Seniors Site

We, seniors, are considered as the most vulnerable group ever to live on this planet. We, unintentionally, invite scammers into our homes and our lives. Even of those we have trusted our whole lives, we can never be sure. No amount of defense is better than prevention, that’s what I say but if push comes to shove, we seniors should be ready to handle such situations and come out of it fairly unscathed! Here are some of simple self defense tips for seniors:

•    Avoid wandering around without any particular go-to location in mind. If you have to do this, make sure you don’t look lost or dazed as these are what malicious people are looking for.
•    Be especially aware of your surroundings. By now, you must have known your neighborhood like the back of your hand. Try to avoid neighborhoods that are famous for trouble and stick with those that won’t do you harm.
•    Always make it a point to have at least one arm free, if two is not possible. This way, you will be able to use this “free arm” if and when someone attacks you. This also applies when going in and out of your home.
•    Have a whistle and flashlight in handy. Both of which you can buy in miniature sizes to easily slide inside your pocket. There are also alarm systems designed especially for seniors, albeit more expensive.
•    Avoid going out at night especially if you are alone. When visiting an ATM machine, always do it in broad daylight or at least on a well-lit area. Assess your surroundings first for suspicious characters or dark areas surrounding the machine, if there is one, try to find another machine to withdraw you money from.
•    Never open your doors without knowing for sure who is on the other side. You can have someone install a peephole so you can see first who’s knocking before opening the door.
•    Keep your valuables hidden. If you are planning to have a little stroll down the park, make sure you leave your jewelries at home and carry just enough money to bring you back home.
•    Bring “not-so-obvious” self-defense weapon such as umbrella, cane, pen and keys. You can use these things to defend you against your attacker.
•    Join self-defense classes. Local organizations as well as police authorities organize free self-defense classes every now and then. It is best to attend such classes and ask questions while there.

Going on a cruise indeed highlights your retirement life. In fact, it’s every American’s dream to join one even those who are not yet—or still far from—retiring. However, due to time constraints and of course, budget, going on a cruise remains to be a thing you do after you retire from the workforce. Problem is, cruising this late in life usually puts seniors in greater risk especially in terms of their safety and well-being.
We most probably have heard about several horror stories associated with cruising such as disappearances and violence while on board which got us thinking if going on a cruise is still safe for seniors. To appease your troubled mind, most of these reported incidents did not occur onboard so it is safe to say you don’t have to worry while you’re inside the ship sailing. Going off it, however, is a different story.
Here are some tips on how to stay safe while on a cruise, and of course, be able to enjoy the ride!
•    Keep your valuables with you at all times, on and off ship. These would be your documents, medications, spending money and whatnot. Invest in a good, sturdy cross body bags or messenger bags—light and convenient enough to be carried anywhere.
•    Cruise ships have safe boxes. Please use them as you already paid for it the minute you signed up for the cruise. Safe boxes are provided so that you will have a place for your other valuables which you don’t have an urgent need at the moment.
•    Keep in touch with those you left behind. Call them, email them, just make sure you stay connected during the whole trip. If you have no intentions of hooking up with a fellow cruiser and getting caught, perhaps it would be best if you give someone back home your itinerary and where in the world you should be at certain day and hour. This way, it will be easier to track you if and when something happens.
•    Report anything suspicious. Even if it’s fairly safe while inside the ship, you still need to keep your radars up. Anything suspicious and out of place, you report to authorities. Bear in mind that a ship, no matter how big it is, can be a very small place for con artists, scammers and unscrupulous people to find you—or the frail lady next door.
•    Avoid unfamiliar places. That includes someone else’s room or darker parts of the ship. Always be where people are and never wander alone.

