Subscribe to our RSS feed and stay informed with up-to-date and relevant articles for seniors and caregivers. http://www.allaboutseniors.org/Senior-Articles/All-Articles/?sms_ss=rss Excerpt: Americans feel are most important for a loved one who has less than six months to live are... http://www.allaboutseniors.org/Senior-Articles/Hospice-Care-is-What-Americans-Want/?sms_ss=rss Excerpt: A few years ago the psychology department of Duke University performed an interesting experiment. They tested to see how long rats could swim. In one container a rat was placed for whom there was no possibility of escape. He swam a few moments and then ducked his head to drown. In the other container the hope of escape was made possible for that rat. The rat swam for several hours before finally drowning. The conclusion of the experiment was just the opposite of Cicero’s statement. The Duke experiment proved, “While there’s hope, there’s life.” http://www.allaboutseniors.org/Senior-Articles/Keeping-Hope-Alive/?sms_ss=rss Excerpt: In America, you go to the mail box one day and find an invitation from AARP to join their organization. It’s an official notice that as of today, you are considered a senior. This usually occurs just before your 50th birthday. For most of us, we just ignore it as we we’re not ready to be classified as a senior just yet. However, as the years go by and the AARP circulars keep coming, you begin to think more about it and eventually start taking advantage of senior discounts. It’s one of the few perks! http://www.allaboutseniors.org/Senior-Articles/TV-Show-Focuses-on-Seniors-50-Plus/?sms_ss=rss Excerpt: In November 2009 the Senate voted to debate its version of health care legislation, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This promises to be a long debate and there is an uncertain outcome. The House of Representatives has already passed its version, known as the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962). It’s a long and very detailed bill, but the bill was endorsed before passage by AARP, the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO), and the American Medical Association, among others. Passage in the House is good news for champions of health care reform, and the endorsements indicate that senior organizations view the bill as a boon for seniors, but a long road still lies ahead. http://www.allaboutseniors.org/Senior-Articles/Elder-Law-Update-January-2010/?sms_ss=rss Excerpt: According to experts, most individual family caregivers take on too much themselves and ask too little of other family members. You need to get help and cooperation from them so that you are not overwhelmed by trying to do everything yourself. How do you go about it? http://www.allaboutseniors.org/Senior-Articles/Family-Caregiver-Meetings/?sms_ss=rss Excerpt: Transitioning older adults was most commonly an activity executed by adult children, siblings or friends up until the last five years ago. Despite the family’s willingness and ability to help their loved one, they endured the overwhelming responsibility to pack up their loved one’s home of 30-40 years in a few weeks. Time away from their jobs and their own families or spending vacations and holidays to move their loved one was often the case. Now as the older population increases and lives are even busier, the need for specialized services to help seniors transition more effectively should be sought to help the older adult with this life transition. Psychologists agree that the older adult will experience less stress and adjust more effectively to their new environment if they receive help before, during, and after the relocation process. In comes a Senior Move Manager. http://www.allaboutseniors.org/Senior-Articles/Getting-Help-with-Transitioning-Older-Adults/?sms_ss=rss Excerpt: Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) across the country are highlighting the importance of "aging well" for seniors. Dedicated Wellness Programs improve the quality of life of each senior and/or client physically, psychologically, and spiritually by offering a purposeful fitness plan and life enriching programming that address individual health needs, quality of life, and to encourage successful aging. http://www.allaboutseniors.org/Senior-Articles/Wellness-Its-a-Way-of-Life/?sms_ss=rss Excerpt: Imagine you wake up to find your front door open and your autistic child is missing. Or maybe granddad has wandered away while grandma was taking a bath. What do you do? http://www.allaboutseniors.org/Senior-Articles/What-is-Project-Lifesaver/?sms_ss=rss Excerpt: If you’re like the majority of Americans over the age of 45, you want to continue living in a familiar environment throughout your maturing years. According to the AARP, older homeowners overwhelmingly prefer to age in place, which means living in your home safely, independently and comfortably, regardless of age or ability level. http://www.allaboutseniors.org/Senior-Articles/Aging-In-Place/?sms_ss=rss Excerpt: We come to know ourselves fully as we age, and perhaps that’s why our desire for more authentic relationship increases with time. We grow impatient with superficial acquaintance and want the stuff of real friendship: abiding commitment, steady faithfulness, refreshing honesty, and endearing affection. To love and be loved for our true selves, that’s the standard I’m unwilling to compromise in my own second-half-of-life relationships. As Mary Carnes, a pastor and advocate of the Senior Companions program says, “We are more than our bodies. We are also mind and spirit. At every age we crave not just life, but enrichment of our lives through authentic relationships with others who care about us.” http://www.allaboutseniors.org/Senior-Articles/Aging-with-the-Glow-of-Authenticity/?sms_ss=rss Excerpt: The daily routine in an assisted living community strives to provide a “homelike environment”. These facilities are not limited to serving older people. Some serve younger people with special needs. This diversity in services and individuals makes each facility unique. Consumers should investigate all the available choices prior to signing a contract. http://www.allaboutseniors.org/Senior-Articles/Assisted-Living-What-to-Expect-and-What-to-Look-For/?sms_ss=rss Excerpt: Most of us are very concerned about what will happen to our loved one if he or she falls. Our unease goes beyond the fear of broken bones and cuts; our main apprehension is that one fall will lead to another and eventually to our loved one’s lack of independence and decline of mobility and general health. The truth is that one third of all Americans over 65 do fall, and the danger of broken bones is very real because of osteoporosis afflicting so many older people. There are, however, many easy tips to help prevent falls, which can increase your loved one’s safety as well as possibly your one. Fall prevention takes more common sense than money, but the prospect of avoiding injury is priceless. http://www.allaboutseniors.org/Senior-Articles/Fall-Prevention-in-the-Elderly/?sms_ss=rss Excerpt: Although most adult children have good intentions when choosing to move a loved one to an assisted living center or retirement home, it is almost always a difficult and stressful time for everyone involved. The best way is to start slowly and give them time to get used to the idea. If your loved ones are handled with the same care you would take with an antique chest or a precious family photo album, moving them may be a rewarding experience for all of you. http://www.allaboutseniors.org/Senior-Articles/Tips-for-Moving-a-Senior/?sms_ss=rss