Tag: Aging Adults

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How to Help Ensure Homes are Safe for Seniors

shower grab bar

As the Baby Boomer population continues to age, more seniors are faced with the tough decision of whether they are able to remain living in their homes safely. For example, seniors who continue to live in the homes they bought in their younger years, and maybe where they  raised their children, may be faced with multiple stories and laborious maintenance. Aging can increase risk when completing tasks like walking up a flight of stairs or mowing the lawn. Knowing this, there are a number of measures people can take to ensure their aging loved ones can still live in their homes and remain safe.

According to national membership, training, advocacy and services organization, Age Safe American, most older people live in homes that are more than 20 years old. Further, a house that was perfectly suitable for a senior at age 55, for example, may  have too many stairs or slippery surfaces for a person who is 70 or 80. 

However, research by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that home modifications and repairs may prevent up to 50% of all home accidents among seniors, including falls that take place in these older homes. Ultimately, these preventative measures can be broken down into four categories: accessibility, adaptability, universal design and visitability.

First, accessibility means taking the steps to ensure that the home itself is modified to best meet the needs of seniors. Certain features can be modified so that they are safer, easier to navigate and move around. This may include measures such as making doorways wider, lowering countertops and cabinets, installing grab bars, and making outlets easily reachable. Having a conversation with an aging loved one about what elements of their at-home life present challenges may help loved ones create a priority list for modifications that need to be made immediately,

Next, adaptability expands on accessibility by allowing for quick accommodations that do not require the home to undergo structural change. Without having to redesign a home or incorporate alternative building materials and fixtures, individuals can make small changes that will go a long way. For example, wires that used to run across the floor can be embedded into the walls or floor to prevent tripping and falls. Another example would be installing grab bars throughout the bathroom and kitchen.

More involved, changing a home’s universal design will help to make a living space more senior-friendly. These modifications help to increase lighting, safe mobility and daily activity. While these adjustments can be as simple as adding lighting fixtures to ensure that a senior has enough light to see where they are going, universal design can be more involved if structural changes are needed. This may occur if a ramp needs to be built instead of existing stairs, or if new, slip-resistant flooring  must be installed.

Lastly, increasing visitability is in regard to seniors who invite other elderly friends to come over to their homes. This, too, may prompt the need to install a ramp, slip-resistant flooring, grab bars and home cameras. Such changes may also give seniors a head start on home modifications they may need later in their lives. Early action can allow people of all ages to enjoy an independent lifestyle without undergoing a difficult and unexpected transition.

Overall, home needs and requirements change as people become older. Safety should remain a top priority, and family members and loved ones can play an important role in helping to ensure safety — even if the seniors themselves are reluctant to do so. Help them initiate the necessary changes before they get hurt.

Learn More About Senior Home Safety Modifications

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How to Protect Seniors from Scams

Senior Scam Protection

Each year, millions of seniors fall victim to a number of different types of fraud or financial schemes, reports the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sadly, many scammers target elderly individuals because they believe they can win over their trust and confidence. Most often, seniors become subject to technology, romance, impersonation, lottery, home repair or caregiver scams. Although there are thousands of scam attempts targeting seniors each day, there are ways to help educate and protect your loved ones.

Explain the risks of giving out personal information: First and foremost, seniors and elderly loved ones should be told why exactly giving out personal information over the phone or internet can be extremely dangerous. Emphasize to them that if someone asks for their personal information, they should call the source the person claims to work for, to verify that the request is valid. They should also resist the urge to act quickly. Ultimately, if the individual feels unsure or concerned, they should know to reach out to someone they trust for a second opinion or advice.

Do an online name search: To assess how easily accessible your loved one’s contact information is, simply search their name, number, address and emails in a search engine. Whatever information you can find, know that others searching the internet can find this as well. In many cases, the site may be able to remove this personal information upon request. If they don’t answer or refuse to take the information down, contact support through the search engine by which you found the website.

Install antivirus software: If your loved one has computer access, make sure you install antivirus and security software to protect against hackers. Malware protection should also be up-to-date. When selecting an antivirus software or firewall, ensure that the brand is reputable.