What’s scary about fires is that they usually come without warning and they spread fast. Worst, they come when you’re at your most vulnerable, that is, while you’re sleeping, or home alone or on a trip somewhere far.
For seniors with somewhat limited range of motion and impaired reflexes, it becomes doubly hard—even life threatening. Whether you are a senior living independently or a caregiver concerned about your beloved senior’s safety, you should observe fire safety measures to a tee before it’s too late.
•    Be always one step ahead of the fire season. For firefighters, fire season will be the summer months. During summer, wildfires are common so it would be wise to have the house fireproofed before summer and fix whatever is damaged soon after. Always do routine checkups for fire hazards in and out of your house.
•    Resist your innate packrat attitude. One rule in fireproofing your home: the less you own, the lesser your chances of catching a fire. Clear your house of all things unnecessary—and that includes your yard or lawn as well. Pay special attention to areas where you are supposed to be dashing your way out in case of a fire.
•    Clear your lawn. Maintain a well-cleared lawn by trimming trees and keeping grass at 2 inches minimum. To fireproof your home, you must consider the proximity of your house to nearby trees since they are combustible and can easily catch a fire.
•    Fireproof your lawn. Adding noncombustible materials like rocks and pebbles will make your lawn look nice but at the same time lessen your fire risk.
•    Store highly flammable materials outside of your home. Nowadays, you can buy whole outdoor storage sheds at very affordable prices which you can set up outside of your home. Consider its proximity from your home and store flammable substances such as paint and gasoline in your outdoor shed.
•    Clear the roof. Better yet, clean it. It won’t hurt you—in fact it can save your life—to have it checked regularly. Accumulated dead branches, leaves and other hazardous materials can bring fire to your home. Check chimneys, shingles and wirings on your roof.
•    Swap candles to rechargeable lamps. If you are using candles to enhance atmosphere of your home then it’s time to seek other alternative, something that is less combustible such as oils and potpourri.
•    Check and test your fire alarms. Some companies offer yearly checks for these alarms, do take advantage of them.

Due to the overwhelming advancement in today’s medical field, it is now possible to extend our lives and reach our oldest possible age. However, there still stand numerous age-related anomalies which we have yet to solve. Indeed, there will come a time when aging would catch up—it’s inevitable. It could even be sooner than we think!
No matter how we delay age, the possibility of your beloved senior no longer capable of handling their own finances, let alone, making their own decisions still exists, and worse, it could get really scary once family bickering over who’s in charge starts. Seniors should know that this can be avoided, if only they have prepared for it ahead of time. However, for those who were struck unwarned, conservatorship might be the best solution.
When you seek conservatorship, it means you would like to be the conservator or, in other words, the guardian. This person should be able to prove to the court that the senior in question is no longer capable of making decision for himself. If this person is able to convince the court that it is for the greater good, he or she will get the appointment. In a nutshell, conservatorship takes away a senior’s power to make decisions in all aspects of his or her life, including financial, medical and estate planning and handing it to someone more competent.
Generally, there are two types of conservatorship:  probate and LPS. The difference is mostly defined by the extent of incompetence in the senior’s part. Conservatorship can only be sought if there is no existing document, by the way. This is where early planning really comes into the picture. If you are a senior worrying about who will end up deciding for you when that time comes, then you should consider designating people as soon as possible—like right now. Your lawyer can assist you in preparing the necessary documents, including how to choose the best person for this job.
The process of designating a conservator is not easy and indeed it can be costly. Not only that, it can be a long and tedious process to begin with. This is why most families see this process as their last resort and not something they would want to undergo especially when there’s a senior needing more attention than what the conservatorship would worth. In order to be designated as conservator, a person seeking it would have to submit himself to a hearing process. A judge will then appoint or designate according to what he deems fit. After the designation, the conservator will then work hand-in-hand with the court with every decision made on behalf of the senior. There should also be an inventory and records pertaining to the senior’s financial standing, before, during and after, the conservator’s term of appointment.

