the drums can be very exhilarating. For some people they just don’t want to be in the forefront. My young grandson is taking drum lessons. It’s something that he chose to do.  His dad bought him a really good drum set a few years ago. His sisters are not too happy about it, but he keeps on practicing anyway. He’s beginning to sound pretty good. Is drumming your choice?

Learn to Dance

Dancing is such a great sport. Yes, it is actually regarded as a sport now. I did hear that it’s possible that it will become an Olympic sport. With so many talented dancers around the globe it would be very welcome by a lot of us that enjoy watching. If you check out a real dancer they have amazing bodies too. They are so well proportioned and look amazing. Dancing is a great way to get exercise without it really feeling like exercise or that it’s a chore. It’s also very social and fun. So if you have never danced or danced but never felt you have reached a level where you would like to be it may not be too late. There are so many types of dances to choose from. Ideally you will learn a variety from ballroom to Latin and swing. It’s a great way to meet people and make new friends too.

Of course music is not the only thing that you get learn, the list of ideas is endless, and there are so many ways to learn a new skill. Discover what interests you and get started.

Check Amazons large selection of musical instruments.

Musical Instruments from Amazon

We do tend to take everything in life too seriously. We worry about many things that are inevitable, often things we can’t really do anything about.

Most of us are constantly fighting the battle of the bulge and those dreaded wrinkles, and graying hair,  especially once we reach those 50 plus years. It can drive you crazy if you let it.  Yes there’s Botox, restylane and plastic surgery plus any amount of face creams that are promised to rid you of your wrinkles.

If you can afford all these treatments and want to put yourself through plastic surgery great!  I think it’s a personal thing and you have to do what you feel is right for you.  But many of us have to live with our well earned wrinkles, our signs of wisdom, laugh lines and worry lines, all those experiences that seem to end up on our face to give us character.

I’m not saying just give into aging without making some effort but if you let it stress you out you could just end up with more wrinkles.  We know you get lines from laughter but those are happy lines.
If you’d like a few more happy lines but not too many, here’s a fun video for you to watch. You may not take your wrinkles so seriously in future.

Learn to love your wrinkles!

Here’s to All the Wrinkled Ladies (and men too)

With Wimbledon being the focus of the tennis world right now there will be many tennis players and non player spectators following and enjoying the tournaments to see who will win the

Tennis for seniors

Wimbledon cup this year. You may not be sipping champagne and eating strawberries and cream on the lawn at Wimbledon but it’s still a great tradition to watch even from your armchair.

When you are exposed to something you really enjoy it often makes you want to do more of it so this is a time when many will be thinking about getting into tennis, just like the wanna be dancers that follow Dancing with the Stars that get the urge to dust off their own dancing shoes. The great thing is that it inspires many into action.

Tennis has always been a popular sport.  It did see a bit of a decline in the 1970s and 80s but has made its comeback. It’s not surprising that tennis is very popular among seniors, and there’s certainly a lot of evidence of this in my community. I live in an area where any day during the better weather there are a number of seniors in their tennis outfits around the coffee shops and local stores before or after their game.  Many of these seniors take part in local tennis tournaments; it’s also evident that they are quite a close knit community because they always seem to have lots of company.  Tennis is a great way to participate in an activity with skill, competition and still have the important social aspect.

Staying healthy is the main focus of many of the over 50s. We all know that without good health our level of activity will be affected along with the enjoyment of our retirement years. Today’s seniors are generally well educated in what is required of them to maintain good health and fitness. There are a number of ways seniors choose to stay active both indoors and outdoors, when you find the activity that suites you, you are already ahead of the game.

Just because you are a senior it doesn’t mean that it’s too late to learn a new sport or maybe it’s not new, you could be rediscovering the joy of a sport that you played a number of years ago. By the time your senior years come unless you are a bit of an adrenalin junky and in great shape you probably won’t want to take up an activity that is too strenuous, so tennis could be the ideal sport for you.
If you are considering taking up tennis again the good thing is other than some of the equipment and fashion it really hasn’t changed that much over the years.  In comparison to the tennis racquet you may have owned when you were back on school you will find that there is some change in the style and technology of the racquets. If you’re not sure what type of racquet to get you may want to consider renting a racquet for a day to see if it’s the one for you.

Some people start playing tennis when they are young and continue to play into their 80s, it’s an excellent exercise and older pros are great people to inspire and encourage other seniors to take up tennis, regardless of your level of experience. A lot of seniors find that tennis is exhilarating and it keeps them in good shape.

Amazon for a great selection of tennis equipment

Check out tennis raquets here.

If you are looking for a fun way to get and stay fit you gotta dance. The chances are even if you haven’t danced in a very long time there was a time when you probably did at one time. The fashions may have changed quite a bit, and there may be some dances that you don’t recognize but that’s okay, it’s still a lot of fun.

And if you think you’re too old to learn to dance think again. Just watch the movie clip below and you will see it’s never too late. These seniors are great and they are having fun and staying young physically and mentally. Did you know that dancing is one of the best exercises for your brain? When you dance you are have to think and coordinate and move your body at the same time, plus the music and general enjoyment aspect of it makes it a perfect activity at any age.

A lot of people are intimidated about learning but even the learning can be fun.  And if you want to meet new people take some dance classes. Remember others are probably going to be there for the same reason that you are.

Whether you like ballroom, Latin, swing, jazz, country, line dancing or square dancing it doesn’t matter, the thing is just pick something and get started. Dancing is a time when some people feel that they can really let themselves go. If your over 50, especially over 60 you will surely remember the music of the 50s and 60’s just get some of your favorites of that era that and you will soon get your feet tapping and be in the mood to dance.

Keep on Dancing

Dancing is one of my very favorite things to do. I danced a lot when I was younger then didn’t dance for years until after I turned 50 when I took lessons. Taking up dancing again was the best thing I could have done, I met some great people and just had the time of my life.

