Smart Senior

Senior Living: A Support System of Your Own

 Retirement and living happily ever after articles are often clipped, scanned, and filed away to be read later.  Hopefully you read enough of them to discover that retirement, like everything else, takes careful planning.  If you live alone you will find that some rather unique and special circumstances apply.

If you are accustomed to living alone the idea of filling your hours and making plans might not seem like a big deal, but others who find themselves without a spouse, partner, or family may not find it quite as gratifying.

You may be looking forward to enjoying peace and quiet and catering to your own needs, but  living alone is not always what it is cracked up to be.  If you tend to feel lonely when left to your own devices, or if your health or your financial situation is questionable, you may need help.   A financial planner or a pre-planned support system could give you much needed peace of mind.   As independent as you like to think you are, it is good to know that you have a plan in place.

Friends or distant family members may not notice if you are struggling.  You may not notice it yourself, or if you do you want to keep your private fears and thoughts to yourself.    A financial planner might be the first person to notice if you are skipping meetings, having trouble keeping records straight or forgetting to pay your bills.    Before you reach the point where you actually need help, consider setting up a bill paying service and keep meticulous records of your assets, advisors, and important people in your life.  A financial planner is a good place to start.   If they are not able to provide services as comprehensive as you would like they can surely point you in the right direction. There are also service providers in your community who can help you maintain your current lifestyle.  

Living alone is fine and many people enjoy and relish the idea, but there comes a time in every ones life when they will need a support system, and not just in regard to finances.  If you don’t want to move into a facility that provides these services you can investigate the possibility of creating a system of your own. If you are thinking along these lines you know that there are others with the same concerns.  Remember that there are many services that a person might need that don’t involve money at all.  What about a daily call system to make sure that everyone’s needs are being met?  Pool your resources to help out if someone needs a ride to the doctor, a hot meal or someone to talk to.   A group of people with similar needs can work together for the common good.  Look into services within your own community that provide senior services and educational opportunities that you can share.    Through knowledge, sharing and networking you can create your own support system and work together to live happily and independently.

 

Senior Living: Self Help the Old Fashioned Way

 

Don’t knock gizmos and gadgets.   Whether your parents are getting older, or you are an independent senior yourself, you are undoubted wondering what you can do to make your life easier and your home safer.  Even if you are in good health you may find that activities of daily living are not as easy as they used to be.  Bending, stooping, climbing stairs or even just opening a pickle jar may be a challenge.

Remodeling your house or moving into a retirement community would be the ideal solution, but it is not for everyone.  You should be able to stay in your own home, without compromising your health and well-being, and be able to do it without spending money that you don’t have.   However, you do need to be aware that your house could be sabotaging your bid for independent living.  Don’t delay.  If you don’t know where to start, ask for help.  An evaluation by a professional will be money well spent, and may even be covered by your health insurance.  An occupational therapist can make practical and economical recommendations that will make your home a better place to live.    The idea of safety proofing your home or buying anything that sounds high tech can be daunting, but small changes can make a big difference.  

Family members and friends often ask what they can get for you or what they can do to help you.  Next time, tell them what you would really like.  Instead of mumbling into your hand that you are fine and that you don’t need or want anything, give them a list.  Believe me, your children and your friends will be pleased to know that they can do something useful.  Really, they hate buying bathrobes and dusting powers as much as you hate getting them.  Let them know how much you would appreciate a subscription to a taxi service, safety strips for your bathtub, an alarm pendant, or a dozen other items that you need but never get around to buying for yourself.    Do you still need some ideas?

• Get rid of wobbly television tray tables or end tables in your living room.  I have seen far too many older people use furniture to support themselves on as they move around their apartments.  This is never a good idea.

• Replace easy chairs that are hard to get into and out of.  You need solid arms supports and firm cushions.   When you were younger it was all well and good to sink into a bean bag chair, but nowadays you could be stuck there for days.

•  Replacing a slippery round doorknob with a lever will make it easier for you to open doors (there are also door knob lever adaptors that will fit right over your existing doorknob).  Lever faucet handles for sink and bath are easier to manipulate if your hand strength is less than it should be.

• An occupational therapist will introduce you to tools such as the”reacher” (a long pole with a grabber at the end) to help your reach for items high or low.  Dozens of products such as the Good Grip Jar Opener by OXO are available to help you out in the kitchen.  You wouldn’t think something so simple could mean so much.  Inexpensive bottle openers, pill dispensary units, specialty toothbrush and floss holders.  If you have a need you can find just the right gizmo or gadget to fill your needs.

