Answers For Elders Radio Network

Paula Sikes, Director of Resident Engagement at Cogir Senior Living, joins Suzanne to talk about social wellness. She recommends some tips to help people connect with community. Social wellness is a focus in this summer's Vitality Revolution podcast series.

For professional caregivers, Paula says, "Get to know your clientele. You're gonna know them better than anybody honestly, especially if you're the caregiver and you're taking care of them. So think back of what their likes and their dislikes are, they're gonna be more apt to participate in any type of social wellness if it's something that they enjoy and that they like."

For seniors, Paula adds, "We always do encourage our communities to have one social outing per day. That could be a happy hour. That could be a coffee, sometimes we have men's groups where the men come down, they have coffee and donuts, and they just kind of share each other's thoughts throughout the day. That's social wellness, that's getting them out of their isolated environment and bringing them out with others. Going to spiritual activities, maybe a church outing, or having lunch with your girlfriends. Those different things just make a world of difference. It brings them into that social environment where they're having to participate, or they feel like they want to participate in conversation."

• Cogir's website
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• More Cadence podcasts
• Vitality Revolution podcast series
• More Social Wellness podcasts
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

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How does a family help facilitate senior wellness? Why is it important for caregivers not to isolate themselves with their loved one, but to engage with their friends and peers? Paula Sikes, Director of Resident Engagement at Cogir Senior Living, joins Suzanne to talk about social wellness, a focus in this summer's Vitality Revolution podcast series.

Paula says, "We encourage our lifestyle directors to add an activity for family members one time per month. And I think the reason is because life does happen, and we are so busy. We get so involved in our daily lives. We're still working as family members, we have our kids, and we're involved with our children. And then next thing you know, 3 or 4 months have gone by and you never visited your relative that lives in a community. So when we have those specific family nights, or family activities, we find that family members actually are intentional and they block that time out of their calendar."

• Cogir's website
• More Cogir podcasts
• More Cadence podcasts
• Vitality Revolution podcast series
• More Social Wellness podcasts
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is social engagement good for our health? Paula Sikes at Cogir Senior Living joins Suzanne to talk about the benefits of community for seniors. Social wellness is a focus in this summer's Vitality Revolution podcast series.

Paula says, "We find that social engagement is so important and makes a difference in the residents' life, not just in their social aspect, but even in their health. I've heard statistics, they've done studies that residents who isolate themselves in their rooms or maybe you're living in your own home and you're not having that social outlet with other people, it's like smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. That's how much it affects your health."

• Cogir's website
• More Cogir podcasts
• More Cadence podcasts
• Vitality Revolution podcast series
• More Social Wellness podcasts
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paula Sikes, Director of Resident Engagement at Cogir Senior Living, joins Suzanne to talk about the benefits of community to our health. Social wellness is a focus in this summer's Vitality Revolution podcast series. Cogir's senior living program is called Cadence senior living, the acronym CADENCE standing for C (cognitive) A (active) D (dementia) E (expressive) N (nourishing) C (community) E (environmental). Paula is the Director of Resident Engagement for Cogir Senior Living. Social wellness is more than just sitting down with friends, dating someone, or having a relationship. It's having fulfillment that you're an active participant in the world.

Paula says, "We call our communities, communities, not facilities. And there's a reason for that, because we have the idea of community inside of the larger community. And inside of our communities, we call our neighborhood. So our independent living is a neighborhood. Our assisted living is a neighborhood, and our memory care is a neighborhood. It's all encompassing. We'd like to see our communities — we have 65 across the nation right now — have autonomy and do their own thing, because all of our residents are different, our staffs are different. But yet we have one goal, and that goal is to make sure that our residents are living a whole life wellness, with a whole life mentality."

• Cogir's website
• More Cogir podcasts
• More Cadence podcasts
• Vitality Revolution podcast series
• More Social Wellness podcasts
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retirement coach Larry Jacobson joins Dr. Shawn Weiss to talk about how to find and experience your ideal retirement. Larry's new book, Your Ideal Retirement Workbook, walks you through the process to build a fulfilling retirement plan, one that provides both pleasure and purpose.

Listeners who buy Larry's new book can enroll for free in his online video course Sail Into Retirement, which you’ll find here. There's a place to enter your name, email address, and Amazon order number for your book that takes you to a place to enroll.

