Archive for February, 2009

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While this may be the worst economic decline that we have ever experienced, it’s probably not the worst our parents or grandparents experienced. Many survived the Depression and world wars and having to live on a strict budget is nothing new to them, in fact, it may be par for the course. Caring.com has an interesting blog post titled 5 Thrifty Tips From Our Mothers and Grandmothers. Most of the advice is simple and straightforward, with homemade products the key, including everything from making your own soap to making your own first aid products.

Do you think money-saving tips like repairing old products instead of new, or hanging your laundry to air dry instead of running up the energy bill are practical in our modern, time-pinched society? What have you learned from your senior loved ones about ways to save money that you now use in your daily life?

Continue reading Seniors have plenty of budget tips to share »

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Do you know what the 40 / 70 rule is? The concept is that if you are 40 years old, or your parents are 70 years old, you should have a discussion together about senior care issues. It doesn’t matter what the general health is of your parents at that time – hopefully they are both healthy and happy. In fact, that is the perfect time to discuss such issues, before a health crisis has occurred.

The 40 / 70 rule was developed by Home Instead Senior Care, which discovered that nearly one-third of adults in the U.S. have a major communication obstacle with their parents when it comes to discussing senior care issues. The topic that adult children had the most difficultly in discussing with their aging parents was that they had to leave their home. If you are having difficulty discussing elder care issues with your parents, these conversation starters may help you get started.

Have you started talking to your aging parents about senior care issues? What tips can you …

Continue reading The 40 / 70 Rule: Do you know what it is? »

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In this tough economic climate, many families are wondering how they will pay for the caregiving services provided to their aging loved ones. The financial burden can put a real strain on family budgets and can cause rifts in families.

If one meets the low-income requirements, Medicaid may be able to cover some of these caregiving costs. Medicaid can provide in-home care, which usually means simple healthcare monitoring and personal care services. As this comprehensive Caring.com guide, How to get paid for being a family caregiver points out, one downside is that the in-home care agencies that Medicaid uses usually have a high volume of clients and a lot of staff turnover, which means your senior loved one may not get the consistent care they deserve.

Long term care insurance may be another option for your family. The best way to approach this is to encourage parents or other relatives to start paying premiums while they are still middle-aged, as this will …

Continue reading Financial aid for caregivers? »

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For many of us, our parents provided us with a safe and nurturing environment as children. Now that they have started to decline in mental and/or physical health, we feel that it’s our duty to keep our aging loved ones safe and secure in a loving environment. The following senior safety tips cover some of the larger issues in caring for and protecting our aging loved ones.

Certainly, there are many dangers that the elderly population faces. Falls remain a very real concern, so if an elderly loved one moves in with you, consider having your house retrofitted for senior safety. There are high-tech solutions for the home as well, such as monitors and sensors that can keep track of a senior’s vital signs and movements, especially important if the person has dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Seniors must be kept safe outside the home as well. Predators tend to prey upon what they consider the weakest members of the population, and elderly people can find themselves the victims …

Continue reading How do you keep seniors safe? »