Seniors Site

For those who have been a slave all their lives, bound by adult life’s rules, retirement must be their second leash in life. A few may dread it due the number it represents i.e their age but obviously, a large number of seniors do look forward to it especially those who are able to reach this age with a healthy mind and body. Retirement is indeed liberating. Retirement, for most seniors, represents the time when we don’t have to think of anyone but ourselves; no children to consider, no jobs to keep and certainly, nobody expects us to abide by the rules anymore. To top it all, discounts and senior privileges abound!
I bet, when you think of retirement, the first thing that comes to mind is moving to another city and start anew. A burning desire to make life just the way it should be or something you have always dreamed of but failed to achieve due to adult-ish reasons. However, there are lots to consider before you pack your bags and move to some unknown lands. Consider this as your last task to accomplish to finally release yourself from the bonds that hold you. After this, you are certainly on your way to happy retirement, just to forget to write back when you have time! J
First you need to assess your financial standing. This is crucial since starting out means no job to sustain your existence for the first few months. You also have to consider the amount of time you’ll need to adjust to this newfound lifestyle. To do this, you must first, determine what type of lifestyle you want and plan on how to make it happen. In some cases, you might need to sell some of your stuff to raise money for this new “life” you are preparing for. This includes properties which are not yielding desirable income for you and your family, or perhaps some assets which you can no longer attend to once you move away. However, it is wise to have a backup financial source just in case your plans did not pan out so don’t just list everything on sale and be left with nothing. Take a moment’s time to determine whether a property or asset is worth keeping or not.
No matter how eager we, seniors, are with moving and all, as much as possible, take everything slow, just so you won’t miss anything important along the way. Anyway, you can always take a little step toward your retirement plan even before retiring such as moving to a smaller, more manageable house right after the kids flew out of the nest or moving to a community which is closer to the activities you would want to pursue upon retiring. This way, you got everything together by the time your retirement year arrives and would only require a little adjustment when that day comes.

In many occasions, moving is beyond senior’s control. They will be moved no matter how they feel about it. In reality, no one can ever tell what could take place during a move especially if a senior is involved. It can be emotional and worrisome which can be understood considering that most of them prefer not to be moved at all. Unfortunately, moving can be a necessity for seniors due to many varying reasons, particularly health.
When seniors move, it can be moving in his or her kid’s home or moving to a smaller place since their current home is too much of a hassle to manage for an aging body. It can also be moving to happier retirement communities where life would be so much easier. Sadly, a number of moving seniors are destined to live in assisted or nursing homes. The latter group is usually the saddest among the bunch–and the hardest to move! If your senior has been living in his or her current home for many years, allow more time to adjust.
On the other hand, it is imperative for the responsible party to consider these factors when moving a senior. If you are the one in charge of convincing the senior to move, please always remember that moving is a process and it should never be rushed. Bear in mind that for seniors, moving signifies unwelcome change, never a new leash in life.  With that said, your first step is to assure the senior that everything will be alright and their priceless possessions will not get violated in any way. Assurance indeed goes a long way!
Moving a senior takes more time than a regular moving act. Also, you need to walk them through the process as they will need help and lots of encouragement. Expect tasks to be accomplished slower than usual. Moreover, caregivers need to be patient at all times. Another thing to consider is the moving budget. Of course, when you move, you need to pay for it, and it can really be expensive especially if you are moving a lot of stuff which seniors tend to do under such condition. NEVER force a senior to sell their belongings or else you blow up your chance of ever moving the senior. If you need to move your senior, you just have to do it under their terms.
Getting your senior involved in each and every step is a must. They must, somehow, feel they are in charge and you are only helping them with the move, nothing more. However, you must always be one step ahead by making sure that important documents are not left out such as medical records, insurances and others.

