Smart Senior

Senior to Senior: Color Me Senior

I met, alright, I was passed by an older woman, the other day when I was hiking. Not surprising because my dog likes to sniff every bush, but she caught my eye because she was wearing a pretty turquoise shirt. Of course, I felt compelled to tell her how much I liked it. She whirled around to show me the bright melon shell that she wore beneath it. The vibrant color and her obvious joy in wearing it took my breath away. Color; that’s what we need; more color in our lives. Fifty years ago, we didn’t do color much. As young women we were groomed to wear neutral colors because we wanted to look slim and elegant, and we wanted to be taken seriously. An entire generation of little brown wrens, and men too, wore a serious uniform of sorts. Now-a-days people are free to use clothing to express their personalities. This is a good thing, although there are times when the uniform-of-today is a little over the top, but not usually in regard to color. So why color? If 2020 was a color; it would have been gray. Not a lovely soft gray but a stormy cloudy kind of gray. Enough gray already. It’s bad enough having gray hair, gray tinged skin, faded eyebrows and white chin hairs. Older people need color! Research shows that colors can influence your mood, your personality, and even how you feel physically. Did you know that certain colors can inspire delight, agitation, creativity, sensuality, calmness, and a multitude of other emotion and feelings? Still a little reluctant to abandon your neutral but serviceable wardrobe? You can add color to your life in other ways; a little red car, a kitchen painted yellow, or flowers on the table. You can never have too much color in your life. Look at nature. Nature is filled with color. Emulate nature and you will feel amazing. Add color to your life; wear that turquoise shirt over a bright contrasting shell…why not. It says “I’m still here,” and “look at me,” and “I feel good about myself.” Let color define who you are or who you would like to be.

Senior to Senior: Living Arrangements

Vacations are fun but there’s no place like home. If you had the opportunity to spend any, or all, of your vacation with family, you may have some questions. Like how many more times do you think you will be able to travel across country, or whether or not you should entertain the idea of moving to live near or with family. Face it, you probably felt a little uneasy. Everyone has their own routines and it isn’t always easy to fit in, but seriously, was it that awful? Yes, you want to be independent, and you still can be, but don’t be afraid to admit it if medical issues and physical disabilities are forcing you to consider other options. You wouldn’t be alone; one in five Americans live in a multigenerational home situation. Aren’t you just a little bit curious about how they make it work? Separate quarters, in the form of accessory apartments, are often the solution. Think of accessory apartments as self-contained units in or near a single-family home. Not necessarily a room upstairs but an apartment in a converted garage, a basement or even a backyard house. This could very well be the perfect arrangement. You can have closeness and mutual support without anyone having to worry about being “under foot” all of the time. The only difference is that you need to develop a healthy respect for boundaries, not always easy to abandon the “because I said so” role, but recognizing that your children are adults is a start. Good communication can make it work. Just because you live in or near someone else doesn’t mean you have to be attached at the hip. You should still pay your own way; share expenses, make your own arrangements in regard to housekeeping, appointments, therapy, and transportation. The only difference is that help is nearby if you should happen to need it. Before entertaining the idea, be sure to check with your local Division on Aging, and learn about zoning restrictions in your area. Fortunately, laws are changing and easing up as the need for affordable housing options continues to grow.

Senior to Senior: Living Arrangements

Vacations are fun but there’s no place like home. If you had the opportunity to spend any, or all, of your vacation with family, you may have some questions. Should you, or would you, consider living with or near other members of your family. Face it, you probably felt a little uneasy about disturbing everyone else’s routines, but was it really that awful? Think about it. If push came to shove, would you be willing to move in with another family member? Yes, you want to be independent, and you still can be, but don’t be afraid to admit it if medical issues and the physical disabilities associated with aging are forcing you to consider other options. You wouldn’t be alone; one in five Americans live in a multigenerational home situation. Aren’t you just a little bit curious about how they make it work? Separate quarters, in the form of accessory apartments, are often the solution. Think of accessory apartments as self-contained units in or near a single-family home. Not necessarily a room upstairs but an apartment in a converted garage, a basement or even a backyard house. This could very well be the perfect arrangement. You can have closeness and mutual support without anyone having to worry about being “under foot” all of the time. The only difference is that you need to develop a healthy respect for boundaries, but good communication can make it work. Just because you live in or near someone else doesn’t mean you have to be attached at the hip. You should still pay your own way; share expenses, make your own arrangements in regard to housekeeping, appointments, therapy, and transportation. The only difference is that help is nearby if you should happen to need it. Before entertaining the idea, be sure to check with your local Division on Aging, and learn about zoning restrictions in your area. Fortunately, laws are changing and easing up as the need for affordable housing options continues to grow.

