Columbia Pacific Communities Articles

If a friend asks you “Is it you in the video?” on Facebook Messenger, don’t be in hurry to find out. Cybercriminals are sending a video link from the ‘friend’s account’, which will ask you to enter your Facebook username and password. If you fall for the scam and enter your details in the link, you will lose access to your Facebook account. Many such scams are targeting Facebook users in several countries. If you are on social media, you need to stay vigilant to avoid getting into the trap of cyber criminals. As operators of one of the leading retirement homes in Chennai, we share with you a few useful tips on how seniors can protect themselves from such scams:  Check if the Facebook login link is safe: Scammers often use official Facebook logos and shortened link names that resemble the real ones. For many people, it is very difficult to differentiate whether the link is fake or genuine. Well, to check the security of a link always check for HTTPS in the link. Any page claiming to represent Facebook but without HTTPS is not secure.  Spot a fake account: Fraudsters copy the profile pictures from your friend’s or family member’s account and use the same to reach you. The fraudster may tell you they are in an emergency and want some money immediately with a promise to return the money. Instead of transferring the money or giving any details, call the person or search for the same profile name on Facebook to check whether the account is genuine or not. If you think the account seems fishy, inform the person whose identity has been compromised.  Guard your financial information: If you get alerts about failed transactions via texts or any email asking for account numbers, credit card numbers, be careful and do not furnish any financial information. Information regarding bank details and credit card numbers should only be shared on secure sites.  Change your password: Use a strong password to reduce the risk of someone hijacking the account. This will prevent scammers from using your Facebook profile to defraud others. Change your password often.  Use multi-factor authentication: To protect your Facebook account, use two-factor authentication (TFA). A scammer won’t be able to log in to your Facebook account without a security code. You will receive the security code either via email or on your phone number. If you think your account has been hacked, try to get into your account as soon as you can (without clicking on any links that anyone just sent you) and change the password right away. If you have lost your account, immediately report to Facebook. Use anti-virus with a built-in web filter: While the anti-virus will protect your devices from malware, the built-in web filter will protect you from getting scammed. Having a web filter installed will stop you from landing on fake pages in the first place.

Exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle throughout your life, and as you age, you must stay as active as possible, without overexerting yourself. Though physical fitness offers benefits at any age, the health perks of being physically fit as you are ageing are notable – reduced risk of falls, improved bone density, enhanced well-being, and social engagement. As one of the leading retirement homes in Chennai, we share some of the best forms of exercise that are beneficial for seniors:  Walking: Walking is one of the easiest and most effective forms of exercise out there for seniors. Whatever your level of mobility, you can walk at your own pace. Walking has been associated with many health benefits, such as lower rates of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Walking for just 30 minutes a day for a few days a week is a great way to maintain your overall health. Walking should be brisk and a bit challenging. Start at a slow, easy pace and then speed up and then again slow down. Running: Running is a great exercise for seniors. It helps you improve your cardiovascular system, stay in good shape and maintain a healthy weight. However, you must tailor it as per your body’s abilities. Stretching before running is important as it reduces the chances of injury. To avoid overexerting yourself, do not run too fast. Build your endurance over a period of time. If you are new to running, run for only 10 minutes. After some time, try running for longer. Always make sure you are running in proper shoes. If you find running on a treadmill too monotonous, head outdoors for a change of scenery. Yoga: Incorporating yoga into your daily routine is great to manage the aches and pains that come with ageing. With proper yoga routines, you can improve your flexibility, balance and muscular strength, and endurance. There are different types of yoga positions that you can select as per your mobility. Different yoga postures focus on different parts of the body. Standing postures build the strength of the legs and core flexibility of the lower body. To gain flexibility, do not stick to just one routine. Squat: When done properly, squats are one of the most effective exercises for toning the legs. Besides improved knee stability, performing squats can also result in an improvement in upper body strength. If you have knee or joint problems, work out with a trained professional who can guide you to vary the depth of the squat.

