Local Computer Classes for Seniors
Picture from Flickr via turtlemom4bacon
According to Pew Research in a research study entitled, Generations Online in 2009, “larger percentages of older generations are online now than in the past and they are dong more activities online.” They are primarily using the Internet for “research, shopping, and banking.”
The study reports that despite their growing usage of the Internet they still are not using it as frequently as younger generations. We searched the web for classes that would help them get the instruction needed to help them become more familiar with computer and Internet usage.
We recently learned about SeniorNet Learning Centers. SeniorNet is an organization that offers computer classes to adults who are 50 years of age or older. Their classes are fairly affordable and offer the basics in computer and Internet usage (e.g., introduction to computers, word processing, windows, email, etc.) . They also have more advanced classes in geneology, graphics, digital photography, financial management, etc.
For a complete list of SeniorNet classes in your area, access the SeniorNet locator here. Our Detroit area followers can find classes at The Troy Community Center in Troy, Michigan. The coordinator is Lee Watkins. Lee can be contacted at 248.524.3484.
How to Find a Wheelchair Accessible Hotel
The last trip my mother and I took together, she needed the assistance of a wheelchair. As her travel companion and the girl in charge of the chair, I was concerned about finding wheelchair accessible accommodations.
Since then, I have found a couple of sites that provide assistance in this area. Please keep in mind that I did not use the sites and/or their advice myself so I am not comfortable rating them but I do think it is worthwhile to pass their hints/online tools along in hopes that some of you might find them helpful. If you do use the sites, we would love to hear from you. Please let us know if they were helpful and whether you yourself would recommend them.
Mobility-Advisor.com recommends that you start narrowing your hotel choices and once you have a list you are comfortable with call the hotel directly. They report that “asking the following questions can quickly determine if the hotel is disability friendly and right for you.
- ‘Do you provide special disability services?’ This should be the first question you ask. The answer you receive will immediately indicate the property’s experience and desire in assisting disabled travelers.
- ‘Which floors are disable rooms located?’ It is important to be on or near the ground floor in case of emergency, especially when elevators are not in service.
- ‘Are the disabled rooms ADA compliant?’ If the answer is yes (and it should be), ask for specifics on how the room is equipped to accommodate ADA guidelines.
- ‘Can the beds and other furniture be moved in order to make the room more comfortable and accessble?’ Depending on the room size and configuration, you may not need to make any adjustments. Yet, it is a good question to ask if you are unfamiliar with the hotel brand.
- ‘Does the hotel provide a wheel chair accessible shuttle to nearby tourist attractions and public transportation?’
- ‘Is disabled or handicap parking available”‘ You may want to follow-up asking how many spaces are allocated per wheelchair accessible room.”
Please access the article online for full details and their other valuable information.
Mobility-Advisor.com referred me to www.whenwetravel.com who provides a list of worldwide destinations with links to wheelchair accessible hotels. Many are well known American chains (e.g., Hyatt, etc.) but some are brands I would not have known to try myself.
One Time Economic Stimulus Checks
The Social Security Administration has published a document entitled, “One -Time Economic Recovery Payment 2009.” According to the document, “On February 17, 2009 President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This law provides a one-time economic recovery payment of $250 to people who get certain types of Federal Benefits.”
The document is available online and provides answers to commonly asked questions about the program.
Eligible parties should have received their checks before the end of May, 2009.
India Cares for Seniors
Knowing that my mother’s care is very expensive here in the United States, a couple of friends have shared information with me on caring for the elderly abroad. My mother’s home is in the United States and I wouldn’t think of taking her away from her family and close friends for care abroad.
However, I think many of you might enjoy reading the article entitled, “In India they Really Like Older People.” It is about a man who moved to India with his elderly parents. Both of his parents were ailing. One parent was suffering from Parkinson’s Disease and the other had Altzheimer’s Disease. The care he found for them in India was outstanding and much, much more affordable than it is here in the United States.
Special “thanks” to Barbra Wells for sharing this article with me this morning.
Avoiding the Moving Blues
Relocating can be difficult for people at any age. For seniors it can be extra challenging, or even life threatening depending upon the situation. This post will focus on moves whose catalyst was to provide a little more support for someone currently living independently. This could mean moving from a home to an independent living community, or from one community to another, in order to be closer to family who can help with the chores of daily living. There is an often more serious move situation, where a senior needs to move into a nursing home. In these situations, the move is often abrupt and less considered. These situations often result in “relocation stress syndrome” (RSS), or sometimes “transfer trauma”. We’ll cover that in a later post.
