08.04.10
Posted in elderly and education at 3:58 pm by admin
It has become cliche to assume that old people don’t “do” technology. They don’t go online, they only use a third of the options on their microwave, and they never did figure out how to program that old VCR. (Don’t even get started about TiVo.) But is the cliche true?
Yes and no. We all know at least three seniors who are baffled by technologies we view as simple, and at least one who rejects the digital world with a great disdain. But don’t let them overshadow the ones who are embracing it.
Who are they? They are the ones right in front of you. The ones you wrote off as hopeless because they would not give Podcasting a fair shake. You never noticed the cell phone in their pockets, did you?
It has been a long march, but seniors are finally using mobile technology in great numbers. A recent study in Europe suggested that nine out of every ten senior citizens between the ages of sixty-five and seventy-five used a cell phone. Among those older, sixty percent still used one. Certainly, the American numbers will be lower because Europe’s digital networks came faster than those in the U.S. But even here, seniors have taken a liking to mobile phones, computing and even gaming.
Consider the most glaring example of all: The Nintendo Wii. It has been widely reported, even on this website, that the Nintendo Wii is popping up in Senior Centers, Retirement Villages, Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Communities all over the country. Elderly residents are rather charmed by the cool little box that lets them reinvent themselves in a digitized avatar. They might not be able to play racketball anymore, but they can take down their fellows in digital tennis.
The fact that the Wii has taken off so well has amazed millions of people who assumed that elderly attitudes toward technology are shifting significantly. And while that may be partly true, they overlooked a rather obvious fact: Our seniors aren’t as old as we sometimes think they are.
Think about it. The boom of the media revolution began in the 1980‘s when Atari had already been wowing young people for years. MTV launched in the middle of that decade. Personal computers were starting to pop up as well. And 24/7 news outlets from CNN to ESPN were emerging as well. Today’s seventy year old was in his forties when those things happened. He was plenty young enough to be able to understand (at least on some level) the media revolution he was seeing.
Surely, the digital age has come at an alarming, almost obnoxious pace for many of our loved ones, especially those in their 80‘s and 90‘s. There is no reason we should try to “convert” them to twenty-first century-ites. But the ones in their 60’s and 70‘s who are talking on cell phones while beating their grandkids at Wii Bowling? They are already convinced. In fact, that same European study found that two out of every three American Senior citizens had a positive attitude toward modern technology.
Alas, a new day has dawned for our elderly loved ones. No, they are not downloading Matlock from Bittorrent sites yet (give them time…), but they are using cell phones to talk on and occasionally text, and they are discovering that email is slightly faster than traditional letter writing.
Give them a hand! Our Elders are getting younger!
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Posted in Senior Citizen, elderly and education at 3:54 pm by admin
In the United States, many Americans are in financial distress. Individuals of all ages are finding it difficult to make their mortgage payments and pay their utility bills. In this instance, many are automatically attracted to free money. After all, who wouldn’t love free money? Unfortunately, many individuals get inaccurate information.
The United States government has many resources to help Americans get out of debt, but these resources rarely come in the form of free money or government grants. There are a few exceptions however. They deal with senior citizens. If you are a senior citizen or know someone is continue reading on for information in which you or your loved one may be eligible for government grants.
The most common types of government grants you will find available for senior citizens focus on housing improvements. For example, there are grants available for rural housing repairs. This grant enables qualifying senior citizens to update, repair, or modernize their rural home to eliminate safety hazards. This specific grant comes with many restrictions. For starters, those under the age of 62 are automatically exempt from grants. Instead, they get a government-funded loan. Next, the location of the home must be a rural area. This is a low-income loan. Senior citizens must fall below the area’s median income. Individuals who do not qualify for this safety improvement grant will be encouraged to seek a loan. In some cases, combination loans and grants may be obtained.
