Compared to the 10 percent of aging boomers who lived alone in the 1950s, today a third of older Americans are living by themselves. The reasons maybe for demographic or personal as well, more people are financially able to live alone as the age now.

People are living healthier lifestyles now which as decreased the disability rates. Advancements in medical science has also had a large part in keeping people active longer. Both of these have help older boomers to keep working longer as well, which in turn has lowered the poverty rates experienced in years past, forcing many senior citizens to move in with their children in the years past.

Aging alone is more common for older Baby Boomers. The ability to live alone is a way for older boomers to maintain their independence and identity, according to the paper. It also doesn’t necessarily mean being lonesome. On average single Baby Boomers are spending their time with friends and neighbors, staying active. They are able to stay active and social today, unlike generations before, because they are healthier.

According to a recent study, one third of Baby Boomers that are single have never married. Ten percent of Baby Boomers are alone due to a spouses death and divorce rates have increased in the over 65 age group.

While all this sounds good, there is also a side to this situation that should cause us concern. If dramatic cutbacks are made to entitlement programs, such as Social Security, the number of Americans who can afford domestic independence will decrease too. Seeing this fortune in reverse could be sped up with an increase in bankruptcies with more credit card debt and student loan debts.

Experts are concerned about the logistics as well. They feel that this country isn’t set up for proper housing for the older single person. Most are going to want to have their own, private apartment with convenience to services and support. While the more well off older Americans will have this in assisted living facilities, for many other senior Americans, it won’t be affordable.

By 2030, the number of Americans over the age of 65 will have doubled while the number of Americans over the age of 85 will almost triple. Experts are concerned about the strain this will put on Medicare and Social Security if a fix isn’t put in place soon.

With these staggering numbers and facts, it is possible that we will see a repeat in history – more senior citizens moving in with their adult kids.

Are you concerned about your elderly loved one’s future living arrangements and not sure where to turn to for help? Give us a call at Oxford Healthcare. Oxford Healthcare. Caring for you at home.

Baby Boomers arrived post-World War II and the servicemen and women returned home and started families. This generation will have an impact on everything in a way that other generations won’t, especially travel and in particular, airports for years to come.

Census data reports that approximately 2 million Americans are living to the age of 90 or longer now and this will more than double by the year 2050. While retirement may be put on hold either due to personal decision or due to the current economy, the average age of retirement is still 62 for women and 64 for men.

So now we see older citizens not only living longer, but they have a lifestyle that is more independent. Baby Boomers are now the more commonly seen traveler. This is an age group that is used to convenience, customer service and getting the best value for their hard earned money. They have the desire to travel and savvy with today’s technology.

Baby Boomers were a major part of today’s world as we know it, they witnessed many things from the begining such as space flight, self-serve gas stations as well as personal computers and the Internet. For many Baby Boomers, air travel is taken for granted. In general, Baby Boomers are at ease with flying, either for business purpose or for leisure. They have seen the air travel industry grow and develop as well with manned airport ticket counters to the self-serve set ups of today.

The air travel industry will need to realize that as Baby Boomers age, they will require special accommodations that meet their varying physical or cognitive demands, limits and needs. Baby Boomers will require not only good service but to be treated with dignity and respect. They will demand and expect minimal roadblocks to their movement and for little to effect the quality of life they have become accustomed to living.

While Baby Boomers have watched these things develop and then change, they have been frequently amused at what is called customer service these days. Baby Boomers will speak up, and demand the best in the developing aviation marketplace. They vote with their wallets to get what they want. What do they want? Four things in general: choice, convenience, communication and accessibility.

While Baby Boomers are seen as spoiled by many and used to having life ‘their way’, they have a respect and understand the money’s value. They are willing to shop and compare to get the best deal on everything, including air fares, food, hotels and anything they purchase. Therefore, airports need to offer ample assortment of food and shopping at prices that are found on the everyday street that includes local and national brands. Airports need to recognize that Baby Boomers are more conscientious than generations before and after them about living a healthy lifestyle and making the choices that fit that lifestyle. They are more concerned than other generations about environmental and social position.