There are situations which could sometimes compel us to make decisions and choose what’s best for us, no matter how it hurts. I can still remember when the kids were young and I used to dream about having our own house without worrying about the rent every month! That was the driving force which led me to gamble with mortgage the time I bought our very first home. Lucky for me, me and my spouse were able to tide our family over. Just imagine the sense of relief I felt after shelling out the last payment for the house which was then called officially and irrevocably OURS!
No, I am not on the verge of applying for reverse mortgage, thank God, not yet! But God knows how many times I’ve toyed with the idea when something tight comes around. I have some friends—a handful of them, I must say—who took the “reverse mortgage plunge” and so far, are not having any problems but there were indeed frantic calls from them ranging from the wee to ungodly hours just because they heard reverse mortgage problems and would require some level of comforting skills from yours truly.
Which led me to believe, not all people whose homes are now under reverse mortgage are aware of its pros and cons or how it really works, partly due to the fact that reverse mortgage is a fairly new way to get some cash out of your acquired home. For starters, reverse mortgage is only available for homeowners age 62 years and above. Moreover, the senior must physically occupy the house in question and it must be his or her principal residence. The greatest selling point of reverse mortgage is that you don’t risk getting kicked out of your own house and you are not expected to pay anything just as long as you live in that house. The downside however, would be, in the event you suddenly, unexpectedly die, the amount borrowed against your home should be paid in full including fees and charges, which if left unattended for quite some time can grow to astronomical proportions!
Reverse mortgages are calculated by month, just like any other mortgage. It means, from the time the borrowed money reaches your hands, its interest will also begin to run. Although there would be no pesky monthly collector, its unpaid monthly interests will automatically pile up, month after month.
In reverse mortgage, you still own your home thus making you responsible for its upkeep and other fees to be paid such as property tax and insurances. Failing to do so will only result to the lender’s demand of full payment for the money owed. Local and state governments offer reverse mortgage which has low fees and interest rate but they can only be used for paying property taxes. On the other hand, private loans are typically expensive and involve lots of charges and fees which will be charged against your loan balance. Another thing to consider when taking out a reverse mortgage against your home is that it can seriously mess up your taxes when filing.

Back then, it’s common for seniors to acquire multiple homes by the time they reach their retirement years. Some even tag their homes as “vacation homes”, “weekend houses” and even their “city house” if they need to stay within the city for an extended time. These houses were considered as an investment, something that they can pass on to their offspring in due time. Those were the days when taxes were manageable and cash overflowed. Today, “manageable” means keeping your house and “struggle” means maintaining two.

Due to the economic struggle we all face today, having two houses at the same time is not practical and can definitely give a senior a hard time—more, later in life. For one, there’s the need to always set aside money for medical expenses and even if you live a healthy life, there will still be things you need to pay for in order to retain your healthy body. While retirement houses is not at all ridiculous to acquire nowadays, most seniors find themselves in a so-called “crossroads” where they need to choose between an adequate retirement community and your current house you’ve grown to love. Finding a new house is easy, even exciting at times but selling your home, even if it seems easy enough is also hard work and requires a lot of effort from your part.

When selling your home, you can either sell it yourself or use a broker. If in the past, someone expressed interest in buying your home, you can give them notice before deciding to go for a broker. Of course, selling the house yourself is the easiest way out IF there’s an existing buyer but for many others, the best route to go is using a broker especially if the house needs some more advertising. A broker can help you set a reasonable price for your home—enough to compensate for your lost, and also, he or she can help you pinpoint parts of the house that need “touch ups” . Try to get a broker that you are most comfortable working with and make sure he or she is indeed a broker who already sold homes in your area. To know this, you need to interview a couple of them prior to selling your house. Ask for referrals too, and check them.

Preparing your house for sale involves fixing things up and setting the place to make it more inviting to the eyes of the buyer. Your broker can help you with this by giving you a “third party” point of view and when they do, make sure you respect their opinions. Have house damages fixed even before a potential buyer visits the house. Remember, if you want the house sold in record time, eliminate all possible hindrance—defects are certainly one of them. Of course, keeping your house clean at all times is a must!

Research about how market value works. In a nutshell, it applies to family houses only. Do take note that the market value of your house may go up or down depending on the market’s pulse. There are three main elements in knowing your house’s market value: neighborhood, current condition of your house and the amount of time it stays “for sale”. The faster you sell your house, the better. Do consult neighbors and family members as well but always take their advises as a suggestion only. In the end, it should be between you and your broker—you being the seller and the broker being the “guy from inside”. After considering these elements, and more or less you have a reasonable price in mind, have a talk with your chosen broker to determine if indeed this can work. If somewhere along the line, you felt uncomfortable, it’s still your right to bail out. However, when a situation calls for your signature, make sure there’s another person on your side who can assist you in examining a paper for your own safety and protection.

