New Year, New Care Plans

With the new year, comes new beginnings. It is never too late to begin a new care plan, to begin a new routine, or to focus on your health. At Aspen Care, we ensure all of our clients are on a tailored care plan, to help them plan for the future and help them stick to a healthy routine. Care plans can be used by anyone, at any age, and any stage of health. We’ve broken down some stages of the care plan just for you! You can follow our guide, or design your own, or call Aspen Care for some guidance on creating your care plan. 

Care Plan Breakdown

1. Nutrition

Nutrition is an extremely important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. A healthy diet can help you maintain a healthy weight, help you regenerate your overall body, improve your mental health, reduce disease and illness, boost the immune system, and evidently help you live a long and happy + healthy life. A nutritious diet should contain a balance of nutrients. It should include plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, proteins, and oils. A balanced diet should have a limited amount of sugar, saturated fats, trans fats, and sodium. 

In your care plan, you should list out specific daily portions and ensure you’re hitting your daily intake of each food group. Also, your nutrition plan should include portion-controlled meals, and additional supplements needed to sustain a healthy nutritious diet. Aspen Care designs specifically tailored care plans, and nutrition plans for each client. We base our nutrition plans on your blood work and overall health evaluation. From there, we make balanced and nutritious meals for our clients and ensure they are receiving dementia preventing foods. (LINK TO PREVIOUS BLOG POST). For more information, please phone Aspen Care for a free consultation 403-990-3837

2. Sleep

Sleep is also an extremely important part of a healthy lifestyle. It is recommended that adults age 65+ should get 7-8 hours of sleep a night. In your care plan, write out the time you wish to go to bed each evening, followed by a scheduled wake up time. You can diarize your sleep, and keep track!  

3. Habits

It is easy to succumb to unhealthy habits. Bad habits like smoking, too much screen time, junk food, too much caffeine or alcohol, not enough H20, can all lead to health problems later on in life. In your care plan, list the habits you wish to break or limit, and invest in a habit tracker. Many apps allow you to track your habits, we recommend using Streaks App . If Apps are not your thing, there are plenty of habit tracking journals.

Bad habits are difficult to break, it is said that to break a bad habit, you must replace it with another habit instead. For instance, if you enjoy drinking soda pop every day, try replacing it with soda water lime La Croix, or drink Emergen-C. This way, you are still getting the delicious fizz of soda, yet reducing all of the sugar. If you like the sweet taste, try drinking Emergen-C or Ener-C. These packets taste sweet, but they are packed with immune-boosting supplements like Vitamin C. 

A tip on breaking bad habits? Make it convenient for yourself: i.e. invest in a water bottle you love, and always have it by your side. If your bad habit is too difficult to break, and it is affecting your health or affecting the loved ones around you, it may be time to see a therapist or invest in some additional help. For questions, please call Aspen Care 403-990-3837

4. Physical Activity

As we get older, we get stiffer. Keep moving, and everything will feel better! Studies indicate that people age 65+ should get roughly 30 minutes of aerobic exercise per day. This can include a brisk walk or swimming. We also encourage our clients to stretch it out. We offer our clients external community activities like yoga or pilates classes. Include the type of activity and your physical activity times into your care plan for daily practice.  

5. Mental Activity

Your brain is a muscle, and it needs to be exercised just like the rest of our bodies. Brain exercises are a great way to do so! A great way to incorporate brain exercises into your daily routine is by 

1. Playing games like sudoku, word puzzles, scrabble, card games, board games, etc. 

2. Reading

3. Writing

4. Mathematical exercises

Another great way to improve and maintain brain health is to meditate. Mediation is an extremely important practice that should be introduced into every lifestyle. Put aside 20 minutes each day to sit in stillness and practice meditation. Add meditation and brain exercise times into your daily routines and your care plans. 

6. Community Involvement

At Aspen Care, we encourage all of our clients to continue their involvement within the community. Whether that is attending various community events, volunteering, or reading to young children, being part of the community is crucial to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In your care plan, you should include at least 1 weekly community activity. 

7. Medical Plan

Typically, medical plans are designed by doctors or care staff. Ensuring you stick to your medical plan is our job at Aspen Care. Taking the right medications, and dosages are extremely important for effective usage and getting better. We encourage you to consult a doctor or consult our team at Aspen Care before creating your medical care plans. 

8. Spiritual Health

From meditation to yoga practice, to going to church, spirituality can open our minds, hearts, and can be the foundation of our overall well-being. Spirituality is a fundamental part of leading a balanced lifestyle. Whatever your religion or spirituality practice may be, Aspen Care encourages you to continue this practice for optimal health and happiness. Healthcare professionals have all personally witnessed the benefits of maintaining a spiritual practice, as it gives us meaning and purpose in our lives. Include your weekly or daily spiritual practice into your care plans. 

9. Giving Back

Giving back in any way is beneficial for our mental health, spiritual health, and overall happiness. Find a way to give back with what works best for you. Incorporate some time to give back to the community, donate your time to a cause, or provide mentorship to a young person. Whichever way you wish to give back, including some give-back time every week into your care plans. 

Make your resolution to focus on your health this year. We know that this new decade is filled with so many wonderful things, including health-conscious you!