Sally and Mary met every other day to walk inside the mall. It provided a safe place to exercise, and it was free, unless of course Macy’s was having a sale. They didn’t have to worry about the weather, so it could rain, storm, snow, or whatever. They would still be able to get out and get some steps in. Another nice thing about the mall walking is the doors opened early, before the stores, so they could walk on their own schedule and adjust if needed.
They did try to schedule their walks mid-morning so when they finished they could have lunch in the food court at the mall. There were a lot of restaurants to choose from but they were fond of the Italian restaurant because they had a couple of salad choices and you could order a meatball ala carte.
Sally and Mary would enjoy their lunch, talk about their lives, which often included their health and how things were going. Both were widowed, they live independently and are in pretty good health. They are both concerned about the same things, so being able to discuss their concerns with each other has been important.
They believe that eating healthy and exercising has kept them going. Every Saturday they go to the local Farmer’s Market together to get their fresh fruits and vegetables. They share ideas for meal plans, trying to ensure they get a balanced diet. They both take vitamins to supplement what they aren’t getting from food and to replace what is diminishing because of age. It is difficult because as you age you don’t need a lot of calories, and your appetite does diminish, but you still need food for energy. It also isn’t easy cooking for one.
Sally is good about drinking water, it helps keep her full, and she doesn’t ever want to be dehydrated. Mary, on the other hand, doesn’t like water, but because Sally is always encouraging her to drink it, she makes sure she has some when they are out walking.
They were looking through the Monthly Senior Times at lunch one day and saw an advertisement for a presentation about “Nutrition and Exercise for Seniors.” The presentation was at the local library, and they attended it together.
The presenter introduced herself as a Care Manager, and she had worked with senior clients who had struggled with diet and exercise, so she wanted to hold a free community presentation on the topic. Having had the experience with a number of clients she could see the need to get the word out, educate, and let the community know about the resources both locally and online that would help seniors plan their diets and exercise to provide health and wellness benefits.
It was an excellent presentation and the best part was that she took foods for them to sample and get an understanding for ways that vegetables could be made more interesting and tasty. She talked about serving sizes, how the time of day is important to allow for digestion, and how exercising works.
The care manager also shared that diet and exercise are not a one size fits all activity, although it follows some common principles, individualized plans can be accomplished. She shared the fun fact that there are many foods that supply water for hydration. She shared a chair routine of stretches that are easy on the joints. She made a good point that doing these in the morning upon waking would help stretch muscles and improve mobility during the day.
Upon closing the meeting, she talked about the work she’s done with her clients to give us an idea of the possibilities. She had a table with information for the attendees to take and use or share with others who might benefit from her services.
Sally and Mary could not stop talking about what a wonderful presentation. Both grabbed her information and thanked her for her time. They were happy to know someone who was a professional because they knew they had to be proactive about their future, and a care manager would be the perfect person to advise them on their journey.
If you or someone in your family are facing concerns about nutrition as you age, please give us a call at 877-337-0922 or email us at cassandra@infinitycaremanagers.com” and we’ll be happy to assist!
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