Seniors ETC - In-home senior, parent, companion care, hospice support in Colorado

One of the biggest eye openers is living in the sandwich generation. You may be struggling with in-home care issues with one or both of your parents. You may be raising a family. And along the way put away a little something for your own retirement.

I found an interesting site today that’s filled with information on planning for your retirement, Financing Retirement. It covers a full spectrum of topics - things that most people don’t start considering until its too late.

If you’ve been taking care of your parents or other loved one for awhile now, you know the heartache that can come  when you can no longer achieve some of the items on your list of to-do’s. It’s important to plan as far out into the future as possible.

And as we’re learning from many of today’s large companies that are declaring bankruptcy or just shutting down, it’s important to not put all of your finances in one place.

Start your savings process as early as possible. Don’t rely on one company or government sponsored retirement plan. Don’t assume investment strategies are too confusing - you can learn something new that will greatly benefit you. [Learn more at Financing Retirement.]

If we can learn one thing by being the sandwich generation, it’s preparing for the future, and enjoying it while we can.

A new study by the Journal of the American Medical Association is reporting that those seniors that participate in a regular physical activity program slows the process of cognitive decline. This is believed to be the first study that shows the direct link between memory impairment and regular exercise - which could substantially change our thought process on diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Seniors tend to slow down as they age. As they become home bound, their exercise level decreases rapidly. Yet with even simple exercises, like walking, can have a huge impact on your overall health. In this study, participants used very simple exercise routines, and many cases walking was their activity of choice. 

With just a simple walk for three 50-minute sessions each week, participants had better cognitive scores, and a lower incidence of clinical dementia. 

image source SailorJohn

1. Choose 10 to 20 or your loved one’s favorite songs. Take out one word from the title, and have your loved one fill in the blanks.

2. Buy an easy Sodoku puzzle book and have your loved one do one puzzle per day.

3. Choose a crossword puzzle and work it together.

4. Word searches are a great way to keep the mind and her eyesight going.

5. Buy puzzles and work them without looking at the picture. Choose a puzzle with enough pieces to challenge but not frustrate.

6. How about a game of cards? Head to the toy section at your local discount store. Even a game of old maid can be fun.

7. How about a game of trivia? There are many games of trivia both in the stores and online. Or make up your own trivia questions based on your loved one’s history.

8. Read a good book together. Then have a book discussion. You may even ask a few of your loved one’s friends over to make it a party.

9. How about scrapbooking? It’s a great way to organize the stacks of photos and clippings and create something meaningful together.

10. Matching games can also help with memory. It’s easy to make a matching game with pictures of your loved one’s favorite things, and attach them to index cards.

You may have noticed her driving a bit slower, or parking further out then normal. Maybe she just had an accident. Or maybe you’ve been in the car with her and you turn just a bit nervous as she slows down for green lights.

Maybe it’s time to evaluate her driving skills. The AARP has a wide array of information to help you make the determination when to pull the keys, and can give you access to a number of driving programs for people over 50.

They even have a simple online test  that you can take to quickly determine your driving ability and the need for refining your knowledge of the rules of the road. 

A walker can actually be a slippery experience for some seniors. If they regularly walk on linoleum or hardwood floors, make it safer. Cut slits in two tennis balls and place them over the front leg stoppers of the walker. The tennis balls make it easier to slide on these smooth surfaces, and won’t give your loved one a reason to stop abruptly and trip.