Many of us plan for retirement, assuming that we will have many golden years. Finances and health play important roles in defining what our retirement living will be like. For the fortunate, a nice home and car, money to live on and maybe travel and good health are waiting. For others, continuing careers can either be a source of purposeful living or may be required because financial needs dictate. Some may find their health forces them to rely on others for some or all of their care.

Location

There are numerous places to choose from when selecting a retirement location. Arizona, Fort Lauderdale and other places all have large retirement communities. Often there are retirement communities located within larger city communities. Even a retirement facility or apartment complex for seniors can provide the type of housing, living arrangements and socialization one seeks at this time of life.

For those less able to live on their own, assisted living centers can be an option. With services ranging from medical to housekeeping, bathing and dressing, and meal preparation, these seniors can still enjoy life with as much dignity as self-respect as possible. Nursing homes are an option for those with serious medical conditions and limited mobility

If financial means are limited, retirement living may mean living on your own in the home you’ve lived in all your life or moving in with family who can assist you. This may not be your ideal retirement living situation, but it can be a second chance to get to know your relative and their family better, to enjoy grandchildren and share in the comfort and love of a home.

Finances

Unless you did an amazing job of saving for retirement, most people find this a challenging time financially. With some luck, you may have managed to pay off the mortgage on your home. You might have a pension or savings to help with expenses. Still an unforeseen medical problem can wipe all that out in seconds. Insurance can help but many people let this lapse as they age or when they retire.

Keeping up with financial obligations can also be challenging for some people as they age. Memory and the ability to perform computations needed to balance a checkbook can become more difficult. Some people need assistance with these functions as they age.

Retirement Assistance

Assistance can come from many places. Retirement living can be aided by services from a number of state agencies as well as from care givers and residential living facilities. Food assistance, transportation and even in home nursing or household help may be available from these agencies. If you have a medical condition, your insurance may help provide you with assistance. Church groups are another resource you can tap. They can often provide food and clothing as well as volunteers who provide companionship for those who need it.

Being a senior citizen does not mean being a drain on society or a burden to your children. It means spending the time you’ve earned in comfort and happiness. Many people who are older don’t believe this will be possible. Their reasons range from concerns of extreme illness to not being able to be left alone.

Losing one’s independence is a huge blow to a person’s ego, especially to a person who is used to providing support for others. Losing some independence doesn’t mean that a person has to living in a nursing home for the rest of their life. It definitely does not mean that a person is no longer capable of doing things for himself. It means that the person needs a little extra help to maintain the independence they have left.

One of the ways an adult child can support their parent or parents in remaining as independent at possible, but have help when needed, is to look into centers for independent living apartments. These apartments are generally available to individuals who are 65 years of age or older, but can still perform basic life skills. Basic life skills include bathing, toileting, cooking, eating, and light cleaning.

Because the majority of today’s senior citizens rely on social security supplemental income and pension checks, many home for independent living  are income based. To make things even easier on the individual, utilities are often included in the monthly rent. This helps the person or couple maintains utilities for their apartment without the fear of forgetting to make the payment each month. Some senior living apartments also include basic cable in their rent package, but often this is considered a privilege and the responsibility of the person to maintain the payments on.

Another positive side to independent senior living apartments is that the manager of the apartment complex tends to live in the same complex as the tenants. Part of their job is to make sure that the tenants are able to maintain their independence as much as possible. They work with the family to make sure that their loved one is happy and safe while still being an elderly living independently.

A home is important to everyone, especially to a person who has lived in it for the vast majority of their life. Just think, they have raised their children in this home. They’ve shared many Christmas’s with their friends and loved ones in this home. So why should they leave their home just because they need a little help with taking care of their needs?

In home care is a choice that some seniors choose in order to be able to remain in their home for as long as possible. In home care is a service that is provided by public organizations to help people with tasks such as bathing, light cleaning, and some cooking. This is usually a good choice if at least one of the seniors living in the home is capable of taking care of the other when the in home care provider is not there.

To find an in home care provider that is licensed and has a good reputation, contact the local community services board or the local area agency on aging. They usually have the appropriate information you need to contact reputable in home care organizations. Another place to look for information is the local department of social services. Their adult protective services department can guide you to in home care agencies that they endorse.

