Remodeling a bathroom for someone who is aging in place is very different than one based on aesthetics or home value. If you or a loved one are remodeling with an eye toward future needs, there are some very important issues to consider before you start and as you’re going through the process.
From design, to safety, to ease of use, remodeling a bathroom will take time and effort, and there will be costs involved. But for anyone who wants to age in place it can be very worthwhile to have a bathroom that is comfortable and safe to use easily as needs change.
From something as simple as sensor lights to adding another bathroom, there are options and considerations for anyone who intends to stay in place. But without a clear picture of what you really want to do with your project, you may find that the costs continue to rise and the needed changes either don’t get completed or aren’t what you really expected. Changes have to be effective – and sometimes this means completely revamping an existing space to accommodate what’s needed in the future.
It’s not just your imagination. Gardening is good for your health. Science tells us “interacting with plants can increase self-esteem and reduce feelings of anger, sadness and stress.”
This article, published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution March 2022, explains the science behind the good feelings you get while gardening.
As the weather continues to warm up, many of us will find ourselves back outside pruning, planting and playing in green spaces. This is good news for our bodies and minds, as gardening offers some big benefits for both physical and mental health.
Gardening can help combat depression, anxiety and loneliness
We likely know from our own experiences that bright blooms and warm sun can be a powerful antidote to a less-than-stellar mood. Getting outside and playing with the dirt, mindfully tending to a plant and watching it grow from seed, gives us both a sense of peace and accomplishment that can keep anxiety and depression at bay.
But science backs this up too.
A study from Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension Service found that interacting with plants can increase self-esteem and reduce feelings of anger, sadness and stress. It also helps keep people in touch with their communities and creates socializing opportunities. All of these factors are critical for maintaining positive emotional health.
Working in a garden keeps the brain sharp
One study found that daily gardening may reduce the risk of dementia by up to 36%. A 2019 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Health also found that planting a vegetable garden can improve brain nerve growth factors related to memory, and can improve functioning in the hippocampus, which is critical for memory, and cortical regions of the brain.
Gardening also helps combat stress and low mood and increases feelings of joy and happiness, all of which contribute to a healthier, happier, more resilient brain.
(HealthDay News) — Imagine a closet filled with treasures accumulated during a lifetime of rich experiences. Now, imagine going into that closet to find one specific object.
Only maybe you get distracted by another, more enticing item from your past. Or you find the object you’re seeking but it’s intertwined with six similar items, and withdrawing the one will drag out the entire tangle.
That’s how an old person’s memory works, a new theory claims. Seniors struggle with memory not because they have trouble remembering things, but because their minds are too overloaded with a lifetime’s worth of memories.
“There’s this prevalent idea that older adults’ memories are kind of impoverished, or they have weak memories that do not contain a lot of information,” said Tarek Amer, a postdoctoral research fellow at Columbia and Harvard universities, and lead author of a new paper in Trends in Cognitive Sciences that explains this new theory.
“But based on a lot of evidence, we’re actually arguing the opposite. Older adults store too much information, so in a sense they have a harder time focusing their attention on one piece of target information and exclude all sorts of other distractions,” he added.
When anyone attempts to access a memory, their brain quickly sifts through everything stored in it to find the relevant information, Amer and his colleagues write.
Young people don’t have as much prior knowledge tucked away in their brains, so it’s easier for them to find the memory they’re seeking without being distracted by irrelevant recollections. But older people have to dig through a huge amount of prior knowledge when looking for a specific memory. It’s more difficult for older folks to suppress irrelevant reminiscences, and they often pull out a gob of other memories that are stuck to the one they sought, according to behavioral and brain imaging studies cited by the researchers.
“If you know five different people with the same first name — five different Johns, for example — and you’re trying to remember the last name for one of the Johns you know, all the different last names will come to mind and essentially interfere with your ability to remember the last name you’re trying to remember,” Amer said, citing an example.
While this has been presented as a weakness of the aging mind, Amer said that’s mainly a function of the recall tests that are commonly used in psychology labs to measure memory.
Looked at in another way, this brain clutter actually gives older people an advantage over younger people when it comes to tasks involving creativity or wisdom, Amer said. Because of the way memory tests are performed, there are plenty of studies supporting the idea that too much clutter in seniors’ minds causes worse memory performance, he said.
“What still needs more work to provide more evidence for this theory is the other end, showing that these types of cluttered or enriched memory representations in older adults might be beneficial in tasks we encounter in daily life,” Amer said.
