Spruce Up For Spring!
To paraphrase the legendary Rock & Roll group The Beatles, “Little darling, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter… but here comes the Sun!” With the warmer weather just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start thinking about completing those home maintenance projects that have been on your mind all winter. Some […]
Feeling SAD? Seasonal Affective Disorder
It’s about this time every year I start feeling a little sad for no good reason. A few years ago I thought it was the lull after the holidays of getting back to ‘normal’ life, but when it stretched a few months longer than I felt comfortable with I knew it was something else. After […]
Tips for Helping Family Members with Finances
A frequent challenge is how to help older family members with their finances without taking away their autonomy or getting into a tug-of-war over the issue. Concerns often arise when visiting loved ones and finding that bills have not been paid, papers are in disorder, or even that utilities have been cut off. It’s not […]
Paying for Prescriptions: The Basics
It is almost inevitable that as we age we might need some prescription drugs to assist with medical conditions that are out of our control, or to facilitate our quality of life. How to go about paying for these prescription drugs, however, can be complicated. Medicaid Part D is prescription drug coverage through Medicare, implemented […]
Working Past the Age of 65
It seems to be a growing trend in America. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of men and women over 65 who work has been rising since 1985 — reaching upwards of 20.5% in 2007. Why are so many older adults choosing to work instead of enjoying retirement? Economics could be […]
Holiday Season: Look for the Little Things
Ready or not, we are moving full speed ahead into the holiday season! For many, this means time spent with family. As you enjoy (hopefully) visiting with parents or other elderly relatives, I encourage you to pay attention to any changes that may have occurred since you last saw them. This may take a bit […]
Tricks That Stick: Medication Tips
Red, round, blue, oblong, white, rectangular — pills come in all shapes, colors and sizes making it difficult to keep them straight. Even more difficult is keeping track of when you’re supposed to take them. The blue one in the morning or afternoon, but not with the white one etc. — all the rules and […]
Health Plans 101: Knowledge is Power
Health plans — ugh. My least favorite subject and more than likely your least favorite as well. I’m not sure I’ve met anyone who really likes to talk about them and I’m guessing it’s because most of us, myself included, don’t fully understand them. HMOs, PPOs, POSs, private/government plans, deductibles and co-pays; who has the […]
Button up the house for winter
With the winter season fast approaching, now is the time to take a closer look at all of those home maintenance projects that are on your “to-do” list. A little bit of preventative maintenance now will give you peace of mind all season long and may end up saving you money down the road. As […]
Vaccines are Important for Older Adults
Measles, diphtheria, mumps, smallpox, rubella, polio, tetanus – these are all serious infections from the past eliminated by vaccines. As adults, we don’t think much about booster shots or vaccines, probably because we know we were administered those vaccines when we were toddlers. Or there was the time we inevitably stepped on a rusty nail, […]
Aging vs. Healthy Aging
In a recent newspaper article entitled, “What To Do Now to Feel Better at 100,” the article’s author told a story of hiking in the Grand Canyon with her grandson. At one point, the grandson turned to his grandmother and asked, “Grandma, how many 69 year- olds do you think could do this?” My first […]
Preparing Advanced Directives
We never really know what is around the corner. Most of us think optimistically and prefer not to think about car accidents, sudden illness, or other life-threatening situations that could leave us unable to make decisions about our health care. We would prefer to think it just won’t happen to us because it’s uncomfortable to […]
Person-Centered Care for Older Adults
The new buzz in nursing homes and community-based residential settings is all about striving to create a “person-centered” setting. What exactly does that mean? Literature refers to the process as moving away from institutational or traditional care to individualized person-directed practices that embrace choice and autonomy. It’s a great concept, but where do we start? […]
Manage your Prescriptions, Avoid Unnecessary Stress
The more drugs the doctor prescribes for various conditions, the harder it is to keep up with what you’re taking and when you’re supposed to take it. The confusion can lead to a missed dose or a mistake. Mistakes often result in dangerous side effects of medications interacting. Take a few moments to get organized […]
Hobbies for Retirement: Taking Advantage of Free Time
We all have mixed feelings when we think about retirement. While the stress relief is certainly welcome, many retirees can find themselves bored without their normal routines filling their daily schedules. The anticipation of all that time can lead us to depression and feelings of inadequacy, because we spend so many years attaching our purpose […]
Caregivers: Knock Out the Flu This Season
“Nowhere to run to, baby. Nowhere to hide.” This classic tune by Martha & the Vandellas might run through some caregivers heads when the ones they are caring for get sick. With the flu season gearing up, everyone is telling us to avoid people who are sick with the flu, but caregivers certainly don’t always […]
Adults 65+: Knock out the Flu this Season
For adults 65 years and older, the seasonal flu can be deadly. Each year in the U.S., deaths from flu-related causes range from 3,300 to 48,600, and more than 200,000 are hospitalized from serious flu complications. Ninety percent of flu-related deaths and more than half of flu-related hospitalizations occur in people age 65 and older. […]
What is Your Healthy Weight?
There are many health risks associated with weight; this holds true if you are either underweight or overweight. Maintaining a healthy weight may reduce the risk of many chronic diseases and help you stay physically active and mentally sharp. To be safe, ask your doctor or dietitian what the optimal healthy weight is for you. […]
Counting Sheep: Techniques for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
“I had to count sheep to fall asleep last night.” “I stare at the alarm clock for hours trying to fall asleep.” “I can’t stop thinking of all the things I have to do.” “I’m so worried about the situation; it’s keeping me up at night.” “I have too much to do. I can sleep […]
Symptoms and Effects of Hearing Loss — What?
Have you ever been so frustrated with someone because you’ve repeated the same sentence 3 times – each time louder than the time before? Yet you still receive a reply of, “What did you say?” Perhaps you’ve been on the other end, frustrated that you have to keep asking someone to speak up? Well, don’t […]
Home Care or a Congregate Setting: Which is Best for your Parent?
Many children of older adults have heard their parents implore them to: “Please never put me in a nursing home!” Unfortunately, some of us find ourselves faced with a difficult decision when our parents become debilitated by disease or compromised with memory impairment issues. Today there are congregate settings, assisted living and supportive living programs […]
Food for Thought
We’ve all heard for a long time about the health benefits of diets full of fresh fruits and vegetables. As one who loves both, I am happy to comply with this recommendation. Recently, I have been hearing more and more about some very big benefits of a very small fruit – blueberries. Evidence shows that […]
Make ‘Em Laugh: The Best Medicine
When is the last time you laughed so hard you cried? Do you remember the surge of euphoria flowing through your body making it impossible to stop yourself? Do you remember how the urge to laugh crept up minutes and even hours after reflecting on that moment? There’s a reason why these things happen. When […]
Vitamin Recommendations: Feel Better and Stay Stronger!
I don’t know about you, but when it comes to vitamins — which ones to take and how much — I get a little overwhelmed. Some doctors don’t really say much about vitamins but there is research proving that vitamins are beneficial in a number of ways. So, I consulted with a doctor that speaks […]
Senior Volunteerism: More Beneficial Than You Might Think!
As an organization, Covenant Methodist Senior Services has always held volunteerism in very high regard. We clearly understand the value that volunteering creates for its community, but we also strongly believe in the value that is created for those doing the volunteering. While society tends to think of senior citizens as the benefactors to a […]
