ElderAuthority.com

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Join the Civilian Corps for Aging
One of my goals for ElderAuthority.com is to have it be a FREE and SHARABLE repository for grassroots wisdom about all things aging.  We are not there yet.   ElderAuthority receives lots of private comments and thank you’s.  These are great, but we can only share the comments you provide through the site.  One of the greatest gifts you can give your fellow Boomers is the benefit of your experience.
We live in a world with 78 million Baby… More

“Anything Goes” in Ann Arbor

Seeking Out Fresh Experiences
Thirty days after moving to Ann Arbor from Dallas we have taken advantage of very few of the delightful and unique opportunities offered in our new town.  We did manage to catch a movie at the Michigan Theater.  Otherwise, most of our time has been spent completing renovations, unpacking boxes, hanging pictures, making trips to Lowe’s, paying bills, and getting to know our neighbors.
There were at least a dozen events I wanted to attend… More

APPLE CARE & COMPANION: CARE AT HOME SERVICES

AN AGENCY THAT CARES FOR AND ABOUT  ITS CAREGIVERS
Apple Care & Companion is a non-medical homecare agency that serves Collin, Dallas, Denton, Rockwall and Tarrant counties in  North Texas.  They are licensed through the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) in the State of Texas.
There are many caregiving agencies out there, but this one is pretty special.  When I look for key differentiators between caregiving agencies, I research the experience… More

A+ HOME ELDERLY CARE ADVICE (video)

The following video about providing eldercare from home is absolutely excellent!  There is nothing in it that I would change.  NBC Digital Health Network has created five minutes of practical, useful information without ever lapsing into an infomercial.
Key points bear repeating.
CAREGIVING IS SERIOUS WORK

The family member who becomes the primary caregiver takes on serious responsibilities.
Caregiving requires patience, planning, and practice.
The most successful… More

AGING BOOMERS AND THOSE “OTHER” GENERATIONS

WE ARE NOT ALONE
I have encouraged my fellow baby boomers to actively plan for getting older but have done little to address the concerns of other generations that will be affected.  My excuse is that I do not feel qualified to write on the topic. I simply don’t know enough.  This week a couple of things came together to convince me that it is time I learned more.  As I learn I will share with you.
In this post I will attempt to differentiate between the generations and then begin… More

AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING WITH A JOB OR A CHANGE

Here are some random thoughts on affordable senior housing.  You don’t have to live in a dreary subsidized apartment in an urban complex.  There are all sorts of ways to have new adventures while living frugally.
COMPANION CAREGIVER
If you are alone and in decent physical shape yourself, consider looking into becoming a companion caregiver.  With our aging population, there is a groundswell of older folks who need someone to live with them and provide a wide range… More

LOW INCOME SENIOR HOUSING SHORTAGE

This video from May 2010 highlights the challenge in providing affordable housing for the elderly. In this Miami community, seniors lined up overnight to apply for 109 low-income units. Over 1000 were in line by the time the doors opened.

8.4 million seniors have an annual income of less than $10,500.00.
1.5 million low-income seniors pay more than 50% on rent.
At the time of this video 300,000 housing units were available across the country for low-income seniors. 750,000 units… More

INTRODUCING ELDERAUTHORITY.COM

Dear Friends and Followers,
I want to introduce my new site to you.  ElderAuthority.com has been live for over two months, but I wanted to wait until it had some legs before announcing it to my current readers.  My vision since I started blogging was to create a central repository of information about aging, eldercare, and doing our best work during the last third of life.  I wanted it to be free and usable by people of any generation.
TheNewElder.com CONTINUES
TheNewElder.com… More

OPTIMISM: WHY WE DENY AGING AND DEATH

WHY DO BOOMERS DENY AGING?
One of the most frustrating characteristics of baby boomers is their (our) ability to deny the inevitability of aging and death.  Logically, we know none of us will make it out of life alive, yet the majority of 78 million aging boomers refuse to make a will, complete advanced directives, investigate long-term care insurance, or let family members of friends in on the state of their true finances.  Almost no one creates a complete eldercare plan. I… More

Paralyzed by Information? Let’s Build a Better Library

 
When I stumbled into caregiving six years ago, one of my greatest challenges was fighting my way through the glut of information on every possible topic.  The more I read, the dumber I felt.
I started at the bookstore.  I looked at the published dates and found most were at least a year old, and aging fast.  Some were a decade or more old. I found no books at all on local services.
Going to the Internet, I found myself drowning in endless advice on an infinite universe of topics.… More