RetirementHomes.com - senior

Practical tips for interacting with an Alzheimer's sufferer

aadmin — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 18:30:22 +0000

By all estimates, there are over 4.5 million people in the U.S. afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease and the Alzheimer’s Association found that the illness is the sixth most common cause of death in the United States, a jump of 68 percent from 2000 to 2010.

If you feel that a friend or family member is showing the signs of the onset of Alzheimer’s you should encourage them to seek medical attention and go with them to discuss stages and expectations with the physician.

Medical Assessment When Alzheimer’s is Expected

Physicians may suggest a blood test to determine if the APOE-e4 gene is present, it is the strongest risk gene for Alzheimer's as well as other tests such as Mental Status Tests, Mood Assessment, Mini-Cognitive and perhaps a brain imaging test.

These combined will help assess the patient and let the caregiver know what stage they are in and the specific type of care required.

Caring for Those with Alzheimer’s

Once diagnosed, the following tips can help those with Alzheimer's Disease:

Limit choices so the person does not have to make decisions which can be difficult and frustrating.
Remove distractions such as TV while the person is eating, bathing or doing other activities, as this distraction may take their mind away from the task at hand.
If the individual has difficult remembering things from the past, often they comforted by music from their past.
Make sure they are in a safe environment, where they can easily get around with a walker
Use cabinet locks and make sure drawers within reach don’t contain harmful objects or medication.
Make sure to keep a comfortable temperature; those with dementia or Alzheimer’s tend to be more sensitive to cold.
Make sure you have fire alarms and fire extinguishers readily available in case they forget to turn the stove burners off.
If the senior with Alzheimer’s experience difficulty communicating, write things down. Suggest that friends/family send notes rather than call. They can review the notes and may not remember a phone call.
Speak to the person face-to-face and maintain eye contact.
Don’t try to finish their sentences, let them try to respond.
Use short sentences and make just one point to avoid confusion. Use easy words that they will be able to easily understand.
Avoid words like: him, her, it, they, etc., they may not remember who you are talking about, use names instead.
If they are able to do so, you may want to play a simple game like Bingo, puzzles or easy card game.
Read something a chapter from a book they may have read in the past and enjoyed.
Look at photo albums, specifically with photos of the individual at an earlier time in life, which may spark reminiscing about the past.

Surely, tending to those with Alzheimer’s can be challenging, but knowing these simple tips can help you get through this difficult time and help the individual suffering from the disease a better quality of life.

Tags:

aging

Alzheimer

dementia

elderly

Categories:

Growing number of elderly struggle to get mortgages

aadmin — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 19:19:44 +0000

Older people in the US are increasingly taking more mortgage debt into retirement than ever before, but applying for a new mortgage can prove troublesome for seniors. This is also the case in the United Kingdom, where new rules that were introduced earlier in the year have meant a greater struggle to gain finance for home buying in later life.

For homeowners in America aged 65 and over, the percentage carrying mortgage debt increased by almost 10% to 30% from 2001 to 2011. Among those aged 75 and older, the rate more than doubled during the same period, from 8.4% to more than 21%.

Types Of Mortgages Available In America

There are many different types of housing purchase loans available to older people in America, but the problem comes from proving that you can pay, even if you are still working later in life. There is a lot of advice and services available to senior borrowers, and many options are available.

Range Of Mortgages In The US

There are a range of mortgages available to US senior citizens, from the standard mortgage, which depends on your income and credit rating, to a second mortgage, but these are riskier for lenders. Other options include a refinanced mortgage and a reverse mortgage.

Reverse Mortgages

With a reverse mortgage, which is available to those aged 62 and over, instead of getting a lump sum that is used to pay for a home, a lender gives the borrower monthly payments for your existing home for a fixed amount of time. At the end of that period, the bank owns the home, and the property is then either sold by the lender or refinanced by a family member.

However, these types of mortgages have a bad reputation as a last resort for seniors who can’t keep up with medical bills or the upkeep of their home, but used properly by someone who totally understands what they are getting in to, it can be a useful option. Some analysts have warned that with the growing deficit in America, this type of product may not continue to be available for too much longer.

Getting a Mortgage In The UK

Tough new restrictions introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK in the spring have forced lenders to prove their customers will be able to afford to pay off loans. The rules are said to ensure both responsible lending by banks and building societies and sensible borrowing by loan applicants, but the so-called mortgage market review has attracted widespread criticism.

Borrowers’ expenditure has been under the microscope like never before, resulting in some not getting the mortgage they applied for. Even people in their 40s have been told they cannot have loans that end after their expected retirement. Due to a fear of breaking the rules, banks are turning down applicants who would more than likely be making repayments in retirement when incomes are lower.

A report released recently by a body representing 24 big lenders in Britain – including Santander, Nationwide, Lloyds and Barclays – warns that even borrowers in their 40s are falling victim to the new regime, and even those in their late 30s seeking increasingly popular longer-term deals risk being turned down. The rules are also a problem for those forced by soaring house prices to take on longer-term loans that have lower monthly repayments.

Uncertainty Over Pensions

Uncertainty over pensions is also making it difficult for lenders to asses mortgage affordability in later life, and this could become increasingly so when new pension freedoms take effect in 2015, with fears that regulation could bring about the extinction of mortgage terms that stretch into retirement.

The new pension freedoms are said to make it difficult for lenders to know if someone will have a steady income in retirement or if they will have blown it on a big ticket purchase. There is no reason that banks cannot lend to someone in their 70s but they are seeking assurances from the borrower that they will be working until the loan ends

Proving Your Income

Problems can arise when taking a mortgage beyond normal retirement age. Lenders will then start asking about levels of income after retirement to demonstrate that the mortgage will remain affordable, and proving that income could be where the difficulty lies.

In all circumstances it pays for older borrowers to research thoroughly all of the options, shop around with different lenders and know the type of mortgage you need and what the best way of finding it is that will suit you and your family for the future.

Tags:

Categories:

96 year-old woman sees Broadway play for the first time

aadmin — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:48:38 +0000

For as long as she can remember, Ann Isacoff wanted to be on stage, performing. But, as often happens, life pointed her in another direction, raising a family and working in the legal field. However, she never lost her love of the theater and music and, though she always wanted to see a Broadway show, she never had the opportunity.

At last, at the age of 96, Isacoff’s wish to see a Broadway show was granted when she and daughter Marilyn Weinberg attended a matinee performance of “Jersey Boys” on stage in Boston, thanks to national nonprofit Twilight Wish Foundation.

Isacoff and her daughter traveled via a chauffeured limousine to Boston on March 3rd, where they were treated to special seats, courtesy of Parentgiving.com, who generously donated the tickets.

Although unfamiliar with “Jersey Boys,” Isacoff researched it ahead of time and spent the performance clapping along with the songs that she recognized from the 50’s and 60’s.

“What can I say,” said Isacoff, “Except that it was a dream come true. Thank you, Twilight Wish, for a wonderful day.”

Isacoff, a resident of Langdon Place in Dover, New Hampshire, shares her love of the theater with others in her care center. Last year, she began organizing a variety show, “Senior Moments,” at her facility. Many of the other residents also perform, with Isacoff organizing rehearsals for the troupe. According to Isacoff, this year’s production will feature routines from many famous old time comedians such as George Burns, Jack Benny and Abbott and Costello.

A woman of many talents, Isacoff is described by Activities Director at Langdon Place, Linda Jarvis, as a prolific writer. In fact, she has written four books about her memories and life. According to Isacoff, she mostly writes so that her grandchildren will know what life was like before their time, before electricity and other modern conveniences.

Tags:

Categories: