Healthy Ageing – Keeping Your Mind Sharp and Your Body Active!

Supporting older people to look after their health is an important part of our homecare service - our latest blog tells you what we're doing in Camden and Hampstead to help our customers stay physically active and mentally stimulated.

There are over half a million people over the age of 90 living in the UK, more than two and a half times the number there were 30 years ago. With the global increase in life expectancy set to continue, it’s more important than ever to promote the benefits of staying mentally and physically healthy in older age. On a national and international level, the message is being heard – initiatives like Public Health England’s productive healthy ageing and the World Health Organisation’s Global Healthy Ageing Strategy are just two examples of how seriously the subject is being taken by policy-makers.

But how can we make a difference at a local level? Well, at Bluebird Care Camden and Hampstead we believe that social care is about seeing the individual’s life as a whole and encouraging people to do the things that enhance their mental and physical wellbeing, whatever their age. That’s why we spend every day supporting our customers to eat well, stay fit and take part in the activities they love! 
 

Staying Physically Healthy in Older Age

It goes without saying that staying physically fit and looking after your body are a good idea at any age, but as we get older it’s even more important to take care of ourselves. Eating well and keeping our bodies healthy and active not only reduces the likelihood of ill-heath, but also helps control or improve medical conditions, such as:

·        arthritis
·        high blood pressure
·        high cholesterol
·        diabetes
·        obesity

Keeping active also helps to keep your bones strong and improve muscle strength and balance, significantly reducing the risk of falls.

In addition to the purely physical benefits of exercising and eating healthily, it can help your mind too! Studies have shown that a healthy lifestyle can help improve sleep quality, have a positive effect upon your mood and enhance cognitive function.

Of course, staying fit doesn’t mean you’ve got to start training for the marathon! There are many (more enjoyable) ways to build activity into your day and that’s where we can help. With our bespoke homecare, we can tailor your care to incorporate the physical activities you’d like to continue doing. Whether it’s something as simple as daily household tasks, taking a walk in the park or going to an exercise class, our Care Assistants will assist you to stay active, enjoy life and retain as much independence as possible.

Making sure our customers eat well is also very high on our agenda, so our homecare team will ensure that you have nutritious, tasty meals that suit your individual tastes and keep you healthy. We can either prepare them for you or, if you like to cook but need some help, we can have fun cooking together! Whatever your needs, we’ll make sure your nutritional wellbeing is catered for.
 

Keeping Your Mind Sharp as You Age

Contrary to popular belief, cognitive decline is not a natural consequence of ageing. Our brains are still capable of functioning well and learning new things as we get older. However, there is some truth in the philosophy of ‘use it or lose it’ as the more we stimulate our brain, the more we can improve executive function and memory.

At Bluebird Care Camden and Hampstead, we encourage our customers to take part in stimulating activities that engage their minds but are, most importantly, fun! From board games to puzzles and quizzes to crosswords, we’ll help you find something interesting and enjoyable to take part in, whether that’s on your own, one-to-one, or in groups - whatever suits you.

Perhaps you’ve got a past hobby that you’d really like to take up again or there’s something you’ve always wanted to try but have never had the opportunity? Whatever it is, it’s never too late! Let us know about the kind of things that interest you and we’ll do everything we can to make sure they are part of your bespoke homecare package.
 

Lead a Healthy, Happy Life With Support From Bluebird Care

Giving our customers what they need in all areas of life is key to our inclusive approach to homecare. Quality of life is fundamental to the service we provide, and our team are dedicated to helping our customers to feel healthy, happy and fulfilled. Our person-centred care means we like to get to know you well, so that we can make sure you continue to enjoy the interests and activities that enrich your life and are a part of who you are as an individual.

If you’d like to know more about how Bluebird Care Camden and Hampstead can assist you to live life to the full, just give us a call on 0207 449 0557 or fill out our simple online form. We’re here to help!