Senior Living

When it comes to making a long-term plan for how and where to live as we age, you’d be hard pressed to find many who don’t see the value in thinking through such an important issue. But according to a survey from The Conversation Project, while ninety percent of Americans say that talking to loved ones about end-of-life care is important, only twenty-seven percent have actually done it. Indeed – no one likes to think about not being able to live the way they want, but the reality is, people who take the time to make a long-term plan are less likely to die in a hospital or burden relatives with tough medical decisions. In the end, while starting discussion of  long term care planning may be difficult, the relief you’ll feel when it’s finished will free you up to enjoy the years ahead.

To learn more about the essentials of a proper long-term care plan and the key advisors you’ll need to have in place, CLICK HERE.

Most older adults know a day will come when it’s time to downsize. Some people dread it. Others take it in stride as a necessary step to the lifestyle they want. Whichever way you look at it, downsizing — or rightsizing your life — can tug at your heartstrings and play with your emotions. To help you get through it without feeling overwhelmed, here are some tips for dealing with the emotions of downsizing.

For tips on how to deal with the emotions associated with downsizing, CLICK HERE.

If you or someone in your family is considering an assisted living apartment or assisted living facility — you shouldn’t allow uncertainty to slow or stop your efforts to choose the best assisted living community. Why? For one thing, the clock is ticking on preserving your independence. Typically, the best assisted living communities have a waiting list for their assisted living homes and apartments. The average wait time is 6 months. And with the options of virtual tours and virtual visits available to you now, there’s no reason to let precious time slip away without making progress on your search.

To find out why you should continue your assisted living search, CLICK HERE.

We’re all intimately aware of how much technology has changed our everyday world and continues to do so at an increasing pace. And while seniors can sometimes be slower to adopt new technologies, in many ways, they may have the most potential to be helped by technological innovations.

Some products have already started to make their mark, while others on the horizon could make a big difference in years to come. It’s hard to predict which technologies will be the most significant for seniors, but we have a few ideas about which senior living technology trends could play a role in how people age in the near future.

To learn more about technologies for seniors that are already making a difference in people’s lives and what the future of each may hold, CLICK HERE.

A lot of smart people have been searching for ways to make top-quality medical care more accessible, have lower costs, reduce hospitalizations and ease the strain on the healthcare system. Now, thanks to telehealth, it’s virtually possible.

For senior living communities or seniors who are living in their own homes, especially in rural areas, there are many advantages of telehealth nursing for seniors.

To learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of telehealth nursing, as well as its role in the future, CLICK HERE.

There are a lot of myths out there about senior living communities. And if your only experience with a community was from several decades ago, some myths may seem easy to believe. The truth is, society has changed its ideas about aging, and senior living communities have changed right along with it.

This post will dispel common senior living myths and give you a better idea of the reality: seniors choose to move to a community to enhance their lifestyle and give themselves more freedom to do what they want to do. For a sampling of retirement myths and the truth, CLICK HERE.

In 2015, 43.5 million family members, friends and neighbors helped care for someone 50 or over, according to a study by the National Association for Caregiving and AARP. While caregivers for seniors receive many emotionally rewarding benefits, they may also experience occasional feelings of anger, frustration, exhaustion, loneliness or sadness. But if you don’t care for yourself, you won’t be able to take care of anyone else.

To learn how to spot caregiver stress and burnout in yourself, offer some self-care suggestions for caregivers, provide an empowering caregiver bill of rights, as well as go over your legal rights as a caregiver, CLICK HERE.

As the saying goes, traveling is the only thing you buy that makes you richer. And as a senior, you’ve earned your time to travel. The world’s a beautiful place, and we all should see as much of it as we can in our lifetime.

Best of all, there are many benefits of travel for seniors. Add it to the list, among proper diet and exercise, of keys to a long and healthy life. You may travel simply for enjoyment or the desire to do something different, but along the way, you’ll relieve day-to-day stress, meet new people, broaden your horizons, and improve your outlook on life in general.

To learn about the many benefits of traveling as a senior, CLICK HERE.

Deciding where to retire takes more consideration than opening a map, closing your eyes, and letting your finger be your guide. But no matter where you end up, your destination should put a smile on your face and a gleam in your eye, says Steve Gurney, founder of The Guide to Retirement Living SourceBook. “And the way to get that is by having a purpose in life,” he says. “Where we live should be a tool to make it easier to engage in this purposeful activity.”

To help you uncover what to look for in a retirement community, and to learn about 10 factors that could turn a city, town, or suburb into a retirement destination that meets your unique needs, CLICK HERE.

Long-distance caregiving comes with its own unique challenges, whether you live an hour, a state line or even an entire continent away. As a caregiver for a parent, you’re responsible for the decisions that impact both their life and your own. The stress of this responsibility can be high, along with the guilt of feeling like there’s more you could do. Recent studies have shown that long-distance caregiving can mean spending an average of nearly $12,000 each year in care-related expenses. Yet despite the distance, however great it may be, you can still provide excellent support and compassion to ensure your loved ones enjoy a high quality of life.

Preparation is the key for this next stage of life, both for you and your loved one. To learn about long-distance caregiving tips meant to help make the transition into the role of caregiver for a parent a little easier, CLICK HERE.