Independent Versus Assisted Retirement Living - Which is Right For You?

As people age, many choose to move to Florida retirement communities to take advantage of the year-round warmth and sunshine. Depending on their needs, retirees may choose to move into either an independent living facility or an assistant living community. Many senior communities offer both options -- independent living for those who can take care of themselves, and assisted living for seniors who may need a little help with everyday tasks.

Independent Living

Many retirement communities in Florida base themselves around the concept of independent living. These facilities are just what they sound like -- independent living centers where people are generally able to take care of themselves. Residents are physically active and able to walk around the community. They are able to bathe and dress themselves, can manage their medications properly, and are free from severely debilitating physical ailments and memory loss.

Florida independent living centers are about staying healthy, active, and enjoying all that life has to offer. Most retirement communities offer numerous activities like walking groups, water aerobics, tai chi, and other fitness classes. In addition to fitness options, many luxury senior living communities also have bingo, movies, bridge, arts and crafts, socials, musical entertainment, and regular outings. Seniors who can live an independent lifestyle, but want to be near friends as well as a qualified, professional medical staff available at any time of day, should consider living in an independent retirement living center.

Assisted Living

Many retirees who can live independently and those who need the help of a medical staff on a daily basis choose to relocate to warmer areas like California or Florida. Assisted living communities are for people who may need help with activities of daily living, such as walking, bathing, and dressing. They may also need help with medication management and require daily nursing assistance as well. Oftentimes, residents of assisted living facilities suffer from memory loss or impairment, and need someone to help them to and from their room around the clock.

However, those in assisted living retirement communities can still stay active. With the help of a dedicated medical staff, residents can participate in physical activities like walks, water aerobics, and beach ball volleyball. As in independent living centers, those in assisted living can also take part in recreational and social activities like bridge games, musical entertainment, and bingo.

Choosing The Right Type Of Living

It can sometimes be hard to know if you or your loved one should be in an independent living community or assisted living community. The main thing to consider is if the person can manage their activities in daily life without any assistance. If they can generally take care of themselves, are physically able, can remember to take their medicines, and are free from memory loss or major physical ailments, an independent living community will usually suffice.

Otherwise, the person probably needs an assisted living center. Those debating between the two types of senior living should discuss the options with their health care provider, and tour different retirement communities in the area. With time, you'll find the right fit for your needs and lifestyle.

Christine O'Kelly is an author for Aston Gardens, a premier developer of award-winning Florida retirement communities. Aston Gardens offers luxury senior living for the active retiree.

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Caregiving - Assess Your Stress and Take Steps to Manage It

My mother had dementia and I was her caregiver for nine years. This experience gave me a clear picture of caregiver stress. Though I took proactive steps to manage my stress, by the time my mother died I was exhausted. It took me a year to regain my strength and optimism.

What is caregiver stress? According to "Frequently Asked Questions: Caregiver Stress," an article on the Womens Health Website (a government agency), it is the emotional and physical strain of caregiving. "Caregiver stress appears to affect women more than men," notes the article.

You may be so busy with caregiving that you pay little attention to your own health. Vicki L. Schmall and Ruth E. Stiehl, authors of the booklet, "Coping with Caregiving: How to Manage Stress when Caring for Older Relatives," think all caregivers make sacrifices. "No matter your relationship or age, as a caregiver you are making concessions and a personal sacrifice to provide care for another person," they write.

Caregiver stress increases over time. You may recognize your stress, but not the extent of it. Fortunately, tools have been developed to help you determine your stress level. One tool, "Caregiver Self-Assessment Questionnaire: How are You?" was developed by the American Medical Association (AMA). The "yes" or "no" questionnaire pertains to one week of caregiving. It has 18 points, such as "Felt completely overwhelmed" and "Been edgy or irritable."

At the end of the questionnaire you tally your score. If you answered "yes" to specific questions, "chances are that you are experiencing a high degree of stress," according to the AMA.

Schmall and Stiehl include a "yes" or "no" questionnaire in their booklet. Their questionnaire focuses on some of the warning signs of stress. There are 11 questions on the form, including "Are you becoming more isolated?" According to the authors, answering "yes" to even some of the questions "can indicate that stress has become debilitating."