Similar to the above mentioned grant, is a rural housing natural disaster relief grant. As with safety improvements, both grants and loans are available. This government grant is also designed for low-income seniors 62 years of age and up. It is for those unable to repay a loan. This grant is designed to replace or repair property damaged from a natural disaster. These funds can kick in after FEMA assistance has been provided. Grant recipients must show proof of ownership, proof of needed, and must live in an area declared a disaster by the United States President.
The two above grants are a few you will find for individual senior citizens through the federal government. Unfortunately, they are somewhat rare. Most often, government grants for senior citizens are given to non-profit organizations that extend services to seniors. If you are concerned with the affordable activities and services available to senior citizens in your community, don’t sit back and do nothing. Contact local government officials and non-profit organizations. Although you may be unable to receive a government grant to make improvements to your local senior center, others can.
Government grants sound nice because they are free money, but most senior citizens are unable to qualify for and apply for grants on their own. Aside from contacting local non-profit organizations and government officials, make use of other state and federal assistance programs. Many are designed for senior citizens. Medicaid and Medicare can help get seniors much needed medical coverage. Food stamps, food banks, and other similar programs can give seniors access to affordable and healthy foods. Many state and county government organizations have heating assistance programs to make heating a home more affordable. These government assistance programs rarely come in the form of a loan; instead they are designed to provide Americans with moneysaving discounts.
In short, no harm can come from examining grants to find those for senior citizens. However, you are advised against setting your expectations too high. If you find an ideal grant that is only available for non-profit organizations, state or county governments, pass the information on to the appropriate group. Although you do not receive the funds directly, you and other senior citizens can benefit from them.
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08.03.10
Posted in Elder Care, Elderly Care, elderly and education at 5:00 pm by admin
As more seniors are living longer and retiring earlier, they are faced with a new phase of life that includes freedom from family and work responsibility and spare time. Many find themselves with an itch to travel, to focus on relationships, and to take up new hobbies or old interests that have been laid aside during the years devoted to work and family. Often these seniors decide to spend their retirement years living in a retirement community and enjoy the following benefits of exclusive senior living:
1. Peace and Quiet
Since the minimum age of people allowed to reside at senior centers is usually 55, most retirement communities enjoy a level of peace and quiet that cannot be found out in the general community. No late night neighborhood block parties or early morning screaming infants to disturb your slumber, and no children to dart across the street or leave bikes in the middle of the sidewalk. This serenity holds a great appeal to many seniors.
2. Social Community and Support of Other Seniors
After devoting years to work and family, many seniors have a desire to deepen relationships with their spouse or other seniors. Having time and opportunity to experience new things together and meet other seniors, brings a new sense of joy to both married and single seniors. Being surrounded with others going through a similar stage in life can bring a new sense of support and security as well as build new, tight-knit relationships that seniors long for.
3. Beautiful Grounds and Housing Without the Upkeep
Seniors still want their home and yard to be beautiful, but no longer want to devote hours every week to yard work and home maintenance. Many retirement communities relieve their seniors of these responsibilities while maintaining beautiful grounds and providing someone on-call or on-site to handle any maintenance issues.
4. Close to Conveniences
Many retirement communities are purposefully situated within walking distance of grocery stores, malls, and barber shops or beauty salons, making it convenient for seniors to find what they need close at hand. If the conveniences you’re looking for are not just around the corner, many communities provide scheduled transportation services.
5. Community Activities Suited to Seniors
Often the main draw for many seniors looking for a new place to call home is an active retirement community providing ample opportunity for community involvement and social activities suited to seniors. The calling card of most retirement communities is their provision for a rich social life and frequent community activities. If knitting is your thing, hop on down to the community center at 11 to join your friends for lots of laughter and social banter while you share project ideas and strategies. For the outdoor enthusiast, many retirement communities either contain, are situated near, or provide full access to golfing, swimming, tennis, hiking/cycling trails, or other outdoor activities.
So many seniors are choosing to enjoy their retirement years in the comfort of retirement centers, and for good reason. After year of hard work, it’s time to enjoy life a little. And it’s time to spend time on the things that really matter: building relationships.
