ElderAuthority.com

Old Dogs Teach Us New Tricks

I have finally found the retirement home for me.  I wonder if they will accept my application.
There is much we can learn from the gentleness of this sanctuary for old dogs.  All of the following are the things I want when I am very, very old:

Make me comfortable.
Provide healthy, age-appropriate nutrition.
Let me wander as I please within a safe environment.
Touch and pet me often.
Allow opportunities for new friendships.
Give me fresh air.
Treat my old age as yet another stage… More

HEALTH CARE FOR SENIOR CITIZENS: LAUGHTER STILL BEST

Retirement living is what you make it. Here is yet another example of how great art can transform lives.  I laughed ’til I cried.… More

ELDERCARE IMPACTED BY “NEW” MEDICARE PATIENT LIMITS

Here is an issue I had not considered before.  My thinking was triggered by a short “Letter to the Editor” in the Dallas Morning News.  It was written by Josh Thomas of Plano, Texas.

“NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW MEDICARE PATIENTS”
Mr. Thomas points out that there are fewer doctors accepting Medicare; however, the larger issue is that there are fewer doctors accepting new Medicare patients.
I remember being shocked several years ago when I received a… More

SENIOR HOUSING: WHAT IS A REVERSE MORTGAGE?

MORTGAGE VS REVERSE MORTGAGE
A mortgage is a financing instrument that provides a way for a real estate property seller to obtain all the funds for a sold piece of property at the time of closing, and for the buyer to make payments over extended periods of time, (usually 15 or 30 years), to pay it off.
A reverse mortgage allows a property owner whose home is either paid off, or close to it, to borrow against home equity.  Depending upon the lender, the borrower can take a lump sum payment,… More

SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITIES

TAKE STOCK OF YOUR CURRENT NEIGHBORHOOD
Although my wife and I both have our primary work offices in our home, our schedules seldom allow us to see or spend much time together during the day.  And yes, we are one of the unusual couples that actually enjoy spending “that” much time together.
Today was special because we were both available for lunch, and despite the Texas heat, we walked two blocks to try a new restaurant.  The restaurant has been there for 20 years.  With many… More

SENIOR APARTMENTS: PERSONAL CHECKLIST

Here is my Top Ten, very personal, check list for a senior apartment:
 1. FIRST FLOOR UNIT
Gimme a first floor unit, please.  Sure, I know there is a trade off when it comes to maybe feeling a little safer living above the ground floor so you can open your windows without worry, but me personally?  I worry about having to lug grocery sacks up stairways.  Any building with an elevator will probably be out of my price range, too.  It will also be a lot handier when it comes time… More

JOBS FOR SENIORS: JUST WHO ARE YOU CALLING OLD?

CURRENT JOB SITUATION

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics surprised me with a recent announcement regarding the current job situation here in America.  In saying there is a weak recovery for “Middle-Aged Job Hunters”, that is only stating the obvious.  What surprised me is that by their calculations, those who are between the ages of 35 and 54 are now considered “Middle-Aged”.  I guess that now makes me just plain “old”, a senior at 58.
But here’s the good news:… More

SENIOR HOMES: EXPAND YOUR OPTIONS

In the old days the options for housing as you got older were few.  They were limited to continuing to live in your own home until health issues required you move in with the family or moving to the dreaded nursing home.  There are a lot more choices today.
SENIOR HOUSING
Here are a list of some types of senior homes.  There are lots of other terms besides the limited list below. Some terms are used to describe similar housing.  It doesn’t matter what it is called.  It does… More

SENIORS MENTORING OTHERS

In one of life’s surreal moments, I had dinner with my high school girlfriend and her husband last year while visiting their city on a business trip.  Her husband is also an old friend of mine.  It was wonderful to see them both after nearly forty years and find them so happy together.
MENTORING WITHOUT NAMING IT
Debbie inquired about my mother, who had passed away a few years earlier.  She surprised me by going into some detail about all that my mother had taught her about craft… More

JOBS FOR SENIORS: A ROLLING STONE GATHERS NO MOSS

Here are some truths about working, getting older, marital relations, and leaving your traditional place of employment in the name of “retirement”.
THE BOB DYLAN EFFECT

A rolling stone gathers no moss.  Medical studies have now conclusively shown that active minds stay healthier than those belonging to couch potatoes who have a TV remote attached to their hand.  One of the best defenses for warding off the onset of many forms of dementia is to continue to learn something… More