As August dawns, it’s not just the height of summer—it’s National Wellness Month 2025, a perfect time to shine a spotlight on what “wellness” truly means for our senior community.
Wellness isn’t limited to a brisk morning walk or a balanced plate; it’s a tapestry woven from physical vitality, emotional balance, mental clarity, and even spiritual fulfilment. All too often, we underestimate how daily habits, small stresses, and overlooked routines chip away at our overall well-being—especially for older adults striving to maintain independence and joy.
But here’s the good news: nurturing comprehensive wellness doesn’t demand grand gestures or expensive gadgets. With some intentional effort, expert guidance, and a steadfast commitment to self-care, seniors can rediscover vitality at any age.
In this special National Wellness Month feature, we’ve gathered insights from ten leading experts—from dementia experts to family caregivers—each offering actionable tips tailored to older adults. Whether it’s simple dietary tweaks, mindfulness practices, or community-engagement strategies, you’ll find practical advice designed to uplift body, mind, and spirit.
Join us as we explore how small, purposeful changes can help seniors feel—and stay—their very best. Let’s make this August a celebration of lasting health and happiness.
Below, we dive into each expert insight with tips you can apply in your home care setting.
Dementia Care Consultant, Certified Dementia Practitioner
Expert background: With a background in speech-language pathology, she emphasizes a team approach to dementia care.
“It takes a team to provide excellent, comprehensive dementia care. Working together ensures that all aspects of care – emotional, financial, cognitive, physical and social – are met with compassion and expertise.”
According to Hannah, delivering quality dementia care at home can be challenging because every individual’s dementia journey is unique. To overcome these obstacles, home care agencies should adopt a collaborative approach. This means involving a multidisciplinary team of professionals (caregivers, therapists, dementia specialists, etc.) to address all of a senior’s needs – from daily living tasks to emotional and cognitive support.
Equally important is collaboration with family members: incorporate the family and other care partners into the care plan. When everyone works together and communicates, seniors receive well-rounded care and feel safer and supported.
Hannah also stresses the power of personalized communication. As dementia progresses, seniors may struggle to initiate activities or express themselves. Caregivers should identify the communication strengths a person still has and build on them. For example, if someone can no longer find the right words, using visual aids (picture boards, labels on household items, a memory book of familiar photos) can help them understand and respond. Incorporate personal mementos – play their favorite music or reminisce over old photographs – to spark joy and connection even if short-term memory is fading.
Simple adjustments like reducing background noise, maintaining eye contact, and using gentle touch (when appropriate) make communication clearer and more reassuring.
Above all, engage seniors in meaningful activities they can participate in. If your client loves cooking but can’t manage complex recipes now, involve them in small tasks like washing vegetables or stirring ingredients. This kind of inclusion preserves dignity and gives them a sense of accomplishment.
Senior Care Innovator, Memory Care Leader
Expert background: She believes in using creative, personalized strategies to keep seniors engaged and connected. One innovative initiative Jessica implemented is to engage all the senses of her clients for better cognitive stimulation and community connection.
Jessica suggests incorporating brain-stimulating games and technology alongside real-world activities. For example, brain-training apps and programs (such as Lumosity, NeuroNation, AARP’s online games, or even Google’s Arts & Culture app) provide fun mental exercises that seniors can enjoy on a tablet or computer.
These games challenge memory and problem-solving in an enjoyable way, helping keep the mind sharp. But engagement is not just on screens – it’s equally important to involve hands-on, sensory-rich activities. Jessica’s team introduces music sessions, book clubs, creative writing, nature therapy, and art projects to their clients.
Gardening or simply spending time outdoors to feel the sun and observe nature can help seniors “step outside themselves and feel more connected,” she notes.
Just as crucial, Jessica highlights the impact of celebrating special moments. Little festivities can bring immense joy.
“Whether it’s a birthday, holiday, or personal achievement, we bring decorations and throw small gatherings to make our clients feel valued and uplifted”
Dementia Care Educator, Founder Of Memory Lane Foundation
Expert background: She specializes in helping families create dementia-friendly experiences. Joanna’s top advice for navigating the holidays with a loved one who has dementia is to keep things simple and centered on comfort.
