You may recall an article a while back on successful sleep. Well, sleep is so important to maintaining good physical and mental function, we are back with more helpful sleep tips! Remember, sleep is how your mind and body recharge, and without it, you cannot function properly.
Here are some controllable factors to help with a good night’s sleep:
Limit Screen Time. The National Sleep Foundation recommends you stop using electronic devices, like your phone or tablet, at least 30 minutes before bedtime. If possible, avoid watching tv or using your phone, computer, or tablet, in the bedroom. The blue light emitted from these devices restrains the production of melatonin, which is the hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycle. Instead, try reading a book.
Avoid Caffeine Late in the Day. Having caffeine (coffee, tea, soda, chocolate) later in the day can keep you awake at night. The level of caffeine in your blood peaks around one hour after consumption, and stays at that level for several hours for most people. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others, but it is recommended you do not consume caffeine at least six hours before bedtime.
Pick the Perfect Temperature. Sleep experts recommend keeping the room around 65 degrees, to help induce sleep and support better sleep patterns. However, if you are used to sleeping in a warmer room, slowly decrease bedroom temperatures and see if it has a positive impact. Also think about the bedding and pajamas you are wearing – are they conducive to a “cool” night’s sleep?
Avoid Eating Large Meals Close to Bedtime. While it may seem like a good idea to go to sleep on a nice full stomach, eating a large meal right before bed can lead to tummy troubles. If your stomach is still digesting food when you lie down, you may experience acid reflux, heartburn, or nausea, which can keep you up. Remember, sleep is a time for your body to rest and that’s impossible if you’re trying to digest a meal. It is recommended that you wait three hours after eating a meal to go to bed.
Nap Smart. Naps can help reduce fatigue, increase alertness, and improve mood and memory, but try to nap smart. Keep naps short – aim for 10 to 20 minutes. The longer you nap, the more likely you are to feel groggy. Take naps in the early afternoon. Napping later in the day (after 3 p.m.) can interfere with nighttime sleep.
If you are struggling with healthy sleep hygiene, contact the Functional Pathways Therapy Team for assistance!
If you think your best days are behind you, you’ve obviously never been to Kirby Pines! With our 60-acre campus, renovated luxury apartments, wonderful food and more, you can see how life, living and community can make you feel right at home. Check out our video and see why Kirby Pines makes you part of a family.
My children played a game called you move, you lose. When someone got up from the “choice seat” in the car or at a party, or “Daddy’s cushy chair” in front of the TV, another child would quickly sit in the coveted seat. When the first child returned to find their favorite spot taken, the “offender” shouted, “You move, you lose!”
As we age, we find just the opposite is true; if we don’t move, we lose. Sitting for long periods of time causes our muscles to weaken and our joints to ache. Usually our worst times are in the mornings just when we rise out of bed. One of the participants in the Chair Yoga exercise class shared her secret of flexibility: she stretches head to toes, including arms, legs, fingers, and neck before she even steps on the floor every morning and then gently exercises each joint for a few minutes before breakfast. She has done this for so long, it’s a habit and she couldn’t imagine starting her day without it.
When a joint hurts, people tend to protect and not move that joint. In a study by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago: “more than 40 percent of those with rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, remain inactive; ‘We were surprised they were very inactive,” says the lead author Jungwha “Julia” Lee, PhD, assistant professor in the department of preventive medicine, ‘Regular, moderate physical activity offers a host of benefits. It helps reduce pain and improve well-being.’”
The moving of muscles and joints does not require expensive exercise equipment, although the Oasis has many helpful pieces of exercise equipment to keep you moving. The Nu- Step is especially helpful with movement of the arms and legs without extra pressure on the joints. Kirby Pines offers exercise classes 5 days a week. These exercise classes will help you implement safe and helpful strengthening and stretching exercises. But just getting out of your apartment and walking the halls of Kirby Pines is a great beginning for moving and gaining flexibility, strength, and balance. Remember “You move, you lose.” Move those aching joints and lose some of that pain of arthritis and lose that attitude that there’s nothing you can do about it.
