Seniors Site

I would like to put emphasis on the word “elderly” since I don’t think seniors would have any use for basic computer tips. Nonetheless, I have been receiving several requests from elderly groups trying to get me to teach them basic computer usage and how to deal with “first time” confusion and whatnot hence this post.

Fortunate are those who have patient grandkids to teach them how. Some of the older adults I’ve talked to complained of having impatient daughters and sons who easily give up before they even start. I can firmly attest to the fact that most of these elderly people are curious what’s in the worldwide web for them and if given the chance to do so, they would like to join too. They only need someone to hold their hands during those first, crucial months and that’s exactly what I hope this post would do! Here are some basic, handy tips on how to maximize your computer usage:

·    Email messages are not to be trusted especially if you did not expect it to come. The most popular route of phishing scam is via email, usually in form of warning messages about your account, both online and offline ones. When this happens, never click on the provided link, instead go to the site directly and check your account. Never give out passwords no matter how authentic the request looks like.
·    For visually-challenged seniors, there are three ways to instantly enlarge any web page if it’s giving you a hard time reading. One, you can press Control and plus (+) or minus (-) simultaneously. Two, if you have a mouse that has a roller on top of it, press control and roll up and down. Third, you can locate the “view” option at the top of any web page, click on it, select “Zoom” and take a pick between “zoom in” and “zoom out”.
·    Google can also solve mathematical equations for you. It can also convert currencies and simple centimeters to meter, inches or feet. Just remember to use computer lingo each and everytime!
·    Don’t forget to empty your recycle bins once in a while. In a way, it helps in saving accidentally deleted files so you could restore them. The problem is, it requires manually emptying it even if you deliberately deleted a file!
·    Always have a backup copy for everything you do in the computer. It may not have occurred to you yet but backup files are real lifesavers as dependable systems do crash.

It’s been a while since I last posted about seniors falling to fraudulent schemes. It’s a given fact that seniors are the usual targets of scams and personally, I take offense on that. I only take refuge in the fact that maybe these unscrupulous people who are after a senior believe we have money hidden somewhere and not because we are gullible human beings—easy enough to handle.

I still believe that in order to protect a senior from scams, we need to educate ourselves from scammers’ usual activities. Keeping up with current events by merely watching news and reading papers can definitely warn us thus preparing us if and when the situation hits us. If you are fairly active with the internet i.e if you check your emails daily and connect with your loved-ones using social networking sites, it pays big time to check new and inventive ways these scammers use. The internet community has always been helpful in alerting us when there’s a new, fast-spreading scam within the circle. For one, Facebook management gives out updates and reports regularly, so when they do, make sure you read it.

One of the hardest to handle is unsolicited phone calls. Telemarketers are trained to be persistent, bordering to annoying. Also, before they call your home, they already did their homework, knowing every minute detail they can scrape about your character. What makes it scarier is that this kind of calls is never random, in fact they are targeted, making you exposed and vulnerable. The best way to handle this situation is to simply hang-up. No need to fret over being rude, just remember that this person who is calling you has no right to come snooping on you. Think of it as simply returning the favor. Being nice to them is simply encouraging them to call back—and that, they will certainly oblige.

Another easy way for scammers to invade your life is through mails. My advice is to not bother opening mails you don’t expect to be coming your way, no matter how tempting the envelope may be. Throw them straight to the thrash can where they truly belong. Personally, I’m amazed how my mails seem to grow right along with my age! Also, be doubly aware of credit card charges and bank balances. If this task is getting harder to accomplish each day, get someone to do it for you. Just make sure this person can be held liable and can be sued if there’s a discrepancy in records.

I also find it annoying to have someone knocking on my door and persisting to come and check something. First off, I don’t like strangers coming in my home, ever, and you should do too. Second, I don’t like someone telling me there’s something wrong with my house especially when I don’t see anything wrong with it, again, you should do too. If you need to get your home repaired, you come to them, not the other way around, no matter how convenient the arrangement seemed to be.

Sometimes, caring for an elderly adult tends to get tougher each day hence the need to hire for an in-home help. While the most preferred caregiver is still you or anyone within the senior’s close family circle, we all know how tough it could get juggling your life and caring for a frail, ailing senior especially if a progressive disease is present. Sending them to an assisted living facility can certainly help improve the situation for both the caregiver and the senior but the emotional effects of it are sometimes not worth the physical comfort it can give. Some even consider doing this as a last resort and not as a primary solution.

