Most people are in need of someone in their lives who would just hear them out. This is more so for elderly people who are living independently. The volunteers from the CONTACT Cape-Atlantic Reassurance Program make sure that elderly people in the area don’t feel lonely or left out. It is a part of CONTACT USA that provides 24-hour service to elderly people living alone in USA.

Homebound elderly people often feel suffocated and suicidal without having anyone to talk to. Also, in case of a problem or emergency they may not know with whom they should talk to. The CONTACT Reassurance Program volunteers call their elderly clients at least once a day to find out how they are, whether they are in need of any kind of help, and just to lend a comforting voice to these lonely souls.

The Gatekeeper Program by CONTACT has also been designed to keep in touch with elderly people in a locality. Volunteers from the community are trained under this program to keep a tab on the health and well being of the elderly people they meet. In case of any problem, they can inform CONTACT for help.

Thus, CONTACT has made great progress in elderly care by helping seniors with independent living.

When your elderly parents are at home and you are at your workplace, the thought that’ll keep bugging you at the back of your mind is their safety. How will you know they’ll be fine, once you walk out of the door every morning?

This is a tough situation faced by many working people in today’s fast paced life. Even if they are connected to their elderly parents through the telephone, they remain worried about them. Will his/ her mum or dad be able to make that one important call on time in case of an emergency?

Well, many companies are now offering specially designed phones for the elderly that are easy to install and use. Even if your parents are living independently, help can arrive just at the pressing of a button. Take the Yale Distress Alarm for instance. It is a panic alarm system with loads of features that are helpful for providing emergency care to elderly people.

The alarm system offered by Yale doesn’t ask for additional monitoring charges or expensive contracts, thus, making it within budget for all elderly people or their working children. The remote push button available with this panic alarm system makes it easier for elderly persons and invalids to let others know that they are in need of help. So, with the help of such a system you can concentrate fully on your work, knowing well that your mother or father will be able to contact you easily in case of an emergency.

Is the world a safe place for elderly women and seniors over 65? Not with guys like Jack Rhodes around – a man convicted on 13th October, 2009 for assaulting and mugging three defenseless aged women, one of whom was no less than a 101 years!

New York City is no stranger to burglaries, thefts and mugging. However, the case of Jack Rhodes stands out as an outright violation of the New York State Hate Crimes Act of 2000, that have been put in place to render harsher sentences for those assaulting elderly people, taking advantage of their age and loss of strength and agility.

Rhodes, who is no tipsy teenager himself, being 47, can get a sentence of up to 90 years in prison for charges that account for burglary, robbery and assault.

Morat, 101, was attacked and assaulted by Rhodes two years back. She was hit in the face and lost her walker, falling face down on the concrete pavement. Surveillance camera records proved it was Rhodes, and a background check by the police revealed more similar assaults on elderly women. Solange Elizee, 81 was attacked only about 30 minutes after the Morat mugging, and another aged woman, Angela Khan, then 51 had been hit and robbed by the same assailant a year back.

Commenting on Rhodes’ conviction, Richard Brown, the Queens’ District Attorney quipped, “The defendant’s propensity to savagely accost elderly and defenseless women, two of whom need the aide of a walker to get around, was rightly condemned by today’s guilty verdict”.

However, to avoid such incidents from happening over and over again, not only police surveillance, but easy-to-use mobile phones can also come in handy for elderly people, especially, to solicit help while or after being mugged or assaulted.

Aging parents are often difficult to take care of, especially, if the finances of your family are not in good shape. Statistics show that almost 30% of American adults care for their parents (including financial support), which on an average amounts to about $2,400 a year. At a time when the recession has dealt a hard blow on even the strongest of economies and job losses have become the order of the day, the average amount may well be out of reach for the average individual – forcing them to abandon financial assistance to their ailing or aged parents.

So, what do you do in these trying times? Do you go broke trying to fend off ill health from affecting your parents? NO! Here are some points you may consider to tackle the financial matters while caring for parents in a positive light:

• Discuss the Situation – Most parents will be ready to discuss their financial situation once they realize what’s plaguing you. Do not hasten. Carefully note down and analyze the existing finances, retirement plans, insurance covers, etc. that have been set up by your parents. If they do not have any, it is high time to initiate one.

• Try Long-Term Care Insurance – While this may not look beneficial at first glance, it is sure to help your parents get regular medical attention and professional care. Moreover, with a one-time investment in the policy, the financial worries will subdue for the destined period of care cover.

• Reverse Mortgage – Provided your parents are not already in debt or have not mortgaged the house, you can use it for a reverse mortgage policy. This way they will get a steady flow of money till they die or move out of the house (the latter should be discouraged at this age anyway).