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09.30.09
Posted in elderly and education at 2:27 pm by admin
Driving is one of the hallmarks of a person’s independence. But there often comes a time when a person’s age, eyesight, and health begin to affect his or her performance behind the wheel. Sadly, the elderly driver himself often does not recognize that his skills have diminished. It might take years for the terrified passengers in the back seat (or in the oncoming traffic) to speak up and tell him, “It’s time to stop driving.”
Here are a few signs to be looking out for:
Slow reaction time. You may notice this in many different facets of your loved one’s life, not just driving. But when he fails to react to changing conditions around him–break lights ahead, pedestrians crossing the street unexpectedly, large debris in the middle of the road–it can become dangerous. It may not be time to send him to an elder care facility but it is just time to keep him safe by considering limiting some things he can do that just are not that safe for him anymore.
More blind spots: “I didn’t see them coming” is the mantra of a driver whose blind spots are “growing.” That’s not to say he is going blind, of course, although deterioration in eyesight is almost inevitable. More than likely, dad’s concentration level is just not what it used to be. Sometimes he forgets to check his mirror before he changes lanes. Usually, everything turns out just fine. But eventually, the law of averages could catch up to him.
Hard breaking might be a sign that his depth perception is not very clear. If you frequently get nervous when he approaches stop lights because he hasn’t slowed down, you might have cause for concern. The hard breaking that follows is disconcerting for you and the person he almost rear-ended. Dad might tell you that he always drove that way, and it might be true. But his eyes are not as good as they used to be now, and he simply can’t afford to keep those habits.
Trouble Staying in His Lane: Is he constantly over-compensating for tiny adjustments in his driving lane? Do the people passing you stay way over to the left side because he makes them nervous? This is dangerous.
Near misses: How many times have you said “That was too close, dad” lately? Any of these factors can end up almost getting your dad or loved one in a bad car accident. If the near misses start piling up, it’s time to talk.
But how do you talk with him without offending him?
This might be difficult to do. He’s been driving for fifty years, he will tell you, and he doesn’t need to stop now. A good rule of thumb is to not drop a giant bomb on him all at once, with ten of his kids and grandkids around him telling him how they feel. That could be unnecessarily humiliating. Start smaller. When your driving with him and you notice one of those signs, tell him gently that he needs to be careful, and has he considered using the bus instead? Bring it up again later, gently, without nagging.
Present him with well thought-out alternatives. Public Transportation: Can a bus take him to the senior center? Can his buddy give him a ride to the lodge? Can you go pick him up to bring him over on Sundays? These options are important because they could allow him to keep some level of independence, which is the real issue.
If things escalate–if he repeatedly ignores your concerns and stubbornly insists on driving–it may be time for one of those larger family interventions. And if his driving gets too dangerous, you might have to take even more extreme measures for his own safety, like calling your local Department of Transportation office.
But if you are watching for the signs and if you are honest with him early on, those should not be necessary. If you show him how much you care with your vigilant attitude, he is more likely to hand over the car keys himself.
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08.29.08
Posted in Retirement, Senior Citizen, elderly and education at 10:04 am by admin
John McCain picks Sarah Palin as his Vice President. This will most definately bring in younger voters but will this deter elderly voters? My personal opinion is that it will bring more elderly voters as well since the majority of elderly voters are conservative and Sarah Palin is very conservative and pro-life. Sarah Palin is 44 years old and is the govenor of Alaska. She is for off shore drilling. Palin is a mother to a down syndrome child. I believe that McCain will receive more women votes by picking Sarah Palin as V.P. I’m sure that was one of his reasons for picking her. John McCain and Sarah Palin appear live today in Dayton, OH. They hope to win the votes of Ohio for Ohio could be a deciding state of who will be president. Hillary Clinton won the votes in Ohio in the primary and McCain may win a majority of those votes. This election may be a very close election and it may depend on one state or one group of people.