Senior Living: Travel in Comfort

Holiday memories revolved around piling into the family car and going to grandmother’s house when we were kids. Family gatherings were, and still are, a family tradition. The difference is that today’s grandparents are often the ones doing the traveling. Whether you travel by car, plane, or train it is important to plan ahead if you want to travel in comfort. It’s not easy; sitting in a confined place for a long period of time stresses the muscles and joints. Many people still prefer to travel by car. The convenience of having a car to use when you reach your destination is a definite plus, and it is the only way to go if you like to travel with your pets. Have your car inspected before your trip to make sure it is good working order. Consult an AARP expert for tips on making your car as comfortable as possible. Seatbelts, headrests, arm and leg positioning, and back supports can all make a difference. Take your time. Stop at every rest area, and don’t be afraid to shift your weight and wiggle around in your seat to relieve stress on your hips and back. Passenger trains are the most comfortable way to travel, but you can’t take your pets. This is the one mode of travel that allows you the freedom to get up and move around as often as you like. Enjoy the observation cars or book a sleeper if you would like to have a small private cabin. The dining cars are nice and most terminals are conveniently located in town. Obviously the least popular but quickest way to travel is by air. Air travel is exhausting, uncomfortable, and involves more wait time than other modes of travel. On the other hand, even with delays you can think in terms of hours rather than days to reach your destination. If you travel by plane make every effort to stand up and walk around as often as possible; use time in the terminal wisely. No matter how you travel, take your time, relax and think about how much fun you will have when you get to your destination.

Senior Living: Shared Housing

After years of being surrounded by others the thought of living alone can be quite daunting.

 The idea of home sharing isn’t new but it wasn’t until the television series “The Golden Girls” that it became a household word. The show aired in l985 and continues to be popular today, because it is still relevant.

Young people have been apartment sharing for a long time, but a group of older women was and still is a novel idea.  Four seniors living together in one house may be a bit farfetched, but statistics still tell us that home sharing is an attractive alternative to living alone.  

Host or tenant, seniors can reap the benefits of living in an actual household. Studies show that people living with congenial roommates tend to eat better, sleep better, are more active, and have fewer financial worries than those who try to wing it on their own.

The term shared housing refers to two or more unrelated people living together in a private home or apartment. They share common space, home maintenance, and bill paying.

Not everyone wants to invite strangers into their homes, and that is certainly their right, but do you really want to live alone? 

Paranoia aside, who do you to chose to live with? Whether you prefer someone you know or a complete stranger is up to you. Homeowners and tenants can be matched by an outside agency that checks references and coordinates links between all parties; not unlike the dating services that have become so popular today. Successful programs depend on rigorous screening, written home-share agreements, trial periods preceding each match, and on-going monitoring.

Shared housing supports independence by providing financial stability, social connectedness and access to custodial services.  Home sharing is ideal for people who prefer a home setting and enjoy having other people around.

 

 

 

Senior Living: Food Borne Illnesses

Last week we talked about cleaning and organizing the refrigerator. The emphasis was on easy access, and keeping leftovers from becoming science experiments.

Hopefully your refrigerator is now clean, well organized, and free of practically all leftovers. Wait a minute you say, “I want to have those leftovers for dinner tonight.”  Well okay, but only if they are truly safe to eat.  Every year millions of Americans become ill because of food-borne illnesses. Many of these illnesses result from eating food that has spend too much time in the back of the refrigerator.

There is always going to be something of indeterminate age in your kitchen. You don’t have to be anal about tossing everything that is a day or two past its “sell-by” date but error on the side of caution. You can’t always tell by sight or smell if a food is good to eat.

Children, older people, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable to food poisoning. To be on the safe side skip the poke and prod method and toss out anything questionable.

The best way to keep track of stored and leftover items is to label everything. Know when items were purchased, when they were opened, and when it was that you brought that doggie bag home from the restaurant.  Keep a roll of masking tape and a marking pen on top of or next to the refrigerator and label everything.

 The freezer is another story. As long as food is frozen it is probably safe to eat, but if the packages are frosted over they aren’t going to be very tasty.  Know what is in your freezer and use food items within a reasonable length of time.  If you have a history of freezing and forgetting, don’t bother. It is a great idea to divide everything up into usable portions if you promise to use them. I admire people who make meal plans and use left over items; it is a great way to save time and money. Many of us aren’t that food oriented and our approach to meal planning is haphazard to say the least.

 We don’t eat leftovers at our house. Don’t ask me why, we just don’t. Once something hits the freezer it may not surface for  6-8 months and then it becomes a mystery meal or it gets thrown away.

