Helpful Ideas for Anyone Helping an Aging Parent

Maintain a care notebook. Keep a file of your parents’ medical records, including test results, current medications, allergies, insurance coverage and Social Security numbers, along with their physicians’ contact information. Collect e-mail addresses and phone numbers for neighbors and close friends, as well as the phone number for the nearest hospital.

Develop a relationship with your parents’ doctors. Doctors appreciate the input when adult daughters or sons accompany their parents to office visits, especially when they arrive with current medication lists and knowledge of medical issues. If possible, schedule your parents’ appointments while you’re visiting. To avoid future frustration, ask your parents to sign privacy releases giving their doctors authorization to speak with you by phone regarding their care.

Set up an alert system. If your parent lives alone, talk with him or her about an electronic alert system for emergencies. These systems, typically light-weight devices worn around the neck or wrist, require only a push of a button to generate an automatic call to summon emergency help. You might also want to arrange a daily check-in call or e-mail message.

Who Will Know If You're In An Accident?

Maryland drivers can now add three emergency contacts to their driver’s license so police will know who to call if an accident occurs. The emergency contact information is stored electronically on an individual’s driver’s license and will be available only to authorized law enforcement and medical personnel.

You can go to the MVA’s website at http://www.mva.maryland.gov/ and add your three emergency contacts in just a few minutes! Go to the website, click “Online Services” and choose “Emergency Contacts” to add your contact names, addresses and phone numbers.

Note: To perform this Emergency Contact transaction, you must be able to provide your driver’s license number, date of birth, and PIN or last 4 digits of your social security number.

 

The information you provide to the MVA will be available to law enforcement agencies and medical personnel.

Don't forget to periodically review and update your contact information.

 

Is It Too Late to Learn?

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal discussed the fact that many people, as they age, lose the capacity to learn despite popular beliefs to the contrary. There are countless examples throughout the world of older people taking on new challenges traditionally considered beyond them because of the person’s age.

Do you like to travel? Maybe you have your heart set on visiting Paris. Before you go, enroll yourself in a French language course. Because of your travel plans, you will have an incentive to commit yourself to learning something new. With that attitude, your chances of success are excellent and you will feel a sense of accomplishment that will brighten your spirit and encourage you to take on yet additional challenges. That motivation can be applied to a number of activities from acquiring or improving computer skills to boning up on current events.

And, if your health permits, the challenges need not be confined to mental activities. Even if you have never skied before, you can learn basics very simply and enjoy an invigoration outing in the wintertime. Learning to ski doesn’t mean you are undertaking a course to prepare for the next Olympics, after all!

And for warmer times of the year, how about golf? If you can swing your arms and walk without pain, you are certainly a candidate to try. And although you can get about in a golf cart on the course, golfing gives you the opportunity to get some simple walking exercise in beautiful surroundings as well.

Anxiety Medicine Can Increase the Risk of Alzheimer’s

Insomnia and anxiety are common conditions among the general population but particularly with the elderly. But if you have a history of Alzheimer’s in your family, please be aware that anxiety-reducing drugs such as Xanax and Valium can increase your risk of getting the disease.

Such drugs, known as benzodiazepines, have long been used in the treatment of early dementia symptoms of which anxiety is certainly one. However, a recent study provided evidence that the use of such medication may cause or hasten the onset of Alzheimer’s. So be sure to discuss any relevant family history with a doctor if a physician desires to prescribe such medication for you.

Exercise Can Ward Off Falls

As we age, our sense of balance deteriorates, making us more prone to falling. And falls can be serious. We have all heard of older people who fall and break their hips. Such injuries can have devastating effects in the future for such individuals even after surgical intervention.

Interestingly, there is some evidence (although much of it is anecdotal) that exercising can improve one’s balance and increase reaction time. (Many falls occur because a person loses his balance but is unable to move his body quickly enough to recover and, hence, falls). Apparently, a system of exercises from the Orient known as Tai Chi can help. It is particularly useful for older people because it does not involve strenuous activity. There is certainly no requirement that you sign up to lift weights at the local gym!

Tai Chi classes are conducted, for instance, at many senior centers.

Eat Vegetables To Be Happy?

For a variety of reasons depression appears to be more common as people age. Thus, it is of particular interest to note that a study in England suggests, controlling for other factors, the more vegetables a person consumes, the more likely he is to be in a good mood. However, the consumption of vegetables themselves may not be the cause of a good mood. Instead, the explanation may be as simple as the more fruits and vegetables one consumes, the less one is likely to eat other less healthy foods. Specifically, other research has also found a connection between depression and the consumption of fast foods, processed meats and high intakes of sugar.

Does a Reverse Mortgage Make Sense?

A reverse mortgage is a way of tapping equity in your home without incurring current interest payments.

Simply put, a reverse mortgage allows you to obtain a loan against your home with interest and payoff not due until you either leave the home or pass away.

The main drawback to reverse mortgages until recently is that upfront closing costs have been quite substantial. However, regulations have recently been changed significantly reducing those expenses and, hence, making a reverse mortgage more attractive.

If you need guidance in being directed to reputable firms offering reverse mortgages, let me know and I will do my best to help.