Archive for the ‘Baby Boomers’ Category

Elder 411/911! Cool Smartphone Apps for Baby Boomers

As more than 8,000 baby boomers turn 60 each day, many find themselves caring for an older relative or loved one while also struggling to balance their own retirement, health, jobs, family and aging concerns.  With generations living longer than ever before, I believe we are on the verge of an “elder care tsunami” that has the potential to drown us all.

We are in an era of government cutbacks on much-needed social services for our senior population. At the same time, individuals are dealing with their own property values, savings and retirement funds diminishing.  All told, people are in dire need of practical solutions for dealing with elder care issues – saving their precious time, energy, financial and emotional resources so they can continue to keep their life in balance.

Caregivers and our senior population are in desperate need of information, direction, resources and practical “how to’s” to expedite their needs, so I partnered with Presto Services Inc. (www.presto.com), developer of a computerless email service, to launch a pair of elder care applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch – Elder911.net and Elder411.net. Both applications are FREE! I divided the eldercare information into two separate apps because they serve two very different purposes. Let me explain:

Elder911.net is specifically for emergencies like a fall or sudden illness, putting critical tips and information in hand to help immediately navigate the complexities of a crisis. Amidst the panic and stress of the situation, you will have access to expert advice on what to ask the doctor, planning hospital discharge and life after the initial event.

Both iPhone applications have videos, audio and text that are easy-to understand-and practically presented. They also feature things like interactive checklists, the ability to add personal notes to content, and more.

Elder411.net is a comprehensive database of elder care information providing you access to my tested and proven solutions to caregiving problems as you encounter them.  It’s great for accessing on-the-spot caregiving information, and for planning ahead. More than 500 pieces of practical advice are organized according to my ten steps to make elder care easier. It covers the full spectrum of caregiving issues – talking about tough subjects, keeping the home safe, managing financial and legal needs, considering housing options, and more.

The need to care for an aging parent creates unique and intensive demands on our time and resources. It is my goal to make sure no ones goes through it alone. These two iPhone applications will help caregivers gain instant access to critical caregiving advice directly from their mobile iPhone.

This post was written by guest contributor Dr. Marion Somers.  Dr. Marion has been working in the field of elder care for over 40 years as a geriatric care manager, caregiver, author, speaker, teacher of all things elder care. More information on Dr. Marion and the apps can be found at www.drmarion.com

Shopping this Black Friday? Make sure you get your Senior Discount.

As you hit the stores this Black Friday or the new Small Business Saturday, make sure you are getting all the discounts you qualify for.  Many stores, restaurants and services offer discounts for seniors.   Some businesses make their senior discounts very apparent, while others do not publicize them at all.

Make sure this holiday shopping season you ask! Some of these discounts start for people as young as 50, so always double check if the store(restaurant, hotel, etc) your at has a senior discount.

Here are some helpful tools to figure it out before you go!

  • Senior Discount Directory.  This directory focuses on national restaurants, hotels, and superstores, but is very detailed about the exact discount and who qualifies for it.
  • 106 stores with Senior Discounts. This site offers a 106 senior discounts at national stores, restaurants and services.
  • AARP Member Discounts.  If you are an AARP member you should make sure you continue to check out their discounts.  They offer discounts on everything from health insurance to movie theaters.  They also have limited time rotating discounts so make sure to check back every once and a while.
  • Restaurant Discounts.  If you just want the details on chain restaurants who offer discounts check out this page.
  • Senior Travel Discounts. If you are traveling this holiday season, you may want to check out this page which helps you find discounts based on your transportation type.
  • Senior Discounts.  This site hosts tons of discounts based on where you live.  However, to access most of the discounts you have to pay for a membership which is $7 to $13 annually.

If you can’t remember all of the discounts out there, remember one thing, always ask!  There is no shame in asking if there is a Senior discount, and even if there is not a traditional senior discount, some might still make an exception and give you a small portion off just because you asked.(I swear I have seen this happen!)  So this holiday season make sure you cover your tracks and take full advantage of your discounts!