Since caregiving has become a prevalent problem to most households, support groups were formed to help and educate families and loved-ones of the best possible solution to your situation. One of the most encouraged solutions is hiring an in-house help, catering solely to the senior’s needs. This can be done even if the senior in question is not living with you as of the present time.

Some of the telltale signs that your senior might be needing an in-home help are:
•    If the senior requires constant supervision and assistance which you cannot provide.
•    If the senior can no longer fulfill his or her daily chores with ease.
•    His or her daily routine is no longer done.
•    Obviously, nutrition and personal hygiene have become things of no importance.
•    The senior has become nonresponsive therefore rendering him or her unable to care for themselves.

Your first step in hiring an in-home help is assessing the needs. In order to release an effective advertisement, you should have a clear outline of what the senior needs and how the job should be done. For you to do this, you should have a clear conversation with the senior and together, try to figure out what needs to be fulfilled. Remember that this is doubly stressful for the senior since he will be taken cared of a strange person 24/7. Getting used to someone who was brought rather forcefully  in your life is no fun, and this is something you should consider no matter how bad your senior’s situation might be. Ask the senior of his or her preferences to make it easier for them. In other words, try to get them involved when hiring a help.

As much as possible, try to get an in-house help that has training in health care such as nursing assistant or even a registered nurse if necessary. Give extra cookie points for those who can drive since most emergency situations call for drivers. More importantly, figure if this person can handle your senior well, both physically and emotionally. There are two ways to hire, one being through an agency and two by hiring the help personally. Both of which have their own pros and cons attached to them.

Equally important is a contract to be signed by you and the help. This should clearly put in details what’s expected of him or her and on what grounds the contract shall get terminated, if and when it deemed be.  Also included in the contract is referring parties whom you can talk to for background checks.

Take notice of the interaction between the senior and the help. Your senior should be comfortable having this person around so it doesn’t necessarily mean that what works for you would work for your senior as well. After the interview, try to get your senior’s opinion of the person and have them rate according to preference. This way you are sure that they like who you hire.

We’ve seen daughters and sons, and even spouses of concerned parties undergo certain life-changing adjustments just to cater to their elderly, ailing parents. Some are even known to go back and forth from their homes to their parents’ just to make sure everything is under control and their parents are getting enough care and attention. Others simply move their parents into their homes in order to care for the senior and still be there for their own families.  Most of the time, this kind of arrangement works especially if caring for the older adult becomes a family effort.

Unfortunately, there are those who simply couldn’t make it due to the distance they have found themselves in by the time they figured out their parents might be needing help. Sad, but indeed not uncommon, since one’s descendants are known to go great distances either by choice or by chance, usually not minding the distance they’re putting between their parents and themselves until it was too late.  I say, this is a kind of situation that usually signifies many great changes to come.

Changes need not be drastically done. Of course, guilt won’t be too far away upon learning about your parents’ current predicament. There will be a sudden urge to pack your bags and come home. But then again, –and especially if you are comfortably settled in your place—there are things to be considered like your job and your household.  If you find yourself in this situation, the best thing to do is assess the problem thoroughly. If you can manage a weeklong vacation, maybe it’s time to arrange for it and fly to your parents’ place to determine what needs to be done. If you can do this silently, the better. Never impose or argue, just consider you being away for so long to be a ground they could take against you. After all, this is still your parents house so give them due respect.

Never take anyone’s word regarding your parents’ state. Who would know them better than you? In order to take control of the situation, it is best to know the situation personally. Besides, everybody has their own perception of things and you wouldn’t know for sure what perception best fits your parents’ current state.  If this is not possible, seek help from a professional who knows what he is doing such as your family doctor who lives in your parents’ area or a social worker, if you happen to know one. Objective evaluation is the key to successfully determine your next step or solution.

Involvement is also important for you to be able to care for your aging parent even if miles apart. The thing is, it is possible to care for them even if you are not physically there. There are support teams and services which you can avail for them in the area. If assistance is needed, social groups can also help you. You just need to reach out and ask for help.

Little do we know that retirement can negatively affect one’s marriage. For those nearing their retirement years, we actually look forward to many days of togetherness that was once impossible. Truth is, retirement can even cause stress to an otherwise healthy and peaceful marriage. Some even considered retirement as a test to one’s marriage.

