Ability Home Care, LLC

09/11/2024

09/10/2024

September 10th is World Su***de Prevention Day. Su***de is 100% preventable! Speak up! Reach Out!

This fact sheet presents five steps for helping someone having thoughts of su***de: Ask, Be There, Help Keep Them Safe, Help Them Connect, and Follow Up.

09/03/2024

08/26/2024

Have a Wonderful Day!

08/13/2024

If you or your loved one is looking for assistance with In-Home Personal Care services, Virginia's CCC Plus Waiver may be worth looking into. Ability Home Care, LLC participates with The CCC+ waiver as well as private pay options for individuals located in Shenandoah, Warren, Frederick, and Clark Counties in Virginia. Ability Home Care strives to provide quality care with trained and educated staff to assist clients in their every day needs, making it more accessible for consumers to stay at home. Ability Home Care, LLC provides a work environment that is rewarding both mentally & emotionally gratifying. If you are looking for an agency to provide personal care services, search no more! Call Ability Home Care, LLC for your personal care or Home care Employment needs! (540) 533-3111 or stop by 1205 S. Main St. Woodstock, VA 22664
(Below is a link for information on the CCC+ waiver and how to apply)

The CCC Plus Medicaid Waiver is for:-adults 65+ with a medical or nursing need and-individuals less than 65 years with a disability and a medical or nursing need.

08/05/2024

"Live Well, Be Well"
Wellness: The Foundation of a thriving life

07/24/2024

"The Simple Act of Caring, is Heroic"

Below is the link for the Caregiver Resource Guide. There is lots of valuable and useful information in this booklet that may be helpful to someone who is caring for a loved one. Check it out!!!
https://sharepoint.wwrc.net/VDApublic/Shared%20Documents/Caregiver%20Resource%20Guide.pdf

07/17/2024

"Water you waiting for", Drink-up Buttercup!

07/01/2024

13 Things for Bored Seniors to Do Alone at Home
Keeping your body and mind active in retirement is vitally important for your physical and mental health. That’s why finding things for bored seniors to do alone at home should be a priority—whether for yourself or for a parent or grandparent who has a lot of time on his or her hands.

Boredom can be a common, but not inevitable, consequence of old age, mobility issues, or health issues. It is important for people in these categories to find activities or hobbies that stimulate their bodies and minds, stretch their comfort zone, and, when possible, facilitate social interaction.

1. Do A Puzzle
Puzzles come in many forms, both traditional and digital. Jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, word games, and many other kinds of puzzles can keep your mind active without any need for physical exertion.

When using jigsaw puzzles for mental stimulation, take care to choose the correct level of difficulty. Too easy, and it won’t be satisfying to complete. Too difficult, and the puzzle could bring on feelings of frustration or even the boredom you are trying to avoid.

Tip: To boost your level of motivation, choose a picture that inspires you and enjoy the feeling of satisfaction as you see it come together.

2. Play Games
Games such as board games, card games, and brain-training games are fun activities that are stimulating for the brain, help with memory, improve one’s attention span, and can help to improve functioning in people with dementia.

Are you good at a particular game? Why not start a club as an excuse to see other elderly people or even to meet new friends? You could play games together at home or at a local senior’s center.

3. Write Out Your Life Story
You’ve been on the earth for a long time and have had so many different experiences. Even seniors who have lived the most ordinary lives have experienced countless technological and societal changes, which is something that younger people find fascinating to read about.

For example:

Do you have any anecdotes from an interesting period in history?

What was your childhood like?

Do you have a beautiful love story?

What changes have you seen throughout your lifetime?

Writing your story could be a project you do on the computer or you could write your story by hand. You could even record your story verbally and create an audio-book-style memoir. Whichever method you choose for recording your memories, your life story will be a precious keepsake that your children, grandchildren, and loved ones will treasure forever.

4. Learn to Play a Musical Instrument
This is certainly a more challenging suggestion, but one that is possible for many older adults—especially if you choose an instrument that’s less physically taxing, like the piano or the guitar.

Music is one of the great joys in life and the ability to make it yourself can create hours of entertainment. Many children learn musical instruments, only to give it up later in life. Could this be your chance to take it up again?