The US Travel Association released a report in 2008 that stated one of first reasons travelers offered for not flying more was because of the hassles, convenience was the next most stated reason. When consumers are inconvenienced, the repercussions are profound. From this report, it was discovered that air travelers were frustrated with air travel and therefore, avoided it as much as possible. It has been estimated that over a 12 month period, there were approximately 41 million air travel trips avoided. This cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars in lost revenue of air fares, dining, lodging not to mention tax revenues.

People all around the globe experienced 9/11, and Baby Boomers are one of the largest generation affected by the repercussions. While they realize the demand for security to make travel safe for all of us, with the toilsome baggage and passenger screening, they hope to see the procedures and technology improved so that it is more free-flowing and have shorter waiting and the inspections to be more dignified.

For Baby Boomers, comfort and convenience go together. Baby Boomers will demand for adequate seating that has more options with interior designs to be pleasing that includes artwork, good lighting, plants and flight monitors that will alleviate anxiety and make traveling comfortable. Baby Boomers want clean, maintained restrooms, shuttle buses that are dependable and running elevators, escalators, walks and water fountains

The Baby Boomer generation is going to desire and expect strong Wi-Fi signals that are free, ample outlets to plug in chargers be able to update their digital information. While self-serve is desired, Baby Boomers also want a live person to answer their questions and provide assistance. The Baby Boomer generation has both both tech savvy people and and people who manage to do just enough. The logical implication is for airports designs proceed with both full service and self-serve options and provide help desks as well as roving personnel that offer directions and other helpful information.

As Baby Boomer age and keep traveling, it will force the acceleration for accessibility to become easier for the design of airports to accommodate passenger processing with technology in airports to become geared toward them. Such as the self-service tickets with flat glass screens aren’t much use to the older passengers that can’t read the screen.

As airports are designed, they will need to meet the challenges to design airports that make traveling less physically taxing on the Baby Boomer generation as they age. Shorter walking distances, less elevation transitions, adding more handrail extensions on walkways, flat surface for passenger boarding bridges so that mobility is not such an issue.

The Baby Boomer generation is going to be around for many, many more years. As such, the travel industry is going to be impacted, especially air travel. In the not-so-distant future, the items we have discussed here will be more than just thoughtful amenities as the Baby Boomer generation grows larger will become more than just luxuries or travel, but they will be the normal expected things.

The study reported that on average, the men were five years older than their wives. As such, age-related physical problems often prevented the men from being able to care for the women at home. Up to the age of 85 years old and older, ill health increased with age for both men and women, but men were the sicker partner in most cases. As such, 40 percent and higher of the women in the study were more likely to be admitted to a nursing home.

So how do you know when it’s time to put a spouse in a home? Is there a minimum age requirement?
Is there a level of care requirement they must be at before they can be admitted in to a nursing home?
Nursing homes vary on their requirements and standards that patients are accepted. These are the first things you find out when you start looking at nursing homes, asking them individually their policies. For the most part though, age is not an issue when registering a patient in a nursing home. You will want to schedule a consultation with the loved one and the home. They are the best in determining whether the patient needs nursing home care or if an assisted-living facility would suffice. Each facility is different, but the general rule of thumb is assisted living centers are for those that have trouble living alone or their spouse is not able to care for them as they need to be.

Almost all assisted-living facilities necessitate that patients be able to care for themselves such as bathing, going to the bathroom, dressing and eating. Many may require the patient be able to move about independently, either on their own power or by using a wheelchair. There are assisted living facilities that have staff to render assistance with things like fastening buttons or snaps, while some will assist with showers if needed. There are some facilities that have to staff to assist with cooking, shopping, managing finances, and distributing medications. There are many levels of help and each assisted-living facility is differently equipped.

On the other hand, if your love done needs more extensive hep, a nursing home may be the better choice. Such as taking care of themselves with bathing, eating and taking medication or getting in and out of bed on their own. If you loved one needs assistance with these things and needs to be watched around the clock with every aspect of daily living, a nursing home would be better for them. Perhaps they have Alzheimer and have a tendency to wonder out of the house and get lost. Or they have had some close calls when cooking for themselves and left a pot on the burner or left the oven on.