For example, studies have shown that seniors outperform younger adults when asked to perform an “alternate uses task” — a psychological test in which they’re handed a common object like a hammer and asked to come up with outside-the-box uses for it.
“You can think of older adults as having this extra information that allow them to form these broad associations between diverse bits of information,” Amer said. “Older adults are forming these cluttered memories, but then once it’s actually time to use this extra information they can perform better on these creativity tasks.”
The new theory “makes sense to me,” said Aaron Bonner-Jackson, a neuropsychologist with the Cleveland Clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
“Older adult brains are casting a wider net on whatever they’re trying to do, and that can have good and bad consequences,” he said.
This helps explain why storytelling is so much fun for older folks, especially when it tends to ramble a bit, Bonner-Jackson said.
“They may be asked a question and then because they have so many associations, that might trigger an old memory or the name of a person or something they did in the past,” he said. “Reminiscing can be very pleasurable for older people, because they can often make associations with more things.”
It also shows what elderly people can bring to the table, in terms of using their life experience to come up with better solutions to some problems.
“Sometimes they bring in a lot more associations to whatever they’re doing than a younger adult might make, and I think absolutely this could be a source of creativity and wisdom that would give them an advantage,” Bonner-Jackson said.
The items that fill our homes can be cherished, but when those items start to get in the way, it may be time to clear clutter. If you care for your home and an aging loved one too, this can become even more complex.
We have signs to help you decide if your possessions are holding you or a loved one back from being organized. In both cases, we can easily become blind to the number of items we accumulate over time and grow accustomed to clutter being there. If you’re not sure you need to remove excess “stuff” from your living environment here are signs clutter has taken over and it’s time to get organized.
In Your Home
Streamlining in your home to save space will help you stop clutter from taking over your space. Each room should have designated spaces for everything that belongs in the room.
Signs you may have too much “stuff” in your home:
You planned to clear clutter and get organized for a while, but haven’t had time.
You have more clothing and shoes in your home than can be worn in a specific season and laundry has become overwhelming.
You have trouble finding items like keys or other daily essentials frequently.
You have multiple spaces where “stuff” consistently continues to accumulate.
You have a large amount of items connected to memories or emotions that have taken up too much space.
3 Tips to Start Getting Organized
Create a plan. Start the process by deciding which items are most meaningful to you and what you need for your family’s daily routine. Then identify heirlooms and keepsakes you are certain you want to keep.
Know your space. Understand the layout, limitations, and organization wishes for your home. Decide what you believe should comfortably be in each room.
Sort your items. Decide which items you want to donate or consider selling. Evaluate the best options to help you with that task.
In Your Loved One’s Home
Here’s a list of significant changes that could indicate your parents may currently or soon need additional support streamlining or professional decluttering help:
You observe stacks of unpaid bills or late notices.
Your loved one has trouble finding important or daily use items.
Changes in housekeeping that indicate parents are having trouble with clutter.
Clutter is causing numerous safety concerns in the home, such as covering heat and air conditioning ducts or trip and fall hazards.
Clutter is leading to issues with disorganized medications, spoiled food in the fridge, lack of healthy food items, infestations or mold.
3 Tips to Help Loved One’s Streamline
Help your loved one get rid of items that belong to other people. Have they held on to your childhood furniture and keepsakes or stored items for family and friends? If your answer is yes, start clearing those items.
Dispose of broken and outdated items. In most cases, broken items are no longer useful or functional, but a hazard. Be sure to discard these items to clear room as well as for safety.
Be patient and prioritize the well-being of everyone involved. In a world driven by immediacy, we often want instant results. Remember this is a process that works best with a plan and lots of patience. If the task exceeds what you comfortably do, experts like those at Caring Transitions can help.
If these signs describe your home or your loved one’s home, it’s time to reclaim your space and get organized! This can be an overwhelming task, but you don’t have to do it alone. Experts at Caring Transitions can help you clear space. Learn more by contacting Mike DeLeon at Caring Transitions of Northeast Atlanta – mdeleon@caringtransitions.com.
Here are a few tips from the experts to help you create a plan that can help you manage a move for an older adult.
Don’t make seniors feel guilty. Avoid saying things like “Why did you hold on to this for so many years?” while sorting through belongings. Statements like this can cause stress and make seniors feel like a burden.
Save photo albums for LAST. They can surface too many memories at once, which slows the process and triggers waves of emotions.
