Are you looking forward to retirement? Will it be all play, more time with family and friends, more community involvement, travel, a new career, or a little bit of all of the above? While it’s important to acknowledge that our lives change at the time of retirement, we also need to consider that we will no longer have a daily routine — no rushing through morning traffic to get to the office, construction site or classroom. Did you know that, on average, people are spending around 20 years in retirement? This is true, so whatever you are considering, you should at least start putting together …

We all know that caring for our aging parents and  loved ones can take a hugeemotional and physical toll on our well-being. I’ve written about it often. So recently, when I was introduced to a "systematic approach" to help those who want to age at home, I was interested. A visit to this Massachusetts-based company showed me that integrated care can be successfully applied to our present-day healthcare system. What I found is that personal care managers can be brought to a patient with little or no stress to the patient or family. That the endless searching for answers can stop. That it is …

Life is stressful, and family caregiving can make it more so. Adult caregivers who have started a new job, or are raising children or caring for their own spouse can soon become overwhelmed when elderly family members need help. Often, the primary family caregiver wants or needs more help from siblings, but isn’t getting it. On top of the stress of aging parents, the dynamics of family relationships often thrusts one sibling into the role of primary caregiver for an aging parent. In turn, this creates an “anything you can do I can do better” tug of war between brothers and sisters who should …

Often, we forget that good communication is important, especially with our doctors. If you are planning to maintain good health while aging in place, here are some tips for a smoother ride. To get the most out of our doctor visits we must ask questions, provide the necessary information and be educated about our own health. This will make it much easier for our healthcare providers to give us the best possible care. I realize it isn’t always easy to establish and maintain a good rapport with our care providers. It takes time and effort on our part, as well as our doctor’s. Ideally, we or our …

It’s a difficult situation for all concerned when adults appear unable to care for themselves and Adult Protective Services (APS) is called in, but let’s consider the alternatives and varying situations. I’m fine with the "constitutional right" to do whatever you want with your adult aging situation. I would, though, suggest that some people are not cognizant enough to make that choice when the time actually arrives and being "forced" to live in a nursing home is better than starving or lying dead somewhere.  Unfortunately, the medical and welfare systems do not have allowances for the …

Lately, I’ve been thinking more and more about what I'll be looking for in an older living situation. Like many, my hope is to enjoy living in my own home with caregiver support when and if I may need it, but what might I want from an assisted living facility and/or retirement community? Does it exist? I would be looking for a living situation that allows me to remain very socially involved, with educational opportunities, a place that offers car or bus service to the movies, ski resorts, shopping and so forth. I would want to be smack in the middle of a complex that offered all these …

Can we age, live and work after 65? Can a working retirement scenario be enjoyable for seniors? Is there a true balance that can be achieved? Why do people suggest that retirement is the "end-all" to a life well lived? Must it be all about the money when we decide to retire?Questions, questions and more questions. How about some answers please?Retirement, in my opinion, should not be the ultimate goal in life. Hey, I’m all for sleeping, eating, waking up when I want, ‘lolly-gagging’ around with my hobbies, reading, taking time to see the grandkids, play golf and travel, but have our …

There is a culture of over-medication and unneeded procedural care in senior care.Having seen first-hand pill bottles galore in the cabinets of many seniors, the question has to be asked: are seniors being over-medicated? Stories abound in community centers, assisted living, nursing homes and in the homes of those seniors still living at home, of seniors taking an excess of 25 pills a day. Geez, what are all the meds for?Are all these pills needed? Are they necessary? What is their purpose? Is there duplication? Do the prescribing doctors know what other medications the senior is taking?There…

As soon as we notice memory problems, especially with our aging parents, we fearfully wonder: “Could it be Alzheimer’s?” Let’s get clear on what Alzheimer’s is and isn’t.Dementia is the deterioration of our cognitive abilities. There are many causes for dementia, and it can be progressive or stable. It targets the mental functions of the brain, like memory, orientation, problem solving and attention. Unlike Alzheimer’s, dementia is not a disease and it has a variety of causes.Dementia is caused by various diseases or conditions with symptoms that may include changes in personality, mood and …

Many may ask, “Is the process of getting information any better in 2011 than it was 15 to 25 years ago?” Some would answer a resounding no, others would say maybe and still others would say yes. I think the jury is still out, and, honestly, information gathering and giving could always be better. For instance: what happens when seniors are clueless to the options available to them? I realize this seems an unlikely scenario in 2011 because of the Internet, yet marketing senior services to the senior population directly is not always easy. In fact, it can be downright difficult. Let’s take web-…