OUR BODIES WERE DESIGNED FOR MOTION GET UP AND MOVE
Spring is finally here! Moreover, what a joy it is to have warmer weather, a nice breeze on a bright, sunny day and the budding of trees on our beautiful sixty-acre campus. In fact, the beauty of our campus makes the additional six weeks of winter Punxsutawney Phil predicted seem worth it. The sight of daffodils, irises and azaleas in bloom is a treat for all of us to enjoy. It is, in fact, a perfect time to enjoy the springtime weather and take a stroll outside along the many walkways as new blades of green grass come up.
Speaking of green, get ready for a fun filled day as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with good Irish food in the dining room, and the “wearing of the green” by residents and staff. Allison Nolan and her team have planned some fun activities around St Patrick’s Day and throughout the month. Who knows, you may even see the “artful use of green” as fellow residents work on their creations in the Arts and Crafts room.
If you prefer a more “natural green”, then take a walk around the campus to see the beauty that Spring brings, or think about becoming a member of the Garden Growers Club and select your garden plot to seed for fresh flowers, vegetable or fruits. This club has been active for years at Kirby Pines and this year won’t find them waiting til April showers arrive.
Here’s wishing you find your pot of gold by living the lifestyle that Kirby Pines offers you and that you worked so hard to achieve.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Michael Escamilla, Executive Director, Kirby Pines
With many of you here at Kirby I’ve had fear that someday people, talking behind my back, would accuse me of being childish. The dictionary defines childish as having “immaturity and lack of poise.“ As an 88 year old, I certainly didn’t want to appear “immature.” And goodness knows, I have privately considered myself as having poise.
Being a “person of the Book,” I remember that, when he became an ardent follower of Jesus, Paul said, I put away childish ways. However, I was forced into putting that in sharper perspective when I remembered Jesus’ word: “Let the little children come to me, for to such belongs the Kingdom of heaven.”
I’ve had to conclude that there is a difference between childish and childlike… Rather than having “immaturity and lack of poise” as the dictionary defines childish ,“ childlike is “marked by innocence, trust, and simplicity.”
No wonder I like Eric Marshall and Stuart Hamphill’s Children’s Letters to God. One little boy prayed, “Dear God, I’m sorry I was late for Sunday School, I couldn’t find my underwear.” And another little boy prayed, “Dear God, please tell me where everybody came from, and I hope you explain it better than my daddy did.” Children are open and alive. They have a perception that we adults seem to have lost. Best of all they have the capacity of what I call living lightly. They’re not burdened down by preconception. Their lives are not predetermined by force of habit. They’re not closed to others because of sour experiences. They don’t keep grudges.
So for God’s sake, and for our community’s sake, let’s not be childish. Let’s pray and work hard at being childlike.
Describe yourself in five words: Very kind and love to help others.
What do you do for fun: Go to the movies.
What are some of your hobbies: Making my car look great.
What is your favorite thing about your job: Love to make things look good.
What is your favorite food: Meatloaf.
What is your favorite song: Stevie Wonder – Happy Birthday.
What is something you are proud of:My parents.
What would you like people to know about you:I’m very kind.
Willie Knight works extremely hard for a department that stands alone in what they do. He has perfect attendance and always works above and beyond what is expected of him. He has a wonderful work ethic and never complains. We are proud and lucky to have Willie in the Maintenance Department.
Rhino and Zadye is a children’s story written by Michael Gilbert, which teaches children about the rhinoceros and the conservation of the species. Michael has devoted his life to educating others and parenting his four children while enjoying the sports of soccer and golf. His current goals are to continue writing for children and adults, increase his skills in photography, and improve his game of golf. As with all people, Michael’s life was shaped by the experiences of his childhood.
Michael was born in Brooklyn, New York. His grandparents and great-grandparents immigrated to America from England and Austro-Hungary. However, according to Michael’s great-grandmother, many ancestors perished in the Holocaust. The community of Brooklyn was comprised of Jewish families from Eastern Europe and Italian Catholics. According to Michael, “It was a nice blend of different cultures and religions.”