Don’t tell me you don’t want to give it a try once you see these seniors from the movie ‘Gotta Dance’…Enjoy!

If  you ever take a vacation to   Saint Kits in the Caribbean watch out for the Alcoholic Vervet monkeys. You may not have drunk  as much as you thought you had with these cheeky monkeys around to drink your drinks for you. The good thing is you won’t be the one suffering the hang over like you thought but they will!

I felt I had to share this video clip with anyone that hasn’t seen it.  I found it hilarious. These animals in Africa know where to go when it’s Happy Hour, and it looks like they even get the hang over the following morning. They are eating the fruit of the Marula Tree otherwise known as the elephant tree because the elephants are very partial to the fruit.

The animals are drawn to the tree because there is a shortage of water so they come to get the juice to protect themselves from the heat. All I can say thank goodness they don’t drive cars!

Enjoy!

Taking up photography in your retirement years can be a great choice. It’s something you can do without having to spend a lot of money; unless you want to.  It doesn’t take up a lot of space and you don’t have to get a lot of equipment. You can take classes at many of the photography shops or through local community centers.

If you plan on doing a lot of traveling this gives you a great opportunity to capture your travel experience and local interests in pictures.

Whatever your interests are you have lots of choice of subjects to choose from including taking pictures of your grandchildren, family, friends and pets.  You can find so many wonderful ways to use your photography skills.

Cabo 2008

Over the years many of us will have taken photographs, some good and probably some extremely bad.  It has become a lot easier to get a decent picture than it once was. Have you experienced taking a picture yourself or had one taken of you only to find half of the subject missing from the picture?  It was common to get your pictures back from being developed and find some with only a pair of feet, someone’s ear or the people with missing heads.  I have seen many of this type of picture over the years which have brought many a laugh but also disappointment if you have been expecting a nice picture.

I have also seen some amazing pictures and have even taken some pretty good ones myself. Many captured pictures have a story behind them, and some pictures can even take your breath away.  I missed capturing an absolutely fabulous picture one summer evening last year. I was alone driving west along the highway towards home.  I looked in my rear view mirror and saw a rare awesome picture of snow capped Mount Baker against a clear, brilliant blue, cloudless sky with a silver full moon sitting right at the top. Although I have taken this route and seen Mt Baker many times I had never seen it like that before, and I probably won’t see it like that again. I could not find a safe place to pull over to get out of my car to take a picture, and once I had gone on just a bit to a spot where it would have been possible the whole picture had changed, the magic moment was gone. This has happened to me in other places a number of times, especially with the color of the sky; it changes so quickly if you don’t capture it at that very moment-it’s gone.

Taking a photograph is the best way to capture a moment in time, one that you can never go back to again. Photographs are a way to revisit a memory of a time, place or person. We can keep an image in our minds only for so long and then it starts to fade. Looking at a photograph can refresh the image and keep it alive in our mind. Also seeing a picture of a loved one can be very comforting.

Cameras and photography in general have come a long way over the years. You rarely see anyone using actual film today, most use a flash card in their camera. Many use their phones to take pictures which are great in an emergency. Some like the digital and simple cameras and others like to have a camera with different lenses that they can add to their camera that gives them better results and more options.

Whichever you use it’s a really good idea to learn to use your camera properly so that you can get the most out of it.

It pays to take your camera with you so that you can capture the perfect moments.

Check Amazons large selection of cameras at excellent prices

Cameras at Amazon

Addiction treatment has risen in the over 50s age group.  It is a real problem and often difficult to detect especially when it is drug addiction from medications prescribed from the doctor.  When we hear about drug and alcohol addiction we don’t tend to think of the seniors. Pain killer addiction is described to be the hidden addiction.

Many of the seniors started drinking and using drugs before the age of 25 and continued over the years, which has lead to it becoming an addiction in their senior years.

When it comes to medication as we age there are a number of things that people get prescriptions for including insomnia, pain, anxiety and depression. Seniors don’t tend to use street drugs but a large number will use prescription drugs as mood altering drugs and like any drug or alcohol once they lose their initial affect they take more and more to get the desired effect.

One disabled senior that I know of had been getting prescriptions for many years for both herself and her husband.  As well as taking the drugs, she had been stashing them away. Sometimes she would overdose herself, and more than once the paramedics would have to come to bring her out of the almost unconscious state.

Because she already had some serious medical issues the family thought that her passing out and other odd behaviors were related to her health condition. It was a very long time before the family realized what had been going on. They would never have considered the fact that their mother was actually addicted to the drugs and was overdosing. Had they realized sooner they could have got her the drug addiction counseling that she required.

Some seniors don’t become addicted until they are older. This is often brought on by various life changes. Some retired seniors get very lonely and use alcohol as their addiction. It is very easy for most seniors to drink alone at home and who would ever know. Health issues, the loss of a spouse, some even missing their work life and the social interaction with co-workers are all reasons that some seniors turn to alcohol.

Another big concern with addictions and seniors is gambling. Going to the casino can be a great distraction and a place where many seniors find some form of company. This is fine unless they become addicted to gambling and lose money that they cannot afford to lose.

An added problem for seniors abusing drugs and alcohol is that they age even faster. They can also lose their mental focus, and sometimes the ability to remain living independently way faster than needs be.

With proper intervention many seniors could do well and get their life back on track. First the problem has to be recognized and then it’s time to get help for recovery from Addiction.

Families need to become more aware of the problem of addiction in seniors so that they can help their parent, sibling or friend.

Author Bio: Shirley Price is a Life coach and trained in NLP, Solution focused counseling and EFT. She is the publisher of www.lifebydesignover50.com  She is located on Vancouver, Canada.