Inquire about “too-good-to-be-true” scenarios: In the case of sweepstakes and giveaways, seniors often become too excited by the prospects to consider the validity. Instead of addressing the possibility of a scam directly, AARP suggests that individuals instead ask questions about how they can participate in the same sweepstakes. This will lead the individual to explain how they came across it, what information they provided, and who they spoke with. That way, you can determine for yourself if the sweepstakes seems suspicious. If you determine the giveaway to be a scam, and your loved one is reluctant to believe you, have them call the AARP Fraud Fighter Call Center toll-free at 800-646-2283.

As the Baby Boomer population ages and a larger elder community emerges, warning about elderly scams is as important as ever. Prevention is key, because it is common for seniors who have been scammed to feel too ashamed to report the crime. Furthermore, they may not understand how to report a financial scheme to the authorities. 

If you believe you or someone you know may have been a victim of elder fraud, contact your local FBI field office or submit a tip online. You can also file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. 

Learn More About Senior Scams

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5 Elderly-Focused Charities

Elderly charities

As people age, they may require increased aid to be able to navigate the requirements of daily life. For this reason, there are a number of nonprofit organizations which serve to assist the aging and elderly adult communities. From helping seniors receive necessary support to assisting with education and training and coordinating companionship, these organizations are working to change the lives of so many individuals for the better. For those looking to make a financial or volunteer contribution to a charity that focuses on improving the lives of seniors and aging adults, here are five organizations worth learning about:

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America: The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) provides education and support to individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease. The organization also assists patient families and caregivers, and funds research toward improved treatments and a cure. Founded in 2012 by a caregiver, AFA offers a variety of resource materials, support groups and information for family caregivers, as well as training for healthcare professionals. Further, to help individuals take a proactive approach to brain health, AFA has a National Memory Screening Program which provides free, confidential memory screenings at sites across the country. Donate here.

Pets for the Elderly Foundation: The Pets for the Elderly Foundation (PFE) facilitates companionship between seniors and pets. The late Avrum (Avvy) Katz founded PFE in 1992 with a vision to provide companionship to senior individuals through pet ownership while saving the lives of companion animals in shelters. Today, PFE has helped facilitate over 78,000 happy-ending adoption stories between seniors and shelter animals across the U.S. PFE helps pay the fees to participating animal shelters throughout the United States for senior citizens (age 60 and over) who adopt a companion dog or cat from a participating shelter — including pre-adoption veterinary exams and spay/neuter if part of the adoption fee. Donate here.

Oasis: Founded in 1982, Oasis is a nonprofit educational organization that is active in over 250 communities and reaches more than 50,000 individuals each year. The mission is to promote healthy aging through lifelong learning, active lifestyle and volunteer engagement. Oasis seeks to positively impact lives through partnerships to share knowledge, offer evidence- and research-based programs, conduct evaluations and adapt to meet the needs of diverse audiences. Donate here.

Second Wind Dreams: Second Wind Dreams is a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the perception of aging through the fulfillment of dreams and the offering of educational programs including its flagship sensitivity training, the Virtual Dementia Tour. Since its foundation in 1997, Second Wind Dreams has become involved in more than 1000 eldercare communities in 20 countries. Weaving thousands of dreams from the simple to the sublime, the mission of Second Wind Dreams is simple — to change the perception of aging through the fulfillment of dreams and the offering of innovative educational opportunities to caregivers and communities. Donate here.

SeniorNet: SeniorNet is on a mission to empower a community of older adults to leverage technology and share wisdom. The organization helps older adults take advantage of new technology that can improve their quality of life, reduce isolation and engage with others in new and interesting ways. This is done by connecting older adults with each other and with both physical and online communities. SeniorNet also monitors the most useful technology for older adults and provides reviews, online training and access to tools. Additionally, the team engages in research programs to better understand the interaction between older adults and technology. Donate here.