Picture from wbnq blog post from 2010 about shoppers in Buffalo, NY. 

Silver Surf & Dragon Diction!Cool Smartphone Apps for Baby Boomers

Trying to navigate through the thousands of apps to find the ones that will help make your life easier? This week we are suggesting you check out Silver Surf and Dragon Diction to make using all your mobile and touch screen devices easier.

Silver Surf

For anyone who wears reading glasses and struggles to read your iphone/ipad or other smart device, you need to get this app, Silver Surf.

Silver Surf is a free app that is designed to make your electronics easier to read and use.  Some of the features it includes are:

  • Large navigation buttons
  • high contrast mode
  • dynamic text zoom (with a slider instead of the tap and pinch)

The App has recently been updated to include things to make it easier for people with arthritis in their hands or simply less mobility in their fingers.  Some reviews say that the app is still developing, but many find even the current tools it offers to be worth adding it to your phone. Plus its free!

To read more about it check out: Silver Surf or search for it on your app store.

Dragon Diction

Dragon Dictation is an easy-to-use voice recognition application powered that allows you to easily speak and instantly see your text or email messages. In fact, it’s up to five (5) times faster than typing on the keyboard.

  • Voice-to-text transcriptions that may be sent as SMS, Email, or pasted into any application using the clipboard
  • Submit update to Twitter & Facebook
  • Convenient editing feature that provides list of suggested alternatives
  • Voice driven correction interface

Dragon Diction gets a 4 star rating at the App store.   Many users remark that it is a great product but you do always need to double check what it writes after you dictate.  If you would like to learn more about the app check it out here.

Dragon diction also offers other products that you can use on your PC.

Sandwich Gen-ers: Are You Setting the Bar Too High?

No one is perfect … that’s why pencils have erasers.  ~Author Unknown

Do you feel that whenever you accomplish something for your kids and/or senior parents that it isn’t quite good enough? Are you so overscheduled with your kids’ and parents’ responsibilities that you end up putting off the important things for yourself? Perfection isn't always necessary

If so, you may be trying to be totally perfect. If you want everything perfect in your perfectly planned sandwich generation life, you’re on the wrong planet. There’s a difference between healthy aspirations and unhealthy ones. As you care for yourself, your kids and your aging parents, are you able to distinguish the difference?

Healthy goals for caregiving standards include setting the bar high for your self but reasonably. This healthy type of goal setting is based on your own wants and desires. The lousy version of this occurs when you set your the bar way too high and reach for perfection, knowing you’re not going to achieve your lofty standards. You’ll always fail because your goals are impossible to reach in the first place; you accomplish absolutely zippo.

I have a perfectionist friend to whom I can relate. Her aging mother was unexpectedly admitted to the hospital recently because she needed to get her gallbladder removed. Unfortunately this happened on the same day as my friend’s daughter’s birthday. My friend’s perfect plan was to work in the morning, head over to the hospital in the afternoon, and then catch her daughter’s birthday party in the evening.

The whole day, my stressed-out friend felt that she was unproductive. She criticized herself so much and over-analyzed the entire day because she ended up being late to her daughter’s party. She was frustrated that she didn’t accomplish her goals and felt like a failure because she basically missed her daughter’s birthday. It didn’t matter what I said, my exhausted friend continued to analyze the “not so perfect” day.

How do you distinguish between what’s important to do very well versus okay?

3 ways to do control your urge to achieve perfection:

  1. Stop the all-or-nothing thinking. A perfectionist feels worthless if their accomplishments are not perfect. Professor of psychology at the University of Houston Lynn P. Rehm, Ph.D. says, “If you tried to do everything that you have to do in a day perfectly, you’d never get through the day.”
  2. Avoid overemphasis on the “shoulds”. A perfectionist structures her life with a laundry list of “shoulds,” which creates a rigid belief of how things must be. If you are constantly thinking about how things “should” be with your kids and your senior parents, chances are you are not taking into account your own wants and needs.
  3. Confront your fears. Perfectionists are afraid of failure. They may equate making mistakes with catastrophe. Trying to avoid every single mistake in your sandwich generation world, you’ll miss all kinds of opportunities to learn and grow.