As you age, the bone deteriorates in composition. Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens the bones and increases the risk of fractures. Your risk of developing osteoporosis depends on bone density, diet, physical activity and overall health.  Here are some lifestyle habits that increase the risk of developing osteoporosis:  Living a sedentary lifestyle: Bone is a living tissue which needs to maintain its strength. Getting little to no exercise can increase the risk of osteoporosis. For your bones to stay strong, you must engage in exercises such as walking, dancing, low-impact aerobics, and swimming. These exercises work on the bones and help on slowing mineral loss. Weight-bearing exercises promote balance and good posture that are beneficial for your bones.  Too much intake of salt: High salt intake has been associated with osteoporosis. Too much salt intake leads to an increased calcium excretion in urine. This negative calcium balance leads to bone loss. Many people think they don’t need to cut down their sodium intake as they don’t add extra salt to their food. However, many don’t realise that over 70% of the sodium comes from packaged and restaurant foods. To cut sodium intake, eat fresh food that doesn’t contain added salt. Read labels and choose the product with the lowest amount of sodium.  Shunning sunlight: When exposed to sunlight, the body produces vitamin D which helps to absorb the calcium needed for bone health. Just 10 to 15 minutes of sunlight gives you enough vitamin D.  Drinking too much: Heavy drinking is not good for your health, including bone health. Heavy alcohol use, especially at a young age, can significantly affect bone health and increase the risk of osteoporosis later in life. Drinking alcohol leads to an increase in hormones that damage bones. Heavy drinkers are more likely to suffer frequent fractures due to brittle bones than those who do not drink.  Smoking: Cigarette smoking is not just bad for your heart disease and lungs but also for your bones. The best thing that you should do to protect your bones is to quit smoking. Smoking reduces blood supply to the bones, slows the production of bone-forming cells and impede the absorption of salt.  As a leading senior living community in India, we encourage our residents to stay physically active. All our senior citizen housing communities have a clubhouse with facilities for indoor games and a fully equipped gym. Not just that, a senior-friendly menu is followed at our senior living homes. 

At some point in life, everyone has to deal with stressful situations when their heart beats faster than usual and palms get sweaty. Anxiety is a normal and often healthy emotion. Anxiety can cause physical symptoms as well as emotional discomfort. Difficult times such as a global pandemic can have far-reaching consequences on mental health and people may feel disproportionate levels of anxiety as circumstances may feel unpredictable. But there are ways to manage your anxiety.  As operators of one of the leading senior living homes in Bangalore, we share a few tips with you to keep anxiety in check:  Exercise regularly: Not only does stress affect the brain, but it also has an impact on the body. When the body is healthy, so is the mind. Therefore, it is important to exercise daily. Exercises such as a brisk walk, yoga, aerobics, or swimming produce endorphins, feel-good chemicals, that help reduce the stress hormone and relieve symptoms of anxiety. To beat anxiety, try to get some exercise at least once a day. Deep breathing: Take a few deep breaths when encountered with a stressful situation. Deep breathing can lower stress and anxiety levels. It can be done pretty much anywhere and anytime you feel anxious. Often when people feel anxious, they experience muscle tension, increased heart rate, and other physical symptoms. Anxiety reduces oxygen levels in the blood that contributes to feelings of panic. Inhaling and exhaling air 5 to 6 times helps you calm down. There are many forms of breathing techniques that you will find in yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. Practise the ones that you are comfortable with. Write: Penning down what you are feeling is a simple way of working through anxious feelings. When you write down your concerns, it is a great stress-management tool. It helps to examine your thoughts, reduce anxiety and be more action oriented. If you are new to journaling, start by writing for 5 to 15 minutes. Write about whatever is on your mind. Writing down your worries helps you vent all your anxious thoughts onto the page. This will help you feel light, happy, and more relaxed. Using positive affirmations is a great way to implement the positive pattern in your way of thinking.  If you are looking for independent senior citizen apartments in India, explore our senior living homes in Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Kanchipuram, and Puducherry. At our senior living homes, you will get to enjoy a worry-free lifestyle as you can opt for services such as daily and periodic cleaning, maintenance of individual living spaces and common areas, customised housekeeping, daily meals and 24×7 electrical and plumbing maintenance.

