Dementia is a collection of symptoms that can occur due to a variety of possible diseases. Dementia symptoms include impairments in thought, communication, and memory. Currently, there is no cure for the disease. The best way to combat these is to adopt a healthy lifestyle to hopefully prevent it. For care providers and family members of the elderly it is important to be aware of early signs of Dementia. Here are the 10 ways to recognize Dementia in your loved one. 1.Memory Loss A common sign of Dementia is memory loss. Although it is very common to forget the occasional appointment or meetin ..read more

If your loved one lives on their own at home, they may be less safe than you realize. We’ve created a list of things that you can do to make sure that your senior is safe and secure in their home. The potential for danger magnifies when a person is a senior. Your loved one should feel safe in their home, but as they age, many unexpected things can become potential threats to their safety. It is essential to check up on their home to see if anything needs to be fixed, changed, or added to ensure their safety. We’ve compiled a list of home safety tips for seniors to minimize any potential dange ..read more

It’s a sad reality in today’s world that many seniors are vulnerable to financial scams. The Bloomberg reports that the elderly collectively lose $37 billion annually as a result of scams, as scammers often prey upon them due to their vulnerability. They are targeted by faux telemarketers claiming they’ve won a prize that can only be claimed by sending over their information and money by online scammers, fake insurance companies, and even their own families. Seniors often have difficulty protecting themselves against these scams, as they may have trouble determining whether someone is legitima ..read more

While many of us picture the summer as a time for having fun outdoors, for the elderly, the summer heat can be quite a risk and even dangerous. But don’t fret! With our five tips for beating the summer heat, you and your loved ones will be ready for a summer free from stress. Tip #1: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate As we age, we become more susceptible to dehydration. Especially in the summer with the addition of heat, a risk for dehydration increases. Be sure to look out for signs of dehydration such as dry mouth, sleepiness, headaches, dizziness. To avoid dehydration, doctors suggest consuming ar ..read more

Music is an incredibly powerful force. Listening to the opening notes from a song can bring you back to the first time you heard it, what you were doing, where you were, how you felt and so on. Because of this, music therapy for seniors has become a tool to help them with cognition, as well as, with physical activity and temperament. Playing music for your loved one has a multitude of benefits for seniors and is a great practice to incorporate into their daily routine. 1. Memory Benefits Music therapy for seniors with Alzheimer's or dementia has become popular as it is often easier to remembe ..read more

The Benefit of Veterans Programs 12 million American veterans over 65 that served during a time of a foreign war. This makes them eligible for care assistance. My 87 year old fater in law receives over $600 per month and that goes a long way in defraying the total cost of his care. It is highly possible that your loved one may meet the eligibility for veteran administration programs as well. It is a "needs based program" that looks at a person’s assets and income to determine eligibility. It is a very viable option for seniors whose family is supporting them financially but would welcome finan ..read more

The Risks are Real: Mixing Medications You may be surprised to learn that, on average, seniors take up to 14 different types of medications. It’s a huge number of potent medications that are rarely coordinated across physicians and have little oversight from any qualified person like a knowledgeable family member or nurse. Medication mismanagement and failure understand drug interactions can lead to adverse drug reactions and unnecessary hospitalizations. In fact, medications metabolize much differently in older adults with multiple or serious illnesses, and thus, mismanagement of any drugs ha ..read more

Depression Meets Its Match This is the story of Frank, an 89 year-old man whose life was completely changed by one small but incredibly significant thing that his daughter did for him. Frank has progressive macular degeneration and is now legally blind. Being blind makes the challenges of aging considerably more daunting. Many of the things Frank loved - fixing things, making things, etc. were no longer possible. His daughter lived far away from Frank, but visited every 4-6 weeks. Every time she left, it was bitter sweet - she enjoyed the visits, but hated to leave her dad alone. She struggled ..read more

Problems Faced with Long Term Care Insurance Even though they are highly regulated, insurance companies are in business to make a profit. Premiums across companies are fairly competitive so the way they make a profit is holding on as tightly to your money as they can. This usually means that when you have a claim, they make you jump through hoops to get your benefit. There are exclusions for this that you may of not been aware of. It can be maddening. We have dealt with a lot of long term care insurance companies. In fact about 25-30% of our clients have long term care insurance. And for the m ..read more

More Than Just a Funny Punchline "Help. I've fallen and I cant get up." This famous, memorable line from TV advertising for life alert in the 1980's has become part of many comedy routines over the years. It was so poorly done that, yes, it was comical. But the subject it dealt with isn't. Medical alert systems have been around since the 1970's and have saved thousands of seniors from unnecessary suffering and sometimes fatal medical situations. Medical alert systems for seniors, also known as personal emergency response systems, offer a fast and easy way for seniors who live alone to get help ..read more