Nidhal Ghraib
4 Things Worth Splurging on in Retirement

Inside this Newsletter - Jim McKinley talks with our senior residents and community about how to maximize life during retirement!

4 Things Worth Splurging on in Retirement

How to Advocate for Your Health: Tips for Caregivers of People with Dementia

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Being a caregiver to someone with dementia can be all-consuming. It’s easy to neglect your own health when you’re so focused on the needs of a loved one who is suffering from dementia. But taking care of yourself is important for maintaining your ability to care for someone else. Make time for doctor’s visits, preventive care, and healthy lifestyle habits, so you can stay in tip-top shape as a caregiver.

To increase the quality of care you receive and improve your health outcomes, learn how to become your own health advocate. The less time you have to spend navigating the healthcare system, the more time and energy you’ll have to dedicate to caregiving. Here are a few actionable tips to help you become an advocate for your own health!

Maintain Your Own Health Records

 As a patient of the healthcare system, you have a right to your own medical information. Exercise this right! Reading your medical records can help you better understand your health and how your doctors make decisions about tests, treatments, and diagnoses. Once you obtain your medical records, keep them organized and secure. You may also want to keep copies on a mobile device that you can bring along to doctor’s visits.

Save your records as PDF files so you can share them easily and access them without a Wi-Fi connection. If you need to separate the pages when you visit a particular specialist, you can use an online PDF splitter and save the new file.

Lead a Healthy Lifestyle

If you want to reduce your reliance on the healthcare system, take your health into your own hands. Lead a lifestyle that supports your health. Even if your life is busy with work and caregiving, you should be able to fit in healthy habits like exercising and eating nutritious foods. For example, you could take the stairs at work and pack healthy snacks for the office. Keep it simple! You don’t need to spend hours in the gym and kitchen to keep yourself healthy.

Go for Regular Checkups

Going to the doctor for regular checkups is an important part of preventive care. Regular checkups can reduce your risk of getting sick and help you catch potential problems as early as possible. These checkups get even more important as you grow older. For example, once you’re over 45, it’s a good idea to start getting your cholesterol tested. These checkups get even more important as you grow older. For example, once you’re over 45, it’s a good idea to start getting your cholesterol tested.

Diabetes testing is recommended once you reach 40, and blood pressure should be checked regularly at any age. According to Healthline, regular checkups are generally recommended every three years for those under 50 and in good health and once a year after the age of 50.

Seek a Second Opinion

If you’re not feeling confident about a diagnosis or course of treatment determined by your doctor, you have a right to seek a second opinion. Research shows that the vast majority of patients who seek a second opinion will leave the office with a new or refined diagnosis. This can significantly impact your health outcomes. Here are a few signs that you should consider seeking a second opinion:

  • Your symptoms persist after you've undergone treatment.

  • You have been diagnosed with a rare disease.

  • Your doctor recommends a treatment that is risky or invasive.

  • You receive a cancer diagnosis.

  • You don’t feel right about your doctor’s diagnosis or recommended treatment.

Being proactive and taking care of your own health will put you in a better position to provide care to someone with dementia. Before going in for a checkup and interacting with the healthcare system, learn how to be your own health advocate. Keep PDF copies of your medical records, make healthy lifestyle choices, and don’t hesitate to get a second opinion. Trust your gut and stand up for your needs!

 

Quality Care of Howell senior living offers compassionate care for seniors who need assistance with their daily lives. Schedule a tour today!

Article written by Jim McKinley

Tips & Tools You Can Use to Support Seniors Without Loved Ones Nearby

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Seniors who live without loved ones nearby may require extra day-to-day support. Maybe you have older individuals in your community you want to help—or perhaps you want to provide long-distance aid to your own elderly parents or grandparents. Either way, these resources can be useful in making their daily lives easier.

Support Seniors in Making Smart Financial Decisions

Use these tips to help seniors get a handle on their money.

Connect Them with Technology to Simplify Everyday Challenges

Try these tools to keep seniors’ content and comfortable.

Introduce Them to Tools to Help Promote Senior Health

Support seniors in nurturing their mental and physical well-being with these tricks.

Hire Third-Party Services to Manage Everyday Tasks

These service providers can help take the burden off seniors' shoulders.

  • Sign them up for a food delivery service, so they don't have to stress about cooking.

  • If cleaning is too tiring, find a cleaning service to take care of it.