Social distancing is necessary to reduce the spread of Covid-19. Not seeing your family members, friends, and colleagues and being stuck in the same place can both frustrating and depressing. At such a time, It is important for you to take care of your mental health so that you stay calm and productive.  As one of the leading retirement homes in India, we share with you a few  tips to boost your mental health: Lower media consumption: While it’s sensible to know about all precautionary measures to prevent infection, too much repetitive news about the pandemic may not be good for your mental wellbeing. Choose your resources wisely. Always consume news from trusted sources. Plan your day: Preparation is key. Take control of your actions. People easily slip into a stressful mindset and planning gives your mind clarity, direction and motivation to function. Since planning leaves less room for procrastination, you can be more focused and productive. Humour, uplifting music, dance, reading — make them a part of your daily life to accomplish your daily tasks promptly. Exercise:  Regular exercise is a great way to improve concentration, memory, and mood. Moderate exercising helps release happy hormones in the brain. Exercising is a great distraction from all the negative thoughts that feed depression. Eat Healthy: As Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Food is the ultimate life force. Try to consume a diet rich in healthy fats, complex carbs, veggies, fruits and lean protein. Stay away from processed snacks, which can impair your ability to concentrate. Sleep and Relaxation: A healthy lifestyle is incomplete without a goodnight sleep. Try to sleep for 7 to 8 hours every night for your brain to function optimally. Keep aside all electronic devices and take deep breaths before going to bed. Poor sleep habits are associated with suppressed immunity and frequent illnesses. Getting enough sleep should always be a priority. Be kind: Acts of kindness make you compassionate and grateful. The pandemic has made people realise how much they love the company of family and friends. Show them you care for them. Sending food to friends fighting the virus, regular checking on someone who is dealing with a personal loss, or feeding the stray dogs-  all these acts count as the kindest gifts you could offer. And don’t forget to be kind to yourself. Practising kindness will give you a new perspective in life. Seek professional support: If you still feel the need for extra care, always reach out to a mental health coach. It is always recommendable to address your stress rather than suppressing it. Be proactive and take the necessary steps to manage your mental health.

Caring for your ageing parents can be challenging during the best of times but the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has made things more complicated. As older adults are more vulnerable to the infection, it becomes all the more important for you to take extra precautions to keep them safe.   As one of the leading senior living homes in Bangalore, we share with you a few tips that will help you to care for your ageing parents:   Be calm and proactive: It is important that your parents know all the COVID-19 related safety protocols. Make sure that they do not step out for errands. Ensure that they follow all safety protocols such as washing their hands frequently and practising adequate hygiene. Plan their food supplies and essentials:  Going out for supplies increases the risk of infection. You can help your parents by listing down all their requirements and make delivery arrangements for meals, medicines, and all their essentials. If possible, you also help plan their meals. Planning nourishing and wholesome meals will ensure that they do not rely on take-out meals. Encourage them to pick a new hobby: The Covid-19 pandemic has put many restrictions. Not being able to meet their friends and family can take an emotional toll on seniors. You can help your parents by introducing them to the online world. Help them pick their favourite activity and join an online community to stay connected with you and other family members. There are many book reading communities, yoga clubs, and cooking groups available online that will definitely help your parents to spend their time in a positive way. Keep an eye on medication: You must make sure that your parents are not skipping their regular medications. To help them take their medications on time, you can set a timely reminder or leave them hand-written notes on a wall calendar or a day planner. Send emails if your parents are technically savvy or even setting an alarm on a clock will prompt them to take their pills at the right time. Stay in constant touch: Expressing love to our parents is unquestionably important to keep them out of the whirlwind of negative thinking. Little gestures of love and care could go a long way to help them cope with these difficult times. Listen to them, hug them, and if you are living miles apart, use technology to bridge the gap. Encourage them to exercise: Never underestimate the importance of physical exercise. While the pandemic has forced your parents to stay indoors, encouraging them to engage in regular exercise will act as a rejuvenation of mind and body. Walking around the house, taking care of the plants, or engaging in meditative activities such as yoga can be beneficial for their overall health.  As one of the leading senior citizen homes in Bangalore, we have facilities such as a well-maintained community garden, swimming pool, clubhouse with arrangement for indoor games, and library with computer and internet access that help give our residents something to look forward to each day.