5. Learn or Practice a Language
Do you ever wish you had learned a language when you were younger? Now’s a great opportunity to start. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have plans to travel; learning a new language is enriching, stimulating, challenging, and has excellent benefits for the mind.

Studies such as Antoniou et al (2013) have shown that second language learning in older adults could serve as a tool to mitigate age-related cognitive decline. It’s also a lot of fun!

Which Language Should You Learn?
Do you have foreign family members or ancestors? Learning their native language would be an excellent way to stay connected with your roots and learn a little about your own heritage and culture.

If you don’t have another language in the family, Germanic languages like Norwegian and Latin-based languages like Spanish, Italian, and French have a lot in common with English. This makes these languages easier for English speakers to learn.

How Can I Learn a Language at Home?
There are many different options to learn a language at a pace that suits you. Mobile apps such as Duolingo and Babbel are fun and accessible, and offer free options that allow you to study for as little as 10 minutes per day.

For those who prefer a more traditional approach, grammar and vocabulary books can help you grasp the basics. You can also take in-person classes in your home or online if you prefer a more personal and social learning experience.

6. Tend An Indoor Garden
Many senior citizens love gardening but simply find it too physically taxing. Gardens need constant tending, and involving bending, crouching, and standing.

Fortunately, however, there is a solution: container gardening. This type of gardening involves growing plants or even fruits and vegetables in pots or containers that can be kept inside, in a greenhouse, or in an outdoor space that’s close to the house like a patio or porch. This last option is also a great way of getting some much-needed fresh air.

For manual or power wheelchair users, raised containers that allow the wheelchair to be wheeled in underneath can be purchased for comfortable and accessible gardening. Watching things grow is a gratifying experience that keeps you on your toes and, if successful, can produce something to eat at the end!

7. Spend Time Outside
Sitting outside with the sun on your skin will instantly make you feel better if you’re feeling lonely or bored. If it's enjoying your own company as you watch the world go by, bird watching, or chatting with neighbors, spending time outside is a wonderful way to look after your mental and physical health.

Sitting on the front porch of your house may also give you a chance to get to know your neighbors better, potentially leading to new friendships. Whether you have a garden, terrace, porch, small yard, or even a balcony, take advantage of any outdoor space you have to clear your mind and expand your world.

8. Do Some Light Exercise
The health benefits of daily physical activity for both your body and mind are no secret. Senior citizens should aim for around 20-30 minutes of exercise every day. Combined with a healthy diet, exercise can make you feel energized as well as providing other benefits like helping to naturally increase cartilage.

With an internet connection at home, it’s easy to stay fit and healthy while having fun. YouTube provides thousands of options to choose from and there is something for everyone.

Yoga and balance exercises for senior citizens can be excellent options for seniors who want to maintain flexibility and healthy joints.

For something a bit more active, online aerobics or dance classes can be a fun and motivating way to kick-start your day.

If your mobility is limited, don’t let that be an excuse not to exercise. There are many online exercise classes that you can do without even leaving your chair!

9. Learn About Your Family History
Genealogy sites such as Ancestry or MyHeritage provide families with the key to their past. These programs can be used to trace your family tree and find out more about your ancestors. If you find yourself with time on your hands, you could build your family tree online and share what you have learned with the rest of your family.

10. Sort and Label your Photos
Printed photos are sadly becoming a thing of the past. However, there’s nothing more nostalgic than flicking through an old photo album to remember your parents, grandparents, or how your children or grandchildren were when they were young.

Families often find that the number of old photos is overwhelming and that they often lack context. Therefore, labeling and sorting old photos into year-by-year albums and throwing away photos that are out of focus, repeats, or poor quality will leave you with a collection that’s more attractive and easier to navigate.

Digitize your Old Photos
For those with a little know-how, a computer, and a scanner, digitizing photos is a wonderful project that allows all the members of your family to own all of your photos. If you don’t have the equipment to do this yourself, a family member or friend could help.

11. Listen to Audiobooks or Podcasts
Many seniors find that their capacity to concentrate on reading dwindles as they grow older. Audiobooks are an excellent solution to this. What could be better than having your favorite book read to you? Apart from alleviating the fatigue of reading a book, an audiobook is welcome background noise. In contrast to a physical book, you can also listen to an audiobook while you’re going about your day.