If you have an elderly couple in your family that may be at the point one of them needs around-the-clock care but you aren’t sure, give us a call at Oxford Health Care. We offer free consultation and will be glad to offer guidance and suggestions to help you make that decision. Oxford Health Care. Caring for you at home.

They keep everything, from something as small as paper bags and rubber bands to broken appliances and items that have absolute no value or reuse need such as empty cereal boxes. They even obtain more things at garage sales adding to their collection, even duplicating items they already have . Before long, they are no longer able to move freely amid their possessions, but can’t or won’t give any of it away or dispose of it, they aren’t able to give up any of it.

Hoarders aren’t collecting dolls and stamps. They collect, or hoard, all sorts of objects. An unmatched exception are those who hoard animals, with the most hoard animals being birds, cats and dogs. In their mind they begin to believe that they are the only one that cares for these creatures and nobody else can provide for them. The inclination to hoard these things can grow stronger and become worse, even spinning out of control after the death of their spouse.

As adult children we may not visit their home regularly, having all the holiday and family gatherings at our home. Then one day we have to enter the loved one’s home when they have been been hospitalized or passed away and they find that they have been living with stacks of old clothes, outdated newspapers junk mail and countless brochures, catalogs and sales circulars, all expired. Only then may we discover a side of them we didn’t know.

So what can an adult child do if they have discovered or believe their parent or grandparent is hoarding? The first thing to do is to get inside the home. If you only visit on occasion, or your loved one insists on meeting you somewhere each time, this step can be difficult. You should start making regular visits with an observant eye.

If you do visit regularly, your loved one may be able to kept their hoarding under control and not as easily visible. Whenever you suspect hoarding, address the subject with sensitivity. Don’t be judgmental and call what items you see as clutter or junk. Remember the hoarder considers all of their possessions to be valuable. It’s better to remain neutral while offering to help them organize and dispose of the unnecessary items.

Experts warn that adult children be aware that it is believed that hoarding may be genetic. Too often then, after cleaning out our parents’ home we bring a great deal of it home. We tell ourselves that we are taking it home with us so that we can sort through it all in time, This can be a sign that we are on the edge of hoarding ourselves. As adult children of parents that hoard we need to be aware of this transfer practice. Hoarding is not always with material things, it can include difficulty to process information or ability to focus. Being unable to make decisions when faced with a great deal of information. A hoarder often has trouble with categorizing and ascertain common objects. Everything looks to be unique.

There are various social service agencies to help the elderly that have a hoarding practice. As the adult child you should be aware that bringing that type of assistance into the picture though, there will be a great deal of stress on the hoarder. You as well need to be ready for the consequences as well as how mom, dad or grandma are going to be able to handle an outsider coming into their home and their lives.

You can find help at International OCD Foundation International OCD Foundation as well as a host of other organizations. For more information on getting help for your loved, give us a call at Oxford Healthcare. Oxford Healthcare. Caring for you at home.

For those millions of caregivers, care-giving alone for a loved one can hinder your taking care of yourself and if you still have children at home, along with a spouse, taking care of them as well. In the best interest of those who count on you as well as yourself, obtain assistance from others. You may feel that you are capable of helping and caring for a loved on, yet, often times, we find ourselves ill-equipped and unprepared to handle what can be daunting tasks. The daily routine of a loved ones medical regimen or getting their home handicapped accessible such as a wheel-chair ramp. Small things such as lining up someone to stay with their loved ones so they can have some time away alone or with friends, such as going dinner and a movie, and not having to worry that their loved one will have an accident and fall or forget a dose of medication.

Caring for a loved one is an act of love, but has its costs for the caregiver. Should you have to quit your job to care for a loved one, you forfeit lost wages, your pension plan and social security. Those things do not include the personal cost to your own welfare, not to mention the demands of caring for a loved one gives you less time for your own family. Many caregivers find themselves giving up hobbies, social activities and vacations. Caring for someone else full time will take a toll on your health as well. Studies show that caregivers are more likely to experience anxiety, depression and maybe require hospitalization.