  • If everyday tasks are too much for a person, consider talking to them about assisted living. A community like Quality of Care Howell can help them age safely.

If you want to support a senior who doesn't have family nearby—whether it's your own grandparent or parent or someone from your community—there are many ways to help. From rideshare apps to senior-friendly cell phones, the right services and goods will help elderly individuals overcome daily challenges. Let the above resources inspire you.

Article Written by

Andrea Needham

elderday.org

Be Ready Financially When Alzheimer's Strikes

One in 10 people over the age of 65 suffer from Alzheimer’s, & another victim joins their ranks every 65 seconds. These are sobering facts that should encourage you to start planning financially for long-term care. There are ways to pay for care, as long as you’re prepared in advance. Here are a few suggestions.

SERVICES

During the early stages of the disease, the most expensive types of facilities aren’t always necessary as patients can get the level of care they require from home health aides, who visit patients to administer medication, change bandages & check vital signs under the supervision of a registered nurse. This is not cheap, however, costing as much as $45,000 per year, according to USA Today. As Alzheimer’s progresses, so does the likelihood that more intensive care becomes necessary, & that generally means an assisted living facility or nursing home, which can be significantly more expensive.

MEDICARE

Though Medicare doesn’t cover long-term care, only stays at a nursing home of less than 100 days, there are some benefits for Alzheimer’s patients. They include coverage for annual wellness visits, diagnostic testing if requested by a physician, along with home health services & even caregiver training for family members in some states. Medicaid, on the other hand, offers more significant coverage but only for those below a certain income threshold.

OTHER GOVERNMENT AID

There are other programs available to help patients pay their medical bills, including for long-term care. Information is available from area agencies on aging as well as state departments of health & human services. Some locales even offer funding specifically for those who suffer from Alzheimer’s such as Alaska Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementias mini grants.

INSURANCE

There are policies specifically for long-term care, though you may not qualify with a pre-existing condition, & you’ll get the best rates if you apply in your mid-50s. Don’t fret if it’s too late for you as you can also tap into your life insurance plan via a living benefits rider, which pays out your death benefit early to pay for medical care. As a last resort, you could sell your policy via a third-party broker.

SAVINGS

You’ve heard of 401(k) plans & IRAs, but recently financially investors have begun touting the benefits of Health Savings Accounts, which are designed to pay for medical treatment, including long-term care. They’re tax-advantaged but only available to those who are already enrolled in a high-deductible health plan, with a limit on contributions that you or your employers make each month.

REVERSE MORTGAGES

Reverse mortgages allow you to tap into your home’s equity & collect payments from your lender rather than the other way around when you were buying the property. However, it’s important to do your research before taking the plunge.

DOWNSIZING

You could always sell your house & buy a smaller one, using the difference to pay for long-term medical care. Downsizing allows seniors to maintain their independence, especially if some of the profits from the previous property are used for home modifications.

Downsizing seniors can save substantially, but they will also need to consider the cost of moving. Whether moving furniture into their new place, a storage facility, or a family member’s home, they’ll likely need to hire furniture removal services. Before choosing to work with a moving company, it’s a good idea to explore reviews & feedback from previous customers.

CONTACT CHARITIES

People all over the country are helping Alzheimer’s patients by donating their time & money to numerous organizations that are there to help you. One of the largest & most well-known is the Alzheimer’s Association, which provides information & support to patients & caregivers alike. You’ll find similar resources via the Alzheimer’s Family Services Center.

It’s vital to put a plan in place & tap into resources to help you get through any complications. The better prepared you are, the easier it will be to get through the challenges that an Alzheimer’s diagnosis brings.

Quality Care of Howell assisted living offers exceptional care & supportive services for seniors who can no longer live independently. Schedule a tour today!

Written by:

Jim McKinley

Teaching Old Dog New Tricks

LEARNING NEW LESSONS

We’ve all heard the phrase, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks!” In fact, the saying is 300 years old; first appearing in Divers Proverbs, by: Nathan Baily, 1721. It could be therefore argued that it’s all too accurate & habits really do die hard. However, in order for such a turn of phrase to last for as long as it has is because people still keep trying to teach- which more importantly means people are continuing to try to learn.

