The Touch of Love and Caring

Senior's Hands and young hands

While working in an assisted living facility, I noticed the more frail a resident was, the less they were touched. If they were frail and had dementia, they were hardly ever touched. The feeling of a kind hand in ours, or a hug from someone who cares is a basic human need. We don’t outgrow […]

What Should We Know About the Social Security Trust Funds?

Social Security and Poverty

When we started working, we probably didn’t think much about retirement or Social Security beyond the regular Social Security deductions from our paychecks. The exception might have been when our parents talked about it as a “safety net,” monthly payments that, together with pensions and savings, would support our retirement. Then, and now, the safety […]

Old Songs and Poems — A Link to the Past

companion or granchild reading to senior or grandfather

Being a caregiver to someone with dementia can be very challenging, especially if it’s hard to make conversation or to just feel like you’ve connected with the one you are caring for. What happened a few minutes ago, or even a few seconds ago may be lost to your elder, but some things remain even […]

CCRC Contracts: Which is the Best Choice?

Checklist for Nursing Home

My neighbor, thinking about retirement and downsizing, told me that he was pretty impressed by the idea of a continuing care retirement community (CCRC). He saw it as a way not just to downsize, to make his life simpler, and to be around contemporaries, but also to move somewhere that could attend to increasing needs […]

Is the Future of Senior Housing On College Campuses?

College Campus

College campuses are hubs for innovation, arts, culture and athletics. And when looking back, alumni regularly refer to their university years as some of their best — partly due to their access to a community of higher learning and culture. So, could college campuses also be the ideal place to spend your golden years? Increasingly, […]

An All in One Place Solution for Aging

Checklist for Nursing Home

An Introduction to Continuing Care Retirement Communities Recently, my almost retired 63-year-old active neighbor has been shopping around for a comfortable community to settle down in when he is no longer able to stay in his home. He realizes that at some point maintaining the yard, climbing the stairs, and cleaning the big place will […]

The Comfort of Our Own Things

Moving boxes

There just might come a time when you have to move mom or dad into your own home or into an assisted living facility. This scenario must rank among the top ten most stressful times imaginable, but there are ways to make it a little less stressful and a lot more comfortable for your parent. […]

How to Call A Halt To Your Digital Legacy—If You Can

Digital Legacy

Even though your digital assets are pretty much immortal — even material you think you deleted — a few websites have tackled the issue of how to handle your digital accounts when you die. That means that some website managers have at least begun to address the issue of handling the accounts of those who […]

Will Your Digital Legacy Be Immortal?

Digital Legacy

As mortals we all recognize we will eventually pass on and be survived by family and friends. We also all recognize that shortly after our passing, our home, our physical possessions and our financial assets will be distributed to the beneficiaries we’ve named in our Will or Trust, or for those who haven’t bothered to […]