As taboo as it may seem, elderly abuse is common and according to statistics, only 1 out of 14 incidents get reported. I say, the level of awareness when it comes to elderly abuse is partly to blame. We don’t really know when and to what extent should an act of a caregiver or of the supposed “abuser” be considered as an abuse already. We just know that when there’s violence, surely there is an abuse going on, but what about those types of abuse when the elderly in question doesn’t even show signs of physical abuse such as bruises and broken bones? Here is your general guide to elderly abuse and hopefully be able to recognize signs of it before it is too late:
·    Seniors themselves don’t usually recognize these signs—not even aware that they are being abused in some way. Others are just not capable of reporting the abuse by themselves due to physical or mental limitations. It is the people around them that should be ones to keep a close eye on things.
·    Elderly abuse can also occur in nursing homes. In fact, most reported incidents came from institutions like this. In other words, don’t relax yet, knowing your elderly loved-one is in the “safety” of a nursing home! You still need to keep your radars up.
·    According to a lawyer handling elderly and senior citizen cases, there are three general categories of an elderly abuse:  domestic elder abuse, institutional elder abuse and neglect. Of the three, the second must be the hardest to control.
·    There are many types of elder abuse:  physical, psychological, financial, sexual and neglect. Just recently, the government included these three in the list:  rights abuse, self neglect and abandonment. All these are pretty much self-explanatory.
·    When physical abuse occurs, there should be bruises, broken bones, burns, cuts and everything else pertaining to the body getting harmed.
·    Known symptoms of emotional abuse are:  sudden changes in behavior, mood swings, depression and withdrawal from normal, daily activities.
·    As for neglect: malnourishment, poor hygiene and weight loss are the most common signs.
·    You would know if there’s a financial abuse going on if your beloved senior suddenly loses money for unknown reasons. It includes assets and bank accounts.
·    Physical abuse is often masked as “accidents”. If there are far too many household accidents occurring, it’s time to suspect and interfere.
·    Common abusers of seniors are the ones who are expected to closely work with them, helping them out, such as their caregiver, partners, kids—even their lawyers! If their vulnerabilities are exposed, your loved-one is at a greater risk.

Riding the public transportation can be tough and it requires certain amount of “superhuman” powers such as “perfect” hand-eye coordination, “uncanny” motor skills, and “unbelievable” dexterity! Well, that’s not to mention your ability to make yourself look like you know exactly what you are doing and not appear gullible or lost during the ride itself. All these things make it harder for seniors to bear public transportation especially if they have already given up driving. Unfortunately, if seniors want to go places, they are left with such limited choices, unless you are up for knee-breaking walks!
Here are some handy tips to stay safe when using public transportation and well, come home in one piece:
·    Watch your step—especially in places where there are such signs! Also, don’t get too comfortable in places, no matter how familiar they are to you. It is important to always keep watch of the floor you are walking, be aware of the slippery ones and uneven pavement to prevent accidents from happening.
·    Avoid unnecessary movements while onboard, especially in trains. Doing so can call unwanted attention and can also throw you off balance.–two of the things you might want to avoid. Also, make sure you keep your head together when riding a bus, because it tends to suddenly stop and make sharp turns.
·    Do it slowly but surely–when riding the bus, stepping out of it or even when crossing the street. Avoid counterflows and never try to do “acrobatic” acts trying to beat an already closing train door. If a train is already overflowing with people inside, seniors should skip this one and just wait for the next train.
·    Leave excess baggage at home. Your hands must be free to support your balance anytime you need to. Also, use bags that will cling to your body instead of you holding them all the time. If you need to take home a package, have it delivered. Consider it as one less thing to mind.
·    Always mind the gap when getting in and out of the train. Bear in mind that there is always a gap between the train and the platform as they don’t come in one piece (in case you haven’t notice that!) if you are not too careful, you can trip on it or worse, get your foot stuck on one of them!
·    Try to avoid wandering around at night. You are most likely to avoid crimes and unlikely incidents if you just stay home during the night.
·    Ride in groups. Safety in numbers, seniors should remember that.