The holidays can be an overwhelming time – large family gatherings, loud music, endless to-do lists – but bigger isn’t always better for seniors with dementia. “Focus on what you can actually enjoy,” Joanna says.
Instead of feeling pressured to recreate every tradition or host a huge event, embrace new traditions that fit your current situation. If your client or loved one used to attend big holiday parties but now finds crowds stressful, plan something smaller and quieter. It’s perfectly okay to dial down the festivities.
Joanna recommends keeping gatherings to just 30–60 minutes if needed – a shorter, pleasant experience is preferable to a long event that could exhaust or confuse a person with dementia.
Another strategy is to manage the environment during holiday events. Seniors with dementia can become overstimulated by noise and commotion. Consider having a “quiet room” or safe space at family gatherings where they can retreat if it all becomes too much.
Above all, adjust expectations and communicate with family members about these needs. Loved ones may need guidance on how to interact – for instance, one-on-one conversations in a quiet corner might be better than everyone talking at once. By tailoring holiday plans, you ensure your senior feels included without being anxious. As Joanna puts it, sometimes the best holiday gift is a peaceful, enjoyable moment rather than a big production.
Certified Senior Advisor, dementia care practitioner
Expert background: Leslie urges families to create a conducive environment for loved ones with dementia – one that is safe, structured, and grounded in an understanding of the disease.
First and foremost, Leslie advises families to educate themselves about dementia. There are over 100 different forms of dementia, with Alzheimer’s being the most common. You don’t need to become a medical expert, but learning about your loved one’s specific condition and what to expect can be immensely helpful.
It sets realistic expectations – dementia is progressive and won’t improve, so caregivers should shift focus from cure to quality of life. Adopting a “Let’s make the time we have left as memorable as we can” mentality, as Leslie says, helps families concentrate on creating positive moments rather than feeling defeated by the decline.
A safe home environment is critical. This means anticipating risks and having answers to important questions like:
Leslie emphasizes that routine is your ally in dementia care. Try to establish a daily schedule where tasks like waking up, meals, and activities occur at the same time each day and in the same order.
This predictability can reduce confusion and anxiety for the person with dementia (and it helps caregivers too). For instance, if every morning after breakfast is “walk time,” over time, the senior may become calmer and more cooperative during that activity because it’s familiar.
Despite all the structure and safety, remember that a person with dementia may often exist in a different reality or time period in their mind. They might suddenly talk about “needing to catch the bus” or mention long-past friends as if it were yesterday.
They may not recognize close family members, which can be heartbreaking. In those moments, go with their flow rather than correcting them. Never say, “Don’t you remember…?” – because they truly don’t, and being told so can heighten their frustration or sadness.
Instead, redirect the conversation gently to something pleasant. If Grandpa insists he’s waiting for his mother (who has passed), you might say “Tell me more about your mom – what’s your favorite memory of her?” This validates their feelings and shifts focus.
Have a few engaging distractions or tasks ready to deploy if you sense agitation rising. Leslie suggests involving the person in a simple, enjoyable activity: fold laundry together, water the plants, go for a short walk, or sing a favorite song. Choose something age-appropriate that they’ve always liked – remember, they are adults and deserve to be treated as such, with dignity.
co-founder of CINCH CCM
Expert background: He has founded a software-as-a-service product enabling home care agencies to provide high-quality, efficient, and profitable home care services in independent living communities where residents have very short visits.
He stresses the importance of holistic assessment – looking at the “big picture” of a senior’s life – to ensure they receive the right home care services.
When you first meet a senior client (or an aging loved one) to determine care needs, don’t narrow your focus to just one aspect. Tim advises performing a comprehensive assessment covering the senior’s physical condition, cognitive status, emotional health, living environment, and social support network.