• Government Policies and Grants – There are numerous health care and professional care giving policies and grants available for aging parents and older people in general. Try to find out what best suits your parents’ finances and go for it.

• Professional Care – Hiring a professional caregiver may be expensive, but if you have done your homework, you’ll find lots of cost-effective professional care giving solutions around you.

With these tips in mind, caring for parents would be easier – both emotionally and financially. However, make sure you have the right documents and legal rights in place to use your parents’ finances on their behalf in case they are disabled or fall ill.

Financial matters can be tricky, especially, in case of looking after aging parents. But with proper planning and a clear insight, caring for your parents won’t be as difficult as it seems.

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Further Reading

Aging Parents Authority has recently published an article on Stressed Out and Taking Care of Your Parents.

Kay Bell over at Don’t Mess With Taxes elaborates a little further with Aging parents, ageless money issues

Age tends to soften us up – not only emotionally but physically as well. Most of the people over 65 years of age tend to start noticing a loss of their senses. It is not only hard for them to deal with this but is also difficult for their friends, family and acquaintances!

The loss of hearing or a considerably weak eardrum can pose a lot more problems than expected. For instance, about 18% of people in the USA haven’t been able to access medical assistance in emergency situations due to their inability to comprehend or conduct calls for assistance on phones. The conventional phones or mobiles have a subtle ringtones and voice loudness – making it very difficult for elderly people to communicate.

The Geemarc Amplipower 50 provides a tailor-made solution to this problem with their corded phones having powerful sound quality. As many elderly people use hearing aids, a hearing aid compatible phone is definitely a much needed product from the manufacturers of telephone handsets.

The Geemarc Amplipower 50 has forged a new direction by taking a progressive step in the quality of amplified telephones. It has a volume limit of 60dB, which is pretty high compared to industry standards. The Geemarc Amplipower 50 is also a hearing aid compatible phone with not only a variety of features but also good looks.

Advantages like toned up outgoing voice and sound quality, hands-free speaker-phone facility and a Direct Vibe option that helps sounds to be converted into vibrations and sent through the bones above the ear, allowing a much better and comprehensible conversation. It has great optical features too with the brightness of the lights turned up a notch to let elderly people locate or identify a ringing phone easily.

Purchase Now – through Amazon UK – Geemarc Amplipower 50

Did you know that about a third of Americans who are aged over 65 suffer unintentional falls each year? Even more concerning is 16,000 cases resulting in death have been registered in the US due to unintentional elderly falls.

Now that you have sat up and taken notice (and probably worried for your over 65 parents living in another state or city), here are some facts that are even more alarming. The number of falls in the elderly population has been increasing by leaps since the last decade, and almost 2 million aged people were treated last year for injuries resulting from falls.

Statistics show elderly women fall more than men. However, fatal injuries resulting from unintentional falls are more prominent among men than women. Serious problems like brain hemorrhage, hip injuries, fractures, sprains and paralyses are most common due to elderly falls.

Preventing falls among the elderly can be reduced significantly – provided you take precautionary measures:

• Keep Active – Inactive or sedentary people often suffer falls more than active or fit individuals. As one ages, exercise and a healthy diet regime is what defines the line between healthy and the one routed for as possible fall.
• Mind Your Feet – Change your footwear to the more comfortable brands. It is advisable not to wear high-heels or shoes that you are not comfortable walking in. For men, it is advised not to wear shoes that do not have anti-slipping grids in the sole. While at home walk bare feet rather than in shoes.
• Fall-Proof Space – Fall-proof devices such as walkers and hold-on railings can be installed in order to prevent elderly falls within the house itself.
• Alarms – Medical or emergency alarms can also be fitted in the house at different places to ensure that the injured person can immediately call for help if they have fallen.
• Phones – In the event of a fall it’s critical to receive care from a emergency services or a family member as quickly as possible. Having the correct phone is a must. Many phones are now fitted with emergency pendants that can be pressed in the event of an accident. The pendant will activate the telephone handset to commence dialing pre-set telephone numbers so the injured can receive swift medical care.

Preventing falls does not require over-indulgence from your side or limiting the freedom of the elderly. All it needs is a little care and respect for the safety norms issued by medical professionals.

Almost 75%-80% of Americans worry about how they will take care of themselves in the later stages of their life. This concern stems from the present scenario, where many elderly people suffer from dementia and a lack of clear perception. It has become more evident with a lot of cases being reported where people over the age of 65 have gone missing or turned up miles away from their homes – reason, dementia!

But as with many other issues of contemporary living, technology has found a solution for this too. Cell phones and GPS tracking systems such as Zoombak (Buy Now) have made it really easy for the police as well as concerned relatives and friends to track down a missing or wayward elderly person.