Additional Senior Charities

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4 Warning signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

warning signs of alzheimers

More than 6 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. Another alarming statistic, between 2000 and 2019, the number of deaths from Alzheimer’s disease as recorded on death certificates has more than doubled, increasing 145.2%, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. More recently, the nonprofit organization has reported that Alzheimer’s and dementia deaths have risen 16% in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. These increased rates of diagnosis and mortality are reasons for the public to become more aware of the numerous, potential warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease, documented by the Alzheimer’s Association. 

1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life

The Alzheimer’s Association explains that an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s disease is often the identification of disruptive memory loss. This can include information that was recently learned, peoples’ names, appointment times and more. Memory loss that disrupts daily life can also constitute repeating the same information over and over again or asking a question and repeatedly forgetting the answer. Oftentimes, those with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease will remember this information at a later time or start to leave themselves frequent reminder notes because they anticipate forgetting the details.

2. Difficulty planning or problem-solving

Those living with undiagnosed Alzheimer’s disease have been known to exhibit challenges when attempting to follow a plan. They may also struggle when working with numbers, such as when they are paying their monthly bills. For example, people with this type of dementia may begin to notice that they have been making financial errors when paying bills or that they forgot to submit a payment on time. While they may write these instances off as mere errors or mistakes, a continuation of these occurrences can be an indication of Alzheimer’s disease.

3. Unable to track down missing items

Someone with undiagnosed Alzheimer’s disease may begin to either put things in unusual places or lose items. When an item is lost, they will not be able to track the item down by retracing their steps or thinking back to the last time they were in possession of the item. As the disease progresses, these individuals may become defensive when questioned about their ability to remember where certain items are located. It is not uncommon for someone to misplace something once in a while. However, when losing items becomes more common, that is when someone may need to make others aware of the issue or seek medical advice from a professional.

4. Changes in mood and personality

A commonality among individuals with undiagnosed Alzheimer’s disease that can serve as a warning sign is apparent changes in mood or personality. This type of dementia can bring about feelings of anxiety, confusion, suspicion and fear. For these reasons, conversations that  normally flow may become difficult for the individual to hold. When something is misplaced or forgotten, this person may become extremely irritated, upset or depressed. If these characteristics become evident in individuals who had not previously presented such behaviors, loved ones, friends, family, co-workers or others who know the person should consider the possibility that this could be a warning sign of Alzheimer’s.

Other Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease 

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6 Helpful Apps for Seniors & Aging Adults

Apps for seniors

Technology has become a part of most people‘s lives, including seniors and aging adults. As they navigate computers, tablets and cellphones, people in this age group have begun to rely on apps to help them complete tasks, remember obligations, secure safety and maintain general health and wellness. By encouraging an aging loved one to download a number of apps, family members can also help to better ensure their well-being remotely. According to the family-oriented website SeniorLiving.org, here are six of the top applications for older adults:

Medisafe: Medisafe is a personalized medication management platform that helps patients stay on top of administration of all their medications. In addition to serving as a pill organizer, Medisafe connects users to their families for support, encouragement and expertise. The application learns about each user’s unique situation to deliver custom notifications for appointments, medication updates, refills, personalized health recommendations and discounts. The goal is to use Medisafe to ensure that users take their prescribed medication as needed.

Magnifying Glass + Flashlight: The Magnifying Glass + Flashlight app is an all-in-one magnifying glass, flashlight and camera snapshot app to help users to read even the tiniest print clearly. The built-in magnifier and LED torch flashlight can be used to read restaurant menus, medicine bottles and series numbers. The app itself features high–contrast mode, zoom magnification from 1X to 5X, and a library to save captured pictures.

GoodRx: GoodRx is a company and mobile application that helps users find the lowest local prices for their prescriptions at more than 70,000 U.S. pharmacies. They can also track prices and get notified with the latest savings alerts for their prescriptions. To take advantage of these potential offers, users just show the GoodRx app to their pharmacist when picking up a prescription.

LastPass: LastPass is a password manager application. A password manager is a tool that helps users create, remember and fill in their passwords. To do so, the user simply logs into an account for the first time, and LastPass stores their username and password. Every time they return to the app, their credentials are filled in automatically. With a built-in password generator, LastPass also helps users easily create a random password for every account, so they’re always protected from hacking.

