Where Can I Turn for Help? When we begin caring for a loved one with a chronic health condition, it can be difficult to ask for help. We may not know whom to ask for support, or worry about being perceived as unable to manage all of our responsibilities. Locating available resources and information can be challenging and overwhelming, but understanding where to turn for quality services and information to support us throughout our caregiving journey is important. We can start by surfing the internet, but these searches often give us too much information, and it can be hard to determine what is accurate and trustworthy. Read more
The Impact of Intergenerational Programming Intergenerational programs provide opportunities to bridge generations through interactive activities and shared experiences. The impact and benefits of intergenerational programming can be measured on many levels. Whether you’re an older adult interested in participating in these activities or an organizer interested in planning them, here are just a few real world examples from the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging’s Rose Centers for Aging Well of how intergenerational activities have benefited various generations of participants. Read more
Ways to Manage Social Isolation The negative impact and detrimental effects of social isolation remain an important topic. The AARP Public Policy Institute’s 2018 study “highlighted social isolation as the new silent killer – a major risk factor for a host of conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure and early onset dementia.” AARP defines social isolation as “occur[ing] when people withdraw and become disconnected from family, friends and community” and reports, “… nearly 1 in 5 Americans 65 and older are socially isolated”. Given these startling statistics, what are ways we can reduce our risk and manage social isolation? Read more
Benefits of Volunteering Are you looking to learn a new skill, become more connected in your community, or engage with others? Whatever your reason may be, volunteering could be a great option for you! Volunteers are crucial to many organizations, as they provide fresh, new ideas, cost savings to the organization, and share knowledge, expertise and experiences with staff and other volunteers. So why not give back and gain something in return? Read more
How to Choose a New Doctor Choosing the right doctor is an important part of ensuring good health. A good doctor understands our needs, helps us with important medical decisions and makes us feel comfortable and supported under their care. But what if we don’t currently have a primary care doctor, are not comfortable with the one we have, have changed insurance policies, recently moved or have had a bad experience with our current medical staff? When we have serious concerns about our current care situation, it may be time for us to find a new doctor we can trust to provide the best care for us. Read more
Understanding Estate Planning and Advance Directives As we age, we may grow concerned about the possibility of no longer being able to make decisions for ourselves, and how we will provide for our family financially after we pass away. If we are caring for an aging loved one, encouraging them to begin preparing for the future through estate planning can provide us all with the peace of mind of knowing that their health care and financial wishes will be respected, and their loved ones will be taken care of. Read more
Understanding the Dangers of Medical Identity Theft Identity theft is a worldwide phenomenon with very personal results to those who’ve been victimized by con artists and thieves. With our support, our loved ones need to be ever vigilant in guarding their personal, financial and medical identities. Read more
5 Tips for Managing a Loved One’s Finances It's not always easy talking to our loved ones about their personal finances, and it can be even more difficult to help them realize that it may be time to turn the reins over to us or another caregiver. Avoiding the conversation, though, can lead to unnecessary stress and unwarranted headaches later on, and can leave our loved ones open to financial exploitation. So how do we start the conversation? And what should we say? Read more
Managing Finances for a Loved One with Dementia Handling a loved one’s finances can be a difficult task, particularly when they have been diagnosed with dementia. In fact, the inability to handle finances is often one of the first signs that a loved one has the disease. They might pay bills more than once, forget to pay bills entirely, give money away unexpectedly or have trouble balancing their checkbook. Dementia can also leave a loved one open to financial risk and abuse, which can make it even more important for us to familiarize ourselves with how best to protect them from these threats. Read more
Protecting a Loved One from Financial Exploitation Financial exploitation or abuse of older adults occurs when a person’s resources are used by another for personal profit or gain, or when actions are taken that deprive an older person of the benefits entitled to them. No one is immune. This sort of theft can happen to anyone regardless of social standing and education levels. Read more