What Is a Podcast?
Podcasts are shows that are recorded not for TV but for listening to at home. Podcasts are extremely popular—there are now podcasts on every topic under the sun. From current affairs to true crime, gardening, comedy, or gastronomy, there is a podcast for everyone. You can set up a free account on YouTube, Spotify, or iTunes and browse podcasts by topics of interest.

12. Help out with Charity Projects
There’s little more rewarding than helping others in need. You don’t need to leave home to help others; simply by using the skills you already have, you can contribute to community or international projects that help you help others.

Think about what you know how to do and how it could help somebody else.

If you know how to knit, you could knit hats, mittens, and other clothes for a premature baby unit.

You could use your arts and crafts skills to make quilts and blankets for the homeless.

Animal shelters often need foster carers for abandoned animals. The Maxfund Animal Adoption Center, in Denver, Colorado is just one of the many shelters with pets available for fostering.

If you have experience with basic dog obedience training, you could care for guide-dog puppies until they’re old enough to begin their careers.

13. Make Homemade Presents for Friends and Family
If Christmas, Easter, or birthdays are coming up, why not make gifts for your loved ones at home? Homemade presents are often appreciated at a different level than shop-bought gifts for the work and thought that goes into them. Furthermore, they can be personalized with your loved ones’ names and favorite colors, flavors, and themes.

Some Homemade Present Ideas:
Cake or Cookies
Who wouldn’t love to receive a beautiful cake or a plate of cookies made especially for them? They don’t have to be a work of art, they simply need to be made with love.

Jam, Sauces, and other Conserves
Take advantage of seasonal fruit and vegetables to make jams and other kinds of conserves. Try pickling vegetables or make a sweet jam or a meat sauce for a delicious gift your family will love.

Sweet Treats
Making candy is easier than you think and will be guaranteed to leave a smile on the recipient’s face. Try making truffles, toffee, coconut ice, or caramel for a winning gift.

Don’t be Afraid to Try New Things!
Spending a lot of time at home can feel frustrating at first, but soon you might find that there’s a lot you can do to make each day enriching and enjoyable. It’s just a matter of giving something a go and identifying the activities you enjoy the most.

Keeping yourself physically and mentally active doesn’t just stave off boredom—it helps to slow or prevent cognitive decline, too. Why not try one of the activities on this list? Who knows, retirement could end up being the most productive and enjoyable season of your life!

06/24/2024

Ability Home Care, LLC has placed in this contest for the last 4 years! We are grateful for the opportunity to serve the community here in the valley! We appreciate all of the love and support we have had this year from our clients & staff! We look forward to another year of spectacular service!

Results for ability-home-care

05/30/2024

12 Simple Summer Activities For Seniors
Beat Summer Boredom & Heat With These Summer Activities For Seniors
1. Try A New Recipe
Do you enjoy cooking? If so, you may enjoy making something you’ve never tried before. According to Psychology Today, activities like cooking provides a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

Summer is a good time to test your culinary skills since you can often find a range of fresh, inexpensive produce. Plus, adding a variety of fruits and vegetables to your meal ensures you’re getting enough nutrients, too.

You might consider one of these virtual cooking classes to learn new skills or test the ones you already have:

Cozymeal
America’s Test Kitchen
Alton Brown’s Quarantine Quitchen
Quar Eye: Cooking Lessons in Quarantine
Activities For Seniors – Caregiver Cooking With Elderly Woman
What culinary creations would you try?
2. Visit A Museum
Timeless summer activities for seniors, such as museums, are educational and fun ways to pass the time. Plus, many often offer senior discounts, so why not take advantage of the cheaper rate, especially if it’s someplace you’ve never visited? Boston is home to many unique museums, from art to history to science. There are so many places for you to check out!

But what about housebound seniors or those who don’t have access to museums and other cultural exhibits? Not to worry, because you can find many virtual museum tours online, such as:

Google Arts And Culture: Here, you can explore more than 2,000 museum collections from The Louvre, The Met, and more.
Smithsonian Online Exhibitions: Many Smithsonian museums provide exhibits made just for virtual viewers.
NASA Space Center Houston: This free app offers audio tours of NASA’s educational facility.
3. Remember Past Summer Memories
This time of year is a good time for older adults to reminisce. Sharing a favorite summer memory, such as a vacation or exciting event, is a great way to bring your past to life and open up to others. Additionally, it can also help you build communication skills and lower stress.