Truly, senior health care must be one of the most sensitive issues a family is most likely to face at least once in their lifetime. Unfortunately, it should be done whether we like it or not. Mind you, convincing a senior to surrender himself to someone else’s care especially that of a senior health care facility is only half of the story as the real action only begins when you find yourself in face of the real challenge—the terms these facilities are most likely to use when dealing with your case.

Here are some common senior healthcare terms you are most likely to stumble upon during peptalks with their representatives. Expect it to be something of a cross between medical and legal terms, coupled with their own invented acronyms. It pays to familiarize yourself so that you don’t risk miscommunicating with the management before, during and after your case.

·    Advanced Medical Directives. It has three categories under its belt namely Living Will, Power of Attorney and Health Care Proxy. All these, more or less pertain to a written consent of the senior which designates or assigns another living person to make decisions in his behalf, if and when he’s unable to express his wishes anymore. This should be limited to medical concerns for the senior only.
·    Assignment. This is not your usual kid’s homework as the term adapts a whole new meaning when it comes to senior health care. When the doctor accepts assignment then you’re one lucky caregiver! It means that your kind doctor accepts Original Medicare Plan as a full payment saving you a lot of money.
·    Carrier. These are companies which should be paying your bills in behalf of Medicare.
·    Certificate of Creditable Coverage. A certificate which you need to secure from your health care insurance company which states the coverable period of time your senior is allowed according to the health plan you availed.
·    Custodial care. This is you, as the primary caregiver. These are services received by your senior which are not medical in nature such as bathing, eating and moving around. This is expected not to be covered by your insurance plan.
·    Election. A written decision that is legally binding once signed by the author.
·    IHSS or In Home Supportive Services. This is a financial aid given by the state to the senior/caregiver to help pay the bills for disabled senior who wishes to stay at home and receive care from there.
·    Preventive Services. These are preventive measures done to seniors to ensure that they stay healthy or at least won’t contract yet another health condition while under their care.
·    Risk Adjustment. Since your senior’s health status is bound to change either for better or for worse, expect to have certain adjustments in your payables.

For a more extensive list of common senior healthcare terms, visit LA County Community and Senior Services website.

Different ages require different sets of devices that are age-specific to their needs. For seniors, it is usually geared towards their safety and ease of living. Even though most seniors have stayed active all throughout the years and experiencing no discomfort whatsoever in the way they are living their lives now, sadly those in a really advanced age do encounter difficulties in their everyday tasks. Here are some safety devices that can help alleviate some of these difficulties for seniors:

·    Although anti-slip mats are cheap, they can be very useful for seniors. In fact, they are a staple to any senior home and the most recommended too.
·    Big buttoned phones. Most seniors have trouble seeing little letters and numbers and phones can sometimes be too confusing for them to use. With big buttoned phones, whether it’s a mobile phone or a land-based one, it would be easier for seniors to call in case of emergency.
·    Emergency alert devices. I’ve seen some in forms of necklaces, bracelets and even a wearable USB. The USB device claims it can alert authorities when the senior encountered emergency at the same time be able to supply much needed medical information in case the senior is unconscious at the time of the emergency.
·    Universal remote control. A universal remote control can control most of the appliances in the house which means there’s no need to further complicate things by using multiple remote controls for every appliance you may have.
·    Land-based phone with speed dial keys and automatic dialing features. These are phones which memorize numbers when set. This proves to be of great help for seniors who are having trouble memorizing set of numbers.
·    Magnifying glass. It doesn’t need to be a garish-looking one, in fact, magnifying glasses that are available in the market today are quite fashionable and at the same time, very efficient.
·    Automatic medication/pill dispensers. There’s an automatic and a semi-automatic one which will depend on your needs. These dispensers come equipped with an alarm system so you won’t miss a single dose anymore.
·    Anti-scald device. Seniors usually are slow to react leading to cases of burns which are otherwise preventable. These devices automatically turn off the water if its temperature reaches a certain degree. They can be installed in the shower room and kitchen.
·    For mobility challenged individuals, mobility scooters are a great addition to your assisting devices. Well, they will get you far and they are very easy to use so why not?