The easiest way to solve this dilemma is to stop cooking for a family of eight when there are only two of you. There are dozens of cook books and on-line sites featuring recipes for two.  You may think they look a little small but add a salad or an extra vegetable and enjoy. Your waistline will thank you if you don’t finish off that 9 by 13 inch pan of lasagna. We all tend to either eat too much or two little for optimum health. Know your heating habits and cook accordingly.  What do you do with your leftovers?

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Senior Living: Universal Design : What's the Hold Up?

Universal Design is perfect for seniors who want to be independent and who want to remain in their own homes.   Universal Design, after all, is all about products and designs that are “user friendly” for people of all ages.

Seniors should be embracing Universal Design enthusiastically, but for some reason they are not.  You can blame the architects and the decorators as much as you want, but supply and demand calls the shots for them.    Most buildings are designed for young, healthy, clear sighted, right handed individuals. When you bought your house it was probably state-of-the-art and you loved it, but did you think ahead? The very features that you loved when you bought it might now be sabotaging your independence now. 

The technology is here now, but architects and designers continue to wait for people to make their preferences known.  It shouldn’t be long.  The big spenders (aka baby boomers) are reaching the age when arthritis, hearing loss, and mobility issues are setting in.  There are already products on the market, or in development, designed to make life easier and safer.  Some of these ideas are fairly obvious but others are subtle and more sophisticated.

A good deal of the resistance grows out of the idea that people don’t want to be reminded of their advancing age.  Even upscale retirement developments are reluctant to include Universal Design principles because they feel it presents a negative image.  Retirees arrive at 60-65 years of age and they expect to stay that way.   They feel that ramps, movable cupboards, and oversized dials scream   “old age, “ and they want to avoid that at all costs.

Life might be fine for a few years, but what happens when it becomes physically impossible to hold on?  The idea behind these communities is based on the theory that youth will last forever.  This isn’t just an outsider’s point of view. I noticed when I worked at a retirement home that the residents were very particular. They didn’t want people with obvious disabilities sitting in the lounges or joining them in the dining room. Perhaps they were afraid of being reminded that they might be next.

 Think about it.  Are you willing to be spirited away because you no longer fit in, or would you rather have a home that makes it possible for you take care of yourself?    Designer products can be functional and elegant at the same time, but attitude is everything.   If you persist in thinking that “this will never happen to me,” you might be in for a rude awakening.  What are you doing to make your home a better place to live?

Senior Living: House Hunting

House hunting is often objective instead of subjective, meaning that people house hunt with their hearts instead of with their minds.  You fall in love with a yard, a neighborhood, the number of bedrooms a place has, or maybe even the wall paper pattern in the breakfast nook.   Sellers know this and it is not usual for them to hire professionals to “stage” their apartments/houses so that they look really good.   The seller is hoping that you will fall in love with what you see instead of what you want or need.

 If you are going to the trouble to downsize, you want to be sure that everything is going to be just right.  Downsizing is more than just buying a smaller house.  This time around you will be looking for a place that will make life easier for you.  You don’t have to worry about what school district you will be in or how far you have to drive to work, but other considerations will come into play.   Universal design features, location, and transportation systems are a few of the words you will hear mentioned.   Some homes today include elements of “universal design”, which means they are designed to improve the lives of people with special needs.  These houses are designed to accommodate people with arthritis, older people and people with handicaps.  Retirement communities and senior only apartments are often designed with these specifications, but not everyone can afford what they might call a “smart house.”

A small one story house is a good place to start.  My husband watches the housing market closely.  We are studying what is available versus what we are really looking for.   It is not a bad idea to tour open houses in your neighborhood, whether you are in the market or not.  Think of it as good practice.  Identify what you see and think about whether it is just right or could be renovated to make it just right.  Don’t look at the wallpaper, but at whether the house would be a good fit for you.    What if you had to use crutches, a walker, or even a wheelchair?

 It is unlikely that you will find a house with all of the features that you want, but each one present is a step in the right direction.    Start with an open floor plan.  If you are thinking about remodeling you don’t want to be dealing with a lot of walls and small spaces.   Don’t forget to look at manufactured home floor plans.  Whether this kind of housing appeals or not, you will come away with some great ideas.  I am amazed at how open and airy they are and am impressed that they looked much larger than the square footage would imply.      Some universal design features will be expensive, but others are things that you can implement quickly and inexpensively.   If you feel this is above your personal level of expertise, consult an expert.   You can find architects and contractors who specialize in accessibility design and renovations.  Their input could be priceless.  You can have them inspect your existing home, or a prospective home, to see if alterations are feasible and within your budget.  