Set a timer. Grab a kitchen timer or your phone and set it for one hour. Take a break once that hour is up.
Color-code with Post-It Notes. Seniors have a tough time reading small writing. Color-code with post-it notes so PINK is pack, GREEN is sell, and BLUE is give away.
Bring a door stopper. Doors get in the way, especially for older folks. Bring door stoppers to prop doors open to allow for easy room access for Grandma, and for large boxes and furniture.
Consider online platforms for estate sales. Most seniors are not internet savvy, but their children/grandchildren usually are. There are many online estate platforms like CTBIDS.com, that sell everything online as buyers bid. No in-person estate sales with strangers walking through the home and haggling over prices. The online estate sale platform handles it all, allowing the family to make money from hidden treasures around the home. Best Sellers: Electronics, jewelry, collectibles, and durable medical equipment. Items That May Not Sell Well: Large off-trend furniture, off-trend or well-worn clothes and kitchen utensils.
Keep a schedule. Many seniors like a routine and stress if it’s altered. If the senior goes to bed at 10pm every night, don’t try to keep packing late at night.
Caring Transitions® takes steps to train and screen every employee and has developed estate sale standards that uphold the values of integrity and honesty for over 10 years. Since many of our clients are older adults, each of our offices are independently certified to support a “senior move” and help mitigate the effects of stress, health and common cognitive issues which are frequently challenges for late life relocations. In Atlanta, contact Caring Transitions’ Mike DeLeon – mdeleon@caringtransitions.com.
As COVID restrictions begin to lift, more families have the chance to travel to see parents or aging loved ones. If you are visiting with family and notice changes in mom or dad’s health after time apart or only virtual visits, it may be time to have conversations about a healthy aging plan.
Often times family members hesitate to talk with their aging parents about common topics of concern such as changes to health, transportation, home care, legal and financial issues as well as retirement housing. These are important topics that can’t be ignored but may be uncomfortable to discuss. Despite any differences in age or understanding, on the most basic level, we all want to feel loved.
What changes may indicate additional support is needed?
Difficulty keeping up with finances. Observe stacks of unpaid bills or late notices.
Changes in personal hygiene or housekeeping that indicate parents are having trouble with personal grooming or housework.
Your parent repeats themselves often in the same conversation, seems confused, highly emotional or exhibits unusual paranoia. This could be caused by medications or other more serious cognitive issues.
Excessive shopping through TV or online outlets, or an unusual interest in online sweepstakes that require their personal information, phone numbers, addresses, social security or banking information.
Your parent is extremely isolated due to loss of a spouse or loss of personal mobility.
Numerous safety concerns in the home, such as heat, air conditioning, leaks, crumbling plaster, trip and fall hazards, steep stairways, loose carpeting and outdated electrical.
Health concerns: disorganized medications, spoiled food in the home, lack of healthy food items, infestations or mold.
Don’t feel discouraged if you notice any of these changes. It is much better to have these important conversations sooner rather than later. It is often too late to make informed decisions or be sensitive to everyone’s point of view once a personal or medical crisis occurs. Decisions that could have been made in advance end up being made in a rush; resulting in regret, remorse and unnecessary expense.
How can I communicate openly in a caring and loving way?
Be Attentive – Take the time to create a calm and quiet environment for conversation, especially important conversations. Making sure there is a reduction in distractions will help keep the conversation focused. Remember to pay close attention to what’s being said to ease tension, give comfort, and maintain trust.
Be Understanding – There are often feelings of confusion and loss that come along with discussing changes in care or moving to a new place. Being empathetic is the first step to truly being open to what is being communicated.
Be Aware of Body Language – Body Language communicates beyond words and surpasses the barrier of understanding. It is important to maintain eye contact, a relaxed posture, as well as smile genuinely and often. Emotions can often be “felt” through body language and nonverbal cues.
Be Patient – Remember to take the conversation one moment at a time. This can be done by keeping the discussion simple and willingly repeating information. Allow for time to process the conversation without rushing the moment. This can help reduce anxiety and uncertainty.
Be Calm – Your conversation may be difficult or unwelcome and this could be a source of frustration for both you and your loved ones. Maintain a calming tone and body language to keep the conversation healthy. Be sure to listen and acknowledge emotions, like fear, anger, and anguish in a loving way.
Focus on the benefits of a creating a healthy aging plan.