Personal Capital: Personal Capital is an application that provides users with a whole new way to see, understand and manage their money so that they can live confidently and retire well. The free online tools allow users to view all of their accounts in one place, with a powerful dashboard to provide deep insights so they can understand their entire financial picture. As an investment client, a user’s dedicated fiduciary adviser will leverage these tools to provide personalized wealth management advice that the user can trust and understand. A tailored plan dynamically evolves with a user’s changing life, with an emphasis on holistic planning, risk management and after-tax returns.

Audible: Audible is an American online audiobook and podcast service owned by Amazon.com, Inc. The company has become a leading application creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, enriching the lives of millions of listeners every day. The company’s customer-centric approach to technological innovation and superior programming has helped to reinvent the media category. Users can download the Audible app to stream audiobooks and other forms of spoken word content.

More Apps for Older Adults

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Celebrate National Nutrition Month During March 2021

National-Nutrition-Month

Nutrition is an important element of home care, and since March is National Nutrition Month, this is the perfect month to assess one’s diet and health. This annual campaign was established by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to encourage everyone to learn how to make informed food choices and develop healthy eating and physical activity habits. Everyday Home Care realizes there is no single approach to nutrition and health, so it offers custom wellness services.

Its home care wellness services include meal planning and a daily meal program to help clients customize their plate to reach optimal nutrition. There are a number of ways to ensure that each client’s meal plan is as special as they are. For example, Everyday Home Care caregivers factor in healthy histories, food allergies, dietary preferences and known conditions when curating a daily meal program. 

These factors tie in with the 2021 National Nutrition Month theme, “Personalize Your Plate,” which is something all Everyday Home Care clients can expect. In accordance with guidelines from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, there are specific ways in which older adults can obtain the proper nutrition they need. First and foremost, this includes staying hydrated throughout the day. Other ways to build a healthy plate include:

  • Making sure half of each plate consists of fruits and vegetables.
  • Making at least half of all grains whole.
  • Switching to fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese.
  • Varying protein choices.
  • Limit sodium, saturated fat and added sugars.
 In addition to these suggestions, Everyday Home Care caregivers provide meals that are enjoyable and of mindful portion sizes. Research shows that people unintentionally consume more calories when faced with larger portions. Oversized portions can be avoided by using smaller plates, bowls and glasses as well.

For those helping to provide care for aging loved ones, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics also shared 20 general health tips as part of the 2021 campaign. These tips serve as guiding principles but may vary in effectiveness, depending on a person’s current health status and ability. Authored by Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics staff members, who are registered dietitian nutritionists, this full nutrition tips list includes: 

  1. Eat breakfast.
  2. Make sure half of the plate includes fruits and vegetables.
  3. Watch portion sizes.
  4. Be active.
  5. Get to know food labels.
  6. Fix healthy snacks.
  7. Consult an RDN.
  8. Follow food safety guidelines.
  9. Drink more water.
  10. Get cooking.
  11. Order out without ditching goals.
  12. Enact family mealtime.
  13. Banish “brown bag” boredom.
  14. Reduce added sugars.
  15. Eat seafood twice a week.
  16. Explore new foods and flavors.
  17. Experiment with plant-based meals.
  18. Make an effort to reduce food waste.
  19. Slow down at mealtime.
  20. Supplement with caution.
While clients may find implementing all of these tips at once challenging, Everyday Home Care recommends gradually implementing ones needing improvement throughout the month of March. Use this National Nutrition Month to reconsider what is being consumed daily to work toward a happy, healthier lifestyle. To help evaluate the wellness care needs of a loved one, schedule a free quality care assessment with Everyday Home Care today.

About the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1917, by a visionary group of women dedicated to helping the government conserve food and improve the public’s health and nutrition during World War I. 

Today, the academy represents more than 100,000 credentialed practitioners — registered dietitian nutritionists, dietetic technicians, other dietetics and nutrition professionals holding undergraduate and advanced degrees in nutrition and dietetics, and students — and is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy.

Learn More About National Nutrition Month