Around the house, seniors should keep in mind a few safety tips to guarantee a pleasant winter. Once leaving home, other measures should be followed for a senior’s overall well-being in the cold.

• Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors should be working—If your home or your senior’s home is not equipped with the detectors, install them on every floor. If your home is fully equipped, winter is a good time to change the batteries.

• Buy a fire extinguisher—Every senior’s residence should have a working fire extinguisher, and every senior should know how to use it.

• Space heaters can take your space up in flames—Space heaters are notoriously dangerous. Every senior should keep themselves and any items at least three feet from the heater.

• Think about your feet before leaving home—Seniors should always wear sturdy shoes with a good sole when winter weather looms outside to avoid breaking a hip.

• Grab on to something—A senior’s hands should always be attached to available handrails or have your cane or walker when moving about in winter conditions.

• Do not out do yourself with the snow shovel—Rather than risk a back or heart injury, hire a neighbor to shovel the walk or do it yourself with the help of modern technology shovels like the wovel, a shovel on wheels.

Via: MSNBC

If you’ve recognized that an important senior in your life needs help at home, it’s no easy job to find someone that you trust to help ensure that their needs are met. Reputable home care companies are, however, out there; and if you cover all your bases and follow these tips, you’ll be able to find the best option that works for their lifestyle.

1. Know what’s out there – to choose the best option, explore them all. Even if you have home care in mind, visiting a nursing home will only help to reassure you of your decision

2. Ask the opinion of others – the best feedback you will receive on home care places you’re exploring is from other trusted friends and family members who have been through the process

3. Interview someone at the service – before you even meet with a caregiver, interview someone in charge at the home care service about what they provide, and what their specific policies are

4. Ask about licensing – the home care service should have appropriate licenses as required by their jurisdiction; ask about this, and also find out if the home caregivers have any specific level of training

5. Be straight forward – to make sure that that important senior in your life receives adequate care, don’t sugar coat what you’re dealing with. If your loved one is difficult with certain tasks or activities, let them know so they can reassure you by talking about how they’d address these circumstances

Via: Family Caregiver Alliance

Caring for an elderly or ill family member is an enormous responsibility. Not only does it cost a lot of money, but it also has severe emotional effects on the caregiver. There is a current petition for the development of a stamp that will acknowledge the sacrifices made by caregivers. The stamp will offer awareness to the general public. The idea is to inform people of the great load that comes along with being a caregiver. Some of the major issues for caregivers include the following:

• An estimated out of pocket expense of $5,531 per year which include travel and transportation, medical care co-payments, food and household goods

• These additional expenses result in the cutting of leisure activities, personal savings, vacations and putting off home improvements

• More than a third of caregivers use their own savings to provide for their loved one

• Almost half of current caregivers have had to quit their job in order to keep up with caregiving responsibilities

• The annual estimated expense is much higher for long-distance caregivers

• These expenses increase levels of stress and can have an effect on the over-all health of the caregiver

• The financial burden that comes along with being a caregiver can have serious emotional effects

Sources:

caregiving.org

stanford.wellsphere.com

Did you know that November is National Family Caregiver month? Well, it is, and it signifies a time to say “thank you” for everything that the caregiver in your life does for you. If you’re a senior who receives care from a family member, you might appreciate their companionship, but everything that they do for your becomes part of a regular routine and it’s hard to remember to appreciate them and everything that they sacrifice to help you have a happy healthy life in older adulthood.

It’s not unusual for seniors, like many of you out there to gripe and groan about how family members are sticking their nose into your business in older adulthood; and you might not always appreciate the presence of your family caregiver, especially when it feels like they’re taking over your life. But, try and remember what they’re offering you. With their help, you’re able to remain in your own home and lead a lifestyle of your choosing.

This November, stop and recognize everything that your family caregiver does for you and say “thanks”.

Via: FamilyCaregiving101

The holidays are a time of togetherness; about spending time with family and those who mean the most to us. But for many seniors who have experienced loss, the holidays, whatever they may be, can become a time of loneliness.  It is, however, possible to prevent the holiday blues and the emotional distress that begins to signify the holidays for many seniors:

• Don’t expect too much – if big family get togethers haven’t been a big part of holidays recently, don’t expect them or you’ll only face disappointment

• Don’t do things that are too stressful – holidays are meant to be a time of enjoyment, so if there are certain tasks that surround the holidays that stress you out, avoid them!