Give your perfectionisSandwich generation strives for perfectionm a makeover and you will accomplish more goals and rebuild your self esteem and sense of well-being.

Before: You often feel that you’ve had an unproductive day because you view your efforts as inadequate and never ending. After: Take a good look at yourself and applaud all your efforts of trying your best.

Before: You must give more than 100 percent on everything you do to help your senior parent. After: Distinguish between what’s important to do very well and what’s not. Good is good enough.

Before: You are constantly caring for your children and your senior parents in a way to avoid making mistakes. You’re always playing it safe. After: Recognize that many positive things can only be learned from making a mistake.

Walk me through your perfectly healthy sandwich generation life. How do you distinguish between what’s important to do very well versus okay?

A Registered Dietitian and Senior Resource Diva, April Fan, RD, CD, Founder of SeniorResourceCentral.com, is on a mission to educate baffled adult children who are currently caring for their own children as well as their aging parents. Her goal is to help these juggling caregivers discover how to take the confusion out of this daunting role. Tap into April’s personal and clinical experiences, proven resources, handy tips and sane ideas at http://www.SeniorResourceCentral.com.

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Is Caregiving taking over your life? Toby Donner shares a story about the challenges of Elder Care.

My intent was never to become a caregiver. I have always been a career girl, encouraged by my parents to be self-sufficient and independent. Never, they’d say, ever EVER would they lean on me in their old age. At the same time, I have always been a pleaser – wanting everyone to be happy and having a difficult time saying “no”. Lately, this combination has become toxic.

Last year my parent’s health began to decline. As they lived in another city, I was always dashing back and forth when I would receive a frantic “emergency” phone call. Yes, I’d be there. Yes, I would drop everything in this crisis. Yes, I’d cook. Yes, I’d call the doctors. Yes, yes, yes… As an only child, I had no other siblings to rely on. It became apparent that my parents were increasingly becoming less able to care for themselves and that they just didn’t want to try. My mother, in particular, suddenly went from being the one in charge to the one who had no interest in anything but her needs! When I hired help to come into their home, the cost quickly shot through the roof, close to $10,000 a month.

Soon it made more sense to move them closer to where I live. I selected a retirement home that had both independent and assisted living, which I thought would please my parents. It is a lovely place with lots of activities, transportation, beautiful surroundings and a seemingly caring staff. However, my parents refuse to use the transportation and participate in any activities except the nightly dinners provided in the dining room. I soon found myself doing their shopping, driving them to endless doctor’s appointments and such. Have I enabled them – yes? In my need to please, my life has turned into a nightmare, affecting myself, my work and my family life. Do I know how to extricate myself – no? No matter how hard I try to push them to take charge of any part of their own lives, they refuse to do so.

So what do I do? Refuse to take them anywhere? It is easy to say set boundaries, but much harder to follow through. When I try, they just sit there and don’t make any effort. Is there anyone out there who has or is going through the same experience? While I know I am responsible for creating my own hell, I am truly reaching out to you for help…..

Please visit www.girlfriendswithagingparents.com to join in the conversation, sharing experiences, wisdom & stories. Let Toby & Norma know what your concerns are, what’s on your mind!

Plastic Surgery for Seniors

Whether it’s because they want to maintain an edge in the job market, want to feel better about themselves, fit in with the crowd, land a younger romantic partner or simply laugh in the face of aging, more and more Americans over the age of 65 are opting for cosmetic surgery procedures. Once reserved for celebrities, the young and uber-rich, cosmetic surgery is gaining acceptance, even among the older generation. Cosmetic surgery becoming more common in older generation

Today’s elder generation has grown into adulthood in a world where news of local, everyday people having surgical procedures to make them look better is commonplace. Some television shows are dedicated solely to chronicling dozens of women undergoing multiple, extreme surgical enhancements to completely change their looks. Nearly every daytime and evening drama series has had a storyline involving a character undergoing a complete surgical transformation, whether to disguise their identity or to replicate the precise appearance of another person. (Creepy, we know, but it’s happened more than once.)