• Larry's new book Your Ideal Retirement Workbook
  
• Larry's website
• Larry's Passion Quiz
• Larry's Retirement Wheel
  
• Hear more Larry Jacobson podcasts on Answers for Elders

• Dr. Shawn Weiss
  
• Book an appointment with Dr. Shawn Weiss
  
• Thrive over Sixty: Dr. Shawn Weiss' 60 days to optimal health program
  
• Senior Health and Wellness website
• Hear more podcasts with Shawn Weiss

• Vitality Revolution podcast series
• More Occupational Wellness episodes
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

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Denise Medved, creator of Ageless Grace brain-health program, joins Dr. Shawn Weiss to talk about how neuroplasticity works with your mind and body. It has numerous benefits, including physical, emotional, and social, all of which are part of this summer's Vitality Revolution podcast series.

This year is the 13th annual Ageless Grace retreat. It's Sunday, July 21, from 12-5 p.m. EDT, with a host of online presenters. You can network with them from 11-12 and 5-6. The whole day is just $80 and it's recorded, so if you can't make it, you can register and get the presentations sent to you. If you can come part of the time, you can watch recordings for the others. Denise says, "Anyone can come, nobody is put on the spot, you don't have to show yourself if you don't want to, it's totally up to you how you participate." Visit https://agelessgrace.com/ to register.

Sign up to receive their newsletter and you will receive a free online 45 minute class. https://agelessgrace.com/ is packed with easily-understandable, downloadable resources and information about brain health.

• Dr. Shawn Weiss
• Book an appointment with Dr. Shawn Weiss
• Thrive over Sixty: Dr. Shawn Weiss' 60 days to optimal health program
• Senior Health and Wellness website
• Hear more podcasts with Shawn Weiss
• Hear more podcasts with Diane Medved
• Vitality Revolution home page
• More podcasts on Social Wellness
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

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We often don't think about our gut health, but there's a gut-brain connection that affects our physical health. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne to talk about improving gut health.

Dr. Shawn says, "There's such a gut-brain connection, it all affects your physical health. Your gut has its own ecosystem, called the gut microbiome. Think about this: there's 100 trillion types of bacteria, viruses, fungi, all living in your gut, in this microbiome. And what's funny, there are types of bacteria and organisms that are found nowhere else in the world, only in the human gut. It's getting a lot of attention, I'm so glad now that people are paying attention to it. When I practice my root-cause health, I'm digging deeper into the gut and the root causes of the illnesses and the symptoms we're having. We want to know what is affecting your gut... Poor nutrition, processed food, is going to certainly cause a lot of inflammation in your gut lining. Your junctions in your gut line are supposed to be nice and tight. They're not supposed to be permeable. And so when you're eating a lot of processed food, or things with a lot of toxic things, the junctions will separate and it's called "leaky gut" Well, what happens with that? That stuff gets out into your bloodstream."

Dr. Shawn adds, "I do a 60 days to optimal health program. You're going to have a form to fill out. I'm doing sleep questionnaire, stress questionnaire, and we do gut testing. That's how we start the whole thing. We want to lead you to optimal health by making small changes in all of those areas of optimal wellness. And I consider those stress, sleep, nutrition, gut health, emotional health, and exercise."

• Dr. Shawn Weiss
• Book an appointment with Dr. Shawn Weiss
• Dr. Shawn Weiss' 60 days to optimal health program
• Senior Health and Wellness website
• Hear more podcasts with Shawn Weiss
• Vitality Revolution
• More podcasts on Physical Wellness
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the more important parts of nutrition and physical wellness is hydration. How many of us don't drink enough water? Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne to talk about proper hydration. 

Dr. Shawn says, "Winter is just as important as summer. We think summer of being outside and getting dehydrated. But winter is also a very bad time for hydration. It's one of the quickest things that will put you in the hospital when you get older is dehydration. What is proper hydration? If I'm working with clients that are over 65, I'm asking them about their intake of water and drinks, and I hear a lot of coffee, sodas, and teas, and they are dehydrating even though they have water in them. Yes, herbal tea is going to be better for you than a can of Coke. I try to make it easy, especially as you get older, 64 ounces, eight cups of water at a minimum. I'm not one of the proponents of necessarily drinking your body weight because there is such a thing as too much water. If you have any type of kidney problems, you could go into significant kidney issues and kidney failure if you're drinking too much water because your body can't keep up. So if you do have known kidney issues, even some cancer patients who have kidney functions affected, you do have to be careful with that. I would consult your physician. But generally, if you're staying with 64 ounces at a minimum, you're going to do wonderfully, unless you've been medically told not to drink that much. I fill my 32-ounce jug up in the morning with water, and then I want that gone by lunchtime. I'm going to fill it up again and I want it done by dinner time. That's an easy 64 ounces of water. That's an easy way to do it. Keep it right beside you where you are sitting, and that way you can track it."