Instead of asking for help from other, many caregivers become detached from others, they don’t want to bother others. Many fear the possible outcome if they let their stress be known to coworkers or employers. In our world today, we are youth-centered society and we look the other way when it comes to the inevitable, unpleasant reality that everyone will grow old and every will die. This way of looking at things leaves everyone unprepared.

As your parents or other loved ones start to age, what can you do? As uncomfortable as it may be, you need to start the discussion of “what ifs” with them and assist them in making a plan. What will happen to them if they become disabled, ill or die unexpectedly? Do they have a will in place and where to they keep it? If they have a living will, who have they selected to make any medical decisions if they are not able to do so themselves?

Community support is out there for you, utilize it. Find community resources that offer and support care-giving, such as a day program that helps the one you are caring for have social activities with peers of their own age. Transportation to and from these programs is often provided as well. For you and the loved one you are caring for, getting out and socializing has the additional benefit that gets bodies moving. Exercise and socialize are the two best effective interventions that assist your loved ones and the caregiver both.

If family and friends ask if there is anything they can do, don’t be shy. Take them up on the offer and suggest ways the can help. Get someone to take Mom to her physical therapy this week or ask them they are going to the store, as them to pick up some bread, fruit, milk, or any thing you or your loved one may need or could use. If you are caring for an elderly loved one and have small children at home, ask a friend to watch the kids for awhile so that you can get to the gym or get a hair cut. Most people that offer to help don’t know they can, give them specific ideas how they can help, they’ll appreciate it, and so will you!

As a caregiver, you worry about your loved one getting the nutrition and rest they need. Make sure to take care of your own health too. Make sure you are getting the nutrition you need with plenty of sleep and exercise regularly. Keep your hands washed to prevent spreading germs and keep colds and flu at bay. Laughter, prayer or even a deep breath can help you manage your stress. Nurture yourself with activities that energize your batteries. If you begin to feel anxious or depressed, talk to your own doctor.

Taking care of yourself and asking for help are the two best things you can do for your loved one for effective care-giving once you begin that mission. Before that begins though, find the courage to start talking to those elderly ones and the other family members about care-giving. If you find that you don’t know where to turn, give us a call at Oxford Healthcare. We have experienced staff and a host of resources to recommend. Oxford Healthcare. Caring for you at home.

As a person ages, their thirst decreases and you will unknowingly not drink as much water as your body needs. For the elderly, the lack of water consumption can be linked to arthritis, circulation problems, constipation, hypertension, indigestion and kidney stones. For instance, kidney stones develop when there is inadequate water for minerals to flush through.

A deficiency of water causes the sodium levels to increase and when there has not been enough water ingested, the body holds water, thus causing fluid buildup and sodium retention. When the body holds sodium, it pulls water out of the tissues and causes dehydration. For the elderly, this can result in many problems including confusion and excitability, especially high blood pressure.

Elderly people have a higher complaint of constipation which is connected with their lack of water intake. Everyone’s digestive system needs water. Nausea, joint and muscle stiffness are commonly related to a lack of water as well. All of these ailments are indicative for a person’s need to get more water. Water is the body’s lubrication.

The lack of water in the body can also cause the blood to thicken making the circulation slow and the heart to work harder. This can be a major issue in the elderly as their body’s circulation is already sluggish as just a natural part of aging. The brain can be affected because of poor circulation doesn’t get the correct oxygen to it. Dizziness, fatigue, headaches and lack of mental alertness are signs of poor oxygen to the brain.

Elderly women are postmenopausal and often are taking estrogen supplements. Estrogen retains salt thereby increasing the need for more water intake in elderly women to rid the body of excess salt. If you notice your elderly loved one experiencing dark urine, dry, sticky mouth, encourage them to drink more water and see their doctor as soon as possible. A minim standard is eight 8 ounce glasses per day, evenly spaced throughout the day. However, some may need more and their doctor can advise accordingly.

If you have questions or concerns regarding your loved one’s water intake, give us a call at Oxford Healthcare. Oxford Healthcare. Caring for you at home.

There’s a burgeoning industry that aims to provide a low-cost, aging-in-place alternative. These small homes, in some cases not much larger than a big shed, come in a do-it-yourself construction kit. In most areas, for under $20,000, you get the plans and materials to construct a locked shell for a structure that is just under 700 square feet. It includes walls, windows and roof trusses, A nicely packaged puzzle you could say, ready to assemble.