However you decide to look for care, make sure that you research the agency thoroughly. Check for licensure and make sure their license to provide in home care is current. Feel free to ask the agency to see a copy of their last licensing review. If they refuse, then maybe they aren’t the agency for you or your loved ones. Make sure they do background checks on the in home care workers and that the workers are appropriately trained. You want to be sure that they are CPR and first aid certified. If lifting of your loved one is required, then be sure that the worker is also trained in appropriate lifting techniques. You don’t want them to get hurt and inadvertently hurting your loved one.

In home care is not the answer for everyone, but it is a choice that is available to senior citizens as a way of helping them remain in their homes for as long as possible.

As you grow older and enter into retirement, the last thing you want to worry about is how you will be able to pay for your medical bills. Health insurance is available to help you with meeting the financial demands of health care that you will undoubtedly incur as you get older. Deciding on what insurance you will have depends on knowing what is available.

Medicare is well known by everyone as insurance for adults age 65 and over. It covers medical costs, hospitalization, prescription medications, as well as over supplemental coverage. Medicare is a government backed health insurance plan and is primarily funded by the government. You can have Medicare as your primary insurance or as a secondary insurance to another insurance carrier. To apply for Medicare, see your primary care physician or contact Medicare directly.

Medicaid is another source of insurance available to adults that meet specific income requirements. It can be combined with Medicare to offset things that may not be fully covered by Medicare.  It is also primarily government funded. To apply for Medicaid, contact your local department of social services. They will help you file for Medicaid and assist you in determining if Medicaid is right for you.

Another choice is private insurance. Most insurance providers such as Anthem and Aetna, have programs that meet the needs of older adults who are no longer working. The cost is generally more than Medicare or Medicaid because it is considered private and therefore does not receive the same funding from the government. Private insurance companies can tailor health insurance plans to meet your budget and your needs as best as possible.

Health insurance is a necessity, especially for older adults. With the rising costs of medical care, the ability to see a regular physician without insurance can take a huge chunk out of a person’s monthly budget. Although there may be some cost to having health coverage, the monthly cost often out ways the choice of no insurance as all. The last thing you want to worry about as you grow older is how to pay a $10,000 hospital bill.

When a person finally leaves their parent’s home to start a live on their own, it is one of the most exciting times in their life.  For some, it is the first time they truly feel independent and in control of their choices in life. It only makes since that the option to live independently remain intact for as long as possible as a person grows older. Independence and the ability to maintain it feeds a person’s dignity and pride.

Senior apartments are a great way to maintain a person’s dignity through independent living while reducing the stress of home ownership. When you own a home you are responsible for the toilet when it breaks or for the siding when it’s damaged by wind. Maintenance issues like these are often taken care of by a maintenance worker or group of workers employed by the apartment complex. The costs of the repairs are generally covered by the rent making it even less stressful.

Many senior apartments are available with rental assistance. This means that the cost of the rent is often based on the person’s income. This is extremely helpful with the rising cost of living versus the lack of increase in social security income and pension payments. Some senior apartment complexes include the cost of utilities in the total rental amount taking away the stress of remembering to pay utility bills.

Apartment complexes are overseen by an apartment manager who typically lives in the complex. This person is available to provide tenants with assistance in understanding the rules of living in the senior apartments. They also schedule maintenance appointments when things need to be fixed in a person’s apartment.

Living in a senior apartment is one of the best ways to maintain an independent lifestyle while reducing the stress of financial struggles and housing maintenance. A person can still feel dignified and enjoy their retirement. Senior apartments also offer the opportunity for people to make new friends and to become involved in activities with others of the same interests. They are a welcome way of life to many people who wish to remain independent and active in the senior community.

For seniors who choose to remain at home, whether it is in their own home or in the home of a family member, home care can provide assistance in fulfilling their wishes.

Today, many aging parents are living with their adult children in order to be taken care of in lieu of living in an assisted living facility or in a nursing home. Often this is because the family cannot afford the cost of a nursing home or assisted living facility. More often it is because their aging parent does not want to live in a nursing home or assisted living facility. Unfortunately, most adult children cannot afford to take off from work to care for their elderly parent.

In home care is available to provide care for parents who have become senior citizens while their adult children are away during the day at work. The services are generally paid for through Medicare or Medicaid. For some, private insurance will cover the cost or at least a majority of it.