Difficult or complex conversations are not always easy. Oftentimes people feel it’s easy to avoid difficult communications regarding health concerns because they may not want to face the fact their parents or loved ones are getting older. They may also feel that asking too many “prying” questions could jeopardize good relationships. On the other hand, they may also wish to avoid the additional responsibilities that are sure to surface as care issues are discovered.
Prioritize taking this time to enjoy each other’s company and have caring conversations. Taking the time to visit more often isn’t always possible during these difficult and uncertain times, so make the most of the moments you have in person. Your family will benefit from increased clarity and decreased conflict as they gain a sense of comfort knowing they are respecting their parents’ decisions and values. Frequent communication promotes honest conversation and can help you adjust to the many changes that take place as parents grow older.
When it comes to aging in place, there are a variety of resources available to provide support for seniors. However, many people are unsure about differences between services, especially when it comes to medical and non-medical in-home care. Both provide support in the home, but they serve different purposes.
Medical Home Care
This type of care is often recommended for seniors who need medical assistance following an illness or injury, when coming home from the hospital, or when managing chronic conditions. Care is provided by a nurse or other licensed medical professional.
Home health care may include services such as:
Medication administration including IV infusions or injections
Pain management
Care for tracheotomies, catheters, feeding tubes, or ventilators
Wound care
Post-operative rehabilitation
It is prescribed by a doctor and allows seniors to recover in the comfort of their own homes more safely and effectively. The home health provider ensures they are following the established treatment plan and can identify potential problems or complications.
Non-Medical Home Care
This type of care focuses on supporting seniors with activities of daily living and maintaining their independence. It does not require a doctor’s order and can be scheduled for a few hours a week or several hours per day depending on the individual’s needs.
Non-medical in-home care may include services such as:
Light housekeeping
Meal preparation
Bathing, dressing, or toileting
Assistance with errands
Escorting on outings
Medication reminders
Nighttime and wake-up routines
Companionship
Respite care
Caregivers tailor care to each senior’s unique needs, allowing them to function independently as much as possible while offering the appropriate level of support. They can also spend time with aging adults reminiscing, playing games, or discussing current events to provide socialization and companionship to reduce loneliness and isolation. However, they do not offer direct medical care.
The holiday season is over and many people area are now left with a sobering realization that loved ones they hadn’t seen in more than a year need help. The warning signs that can be masked by distance like hygiene, trouble standing, and stacks of unpaid bills became obvious as families reunited with aging parents over the last few weeks.
Now adult children are left with difficult questions about what to do next. Should we move mom to a senior community? Does dad need a caregiver? Is it time to downsize to a smaller home?
#1 Is it time? The first step is to figure out if this is the right time to begin the transition to a smaller and more manageable home or assisted living. Here are a few questions you can ask:
Did you notice a change in hygiene? Did she appear to have clean hair? Did he suddenly start growing an unkempt beard? Was there a noticeable and uncharacteristic body odor?
Were there expired items in the refrigerator? This could mean your loved one isn’t eating enough and isn’t paying attention to basic health and safety.
Are there stacks of unpaid bills? Stacks of unpaid bills can cause financial problems for an aging parent and are a major sign he or she can no longer keep up.
Did your loved one struggle to get around the home? If you noticed trouble getting in or out of chairs, a slow shuffling pace or frequent stumbling, it’s time to consider a home that is more suited to a senior’s needs.
Did you witness a lack of interest in hobbies? Maybe your mother is an avid piano player and you noticed the piano covered in dust. Perhaps your father loves to read, but you didn’t see a book by his bedside. These are signs your loved one’s zest for life is slipping.
#2 Consider your options. The second step is to research different strategies with other family members to find a good fit.
It’s time to downsize. Your parent may not need help with daily living, but you have noticed they struggle to keep their large home clean and the grass mowed. This is a great opportunity to discuss moving to a smaller house or even a condo.
It’s time for in-home help. Your loved one could benefit from an in-home caregiver who can assist with light housework, bathing and daily living
A fulltime care facility is the best option. Your loved one is struggling with all aspects of life from home upkeep to bathing. It’s time to move him to a fulltime care facility.
#3 Plan a move. Moving is listed as one of the most stressful events in a person’s life and it becomes even more stressful if that person has lived in the home for decades.
Sort first. Pack later. The hardest part of the move is taking that first step. Help your loved one sort through what to keep, donate and throw away. Each can be labeled with a simple color-coded post-It note.
