Arthritic hands
For those with arthritis, clothes with buttons can be a challenge. One suggestion would be to convert your present clothes to velcro closure by: remove all buttons and sew onto the button-hole opening (closing button-hole); sew a strip of velcro (purchased from craft or cloth stores) to area where buttons were removed and also to area on backside of the button-hole strip. Some velcro has ?sticky? backside that can be ironed onto cloth, but sewing is more permanent. If you cannot sew, request assistance from family, friends, or professional seamstress.
accreditation of home
Evaluate potential nursing and retirement homes by checking/asking if they are currently accredited, licensed and certified for Medicare and Medicaid. They should have a written certification for the home for you to see, and
all paperwork should be current and in force.
Phone solicitations
Never respond to phone solicitations for products or winning sweepstakes. And NEVER give out ANY personal information to ANYONE who contacts you by telephone. Tell them you?re not interested and hang up the phone.
**Introduction
In order for Seniors to be healthier and solvent our lifestyle should be to do all things with a temperance; that is, don?t overeat, don?t overbuy, etc. To make it short: don?t over ?do?!
The RV Life
If you have dreamed of retiring to the road in your RV, this is the site for you. It?s all about the RV life plus earning money as you travel. Coleen Sykora is the brain behind the site and she has become the diva of RVing.
http://www.workersonwheels.com
Driving alone
We should NEVER drive in isolated areas by ourselves; there IS safety in numbers. And always keep the car doors locked when driving...day and night.
services/supplies provided
It is important to know what services and supplies the nursing home provides and what might be hidden extra costs. Private duty nurses are very seldom included in the cost of care.
Cost for extras, such as hair shampoo or conditioner, can be exorbitant. Make a list of the ?extra? necessities and supply them yourself.
Talk with the administrator and find out ?who is in charge of what? and who to contact if any problems arise. Ask questions and be informed in advance.
Should I move
One of the hardest things Seniors do is to move out of their homes into an apartment or assisted-living locations. But there are good reasons for doing so: your health problems, your disability, too big a house, upkeep of home becoming too expensive, and many more. There are now so many wonderful Senior facilities in many locations; check with a reliable realtor (the one selling your home for you) to locate your wants and needs.
staffing
Find out if the staff is professionally trained, certified and large enough to provide adequate care for all residents at all times. Either you or your family should check on this periodically (every couple of months, at least)
Backyard privacy/safety
A backyard fence is a must, not just for privacy, but also for security; at least 8 ft. tall. If you have a driveway to the back garage, install a secure chain-link gate across entry with a padlock. If you have a wooden gate or two, add a padlock to each one. Just don?t lose the key(s)
Sugar intake
With the exception of diabetics, who are very limited to ?sugars?, most Seniors should limit their sugar intake. An easy way, if you don?t use artificial sweeteners: buy a demitasse (or baby) spoon to use when adding sugar to coffee, tea, cereals, or whatever.
You?ll be adding a spoonful of sugar, but a lesser amount!
Help for caregivers
There are times when Seniors find they are unable to care for themselves and move in with one of their children (even niece or nephew). I heartily commend families for this; lonliness for the parent can be debilitating. I have found this very information site for the caregivers: Health Care http://healthology.com/focus_index.asp?f=elderly&b=
You?ll find topics relating to Alzheimers, Parkinsons Desease, Caring for Elders and more.
Outside activity for Senior living in your home
Where I live there are "City" sponsored locations for Seniors living in your home; call your City Hall - Information. Check with many of the churches in your area, they also offer this type of care/activity for Seniors. Also check with your doctor or hospital administration. Many of these locations offer rides to and from their facilities. If no locations are available, ask both City and Churches if there could be something begun for this need. There may be some locations in towns very close to you.