It’s just Botox. Why not?

Most commonly, seniors are opting for procedures that make them look younger, such as Botox or collagen injections, or even a face lift, which are generally regarded as more subtle procedures. Should it come as a surprise to us that seniors are embracing the opportunity to recapture or extend their youthful appearance?

Health and aging experts emphasize the benefits of living an active lifestyle well into our golden years. The longer we remain active, both physically and cognitively, the better our odds of avoiding chronic illness and staying healthy as we age. Regular exercise and a healthy diet can help us physiologically, but there are some things we simply can’t avoid in terms of physical appearance. We can avoid smoking, minimize exposure to harmful UV sun rays and even use daily moisturizer, but eventually, the wrinkles will start to surface. Unless, of course, you’re Demi Moore, in which case we suspect you struck a deal with the “Live Forever” goddess in that old movie Death Becomes Her.

So hey, why not? If you’re living a vibrant and active lifestyle and there are a few tweaks that would help you feel better about yourself, we say go for it. Our society is evolving. The ability to embrace change is a good thing, although it’s also perfectly acceptable to do your own thing. Active senior living means many things, including living life on your own terms.

Why would a senior opt for plastic surgery?

There are a few reasons seniors might opt for cosmetic surgery:

  • The belief that a younger appearance may be more marketable for employment
  • The desire to match the way you feel with the way you look
  • It’s something you’ve always wanted to do, but never had the means
  • A self-confidence boost

Whatever the reason for choosing cosmetic surgery, you should remain true to who you are. If you’re comfortable with yourself and don’t feel the need to change, don’t do it due to outside pressures. But if a few surgical adjustments will bring back your zest for life, who’s stopping you?

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It’s Done! Cool Smartphone Apps for Baby Boomers

The smartphone wielding baby boomer is not an uncommon sight these days.  Most of the boomers were in the pinnacle of their careers when cell phones became a mainstay and the evolution of the smartphone was simply a natural progression.

Today,  smartphones not only provide social interaction, news updates and text messaging, but may also prove to be a life-saving device.   According to prMAC, the recently released It’s Done! iPhone App was designed by Howard “AJ” Lester to help boomers who are beginning to have those “senior moments.”  Menial tasks like locking the door or brushing your teeth, along with potential life-altering tasks like taking medications or turning off the stove are now able to be completed with certainty.  With the It’s Done! app there is no more questioning as to whether or not you turned off the burner or fed the cat. New iPhone app for boomers aids daily taskkeeping

The downloadable app is available on multiple platforms including the iPhone, the iPad, and the iPod Touch. The customizable app provides reminders throughout the day like an electronic day planner.  For example, if medication is scheduled to be administered at 10am, a “Task Awaiting Completion” reminder will pop up a few minutes before 10.  Users simply mark their daily chores as done as they go through their day, providing a succinct, time-stamped list of complete tasks.

The It’s Done! app is already gaining a fan base.  The app is receiving the highest of ratings on iTunes.  One user wrote: “I cannot tell you how long I have been looking for an application just like this one. I have seen it in my mind many times and now it’s a reality…” Another wrote: “Very cool. It is great for daily use, especially remembering those small details.”

The It’s Done! app can also be used to help those who desire to age in place but have family that is unable to provide 24/7 supervision.  The app can provide setting which will email caregivers and loved ones updates.  If medication has been checked off, a quick text or email confirming that very detail is sent.  This provides peace of mind without being too intrusive.  No more worrisome phone calls or drop-ins just to double check.

The downside, the app is only available on Apple products for now.  The learning curve for the app is small, but the learning the curve for the device may be great for those who are not tech savvy.  These devices are much more complex than a standard cell phone and more costly too.  But, with a little practice their use becomes second nature.