Where there is a will there is a way.  Look for answers and accept help.  Independent Living could be right at your fingertips.

Senior Living: Longevity and Social Relationships

      

You probably aren’t as social as you think you are.  You may think of yourself as a social being, but what happens if you are not?  When you retire you no longer have a career, a business, or special functions to attend.  There is no place that you have to be.  It is quite a shock when you realize how small your social network actually is. When you leave work you promise to keep in touch with everyone, but you don’t, and you soon learn that your colleagues have moved on without you. Your former social network is no longer there.

The social aspect of work is what kept you sane.  Whether you loved or hated your job was immaterial.  Sharing your feelings with others in the same boat created a special bond.  When that bond no longer exists you are alone, perhaps for the first time in your life.

Your family is your closest support system, but even that isn’t a given.  Relationships, even family relationships, need to be nurtured in order to endure. Not everyone is lucky enough to be a part of a large family.  Some families are small or nonexistent.   The choices that you have made will determine what you need to do now.

As people grow older, family members and friends move away or die.  My favorite cousins have lived in the same area for many years. It is a community where everyone knows everyone else.  Every week or so she tells me that they have attended funeral services for someone they know.  Typically, their circle of friends is getting smaller every year.   Outliving friends and even your own children is a valid fear for many older people.    

People who move into communal or institutional settings find that it is difficult to maintain social relationships on the outside.  Family and friends are often reluctant to visit because of the rules and regulations that govern communal living.  The invitations and visits dwindle until they stop altogether.  Many people opt to stay in their own homes or live with adult children for such reasons.

Relationships are important as you grow older. If you choose to stay in your own home or your own community you have to make the effort to keep the lines of communication open.  If you open your mind and heart and avail yourself of modern technology you can make it happen.  Telephone calls, e-mails, and Skype make keeping in touch as close as your living room.

 Social interaction plays an important role in successful aging.  It will be up to you to make the first move.  Volunteer your services and share your knowledge.  Make those extra years count for something.

Senior Health: Longevity and Your Health

  

I think you can understand that longevity is not going to be a perk if you don’t feel good.  Have you thought about what you will need to do to make sure that longevity is a blessing rather than a curse?    Health Care is a personal responsibility.  You cannot sit back and wait for something to go wrong before you take action.

Health care is changing.  Today health care is about taking care of your body and your mind. The new trend is on wellness.   The focus is on prevention and maintenance.  There is so much information out there that you might not know where to start; but take a deep breath and calm yourself.   The basic concepts haven’t changed as much as you might think.   If you were paying attention you learned just about everything you needed to know in grade school.  It’s a shame if you were too busy, or didn’t care, or didn’t think it applied to you.  If you had paid attention to what your PE/Health teacher had to say you wouldn’t be so worried now.

You are older now, and probably sorry that you didn’t pay more attention during those classes.   Instead you went ahead and did some really dumb things and are now paying the price.  Nobody gets old on purpose.  Nobody gets sick on purpose, but many of the problems associated with aging have been exacerbated by the poor choices made early on.  Improper diets, not enough exercise, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption will eventually wear you down.

Is it too late to start over? The experts tell us that it isn’t too late.  You may never be 100% but the human body is remarkably resilient and forgiving.

Early diagnosis and treatment make the maladies of old age manageable, but following the guidelines are more important than ever.  The outlook will depend on your ability to follow orders in regards to health care, nutrition, exercise and medication protocols.

It is undeniably true that older people are subject to more chronic conditions than when they were younger.  The good news is that many health problems can be prevented or managed with medication and a healthy lifestyle.   Your objective is to live a long and comfortable life.   Get used to that idea.

You may still get sick, suffer an injury, or need surgery but that doesn’t mean you should give up.  It is important to approach convalescence with a positive attitude.  Going to a rehab center does not mean that you get to loll around and let others wait on you.  Eat good meals, do the therapy and focus on getting well as quickly as possible.   It takes more than rest and medications to get well. When you are sick you feel weak; when you are weak you feel sicker.  You will be asked to push yourself hard because weakness makes you vulnerable to other illnesses or injuries.  Take advantage of medical technology.  Get treatment.  Have your hips and knees replaced if necessary and keep on going.  If you are going to live a long time you want those years to be as good as they can possibly be don’t you?