Apparently, bedbugs are infesting senior housing facilities all throughout America, the most recent reported case being the one in Boston where residents were asked to prepare their things for pests’ extermination come Friday. As to where the residents will stay during the 5-hour mandatory evacuation of the said building during the extermination period is still undisclosed. This is to address the parasite problem discovered sometime last week

Bedbugs in senior facilities have been a major problem for sometime now, no matter how hard housing authorities fight to keep and maintain their facilities habitable for occupants. Parasitic problems such as this one are considered as stressful for senior residents; as much as possible house keepers make sure their facilities are clean and free of any biting bugs to bother their residents. Unfortunately, these things seem to find their way in albeit uninvited.

Some residents are quite unhappy about these bedbugs and seek help from their landlords; After all, this is the housing management’s responsibility but it seems that there are landlords who choose to do little or nothing at all about the problem at hand. Because of this, seniors are stuck trying their best to live with bedbugs until the management finds time to address the problem.

Bedbugs multiply fast; that is why if given 2 years, they could cover the whole area effectively. Actually, bedbugs are widespread and their mode of transmission is fairly easy. They can easily be transported from one hotel room straight to your home or from your home to the senior housing facility via your luggage. Bedbug bites cause allergic reaction for some aside from the very visible bite mark it leaves behind. Because of the ever increasing number of reported cases over the last few years, a bill was introduced last May 2009 that aims to protect Americans from bedbugs. The bill, aptly named as “Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009”, intends to have lodging facilities inspected for bedbugs although senior housing facilities are not mentioned within the bill as it is targeted towards hotels and motel rooms so far.

The best way to prevent bedbugs from invading your home is knowing how to look for them. Almost always, they come from hotel rooms during vacations which means, you must be aware of the telltale signs such as fecal spots, blood spots and musty smell when renting out. Bedbugs are nocturnal creatures so you won’t see them during the day and they usually surface only when they know you’re already asleep. The best place to look for bedbugs is the bed since this is the place where they live; however, for heavily infested areas, they can also be found in walls and cabinets.

Aging has its own pros and cons but sometimes, it tends to lean on the “cons” side of things especially in terms of independency. It’s good to know there are still few options left for us seniors to delve in and won’t take too much consultation from people around us; this includes housing options.

Aging is an already given fact and it is one of those things in life that we couldn’t prevent, no matter how much we took pains in delaying it. However, there are things that we CAN do to make our aged-years so much comfortable than it should; all these for just planning ahead of time and preparing for it well.

Retirement should not be something to avoid; in fact, many seniors are having a great time spending their retired years in perfect contentment just because they have prepared well and things have gone according to plan. But of course, included in this planning is the acceptance that there would be things they can no longer attend to such as home maintenance and lawn mowing; trivial problems but problems just the same. Most of these tasks are physically tedious to an aging body or poses a health risk if they dared doing so hence the need for assistance–an assisted living that won’t require giving up seniors’ independence entirely. Apparently, this is exactly what adult retirement communities offer to active seniors.

Adult retirement communities are residential communities which offer homes for seniors and are specifically designed to encourage active lifestyle that is more suitable for older adults. These communities come with recreational facilities such as swimming pool and tennis courts and form groups based on residents’ interests. It comes in handy for seniors who are concerned if they could still manage a household and would want to be part of a community once more.

This type of housing option for seniors is quite popular nowadays; in fact there are plenty of existing adult retirement communities in Florida and a handful scattered all throughout the country; party due to the fact that this type of community is, by far the best alternative to nursing homes and living alone on your own. Safety and comfort of the residents are the first and foremost concern of the community manager—most of the time it’s guaranteed, but you’ll have to pay for it, of course. However, it’s such a small cost to pay considering the amount of convenience you’ll get from living in an adult retirement community.

These communities are with restrictions to maintain the quality of life they provide for seniors so it is best to inquire first if you’re interested in purchasing or renting a home in such communities. Since it tends to be a targeted community, its facilities and amenities are specifically designed to cater to older adults; the same goes for existing rules and regulations the community follows. If you have decided to go for it, then it is most recommended that you take time to attend open houses or inquire personally to the community office to familiarize yourself of how the community operates.