Forty-six years ago, in 1965, Congress made an effort to bring challenges faced by seniors to the forefront. This prompted the delivery of what is known as the Older American Act (OAA). The act promises to: “To provide assistance in the development of new or improved programs to help older persons through grants to the States for community planning and services and for training, through research, development or training project grants, and to establish within the Department of Health, Education and Welfare an operating agency to be designated as the ‘Administration on Aging.'” The development…

Why am I not surprised to find out that federal health officials have failed in their efforts to police the emergence of phantom pharmacies? These pharmacies are fly-by-night storefront operations that bilk millions of dollars in false Medicare bills and then vanish with the cash. No permits are needed — there is no store or pharmacy as we know them. There are no medicines on the shelves, no employees, no real in-store customers, and yet these fake pharmacies produce huge bills for medication, defrauding Medicare of millions of dollars a year. It seems the only people making money these days …

I was moved by an article in Saturday’s Boston Globe; Galvin Moves to Protect Elders’ Interests and thought that Patch readers might benefit from knowing more about this invisible, silent crime against elders.  Knowing that Secretary of State William Galvin took a first step towards rectifying the growing financial abuse against seniors by submitting a bill to the Massachusetts Legislature — a bill that would bar people with power of attorney from enriching themselves or otherwise abusing their authority — was satisfying, to say the least. Better still is knowing that the legislation, filed …

Do you remember your parents telling you to stand up straight? To not slouch at the dinner table? To balance a book on your head while walking? Did they also send you out to play at the first sign of light, with a reminder to get yourself home by dinner? If so, you, like many Baby Boomers, will realize now why that advice was important and why we need to continue to impart the same to our children and grandchildren. Fitness and good posture help prevent falls. Every day, hundreds of seniors fall down and cannot right themselves. They often end up with injuries from these falls. The main …

Simply stated, home health care is the physical and mental support system provided to people wishing to remain in their homes or assisted living apartments by a caregiver, caregiving agency, or assisted living environment when they can no longer perform the activities of everyday living. Today, many people are opting for home care or homecare assistance in assisted living environments as outpatient care has become the norm for hospitals and insurance companies. Homecare is appealing to many, as they most often feel that their homes are an extension of themselves. Receiving in-home health care…

Have you ever thought about the challenges family caregivers encounter? I have always been blown away by the lack of attention and concern given to those caregivers. Many times, the biggest challenge for a family caregiver is "me time." That caregiver is juggling many, many tasks for their loved one and their own family as well. We all need "me time," and, if we don't get it, we can't be as effective as we want to be — for ourselves or others. The brain and body have a finite amount of energy. If caregiving duties drain it all, everyone suffers. How about those family caregivers who care for …

Several weeks ago, I wrote a column in relation to some proposed changes to health care in America, and my thoughts regarding those changes. Lo and behold, others must have felt the same. Methinks we should all take another long hard look at this health care proposal of Rep. Paul Ryan’s and all others that are presented, and then we must be prepared to voice our approval or dislike loudly! I have said it before: the Boomers have a strong influence. Lately, with the mortgage fraud and financial manipulation of securitized investments, many of our contemporaries have seen their retirement funds…

A lot of marketing is out there for the 50+ generation: wellness programs, personal trainers, age-friendly cities, “green exercise” — anything and everything to accommodate a healthier older market. In this regard, Baby Boomers are the first to experience this "love" from advertisers and businesses. In the 1930s, the average life expectancy was 63 — today, many Boomers are expected to see 80. Lifetimes have gotten longer, and the physical aging process has slowed down, so it makes sense that there is a proliferation of services and products to support Boomer needs. That, my friends, gives us …

Social media is booming in all markets, so when I hear talk about social media use by seniors, I would ask what a "senior" is. It used to be that people aged 65 and older were automatically classified as seniors, because that was the age at which most people retired. Today, not all people over age 65 want to be called seniors — heck, most of us cringe when we receive the AARP card at 50! I did, at least. According to a Pew Research Center article, "Older Adults and Social Media," social networking use among people age 50 and older nearly doubled in the last year — it was up 42 percent in 2010…

At 59, I’m healthier than either of my parents were at age 59. I have never smoked. I’m fairly active and exercise occasionally. I eat fairly well, but not always. I drinks ocially but not in excess. So what are my odds of remaining healthy and being able to care for myself? Better, I’m sure, than those of my parents, but the fact remains that the odds of something beyond my control happening to me still exists. Any number of accidents could befall me. What then? We Boomers don't like to think or talk much about aging. For us, and for many in our generation, the idea of needing long term care…