Set a manageable schedule. Don’t expect your aging parent to work on this move late into the evening hours. Try to keep as close to their normal routine as possible.
Limit the emotion. Save photo albums for late in the process. Trips down memory lane can cause increased angst and regret about the pending move.
Hire someone to help. Downsizing companies like Caring Transitions are specially trained to assist with these kinds of moves. Experts can help ease the stress, streamline the process and speed up the move.
If you’re looking for helping with a cleanout, downsizing, packing/unpacking or liquidating an estate, you can contact Caring Transitions’ Mike DeLeon at mdeleon@caringtransitions.com.
If you are an older retiree and have been overwhelmed lately with managing your financial accounts, it might be time to consider hiring a Daily Money Manager (DMM). A DMM is a cost-effective way to help keep your financial life in order by hiring a professional to help you keep track of paying your bills on time, balancing your check book, handling insurance matters and providing tax documents to your accountant. Depending on where you live, costs can range between $75 to $150 an hour and some even charge a monthly retainer instead of an hourly fee.
Atlanta Seniors Real Estate caught up with Barbara Scurry, founder of Senior Partners. Barbara has been a DMM for 6 years and 10 years in geriatric health care/ marketing.
“I’ll share with you the story of Dorothy, a client of mine for almost four years. Dorothy was 79 years old when I started working with her. She never married, had no children, siblings, or other relatives with which she associated and she lived in an assisted-living facility (ALF).She was highly educated and detail-oriented but had stopped paying her bills and was showing early signs of cognitive decline. When I started working with Dorothy, I had great concern that she would run out of money within 12 to 18 months.”
Saving and finding money
Scurry said, “I began basic daily money management services, including opening and sorting her mail, making calls to outside vendors on her behalf, and organizing her files. But I got involved with her life issues as well and quickly realized she was not getting the care she needed (and was paying for) at the ALF where she was living. I helped her find a new ALF that saved her $2,500 per month in living expenses.”
Dorothy was also missing stock certificates that were about to be turned over to the state of Georgia, “one evening, as I was going through some old papers I finally found them! When we deposited those certificates, they ended up being worth more than $125,000! That money helped take care of her needs for the next three and a half years!”
Help with moving
Scurry even advised Dorothy on moving, a service perfectly aligned with the real estate transition services provided by Atlanta Seniors Real Estate Team.
“I referred her to a professional move management company and coordinated their services to get her packed, moved, and unpacked at her new location.”
If you need the services of a Daily Money Manager, a great place to learn more about this unique service and find a professional is with the American Association of Daily Money Managers.
If you or your senior parent(s) are ready to buy or sell real estate in Georgia, be sure to contact to help make the transition as smooth as possible.
Resources
Senior Partners. AARP
American Association of Daily Money Managers
Is it time to move to a larger or smaller space? Whether choosing to move now or later, you should start asking the right questions today.
Here’s how to tell if you should move to a larger space:
You need to make room for aging parents or relatives who cannot afford to age in place or an elder care facility
You must make room for returning children
Your home is overflowing with furniture and miscellaneous items that have no place to go
You are running out of storage space
How to tell if you should move to a smaller space:
You or your partner has health complications that are not suited for the current layout of your residence
The thought of caring for your yard, multiple bedrooms, or general upkeep seems stressful
Moving could save you money in retirement
Your home has lots of space that is never used
A few other factors to consider before deciding to rightsize:
You’ve decided to move closer to children or grandchildren to make new memories with family
As your wants and wishes change, your neighborhood may no longer provide what you need
Your home no longer appeals to you and you are not in the position to nor desire to remodel
Selling your home could yield exponential financial benefits
Rightsizing can be new, exciting, and in some cases frightening. Considering the tips on this list can give you a great head start. Your next best option is to contact a Seniors Real Estate Specialist who will help you work out a plan of action and time frame best suited to your needs.
For Full Article of questions and video to help you when it comes to relocating Click Here Source: Lisa Haskell, Owner of Caring Transitions of Central Gwinnett Click here to contact them.
This specially-designated REALTOR can save the children of seniors a lot of time when their parents need to downsize
Not just limited to Conyers but all around Atlanta, many older adults who own homes eventually get to a point where their home no longer accommodates them as it was originally intended. They may no longer need the size of the home, be physically able to take care of the home or can afford the cost of maintaining the home. In too many cases, health challenges compress the time needed to plan for a housing transition, find a new home or other living arrangements and/or sell their current home.