There are additional costs for plumbing, sheet-rocking and electrical work, appliances, fixtures plus any permits needed. If you aren’t one with a construction-mind, you may want to hire someone, like a General Contractor, that would oversee the job to make sure all is in place as it should be and will pass inspections. With the plumbing, electrical and possible GC, you can expect your cost to be around $60,000.

This alternative is called a transitional home environment and should include improved lighting, remember, people over the age of 60 need three times as much light to see. These kits come wheelchair friendly with casement windows that crank open at wheelchair height, bathrooms for a wheelchair or a caregiver to stand in. They offer stepless doorways, ample storage and things like furnace and air filters located where they can be changed easily, close to ground level.

When mom or dad no longer need this transitional house, it can become a guest house. Or even if needed, a place for adult children that need to move home, another growing trend these days. Some people that have put this transitional house in place have decided when mom or dad no longer need it, they may rent the main house out, move into the transitional themselves, and use it as a home base while they travel. It can even be rented itself for extra income!

This option may seem expensive, but considering the cost of assisted care living, it may end up being the less expensive way to go. Another upside, you will know mom or dad is safe with you close by if they need anything, but they won’t be underfoot asking why you and your husband fight so much or why you let your kids talk to you like that.

Still not sure this is the way to go with you parents? Give us a call at Oxford HealthCare and talk to one of our specialist for suggestions. Oxford HealthCare. Caring for you at home.

Many times, the elderly or those who have a terminal illness will sign a “Do Not Resuscitate” order, otherwise known as a DNR. A victim with a DNR in place has given orders that must be followed by law. They may also have signed a DNI “Do Not Incubate or a DNAR “Do Not Attempt To Resuscitate”. The person who has any of these three documents should let their familly know as well as their doctors and if they move to assisted living or nursing home, these documents need to be on file there as well.

Should a person that wants any of these documents in place and are unable to sign, they may lawfully specify a medical proxy to represent them in advising all medical professionals that may treat them, know that they want certain medical procedures avoided in the case of an emergency. Signing a DNR, DNI or DNAR are a matter of personal choices and everyone has their own reasons for requesting these actions.

If you have elderly loved ones, it is recommended that you discuss this matter with them. Offer to help them make the decisions on how they want things to be handled if they find themselves in a situation where they can’t speak for themselves. if you are your loved one aren’t sure whether they should implement any of these forms, give us a call at Oxford Healthcare. Oxford Healthcare. Caring for you at home.

In the past members of a family stayed in one geographical area. Mom, Dad, grandparents, siblings and even the extended family stayed close and everyone took care of each other. As the grandparents aged, younger family members took care of them and so on from one generation to the next.

Times have changed though and now family members move off. This means that where the family that has always been there in the past to take care of the elderly is gradually fading away. Likewise, services provided at no cost through places such as churches and other non-government groups are becoming crowded and overburdened as the number of elderly needing services increases, not to mention the lack of funding they all have in common.

As this happens, more seniors are looking to senior home care for help with things around the house, such as meals, cleaning, laundry, errands and doctor visits. With less help on hand, professional senior home care has become a vital option. After an accident or illness, seniors often times need short-term care. After they get back home, they may be less mobile and need assistance around the house as they recover. Many elderly depend on senior home care in an effort to not being placed in a nursing home.

Most elderly would prefer to stay in their own home. Once they leave their home, they lose their freedom that is so precious to them, not to mention their privacy. Those needing elder care may only need it a short time, but many have a long-term situation. For some elderly it may even require permanent placement of a home care professional. The long-term and permanent elder care many times includes critical medical attention as well as domestic tasks as well.

So What Do You Do Now?

If you find yourself in a position of a family member needing senior care, it is a difficult and sensitive thing to talk to them about. You need to let them know that you worry about them not having anyone around to assist them or to be there if something were to happen. They should be a part of the selection process and remind them that this is a much better option than moving them to a home where they will lose their freedom and privacy. Be understanding as they may be anxious and concerned of having a stranger in their home.