Family members may also serve as a stress assessment resource. One day my husband told me I was short-tempered. His comment surprised me because I have a steady, even personality. But nine years of caregiving had taken a toll on me. Toward the end of my mother's life, when I awakened each morning, I wondered if this would be the day she died.

According to the article, "Selected Caregiving Statistics," published on the Family Caregiver Website, caregiving can last a few months or decades. "Studies have found that caregivers may have increased blood pressure and insulin levels, may have impaired immune systems and may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease," the article explains.

Don't wait for your stress to go away. See your doctor if your stress level is going up and ask him or her to assess your stress. Your doctor will also be able to provide you with information on community resources. Joining a caregiving support group can also help to relieve stress.

The American Association of Retired Persons compares stress management to regular car maintenance. In its article, "Managing the Stress of Caregiving," the orgnization says stress management is "critical to staying in shape over time." So get to stress before it gets to you!

Copyright 2009 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com

Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 30 years. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Association of Health Care Journalists, and the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from Amazon.

Centering Corporation in Omaha, Nebraska has published her 26th book, "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life." The company has also published a companion resource, the "Writing to Recover Journal," which contains 100 writing prompts. Please visit Harriet's Website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.

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Family Caregiver - Part 1 Caring For Elderly Disabled With Parkinson's

We are married 32 years, so there were good times before he became ill. I have no degrees or titles than enable me to offer these tips for Parkinson's care except that of being the family caregiver to my husband. For the last 12 years we have lived with this disease. In the beginning he was only mildly affected but over time his disease has progressed to him being a wheelchair patient. For the first 6 years I was his sole care giver, living with and getting to know his limitations that changed from day to day.

He was 71 years old, I, 22 years younger, was 49. (He is now 82, I am 60. ) My career came to an abrupt halt as I stayed home to be the family caregiver for my husband. In desperation I searched frantically for assistance to cover his medications and help to adapt the house to his needs. Everywhere I tried, either there was no program to help us or we were only dollars from being eligible. Finally one day I made the right contact at the PA Department of Public Welfare Area Agency on Aging for our county.

I had tried there the previous year and was told there was no program to help. I called there again and again every few months. On my last call I coincidentally timed it at the beginning of a new program and was able to get my husband enrolled. The program was not for Parkinson's disease patients only, but for any senior that might otherwise be placed into a nursing home. The goal of this program is to keep the senior patient in their home, out of a facility, as long as possible. We have been enrolled 6 years. This program has been a life saver, life changer.

I am still the family caregiver but this resource

* has provided for us a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) to help me care for him and enable me to regain a few hours a day of my own.
* helped us make adaptations to our home so he can use the bathroom and stairs.
* has given him prescription coverage.

I strongly urge you to seek help from this agency if you are or have a senior that needs assistance. There are other agencies that may be able to help in different ways. Keep knocking on doors, making phone calls.
Our age difference has benefited this relationship and how we are able to deal with the demands of his condition. If I were older, I would not be physically able to care for him at home. The weird part of this, if it was me that was sick, because I am not a senior (yet), I would not be eligible for these programs. Some of you may be in this position, and I don't know what advice to offer to you.

Hopefully you will find the help you need. By the way, being family caregiver in my house also includes two senior Black Labrador retrievers aged 11+, who are on medication. Could the family help? We have no children. My husband has four children by his previous marriage, of whom only one keeps touch with him. She cared for her mother-in-law until she passed away a few years ago. She knows what is involved in caring for her father, but does not have the time due to her other commitments.

I do try to keep her in the loop when his condition changes and she does offer moral support. We all seem to have at one time or another the responsibility of being a family caregiver. Dealing with his varying conditions has given me reason to create some interesting items that help me to care for him.

Please visit my web site http://caregiversaide.com/ to see my Patent Pending Skid Seat, my Bed Sled reusable bed pad and related items you may find useful in caring for your loved one. Thank you.

Caring for my husband these 12 years has given me a genuine understanding and sympathy for other caregivers and their individual situations. I am always looking for a better, easier way to help him through the day. If he's happy then we're both happy.