For example, is their home set up safely (grab bars, fall hazards addressed)? How are they managing medications? What is their mobility and balance like? Are there signs of memory loss or confusion? What daily activities do they need help with? This holistic view might resemble the assessments done in professional geriatric care management, but it’s crucial in home care too – it ensures no need goes unnoticed.
One important insight Tim shares from personal experience is that seniors sometimes downplay their needs. A person with early dementia or frailty might tell you “I’m doing fine, I don’t need much help,” when in reality they’re struggling.
Family input is vital here. Talk to the client’s family members or close friends to gather their perspective – they can often provide examples of lapses or challenges the senior won’t admit.
After gathering all the information, the next step is to formulate a care plan with the senior and family, not just for them. “The goal is to develop a care plan that does not seem like you are telling them – you are suggesting,” Tim explains.
Board-Certified Music Therapist
Expert background: She has 30+ years of experience working with older adults with memory loss. She is the founder of Come On, Let’s Sing!, a program using music to spark joy in seniors.
Lisa’s insight is about the power of music therapy and how to adapt it as an individual’s dementia progresses.
Music has a remarkable way of reaching people when other methods fail. Lisa always keeps her sessions person-centered, meaning she tailors activities so that the person can succeed no matter their cognitive level.
As dementia advances, a senior’s abilities to follow complex instructions or remember lyrics might diminish – but Lisa finds ways to keep them engaged in music. For instance, if a client can no longer sing an entire song, she might hum along with them or have them tap a drum to the beat instead.
If playing an instrument becomes too hard, she might switch to simply clapping or swaying together. The key is adapting to what they can do, so they continue to feel the happiness of participating.
Lisa also notes that family involvement in music sessions can greatly enhance the benefits. Music can serve as a bridge between seniors and their loved ones. She often invites family members to join the sing-alongs or rhythm exercises.
Lisa has witnessed specific positive outcomes from music therapy. People who were agitated, confused, or withdrawn often light up when the music starts.
Music taps into long-term memory and emotions that remain accessible even when short-term memory is impaired, which is why familiar songs from one’s youth often have the strongest effect.
Of course, Lisa also encounters the occasional challenge – not every song will resonate, and some days a client might be harder to engage. But flexibility and patience are part of her strategy.
The key is to keep the environment positive and pressure-free.
Professional Caregiver In Dementia Care
Expert background: She shares a heartfelt personal story that illustrates her core caregiving philosophy: approach seniors with gentleness, meet them where they are, and use familiar activities to build trust.
Jennifer’s story paints a vivid picture. One morning, she arrived to care for a client with dementia who was frightened and angry, caught in the grip of confusion. Instead of rushing in with instructions or trying to correct the client’s misperceptions, Jennifer first centered herself in empathy. She approached slowly and knelt down to meet the woman at eye level – a non-threatening posture that immediately makes a caregiver less intimidating.
Speaking in a soft, calming voice, she reminiscenced about simpler, happy times (tapping into the client’s distant memories where she felt safe). At first, the client was resistant, even telling Jennifer she wasn’t welcome.
But Jennifer remained patient and kept her tone gentle and reassuring. She even addressed the client as if she were a familiar family member – entering the client’s reality where Jennifer might be perceived as an old friend rather than a “stranger caregiver.”
This helped the senior feel safe enough to let her guard down.
Using familiar routines or pastimes gives the senior a comforting sense of the known in a world that often feels alien to them. Jennifer notes that these small moments of connection – “sunlit, tender, and full of connection,” as she describes – are what make her love caregiving.
It’s in those moments that fear turns into trust and a home care client truly feels at ease.
Passionate Senior Care Provider Who Founded A Local Adult Daycare Center In Her Community.
Expert background: Her experience highlights the impact of community and connection on senior wellness, especially for those with dementia.
“In caregiving, community is not just an ideal – it’s the very essence of healing; comfort and connection can light up the darkest moments.”
Nadia’s journey began with a “quiet, steadfast passion for caring” that led her to open a small adult day center in a town lacking senior resources. Starting with just a modest space and a handful of participants, she created a warm, welcoming environment that quickly blossomed into a sanctuary for about ten seniors (many with dementia) and a team of kindhearted volunteers.
