Are You and Your Aging Parents All Up to Date on Vaccines?

 

A reminder to be sure you and your loved ones are up to date on all vaccines. For COVID your seniors should have gotten their booster shot by now, but if not, they should get one as soon as possible. 

Other important vaccinations to consider include the Pneumonia vaccine, the Shingles vaccine, and of course the annual Flu vaccine. Check with their physician to be sure they are all updated.  

If they (or you) will be around any young children especially infants and toddlers, it's important to be current on the whooping cough vaccine which is usually a combination with the tetanus and pertussis. This helps protect the small children who are very vulnerable to this disease.

Please be careful and don't get complacent with masking and hand washing. The Omicron variant of COVID is not as resistant to the vaccine as we'd like it to be. Cases can be mild and often don't require hospitalization for those who have been fully vaccinated, but with the senior population, there's no reason to take chances. 

 

Please remember to check out the Online Course Caring for Your Aging Parents for $12!

 

photo credit: https://depositphotos.com/stock-photos/vaccine-clinic.html?filter=all&qview=420878092 

How To Handle Two Care Arrangements For Aging Parents

A guest post from Annabelle Harris

 

If your parents are still living but one is showing signs of aging faster than the other, you may be concerned that they’ll no longer be able to safely reside by each other's side. Unfortunately, this happens in cases where one parent is younger or healthier than their spouse. However, there are a few ways to make the transition into separate living arrangements easier for everyone. Here, we cover a few topics that can help you as you help your aging parents make a life-changing decision.

 

Budget Considerations

 

One of the first things that you must consider is their budget. Can your aging parents afford for one to live in their current home and another to move to assisted or nursing care? If the answer is no, there are options. The first is to help them take out a reverse mortgage; the second is to sell their home so that they can move into a senior community with multiple care levels available.

 

Taking out a reverse mortgage is a process where the bank essentially buys equity while your parents are still alive and still live in the home. If one must move to more hands-on care arrangements, the other can stay at home without a mortgage. They receive a monthly payment, which can be used to cover nursing care for the other spouse. According to the FTC, the spouse remaining in the home must continue to pay taxes, maintain the home, and keep an active homeowners insurance policy.

 

Selling the home outright may be an option for those that can move into a CCRC (continuing care retirement community). This is a senior-oriented living arrangement that can change over time without having to move to a new location. A CCRC may start out as independent living and allow the residents to seamlessly move into assisted and then memory care without additional fees. Both parents may live together while one receives more hands-on assistance than the other. This is an expensive arrangement, and you will need to understand your loved one’s assets, including how much home equity they have. To calculate this correctly, check the current market value of the property against the mortgage balance.

 

Practical And Emotional Concerns

 

Chances are, if one of your parents is transitioning into nursing care, the other has been the primary caregiver for many years. Taking this labor of love off of them can be emotional, and your loved one may feel no longer needed. Although they likely felt anxious and exhausted through the process, losing these responsibilities can make them feel as though their “better half” has moved on. Remind the healthier parent that they are still needed, and that the reasons behind them no longer providing hands-on care are so that they can care for themselves. If one parent has moved into Alzheimer’s or dementia care, you can involve your other parent in deciding on treatment choices such as memory training, psychotherapy, and medication.

 

Practical issues to consider are when, how, and where your parents will get to interact. It might be best for as many family members as possible to visit as often as possible for the first couple of weeks. The Family Caregiver Alliance explains that outings, such as to lunch or dinner, might not be a wise idea in the early days, particularly if their memory issues are significant. It takes work, but, eventually, both parents will adjust to their new living arrangements. It will also help if you visit the non-institutionalized parent often so that they are not wracked with loneliness.

 

When only one parent needs a helping hand, deciding on how to handle two living arrangements is a challenge. However, there are many hurdles associated with aging, and this is just one. Take solace in knowing that you have options for both parents that may keep them together. And, if they can no longer share a bed, there’s no reason they can’t share a visit to keep their bonds as strong as ever.

 

 

Image via Pexels

Thanks for these great tips Annabelle!

Guidelines for Seniors Seeking Relief from Financial Worry

 

Guest Post from Dan Hall 

Financial stress can be especially burdensome for older adults who see fewer resources on their horizons. The burden of financial worry is compounded when age has brought with it health complications that limit one’s options and create added money worries. It’s important for seniors, as well as their caregivers, to be alert to the dangers of financial decline and be aware of resources to assuage anxiety over money when problems arise. 

