Now that the Christmas excesses are behind us, many people of all ages are ready to start anew and make their New Year's resolution. To help Ireland's seniors live a healthier and more active life, Home Instead Senior Care, Ireland's trusted source of home care for seniors recommends the following New Year's resolutions:

* Start exercising - It is never too late to start exercising and for seniors, regular exercise can help improve your health and overall quality of your life. It also helps improve your balance which will help you avoid injuries from falls and keep you independent and mobile.

* Assess your medical health - Prevention really is better than cure and visiting your doctor will help identify any potential health problems allowing you to take steps to prevent or treat illness early.

* Make new friends - After the death of a spouse or loved friends and family members, many seniors find themselves alone. Being lonely is hard on our health and affects our immune systems so it is so important seniors reach out to people. Developing new friendships can ward off depression and make life feel worthwhile again.

* Learn new things - You are never too old to learn new things - research actually shows that training and learning reignites the brain and improves memory. Many local schools and colleges offer adult learning programmes that you may be interested in, such as language classes.

* Fall proof your home - 82% of accidents to people over the age of 75 are fall related. A home visit by an occupational therapist will help identify risk factors and tell you what to do to make your home safer. For example you may want to avoid throw rugs or have cracks and uneven pathways repaired.

Danette Connolly, Director of Home Instead said: "Health and happiness should be a New Year's goal for people of all ages and we at Home Instead Senior Care encourage seniors to make a new year's resolution that will make a positive difference in their life. Reflect on the areas of your life you would like to resolve such as lack of exercise or medical neglect - it is never too late to improve your health and overall quality of life".

For further information on tips to keep seniors healthy log onto www.homeinstead.ie or call 051 – 333966.