The cell phone tracking software has been a boon to the police too, as many officials from the Missing Persons Units have declared it as one of the ideal tools to rescue a lost person. With more people realizing that phones for the elderly are a necessity than a luxury, cell phone GPS tracking has also risen in relevance.

All one needs to take advantage of the cell phone tracking software is a phone connection and a GPS enabled cell phone. With portals such as www.phonesforelderly.com, it has become a lot easier to make the best buy even for an elderly person on one’s own. All one needs to do is to consult such a portal and all allied information will be made available within a few clicks.

Not just the elderly, you too can keep a track of your teenage children as well as kids through the cell phone GPS tracking systems. Available within affordable pricing ranges, protecting your loved ones may not be an expensive matter after all.

With the monetary investments (read losses) and emotional turmoil that one has to go through when an elderly parent goes missing, isn’t it advisable to invest one-hundredth of the same for subscribing to a cell phone tracking software provider?

After all, ‘Prevention is always better than cure’!

This week we have discovered some very interesting posts from across the globe. Make yourself a cup of coffee or tea and read the posts below:

EldercareABC has some very useful Surgery and recovery tips.  The post outlines the challenges faced by Mary, an elderly lady who is recovering from open heart surgery.

Over at SandwichINK, a blog dedicated to the Sandwich Generation, you will find an interesting post for any of you who have an iPhone. Kaye provides an in depth review of this useful iPhone App For the Sandwich Generation.

Seniors Discounts highlights the dangers over 70s face when getting behind the wheel of a car. According to a recent poll 34% of Over 50s Say ‘Yes’ to Driving Tests from Age 70.

If you thought your boots were made for walking head straight over to eldergadget.com. Let them give your the run down on Great Shoes with Elder Friendly Features to Boot.

With the Swine Flu pandemic spreading across the world like wildfire, elderly people are facing a life threatening disease. Swine flu, unlike common influenza, is deadly and has already claimed over 3000 lives, most of whom are children or the elderly.

This calls for preventive measures that not only include wearing surgical masks and washing hands regularly (the clinical aspect) but also to help elderly persons by enabling them to solicit emergency help in dire situations. This is where phones for the elderly come into the picture.

Many think that phones for the elderly are unnecessary this late in life. Furthermore, children tend to avoid buying their parents or grandparents a phone due to the assumption they will not be able to work such a device. However, the importance of a phone in an elderly person’s life cannot be overlooked due to safety reasons.

Phones for the elderly are not only an assurance for them that they can get help easily during an emergency situation, but also continuously improve the independent living style of such elderly people. For those who have elderly parents, phones for the elderly are a very good option to stay out of serious trouble.

There have been several instances where elderly persons, having contacted the concerned relatives, friends or emergency paramedical personnel in time, have lived to see happy and healthy days in their life. So, if you have been contemplating getting a phone exclusively for a parent or grandparent, do it now. It may pay off rich dividends than you can ever imagine!

Home Phones and Big Button Phones for the Elderly

There is a large selction of big button phones suitable for people who can’t see as well as they used to or have impaired vision from ailments such as cataracts and macular degeneration:

Big Button phones in the United States
Big button phones in the United Kingdom

Simple Cell Phones and Mobiles for the Elderly

Simple Cell Phones – United States
Simple Mobile Phones – United Kingdom

A recent survey suggests two thirds of children choose elderly and long term care over allowing a parent or relative to live independely at home, even though 76% of older people would rather stay in their own home.

Saga, which provides insurance, financial services and holidays to over 50s, asked 11,809 people how they felt about deciding the future of old or vulnerable relatives.

A combination of work commitments and not having the space to look after a parent or relative were the main reasons children opted for elderly care. Only one in 10 people survey had taken on the role of looking after a parent but they generally found the responsibility too great.

Andrew Goodsell, CEO of Saga, says: “Older people are fiercely independent and the vast majority (76%) hope to spend their final years living at home.”

In some cases appropriate elderly care is needed, however if older people would prefer to stay put surely their wishes should respected. By taking the necessary steps to ensure a parent or relative can live independently will help reduce the anxiety felt by both parties on making the decision for appropriate elderly care.

If you decide to keep a parent at home rather than moving them in to elderly care it’s important to make sure they can contact you in the case of an emergency. Start by getting them a simple cell phone or better still a medical emergency phone.

For further assistance Life Solutions offers some helpful advice on independent living. If your eye sight isn’t what it used to be check out Magnifier mouse for people with low vision and Scott Front highlights from personal experience how a simple cane can be so useful. Elder Care ABC also has some useful information on How to deal with aging parents.