The Challenge
The adult children will find there’s a plethora of resources, housing options and price points to consider, so finding a residence that is the perfect mix of warmth and proximity to health care providers and facilities while being functionally adequate for the challenges of aging means much time and effort is involved in considering all the options. Senior-specific financial and real estate considerations often must be handled by the children of seniors, while juggling their own careers and family life.
The Solution
If your aging parent or other loved-one needs to downsize or find a residence better suited for them, a SRES®-designated REALTOR is best trained to handle your loved-one’s real estate needs. They can sift through the options and present them to your parents, saving you a lot of legwork and time.
“The challenge is that ‘many adult children of baby boomers’ rarely have the time that is needed to gather all the necessary information about the services that would be helpful to their parent. This means the parent often remains in their ‘ineffective’ situation for longer. But also, connected to this, is that often the adult child is trying to show the parent that it may be best if they no longer live in the family home that has functional issues relating to the parents’ current health conditions or lifestyle needs. The other challenge is for the adult child to find and provide solid information to parents without making the parents feel as though their child is ‘babying’ them or trying to take over. Seniors Real Estate Specialists like me can help with all of this.”
To be experienced in serving this demographic, the REALTOR® must pass the National Association of REALTORS-designed course. Earning the SRES® designation means the REALTOR® specializes in the needs of clients aged 50 and over who are buying and selling real estate.
SRES®-designated REALTORS® are knowledgeable about these things and will save you time by finding reputable services or handling them for you:
Senior housing options and locations
Move Management Coordinators
Counseling strategies to help in life transition planning
Remodel/Renovation contractors in case they wish to age in place
Factors and trends in housing, retirement income and finance specific to those 50 and over
Identifying and protecting seniors from finance, mortgage and loan scams that target this demographic
Aware of Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA), senior communities and housing restrictions
Advisers for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages, Reverse mortgages, 401k accounts, IRAs and pensions as part of wealth management and to assist in real estate transactions
Protecting a parent or senior loved-one from losing access to Medicaid, Medicare, VA or Social Security benefits when selling their real estate
SRES® REALTORS® also have partners in the Senior Care Market who help make the transition to a new home as easy as possible for all concerned. Kaye Ginsberg, founder of , a full service seniors relocation partner, explains:
“Senior Move Managers take the stress out of moving. We work together with the senior and their family to decide which belongings will go to the new home, then work with them to manage what to do with the rest (sell, donate or dispose). We coordinate packing and moving and then completely unpack the new home; including hanging pictures and making the beds.”
Ginsberg said, “The first step is for the senior to identify what they will take with them and what they would like family members to have – and that’s the hard part. This is the first time in history that we have two generations downsizing at once – and none of the “children” want any of their parents’ belongings. Which means that many items like china, crystal and silver are not holding up in value for re-sale. Perhaps it would be better to focus on what I like to call ‘Doing Good While Downsizing’. Why not donate items to a local charity who will make sure your items go to people in need who will appreciate them?”
Ginsberg says it’s good to strategize early: “It’s never too early to start thinking about the future. Even if you’re not ready to move now, it is wise to know what your home is worth and what other housing options are available for you. And it is certainly never too early to start thinking about what you want to do with your lifetime accumulation of possessions.”
The Cards For The Elderly campaign has been running since 2015 in partnership with Christ Advocates For the Elderly also known as C.A.F.E.org. The idea came about during a conversation about doing something for seniors during the holiday season.
The inspiration was my own 70 year old mother who lives in England. I had sent her a birthday card, which she determined was highly worthy of telling her church friends and the pastor about. After she had bragged about her loving daughter who had sent her this beautiful card, the Pastor of her church mentioned it during his ceremony and asked my mother to bring the card to him, which he then read to the entire church as an example of how simple it is to give love and how greatly an affect it can have on the receiver and that his church members should do more simple gestures just like sending a greeting card.
I shared the idea in a meeting with other Senior Providers and they all wanted to help by contributing cards from their families. The first year we collected a little over 100 cards, all signed with a message “to a friend”. Children sent cards. a couple of artists sent a bunch of hand made cards, regular Christmas cards were sent, holiday or friendship cards were received too.
For the first couple of years, two of us dressed in our Christmas attire, went to Remington House Senior Living community in Conyers, GA, to deliver all 100+ cards. We handed them to the residents who we met while walking around, some were placed on tables in the dinning area and the balance were placed in a basket in the common area.
