Author Archives: ron

Understanding Assisted Living

By ron | Published: July 27, 2010

Assisted living facilities offer housing alternatives for older adults who may need help with dressing, bathing, eating, and toileting, but do not require the intensive medical and nursing care provided in nursing homes.

Assisted living facilities may be part of a retirement community, nursing home, senior housing complex, or may stand-alone. Licensing requirements for assisted living facilities vary by state and can be known by as many as 26 different names including: residential care, board and care, congregate care, and personal care.

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Posted in Alzheimer's Care, Assisted Living, Nursing Homes, Retirement Communities, Senior Care Choices | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Long-Term Care – A Senior Crisis

By ron | Published: July 23, 2010

Difficult economic times coupled with a general lack of knowledge of how to pay for long-term care services, has left many ill-equipped should they become disabled.  This is true for those even who aren’t in immediate need for senior care.

Many feel worried and unprepared for the costs of long-term care, according to a recent poll supported by The SCAN Foundation and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.  The poll, conducted by Lake Research Partners, surveyed people ages 40 and older.  58% of respondents felt unprepared to pay for services if they could no longer care for themselves independently.

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Retirement Homes: An Option Worth Reconsidering

By ron | Published: July 20, 2010

People age 85 and older will make up the fastest growing age segment over the next two decades, and as the recent real estate bust and financial crisis keeps affecting seniors, retirement homes may be an option worth considering.

The impending graying of baby boomers should refocus Congress on safety, expanding transportation services and improving infrastructure.  By 2025, one in four drivers will be age 65 and over. The number of older non-drivers, nearly 7 million in 2001, will also double by 2025.  Plus, people age 85 and older will make up the fastest growing age segment over the next two decades, reaching almost 6.5 million by the year 2020. These statistics have profound implications for the planning, design, and operation of our roads, transit systems, and senior living and retirement communities.

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Preparing For Home Care

By ron | Published: July 17, 2010

Whether you arrange for home care through an agency or hire an independent home health care aide on an individual basis, it helps to spend some time preparing for the person who will be doing the work.  Ideally, you could spend a day with him or her, before the job formally begins, to discuss what will be involved in the daily routine. If nothing else, tell the homecare provider (both verbally and in writing) the following things that he or she should know about in order to provide the senior care that’s most needed:

  • Illnesses/injuries, and signs of an emergency medical situation

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Posted in Home Care Helpers, Home Care Nursing, Home Care Provider Tips, Senior Care Choices | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Seniors With Mental Issues – What To Do?

By ron | Published: July 13, 2010

When faced with senior care, whether happening in a home care setting or assisted living, the ravages of aging begin to debilitate a person’s physical being, the situation is even more compounded and cruel when there are mental issues involved.  This isn’t a Baby Boomer issue — it’s a human issue.

There has been a great deal written about Alzheimer’s Disease as well as Dementia, that affects the brain and overall personality for many of the elderly.  However, what happens when a person has battled depression or other psychological disorders all their life, and they’re faced with their body (and life) starting to ‘shut down’?  How does a person who is helping with the caregiving, especially children and relatives, deal with a sad situation that is now more magnified?

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Posted in Aging Loved Ones, Alzheimer's Care, Assisted Living, Baby Boomers, Caring For Parents, Dementia Care, Home Care Helpers, Home Care Nursing, Medical News, Senior Care Choices | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Home Care Providers: What To Look For

By ron | Published: July 9, 2010

When considering home care for your parents or a loved one, there are a few basic things that you want to know in order to evaluate your options in choosing the best senior care provider:

Offering Services You Need:

  • Companionship:  visiting, supervision and leisure activities
  • Personal Care: help with bathing, dressing, toileting and exercising.
  • Homemaking:  housekeeping, shopping and cooking
  • Skilled or Nursing Care: help with medication and other medical needs

Check That Your Provider Is:

  • Trained in first aid and CPR
  • Trained in alzheimer’s or dementia care
  • Experienced in working with someone with dementia

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Posted in Alzheimer's Care, Caring For Parents, Dementia Care, Home Care Helpers, Home Care Nursing, Senior Care Choices | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Senior Parent Falling? Yoga May Help Prevent Falls

By ron | Published: July 6, 2010

With falls a major cause of serious injuries and accidental death for seniors, everyday activities can seem daunting.  And even seniors who have never fallen can reduce their quality of life due to a fear of falling.  But two new studies show that different types of physical training may help prevent future falls – and build confidence in senior citizens.

Yoga Offers More Than Physical Benefits

The effort to avoid falls can create a harmful cycle that actually diminishes health and quality of life rather than preventing injury. Fear of falling causes older Americans to limit their social and physical activity, the researchers said. Yet researchers at Indiana University found that hatha yoga classes helped reduce fear of falling in older adults.

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Posted in Baby Boomers, Caring For Parents, Fall Prevention, Safety Tips For Seniors | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Senior Health: Keep Social For A Longer, Healthier Life

By ron | Published: July 2, 2010

For proper senior care as many baby boomers age, they’re likely to experience a loss of muscle strength, speed, and dexterity. And while these impairments are upsetting on their own, they are also risk-factors for death, disability, and alzheimer’s disease.  Researchers have found a simple way to help slow the physical decline of aging: engaging in social activities.

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Posted in Alzheimer's Disease, Baby Boomers, Exercise, Medical News, Stroke | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Alzheimer's: A Gene May Hold The Key

By ron | Published: June 29, 2010

A team led by researchers at MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory Care has pinpointed the exact gene responsible for a recent breakthrough in which mice with symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease regained long-term memories and the ability to learn.

The researchers found that drugs that work on the gene HDAC2 reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s and boost cognitive function in mice.   Both the gene and its protein are promising targets for treating memory impairment.

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Boomers & Heart Attacks

By ron | Published: June 26, 2010

For many of the Baby Boomers entering the age where they’re more prone to heart attacks, it’s wise to learn everything one can from as many sources as possible, to make sure you continue aging and become a healthy senior citizen.

If a heart attack is diagnosed and depending on the diagnosis, a patient may be immediately transferred to a catheterization lab offering the latest technology.  Or, the medical team may determine that clot-busting medications can be used to stop heart attacks quickly and minimize damage to the heart muscle.

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