Free and Unbiased Information Blog Focused on Helping The Aging

Preparing income taxes is rarely ever easy. From making sure you claim all of the appropriate deductions to figuring out where to list investment income on your forms, it is a process that requires time and patience. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is trying to change that. Beginning with 2019 taxes, seniors can take advantage of a new form and an easier process. It’s part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 and is designed for adults over 65. Benefits of IRS Form 1040SR Form 1040SR . has several elements that seniors may find helpful: a two-page form that uses large, easy-to-read print brighter shading to better identify where to enter information a Standard Deductions chart printed directly on the form designated lines to include specific types of retirement income. Though the form is still in draft phase, it’s expected to be ready in early 2020. Identity Theft Spikes During Tax Season Another issue to consider as you or a senior loved one prepare taxes is the unfortu...

Believe it or not, the leaves are already changing color and soon they will be falling off the trees. The beginning of fall brings a new season with everything pumpkin spice and cinnamon. While there are a ton of good things to look forward to, fall comes with some important health tips to keep in mind. At Freedom Homecare Highland Park , we’ve got you covered.   As the temperature begins to drop in the next few weeks, you are at an increased risk of contracting a cold or flu virus. Make sure you are washing your hands more frequently so you can begin to prevent the spread of germs. It might also be a good idea to get your flu vaccination before the colder weather hits.   Another way to prepare for the colder weather is to get a space heater for your living room and/or bedroom. Having this heater will make sure that you or your loved one are always warm. If you are a person who gets cold easily, this is a great way to take care of yourself. Just make sure you are keeping i...

Seniors who are afflicted with dementia are more prone to being affected by seasonal changes. If you or a loved one are currently suffering from dementia, you know just how important it is to keep a routine schedule. When schedules are disrupted by the seasons it can be difficult to adjust. Your home care agency has more information on why this might happen. Read more below!   How Might Sundowning Work?   When seasons switch over, you start to see less and less sunlight during the day. An increased amount of darkness, like in winter, can cause confusion and irrational behavior for people suffering from dementia.   This can include poor sleep habits, too much caffeine, infections, and poor lighting in homes as a result of sundowning. Other symptoms might arise, but each person is affected differently by the change of lighting outside.   How Can We Treat the Symptoms?   There is no “official” way to treat these symptoms and it really is just a process o...

Grief is tough for anyone to handle alone, and when a senior is dealing with the loss of a loved one that they may have spent most of their lives with, it can make the tremendous loss even more difficult. For seniors at home, the days and weeks after the loss of a loved one can be especially hard as they navigate their daily life and tasks and figure out what their new normal is. If they are now alone in their home for the first time, this can be a huge adjustment for them. There are ways that family members and caregivers can help to ease the grief of a senior who has experienced the loss of a spouse or loved one. Hire a home care aide. If they aren’t already receiving home care, consider hiring a professional company to send compassionate caregivers to assist your senior with daily needs and offer companionship during their lonely times. If your senior parent doesn’t need full-time care, you have the option of having someone come out to their home during certain times at hour...

Amada Senior Care is committed to enriching the lives of seniors, and we believe the following three things are vital to seniors living happier, healthier lives. 1.  An Aging Plan Most seniors take steps to ensure they have a will in place should anything happen to them. However, only 25 percent of Americans have recorded their end-of-life medical wishes in a legal document. The problem with this is that more than half of patients are unable to participate in end-of-life decisions when they need to be made. The solution to this is creating an Advance Directive for healthcare, which can easily be completed by a healthcare professional. An Advance Directive will ask an individual to address whether they want to accept or refuse life-saving treatments such as CPR, breathing machines, and feeding tubes. It also allows a person to detail whether they’d like to receive pain medications and whether they prefer to donate organs or tissues. It can serve as a power of attorney ...

If you’ve recently taken on the role of caregiver for a senior loved one, you may feel as if you are drowning in a sea of paperwork. After every physician appointment, your stack of papers climbs higher. Organizing all this important information so it can be accessed easily may feel overwhelming. The key is to create a system that is easy to maintain and update. That will make you more likely to use it. We have a few tips to help you get started. Organizing a Parent’s Medical Information The first step is to sort all your parent’s medical information by topic or category. A few suggestions include: Calendar: It’s convenient to store appointments on your cell phone and set reminders. However, documenting time-sensitive details on a physical calendar is important, too. You can identify at a glance when to schedule follow-up appointments and testing. Medical history: This category could include your loved one’s patient visit notes from medical appointments, hospital discharge orde...

