Resources

Here’s a wide range of links to help you lead a better life!

  • Transportation Resource Guide for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities provides terrific information for people who need help getting from Point A to Point B.  As their opening page notes, “approximately 600,000 older adults give up driving each year. This transition can create challenges for aging or ill loved ones, making it harder for them to attend medical appointments, shop for necessities, visit family, or participate in social events. Consequently, this increased isolation negatively impacts their health and well-being.”

 

  • Employment Resources for People with Disabilities – offers dozens of tips for disabled people who are looking for work.  You’ll also learn about all kinds of federal laws pertaining to getting and maintaining a job, as well as step-by-step instructions for building a compelling resume.

 

  • Eye Health for Senior Citizens – gives you a thorough overview of issues affecting your eyes, including diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration.

 

  • A Parent’s Guide to Choosing the Best Sports Gear for Kids – This site has lots of great suggestions for what to look for when buying sports gear for your children to use.  From one of the opening paragraphs:  In the U.S. alone, kids and teens experience 3.5 million injuries a year participating in sports—the most common injuries being sprains and strains. Of course, a myriad of factors can cause these accidents, but equipping your child with the right sports gear can help protect them from trouble.

 

 

  • 30 Common Credit Card Scams for Vulnerable Adults focuses on what you should watch at for if you or someone you care for has Parkinson’s disease or some other kind of infirmity that makes you/them vulnerable to ruinous fiancial scams.  It includes suggestions for how to improve your credit card security, and steps you can take if you do become a victim.

 

  • A Guide on Becoming a Care Worker delves into the growing need for personal health attendants.  Working in care is rewarding, but it can be difficult to know where to start. Our guide will walk you through many different areas of social care, including the why’s, what’s and how’s.

 

  • Best Free Online Degrees for Seniors provides a terrific list of online courses and degree programs for senior citizens who want to sharpen their mental acuity, remain social, or just learn something new.

 

 

  • Senior Sex Guide: Maintaining Sexuality and Intimacy After 60: “The truth is, age doesn’t matter when it comes to sexuality. While the ability to perform sexual activities may decline along with physical changes brought by aging, many seniors are still enthusiastic about sex. In this article, readers will be able to dispel misconceptions about seniors and sexuality, learn about the normal sexuality changes as people age, how to deal with them, and how to regain one’s sexuality even after 60.”

 

 

 

 

  • MedicalAlert.com exists “to give seniors and their loved ones all the tools and information they need to find the best technology at reasonable prices, making sure that they get all the tools and features they need to live safe, connected lives as independently as possible.”

 

  • Carenity.com is a bilingual (English/French) site based in Europe and covering a host of medical issues, from Parkinson’s disease to heart disease.  It offers a wealth of information and has over 500,000 registered members.  Its site says, “Carenity is the first social network for people affected by a chronic disease.  Created in 2011, Carenity allows patients and their loved ones to share their experience, follow the evolution of their health and contribute to medical research through online surveys.”

 

 

  • Caring.com is a great site for older people (and concerned family members) who are looking for housing options such as assisted living or in-home care.  Just enter the zip code or the name of the town you’re interested in, and the site will show you available options.  A member of the Caring.com staff can also contact you to answer questions and guide you to additional resources.

 

  • 50 Safety Tips for Seniors, contributed by Katherine Nancy at the University of South Carolina in Beaufort, is an all-encompassing review of how to make your home (and car, and finances) safer.  It originally appeared in Caregiver Resources produced by Parentgiving.com.

 