According to studies made to married seniors, those who have retired at the same time had a higher success rate than those who belonged to one-working spouse household whereas, marital conflicts are expected to occur once retirement has been reached. Working after retirement, whether as part-time or fulltime, also has noticeable effects on how the marriage will fare. Bottomline is, everybody is expected to still be active in order not to be dubbed as a nuance in the house!

Gender-wise, women achieved greater satisfaction if they land a parttime job they truly enjoy after retiring thus a marriage that will still be satisfactory amidst all situations while it was reported that men are most happy if they will stop working altogether during their retirement years. This outlook alone poses a great challenge to many marriages regardless of age.

There are certain significant issues that come with retirement and marriage. For one, there is the financial stability that plagues many senior marriages. One study I found discusses why seniors prefer to cohabitate despite the fact that they really wanted to get married. It seems that as the years continue to pile up our personal calendars, the trickier the law has become. Now that everybody is experiencing financial stress, the more important it has become to be more financially secured come retirement. Another relevant reason why retirement is fast becoming an issue to a married couple is that retirement is known to disrupt established daily patterns for both spouses. Due to many years of living together under the same roof but never really knowing how to interact with each other every single day, your nonworking retirement years become so bothersome that sometimes you find yourself wishing you never retired! Another case in point is when the other half was forced to retire early to take care of an ailing spouse. Some professional, working women fear retirement just because they believe they will lose their identities when they do.

Responsibility plays a big role in a retired household. Before retirement, duties and responsibilities are clear but come big day, roles become as murky as mud. The responsibility of entertaining the other half will then fall unto the shoulders of the eversince-nonworking spouse which he or she will oblige—albeit hatefully. Also, as to where the financial side of things will come from proves to be an obstacle too.

While we still feel the strong urge to hold on to traditional ways of dating, somehow these new and convenient ones keep on luring us to give them a try. Most of the time, we did give it a chance and next thing we know, we’re addicted to them! That’s because they are really fun to do—even double the fun of having to do it physically during the “meet-and-greet” phase!

There are many ways on how the technology can assist us in finding a companion, internet specifically. For one, there are social networking sites where you can connect to old flames and even those whom you’re remotely interested in the past but turned out to be a total knockout! If you are keeping a blog, developing friendships through posts must not be foreign to you. In time, frequent commenters will soon attempt to take the existing relationship into new and better heights. And of course, there’s online dating sites which motives are as bright as the summer’s sky! I heard some of these dating sites are now trying to incorporate a proper dating feel by using full-sized human 3D which can go out on a date with other human 3D owners!

What I like best with online dating sites is that it eliminates first date jitters. In real life, you cannot just click your way out if you don’t like what you’re seeing. As a proper, feeling person, you are obligated to stick around until the time is up while online dating sites give you one hundred and one reasons to bail yourself out if you find your date to be offensive, if the date gets under your skin or simply not interesting enough. Somehow, online dating sites manage to keep you on the safer side and plunge only when you are totally ready. Another benefit of online dating is the convenience it gives to homebound seniors who long for friends or even someone to talk to. Remember that dating sites are there not only for romantic linkups but for finding friendships too. As long as you’re clear with your intentions in joining, I see no reason for anybody not to try them.

The downside of using online dating sites is the safety. Of course, there is no specific, proven way to know if a member is authentic or a con. In times like this, we only have our guts to rely on and nothing more. Based on my own experience, most are real people but my radars are always up when dealing with them that sometimes, it tends to be stressful and not worth it. Also, mostly it feels like a psywar where you are constantly checking for anything amiss. In general, it is easy to lie over the internet—even you can do it—the only thing that could hinder you from doing so is your conscience and we all know that there are people who don’t bother with theirs. But like they say, even in real life, it can happen so there’s not much to lose if you give it a try.

Exercising is truly a fun activity to do. Aside from that, it has many great benefits for the body. For one, it helps the body relieve itself of harmful toxins trapped inside by way of sweating. In terms of digestion, I find that it keeps constipation at bay and for some reason, it aids in everyday bowel movement which is a great news for many seniors who have been having trouble in this area. Also, one good reason to exercise is knowing you will feel great afterwards.