Home care aids are generally certified nursing aids, or CNA’s, or are supervised by a registered nurse. The home care aid provides the daily services and the registered nurse makes monthly visits to insure that the care is being provided appropriately.

Training is important when you accept a home care aid from a home care agency. The person should be able to properly provide mobility assistance as well as be able to assist with hygiene needs. Some aids are trained in medication administration and this is extremely important if your elderly parent requires medication during the work day.

Most home care agencies are registered with the local community services board or the local area on aging department. In addition, all home care agencies are required to be licensed to provide services through the state. Without this license, funding to help pay for the services through Medicaid or Medicare will be difficult to obtain if at all.

Home care provides seniors with the opportunity to be with their family in comfortable surroundings. Studies have shown and many physicians concur that this is ideal and leads to the living of a longer, healthier life.

People get older. People need help. As people get older they tend to need more help than the average person. Deciding when to initiate that help can be tricky for a few reasons. As a family member you may be worried about pushing your loved one into something they don’t want to do. You may be worried that you are taking away their independence and therefore attacking their pride. You may not know how to initiate services for senior care. These reasons, and many others, can make deciding when to get help difficult and confusing.

One thing to consider when deciding to initiate senior care services is the immediate need shelter for the person who may need the services. Think about where the person is living. Ask yourself if the home is safe or if it is in need of repairs. Determine if the person can make these repairs or even afford the repairs if there are any needed. Can they keep the house clean or is it a daily struggle to just wash a few dishes?

Another thing to look at is the immediate need for supervision for safety purposes. Does your loved one have difficulty remembering things, such as turning off the stove? Do they go for walks and get lost easily? Maybe they forget to take their medication or maybe they forget they’ve taken it and overdose. These are serious safety concerns and indicators that your loved one may need some additional help.

Consider the person’s ability to take care of themselves independently. Using the toilet may have become difficult without help and taking a shower may have become too hard to do independently. Look at abilities such as being able to make meals. Again, these are skills that are necessary to being healthy and the decline or lack of these skills can provide you with the necessary reasoning to seeking senior care services.

Don’t be afraid to offer you loved one the care they need. Remember that at some point in a person’s life, everyone needs help sometime. They may not be ready to accept the help or willing to discuss it. Then again, they may become excited at the thought of having help with living safely. Senior care is something to take seriously when taking care of a loved one.

Elder care is a special job that is done by special people. It can be rewarding and heartbreaking all at once. Caring for the elderly can be stressful and enjoyable. In other words, there are positives and negatives to providing elder care.

Caring for the elderly can be rewarding in that you are bringing happiness into a person’s life. When you help someone live a quality life even if only for a short time, the smile that you see on that person’s face can be the best reward you’ve ever received.

While elder care is rewarding, it is also heartbreaking. Often you will get attached to the people you care for. It is an unavoidable occurrence. As the people you care for become older and frailer, it is inevitable that they will eventually pass away. For some, this can be so difficult that they will quit their job as a caretaker. For others, even though it is hard they stay and continue to care for others because of their dedication.

Many people who choose to work in the elder care field do not last more than a few years. They often find it difficult to overcome the loss of the people they’ve cared for during the time they’ve been there. Others are able to handle the losses they have to endure during their time in this field, and therefore remain in this line of work for a longer amount of time.

Caring for the elderly can be quite enjoyable. Often you will meet people with fantastic stories to share with you about their lives or the things they’ve seen throughout the years. Others enjoy just sitting and visiting with you for a few moments.

Elder care can be provided in a variety of settings. More often it is provided in a nursing home setting, but in home care is on the rise and therefore elder care is moving to a more personal level. This shift in where the service is being provided has allowed for more individualized care for the elderly. Bonds between the service provider and the recipient are becoming even stronger.

In any setting and in any capacity, elder care is a service that is not to be taken lightly. The right kind of person is dedicated, caring, and respectful of the person they are helping. If they can’t be any of these things, then the care of the person suffers. It remains a special service provided by a special person.

If you are concerned about the ability of you parents to continue to live on your own, don’t ever forget that they are probably worried about the same thing. The fear of the loss of independence may cause your elderly parents to hide things from you. Don’t think that the “I’m fine” response they give is a real answer as you inquire into their health. Instead, pay attention to tiny details during your telephone conversations and visits and if any regular routines change, do some investigating.