  • Inheritance and IRA Guide is chock full of information about planning for and preparing your will, IRAs, and other financial end-of-life matters.
  • Help.org offers lots of useful information for people who are facing addiction issues – both drug addiction (medical and party drugs) and alcohol addiction.  It will help you understand your addiction better, and lists available rehab centers across the United States.
  • Paying for Senior Care will help you figure out a lot about finances as you become a senior citizen:  finding financial assistance and affordable care; understanding insurance benefits; and more, including long term eldercare.
  • 29 Best Assisted Living Facilities Near New York, NY gives you a thorough overview of assisted living in and near the Big Apple, delving into all sorts of issues, including financing, free resources, and assisted living laws and regulations for the New York area.
  • Fiscal Tiger helps you figure out how to afford and pay for health care.
  • About Assisted Living is written by a group of medical professionals, and is meant to serve as a resource for anyone looking for information on placing themselves or a loved-one into an assisted living or elder care facility.
  • Drug Rehab Connections provides unbiased information reviewed by medical experts so readers can make an informed decision on the next steps in their, or a loved one’s, drug rehabilitation journey.
  • Transportation Options for Older Adults thoroughly reviews what possibilities are open to you when you can no longer drive a car – and what questions you should consider when seeking out these options.
  • Home Modifications and Selling Your Home delves into the issue of making your current home more livable now that you have a disability.  It covers everything from adding grab bars in your bathroom to widening all doorways to accommodate wheelchairs.  Which home modifications increase the resale value, and which modifications hurt it?
  • Fall Prevention – no, this is not about delaying autumn and living in an endless summer, although that is a lovely idea!  It’s a National Council on Aging webpage with links to videos and other resources that train senior citizens – and their caregivers – in how to avoid falls, how to get over your fear of falling, and how to build your strength and balance so you’re less likely to fall.
  • Assistive Technology Buying Guide gives an extensive overview of products, equipment, and software programs that provide “someone with disabilities or physical limitations the ability to live independently, maintain functions or improve motor functions.”  It reviews everything from walkers and wheelchairs, to electronic devices and computer hardware/software.  And it explains how to save money when you buy these things.
  • Home Organization for Newly Disabled Seniors covers all the ways seniors can become disabled (various physical disabilities, mental disabilities, vision loss, hearing loss, chronic pain…) and offers a slew of resources and tips for each category.
  • Special Needs Seniors – Planning for Their Future looks at all the legal, medical and financial issues that special needs seniors – and their care givers – will face.  It provides links to government and service organizations that will help you understand and navigate private and public programs to make your life more manageable and less costly.
  • Legal Guide for Newly Disabled Seniors:  The title says it all:  “Newly Disabled?  Know Your Rights!”  It covers everything from hooking into Medicaid and Social Security Disability income, to safeguarding your medical rights and finances.
  • Button It – This company makes clothing that looks normal but uses cleverly-concealed magnets for buttons – allowing Parkies with shaking hands, as well as other folks who have problems with fine motor skills, to dress themselves in the morning.
  • Home Modifications for Specific Needs is an AARP set of suggestions for simple changes you can install in your home to make life easier if you’re challenged in some way.  Examples:  Replace round doorknobs with easier-to-use lever-style door handles.  Add lighting to closets.
  • Stretching Exercises for Seniors to Improve Mobility will help you remain limber…and without stretch marks!  “Stretching allows for greater movement in joints and improves posture. It also helps to release muscle tension and soreness, and reduces the risk of injury. Lastly, it may also help increase circulation, muscle control, and improve balance and coordination.“
  • Fire Prevention, Preparedness, and Recovery: Seniors makes some crucial points for senior citizens.  “Older adults over 54 are at higher risk for fire injury and death for a variety of reasons including slower reaction time, medication that slows them down, and the possibility they live alone and cannot be helped.”  How can you minimize your risk?  Click here to find out.
  • Senior Diabetes: Signs and Diagnosis.  Just because you have Parkinson’s disease, it doesn’t mean you can’t have additional medical issues.  Here’s an overview of what you should know about being a senior and possibly having diabetes.
  • 25 Easy Recipes for Senior Nutrition .  I’ll take the Crustless Spinach Pie.  Followed by the Greek Yogurt Parfait.  Although this also sounds good:  Pork, Apple and Miso Noodle Soup.

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  • The Boomer’s Ultimate Guide To Adding Value To Your Home.  This article is a huge, appealing wish list with lots of eye candy about how to increase the value of your home by making adjustments in the kitchen, bath, and elsewhere.  Enjoy the upgrades yourself, then reap the financial benefits when you finally sell and move to greener pastures!
  • Legal Resources and Considerations for Seniors and Persons with Special Needs.    “Both the disabled and the elderly population have specific rights that are protected by law. From the right to fair housing to the right to be protected from fraud and abuse, these are clearly outlined in the law…. Whether you are in one of these more vulnerable populations, or you are a caretaker who is caring for a disabled or elderly loved one, it’s critical to understand these legal concerns and the laws put in place to protect you.” 
  • Making the Move to Assisted Living.  “Is it time to make the move?” is just one of the many questions this site discusses.  It also sorts out the costs, explains the different kinds of facilities and care options, and talks about relying on your gut instincts.
  • Keeping Seniors Safe while Remodeling.  “This comprehensive guide has been designed to provide safety best practices for seniors, disabled adults, and their caregivers to help them safely navigate construction sites. Also, it outlines the ADA’s recommended construction zone safety standards. If a worst-case scenario occurs, and you or a loved one is injured in a construction zone, this guide also offers actionable advice for how to react and respond.”
  • Disaster Preparedness for Seniors.  “Don’t wait until the threat of disaster to look into these tools and resources. Even in normal daily life, they all provide value and protection.”
  • Advanced Care Planning.  “Making plans now for the care you want when you have a serious illness is called ‘advance care planning.’ Advance care planning helps you make your care decisions now and in the future. Planning involves learning about your illness and understanding your choices for treatments and care.”  This site includes many downloadable PDFs with titles such as “Advance Care Planning for Serious Illness” and “Caregivers and Serious Illness.”
  • Aging Veteran’s Guide to Planning for the Future.  “From buying a home to getting health insurance and planning for a stable financial future, today’s veterans have many opportunities available to them, and planning for the future requires knowledge of them.”
  • Elder Care Resources.  This site has resources and links for all sorts of useful information, from a list of federal websites, to fact sheets about adult day care, to brochures on brain health.
  • Senior Health and Wellness Guide.  Drugwatch is a resource where consumer safety comes first. Their mission is to keep seniors informed, healthy and safe when it comes to health concerns. Learn about the side effects, interactions and recalls that could be affecting you and your loved ones on this site. Topics like medication safety, risky procedures, and common conditions can be found on the site.