“Everyone forgets whether they did something every now and then,” Lester said in the press release, “and, for those people, It’s Done! is a fun and handy app for confirming stuff is done. But, for baby boomers, short-term memory lapse can be a real problem. This simple app helps them solve that problem while creating peace of mind and improving their quality of life.”

Would you consider an app like this for yourself? For your loved one? Would it help with those senior moments or just be another constant reminder of your never ending to-do list.

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Advertisers Target the 55-Plus Consumer

It’s been long known that the baby boomers are the most prosperous of all the “labeled” generations. The 55-64 year old market is fast becoming the largest segment of the population, yet is often neglected by main stream media such as television.  In fact, they’re rapidly exiting the 18-24 or the 25-49 demos that advertisers so desperately want to attract, as even the youngest boomers (born in 1964) will turn 47 this year.Aging boomers cause advertising shift

But, things are about to change. According to a May 13th  article published in the New York Times, the boomer generation accounts for the lowest rate of unemployment and the highest median weekly income. These consumers are spending and they are spending more money than any other groups in areas such as home improvement, casual dining and cosmetics. Boomers say they plan to delay moving into assisted living and independent living communities as long as possible, leading many to make investments in home modifications for aging in place and technology that makes it safer to do so.

Long gone are the days of the medical alert bracelets and the “I’ve fallen and can’t get up,” slogan.  Today, non-traditional companies, like Sketchers, Kelloggs, 5-Hour Energy drink, are creating marketing campaigns that cater to the non-sedentary, healthy lifestyle of the older population.  In fact, Jeep has included text in its print campaign running in AARP’s bi-monthly magazine that reads, “The grandkids say I’m ‘really cool now’ but what they don’t know is I always was.”

The emerging 55-plus consumer is far more comfortable with technology than prior generations and won’t stand for a sacrifice in lifestyle trends should they choose to move to a retirement community. Boomers are just as likely to make purchases like high-definition TVs, iPads and smartphones as the often-targeted 18 to 24 demographic. Broadband internet service is a necessity for senior living providers seeking to attract the aging boomer population. Independent living facilities and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) must evolve with these changing demands in order to remain competitive.

A shift or a change in perspective?

But, is this really a shift? Or is it just a change in perspective?  Advertisers have been marketing to this same demographic for years, only now they are in age group that has always been considered less than optimal for such marketing campaigns.  Just a few years ago, most of these same boomers were in the prime demographics of parents, business executives, heads of households and decision makers.  They were the ones who were buying cars, electronics, and toys for their children.  They were the ones, before the economy faltered, who were going to restaurants, sending their children to college, buying new furniture.  Now, a few years later, with the economy still in turmoil, corporations may be realizing they have neglected the same group that has once helped boost their profits.

Television networks stay ahead of the game

So, with television’s new fall line-up including shows geared for an older audience, media campaigns are gearing up for a “new” demo. TV networks shift focus to 55-plus consumersPatricia McDonough, senior vice president for insights, analysis and policy for Nielsen, said, “35 to 64 is becoming a relatively common target now.”  This is probably due to the fact that the big broadcast networks are seeing a rise in the median age of their viewers. Each of the big four (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX) have seen their average viewer increase in age by three years since 2006.  Even shows like Fox’s “American Idol” which had long been considered a younger person’s show has seen an increase in median age from 32.1 to 47.2 over its 10 year run.

Be prepared this fall.  TV is about to do a 180.  Networks are going to be looking for shows that entice a much broader segment of the population. In fact, Alan Wurtzel, the president of research for NBC Universal, said he made the programmers in the company aware of the attractiveness of the 55-plus audience. He described it as “one of the things we look at when we look at pilots.”   The network has already renewed “Harry’s Law” with 62-year-old Kathy Bates and has ordered a new series, “Playboy,” a drama set in the 1960s.

This fall, it’s probable that you will be seeing more boomers on the small screen where silver is becoming the new gold.