Just a few years later, we have involvement from the Girl Scouts of Conyers (club 17015), who are supporting the campaign in a very special way.
First, the Girl Scouts and a host of other volunteers are knitting TwiddleMuffs to be given as gifts along with the cards. Twiddlemuffs are known to be very effective for people living with dementia or Alzheimer’s because it is something to “twiddle” or fidget with and has a calming effect for the person holding it. Each Twiddlemuff has different textures, a warm and cozy feeling and gadgets to twiddle – apparently they add to the quality of life as they keep the brain active and stimulated. You can learn more here.
Second, the Girl Scouts group will join Dawn from C.A.F.E and myself to deliver the #Cards4Elderly directly to the seniors living in a couple of Conyers Senior Living and Memory Care Communities. We know that people don’t always have their grandchildren living near by, so the girls will provide much joy as they interact with the residents and give them a gift. Inter-generational interaction is also a fulfilling activity for both young and older groups.
Dawn, the founder of C.A.F.E.org found a Twiddlemuff pattern when searching online for a muff crochet pattern for her 78 year old father who has Neuropathy in his fingers, which means his hands are always cold. After seeing him use a heating pad to keep his fingers warm she searched for muffs and came across a site that spoke about Twiddle Muffs for Dementia and Alzheimer patients. Inspired, she set about making the connection with others who could help to crochet as many Twiddle Muffs as we receive in holiday cards – not just for those with cold fingers – we now have gifts to share with seniors and memory care residents of senior living communities.
Our #Cards4Elderly campaign runs for 2-3 months leading up to the Christmas holiday and we deliver cards and Twiddle Muff gifts to the communities during the week of Christmas.
Please support our small act of kindness by sending a card to:
If you or a loved one have recently been diagnosed with a visual impairment, you’re probably thinking about ways to improve and modify a living space to make a home safe and comfortable. It can be overwhelming at first, but the key is to start small and work your way up. Sit down and make a list of any daily activities and how they’ll need to change; for instance, voice software that will aid with working on a computer.
You’ll need to do your best to add up all the expenses you expect to incur. You might find that moving will end up being the best option. At least add up the potential costs of moving, and compare. It’s important to think about function and safety over anything else. Here are a few tips on how to create a safe living space that will work well for you or your loved one.
Look at your lighting
The lighting in your home is extremely important. Natural light is usually preferable to individuals who have a visual impairment, but it will be necessary to have another means of lighting dark corners, closets, stairways, and the places you spend the most time.
Be careful about lighting that creates glare as certain types of flooring can become very shiny under bright lights and might create a fall hazard.
Make important things easier to find
It will be very helpful to mark important things–such as the thermostat, the knobs on the oven, and the edges of stairs–with brightly colored tape. Color and texture are extremely useful for people living with a visual impairment, so wrapping your toothbrush with a rubber band might help you differentiate between yours and the ones belonging to your spouse or other family member.
Clear clutter
Your home needs to be safe first and foremost, so clear out any clutter in the main living and walking areas. Don’t forget to either remove throw rugs or tack them down to the floor so the corners don’t turn up and create trip hazards.
Use color
Contrasting colors are extremely helpful for the vision impaired, so consider painting the walls behind appliances and around light switches a bright color to make things easier. This is an especially helpful tip for the bathroom, where walls and appliances are likely to be white and blend in with one another.
Get organized
Organize the pantry, closets, and cupboards and use a braille label maker to make small or similar items easy to find. Group like items together in a way that will make sense to you and memorize the groupings.
Think about safety
Disabilities of any kind require a new way of thinking about safety, so it’s important to think ahead and make sure smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers are in proper working order and in every room. It might also provide you with a bigger sense of safety to have a security system installed with a loud alarm.
Consider these factors and how you can either incorporate them into your current living environment. If moving might be a better option, try to see what you can find on the market that covers at least some of this. Chances are, you’ll still need to adjust, but investigate all your options, because doing so can make a huge difference when it comes to how much it’s all going to cost.
Guest writer, Jim Vogel, at
If your senior parent or other loved-one needs to find a residence better suited for them, a SRES®-designated REALTOR is best trained to handle their real estate needs. ready to assist you or your parents to make this a smooth process.
The holiday season is over and many people area are now left with a sobering realization that loved ones they hadn’t seen in more than a year need help. The warning signs that can be masked by distance like hygiene, trouble standing, and stacks of unpaid bills became obvious as families reunited with aging parents over the last few weeks.
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