 

Senior Living: Financial Planning - Can You Afford Life as You Know It?

        

Thousands of books have been written about finances and retirement.  Unfortunately most of them don’t look far enough into the future.   If you are entertaining the idea of living well into your 90s or beyond, you are going to give financial planning closer scrutiny.  We aren’t just talking about what you will leave your heirs, but about how you are going to be able to continue living life as you know it today.

People get into the habit of living from pay check to pay check during their affluent years, but what happens after retirement?  If you haven’t been paying attention to your finances, expenses, investments, debt, taxes, and any other assets you may have, you may be in for a rude awakening.  If you don’t have money to cover basic needs your lifestyle is going to be seriously limited.   Even people with retirement savings may find that they don’t have enough money coming in to pay the bills, much less handle a serious illness.

So, how long do you have to work until you can afford not to work for the rest of your life?  In this economy it may be longer than you think.  Where will your income be coming from?  Will your income be able to handle unexpected emergencies?

Guard your money.  Get rich schemes should never be considered.  Older people are easy targets for scam artists so hold your money near and dear.  It has become common practice for young wage earners to live beyond their means.  This has to stop.  When you get older you no longer have the time to catch up or make up the difference between what comes in and what goes out.  The time has come when you absolutely must learn how to live below your means.

Managing your money is a full time job.  Who will manage your money as an adviser or representative if you can no longer manage?  If you are managing your money and your investments now, could your spouse take over that responsibility if something happened to you?  Financial experts often recommend setting up a trust with several individuals working together to protect your interests.

Longevity as well as the shifting economy may mean that leaving a sizeable estate for children and grandchildren is no longer a given.  At this point meeting your own basic needs it a priority; as well as making sure that your family doesn’t go into debt caring for you. Your future has to have a place for you in it.

 

 

 

 

Senior Living: Who Will Take Care of You?

                   

Independence and being able to take care of your own health and well being is a good thing, but what if that isn’t always possible? The downside to longevity is that you may not have a support system when you need it most.  This is a topic that most of us don’t want to think about, but if you live 90 plus years you are going to need help in one way or another.

Needless to say, the article by Pamela Yip in the weekend issue (April 21, 2013) of the Herald (www.Heraldnet.com/business) caught my eye.  The article (www.dallasnews.com/business/columnists) touched on this very important topic, and raised questions that we all need to think about.  I was not surprised, after years of working with seniors, to read that the number of people who do not have a support system in place is on the rise.  Have you thought about what this could mean to you? 

Many seniors are hopeful that family members will step forward when the time comes, but this isn’t always an option.  You don’t have to read very many advice columns to realize how that many people are estranged from family members or are in long distant relationships.   Many people, who are single, divorced, widowed, or live alone for one reason or another find themselves in this category.   Whatever the reason, the end result is that more and more people are finding themselves alone as they grow older.

People who face this dilemma need to think about it in advance; before something catastrophic happens to them.  Most will need to investigate the sources of support and care available to them in the retirement facility or the community that they call home.  It is quite essential to have someone to take on both financial and medical powers of attorney for you in the event that you can not make decisions yourself.

Your support system may have to consist of people other than relatives.  Of course this means that you need to cultivate friendships and connections on your own.  Look into community organizations that serve seniors.  Your church, a local senior center or any division on aging can point you in the right direction.  Ideally, the person you entrust with having financial and medical powers of attorney for you will be someone who knows and respects your wishes.   Be active in your community and church so that you aren’t just another face in a crowd, and consider mending fences with family members if it isn’t too late.   I’ve known many people who have reconnected with grandchildren or other distant relatives during these most difficult times.

Senior Living: Longevity (Keeping Busy as You Grow Older)

   

What will you do if you find yourself alive and well at 90 or even 100 years of age?   This idea isn’t as far fetched as you might think.  Advances in science and medicine are making health and longevity a very likely prospect.   The biggest concern is how you are going to afford to keep yourself in the manner you have become accustomed.  

Work is a good thing. A job not only provides intellectual stimulation but often makes up the bulk of your social network.   Many people can’t wait for retirement, but others find the idea frightening and socially unacceptable.  If you want to work longer but find your job too physically or emotionally challenging you could be caught in the middle.  For your own mental health you might need to consider working part time or looking into a second career.  Delaying retirement is certainly something many have thought about.

Is working in your first career field even an option?   Pilots, military personal, police officers and others have mandatory retirement laws.   High stress careers such as nursing, teaching, or corporate leadership roles are difficult to sustain.   It isn’t unusual for people to want more sanity in their lives as they grow older.

Some businesses are good about adapting the work environment to meet the needs of older employees, but others just want to have them gone.   However, recent articles in business journals are reporting that there is a growing demand for temporary and contract work.  This type of work might be perfect for the mature worker who would love to be able to take breaks between assignments.  Hopefully, by the time the baby boomers reach their 80s mandatory retirement laws will be changed so that older workers will have more options. 

If you retire at 65 what are you going to be doing in your 80s, 90s and possibly longer?  Some will delay retirement, plan for a second career, do volunteer work, or just quite working altogether.  Some will return to school, turn a hobby into a career, work at something mindless but socially fulfilling, or end up being a caregiver for a spouse or grandchildren.

 Those who are able to stop working altogether will have time to enjoy sports, hobbies, and travel as well as spending quality time with their families.   Some people are eager to pursuit advanced degrees or take life long learning classes for the sheer joy of learning.  The increasing availability of college courses provides wonderful opportunities for the senior student.

Hopefully you will have a ready answer when someone asks you what you are going to do with all of your extra time.  It would be nice if you could be enthusiastic when you near 100 as you were when you were 50. 

Senior Living: Slips, Trips and Falls

 

A fall can’t always be blamed on personal health issues.   Have you ever been walking along minding your own business, when for no apparent reason you stumble, slip or trip over something?  Of course there was a reason, but it wasn’t something that grabbed you attention and warned you to be careful.   It could have been a rough patch on a sidewalk, grease or food spilled on the floor, a misplaced throw rug, or maybe you just tripped over your own feet.  Slips, trips and falls happen every day.  You can slip if there isn’t enough traction between your foot and the surface you are walking on.   A water spill, food or grease on the floor, or a loose unanchored mat may be all it takes to land you in the hospital.   A trip is a little different.  Your foot hits against an object that probably shouldn’t have been there in the first place.  It doesn’t take much to cause a momentary loss of balance.   Different words but the same result.   You may laugh and feel dumb for not paying attention but a stumble, a slip, or a fall is not a laughing matter.

Falls that occur from other than medical reasons are lumped under the category of “extrinsic factors.”  Extrinsic factors are the things that affect your ability to move around safely, but don’t have anything to do with your health.  Common culprits are throw rugs, unsecured bath mats, clutter, and poor lighting.  Another common mistake is not having something to grab if you lose your balance.  For example, a shower curtain or a towel bar will not support your weight no matter how reassuring they may seem.

People tend to ignores things that are right in front of their noses.  It is hard to be objective about your own home. It is never a bad idea to have a physical or occupational therapist come to your house to make recommendations.  An outsider can quickly see what you do not, and can recommend quick and inexpensive ways safety proof your home.  It is easier to eliminate these extrinsic risk factors than you might imagine.   Let’s look at a few trouble areas, just so you know what I am talking about. 

• Eliminate doorway thresholds and scatter rugs.  Remove clutter, consider railings along stairways (indoors and out) and have wooden stairs carpeted or fitted with non-skid treads. Good indoor and outdoor lighting is a must.  Decide if a ramp or a stair lift would make life easier for you.

• Remove high-pile or shag rugs.  I shouldn’t have to tell you that throw rugs that slide across the floor are a major hazard.  If you really need throw rugs they should be tightly woven and secured to the floor with nonslip adhesive tape.  If you shop around you can find non-skid throw rugs and slip resistant mats, and while you are at it, ask for recommendations about carpeting that is walker or wheelchair friendly.

• Pay attention to the ground when you are walking outside, especially if the area isn’t familiar to you.  Rain, snow, ice, or leaves hide rough patches and/or make surfaces extra slippery.

 Safety-proof your home before a stumble, a slip, or a fall takes the decision out of your hands.  If you think I am over reacting I want you to take a look around your house right now, and then tell me that there aren’t at least six trouble spots waiting to trip you up.  

Independent Living: When A Senior Falls

 

Everyone falls.  Toddlers learning how to walk fall, kids riding bicycles fall, and rough-housing while playing can result in a fall.   We thought nothing about falling down when we were kids or even as young adults.   I’m not sure of the exact day, but somewhere around the time of your 60^th birthday, a fall suddenly becomes a big deal.   It is scary when words like bone density, osteoporosis, and balance become a part of your vocabulary.   If you feel unbalanced at time or are having near falls more often than you should, it is time to familiarize yourself with words like fall prevention and safety proofing your house.

Right now you are probably more concerned about your parents or grandparents than about yourself, but your time is coming too.   A friend of mine got tangled up in a pile of bedding and lost her balance.  She fell and sustained multiples fractures in her foot and ankle.  It took nearly a year for her to recover and get her life back.  She was older, but she wasn’t that old.  A fall can happen to anyone.   Tripping over a dangling bedspread, bobbling when you stand on one foot to get dressed or bumping into bed franes are all signs that you need to start thinking about your balance.  

Why are you falling?  What is going on in your life that makes you feel unsteady on your feet?  Usually it is a combination of environment hazards (how safe is your home), chronic conditions that you may be dealing with, or medications that you are taking.  Some of these issues are treatable so don’t ignore them or suffer in silence.  A few common conditions that can contribute to falls are:

• Arthritis:  Today much can be done to treat or minimize discomfort and disability from arthritis.  Medications, surgeries and physical therapy are known to work wonders.
• Sensory deprivation:  Vision and hearing loss contribute to falls because they affect how you move around our environment. Eye conditions and hearing loss are often treatable.
• Medications:   Studies show that the risk of falling increases with the number of medications you might be taking.  I know people who take 14-20 different medications every day.  It isn’t surprising that side effects and drug interactions often contribute to falls.
• Muscle Weakness:  A sedentary lifestyle or a prolonged illness can result in muscle weakness. Muscle strengthening exercises can make you less vulnerable.  Certain diseases can cause muscle fatigue and weakness, but you won’t know unless you are tested.  Neurological problems can affect stride, balance and judgment.  Parkinson’s disease, recovery from a stroke, and dementia are a few of the culprits.
• Depression as well as substance abuse might be difficult to detect but certainly contribute to falls

When you get older a fall is a big deal.   It doesn’t take much to influence judgment, balance or motor function in an older person.   Worrying about your elderly parent or even about yourself is a good thing.  Stop falls before they happen!

 

 

 

Senior Health: Home From the Hospital

 

Being released from the hospital is a liberating experience.  It is the day that every patient looks forward to.  Getting out of the hospital is less dramatic than getting in, but it requires more thought than you might have imagined.   You should be asking yourself why it is that so many people end up being readmitted within a month after discharge.  Readmission statistics have been so alarming that hospitals are beginning to question their discharge policies.

At the time of discharge many patients are so anxious that they don’t hear what is being said to them.   The transition from being taken care of by nurses and therapists to understanding how to manage on your own is wildly confusing.   What happens?  What happens is that you don’t understand the instructions, forget to make follow-up appointments or don’t fully grasp whether to continue old medications along with the new ones. 

Several of my friends were recently hospitalized.  They both mentioned that they found the discharge instructions confusing.   I know this is true.  I worked in an assisted living facility for many years. I can remember how frustrated I would feel when packets of generic forms were thrust into my hands.  It took a considerable amount of time to sort through those papers, and more often that not, found that they said nothing at all about home care and convalescence.  What happens if you don’t have someone to do that for you?

Transition from an acute care hospital situation back home is difficult.  Discharge instructions arrive within minutes before a patient is wheeled out of the door.  This important part of the process is rushed and misunderstood.  Physician orders get mixed in with patient education forms and you get little chance to ask questions or express your fears.   It is no wonder that these instructions usually end up lost or in the garbage can.

I read an article in The Wall Street Journal (Monday, March 18, 2013) last week that reflected my concerns.  Laura Landro (encore@wsj.com) wrote about how to simplify your convalescence and avoid having to be readmitted.  First and foremost was accepting that recovery takes time.  You don’t get much rest in the hospital so the idea of returning to work or resuming your full schedule should not even enter your mind.  Being in bed for any length of time (especially for a senior) can leave you weak and listless.  Trying to make heads or tails out of your discharge instructions is often the last thing on your mind.   You need to speak up.  Ask for a follow up visit within a few days or even better; ask for a home health visit.   Allow yourself to rest; build up your body by eating well and exercising gently, as you ease into your routine.   Understand that it may take months to rebuild your strength and stamina.

 If you were hospitalized for a major illness, you must understand that you are susceptible to a relapse.  Hospital stays are shorter than they used to be and this is generally thought to be a good thing, but it means that you have to understand that you are responsible for your at home convalescence.