In this daycare, seniors would come together daily to share meals, sing songs, do crafts, and even have group cries when needed. It became “our shared home,” Nadia says, underlining how deeply the sense of family and community ran there.
What Nadia observed is that the group activities – whether singing an old favorite song or celebrating a holiday – provided social stimulation and a sense of belonging.
This is crucial because seniors (and especially those with dementia) often feel isolated or anxious; having a community dramatically reduces those feelings.
Nadia also emphasizes the importance of family involvement. The families of her daycare participants didn’t just drop their loved ones off; they became an extension of her own family. They would often join for special events or just pop in to check on things, forming a support network around each senior.
Family Caregiver, Advocate
Expert background: Carlos’s story illustrates how caregiving is as much a journey for the caregiver as for the elderly. His insight encourages caregivers (including agency professionals and family members alike) to embrace personal growth and advocacy as part of the caregiving experience.
“The journey will be as much about your own growth as it will be about caring for your loved one.”
When Carlos’s father was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis three years ago, Carlos stepped in with a singular focus: ensure his dad received the best care and support possible. The first year was incredibly tough – full of unpredictable medical crises and uncertainty.
Carlos found himself learning on the fly, navigating healthcare appointments, treatment side effects, and his father’s changing needs. It was a baptism by fire, as many caregivers can relate.
During those trying times, Carlos realized he needed community and knowledge to continue. He reached out to organizations like the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America and connected with other families fighting the same battle.
This was a turning point; not only did it give him comfort, but it ignited a passion for advocacy in him. He began participating in awareness campaigns and eventually took on leadership roles – for instance, co-chairing a local MG awareness Walk event in New York.
His dedication even earned him an “Emerging Leader” award in the community. These accomplishments were never planned; they arose naturally from his commitment to help his father.
In Carlos’s words, “my journey was bigger than just caring for my father – it was about making a tangible difference in the lives of everyone touched by this disorder.”
By raising awareness and opening hearts, those around him have come to understand the daily battles he faces. And in that understanding, he finds comfort, Carlos says of his father.
This highlights how a caregiver’s advocacy directly contributes to a senior’s wellness: when others understand a senior’s condition and challenges, the senior receives more empathy, better support, and feels less alone in their fight.
Founder Of Innovative Care Of Dementia
Expert background: He offers practical communication strategies for interacting with seniors who have Alzheimer’s or other dementias. Effective communication, Tadas emphasizes, requires patience, simplicity, and compassion.
When a loved one has Alzheimer’s, our usual way of conversing needs to adjust to meet them where they are. Here are Tadas’s top strategies for compassionate communication:
A genuine smile, a soft tone of voice, or a gentle touch on the hand or shoulder can provide reassurance. Sometimes a senior with Alzheimer’s may not grasp your sentence, but they will sense your kind demeanor.
Resist the urge to hurry or answer for them. Patience shows respect and reduces their pressure, which can help them articulate better.
For instance, if they insist it’s time to go to work (though they retired long ago), instead of saying “You’re wrong, you don’t work anymore,” you might say, “You’ve worked hard your whole life. How about we have breakfast first and then see what needs to be done?” This acknowledges their feelings and then redirects to a calming activity.
Stick to the familiar – using nicknames or terms they’ve always used for people, places, and routines can spark recognition.
This not only checks understanding but also makes them feel heard and respected.
Each of these expert insights shines a light on a different facet of senior wellness – from the importance of teamwork and tailored activities to the power of empathy, routine, and community.
Home care agency owners and caregivers can draw on these tips to enhance their care services. After all, senior wellness isn’t just about managing physical health; it’s about nurturing the whole person – cognitively, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
Whether it’s simplifying a holiday gathering or playing an old tune, small actions can make a big difference in how a senior feels.
As you put these ideas into practice during National Wellness Month (and beyond), you’ll not only help seniors feel their best, but you’ll also strengthen the trust and relationships that are at the heart of quality home care.
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