Safety Outside the Home

Encourage elders to stay alert and be aware of their surroundings

A couple of weeks ago I talked a little bit about how to keep elders safe while inside the home. However, keeping them safe while away from the home is equally important. Whether they’re out running errands or shopping, either alone or with a companion, there are good guidelines that should be incorporated into their routine. These are also useful while traveling.

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Kitchen Safety for Seniors

Practical tips to reduce the risks

A kitchen can be one of the home’s most dangerous areas, especially for seniors. Cooking and electrical fires, spills, and spoiled food are just a few of the hazards your aging loved one faces. Luckily, steps can be taken in order to eliminate, or at least greatly reduce, the chance of an accident.

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Quality-of-Life Improvements for Seniors

Small, low tech

After reading this week about the Senate Aging in Place testimony and recommendations (see in-depth description from Intel's Eric Dishman), it's discouraging to read about the major barriers to adoption of "e-Care." So it's a pleasure to talk about a few cheap, low-tech, big-benefit ways to improve seniors' quality of life as we come into those two Hallmark seasonal events—Mother's Day and Father's Day. The seniors you help, of course, don't have to be relatives. They could be neighbors, members of a community, or visitors to a local senior center.

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Newspapers Fueling Terror of Computers Among the Elderly

Enough!

We have yet another entry in the annals of "why seniors hate computers news" library. This one from the Boston Globe searches for a way to write condescendingly about seniors and their fear and loathing when it comes to using a computer. We're so lucky—a Harvard professor has provided "insight" about the acceleration of the "pace of change" and the Cambridge Health Alliance, offering thoughts on how it takes longer to learn new things. Gee, was this a study? Oops, no, just a few anecdotes, vastly enhanced by the entertaining comments from seniors who have been using computers for years. Maybe that's how they read the Globe—which would be a revenue-free access method.

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Technophiles Should Teach Technophobes Now

Boomers teaching seniors

Here's where a job-to-be comes in: Combine teaching in a senior center with starting a one-on-one business to teach seniors in their own home, as one boomer did in New Jersey.

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Senior Housing Trends for the Next 10 Years

What's the starting date?

A blog post originally written by Eric Schubert (of Twin Cities senior housing provider Ecumen) caught my eye today. He discussed the 10 senior housing development trends for the next 10 years. The trend list included sustainable design, universal design, technology, age of amenities, at-home services, NORCs and virtual villages, empowerment, memory care, and new ways of financing. Can't argue with any of that, especially since aging in place has become a buzzword that underpins many of the above markets. Read More >>

Effort Beyond Task

We need solutions beyond products

What percentage of senior housing organizations permit and even encourage pets on the premises and in the presence of seniors? If you know the answer to this question, please contact me! I view the presence of a house pet (and not just caged birds) as an indicator of effort beyond task, making me hope that's true of every aspect. Read More >>

Smoke Signals and Caregiving Apps

What should they do?

As one VC executive, Andy Donner of Physic Ventures, noted recently, this is the year of the “care.” There seems to be a growing list of vendors who are trying to offer some sort of “keep in touch” product that connects an older person with family members who may live elsewhere. The basic element is to provide some means to signal “concerned about you” from family members and obtain an “I'm all right” response from the older family—accompanied by the ability to react in the event that a response is not received. Add-ons include devices with environmental sensors, health-related self-care devices, health record tracking, reminders, and communication capabilities. Read More >>

Letting Go of Your Possessions Is Harder Than You Think

Get the help of a personal property appraiser

Holding onto possessions for the sake of not wanting to let them go will leave a massive burden for the children/heirs. Gifting now and making plans for the distribution of your possessions while you are still here (and in control of those decisions) is the best plan of action! Read More >>

Is the iPad for Boomers and Seniors?

Could be!

So much iHoopla about the iPad. But as the famous saying goes, there is no such thing as bad publicity. Folks at Apple must be having a great time with this. The geeks have weighed in, and plenty of snippy negative commentary has been spewed about the Apple iPad (including lots of sophomoric humor about the product name). Read More >>