The ideal time to begin talking about housing and seniors care needs is before the need presents itself. The baby-boomer generation is predicted to be one of the most active groups of older Americans. Family members of seniors, recent retirees and baby boomers should be proactive. Become familiar with the risks and specific issues of senior long term care. Then educate yourself on the available resources in your community for seniors care. Some of the local resources for information on resources for seniors include geriatric care managers, occupational therapists, architects, remodeling contractors, home health care companies, insurance companies, reverse mortgage lenders, elder law attorneys, and local public and non-profit organization.

The National Aging in Place Counsel (NAIPC) has announced October 12-18, 2009 National Aging in Place Week. The two main objectives of this week of awareness are to build lasting coalitions of business professionals across the United States to assist homeowners with long term care needs, and to organize educational  activities to highlight transportation and housing that enable seniors to successfully age in place. This awareness week is an opportunity for senior care professionals to educate and it is also an opportunity to seniors as well as baby boomers to familiarize themselves with available senior assistance options.

Locating appropriate senior assistance for your elderly loved one can be a daunting task. This can be especially true when you are not familiar with your care and housing options. It can be overwhelming when you hear senior care related terms such as sub-acute care, independent living, assisted living, residential care, or continuing care facility.

Understanding the variety of senior care options and related terminology can ease your way as you navigate your way. The following are some of the common terms and service options you may encounter and want to become familiar with.

Adult Day Care/Medical Day Care-a protective environment for seniors needing a structured program. Adult day care services vary from custodial care, offering stimulating activities for independent seniors along with meals, to an adult medical day care setting which provides activities to seniors with medical needs. Seniors are usually brought to an adult day care program in the morning and leave in the evening. Often times, transportation to and from the center are available.

Assisted Living- is a combination of housing and personal health support services for seniors. Such services usually include:

• Private or semi-private apartment
• Emergency call system
• Daily meals served in a common dining area
• Recreational and social activities
• Transportation
• Personal care assistance
• Staff available 24 hours
• Laundry and housekeeping services
• Secure unit for memory impaired residents (at some assisted living communities)

Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)- a community that offers multiple levels of assistance to seniors. Levels of care range from independent living apartments, assisted living and nursing home care. A CCRC provides a continuum of housing and health care options on one central campus. Seniors who opt for CCRC living usually sign a long term contract such as the length of the resident’s life. The benefit of this type of care is that it can provide peace of mind that housing and medical assistance will continue to be provided at one site as needs increase.

Home Care- also known as senior in home care or home health care. This type of service provides a range of services that include assistance activities of daily living such as bathing, toileting, dressing, and ambulation. Home care can also include meal preparation, light housekeeping and laundry services. In-home care can be provided for a few hours per day or on a 24 hour basis.

Nursing-Convalescent Home/Skilled Nursing Facility- for those with a need for more acute care, a nursing home provides patients with 24 hours care. This type of facility is generally for patients that will require skilled care ongoing. This type of facility provides medical supervision, rehabilitation as well as bathing, toileting, dressing, and assistance with ambulation.

Many adult children struggle with their concern for their aging parents, especially in regards to driving. For many, seniors independent living includes maintaining freedom, independence, spontaneity, and the ability to stay involved in outside activities. For many, continuing to drive is a symbol of this independence.

For adult children taking care of parents, approaching the subject of when to discontinue driving is a sensitive issue. And while senior drivers are at added risk, many older drivers will place self-imposed limitations on themselves as they age. Many seniors will discontinue night time driving, decrease the speed in which they travel, and  avoid rush hour traffic.

Each family needs to address the issue of when to discontinue driving, but the following 7 tips for older drivers can be a good starting point.

1. Stay physically active-this improves the strength, coordination, and flexibility.
2. Manage chronic conditions-especially those that may affect driving ability such as medications that cause drowsiness or low blood sugar related to diabetes.
3. Schedule regular vision and hearing tests-these are common age related problems that make driving difficult, especially at night.
4. Understand your limitations-for example, if arthritis is a problem, use a steering wheel cover for easier grip.
5. Drive under optimal conditions-avoid nighttime driving and rush hour traffic, or driving when tired.
6. Plan ahead-know the route you plan to take and get directions ahead of time to new destinations.
7. Update your driving skills-local community organizations such as AARP offer refresher courses for older drivers that may even earn an insurance discount.

Alzheimer’s is a disease that destroys brain cells and causes problems with thinking, language and behavior. It is a progressive disease and is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. There is no known cure for Alzheimer’s but promising new treatments are on the horizon. Until a cure is found,families across the world are dealing with and seeking care for parents with Alzheimer’s. Some senior assistance is provided in the home whole many are also provided in assisted living facilities.

September 21st is World Alzheimer’s Day. This is a day when the Alzheimer’s Association and other organizations around the world unite efforts to spread awareness about Alzheimer’s and its effect on Alzheimer’s sufferers and their families, and to raise funds. The first World Alzheimer’s Day was on September 21, 1994.