Karen Shiffert is the inventor and manufacturer of the Patent Pending Skid Seat (R) developed in the course of caring for her physicaly disabled husband. Her company, Caregiversaide,LLC offers products she has either developed or discovered to help her care for her husband.

Visit http://caregiversaide.com/ to view her products and accompanying video demonstrations.

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Senior Living Guide

A senior living guide can help you to ensure the safety and security of you or your loved one. By taking the extra time required to research senior and assisted living facilities and their reputations, you can keep yourself - or your family member - out of the papers and off the news.

One important aspect of a dependable senior living guide includes a list of questions and considerations to investigate as you weigh alternatives. These should include simple but often overlooked questions of facility directors or perhaps your own independent research. Some of these questions may include the following:

• How many incidents of resident injuries or accidents have occurred?

• How many incidents of resident injuries or accidents have occurred recently, in the past 5 years?

• What procedures are in place to ensure medications are correctly dispensed?

• How often is the local police department dispatched to the facility?

• What is the current ratio of staff to residents?

• How many complaints, overall, have been filed by residents or family members?

You will want to add on your own set of questions and/or concerns to this existing list. These are a few of the obvious questions you'll want to address when creating your own senior living guide.

When you do your due diligence, your research and evaluation of assisted living care facilities should be as broad and all-encompassing as possible. This is a very important decision that you or your loved ones will have to make - therefore, each and every concern you might have should not be overlooked.

Assisted Living Dallas - Click here and let Senior Living Specialists provide FREE and complimentary services to help you locate the best assisted living residence in the Dallas, Texas area. We also provide referral services across the country!

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Senior Living - 3 Ways to Improve Your Health and Mind

As people age, they often worry about declining health, brain functions, and mood. Senior citizens may also worry about moving into a retirement community or assisted living center. While it's an unfortunate fact that aging can mean the onset of disease and disability, there are things seniors can do to improve their physical and mental condition.

Exercising, volunteering, and staying active in different ways can vastly improve a person's health and frame of mind. Senior living doesn't have to be boring or inactive. Whether you live on your own or in a retirement community, choosing fun, fulfilling activities that fill up your time is great for maintaining or bettering your overall health.

Exercise

Exercising is an important habit to maintain throughout life to keep your body in shape and prevent the onset of heart problems, obesity, and other health problems. As people age, it's very important to maintain a regular exercise routine. Most retirement communities offer a wide range of fitness classes with different levels of exertion. You should look for fitness classes or exercise methods that involve not only cardiovascular health, but also different muscle groups. Your workout doesn't have to be extremely strenuous. If you've never exercised before, you may just start with a simple walk.

Senior living centers often have walking groups, as well as games that work the upper body. Even playing bingo offers residents range-of-motion exercises when they raise their arms in the air upon winning! Retirement communities in Florida or other warm climates also usually have swimming pools, so residents can take part in water aerobics that are easy on the joints and limbs. It doesn't matter which type of exercise you choose, as long as you do something.

Volunteer

Volunteering allows seniors to be around other younger people and give back to their community. By interacting with younger people, senior citizens can feel more youthful themselves and pass on worldly advice to children or young adults. People may choose to volunteer in a school, library, church, or charitable organization.

Senior living centers often organize volunteer opportunities for residents. Since volunteering allows people to feel useful and like they're making a difference, this can do wonders for a person's emotional and mental health.

Stay Active

Maintaining a busy schedule means less time for boredom and depression. By staying active, you better yourself emotionally and physically. Traveling to new places, attending shows, and cultivating new hobbies all stimulate the mind. Many senior living facilities have extensive recreational and social calendars with a wide array of events. Whether you enjoy arts and crafts, Bible study, or musical entertainment, you're sure to have plenty of things to do in an active retirement community.

With age, it's important to keep physical, mental, and emotional health in the best shape possible. By exercising, volunteering, and staying occupied with varied activities, senior citizens can improve their overall health and state of mind.

Christine O'Kelly is an author for Aston Gardens, a premier developer of award-winning Florida retirement communities. Aston Gardens offers luxury senior living for the active retiree.

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