When you begin to search for elder care assistance, you should keep some certain things in mind. Do your homework and narrow down the list of places before you present them to your elderly loved one. Take the time and research any and all options in your area for a variety of elder care places. While doing your research, you want to confirm the things that matter the most to you as the family member as well as the things that you know matter to your loved one.

What Things Do You Ask About?

Oxford HealthCare offers you and your elderly loved one the following in our senior home care service:

• Companionship
• Housekeeping and Laundry
• Meal Preparation
• Medication Management
• Personal Care and Bathing
• Safety Supervision
• Shopping
• Transportation

Remember as you interview senior home care providers, they are going to be responsible for a member of your family, taking the place of you or other family members being there for your loved one. Take the time to select a good home health care company so that you can rest easier knowing that your loved one is being taken care in your absence.

Where To Start

If the time has come that you think an elderly loved on in your family needs assistance while still living at home, but you aren’t sure, give us a call at Oxford HealthCare. We welcome the opportunity to speak with you and your loved one about the services we offer, answer any questions or resolve any concerns either of you may have. Oxford HealthCare. Caring for you at home.

Start with your health! Since you have little time left, and you most likely have some health issues, what better New Years Resolution than one that applies to your health? If you live alone, or even if it’s just the two of you now, chances are, you’re not eating proper meals any more. A cup of coffee or tea with toast does not make breakfast. Set your first resolution to eat healthier, increase your vegetable and fruit intake.

Next, you need to stay healthy and exercise is the best way to do that! Don’t sit around watching television all day. Get out and take a walk around the block. Or drive to a local shopping mall and walk a lap or two a day. Walking the mall is great entertainment too watching all the people! This also brings to the next resolution.

Socialize! Go visit friends! Visit with the neighbor across the street or next door. If they are elderly, invite them to walk with you. While you’re walking at the mall, chances are you’ll see other senior citizens doing the same thing. Say hello and maybe make a new friend. Socializing is the best thing for your emotional and mental health.

Clean the house! Now that you have made some friends, you may have company, so get that house clean again! It’s not unusual that when the kids leave home and we get older that we get less concerned about the house. Elderly people are known to become pack rats too. Pick a closet or cabinet once a week and weed through it! Give things to your children, family, and friends or donate to charity. It’s better to give it away now and enjoy somebody using it than leaving it sitting in that dresser drawer.

Get your mind busy! Play games, read, build a puzzle or surf the internet. If you don’t know anything about the internet, get a family member to show you or inquire at the Senior Center, many are offering free classes that show you how the basics. The internet can be a wonderful tool to keep up with distant family and friends.

Keeping busy, keeping your mind going and cleaning out closets all rolled together can help you create a scrap book! Putting your life on pages and sharing your memories is a wonderful way to share your life and your family’s heritage with your children and grandchildren. By creating this journal of your life and retracing the family tree from your side as far back as you can is something they will cherish for many years.

While cleaning out those dresser and desk drawers, get your affairs in order with all the important documents and papers. Put all important papers in one place such as mortgage papers, insurance cards, medical records, bank account information and other important paper work. Having all this in one place will make it easier for you and should the time come that a family member needs to help you, it’s all in one place.

This brings us to another resolution. Ask for help! Getting a teenage grandson to mow the yard once a week or a granddaughter to come help you clean the house can be a great opportunity to visit as they clean. They can even help you get that scrap book started or get all those important documents together. Maybe you have some things you want that specific person to have, so helping you clean out that bedroom closet you know they will be the one to get it!

Last but not least, make your home safe. We all want to stay in our own home as long as possible, but you need to be safe. Make sure there aren’t things in the floor or the stairway. Make sure the hall way is well lit as well as the front and back porch. If the handrails on the stair case are loose, have somebody come tighten that up. A piece of loose tile is a tripping hazard, get it fixed if you can’t do it yourself. This resolution can tie in the one above – ask for help!

As you can see, as you get older, those New Years Resolutions are just as important as they were twenty or thirty years ago! In some ways, they are even more important. We are never too old to make improvements in our lives! For more ideas, suggestions or for getting help with anything, call us at Oxford HealthCare. Oxford HealthCare. Taking care of you at home.