Feeling great is only half of the story. When you see aesthetic results finally manifesting right before your eyes, there’s a tendency to work out more or train more to boost your progress. Oftentimes, these good intentions can quickly turn into a disaster especially if you find yourself quite addicted to exercising. It’s no joke, and it really can happen. While training your body to be physically active is good for you, doing it in excess can also do you harm.

Take note that overtraining is not limited to gym-goers only, it can occur in just about any sports as long as you are pushing your body over its comfortable limits. Doubly harmful is going from sedentary lifestyle to an all-out war in making your body fit, taken into consideration is your age, of course. In fact, it is highly advisable for seniors to train under a very watchful eye of a certified fitness instructor each and everytime to avoid straining the body too much. Remember that your body is no longer an oiled machine and it needs time to adjust when introduced to a new lifestyle. Not only that, it also needs to recuperate and get itself together after stressing it no matter how much training you did that day.

Some of the warning signs which will indicate if you are training too much are low energy levels, exhaustion, loss of appetite, depressions and sleeping difficulties. Infections can also occur frequently if the body is experiencing overtraining. If you find yourself having these symptoms, you might want to take it slow by readjusting your fitness program and consulting your doctor about the problems at hand. Or, you can find another fitness activity which suits your body more.

There are two areas in which overtraining can occur. One is too much exertion and another is not having enough breaks in between training. Having to train 4 to 5 times a week makes a lot of difference than training every single day. Exercising should make you feel good, both physically and mentally and it should never feel as if punishing yourself will yield greater results. Adapting a proper mindset will help you get in-tuned with your body all the more.

Organizing a theme party is fun and exciting since it involves creativity and resourcefulness. Theme parties are almost always associated with dressing up and just having pure fun and nothing else. With theme parties, one is allowed to go as crazy as can be without hurting your reputation afterwards. This is the perfect opportunity to socialize, at the same time satisfy that inner urge to be a child again; like a license to second childhood!

Unfortunately, those parties organized by younger adults are more often than not, directed to their age-group and not so favorable to older adults. Maybe because it’s somewhat hard to decipher which themes work with us best. Also, many event planners just rely on what’s in fashion rather than spend actual time in getting to know what the participants need. It goes without saying that the best event planner for senior events should also be a senior or at least at the same age bracket of the participants.

Some of the most popular events which involve senior participation are birthdays and anniversaries. As you can see, every year is worth celebrating than the last so virtually, seniors won’t run out of occasions to celebrate. An average, boring day can even compel a senior to an impromptu get-together with minimal fuss. Why not add flair to these get-togethers then? Here are some theme party ideas for seniors:

·    Prom. This one I like best. Prom theme parties are great as it will require us to dress up, dance to “our” music and just relieve the glory days. Prom theme parties are great for class reunions and homecoming. Prepare activities that are similar to the ones you did way back then and don’t forget your king and queen!
·    Medieval Costume Party. This one’s a hit! Seniors will surely get a kick out of medieval costume parties as they get to dress up and feel supreme!
·    Poker/Casino nights. This can be done for a beneficiary or in other words, for fundraising purposes. Seniors love to play and feel the rush that comes with it. What better way to satisfy this urge than doing it for a cause?
·    Luaus. Well, one of the most popular themes for all ages, the luaus or Hawaiian parties.
·    Western parties. I truly believe western parties are the easiest to organize since we seem to have collected western-styled outfits through the years. Just have a quick look inside your closet and you’ll see.

Marriage must be one of those things that cannot be hindered by age. Marriage is an ageless affair and it can be enjoyed by men and women regardless of age, the same way one can feel discontented or trapped in a loveless marriage, except of course if you are still below the marrying age. Let’s just assume that everyone who happens to be reading this material is old enough to understand what marriage really means.

Personally, it’s inspiring to see an old couple still enjoying their time together. For those who grew skeptic of fairy tales or those who have had bad marriages and got too burned to ever believe that marriages can be happier, there’s still hope. If you take a closer look at things, you’ll see that marriage is actually a two-way street and no matter how you deny having any hand in the failed marriage, it’s always you and your partner, no one else.