Summer activities for seniors, such as recording memories, can also be a cathartic experience while improving mental and emotional wellbeing.

4. Gardening
Activities For Seniors – Senior Man Repotting Plants
Gardening can benefit your physical, mental, and even emotional health.
Do you have a green thumb? Gardening is a relaxing, creative way to get outside. Or, if you want to avoid the heat, there are many ways to bring nature inside. Don’t feel like you have to revamp your whole yard. Setting up a small flower box is more than enough to beautify your home.

Of course, don’t forget to stay hydrated while outside and take breaks to cool down. You can enjoy the other summer activities for seniors on this list if you feel unwell!

5. Get Crafty
Art therapy is an excellent way for elders and those with dementia to stimulate their minds creatively, says Dr. Barbara Bagan. Arts and crafts aren’t just for children; they can help adults process and healthily display emotions while cultivating fine motor skills.

Moreover, crafting is one of the best summer activities for seniors because it helps build confidence, focus, and motivation. Some studies show that clay is particularly beneficial for seniors. You may consider signing up for a beginner’s pottery course or a similar class this summer.

6. Volunteer
Retirees have more free time to enjoy activities they previously couldn’t. But if you need something to fill that extra time, volunteering is a fantastic idea. Research local organizations with causes you care about and ask how you can help. Volunteering for seniors has numerous benefits, including providing a sense of fulfillment.

7. Get Moving, Stay Cool
Water aerobics is one of our favorite activities for seniors. It’s one of the best exercises for older adults because it doesn’t place stress on the joints and keeps you out of the heat. But it’s also a great way to meet other people and socialize!

But if water aerobics isn’t for you, plenty of other low-impact exercises are safe for seniors, like yoga, chair tai chi, and balloon volleyball.

8. Leisure Activities
Board games, puzzles, and cards are fun activities for seniors with a competitive side. They’re also an excellent way to interact with others in fun and meaningful ways. One study found that games can lower older adults’ chances of dementia.

Puzzles, in particular, are a classic option for days that are too hot, rainy, or when you want some alone time. Research shows that puzzles can improve cognition and offer a feeling of purpose upon completion.

If you enjoy puzzles, I’m A Puzzle is worth checking out. This website redesigns the classic jigsaw puzzle into a customizable and user-friendly version specifically for seniors. For an added challenge, I’m A Puzzle features specialized functions to practice math while playing.

Unscrambled Words is another online puzzle that offers a fun new way to play traditional word games. With this word descrambler tool, you can quickly transform random letters into actual words and become a word puzzles expert. Unscrambled Words is great for fans of Scrabble, Words with Friends, and similar challenges.

This summer, consider learning a new game you’ve never tried!

9. Movies
Summer activities for seniors, like watching a favorite film, can help you forget about life for a few hours and offer an emotional escape. So if there is one in your area, go to the drive-in! Modern drive-ins provide many amenities like car side concession delivery, high-quality audio you can adjust with your radio, and much more.

Not only that, but tickets for these features are often much cheaper than in traditional theatres. So take your grandkids with you and share memories about times you visited the drive-in theatre in your youth.

10. Reading
A good book is perfect at any time of year, but summer is especially nice since you can read outside in the shade while getting some fresh air or indoors with the AC. Also, joining a book club is an excellent motivator for reading and socializing. Listening to audiobooks may be a good alternative if your eyesight limits your reading ability. There are many places where you can find free audiobooks online, including at the library.

Group Of Senior Women Eating Popcorn And Watching A Movie At The Theatre
Movies are en excellent group activity, and most theaters offer senior discounts.
11. Enjoy A Cold & Tasty Treat
Is it really summer if you don’t eat ice cream at least once? Ice cream socials are perfect for meeting other people and enjoying a delicious treat.

12. Enjoy The Sunshine Responsibly
Summer heat may restrict some outdoor activities for seniors, but getting outside is still important. Sunlight is an excellent source of vitamin D, which lowers the risk of osteoporosis and symptoms of anxiety and depression. It also supports a healthy immune system and cognitive functioning. So going outside, even for a little bit, is enough to get the benefits.

