With Sweater Season Around the Corner, Seniors Will Enjoy These Sweater Styles

Fall reintroduces us to spectacularly colored trees, as well as apple cider drinks that warm the heart. The season that runs from early September to late November also introduces us to a chill that dramatically changes our wardrobes. Gone are the days of short-sleeve shirts, and instead, we start to add sweaters to our daily attire. At the MorningStar senior housing facility in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, we begin to see a wide variety of sweater styles come out of closets and dress drawers.

Material matters when choosing the best sweaters to wear during the colder months of the year. Cashmere, which is one of the most luxurious feeling sweater materials, contains natural wool fibers that derive from the undercoat of central Asian goats. Traditional American wool contains fibers from several different sources to help trap heat. Cotton provides an unsurpassed level of comfort, which makes it the ideal material for sweaters that are worn as a first layer.

With sweater season around the corner at our assisted living facility, let’s take a look at the most popular styles of sweaters to add to your fall and winter wardrobes.

Cardigan

Often associated with the look of college students, cardigan sweaters work well for the members of any age group that wear this style of sweater over a button-down shirt. Cardigan sweaters feature long sleeves and buttons that run down the front. A shawl-neck knit cardigan sweater includes an extra fabric layer that runs down around the neck to keep the body warm on cold winter days.

Turtleneck

A high collar that folds up or down defines the stylish appearance of turtleneck sweaters. The folding capability of the collar allows you to expose as much of the neck as you want to expose, which comes in handy on days that start warm, but turn chilly in a matter of just a few minutes. Turtleneck sweaters work fashionably well as a layer with blazers and leather jackets.

Crew-Neck

As we grow older, our skin becomes more susceptible to incurring damage, especially in winter when cold, dry conditions make our skin brittle. Wearing a pullover crew-neck sweater ensures the apparel goes easy on the skin. As one of the main symbols of casualwear, wearing a crew-neck sweater allows you the fashion versatility to pair it with a tweed blazer or a button-down Mac coat.

V-Neck

Designed with a wide variety of materials, V-neck sweaters improve the flow of air around the body by exposing the neck and inner shoulders. Often paired with t-shirts on warmer days, you can change your look if the temperature dips by wearing a V-neck sweater as the first layer beneath a heavy coat

Schedule a Tour of the MorningStar Assisted Living Facility in Rio Rancho, NM

Leaving your loved one in the hands of the team members at a senior housing facility in Rio Rancho can trigger stress and anxiety. At our senior housing facility in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, we alleviate the concerns faced by loved ones because of our commitment to focus on the little things. We offer three lifestyle options that allow a senior to transition from independent living to assisted living without having to move to another facility. MorningStar offers more amenities than any other senior housing facility in Rio Rancho and beyond.

Schedule a tour today to learn more about our highly-rated senior housing facility.

8 Great Meals That Are Low in Cholesterol

High levels of cholesterol can trigger the development of plaque buildup in the arteries, which is the most common cause of strokes and heart attacks. Medical science research has established that reducing the amount of LDL cholesterol often improves the performance of the cardiovascular system. Older adults are in the most susceptible age group for developing high cholesterol levels, which begs a critically important healthcare question.

Is there a way for seniors to fight back against high cholesterol levels?

The answer is a resounding yes. Lowering high cholesterol levels starts by following a diet that contains ingredients low in cholesterol. At our senior housing facility in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, our team of dieticians and nutritionists recommend five great meals that are low in cholesterol.

What Are Five Great Meals That Are Low in Cholesterol?

At the MorningStar assisted living facility in Rio Rancho, we emphasize the importance of eating healthily by devising menus that feature ingredients that are low in cholesterol. Following a diet consisting of each of the following five meals should keep you on the right path toward achieving low cholesterol levels.

Green Bean and Herb Salad

One of the most effective strategies for staying away from high-cholesterol foods is to avoid anything that comes out of a deep fryer. A green bean and herb salad, which includes fresh herbs, as well as garlic and onion, helps reduce cholesterol levels within a short period. Adding anchovies to this recipe increases the amount of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids in the bloodstream.

Chicken Sausage and Peppers

It might seem counterintuitive to serve sausage as a cholesterol-lowering ingredient for a meal. However, chicken sausage provides the flavor of sausage, without contributing to an increase in cholesterol levels. The fact that this dish is baked on a sheet pan is one factor that helps chicken sausage remain cholesterol-neutral. Add tri-colored peppers to the recipe and you benefit from a cholesterol-reducing meal that also contains an abundant amount of vitamin C.

