If you are a senior, or a caregiver of an elderly person, you will know that preparing for a trip can be chaotic. This is especially true for seniors who have medical issues. Planning a trip or long vacation does not have to be stressful. By following a few tips, the preparation can be much less of a hassle. It is important to ensure safety when traveling and throughout the duration of the trip. The list of tips below will help seniors prepare for their upcoming trip preparation.

1. Have a medical check-up prior to traveling.

2. If you have medical needs, make sure to make arrangements ahead of time. For example, if you need a wheelchair, contact the hotel prior to arrival.

3. Make sure to pack all medications and make sure you have enough for the duration of the trip.

4. Check your luggage twice. Include things that will be needed during travel in your carry-on bag. It is suggested to pack all medications in a carry-on as well in case your luggage gets lost.

5. Consider your personal safety. Seniors are a target for theft, so try not to travel at night or alone. Do not wear valuable jewelry and make sure you always carry identification.

Source: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

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Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

It works for many families – bringing a senior relative into their home to keep an eye on their health and care, but for some seniors, it’s just too close for comfort. After years of independence, it can be hard to feel like that’s being taken away while living under someone else’s roof, so if you’re a senior who’s been offered this living arrangement, here are some specific questions to ask. By posing these questions, you can help determine if you are ready to move in with an adult child and their family:

• What will my role be in paying for household expenses? Does it sound affordable and reasonable based on the living arrangements determined?

• What specific responsibilities will I have? Will I be expected to contribute to household chores or care for any of the grandchildren in the home? If so, how often and when?

• Will I be provided with my own space to maintain my independence? Will I have a room, or a bathroom that’s off limits to the rest of the family?

• What will become of my assets? How will we handle the sale of my home and finances I have in my bank accounts?

• Can I bring my pets to the home?

• Will changes be made to areas of the home to provide for my comfort and safety?

• Will I be a part of family decisions, such as vacations, travel, and hosting of events in the home? Or will the other family members make these decisions?

• Am I able to invite my friends to the home and entertain? What if I want to use the space without the grandchildren?

• What arrangements will be made if I need care assistance? Will someone in the home be able to help, or will we hire senior home care?

Via: Home Instead Senior Care

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

We all know that the elderly population is forced to live on a fixed income. Many things change financially after retirement. This is why when seniors travel; they should make use of a travel agent. These agents have access to information that many of us cannot get on our own. Discounts for seniors are available in many ways when traveling. For example, people over a certain age may receive a discount on airfare. To find the best deals available, follow the tips below.

1. Make sure to know personal preferences before contacting a travel agent. These requests should be made in advance. Some common requests for traveling seniors include aisle seats on airplanes, morning flights and non-smoking accommodations.

2. Be sure to deal with a travel agent directly. Many travel agents have personal assistants that relay messages. If possible, try to arrange to speak with the agent directly.

3. If there are time constraints, make sure to have a back-up plan. Use a calendar to plan for schedule changes. Often times, a change in time could mean a greater discount.

4. Inquire about car rentals and hotel rooms. Your travel agent may be able to book a complete package which would offer additional savings.

Source: www.ehow.com

Image source: sxc.hu

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

It used to be that by aged 65 most seniors had plans to retire if they hadn’t already. But that’s a work structure that is changing overtime, because seniors don’t necessarily want to remain idle throughout older adulthood, they want to continue to make a contribution to society. For others, their motivations to keep on working are financial. While many seniors find it necessary to keep on working, some are wondering what the impact of this is on their health in older adulthood.