Here are some ways to enjoy summer activities for seniors safely outdoors:

Going out when the temperature cools to watch the sunrise or sunset.
Bird watching in the shade.
Morning or evening walks, but take a bottle of water with you!

Send a message to learn more

05/20/2024

Key facts
By 2030, one in six people in the world will be aged 60 years or over.
Loneliness and social isolation are key risk factors for mental health conditions in later life.
One in six older adults experience abuse, often by their own carers.
Approximately 14% of adults aged 60 and over live with a mental disorder.
Mental disorders among older adults account for 10.6% of the total years lived with disability for this age group.

05/15/2024

We have positions available in a couple different areas of service! Call us at (540) 533-3111 to set up an interview!

05/09/2024

Time to cast your vote! Vote for Ability Home Care, LLC for Best In Home Care Agency!

Get our expert short-term forecast, summary of the weather details and news of any severe weather. Delivered every morning.

05/06/2024

Ability Home Care, LLC would like to give a special thanks to all nurses for all that you do! We would like to especially thank OUR nurse, Carla for your kind, caring, and thoughtful heart! We couldn't do what we do without YOU! Happy Nurses Week!

04/25/2024

Caregiver created list of dozens of dementia activity ideas.

04/16/2024

TALK ABOUT IT: National Healthcare Decisions Day

If you had a health crisis, would your family know your wishes about your care? Sadly, for many people the answer is no. Families often find it difficult to ask questions about what their loved one would want in the event of a health emergency, and a conversation about advanced care planning is frequently delayed until a crisis occurs. As stressful as this conversation may be, it is an important one to have, and sooner rather than later. Ability Home Care, LLC proudly supports National Healthcare Decisions Day as a means of empowering our clients and families with information and access to tools to make advanced care planning easier.

National Healthcare Decisions Day, observed on April 16th, encourages meaningful conversations about advanced care planning. This annual event aims to empower people with information on how to discuss and put in writing their wishes should they become seriously ill and unable to communicate those wishes to a loved one or healthcare provider. In addition, the initiative provides healthcare providers with tool kits to aid them in starting a conversation with patients about advanced care planning. The project also focuses on much more than just living wills, inspiring families to discuss the aspects of care that matter most to them and encouraging hospitals and other care facilities to respect those wishes.

For many, the prospect of talking about final wishes is daunting, and the process of making those wishes known to loved ones and healthcare providers may seem mysterious and unnecessarily convoluted. As an initiative of The Conversation Project, NHDD works to make the process of advanced care planning less frightening by providing simple, concise information to families, healthcare providers and communities. This information is free and available in all 50 states, using uniform tools tailored to state guidelines to enable individuals to make their wishes known to their loved ones and healthcare providers.

Provide yourself and your loved ones with peace of mind by taking the time to think about and share your wishes. For more information about National Healthcare Decisions Day, go to theconversationproject.org

04/02/2024

5 Health Benefits of Laughter for you mind, body, and soul!

When was the last time you had a really good laugh? Not just a small chuckle or a controlled and proper “haha” on the phone, but an all-out, ab-tensing, snort-inducing, sigh-following belly laugh?

Life can be serious sometimes. Bills, health or family concerns, and stressors from work don’t exactly induce roaring laughter. But just like exercise, laughter is amazingly good for your health and, more importantly, it’s a decision.

The Bible tells us, and now science confirms it—a merry heart does good like medicine—spirit, soul and body (Proverbs 17:22). Kenneth Copeland recently sat down with renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Avery Jackson, for a powerful discussion about the effects of laughter on the health of your spirit, soul and body. Dr. Jackson shared how recent research proves that laughter, in conjunction with exercise, will repair your body far beyond anything you can do in the natural.

God’s prescription for health? It includes laughter!

Dr. Jackson says, “God built in mechanisms to heal our imperfect, earthly bodies. Laughter is one of them.”

The good news is that you can make a decision to laugh every day, and as you do, you will rake in these five surprising health benefits of laughter for your spirit, soul and body.

1. Laughter Increases Blood Flow
Maybe you didn’t realize it, but the last time you had a really good laugh—perhaps at a good friend’s joke, a funny television show, or one of those cat videos on YouTube®—you were getting healthier!

Dr. Jackson says that laughter improves your blood flow, which in turn reduces your stress hormones, lowers your blood pressure and activates your immune system. That’s why Proverbs 17:22 (NKJV) says, “A merry heart does good, like medicine.”

This is critical because, according to Dr. Jackson, poor blood flow is the root cause of many diseases. It increases inflammation, which Dr. Don Colbert confirms is the root cause of all major diseases.

Exercise is also a key element in ensuring healthy blood flow. That’s key for people who work sitting or standing for six to eight hours each day. When you exercise and laugh, you are increasing blood flow to the brain—facilitating God’s healing mechanism and preventing disease. It can also repair or prevent neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. We were made to move and be joyful!

Young children, on average, have 300 good belly laughs each day. A typical adult, on the other hand, only experiences 10 per week! Of course, adults have much more to think about and a great deal more responsibility, but the health benefits of laughter are too great to ignore.

Laughter is so important to your health and blood flow, you even get benefits if it’s a put-on laugh. That’s why Dr. Jackson forces himself to laugh many times throughout the day—even if he doesn’t feel like it.

He says, “If you start laughing, even when you don’t want to, it won’t be long until you’re laughing out loud at how funny you sound.”

While both sincere and fake laughter have amazing health benefits, what is even more impressive is how much your body benefits just from anticipating laughter. Studies show that stress hormones like adrenaline and epinephrine drop 70% just from anticipating a good laugh, while mood-elevating hormones called endorphins get a boost.

If you want to live in divine health—spirit, soul, and body—get your body moving and get your daily belly laughs!

Ready for a good laugh? Find a DVD set of Jesse Duplantis’ hilarious stories on life and faith HERE.

2. Laughter Reduces Pain
Hand in hand with blood flow is the issue of pain. There is an opioid epidemic in this nation because people are seeking relief from pain, then being given highly addictive prescription painkillers. But God has a better way.

Though pain relief is often necessary, God has His own prescription for pain. Exercise—which acts as a natural painkiller—and laughter. Both work in the same way as a prescription or over-the-counter painkiller in the way they chemically affect the cell receptors in your brain and body. That’s God’s amazing design!

According to Dr. Jackson, God made the naturally occurring hormone dopamine to relieve pain. We can increase our dopamine levels through both exercise and laughter, and reduce pain naturally. An article in the New England Medical Journal found that 10 minutes of belly laughter relieved pain for up to two hours!

It can be the opposite of what you feel like doing when you’re in pain, but if you focus on getting yourself to exercise or laugh, in combination with speaking the Word of God and standing on His Word for healing, you can take control over what may seem like an out-of-control situation.

This truth changed the life of a man who had been sent home with a terminal condition. He knew the Bible says a merry heart does good, like medicine. He determined that he needed to get some laughter in his life. So, he spent hours every day watching episodes of I Love Lucy, laughing and laughing and laughing. That man recovered!

Yes, standing on the Word of God for healing is first and foremost, but adding exercise and laughter to your routine is clearly beneficial.

3. Laughter Prevents Disease
The benefits of laughter don’t stop at simply reducing pain—a good chuckle can prevent disease, too!

You have an assignment on this earth and staying in good health is part of God’s plan for your life. One way to accomplish this?

Find the funny in life!

Research has found laughter can improve your health and prevent disease by:

Lowering blood pressure
Releasing muscle tension
Increasing feel-good hormones (dopamine, endorphins)
Decreasing stress hormones
Boosting the immune system
Burning calories, and
Giving an overall sense of well-being.
Also, laughter has been found to reduce tumors, increase the effectiveness of cancer treatments, and lengthen the lives of cancer patients.

That is quite a list of benefits for something so fun!

Ready to get healthy? Find 5 Ways to Live in Divine Health HERE.

It’s easy to see why the joy of the Lord is not just the strength of your spirit, it’s the strength of your mind and body, too. The Bible tells us to “count it all joy” (James 1:2, NKJV) in every circumstance for our own physical, mental and spiritual protection.

As you may have guessed, laughing once in a while isn’t going to cut it. You’ve got to make laughter a regular part of your life—just like exercise.