Unfortunately, Michael’s mother died when he was five years old. His father remarried, and a more stable life resumed for a while. At the age of thirteen, Michael was enrolled in a private boarding school near Princeton, New Jersey. Michael says the experiences at the Peddie School laid a solid foundation for his future life. Soccer became a favorite sport. Following graduation from Peddie School, Michael enrolled in Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English composition in 1966. Michael moved to the South to enroll in a Master of Arts in teaching at Emory University, from which he graduated in 1967. The internship part of the program opened doors for a career in education.
Michael began his teaching career in the inner city of Atlanta. During this time, Michael participated in an administrative career program at the University of Georgia and was recruited into their Doctor of Education degree program, from which he graduated in 1973. Moving from Atlanta to Athens, Georgia, Michael served as an elementary school principal before moving to Savannah, Georgia as a central-office administrator in the schools. Following that work, he was hired into a Bilingual/Cross-Cultural Education doctoral program as a faculty member at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. He also served as director of the Bureau of Educational Research and Field Services during his ten years at UCP. This was followed by thirteen years at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, and finally, fifteen years at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Michael retired as Professor Emeritus in 2013 and moved to North Carolina where he continued his consultant work.
Obviously, education has played an important role in Michael’s life. He has authored three books and multiple articles, and given many consultancies nationally and internationally. He has served as teacher and director of religious education in three congregations at various times while also holding other full-time positions in education. Becoming certified in communication and listening models resulted in a special emphasis in Michael’s work and research through the years. His focus was to improve preparation programs for educational leaders by including additional curricula on interpersonal relationships. According to Michael, this has not occurred to any degree as “Old ways are difficult to change.”
Michael has an extensive travel history. He says that many of his opportunities for travel were the result of his work. “It was a lot easier when someone else was paying the expenses!” admits Michael. His favorite countries are Portugal, Scotland, and Japan. The most fun was golfing and whisky tasting in Scotland. The most moving was the visit to the Wallenberg Memorial Garden at the Dohany Synagogue in Budapest. The memorial, according to Michael, resembles a willow tree with each leaf bearing the name of one of the thousands of Hungarian Jews who were killed by the Nazis.
2005 Division 1 Soccer Match
Michael has loved soccer for most of his life. In addition to playing as a youngster, he refereed soccer for forty years. According to Michael, many soccer teams are coached or refereed by someone who has never played. Since 1990, Michael has given much time in assisting referees to improve their officiating skills.
While living in North Carolina, Michael served as an advocate in the courts for children removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect. Michael says, “It was heart-rending to see the problems that resulted in the children being removed from the home. Often adoption seemed to be the best option.
Michael is a father to four children, one son and three daughters, and grandfather to seven. His son lives in Memphis and his grandson Max will soon graduate from Lausanne Collegiate School. Max has been heavily recruited for his skill as a place-kicker. Look for him to be a starter on the University of Tennessee football team this Fall! Michael says, “I feel my greatest reward in life has been to see my children become independent contributing adults. I am so proud of all of them.”
Michael made the decision to move to Kirby Pines in 2022 because he wanted to be near his family and to relieve them from having to make decisions concerning his future care. Since moving to Kirby, Michael enjoys playing golf three days a week and playing poker with a group of Kirby Pines residents. He belongs to the Photography Club and enjoys using his iPhone along with a regular camera.
Michael chose one of the beautiful Garden Homes as his residence. Free of house maintenance and yard work, Michael is able to enjoy the amenities of Kirby Pines.
It’s a well-known fact that regular physical activity is beneficial. It strengthens bones and muscles, combats health conditions and diseases, improves mood, boosts energy and makes you feel better. Another benefit to physical activity is the positive impact it has on your brain!