No matter how you cut it, helping a senior transition from one home to another will take a lot of your time. If you’re working, you’ll need to take vacation time during and after the move. If you can enlist other family members to help in a tag-team approach, it’ll take stress off of a single individual.
Before the Move
If you can help remember all of the things that need to be done in advance of the move, you’ll minimize the stress that comes from discovering the forgotten detail. Make sure all of the “turn offs” and “turn ons” are scheduled. File a change-of-address form with the post office. They should notify everyone they have an account with, utility, including credit cards, insurance, and so on, as the statements come in the month before. The post office has a “Movers Guide” here. Check out our seniors moving post here for ways to notify Medicare, the IRS and more. The more things that you can have go like clockwork, the better. After that, don’t sweat the small stuff.
During the Move
Of course you and the movers, be they professional or family, will want to be as efficient as possible. But, if you’re all business, you’ll be missing an opportunity to attend to needs of the person moving. Take time for conversation. Reminisce about family events. Talk about friends and family, or what’s going on in the world. Good breaks for food and conversation will be good breaks from the uncertainty that goes along with moving to a new location.
Moving In
It would be easy to be all business while moving it. It’s a lot of work. Moving-in time is an opportunity to help your senior to get to know their neighbors. There’s a lot of time spent in public places–in the halls and in front of the building–that gives you the opportunity to introduce your senior to their new neighbors. This is where you have to be a little more gregarious than normal. Get their name. Ask them about the neighborhood. Ask them a question that your senior genuinely wants to know, because they’ve been in the same situation before and most people will recognize how disorienting things can be at first and will want to help. Get the lowdown on how things work, or what we like at SHF are some good tips to make life a little better.
After the Move
Now that you’ve showered them with attention before and during the move, you have to go back to work. Suddenly there’s a big void. Assuming that they’ve moved to a location near you, consider setting aside certain evenings and weekend days for the next few months where you can run errands, stop by to help out, or just go out to eat. Don’t focus all of your time on the chores.
If there are other family members in the area, enlist their aid. Assisted living communities have activities coordinator. Talk to her and see what she suggests that your parent may like to do to get involve in their new neighborhood. But don’t push it. It takes time to become comfortable in the new surroundings.
After all this advice, the final tip is to keep an eye on your own mental health. Clearly removing the stress from a loved one can put it on your own shoulders. You may be better prepared to take it than a senior, but you have your limits too. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and find some time for yourself.
The Altzheimer’s Project Airs Tonight
Maria Shriver, co-executive producer of The Alzheimer’s Project, spent time speaking with Diane Sawyer on ABC’s Good Morning America on May 6, 2009. We have provided information on the series in previous Senior Help Forum posts. However, it really is worth your time and effort to watch Maria’s Good Morning America interview online.
It is informative: “Every 70 seconds someone in America is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease.” - Diane Sawyer
It is inspirational: Maria goes in front of Congress to explain how her father remembers the Hail Mary but does not remember her.
It is a bit sad: “It is never easy looking at your parent and having them not know who you are, no matter what your age is.” - Maria Shriver
It instills a sense of hope: “What we have seen in these last years is an incredible and unanticipated progress in understanding Alzheimer’s diease. The understanding is important because it leads to targets for intervention, ways to try to approach disease. There are at least 91; for example, drug trials going on now.” — Dr. Richard Hodes.
The Best Way to Win an Insurance Appeal
The punchline is, “Not to have to do one.”
We’ve posted before on Medicare insurance appeals for Part A/B, Medicare Advantage, and Part D. We’ve even posted on doing battle with insurance companies. The fact is, insurance appeals are time consuming and can feel like doing battle. If you can avoid one, why wouldn’t you? How likely is that you’ll have to appeal an insurance/Medicare decision? I don’t have the statistics, but I suspect that most will do it in their lifetimes. If you haven’t had to appeal, ask a couple of people. Odds are they have.
If you believe that there’s a chance that you’ll want to appeal in the future, why not reduce that chance by spending some time understanding your coverage and what it takes to avoid the calls and letter writing? Consumers Union and The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation did, “A Consumer Guide to Handling Disputes with Your Employer or Private Health Plan, 2005 Update” that’s all about how to deal with problems with your insurance. But the gem in there is, “a checklist for diagnosing your coverage”
The checklist covers many of the triggers that will put you in a situation for an insurance appeal. For instance, it asks you to check the medical services for which you need a referral from your primary-care physician. Sure you may know some of them, but if you dig through your insurance coverage forms and identify them in advance, you’ll reduce the chance of a denial of coverage.
There are a number of checklists that you’ll want to fill out:
- My primary-care physician has the following requirements for obtaining referrals
- My primary-care physician can refer me to specialists who
- I have reviewed the Exclusions and Limitations section in my Evidence of Coverage. My health plan will not pay for, or limits, the following services
- My plan will cover services at the following hospitals
- What should I do if I need care while I am out of my plan’s service area?