About Aging Parents offers the following guidance when navigating these difficult situations. 

What are the most common financial problems seniors deal with? 

Some of the financial worries that plague older adults include the threat of financial scams, the effects of cognitive decline, healthcare costs, and simply the fear of running out of money. In an ideal world, all these worries would be addressed well in advance of one’s retirement years. But not everyone has the opportunity or resources to plan sufficiently, and life can drop surprises on us we haven’t planned for. Seniors who find themselves in the middle of financial troubles can still take control of their situation and find a way out, as well as develop good habits for coping with financial anxiety. 

 Consider working with a financial consultant

If you can find an affordable and reliable financial specialist, this can go a long way toward relieving both the real pressure of financial problems and the mental strain of trying to correct them. A financial consultant can assist you in creating your budget, investing wisely, making good insurance choices, and managing your debt. Read reviews carefully to be sure you are getting a reliable consultant in pricing that works for you. 

 Create a budget

Whether you are working with a consultant or going it alone, having a budget is crucial to good financial planning and ultimately digging yourself out of financial difficulties. Having a budget will allow you to assess where you might be overspending and how much debt you have to deal with, then plan better for future emergencies. Your budget will form the basis of your strategy for reducing or eliminating financial worry. 

Carefully manage service needs

It’s inevitable that your home will require maintenance and upkeep, and you may not be in a position to tackle these tasks yourself. While hiring out services will be necessary, it pays to be careful and diligent about whom you hire. For example, when the time comes to have your gutters cleaned, look for local contractors with the exact skills you need by using search terms like “rain gutter cleaning near me” or “residential gutter cleaning.” Sites like Angi make it easy to turn up contractors, and some providers even offer seasonal discounts or specials. 

See which expenses you can cut

Once you have a comprehensive budget, you can see where you might be spending money needlessly. Check to see whether you have any automatic withdrawals to stuff you don’t really use or need, such as streaming services or magazine subscriptions. See which of your expenses can be reduced by switching providers or service plans. Internet, television, and data use may all be available to you more affordably. You may need to cut down on some larger expenses, as well. This might involve choosing a different insurance provider or even relocating to a smaller home or more affordable neighborhood. Another option is refinancing to lower your monthly mortgage payment. This option is best suited for seniors planning to reside in their home for a while. 

Work to eliminate debt

If you are paying off a lot of debt, see where some of this can be eliminated. A financial consultant can help you determine whether some of these debts can be paid off in full, or whether debt consolidation is right for you. Be very cautious when it comes to debt management, however, as there are scammers out there who will try to take advantage of you with fraudulent programs. 

Seek financial aid

If you’ve consulted a specialist, made a budget, reduced expenses, and consolidated debt but still find yourself in financial distress, don’t panic — there are programs out there to assist you. These include programs to assist with housing, food, medical expenses, and utilities. Even if you are not technically below the poverty line, if you are struggling to make ends meet, look for information on financial assistance for seniors. 

Seniors ought to be able to enjoy their retirement years without these anxieties, but unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way. Luckily, many resources exist to assist seniors so they enjoy the peace of mind and security they deserve.

Image via Pixabay

Thank Dan!

 

Caregiver Education and Tips for Time Management

Sorry I have been missing for a bit. I've been quite busy on a few projects. Hope to share one with you soon. 

COVID Challenges Continue

COVID has presented so many challenges to all of us the past year and a half, especially with family responsibilities. It's not letting up like we hoped. I hope you have all been able to muddle through it and stay safe and well. The Delta variant is quite virulent and presents huge risks to the unvaccinated and to those who are immunocompromised. It's very important to be careful and not take any unnecessary risks. Your aging loved ones are always quite vulnerable; even those who have been fully vaccinated. So please take precautions. 

SELF CARE

I also want to remind you to be sure to do something just for YOU to provide some replenishing self-care. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate. Find a great book and a beautiful spot to sit and read for an hour. 

Course for Caregivers

I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of my course for caregivers of aging loved ones on Teachable.com. It's $12 and about 2 hours of listening and caregiver education and valuable time- management tips. 

You can multi-task and listen while you accomplish something else. There are Power Point slides, but if you need to, just put on your headphones, or air pods in, and just listen. You can also purchase my book, The Everything Guide to Caring for Aging Parents on Amazon.com. It's available in a limited supply of paperback or download on Kindle.