Tag Archive: senior living

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It’s time to downsize. Is your home ready to sell?

Date: November 20, 2017 Tags: , , , , ,

If it’s time to start thinking about downsizing or moving in to an assisted living residence, it’s time to get serious about preparing your home for sale. Maintaining a home you live in and preparing a home to sell are two entirely different things. You may think your home is perfect as-is, but there are a few differences in your perfect home and what the ideal of a perfect home is to a potential buyer. Here are a few key points you should remember in prepping your home for sale. Declutter, declutter, declutter. If your countertops, walls and other surfaces... View Article

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Keeping Seniors Involved During the Holidays

Date: November 14, 2017 Tags: , , , , , , ,

It’s that time of year again when families gather together with loved ones from near and far. Often this is one of the few times when everyone is gathered at one home or location for a meal and catching up. For seniors, this often brings back memories that are both happy and joyful, but can also be a bit overwhelming. Some may be sad over the memories of their spouse they’ve spent many a happy holiday with, and some may feel out of sorts in a new location. Dementia or Alzheimer’s can compound that sense of confusion. Here are some... View Article

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Seated stretches for seniors

Date: November 7, 2017 Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Stretching is one of the simplest things we can do to benefit our overall health. Stretching helps us relax, and over time, can add flexibility to the body that helps with day-to-day activities. Stretching helps improve the mobility of soft tissue – muscle, skin and the connective tissue surrounding muscles and joints. For many seniors, maintaining mobility as they age becomes difficult. Muscles and joints start to weaken and range of movement becomes limited as part of the aging process. Stretching helps to maintain and develop strength, increase circulation and improve flexibility – and contributes to a better quality of... View Article

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10 fall tasks to get your home ready for winter

Date: October 31, 2017 Tags: , , , ,

by Guest Blogger: Sonya Dickinson, REALTOR The days are already getting shorter, school has started in most of the region, and before you know it, the mountains will turn an array of autumn colors. If you’re a senior living independently, you should leave some room in your fall schedule to complete some home maintenance that will leave your home ready for winter. Some of these tasks may require some family or handyman assistance, so now is a good time to start recruiting help. Plan for leaf collection Localities handle leaf collection differently, so check with your municipality’s solid waste department... View Article

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GPS devices for dementia patients

Date: October 17, 2017 Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

A few months ago, we wrote a blog post about wandering, a risk associated with many conditions, but particularly concerning elderly people in various stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, six in ten people with dementia will wander. “A person with Alzheimer’s may not remember his or her name or address, and can become disoriented, even in familiar places.“ According to a CNN article, “There are over 125,000 search and rescue missions for Alzheimer’s patients every year. That is only set to increase as baby boomers continue to age — by 2050, it’s estimated the... View Article

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Hope is Not a Retirement Strategy

Date: October 3, 2017 Tags: , , , , , ,

By guest blogger, Wayne Firebaugh, CPA, CFP®, AIF® I have two close relatives who exhausted substantial portfolios to fund end of life nursing home care. My maternal grandmother passed away with a little less than a year’s reserve remaining – a reserve that had been generated by the auction of the farm held by the family for generations. My great aunt recently turned 99, an occasion soon marked by my father’s completing the paperwork to qualify her for Medicaid payments of her future nursing home bills. Many years of living in a nursing home had finally overwhelmed both her portfolio... View Article

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When the family disagrees on care

Date: September 19, 2017 Tags: , , , , , , ,

When it’s time to consider alternative living arrangements for an aging family member, it’s a stressful time for all involved. It’s a big move, with a lot of moving parts – including emotional issues that arise on the part of the person who is moving, and also the family members involved. There are finances to consider, what to do with the family home, who bears the various responsibilities, and many other issues. If you’re lucky, you are a part of a family that leans on each other and provides comfort and support in times of stress. Unfortunately, that’s not always... View Article

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Social Media Dos and Don’ts for Seniors

Date: September 12, 2017 Tags: , , ,

Social media is a now part of virtually everyone’s life, even seniors who may have been slow or reluctant to join in the online communities. If you’re just dipping your toe in the ever-changing social media waters, there are a few general guidelines that are applicable across all channels (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) that will help you feel more at ease. Dos: Learn the differences among the platforms. For example, Instagram is a photo sharing site, Pinterest is an online corkboard for things like recipes and other ideas, Twitter is conversational at times, but mostly a information/news sharing site, and Facebook... View Article

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The benefits of pet therapy for senior citizens

Date: September 5, 2017 Tags: , , , , ,

Did you know that all of Heritage Hall’s residences are pet friendly? We recognize the benefits our furry friends bring into our lives, and especially the lives of seniors. We’ve written about Heritage Hall – King George’s pet-friendly facility and pet therapy program in another blog post, but here, we wanted to outline the amazing benefits that pet therapy provides. “Pet therapy, also referred to as animal assisted therapy, is a kind of therapy that uses pets as a form of companionship and treatment,” according to CaringPeopleInc.com. “The aim of therapy could be to improve a senior’s emotional, social, or... View Article

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Understanding wandering

Date: August 29, 2017 Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Wandering is a risk associated with many conditions, but particularly concerning elderly people in various stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, six in ten people with dementia will wander. “A person with Alzheimer’s may not remember his or her name or address, and can become disoriented, even in familiar places. “ A senior with memory problems and yet still mobile is at a higher risk for wandering. Even in the early stages of dementia, a person can become disoriented or confused from time to time. According to the Mayo Clinic, “This behavior can happen at... View Article