Poached Salmon With Shallots and Tomatoes

Salmon is well-known for containing a large amount of omega-3 fatty acids that enhance heart health, while at the same time preventing the development of highly painful inflammation. The key to reaping the heart-healthy benefits of salmon is to poach the fish slowly over low heat.  Toss in nutrient-rich shallots and tomatoes, and you have the perfect low-cholesterol meal.

Apple Slaw

When you think of a slaw recipe, you probably think about the prevalence of celery in the recipe. Although celery remains an integral component of this recipe, slices of fresh apples represent the real cholesterol-lowering star. Apples contain high amounts of pectin, which is a highly effective type of substance in reducing cholesterol levels. Adding walnuts to this recipe blocks the absorption of cholesterol in the bloodstream.

Beef and Broccoli

As a staple in kitchens throughout the world, beef and broccoli can be a meal that helps you decrease cholesterol levels. However, you have to cook low-saturated fat flank steak in a pressure cooker to enjoy the heart-healthy benefits of this meal. Adding broccoli can help you reduce LDL cholesterol levels, as well as boost the amount of good cholesterol that pumps into the heart.

Heart-Healthy Menus at the MorningStar Assisted Living Facility

One of the primary goals at our assisted living facility in Rio Rancho, NM involves helping residents maintain healthy lifestyles. Discover how our dieticians and nutritionists create menus with items that are low in cholesterol by scheduling a tour of our senior housing facility.

4 PLACES WHERE SENIORS CAN VOLUNTEER

Senior housing communities in Rio Rancho, New Mexico are not just places where volunteers engage with residents to keep them mentally and physically active. For example, at our assisted living center in Rio Rancho, we encourage our residents to return the gift of volunteering by signing up to contribute their skills to worthy causes.

Research indicates that volunteering positively impacts both mental and physical health. The results of studies discovered that nearly 80 percent of volunteers at least 55 years old enjoyed good, very good, or excellent health. Senior volunteers reported a significantly lower number of mobility issues, as well as a dramatically higher quality of life. About two-thirds of seniors polled felt less isolated, which helps prevent the development of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.

“Volunteers have lower mortality rates, lower rates of depression, increased strength and energy, and fewer physical limitations than those who do not volunteer,” said Samantha Jo Warfield, who is the spokesperson for the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency behind the study.

Let’s look at the four places where seniors can volunteer as part of the activities calendar at a senior housing facility.

National Park Service

The National Park Service needs volunteers to care for more than 85 million acres of American landscape and historic sites. Once a volunteer and now the spokesperson for the National Park Service, Kathy Kupper emphasizes the importance of the role played by the organization. “We take care of America’s most special places. These parks are part of the American story. People can be part of that. We match the skill set of the volunteer to the needs of the park. If someone calls who’s a librarian or a photographer or a videographer, that might not be somebody we knew we were looking for. But we would gladly work with them.”

Senior Corps

Seniors offer considerable experience, as well as an incredible amount of dedication to building communities across the United States. The Senior Corps acts as the magnet that attracts seniors who are eager to share their wisdom and life experiences with people from all walks of life. Because of the Foster Grandparent program, which has more than 8,000 locations across the country, seniors serve as mentors, tutors, and role models for children and adolescents in need. The Senior Companion program connects senior volunteers with older adults who struggle with daily tasks such as shopping and paying bills.

Canine Companions for Independence

Maybe you have seen clips on TV or experienced it first-hand, but there is no denying how dogs enhance the mental well-being of seniors. You can benefit from the joy of interacting with canines by volunteering with Canine Companions for Independence. This organization trains support dogs to help people living with disabilities. Senior volunteers help by teaching standard commands, as well as helping puppies socialize during instructional classes. The volunteer work also involves submitting monthly puppy progress reports.

Meals on Wheels

How would you like to help fellow seniors who are homebound? With a network of more than 5,000 independently operated programs, Meals on Wheels delivers meals to homebound seniors. This volunteer opportunity requires you to pick up meals at a distribution center and then deliver the meals by following a well-organized route. When you complete a route, you return the delivery packaging to the distribution center.  “Often, a volunteer is the only person an isolated, homebound senior will see in a given day,” said the spokesperson for the Meals on Wheels program, Jenny Bertolette Young.

Learn more about the volunteer opportunities for residents at our assisted living facility in Rio Rancho, NM by submitting the Contact form found on our website.