There have been left and right lay-offs and job termination these days. Unfortunately, seniors are no stranger in this situation as survey would show if there’s one group who gets the first blow of axe, it would be the seniors’ group. There are many reasons why companies would rather see their seniors go than take advantage of their expertise, one of them is the higher fees the company has to pay when keeping one.
Add to that the fact that sometimes, no matter how hard a senior would try, it seems impossible to keep up with the times. Offices are now applying high-tech ways to better their services, save money and do without menial jobs—or employees who do these menial jobs, for that matter. Computers are now equipped with bookkeeping capabilities which eliminate the need to hire a whole bookkeeping department. You can even run a virtual office without having to hire people and get them in your office everyday. Due to these factors, more and more seniors are losing jobs every single day. For seniors who rely largely on their jobs as their means to live, it’s a disaster indeed.
Let’s be honest, being a senior with no job is no laughing matter. Everyone needs a job, with or without a nest egg. While the least desperate ones can still make a wise decision on how to make the most out of their current situation, the same cannot be expected especially for those who still have mouths to feed and bills to pay.
Take Ben for an example. He is 60+ in age and recently got terminated. At the age of 40, he started building his nest egg and now, it has grown nicely—adequate enough to provide for him and his wife Laura. Problem is, Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer and is expected to undergo necessary treatments for it. To top it all off, his daughter, decidedly left her two minor children in Ben’s home to sort her life after a marital storm. Now, Ben, somewhat bothered with the unexpected job termination at the age of 60, turns to job hunting, an activity that is not too safe nowadays.
Be it a job found over the internet, classified ads and even those on TV, can be a scam and it can cost you a lot of money if you are not too careful. Remember, con artists prey on the desperate, so no matter how desperate you are in getting a job, you still need to keep your head clear and intact at all times. Think twice when offered a job which requires you to pay upfront fees of some sort. Also, never go for promises which seem to be too good to be true. Always do your research when applying for work or dealing with someone. It saves you time and effort knowing what you are about to plunge into.

It seems like now people are given a lot of options but lack in much needed education. Yes, we’ve heard their marketing pitches, usually from people who would earn something in return if they’re able to get us on the bandwagon. What these people fail—or intentionally fail—to tell us is the downside of using these plastic cards. However, they tend to exaggerate its “greatness”, sometimes bordering to lies, which sadly, giving us ideas of exactly the wrong things.
Due to poor money management most people practice, and the encouragement credit cards bring to these people, debit cards came along. For a while, it seems to be the safest option since you don’t risk falling into debts. Almost instantly, it gained popularity similar to that of credit cards. Unfortunately, many have realized later that it also has it own pros and cons that a user must consider before getting one. It may even cost you way more than a credit card fiasco could ever bring you.
Personally,–and although I never really had a problem with money management—I think the safest way to spend money is using cash. All the time. My lifelong motto being, if I don’t have that kind of cash in hand, I don’t buy it, not even think about it. So far, it works for me and was able to age gracefully and debt-free. Something I find rare among my generation which is quite saddening for me. Don’t get me wrong, I have had my fair share of credit and debit cards and they all worked great for me. It’s just I often find myself using them just for the rewards or benefits they bring, particularly for my credit score.
Just recently, I have met a new addition to the plastic cards family, it’s called the charge card. I must admit, I don’t have much to go on when it comes to charge cards as I am still trying to get to know it. What I did understand is, charge cards are something like debit card-slash-credit card. It has the benefits of a credit card but at the same time, the control of a debit card. In my honest opinion, it goes a little something like this:  If you are making small payments for your daily living expenses, you reach for a debit card, like issuing a check. The amount you used a debit card for will automatically come out of your savings account in which the debit card is aligned. The danger of this is, you must ALWAYS be mindful of your saving account balance as you can be charged with overdraft fees. Like a check book, you need to balance it everytime you use it. On the other hand, you use charge cards if you need to pay for something that exceeds your daily spending allowance but certainly won’t cause you trouble come monthly due date. As of my understanding, a charge card is supposedly paid in full every month. Use your credit card only when in absolute necessity and you’re certain this purchase cannot be paid in full in a month. Security wise, I find credit cards as the most secure by far but like what I’ve said, I still need to get to know charge cards more.