Retirement is a time to enjoy the fruits of your labour and indulge in the things you could not do before. Many seniors in India are moving to senior living communities to enjoy their golden years to the fullest whilst keeping their highly valued independence. Here we discuss a few important factors like the cost of senior living communities and lifestyle offered to help you select the right facility: Identify what you need: Are you looking for senior living communities because you are tired of managing the house? Do you want more social opportunities to make new friends? It’s important to understand what you are looking for and the opportunities offered by the facility. Senior living communities like ours cater to seniors who require minimal daily assistance but want to stay active, socially and physically, while freeing themselves from the routine household chores. We offer accommodation options that range from one BHK to independent villas. You get the comfort and privacy of your own place and at the same time, peace of mind and a sense of togetherness offered by a community environment. Create your checklist: Once you understand your needs, the next step is to make a checklist of amenities that you think are important to you. the next step is to make a checklist of amenities that you think are important to you. This helps you stay focused as you are not overwhelmed by too many choices. Dining, housekeeping, maintenance, exercise and wellness are usual offerings in senior living communities. Make a list of nice-to-have features and the non-negotiables. This will make it easier for you to select the senior living community that offers the retirement lifestyle you have always wanted. Know the cost of senior living communities: Cost certainly can’t be ignored when you are selecting a senior living community. Get to know the cost of the amenities you have zeroed in on your checklist. Some facilities may have an upfront cost or charge a monthly maintenance fee. Evaluate your choices based on your budget. Visit the facility: Once you have prepared the list, it is important to know the level of services offered. For that, schedule visits to the selected facilities. Ideally, visit more than 2 to 3 senior living communities as it will help you make the right decision. Ask questions: While you are visiting senior living communities, it is important to ask relevant questions. Is the place you are planning to live after retirement include emergency care? Is it located close to medical facilities? What does the social calendar look like? If there i’s any particular request you have, would it be accommodated? If you have the opportunity, talk with residents about life in the community. We hope you find these tips helpful. Many seniors have recognised the benefits of moving into our seniors living communities. Don’t just take our word for it. To book a tour of our senior living communities, call us at +91 8884555554.

You may be aware of the phrase “less is more”, but have you ever wondered what it means in its entirety? When it comes to home decor and styling, it means cutting out the unnecessary means having more time for things that are important and bring you happiness. By accumulating less and removing what you don’t need, you will end up having more space, more calmness and indeed more savings. Here are a few useful insights on decluttering your home: If you are a senior who wants to downsize before or after retiring, as one of the leading senior citizen homes in India, we share with you decluttering tips that you may find useful: Free yourself: A cluttered home has the potential to cause you anxiety and stress. It overwhelms your mind with too much sensory information. When you declutter, you place quality over quantity. Also, living with fewer possessions will help you savour and cherish the things that you have consciously chosen. Taking control: Often people confuse decluttering with throwing everything away. It simply means taking stock of your belongings and letting go of anything that is unnecessary. Having too many things around you can affect your creativity and productivity. By having things that you need, things won’t be competing for your attention. There are wide-reaching benefits of having less clutter in your home and in your life such as better concentration, a focused approach and less stress about managing things. It is easier to relax in a house that is tidy. Even the very act of tidying up can be therapeutic. Start small: Decluttering the entire house at one go is neither advisable nor practical. Start your decluttering by picking one area of your home. It could be a cupboard or a room or even just a cabinet. Be realistic and honest when sorting things. Keep things you will use and let go of things you don’t need. Have a place for everything: Decluttering isn’t just about reducing your possessions. It also means bringing a sense of organisation to your home. To make your home and space work for you, it is important that everything has a definite place. This way, finding things becomes easier. You can be inventive with storage solutions and keep all your things organised. Store small things creatively: There will always be smaller items that you cannot get rid of. Use containers and organisers to store such things so that they are easy to access and yet look tidy.