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03.18.08
Posted in Assisted Living, Elder Care, Elderly Care, Nursing home alternative, Senior Citizen, Taking Care of a Loved One, Texas Elderly Care Services, elderly and education at 2:46 pm by admin
Senior Events In Tyler Texas
This coming month is a great time to get out and go to events in your community in Tyler, TX. The senior community in Tyler has one event right after another this month and next. The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 2nd Annual “Seniors Celebrating Life” at the Harvey Convention Center on April 3, 2008. This event is free to all seniors and lunch will be provided. It is designed for interaction and education. Vendor booths will provide information on services and goods that are available to seniors.
Senior Citizen’s Venue For Meeting
The Senior Citizen’s Center on Garden Valley Road in Tyler is designed for senior citizens to meet together for some fun and fellowship. Events include dominoes, card and board games, exercise classes, dancing, movies, day trips and much more. Transportation is available for seniors who cannot drive. The Senior Citizen’s Center is open from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday. For more information and weekly schedules call (903)597-0781.
Other events in Tyler:
-March 18-22 (7:30pm) “To Kill A Mockingbird” play at the Tyler Civic Theatre ($15).
-March 28-29 Quilt Show at the Harvey Convention Center
-March 28 (10am-5pm) and March 29 (9am-5pm) Main Street Flower Market at LeGrand Park (free admission)
-April 5 (10am-5pm) First Annual Azalea Trail Classic Auto Show- Rod Run at LeGrand Park (free admission)
-Walking Club at the Glass Recreation Center ($15) Dates are open. Call (903) 533-1397
-May 3 (2-4pm) Through the Goodman Lens: A Pictorial History of Tyler. Free admission, pre-registration suggested. Call (903) 531-1286
For more information on events in Tyler go to: www.cityoftyler.org
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03.02.08
Posted in Assisted Living, Assisted Living Facilities, Assisted Living Safety, Caregiver, Elder Care, Elderly Care, Nursing home, Senior Citizen, Senior Citizen Fathers, Taking Care of a Loved One, Texas Elderly Care Services, elderly and education at 12:23 am by admin
East Texas Primary Voting By Senior Citizens
The Texas primary voting ends on March 4th at 7pm. Unfortunately there are many people taking advantage of the elderly in nursing homes or assisted living communities and stealing their votes. The Senior News in Arlington report “Nursing homes, notorious places for voter fraud, need greater guidance on how to help residents vote…About one in five votes in the 2004 presidential election was cast by someone 65 years or older. By 2040, it is anticipated about 40 percent of voters will be 65 or older. …John Karlawish, a professor of medicine and medical ethics at the University of Pennsylvania,…said much of the voting at the long term care facilities studied was done by absentee ballot, which is well recognized as a mechanism for voter fraud. ‘First, people decided whether they can vote, and second, people steal their votes.’”
Assist But Do Not Manipulate Your Senior Loved One
Make sure your loved one has the opportunity to vote if he or she desires. Educate mom and dad on what’s going on in politics now. They educated you when you were young. Bring them up to date on what’s going on in the news now and discuss how important it is to vote in the Texas primaries. If your parent is filling out an absentee ballot be sure you or someone you trust is helping them and not someone you don’t know even if the person seems like a sweet care giver. You can’t be too careful with voting.
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08.02.07
Posted in Dimentia, Elder Care, Phyllis Turner, Senior Citizen, elderly and education at 2:27 pm by admin
Education for the elderly is never too late
Masters degree for a 94 year old lady
It’s never too late for education. Phyllis Turner received her masters degree this week at Adelaide University in Australia at a record breaking age of 94. This elderly student is said to be lively and enthusiastic. Mrs. Turner uses a walking stick but has found a new energy and dedication for her study.
She had to help with the siblings and never made it to school
Phyllis Turner quit primary school when she was 12 years old to help her mother with her siblings because her father abandoned them. About 60 years later she went back to school to study anthropology and won honors in 2002 at Adelaide University. She later started on her masters in Medical Science at age 90 and received her diploma this week at age 94.
Hats off to Phyllis Turner who knows that you can never be too old to learn something new.
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