If you have a parent in senior care, you are preparing to enroll a parent in senior care services, then it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with several legal documents as part of your preparation. The legal documents we have outlined below are essential for anyone with a parent in senior care. Advanced […] The post Five Legal Documents You Need for Your Parent in Senior Care appeared first on Home Care Assistance Carmel . from Home Care Assistance Carmel https://ift.tt/2m3nF7E via IFTTT

Planning to renovate, expand or build a new facility? Read this first. If you’re looking to open a new facility or expand one already in existence, there’s a lot to know about how construction of a senior living facility works best, and how to navigate building codes, health care regulations and working with a construction firm. Here, Mitch Lapin, president of Fortney & Weygandt , a national general contractor that serves a number of different market segments, including the senior living industry, talks about what renovation or construction of a senior living facility is like from the construction firm’s perspective. Fortney & Weygandt has completed more than 35,000 projects over the past 30 years, worth more than $2.3 billion in total. Within senior living, Fortney & Weygandt has constructed projects across the full continuum of options, from independent living to skilled nursing, memory care, rehab, and assisted living, and worked with some of the largest names in the ...

Better communication can improve your workplace culture and lead to better staff commitment and longevity. It’s long been said that what separates us from other animals is not just our big brains and opposable thumbs, but our innate ability — and need — to communicate with other humans. Good communication is the cornerstone of every relationship and it’s absolutely critical in the senior care space, particularly among leaders and their workers. Being a leader isn’t always easy. You have to make tough decisions, and sometimes employees don’t like the decisions you make. And the ultimate responsibility for everything that goes on in the community rests with you. But finding a way to connect with your employees, to recruit them to your side, and help support the mission of your business can help make a tough job easier. How to do that? Jasmine Hu, Ph.D., associate professor of management and human resources at the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University , says finding ...

It’s not always easy, but bringing the outside world to your residents can benefit everyone involved. Increasingly, researchers are documenting how loneliness and isolation represent an extensive threat to public health, especially among older adults. Loneliness and isolation often lead to depression, cognitive decline, high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, a weakened immune system, dementia and other chronic conditions that reduce quality of life and hasten the end of life. In fact, some studies have equated the health risks of loneliness to those of smoking 15 cigarettes every day. “Loneliness is a red flag that you need to address,” says Carol Cummings, senior director of optimum life at Brookdale Senior Living , a Tennessee-based senior living company with more than 800 locations around the country. “We’re very aware of that and will look for ways to get residents engaged and connected.” Still, across the senior living industry, a marked rise of loneliness among seniors...

Older adults have more senior living options than ever before. So much so that it can be overwhelming. While the many types of senior living share similarities, there are important differences. If you or an older loved one is considering where to live during retirement, you’ll want to take time to explore each of these options. Retirees looking for a community that promotes an active lifestyle would benefit from independent living. Many times, this type of housing is part of a continuing care retirement community (CCRC). A CCRC, also referred to as a full-service continuum community or a retirement community, offers a variety of senior care and housing on the same campus. Services Offered in Independent Living Residents of an independent living community typically benefit from: their own private apartment, cottage, or villa daily social, cultural, and recreational activities and outings on-site wellness programs and fitness classes, such as yoga and swimming in an indoor pool ...

Being an only child doesn’t mean that you have to care for a parent alone. You might at times feel that because you have no siblings you are caring for a parent by yourself and are overwhelmed. Don’t let the burdens of caregiving take a toll on your happiness, we at Freedom Homecare Highland Park are here to help. Below is a list of tips you can use for homecare . Check them out!   Use Available Resources   It is important for only children to use all the resources available to them so that they can create the most effective support system. Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends, neighbors, or partners for help and someone to talk to.   Resources like home delivery for medication and groceries are a great way to help you and your loved one. Not only will it cut down your errands list, but it will ensure that you can focus more time on your loved one.   Seek Support   In today’s digital world, there are many support groups one could join. Facebook gro...

Research has shown that a more plant-based diet may help prevent, treat, or reverse some of our leading causes of death, including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. While you may not want to give up steak and chicken for good, you can still adopt a plant-based diet while consuming modest amounts of fish and lean meat. People who averaged eight-plus servings of fruits and vegetables a day were 30 percent less likely to have a heart attack or stroke, compared to those who had less than 1.5 daily servings. Plant foods contain fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. A Mediterranean-style diet, based on produce, legumes, grains, and healthy oils, with small amounts of fish and meat, is connected with better brain health in older adults, according to a study in the journal  Neurology . It’s never too early or too late to embrace a healthier lifestyle. Rolling Fields offers dining with nutritious options offered daily – including plenty of fresh fruit and ve...

On an annual basis since 1999, we have achieved an increasing reduction in cancer-related deaths, an encouraging trend that is poised to continue as scientists learn more and more about the causes of cancer and are in a position to identify new and better treatment options. But, cancer remains among the primary causes of death in America , second only to heart disease – making it important to continue to press ahead with determination to find a cure. Here is what we’ve observed to date: Diet is important. Although a meal plan rich in antioxidants can help minimize cell damage (and protect against cancer), a newly released study indicated that in some cases, cancers capitalize on a nutrient-rich diet, bringing about hastened metastasis. For that reason, the recommendation is to refrain from using antioxidant supplements unless the doctor recommends them. Get your antioxidants from fruits, veggies, and beans instead, because the additional molecules in whole food has an impact. Furth...