There are several things each of us can do this year on World Alzheimer’s Day. The Alzheimer’s Association is suggesting one or more of the following ideas:

1. Write Congress-your voice matters. Tell lawmakers to increase research funding.

2. Casual for a Cause-Employers can encourage employees to dress down on World Alzheimer’s Day for a small donation(usually $50 to the Alzheimer’s Association.  Free kits are available to employers through the Alzheimer’s Association.

3. Tailgate to Tackle Alzheimer’s-You and your friends can tailgate to support your team and collect donations for the Alzheimer’s Association. You can tailgate at a stadium, local sports bar, or even in your own living room. Get a free Tailgate to Tackle kit from the Alzheimer’s Association.

4. Shop for the Cause-Visit the Alheimer’s Association website and shop online for apparel and other Alzheimer’s related products to show your support and raise funds for research programs and Alzheimer’s care.

5. Memory Walk-Join or create a team in your area for the annual Memory Walk to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research. This year’s goal is to form 30,000 teams. There are currently 21,155 teams formed. Visit the Alheimer’s website for more information on joining or creating your own team.

Visit the Alzheimer’s Association website at http://www.alz.org/index.asp

If used properly, over-the-counter and prescription medications can keep you healthy. Many senior patients take several different medications daily. Sometimes, prescriptions are from multiple physicians, making an elder in home vulnerable to side effects, or even accidental poisonings. So how do we provide senior assistance in regards to medication safety? Many pharmacies are now using automated systems for filling prescriptions. An automated system can warn a senior of a potentially dangerous drug interaction. In addition, following The 7 Tips for Safe Medication Use is a proactive approach to medication safety among seniors.

1.    Learn about your medications. Read the labels and package inserts and follow the instructions for use. Ask your doctor if you have any questions or if you don’t understand.
2.    Be sure to speak with all of your doctors about your medical conditions, any health concerns and be sure to inform them of all the medications you take. This includes prescription medications, over-the-counter and herbal medications, vitamins and supplements. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
3.    Keep track of any side effects and inform your doctor immediately if your symptoms change.
4.    Keep all scheduled appointments with your doctors, including appointments for blood work or other monitoring tests.
5.    Use a pill box, calendar, or writing tablet to keep track of what medications to take and when to take them. Also write down information that your doctor gives you about your medications.
6.    Take someone such as a friend or relative along with you to doctor appointments if you think you may need help remembering doctor instructions.
7.    Have a “Medication Check-Up” at least once per year. Go through the cabinet(s) where you keep medications. Throw away old or expired medications. Review with your doctor all the medications you currently take, including over-the-counter or herbal medications.
8.    Keep all medications out of sight and reach of children or other elderly in home that has dementia.

As the baby boomers have aged, the demand for senior assistance care has skyrocketed.  Providing senior citizens care has become very vogue and companies with no experience are popping up all over the place. So how does a person sort through all the choices to find residential home care, assisted living, adult day care and other services providing care for seniors? Organizations like CareGrade utilize advisers who have personally visited companies and know how to tell the good from the bad. They write reviews on each potential new business and select only the best to refer to their clients.  Clients are given these reviews to help them make an informed decision.
These advisers are available free of charge to the consumers looking for senior assistance.  They work with individuals discovering what unique needs they require, then make a perfect match to the service that best suites them.  The elderly in need of senior assistance care now have an easy and trusted resource to help them and their children make the best choice.

There are numerous choices for an individual looking for home care seniors in New Jersey.  As the baby boomers have aged, the demand for home health care has skyrocketed.  Providing senior assistance has become very vogue and companies with no experience are popping up all over the place. So how does a person sort through all the choices? Services like CareGrade utilize advisers who have personally visited companies and know how to tell the good from the bad. They write reviews on each potential new business and select only the best to refer to their clients.  Clients are given these reviews to help them make an informed decision.

These advisers are available free of charge to the consumers looking for senior at home care.  They work with individuals discovering what unique needs they require, then make a perfect match to the service that best suites them.  Seniors in  need of home care now have an easy and trusted resource to help them and their children make the best choice.

Finding elder in home care has become rather complicated in the past few years, especially in the South Jersey area. There are so many companies providing residential home care services that choosing a good, quality provider can be very difficult.  That is why CareGrade was developed. We provide a FREE senior care adviser who guides the individuals searching for home health care services. They first learn what senior assistance is required and what the unique needs of each senior are, then offer several options for the families. All senior care companies which are discussed have been personally reviewed by the adviser. These reviews, along with consumer reviews are offered to each client to help them make the best decision possible.

The use of both professional and consumer reviews is unique to CareGrade. This allows each consumer the ability read unbiased reviews for in home elder care providers prior to making their decision. After all, it is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make.