BUILDING THE BRAIN

Before we’re even born our brains are already busy at work building itself. We begin development of the brain at just 25 days into gestation, & this growth isn’t complete until we’re about 25 years old. Just like everything else in the human body, the timeframe can vary per individual. No two brains are the same; not even identical twins. Identical twins may share the same genetic code, but in the case of each person, the brain makes anatomical changes & forms to fit that individual’s learning path & life interactions. So, in essence, we are teaching our own brains on how to be who we are.

THE TEACHING TIMELINE

Each age group has specific skills that they absorb best based on where their brain is in its overall lifespan. For example: if you’re learning how to swim you can begin lessons as early as 2 years, if you’re hoping to add playing an instrument to your repertoire than 9 is prime time, & if you’re wishing to acquire a second language the best age to do so is 12. While you may be noticing that most growth seems to occur early in life it would be poor thinking to count the elderly out. In this day & age 25 years old is only a fraction of someone’s life. Discoveries in the chemical & medical professions occur most at 41 years old, an age when many people have wrongly been deemed over the hill. Additionally, the average age awarded to Nobel Prize winners in the field of science is 58.

There is a reason for this too. With life experience comes an intricately designed better & larger labyrinth of neural pathways already mapped out for your cerebrum; the part of the brain that holds the lion’s share of responsibilities including movement, speech, body regulation, judgment, logical & emotional thinking, & the basis of this newsletter; learning, under its helm.

MEMORY IS THE MVP

Overall, the life lessons that we accumulate over time are invaluable & make the elderly among us excel past their younger peers in creativity & knowledge. Unfortunately, the one area that youth tends to trump their older counterparts in is memory. Memory & learning go hand in hand like peanut butter & jelly (or if you’re like me a peanut butter, banana, & jelly) sandwich. This explains why when it comes to absorbing new skills, as opposed to the older generations’ ability to use known skills to create new material, youth seems to encapsulate them. The trouble with knowledge is being able to remember it. Memory starts slipping almost immediately after the brain is done fully forming- starting with recognition of faces. Long term memory starts fading along with those faces shortly after around 30; short term close to follow, after a brief plateau of efficiency, around 44. Against popular belief the brain is not a muscle but instead an organ. Like any organ in the body, we need to keep it healthy through healthy habits. What makes this difficult is what we’ve already established: the brain is unique & cannot be replaced with another should we fail to maintain it. Furthermore, memory does not function within our traditional idea of maintenance. When we think of maintenance, we think of keeping something in the same way we got it for as long as possible. Herein lies the problem: brains are not a machine, they’re an organic material that needs to grow as we do. If done properly, brains will look nowhere near the same towards the end of life as they did before the beginning. Think of a brain like hot wax: when we’re young & newly poured the brain is hot, pliable, & malleable to change. As we age & cool, we harden with the ideas that have set into place. In order to soften the material to make room for new impressions i.e. in order to improve our memory it’s not enough to just continue completing & conducting the same skills that we already know. If we want to stimulate our minds & brains, we need to challenge it by learning new skills that require new thought processes: we need to pave new pathways within the labyrinth.

This is where the young take their lead. In our earliest stages of life we are constantly learning different material, constantly feeding our brain new information, which most importantly means the brain is constantly stimulated & working. There’s far less room to forget to continue running when you never stopped. Humans’ invaluable ability to never have the brain tire, as it would were it any other organ or muscle, is integral in keeping the neurons firing. Individuals who continued working past retirement, whether that be physically, mentally, or both showed higher signs of memory retention. Individuals who continued working on learning new skills showed the greatest retention of all. While continuing to read, write, complete puzzles, & have social interaction are by no means chopped liver in terms of value in brain food, the steak & potatoes are fresh new skills.

NEW TRICKS FOR OLD DOGS

It has been proven that certain fields of study increase brain activity & memory recollection to benefit the elderly. Notably: technology & coding done by individuals 65 & older was shown to be 87% accurate after 3 months of dedicated learning. Conversely, only 34% of participants followed through. For those that did there was a 96% increase in quality of life daily use. Yet as stated, it is difficult to gain participants. The question of can we teach them becomes how we make these lessons readily available. While what you’re learning doesn’t necessarily have to be tech related, it should be unfamiliar. Old dogs are perfectly capable of learning new tricks, & while repetition may be on the menu, something to remember for the young is that every trick we know is because of these so called “old dogs.” Every new idea needed the discoveries made before them to lay the foundation for what we know now.

Until next month, Haley Brewer

For more information on the topics above please feel free to peruse the sources below:

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