July is Senior Independence Month
Many people are afraid of the results of aging and
retirement. When you have lived a
self-sufficient and productive life, the last thing you want is to depend on
someone else; you want to be the same strong person in your elder years as you
were in your youth.
The most important thing you can do is embrace your age (and
all the benefits that come with it). There are many online resources you can use when you have an aging or
retirement hiccup.
Beginning Retirement
Your approaching retirement is cause for excitement and a
well-earned rest from the daily grind.
It also brings the need to look at your long term plan. Here are some websites that will start your
retirement off on the right track.
American Association
of Retired Persons (AARP)
Perhaps the most famous organization for retired people,
AARP is a well-rounded source of information for the complete retiree. Be careful, with all the helpful tips,
resources, pertinent articles and games, you might spend the rest of your
retirement years glued to this site!
Visit the AARP
ShareCare
This question and answer-based site is easy to navigate, and
chock full of information on issues to which you may have interest. If you are looking for an answer that is not
already on the site, you can submit one and get a an expert response.
ShareCare.com: Senior Health
Preparing for
Retirement
Thinking ahead is one of the most important things you can
do before your retirement. WebMD has
some great tips on what to think about.
WebMD: Retirement Planning
50 Tips for
Independence
Fans of tips sheets will love this blog talk radio article
of 50 quick ways to improve your independence in any stage of life.
Read 50 Tips for Independence
Being a Smart Senior
Every senior needs a blog that speaks to them. This regularly updated blog is a great source
of information for many senior needs.
Read Being a Smart Senior
Advanced Senior
Living
Seniors and
Depression
The combination of inactivity, living alone, lack of
socialization and many other parts of a typical senior life can lead to
depression. If you think you may be
depressed, or know a senior who is depressed, here are a few tips.
Learn more on SeniorLiving.com
Learn more on HelpGuide.com
Seniors and
Alcoholism
Suffering from alcoholism in elder age is not uncommon.
Learn more at Sober24.com.
Visit Sober24.com
Avoiding Fraud and
Scams
Unfortunately, the elderly are frequently targeted in
financial scams and various types of abuse.
Lately, the call against elder abuse has become louder. Whether you are a victims of abuse or want to
guard against it, here are a few websites for you.
Stop Senior Scams
FBI: Senior Frauds and Scams
National Center on Elder Abuse
Preparing for
Alzheimer’s
The possibility of having the beginning stages of
Alzheimer’s disease, or receiving a diagnosis is always jarring to the person
with this condition. While the future
may seem very bleak, you can still take charge of your life, and decide how
everything will be handled as your disease progresses.
MayoClinic: Preparing for Alzheimer's
WebMD: Alzheimer's Guide for Family Caregivers
HelpGuid.com: Alzheimer's, Dementia and Family Caregivers
Living Alone
After the children have families of their own, or after the
death of a spouse, you may join the many seniors who live alone. This can be difficult, especially when you
are used to companionship. Here are some
websites that will help you as you continue to live alone.
Living Alone After Retirement
Tips for Seniors Living Alone
Incontinence
As our bodies age, we have less and less control over
them. Incontinence can be embarrassing
and often unmanageable. Here are a few
tips to help you as you continue to live independently with incontinence.
Controlling Urinary Incontinence
The Types of Incontincence
Hoarding
A lifetime of memories can turn into an overabundance of
things. Some seniors live in unsanitary
or unsafe environments, simply because getting rid of things is too
difficult. Learn more about hoarding and
seniors here.
Senior Hoarding Issues
Medication
Taking medication is something you can control. It is hard to forget that you need to take
your medication, but it is easy to forget when to take it and your particular
dosage. Here’s a website that can help.
MyMedSchedule.com
Supporting Family Caregivers
We are excited to officially announce the Arms Around Family
Caregivers 2011 kickoff! Last year we gave your six references from four
different websites. This year we heard
your calls for more resources, and have many more sources to choose from for
family caregiving information.
General Family
Caregiving
Here is some general information about family caregiving, and
some great tips and tricks for you to take home to your loved one in need.
“Becoming a ‘parent
of your parent’ – an emotionally wrenching process”
This USA Today artiucle was published over three years ago,
but the story hold true today, and the number of family caregivers has
grown. For a story that you as a family
caregiver might identify with, read on.
Read this article in USA Today
Caregiving Supplies
When you are a family caregiver, items like wheel chairs,
instructional videos and other accessories are an everyday must. Whether you are gathering supplies for a
loved one or no longer have need for them, Sharing Store is a great place for
you.
Find Caregiving Supplies and Equipment
Caregiving Quizzes
Sometimes the best way to measure your activity as a family
caregiver is with a quiz. See how you
are doing with the quizzes “Is your Blow-Up Around the Corner?”, “It this
Normal?”, “Are you on Overload?”, and “How well do you Bounce Back?”.
Caregiving.com Quizzes
Oprah: The Stress Detector Test
Family Caregiving and
Cancer
The news that your loved one has cancer can be a shock. Dr. Phil has great tips on what to do when
you are the family caregiver of someone with cancer.
Dr. Phil: When Cancer Strikes the Family
Strength for Family
Caregivers
The Strength for Caring site has three sections that can
help you: “Just for Caregivers”, “Caring for Others” and “Connecting
Caregivers”, not to mention a Resource Center.