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New Research on Baby Boomers Using Social Media

The New York Times reported on December 26, 2010 that while the 18 to 33 age demographic is still predominant among internet usage, older age demographics are rapidly catching up. Adults 45 and over more than doubled their social networking use in the period between December 2008 and May 2010, but the most surprising gain came from adults 74 years and older — this group quadrupled its social networking participation, with 16 percent of adults in this group now actively using social networking. Social networking among baby boomers

A similar report issued in November by AdvertisingAge points out another interesting piece of data: Baby Boomers who are caring for their aging parents are heavier internet users (among social networking sites like Facebook) than their non-caregiving counterparts. Laurel Kennedy, author of “The Daughter Trap” and president of Chicago-based consulting firm Age Lessons, estimates that approximately 15.5 million baby boomers are serving as caregivers out of the 78 million-strong boomer population.

The gender gap is nearly evenly split, with a slight edge towards women (60%, versus 40% men). This group spends an average of 150 minutes each month on social media and visits 70% more pages than the typical internet user. ComScore, which conducted research on behalf of Age Lessons, breaks down the top ten sites among Boomer Caregivers. It’s not surprising that Facebook leads the pack, with a 91 percent reach. Among some online retailer sites (Amazon.com, Target, WalMart), LinkedIn has a 37% reach and Twitter a 21% reach.

One interesting discovery from comScore’s research is that the online review site Yelp has a 30% reach among Boomer Caregivers, beating out Twitter. In our previous posts reporting on assisted living marketing and social networking use, Yelp never entered the conversation as a most-used site for either internet users or marketers. Could this be an untapped resource for senior housing marketers? Possibly, if boomers are using Yelp to read reviews of health and medical providers and not merely to decide what restaurant to visit that evening. Only more in-depth research could tell for sure, but it’s probably worth your time to monitor your presence on Yelp.

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Baby Boomers Concerned with Long-Term Care Insurance

The value of long-term care insurance is being widely touted in the senior living industry, especially after the CLASS Act implemented a voluntary long-term care savings account that can be made available through employers. However, few businesses have signed up to participate in the program, and other news in the long-term care insurance biz is spelling potential trouble for Baby Boomers and future generations. Saving for long-term care

MetLife, a major insurance carrier, announced earlier this month that they’ll no longer be offering long-term care insurance. Why? It turns out that selling long-term care insurance isn’t very profitable, so many other carriers are likely to follow suit after evaluating the bottom line. Long-term care insurance is meant to save families money when the need for long-term care arises by charging monthly premiums throughout a person’s lifetime; in exchange, the insurance provider pays all or part of the costs of assisted living, nursing homes, home health care, and sometimes respite care, adult day care, and hospice care.

Not only does long-term care insurance save families money, but it reduces strain on the Medicaid system, which picks up the slack to pay for care when an individual’s assets have been depleted. Currently, Medicaid accounts for nearly half (43%) of all nursing home funding, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (as reported by USA Today). But the same factors that make long-term care insurance so important are the very things that make it unprofitable for insurers: An aging population, rapid inflation of health-care costs, and increased longevity.

Boomers worry that they won’t be able to rely on an already strained Medicaid system to pay for care as they age, and Medicaid places limits on long-term care options anyway. According to USA Today, most Boomers say they’d prefer to age in place, but Medicaid typically doesn’t cover home health care. Furthermore, Medicaid doesn’t come into play until after a person’s assets are depleted — meaning many Boomers would have to spend down their hard-earned savings, leaving little to nothing to leave to their families.

The good news: It doesn’t appear that long-term care insurance is heading off  the map just yet, as many carriers are still offering options, including hybrid plans that can be cashed out if the need for long-term care never arises. Still, Boomers — and anyone purchasing a long-term care insurance plan — should choose wisely, plan for what they can afford, and consult an expert, if possible. For more information and tips on choosing long-term care insurance, visit Long Term Care Insurance and Long-Term Insurance: Planning for Your Future.

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