- Although I can use out-of-network doctors for most services, I cannot use out-of-network doctors for the following services
- If I use out-of-network providers, I will pay
So, here’s what you need to do:
- Print the form a checklist for diagnosing your coverage
- Fill out what you can from reading your plan
- Call your plan provider for the information you don’t have
This won’t guarantee that you won’t have a reason to appeal, but it should give you some peace of mind that you’ve reduced your chances a denial.
And, if you do have to appeal:
- Turned down for a Medicare Part A/B medical expense? Appeal! Here’s how
- How to Appeal Medicare Advantage/HMO coverage denial
- How to Appeal Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage denial
- Doing Battle with Insurance Companies
Tips for Communicating with Someone with Dementia
The skills that help us successfully navigate the world around us don’t necessarily work when we’re with someone who has dementia. Dementia can be caused by a number of things including neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, blood flow-related (vascular) disorders such as multi-infarct disease, inherited disorders such as Huntington’s disease, and infections such as HIV.
Whatever the cause, dementia is characterized by memory loss, attention loss, and/or disorientation. In order to effectively manage the day-to-day activities, while treating the person with respect, a different approach is required when interacting with someone with dementia.
In order to avoid confusion, consider these tips:
- Be direct - Instead of asking what they want for dinner tonight, you can say, “I thought I’d make lasagna for dinner.”
- Be brief - Focus on the core activity. Instead of discussing all of the activities associated with getting ready for bed, try, “Let’s get ready for bed now.”
- Set the context - When someone comes to visit, give names and a few points about the people, “Paul and Susan, our friends from next door are here for a visit.”
- Speak slowly - Don’t expect an immediate reply. Be patient.
Don’t assume too much about how someone with dementia is processing what you say. In some cases, or some days, it may be very little, or it may be everything. Instead, keep an eye on their behavior. Also, don’t assume that they can always tell you what they need. Do they have any unmet needs that they are unable to communicate?
- Do they need to use the restroom?
- Are they thirsty?
- Are they hungry?
Are they trying to tell you something else?
- Has their routine been disrupted?
- Are they too hot or too cold?
Be aware of how your tone of voice and body language may affect them. Though they may not always fully understand what you say, it doesn’t mean that they won’t perceive your frustration, or anger. Having a relaxed, positive demeanor can make them feel at ease and more comfortable with the situation. And related to that, be patient. Know that you won’t always get somewhere on time. Things won’t always go as you intially imagined. Being prepared to change plans, or have them changed for you. Roll with the punches as they say.
Remember, these tips are as much for the benefit of the caregiver as they are for the person receiving the care. They should help you avoid the anger an frustration that can result from trying to communicate with someone whose communication skills may, or may not, always be there.
Great Caregiving Resources to Recommend to a Friend
Courtesy a4gpa via Flickr
We’re always looking for the best resources on the Web that can help the busy, perhaps harried, caregiver do what they need to do with confidence and compassion, while maintaining a balance in life. Sometimes it’s not easy. One thing working in our favor is that we do have the Internet and its abundance of resources. We also have the networks of caring people with which to share information and ideas. But sorting through the huge volume of information can be challenging and time consuming.
While surely not a definitive list, we thought we’d provide our picks of some of the best caregiver resources among the embarrassment of riches. Our picks were chosen to get someone a little more thoroughly grounded in role of caregiver. If we’ve missed a great resource, let us know in the comment section below.
Family Caregiver Alliance
While there’s much to be had on the Family Caregiver Alliance site, we honed in on the “Caregiving Issues and Strategies” section of the site. This page provides links to printable pages on a good number of topics, including:
Read the rest of this entry »
Risk Factors for Stroke that You Can Control
Certainly, there are many risk factors for stroke that you just don’t have any control over. Such as, age, gender, ethnicity, family history and medical history. According to an online article by Everyday Health entitled, Stroke Risk Factors: What You Should Know “about 50 percent of people who survive a stroke will be disabled preventing them from being completely independent and taking care of everyday activities. The good news? Nearly 80 percent of all strokes can be prevented if you know your risk factors, and make changes that can decrease your risk.”
Everyday Health lists the following as things you can do to minimize your risks:
- Do everything in your control to manage conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc.
- Watch your diet - limiting your intake of fat, calories, and sodium
- Keep moving - make sure you are exercising regularly
- Keep your weight under contol and your waistline trim
- Quit smoking
- Avoid hormone use
For detailed descriptions of each of these factors, visit the Everyday Health website.