On the other hand, if you have the time and inclination you can do most of this yourself.  For example:  you can check to make sure there are no steps or stairs, or if the doorways and hallways are wide with low or no thresholds.  You probably won’t find grab bars or raised toilet seats in most bathrooms, but does it look like they could be installed?   Is there room for a walk in tub or easily accessible shower?   Are the counters lower than usual, cabinets with slide out shelves, keyless locking systems or motorized blinds and curtains?  These are just a few considerations but you can find a checklist as close as your local library, or get information from your state Division on Aging.    Take a few minutes to browse and then take a checklist with you when you tour homes in your neighborhood.

Senior Living: Aging In Place (Lifelong Homes)

 

Aging in place is here to stay.  Aging in place has moved out of the realm of science fiction (smart homes) and into the twenty-first century.    The term “lifelong homes” isn’t as well known as universal design but I like that it seems to imply more than just a place to live.

The Real Estate Section of the Seattle Times (Sunday, August 26, 2012) www.seattletimes.com/realestate  featured an article by Judith Graham using the words “lifelong homes”. All of information that I could find on lifelong homes circled back to the book “Independence for Life: Homes and Neighborhoods” co-edited by Henry Cisneros, the former secretary of HUD.  The book is a collection of information by experts in the field of aging and housing.  Mr. Cisneros feels that the creation of lifelong homes and communities should be a priority from the government right on down to you, and I quite agree.  The scope is wide and includes everything from universally designed homes, remodeling current home, new zoning laws and accessible issues within the community.  I haven’t read the book yet because it hasn’t hit my library system, but it is certainly on my to-do list.  I am a big believer in independence for life.

Having a “lifelong home” obviously means that you are planning on staying there forever, right?  We all fear the loneliness and isolation often associated with declining physical capabilities, but that doesn’t keep us from defending to the death our right to stay in our own home.  This isn’t such a farfetched idea.  A very small percentage of seniors actually do end up living in a nursing home.  With a little bit of luck and a lot of good planning, you can make your home a lifelong home.

For more of the interview with Mr. Cisneros check your search engine under the words “lifelong homes”.  This is something that concerns each and every one of us.   Learn how you can make your home a lifelong home, and learn how you can help make your community a senior friendly place to live.  

 

Senior Housing: The Granny Flat or MedCottages as Housing Options

The idea of an accessory unit or backyard housing has been around for quite awhile.  It is a viable housing option for young people returning home or for seniors who want to be closer to their extended families.   Zoning ordinances have relaxed a little and this particular trend continues to gain momentum.    Commonly known as the “Granny Flat” or the “Mother-in-Law Apartment,” an accessory unit allows a young adult or a senior live in a place of their own.  A backyard home allows a sense of independence and freedom that would not be possible under other circumstances.   An accessory unit provides living quarters with separate cooking, sleeping and bathroom facilities, but are attached or detached from the primary family home.  Everyone has their own space, which has become a very important concept these days, while enjoying the benefits of being part of an extended family.

A number of housing options are now available for the adventuresome senior, but backyard housing has a special place in my heart.  Studies show that people place great value on their independence, and living alone is a price that they are willing to pay.    We have gone a bit overboard with the independence thing (not that this is necessarily a bad thing), but when it comes down to it, at the end of the day it is nice to be close to someone who cares about you.   Many seniors actively resist leaving their own place to move in with family or into any care giving situation.  Despite this resistance most are okay with being close, as long as it isn’t too close or isn’t all of the time.    Backyard housing may be the solution.   With backyard housing you can be as independent as you want but you will always have someone nearby who cares about you.   Kelly Greene (The Wall Street Journal: Saturday/Sunday, March 17-18, 2012) wrote about alternate housing options for seniors.  One of the options she mentioned was a MedCottage.  I found this concept appealing and decided to read more about it.    A MedCottage is a small backyard housing unit with a “smart home” design. The house is not only barrier free, but is outfitted so that the person living there can be monitored on-line. Think about how you would like to experience the comforts of a home, proximity to loved ones, and the technology that can make it possible.   I think the idea of a “smart home” is rather exciting.  In other words your backyard abode can be more than just a temporary place to live, and is less expensive than doing extensive remodeling in order to make the primary home senior friendly.  The MedCottage is designed with special features to promote independence while providing a safe environment.   MedCottage is being promoted as a unique and less expensive alternative to living in a care facility.  It is comforting to know that developers are starting to offer housing options designed to meet the changing needs of today’s seniors.    I am hoping that this idea catches on because I think I could live it.