• Volunteer – surround yourself with others in the community by volunteering and giving back

• Don’t isolate yourself – when holidays aren’t the way they used to be, seniors might become isolated; join in on activities in the community, get together with friends and make sure you don’t have to be alone

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle – to keep your spirits up, take care of yourself. Exercise, eat well and limit  alcohol consumption

Sources:

1. 4Therapy

2. About.com

Art might just seem like a fun hobby for many, but for seniors with Alzheimer’s it can have extensive benefits that can truly change their lives in the following ways:

1. Communication – seniors with Alzheimer’s often struggle to communicate verbally; art gives them a method to communicate non-verbally, expressing their feelings in a way that can act as an emotional release

2. Improved memory and concentration – Alzheimer’s doesn’t eliminate memories, it just limits the pathways that seniors have to access them.  Art can help seniors to access some of these memories, and it generally taps into the skills and abilities that seniors still have, rather than focusing upon what they’re lacking

3. Better sense of well-being – seniors with Alzheimer’s can be difficult when dealing with their caregivers due to lingering frustrations that come with the disease. Art has calming effects which can benefit not only the well-being of the senior, but also the caregiver through increased cooperation

4. Forms a bond – by allowing the senior with Alzheimer’s to tap into elements of themselves and show their abilities, caregivers and family members are reminded that there’s someone that’s still in there

1. AARP

2. USA Today

Do you use a webcam to keep in touch with your grandchildren that live far away? If so, we’d like to hear your favorite moments and memories that have made you feel closer to your loved ones despite the distance.

Webcams make it possible to catch all of those little moments that you might miss otherwise. Having that visual connection makes it feel like you’re right next to each other having a conversation, rather than being at the other end of the phone line, or simply typing words in an email. Here are some tips for getting started with a webcam to communicate with your grandchildren if you aren’t doing it already:

1. Get the webcam – many laptops that are sold today come with webcams, even a few computer monitors also have webcams built in. If your computer doesn’t have a webcam, you can buy one for as little as $20

2. Set it up – most webcams will come with software and drivers you can install to get it setup. Follow the instructions and put the webcam itself so it comfortably focuses on your face

3. Find a way to chat – to connect with grandchildren, you will need to both use the same type of program that supports webcam chat. Instant messengers like MSN and AOL have webcam chat, or other programs like Skype offer it as well. Choose one that will also be safe for your grandchild to use

Sources:

1. CowboyFrank

2. All Business

Seniors are always on the hunt for things that can help conserve their memories and enhance their overall cognitive function and I would be willing to bet if you’re not one of them today, you’re looking for secrets that will help you in the future. Well, I’ve got good news for you – something that you’re doing already out of enjoyment and convenience will help improve your mind..and I’ll give you a hint, if you’re reading this, you’re doing it right now! Did you figure it out? Because the big secret is using the internet and the number one benefit comes from reading through search engine results after you’ve looked for a specific resource as it involves complex cognitive processes. Surfing the internet generally does have its benefits as well, so if you get online to check your email, social network, or do your shopping, you’re also on the road to making sure those are moments that you’ll remember. And that’s something you can take literally!

In the past, the aging process was seen as a regular decline of the body and mind, but perceptions are changing, and today’s seniors are seen as being more like a fine wine; they just get better with age. Although not everyone has jumped onboard with this ideology, the mainstream media is beginning to embrace the beauty of age. The face of Mango’s 2008/2009 Fall/Winter collection was 65 year old Lauren Hutton, an actress and model who has also appeared on the cover of Vogue. This campaign shows that like the size 0 teens or twenty-somethings that typically appear on the pages of fashion magazines and even the fashion runways, that older adults can be just as beautiful and intriguing, and also showing that the trendier fashion lines can be great for people of all ages.

Age is beauty, and as ideologies about what it means to get older continue to shift, hopefully society will continue to embrace aging as a positive thing!

Via: Trendhunter.com

There is no feeling worse than sitting at home wondering what’s become of your elderly loved one who suffers from Alzheimer’s and has wandered away. Every time the phone rings, for hours on end, you begin to wonder if someone is calling because they have found the senior injured, or even worse, deceased from an accident or injury during their journey while lost and confused. But for some, the prevention of this situation is not enough to consider using a tracking device to help keep track of older adults who suffer from Alzheimer’s and dementia. Some people believe it takes away the privacy and independence of a senior; others know that it does that while offering protection and safety which both should come first.

Despite the controversy of senior tracking devices, there is quite a market out there for them, with more refined technology constantly under development. The latest is a pair of shoes with a tracking device that submits location details back to a computer. The Ambulatory Tracking Shoes are set to go on sale in the spring, and a portion of the costs might be covered by Medicare.

Where do you stand in the argument about senior tracking technology? Share with us what you think about these tracking shoes.

Via: Washington Post