How can you get your daily laughter in?

In his book, The God Prescription, Dr. Avery Jackson prescribes the following:

Laugh, even when you don’t feel like it.
Watch or listen to shows by comedians who do not use obscenities, like The Carol Burnett Show or Christian comedian Tim Hawkins.
Read comics in the newspaper.
Watch funny videos on YouTube®, such as the eTrade babies or videos showing the hilarious antics of children and animals.
For more groundbreaking information and practical lifestyle tips, order your copy of Dr. Jackson’s new book, The God Prescription, HERE.

Start making laughter a part of your daily life and laugh your way to health!

4. Laughter Improves Emotional Health
While laughter is effective at preventing disease, it also reduces stress, which is a major player among the causes of disease. Research has found that emotional health is strongly connected to physical health because, as Dr. Jackson explains, “Emotional issues affect how we see the world, which will, in turn, impact our bodies and emotions.”

Part of our emotional health comes from how we process past circumstances. Dr. Jackson says when one experiences emotional trauma as a child, it often leads to chronic pain and depression in adulthood because there is a direct correlation between what happened to that person and how he or she perceives the world as an adult.

Without the help of the Lord, those traumas can cause people to see things flipped around and not in the light of the truth of God’s Word. The only way to make all things new and move into emotional health is through the Lord Jesus Christ. His joy is our strength, and it, along with the other fruit of the spirit, is imparted to us when we become born again.

Joy is a big part of pushing the reset button on emotional trauma. But you have to operate it by faith.

One way to do so is through laughter.

When you choose to laugh, you choose the joy of the Lord, and that decision positively affects your spirit, soul and body. It’s who you are really meant to be in Christ.

Laughter is a factor of emotional healing. Whenever you start to feel sad, despondent or depressed, make yourself laugh. Remember, your body doesn’t know whether you are laughing spontaneously or are forcing yourself to laugh. The benefit is the same either way!

Dr. Jackson recommends combining laughter with physical and spiritual exercise. He likes to dance in the spirit or pray in the spirit while doing other physical exercises. Then, he works to get in as many belly laughs each day as possible. “When you do,” he says, “you obey God by making Him your joy and refusing to take on the stress of the world.”

Find 25 Scriptures About Joy and Laughter HERE.

5. Laughter Strengthens Your Spirit
Dr. Avery Jackson’s research on laughter, as well as Kenneth Hagin’s revelation on laughing at the devil, has inspired Kenneth Copeland to teach others the importance of laughter in strengthening your spirit. If you’ve attended a KCM event or heard Kenneth speak, you’ve likely enjoyed the benefit of his leading a group laugh session!

Watch one here:

https://youtu.be/A2JPMdZr0Pc
Nehemiah 8:10 says the joy of the Lord is our strength—spirit, soul and body. Dr. Jackson adds, “There is an anointing that comes from joy that strengthens you when there is no strength.”

Laughing from an overflow of joy in the Spirit has tremendous spiritual benefit. When you laugh, you defy the devil’s ability to bring sadness, fear or despair into your life. You laugh at his lack of authority. Instead of dreading the future, you will “laugh at the days to come” (Proverbs 31:25).

Dr. Jackson says, “The best source of laughter is overflowing joy that comes from an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.”

Kenneth E. Hagin knew this truth and once used it to laugh at the devil until his heart symptoms disappeared. One night, he was experiencing heart symptoms, and up out of his spirit came laughter. As he laughed, the devil asked, “What are you laughing at?”

Brother Hagin said, “I’m laughing at you because you said I’d never get my healing.”

He kept laughing by faith until he laughed those symptoms right out of his body. That’s the joy of the Lord and the power of laughter to strengthen your spirit!

Kenneth Copeland says, “The Bible says the Lord sits in the heavens and laughs at the devil (Psalm 2:4). So go ahead, laugh. God is. We should, too. But do it expecting until your financial enemies, family’s enemies or physical enemies are made your footstool.”

These five surprising benefits of laughter are worth laughing about! The best part? Laughter is free, easy, fun and without side effects. Take the Bible’s advice and spend time developing a merry heart. Find things that make you laugh and include them in your everyday life. You can laugh yourself healthy—spirit, soul and body!