Being physically active improves cognitive health – it can improve the way you think, learn, problem-solve, and help you enjoy an emotional balance. Exercising can also improve your memory, reduce anxiety, and even help improve your quality of sleep. And here’s the best part – ANY amount of physical activity has been shown to be beneficial.
Some of the effects of exercise on brain health happen immediately, meaning they occur during exercise or shortly thereafter, such as a reduced feeling of anxiety, improved sleep, and improved aspects of cognitive function. With regular physical activity, other long-term benefits occur, such as improvements in executive function (the ability to plan and organize, initiate tasks, control emotions), deep sleep, and more long-term anxiety management.
What Can You Do?
Being active might be easier than you think. Here are some ideas for how to stay active throughout the day. Remember – every little bit counts!
Daily Chores – what might count as physical activity? Cleaning, gardening, laundry, and other household chores can count as activity for the day! If it’s getting you up and moving, it certainly counts.
Be Active While Watching TV – think of ways to be active to reduce the amount of sedentary time in the day. Keep a list of activities, such as arm circles, marching in place, or leg kicks, to do during commercial breaks, while watching your favorite shows.
Walk – walking is one of the simplest and most effective things we can do. Walk your dog, walk with a friend, walk to get the mail. Take the long way to get to dinner. Walk two times around the lake. Think of ways to get extra steps in!
The pros of exercise are countless. The next time you attend an exercise or dancing class, talk a walk, or a dip in the pool, remember you are improving your physical health, and your cognitive health!
If you need help determining which exercises might be best for you to, reach out to the Functional Pathways Therapy Team and we will be happy to help guide you!
Remember that old love song from the 60’s. Taking care of yourself for the one you love may be just the motivation you need to begin a healthier you.
Care giving for a loved one can be one of life’s most draining experiences: affecting mind, body and soul. To counter this, set personal health goals. For example, set a goal to find time to be physically active on most days of the week, or set a goal for getting a good night’s sleep. It’s also crucial to eat a healthy diet. When caregivers understand that, there can be a tremendous sense of relief that allows them to set more realistic goals. Remember these keys to keep depression at bay:
Maintain a life outside of care giving. Stay connected to friends. Don’t give up your daily routines. Maintain your health. Get regular check-ups, eat a balanced diet, and exercise. Exercise. It un-kinks tense muscles, revs up the cardiovascular system, and floods the brain with feel-good chemicals, such as endorphins. Use simple de-stressing techniques. Deep breathing, muscle relaxation, meditation, and self-massage. And laugh. “People don’t think of humor as a way to cope with stress, but they should”. Join a support group. In support groups, you validate your role as caregiver, voice your fears, vent your frustrations, and learn coping strategies and techniques.
“Exercise is an antidote to aging,” says Barry A. Franklin, PhD, director of the cardiac rehabilitation and exercise labs at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI. A well-rounded routine, as part of a healthy lifestyle, may help you avoid things like falls, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Experts say many of the conditions people think are due to getting older have more to do with not moving enough.
At any age, these are the types of exercise you want to get:
Aerobic: good for your heart and lungs. It’s also good for your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, sleep, and memory. What to do: You can walk briskly, walk in the water, or do any other activity that gets your heart rate up.
Strength training: good for your muscles and bones. It’s the principle of “use it or lose it.” What to do: Start with 2-pound hand weights or resistance stretch bands.
Flexibility and balance: helps prevent falls by stretching your muscles and keep them from stiffening up. What to do: Yoga and tai chi are good for both. You can also learn balance exercises in senior fitness classes or from a personal trainer.
Whatever you do, start at a medium pace, where you move a little bit but can still hold a conversation. Aim for 30 minutes a day and build up to that, even if you start with just 5 minutes at a time.
We have everything you need right here at Kirby Pines. Check out the Oasis for exercise equipment or join one of our exercise classes. Setting healthy goals for yourself can be “Dedicated to the ones you love.”
Kirby Pines, a sister community of The Farms at Bailey Station, is part of the family of LifeCare Communities of Retirement Companies of America. For more information, visit retirementcompanies.com
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