By: Karen Love Research has validated high success rates of applying Montessori-based techniques therapeutically to enhance physical and cognitive functions, reduce excess disability, and support well-being among elders. Besides Montessori’s efficacy, it is also easy, fun and inexpensive to implement. Because of its ease and positive values, staff are able to experience short-term success. This success is personally rewarding to [...]
By: Which Is Best for Your Empty Nest? It finally happened. Your youngest child has flown the coop. Whether you are mourning or celebrating, house-wise, you need a change. Perhaps you want to downsize. Conversely, visions of your dream home may be dancing in your head. Should you remodel? Move? Stay put for a while? These are tough question with [...]
By: Linda Hetzer and Janet Hulstrand For many people, making the decision to move is the hardest part. Once you’ve decided that it’s time to empty the house and move on, there are a number of steps you can take to get started. Rolling up your sleeves and getting down to work, especially if you’ve agonized over making the decision, [...]
By: Guide to Retirement Living Staff Although making the decision to move is especially difficult for seniors, the decision and the moving process can be made considerably easier if the individual and their family plan ahead and enlist the help of professionals. Deciding to move on your own, when you are healthy and independent, will make the transition from your [...]
By: David Cole and Polly Agee That’s right – retirements – plural! Think about it. Are you ready to retire in the traditional sense, or are you just ready for a mid-life change – your FIRST retirement – designed to pursue other careers or interests?Generally, when we think of retirement planning we think of financial planning. However, have you ever [...]
By: Guide to Retirement Living Staff In an effort to empower people with Medicare to speak out about the problems older adults and people with disabilities face accessing good, affordable health care, the Medicare Rights Center (MRC), a national consumer service group, is launching an online Advocacy Network. “We want to ensure that the voices of people with Medicare who [...]
When the daily lives of older adults are interrupted by illness and hospitalization the result can be mental confusion and disorientation. Known as delirium, this can be a distressing situation for an individual’s loved ones. However, programs such as HELP (Hospital Elder Life Program) at Inova Fairfax Hospital have been established to prevent delirium. The HELP program seeks to maintain [...]
Countless studies have shown that homeowners overwhelmingly prefer to age in a familiar place, but when daily life can become too much to manage, substantial home alternations may be necessary. Certified Aging-In-Place specialists (CAPS) can help reconcile the need for a familiar environment with the need to prioritize safety and accessibility. Such specialists have been trained in the specific needs [...]
Families know life is full of unforeseen obstacles. Modifying the home to incorporate cutting-edge, barrier-free living features will help enrich the lives of active families as they change over time. Homes with universal design features aren’t just for those who want to grow old and stay put. They are for families at any life stage, who want the peace of [...]
You may be only a step away from becoming a victim of the leading cause of unintentional home injuries-falls. The Home Safety Council reports, that nearly 5.1 million Americans are injured each year as a result from falls in and around the home. While people of every age are vulnerable to falls, older adults are particularly at risk. However, there [...]