What if you don't like drinking water? Dr. Shawn adds, "You have some very popular little packets that have the flavorings. Again, I'm going to have you carefully look at those labels. I like to flavor my water too. I'm not a big plain water drinker. I like to put fresh lemons, and limes, and oranges into my water. It's a wonderful way to flavor your water safely, without any excess crap in it... I do have a couple of brands, the flavor sticks, because I'm getting more bang for my buck. They have B12 vitamins, electrolytes, no caffeine, no sugar. It is going to help with your energy levels safely, without the caffeine and without any of the extras."

• Dr. Shawn Weiss
• Book an appointment with Dr. Shawn Weiss
• Dr. Shawn Weiss' 60 days to optimal health program
• Senior Health and Wellness website
• Hear more podcasts with Shawn Weiss
• Vitality Revolution
• More podcasts on Physical Wellness
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nutrition and vitality go hand in hand. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne to talk about nutrition, part of physical wellness, which is a pillar of the eight foundational principles of wellness, part of the summer Vitality Revolution podcast series.

Dr. Shawn says, "We get set in our ways as we get older. 'Nobody's gonna tell me what to eat.' But there's such a connection with nutrition and vitality, and it starts with food choices. I'm an advocate for making small changes that are realistic. Nobody's going to be perfect. I follow an 80/20 rule, not only with myself, but with my clients and patients of really trying to eat more clean 80% of the time. That's going to pretty much get you where you're going, because you know what? Life happens. Maybe you have a nice cheeseburger like I did over the weekend. Guess what? It doesn't derail your life, and you can't be so strict because then nobody wants to do it, and you've got to find something that works for you. So an 80/20 rule is generally a good way to start. 

"But nutrition in this country is the SAD, the Standard American Diet. I say stop eating C-R-A-P, and when I say stop eating C-R-A-P, you want to avoid Carbonated drinks, Refined sugars, and Artificial and Processed foods. The sugar content in soda is crazy. It causes a lot of health problems, and puts you at a lot of risk for chronic disease.

"I say shop the perimeter of the store: your produce, your vegetables, your meats. If you get into the health food aisle, and you're trying to get healthier with protein bars, or things like that, you really need to pay attention to the labels.

"Many, many people I've met who literally have been able to go off of their medications by simply making dietary changes. And I don't believe in diet. I don't say, 'oh, you got to go on a diet.' I've never dieted in my life. It's a lifestyle change."

• Dr. Shawn Weiss
• Book an appointment with Dr. Shawn Weiss
• Dr. Shawn Weiss' 60 days to optimal health program
• Senior Health and Wellness website
• Hear more podcasts with Shawn Weiss
• Vitality Revolution
• More podcasts on Physical Wellness
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne to talk about physical wellness, a pillar of the eight foundational principles of wellness, part of the summer Vitality Revolution podcast series.

Dr. Shawn says, "We kind of get set in our ways and routines. It's good to have routine, if it's serving you. But we get stuck in these routines and these habits that aren't serving us. It's really amazing the small things you could do your routine and mindset — we talked about emotional health, mindset is everything. If you aren't in a space where you are ready to make those changes, then you're going to have that roller coaster of success and failures and you're not going to see the benefits.

What is physical wellness? Dr. Shawn says, "I've been a physical therapist for 26 years. My goal is to get everybody moving. It doesn't matter your capabilities, or your illnesses, or what we call co-morbidities. There's something for everybody and there's just so many reasons to move your body, even if it's 10 minutes, if it's 5 minutes. If you're not an exerciser or you feel like you can't, there's a way to move your body. Moving your body is so important. Think about all the things that it does. It helps your emotional wellness. But it's proven to reduce anxiety, to reduce depression, to relax, to help you sleep. It also helps with cardiovascular health. I don't care if you have to sit in a chair and march your legs, or if you're somebody who's over 60 and is still taking five-mile walks, it doesn't matter, you can improve your cardiovascular fitness by simply moving your body.

"I always say to start with five minutes. And it depends on the individual. You might be using a walker. That's ok. How about how many laps can we take around the house today? Let's start there. I've had my 75-year olds who are avid hikers and are really into fitness, and have been their whole life; well, I'm going to challenge them as well. "

• Dr. Shawn Weiss
• Book an appointment with Dr. Shawn Weiss
• Dr. Shawn Weiss' 60 days to optimal health program
• Senior Health and Wellness website
• Hear more podcasts with Shawn Weiss
• Vitality Revolution
• More podcasts on Physical Wellness
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.