Samvedna Senior Care Foundation was invited to deliver a lecture on Dementia Awareness at the Department of Health and Pharmaceutical Management at Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi on 17th September, 2019. Our geriatric mental health counsellors Hena Faqurudheen and Dimple Adhikari conducted a talk and experiential workshop for first year MBA students. The talk focused on understanding dementia, what symptoms to look out for, the need to recognize dementia as a public health priority for India, and why we should address the challenges faced by persons with dementia and their families. The students and faculty expressed great interest in the topic, and also participated enthusiastically in an experiential learning exercise meant to recreate the difficulties faced when a person develops dementia. The students pledged to spread awareness about dementia and its symptoms with their family and friends, and the speakers encouraged them to get involved in healthy policy and planning for...

Pets not only can improve the lives of seniors, but they also have a positive impact on their health too. People of all ages benefit from having a pet, but this is especially true for seniors. Walking a dog not only provides an opportunity for exercise, but also the chance to socialize thanks to increased interactions with neighbors. Studies show that heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels immediately drop after just 15 minutes of bonding with an animal. Long term, pet and human interactions can lower cholesterol levels, fight depression and even help protect against heart disease and stroke. "If you have a dog around, your blood pressure is lower," says Dr. Marty Becker, DVM, veterinary consultant for Good Morning America. "A lot of it goes back to reducing stress." Not only can your pet help improve your health, but they can help recovery time from surgery. One study from Loyola University found that people who use pet therapy while recovering from surger...

By Alzheimer’s Association Many people joke about forgetting friends’ names or where they put their keys, but there is a big difference between a slight lack of focus and the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a fatal brain disease that causes a gradual decline in memory, thinking, communication and reasoning skills. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging, even though increasing age is the greatest known risk factor and the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older. A small percentage of people can display signs of the early onset of Alzheimer’s in their 40s and 50s. Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s can allow a person to find the best help possible and plan for the future. How can you know when simple forgetting bec...

If you spent any time serving the nation’s military on foreign soil or here at home, you understand the sacrifices made. You served your country well and now deserve to take advantages of the many benefits the Veteran’s Administration has to offer for senior care needs. Seek out your VA benefits, available to residents living […] The post Served Your Country? Don’t Forget Your Veteran’s Benefits for Your Senior Years appeared first on Wesley Enhanced Living . from Senior Living Blog – Wesley Enhanced Living https://ift.tt/2I5wype via IFTTT

Mr Raman Sharma lives abroad while his parents live in India. Both his parents are in their mid-seventies and were beginning to face some physical and mobility challenges. With increased dependence, it was getting difficult for Raman to manage his parent’s home and needs from a long distance. Initially he tried options like going online or asking help from neighbours for bill payments; or requesting a distant nephew to accompany his parents for their hospital visits and other errands. However, he soon realised that these were not permanent solutions. His parents would continue to face issues with managing the household without his help, and significant concerns would remain about their overall safety. Stories like these are not uncommon. We tend to hear more often of these as the elderly population continues to increase in India. We are all aware that old age needs much planning and preparation. One day, our parents won’t be able to drive; they might have difficulty managing a hospita...

In the search for assisted living for a senior loved one, adult children may quickly realize how much the cost of care varies between communities. It also becomes apparent that the options for financing assisted living can be confusing. To help clarify these crucial issues, we are sharing some insight on community pricing and resources for potential funding solutions. The True Cost of Assisted Living Care Once you’ve toured a few assisted living communities, you will notice how different the pricing structures are. Every community has their own way of assessing monthly fees. For some assisted living communities, bundled rates that include all housing, care, and services are the standard. Other communities have a base fee with level of care charges assessed on an individual basis. These differences can make comparing communities more challenging. To make sure you are comparing apples to apples when it comes to pricing, consider: Housing expenses: The type of housing you choose c...

Whether you’re looking to tune a guitar, learn a new language, or just add cats’ ears to a selfie, there is an app for that! And for seniors who choose to age in place , technology may very well be a key component in maximizing safety, comfort, and overall well-being. Take Amazon’s Alexa , for instance. Although its current benefits for seniors are many, including the ability to track sugar levels, make physician appointments, and research information pertaining to a particular medical condition, it is actually positioned to dig even deeper into the medical care arena – possibly even detecting heart attacks and helping doctors obtain accurate diagnoses. Below are a few additional technology solutions you may want to consider for an older adult you care about: Home Security: A motion-detecting home security system offers peace of mind pertaining to crime prevention, but often can do a lot more. Some additional features include alerting when detecting smoke, broken glass, or temper...