Social Activities

Have you noticed that your elderly parent has been skipping the opportunities to be involved in social activities outside of the home? If your parents previously had a routine of volunteering, were active in groups or met friends for lunch or coffee on a regular basis and have suddenly come up with excuses why they have opted to stay at home, start paying attention.

A sudden change in routine involving social activities could be an indication that underlying problems could be to blame. Be on the lookout for signs that could point to health problems:

• Easily fatigued
• Difficulty getting around
• Joint pain
• Headaches
• Vision problems

The possibility of an anxiety about the ability to drive could also be behind an aging person’s reluctance to keep up with an active schedule away from home. The driving privilege is an important factor in the independence in people, no matter what their age is, and losing the drivers license makes a person more dependent on others. If your aging parent is worried that their reflexes are slowing down and may be worried that an accident or traffic ticket could lead to questions about their driving abilities, it could be cause enough for them to reduce the number of occasions that they take to the road for entertainment. Knowing that you are concerned about their safety, don’t expect that they will bring up this fear to you, because that would make them even more vulnerable about their ability to hang on to their drivers license.

If your elderly parent is staying home more, it could mean that they are suffering from depression. There are a lot of indicators that you can look for on your visits that point toward the need for intervention.

• Look for changes in the appearance of the home. Is an effort being made to keep it neat and tidy?
• Is your parent showing a change in personal hygiene habits or the way that they dress?
• Is your parent occupied when you unexpectedly arrive at the door?
• Who has your parent talked to recently?
• Are the cupboards and refrigerator stocked with the food items that they regularly eat?

Keep in mind that your parent will have good days as well as bad days and that a single instance of change in behavior shouldn’t cause undo alarm. If it seems like your parent’s lifestyle has undergone a major change, step in and address the situation so that steps can be taken to get your loved ones back into a healthy and full life. Their social activities will not only keep them active, but be a good way of monitoring their situation.

When you don’t live close enough to your elderly parents to drop by on a regular basis, you may be concerned that they may be facing problems that you are not aware of. If you’re lucky enough to have a sibling or other family member who lives closer to your parents, you have the ability to share information with them. A lot of us live at a distance and can only rely on what our parents share with us to set our fears to rest and continue to believe that everything is well.

Getting your Parents to Agree to a Power of Attorney

Your parents are protected by privacy laws. If one of them ends up in the hospital, you will quickly find out that the days of getting information from the nurse’s station are gone. Medical professionals will not risk being libel for breaching a patient’s right to privacy. The patient has to give permission for any information on their condition to be shared. This can be given when the patient is admitted or can be conveyed if they give you Power of Attorney.

The same rights to privacy keep you from checking to see that their finances are in order. Unless you are named on their bank accounts, you may have no way of knowing that they have enough funds to pay for their medical expenses or even their nutritional needs unless you have a Power of Attorney.

Broaching the subject of a Power of Attorney can be delicate because it could be seen as a way toward the loss of independence by your aging parent. Prepare for the time when the monitoring tool will be needed by laying the groundwork well in advance. It will be easier for your parents to understand the need for your ability to access personal information about them if they are convinced that you share their desire for continued independent living with them.

When you depend on your telephone conversations to monitor your parents well being, take extra care in keeping honesty in communications open. Your parents want the same things that you probably do. You don’t want your parent, or even your own friends, hitting you with a barrage of questions during each conversation. Some things are simply none of anyone’s business. Your parents feel the same way.

If you don’t want your elderly parents to start hiding things from you, refrain from being judgmental. If they tell you of a recent purchase, be positive of it instead of questioning the cost, their need for it, or letting them know it was cheaper elsewhere. Instead, ask if they got a deal on it and subtly ask where they got it, implying that you’d like to see if you could get a similar value.

If they missed a phone call from you, don’t demand a lot of answers. You probably imagine a worst case scenario, especially if the cell phone message or text isn’t answered in a timely manner. But remember, just like you, there are times when responding to a call just aren’t a top priority.

Never let your parents feel vulnerable that the natural aging process could force you into taking steps that would limit their independence. Of course they will understand that you are concerned about their well being, and once you prove that a Power of Attorney will not only set your mind at ease in case of a medical emergency or assist them in making sure that their bills are paid if they are unable to tend to banking issues they will be more willing to give you a Power of Attorney. Just take care not to abuse the privilege once you have it.