For lots and lots of great information, visit this website.
Strength for Caregiving
Specific Family Caregiving Topics
Caring for your
Parents
As your parents age, it is heartbreaking to see them have
more and more difficulty moving, remembering facts and caring for
themselves. Here are a few sites to help
you through this challenging experience.
Family Caregiver Support Groups
Aging Parents and Elder Care
Being Sandwiched
If you are caring for our parent s and your children
simultaneously, you are part of the “Sandwich Generation”.
Video: The Sandwich Generation
Time Management
One of the hardest things for family caregivers to find is
time. While working, caring for your loved
one, cooking, cleaning and often being involved on community events, time is a
precious resource. Learn more about time
management skills and how to develop them here.
Family Caregiver Time Management
Eating Quick, Eating
Right
Hand-in-hand with time management is making quick, easy and
nutritious meals for the whole family.
Cooking Light has some great recipes for you to use.
Quick and Healthy Cooking
Family Caregiving and
Your Siblings
When your parent is ill and you need help caring for them,
your siblings may be the first people you turn to for respite. What do you do when your siblings are
unwilling or unable to help you? Find
out with this article from the Family Caregiver Alliance
Maintaining Sibling Relationships
Caring for your
Spouse
Depending on your background, marriage ceremonies are
conducted differently. The one universal
element of marriage is that two people pledge to be there for each other – no
matter what. When you are a family
caregiver for your spouse, you know that you needs to be there “In sickness and
in health”, but you could use some support. Here’s a great website for you.
WellSpouse.org
Grieving
Part of family caregiving is saying goodbye to your loved
one after they have passed on. This site
offers advice and support as you grieve.
Grief Recovery
Honoring the "Veterans" of 9/11
We are honored to once again serve our nation’s veterans
through another comprehensive list of resources. We strive to support veterans of all ages and
their families. Please look at the list
below to find information that will help you, your veteran and your American
family.
In Memorial –
September 11, 2001
These resources are published in conjunction with the 10th
anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. These resources are for the families affected
by September 11.
Families of September, 11
9/11 Memorial
9/11 Families
The 9/11 Foundation
The Post- 9/11 GI-Bill
Veterans who served after 9/11 can benefit from this
educational and housing support from the government. To see if you qualify for the benefits
provided by the Post- 9/11 GI Bill, visit this website.
Understanding the Post 9/11 GI-Bill
The Caregivers and
Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010
This new act, signed into law on May 6, 2011, is a new
benefit for both family caregivers and veterans. With the help of this act, the
VA can use healthcare outside the VA system to serve more veterans, veterans in
rural areas will be better served, women veterans will receive better benefits,
and childcare will be given to injured veterans, among others.
Improving Health Care of Veterans
The 9/11 Blogger
Veterans Support
Foundation
This nonprofit organization provides educational and
humanitarian outreach to veterans throughout the nation. Find out more at this website.
Veterans Support Foundation
Veterans Support
Organization
This site is dedicated to “making a difference, one donation
at a time”. Veterans can request
housing, services or grants. Those
interested in supporting veterans can donate.
Veterans Support Organization
USA Veteran Support
The USA Veteran Support site helps veterans and their
families. Veterans can find VA hospitals
here. Dependents of veterans can receive
support, and veterans can make claims for benefits. These are also blogs to read and games to
play!
USA Veteran Support
Soldiers Angels
This organization assists injured soldiers, and attempts to
provide the medical care or supplies they may need.
Soldier Angels: Veterans Support
Purple Star Veterans
and Families
Transitioning from military to civilian life can be very
difficult for a veteran. This
organization helps you to adapt successfully.
Veterans and Families
Disabled American
Veterans
This nonprofit organization “builds better lives for
America’s disabled veterans”. They also provide support for disasters around
the country.
DAV.org
US Wounded Soldiers
Foundation
Injured soldiers and troops need medical and emotional care
as they rehabilitate.
The Wounded Soldiers Foundation
Operation Injured
Soldiers
Are you a wounded warrior who wants to play sports and
participate in your old hobbies again? Operation Injured Soldiers can help.
InjuredSoldiers.org
Wounded Warrior
Project
According to the Wounded Warrior Project, “the greatest
casualty is being forgotten”. Their
vision is “to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded
warriors”.
The Wounded Warrior Project
Coalition for Iraq
and Afghanistan Veterans
This organization helps veterans who have served in Iraq and
Afghanistan and their families.
The Coalition for Veterans
Veterans History
Project
Our soldiers are an important part of our history that
should not be forgotten. The Veterans
History Project preserves the memory of their courage.
The Veterans History Project
Memorial Day Concert
This site is dedicated to the 2011 Memorial Day Conert on
PBS. Though Memorial Day has passed, the
resources offered on this page are very beneficial.
Relive the PBS Memorial Day Concert
For Veterans of Wars Past
The brave veterans past wars deserve all the benefits
available. These sites will help them
find programs for them.
World War II
Social Security for WWII Veterans
Korean War
Korean War Veterans Association
Vietnam War
Vietnam Veterans of America
Gulf War
Gulf War Veterans Resources