These things are done now and although there were horror stories associated with it, successful ones outweighs them a ton. Every year, billion of dollars were spent online such that banks the world over have now set up their own banking system online, enabling their members to access their bank accounts online and seek help from there when needed. Indeed, technology has provided an extremely convenient way for most of our purchasing needs, especially for seniors with limited range of motion. Even environmentalists agree, shopping online saves us a lot of things and contributes tremendously to the well being of our environment. Something that was remotely possible then.
However, there are still nagging apprehensions when it comes to online shopping since no regulating body monitors these sites, to think that the nature of the internet is global. Just to be fair, shoppers and sellers are both exposed to a very risky situation when it comes to online shopping. For now, we’ll focus on shoppers since most of my friends are interested with this matter.
It’s true. Many of my senior friends are now entertaining thoughts of shopping online. And, I can see clearly why they would want to shop this way, given crazy weather conditions, risky road circumstances and the amount of energy needed just to go out and get stuff from a store, online shopping seems to be the best shopping choice for seniors. Problem is, how to pay for these things without exposing ourselves to fraudulent transactions. Here are your options:
·    Shop only from reliable stores. This must be the rule of thumb when shopping online. Make sure that you are browsing through a site with “https” on it. This can be seen up there in the web address box. Aside from that, check if you have the little security icon below which is normally a padlock. These things should be on your browser window.
·    SSL certificates are important. SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer protocol which ensures secure transactions between you and the server. Your computer usually notifies you when it detects expired SSL certificate or if there’s something wrong about the server’s certificate.
·    Security seals. Their website should have security seals from security providers. One of the most popular signs is VeriSign. To make sure that the website has really earned the seal, click on the seal which should lead you to a verification page of the security provider.
·    Make sure your computer is virus free. Why? Malwares can infect your computer. When it does, it will record your keyboard strokes and send it to a remote server to be used for malicious activities—identity theft included. With that said, even if you shop only from reliable stores, your account info will still be stolen from you.
·    Use debit cards that are not aligned to your bank accounts. There are debit card providers which allow card holders to just put money in that account when needed. It may or may not require you a maintenance fee but at the very least, you don’t risk your entire life savings account.
·    Use online payment services. Like PayPal, they serve as a go-between. You just have to pay fees for their services of course, but they come very handy in situations when you need to purchase from stores that are considered suspicious.

If you want my honest to goodness answer, then I would have to say NEVER. It is clearly a no-no for anyone at any age i.e whether you’re a new driver, drunk driver and most of all, a senior driver. Night driving can never be safe. However, there are circumstances that will force us to drive at night no matter how much we detest doing it. Those who still own the steering wheel to and fro work are most likely to find themselves driving at night—even under horrible conditions, unfortunately, it’s a risk we all need to take.
Self regulation is the key to safe driving. It has always been said that it is only ourselves who know exactly what we can and cannot do. While it’s so hard to part ways with our beloved car keys, caregivers or even bothered relatives may confiscate our car keys just because they have proven to themselves that we are already a risk to the society if we continue on driving recklessly. So in order for us to still enjoy this little pleasure in life, we must practice safe driving and that includes not driving at night right?..
One problem that most seniors have when driving at night is poor visibility. Really, it’s hard to see dark things when it’s all blended. Same with gray things when its dusk or dawn. Personally, I don’t drive during “gray hours” as I find it doubly hard to see things than driving at night. I would rather drive with the sun up or let the “gray hours” pass before driving. This, I come to realize during my learning-how-to-drive years and never did I attempt to break my driving cycle, not even once.
Lately, I’m having trouble with night driving as well so I checked out a couple of eyeglasses to help me see better at night. Aside from the usual prescription glasses, I was offered a night vision driving glasses as well as the anti-glare ones. Never a compulsive buyer, I backed down overwhelmed, but promised the good salesman that I will be back with a definite decision. Right now, I am still doing my research.
Meanwhile, I am practicing safer night driving techniques nowadays. For visually-impaired seniors like me, I would like to share these tips and hopefully—like me again—someday we could afford those expensive but spanking hot eyeglasses to help us see the light even if it’s pitch-dark!
·    Turn those headlights on, even if there’s still half-a-sun out there. It won’t cost you any additional fees anyway so why not take advantage of it?
·    If you feel sleepy, do yourself justice and stop wherever safe. Call a reliable friend and let them come and pick you up. This, or you avoid going out late at night!
·    Keep your act together. There should be no room for scatterbrains when driving at night. Stay alert at all times.