Studies show that while jobs can add an element of stress to seniors lives, they get the greatest benefits by transitioning from the workforce with part-time, temporary or work at home jobs that keep them working, provide them with income and a sense of purpose. The benefits to senior health are measurable and include the following:

Benefits of Work on Senior Health:

• With a transition period from full-time work into retirement with part-time work, temporary work or work at home, seniors find it’s less of a shock to their mental health. Seniors who immediately retire from full-time work can find that feelings of loss of purpose can cause anxiety and depression

• Seniors who remain in the workforce longer, even part-time are more functional, and often have greater mobility while remaining active members of society

• Instances of high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, lung disease, heart disease, and stroke are some of the common medical problems that are reduced in working seniors

Via: Home Instead Senior care

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

I know what you’re thinking, starting a diet isn’t one of your retirement goals, but it is the first step in ensuring that you can live out your dream retirement. Focusing on proper nutrition ensures that you’ve got all of the energy in the world to do all of those things that you’ve hoped to accomplish during your retirement; whether it’s to travel, interact with your grandchildren, or simply take up some new hobbies. A diet might not have been one of your retirement goals, but it’s time to start making it a priority, and here are some tips to get you started:

1. Eat raw foods – some nutrients can be best digested when in raw form and they are rich in fiber. Make sure that at least one of your daily servings of vegetables are consumed raw either on their own or in a salad

2. Choose whole grain carbs – unprocessed carbs that are whole grain provide energy , choose brown rice, and whole grain breads and pasta. White carbohydrates are starchy and can make you feel tired and bloated

3. Stick to lean proteins – limit red meat and instead go with lean sources of protein like poultry, fish, eggs, beans and nuts which will give you the fuel to get through you day and are also very health conscious

4. Incorporate low fat dairy items into your diet – calcium is crucial for senior health so drink low fat milk, and make sure you stock up on yogurt and cheese

5. Don’t avoid all fat – there are some good fats that should be part of your diet; make sure you get the positive benefits of healthy fats and oils through olive oil, avocados and nuts

6. Stay hydrated – remember to drink plenty of water and choose foods that have a lot of water content

Via: HelpGuide

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

The suburbs were traditionally designed to accommodate young families, and while some older adults could be found there, they were typically part of a larger household shared by multiple generations. Today, the suburban structure has changed, at least in terms of who’s living there, with half of the population aged 75 and older, but not without a little bit of adapting to make it work for the older generations living there:

1. Address financial restraints – consider a reverse mortgage to fund any additional financial needs of the home like maintenance, renovations, or any remaining amount on a mortgage loan

2. Make the home safe – suburban homes aren’t necessarily designed for senior living. They are often 2 stories, and are not compatible with those who need to use wheel chairs or other assistive devices. To make the home accessible and safe, install safety bars and hand-rails, improve the lighting in the home, and have ramps or other assistive devices incorporated into the home as needed

3. Get help – for older adults, keeping up with the routine maintenance of a home can be challenging, but that doesn’t need to be a reason to give it up. Hire services to clean and keep up with the yard work, or get an in-home caregiver to cook and provide basic assistance with other tasks as needed

4. Look into transportation – walking to get to shops and other areas in the suburbs may not be convenient. Seniors who don’t drive can use transportation services available, or hire a caregiver that can help them get around

Via: CSA Connections

Image: seniorcarehomesmidwest.com

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

During your lifetime, you might never have had the opportunity to see the world away from Houston due to familiar obligations and career-related responsibilities. That makes retirement a great time to try something new and lead a new lifestyle. Choosing where to retire overseas can be an overwhelming decision, here are your choices:

1. Consider the cost of living – the cost of living varies from country to country and city to city, so make sure you do your research and choose one that has a cost of living that is lower and well-suited to your retirement budget

2. Find out the regulations for living in a country where you’re not a citizen – in countries like Mexico, retired seniors can receive residency permits that can be renewed annually; or for those with their own homes there, with a monthly pension of $1000 a permanent residency status can be granted

3. Think about your health – the climate and environment of various places abroad can have an impact on your health. Also look at the type of health care system in the countries you’re considering retiring to; some developing countries do not have the same standards as those we’re used to in the US while others have even more comprehensive health care systems

4. Choose your lifestyle – depending on what you’re looking for from your retirement, different destinations can meet your requirements. If you dream of senior years on a beach, Mexico, Spain or Italy might be a good choice; but if you want a historical experience look at Greece or England

Via: Retirement Story

image: heritagecommonssl.com

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.