Jewish Community Housing Corporation of Metropolitan NJ

While we don’t recommend actually dancing in the street as the song suggests, we do recommend dancing every day! Engaging both the body and mind, dance is a great exercise for seniors especially because it is more gentle in nature than say High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or running. Dance is also very malleable, practically any dance move can be modified to the dancer’s range of mobility. At the risk of sounding corny, you could quite literally dance to the beat of your own drum without getting hurt! Not to mention, a good dance session has many benefits that you might be surprised to learn. In this article, our  fitness instructors at JCHC  have compiled the most rewarding benefits of dancing for seniors. Benefits bone health.  You heard that right! Movement, dance moves in particular, improves bone strength because it increases bone mass. Most people reach their peak bone mass by the age of 30. With that being said, it’s important to impr...

Lets face it, almost everyone wants a little more time to snooze. Getting a good night’s sleep and waking up rested are important in maintaining concentration, memory and focus, especially as we age. There’s no doubt that getting a solid seven to nine hours of sleep every night is essential, but the way you feel upon waking—and feeling well rested throughout the day—are good indicators of whether or not you’re getting the sleep you need for optimal quality of life. With that said, our caregivers at JCHC broke down sleep patterns in seniors and even put a list of tips together to help seniors get better sleep. Sleep patterns in seniors Before diving into better sleeping tips, it’s important to understand the ins and out of senior sleep patterns. Due to hormonal changes, older adults may notice changes in their sleep patterns such as waking up earlier in the morning or getting sleepy earlier in the evening. Other seniors may find themselves becoming “light sleepers.” While these changes ...

Summer is here! Which means it’s time for you to take the summer vacation you’ve been dreaming of…. We’re sensing some hesitation on your end. If you’re concerned about who will take care of mom or dad while you’re gone – don’t worry, we have a solution: respite care. If you’re unfamiliar with this type of senior care service, let us break it down for you. Respite care is designed to give full-time caregivers a break from their duties on an as-needed basis. It can be administered circumstantially, i.e. until you get back from vacation or you can opt for respite services a few times a week – whichever option best works for you and your loved one. If you’re still unsure about respite care, our  respite care team in Morris County, NJ  has compiled a list of the greatest advantages of the respite care program at Lester Senior Living. Your loved one will reside in a full-furnished apartment.  Equipped with a refrigerator, microwave and standard in-house cable s...

It’s time to feast, feast for weeks! For those who need a reminder, we celebrate Shavuot to commemorate the giving of the Torah to the Israelites on Mt. Sinai, as well as the harvest season. One of the best ways we know how to celebrate is through food. It is customary to eat dairy foods in particular for Shavuot to show restraint as the Israelites showed restraint when they received the Torah and followed God’s commandment to eat only kosher foods. Shavuot is also linked to the Exodus from Egypt into the Promised Land, “a country flowing with milk and honey.” If you are in search of a new dairy recipe or perhaps a more traditional one to celebrate this holiday with your family,  the chefs at JCHC  have hand-picked a few of their favorite Shavuot recipes for you to choose from! Shavuot Recipe #1: Goat Cheese and Arugula Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes.  Not only is this recipe delicious, it’s also quick to make – no more than 10 minutes! See below for a list of ingredien...