Oftentimes people imagine themselves traveling, having fun, enjoying loved ones, and enjoying their retirement or so-called “Golden-years” in style and tranquillity. After all, they’ve worked hard over the years and see this special time as a time for them to relax, take it easy and enjoy the “fruits of their labor.” What many of these seniors don’t realize is that being a senior is difficult and brings forth worries and concerns that are quite different than they had during their younger years. For instance, many seniors worry about falling and breaking bones, becoming incapacitated, outliving their retirement savings, being taken advantage of by others as well as health issues and concerns. If you have a loved one who has reached their “golden years” and are experiencing a cycle of worry or frustrating, it’s important that you recognize and acknowledge their concerns and help them deal with them.
Here are some tips to help alleviate some common worries:
If they’re worried about illness, falls or becoming incapacitated, make sure that they receive adequate health care.
Staying healthy is extremely important as healthy seniors are better equipped to handle the emotional and physical demands of aging. Encourage your senior to receive regular medical care. It is typically recommended that seniors see a doctor on a regular basis, more often if they have a chronic medical condition. If medications are prescribed, make sure that your senior has the right medications on hand and know how to properly take them. Unfortunately, seniors overdose on medications every day so it’s important that your senior understands how to properly take their medications. At Nurses Guild, our qualified professionals can help your senior take their medications at the right time and can monitor for any side effects that are common with prescription medications.
If they’re worried about outliving their savings, make sure they have enough insurance coverage.
An overwhelming number of seniors in the U.S. are covered under the private insurers and government programs like Medicare, Medicaid and the Veterans Administration. Thus, being aware of their benefits will help ease their mind that they won’t be able to adequately take care of themselves as they get older. Debt.org stated that Medicare, the federal health insurance program for seniors older than 65, now covers almost 40 million seniors. Under this insurance coverage both hospitalization and outpatient services such as doctor’s visits, lab tests, preventive care, surgeries, clinical trials, are typically covered. Alongside this, there is Medicaid, a health insurance program that has a different variant according to individual American states and partially funded by the federal government. This insurance is a great benefit for seniors as well. Seniors who qualify for Medicaid and Medicare both are mostly regarded as ‘dual eligible.’
In addition to these lucrative government insurances, one can also purchase health insurance policies from private companies. Although it is cheaper to purchase insurance when you’re younger, you may be able to find an economical policy for your senior as well. For instance, your senior may quality for private insurance, Medicare Supplemental Insurance, Medigap and long term care insurance. These policies can be used in addition to any governmental policies and help your senior fund their health care needs or meet home care costs, like those offered by Nurses Guild.
If your senior is worried about outliving their savings, encourage them to seek advice of an experienced financial planner
Investopedia.com states that long-term care, estate planning, and asset management are just some of the lucrative areas for which the elderly needs regular counselling. As a family member, you must counsel the elderly in your family to seek financial advice from experienced financial planners. Explain that a good financial value can help them stretch their hard earned money, which they have accumulated over their long professional careers. Help them establish a spending plan and get their finances in order. For instance, you may want to move them to a cheaper home or cut necessary expenses. Either way, do whatever you can to help them feel secure and confident about their money and their investments. With the proper advice, their finances will flourish and so will their confidence.
If your senior is worried about being a victim of a scam, teach them about Internet and phone scams and ways to avoid them
The FBI recently states that, “people who grew up in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s were generally raised to be polite and trusting. Con artists exploit these traits, knowing that it is difficult or impossible for these individuals to say ‘no’ or just hang up the telephone.” Therefore the seniors in your family are more gullible to bogus offers which are likely to be presented to them in a glittery, gimmicky package. With this in mind, you should make a special effort to teach them the difference between such false claims and hoax calls and give them a list of warning signs to watch out for. Educating your senior and providing them with facts and tips to avoid scams will help boost their confidence and help safeguard them from fraudulent situations.
If your senior is worried about falling, safety proof their house or apartment to help them avoid falls and provide them with physical therapy
According to National Council on Aging, one in every four Americans over the age of 65, is likely to experience a fall. These falls amount to 2.8 million injuries a year and a great majority of these are fatal. To keep your senior safe and avoid emergency hospital visits and treatments, and expensive hospital costs, you should safety proof your seniors home and build up their muscles through physical therapy so they can avoid falls. By working with a specialized home care nurse, you can safety proof the house and provide your senior with exercises to build strength and prevent atrophy. For instance, at the Nurses Guild, we offer qualified experienced professionals who can take care of the elderly in your family, with the utmost care and respect. They can help you choose a walker or mobility device, safety proof your senior’s home and offer recommendations like safety rails, raised toilet seats, etc. so they can avoid falls.
In conclusion, getting older brings forth many challenges and worries. However, if you plan ahead and work to alleviate your senior’s concerns, you can ensure that their “Golden Years” are a time for fun, relaxation and safety. By working through any concerns in their life, you can take concrete actions to safeguard and protect them on a long-term basis so they live out their days safely, happily and prosperously.