Of course, who wouldn’t want to grow old with someone they really love? The problem is, it is easy to fall in love and stay in love with a person who doesn’t live under the same roof that shelters your head! Disagreements start from the day this other person invades your space and privacy. In actuality, marriage is a never-ending commitment and is dotted with trivial issues which when put together bring about other totally unrelated but equally annoying disputes. This is the point when you sit down and ask yourself, where did the person you married go and who is this monster sharing your home now? To avoid a situation like this and start living a marriage that is truly worth while, there are marriage traps you need to avoid and be conscious of:

·    MARRIAGE TRAP 1: Overly critical bordering to sarcasm. Have you ever heard yourself lately when addressing issues with your partner? Why is that there’s always that sarcastic itch which badly needed to be scratched? Criticizing won’t get you anywhere. Why not try addressing the more pressing issues which compel you to be critical instead of attacking your partner personally?
·    MARRIAGE TRAP 2:  Unwarranted accusations. How easy it is to blame the other person in the house when something goes wrong! You do this mostly to divert attention from your own faults and miscalculations to the other unknowing person. Go for solutions rather than wasting energy trying to figure out who’s to blame.
·    MARRIAGE TRAP 3:  Incessant whining. Try attaching yourself to a whiny cat (or dog) for a day and you’ll soon realize how annoying it can get! It’s okay to let the other half know about the things you are currently going through but barraging him with unnecessary complaints is never going to make the marriage happier.
·    MARRIAGE TRAP 4:  Demanding too much. In other words, please don’t nag. It’s okay to remind if the spouse is starting to show early signs of dementia but nagging is only for people who are too lazy to get up and do what is needed. Also, there are better ways to let the other person know what you need without sounding like “the boss”. It’s his house too, you know.
·    MARRIAGE TRAP 5:  Bullying or malicious manipulation. As years pass, you’ll get to know more about the other person. The danger of it is letting the other person have the sword that can ultimately kill you or vice versa. If you don’t want this person to change, you shouldn’t force him to do things he wouldn’t do by himself.
·    MARRIAGE TRAP 6:  Getting even. When you feel the need for vengeful acts, it usually occupies the mind 24/7. Sadly, it leaves no room for the love that was once there.
·    MARRIAGE TRAP 7:  Ignoring what’s there for you to appreciate. Growing comfortable with each other has its own downside. For one, it is easy to overlook things, both big and small, and just see what’s lacking. You should know that in a situation like this, it is almost always your lack of appreciation that tears the marriage apart.

Unfortunately, growing old means change of eating habits too since the body no longer possesses the flexibility and adaptability it once had. For one, due to everyday wear and tear, your digestive system must be having a difficult time now processing the food you eat. This would mean foregoing those sinfully delicious foods and beverages you’ve grown to love. To make matters worse, this seems to be not a choice for you to make. If you are lucky, you’ll be able to keep some of your unhealthy diet habits but most of it should really go if you want to keep living a healthy life longer than it should be.

Here are some basic food groups that you should be avoiding now, especially if lifestyle disease symptoms are beginning to show:

·    Fried Foods. Need to say more? We already know why this food group is bad for us without me having to say it. The term alone can bring shivers down our spine but you must admit, deepfrieds are good but they can be deadly. In fact, it is a major contributing factor of obesity among older people.
·    Artificial sweeteners. Granted, they are sweet and it brings no guilt whatsoever. No more bland foods for you now because of these mini-wonders but you also know these things are pure chemicals right? So chemically-laden that I almost believe it should belong to a drugstore rather than the supermarket. Aside from that, the very first artificial sweetener to ever hit the market was banned due to its addictive components so if you are doing it just for fun then I would suggest go find another object of amusement and prolong your life.
·    Grilled foods. Bbq parties are the greatest and honestly, It’s one gathering that I wouldn’t dare miss! Unfortunately, grilled foods are included in the “no-no” list as studies show that charred foods develop carcinogens which will then be transferred to your body upon consumption.
·    Processed foods. Although they originated from natural products, they went through “processing” which closely resembles dousing the supposedly natural product with God-only-knows-what chemicals to make it last longer. If I will go look for unprocessed food, there are two words I am most likely to avoid: expiry date. It if has one, then it must be “processed”.
·    Premade foods/frozen food trays or what we fondly called as TV dinners. These babies are absolute fun! You just stick them inside the microwave and viola! Instant meal that is filling and not to mention, addictive regardless of their form and semblance but you know it still falls under the “processed’ category right? If you would like to go for premade, opt to prepare your own during weekends or whenever you are free then just freeze it.