Practising self-care isn’t always easy as most people are often too occupied to make time for  themselves.  When you take time for self-care, you can end up feeling guilty. But spending some ‘me-time’ can have positive effects such as improved emotional health and physical well-being. Being one of the best senior living communities in India, we encourage our residents to spend time doing things they really care about and love.  Here are a few useful tips to help you take better care of yourself. We also discuss how we facilitate self-care in our senior living communities: Find your flow: The key to living a long and happy life is to find your creative flow. When a person is challenged to do new things such as painting, yoga or learning a new language, it has many positive benefits. When you are engaged in a creative activity, you sharpen your problem-solving skills, improve fine motor skills and reduce stress. By organising regular art and craft workshops, hobby classes and other such activities, we help our residents find their creative flow. Put yourself first: Often you may find it hard to put yourself first and find a space where you can be indulgent. If you have been wanting to watch a particular movie or eat at your favourite restaurant, do not let your schedules hold you back. Making time for yourself and for things you love will leave you feeling energised and happy. Housekeeping services ensure that residents do not have to fret over daily chores. Having a worry free lifestyle gives our residents more time to do what they enjoy. From cinematic experience to yoga classes, we help our residents enjoy the little pleasures of life. Take a deep breath: Deep breathing is a great way to meditate and spend time with yourself. Deep breathing techniques relax the brain and boost energy. A few minutes of mindful breathing can help you calm yourself, clear your mind and bring in positive energy. It is for this reason that in our senior living communities the day starts with yoga classes that teach residents many beneficial breathing exercises. Try something new: Have you always wanted to try a new hobby such as playing a musical instrument or painting or dancing? Learning new skills is a great way to spend time with yourself in a creative way. It keeps anxiety at bay and makes the mind sharp and alert. At Columbia Pacific Communities, we encourage our residents to participate in activities such as dance and music lessons, art and craft workshops and language classes.

Life is full of ups and downs. Sudden events in life can leave you without routine or make you feel less productive. You may find yourself not wanting to get out of bed or staying up late worrying. A vacation is a great way to de-stress when you feel overwhelmed but that may not be practical every time you feel stressed. As one of the best senior citizen homes in India, we share a few simple ways to reset your mind to improve your overall well-being: Calm your mind: When your thoughts are all over the place, it can be difficult to focus. Dedicate 5 minutes of your day to settle your mind by taking deep breaths. Deep breathing exercises have positive effects on psychological well-being. Starting your day with breathing exercises helps you remain calm throughout the day. Besides breathing exercise, taking a walk in nature and yoga are a few great ways to calm your mind. Declutter your mind for clarity: Knowing your priorities can help you feel less anxious. One of the best ways to declutter your mind is to plan your days ahead. Preparing ahead of time ensures that you have a calmer morning because you know how your day looks. Another way to clear your mind is to write down your thoughts and worries. Develop self-compassion: There are times when you find yourself comparing to others, striving too hard to be perfect and doubting your capabilities. Doing this only works against you. Be gentle and kind to yourself and accept that you are not perfect. With every mistake you make, there is potential for learning. Turn your inner critic into a supporter by developing a positive attitude towards yourself. Get moving: When you exercise daily, you feel that you are becoming a better version of yourself. Regular exercise gives you a dose of feel-good endorphins. Walking, yoga, aerobics, and swimming are not just good for staying fit, they also bring clarity to your thoughts and help you feel accomplished. Practise meditation: Every day, your mind deals with information overload that contributes to stress. By meditating, you can clear your mind, reduce negative emotions and gain a new perspective. We hope you can take a thing or two from this list and make a conscious effort to make your mind your friend. As one of the best senior living communities in India, we provide every possible help to our residents to reset their minds like, ensuring that they start their days with yoga classes. Also, our senior living communities are beautifully landscaped so that our residents feel closer to nature.