As our loved ones age and enter their golden years, one subject becomes increasingly important – their housing situation.  There are many housing options for older adults, but two of the main paths families choose are independent living and assisted living. It is essential to know the difference between the two so you and your […]

Life is full of transitions. From a child’s first day of school to the launching of a young adult’s career to an older adult’s retirement party, these planned transitions can be filled with anticipation and excitement. Life often delivers unexpected transitions, too.  A natural disaster, a medical emergency, the loss of a job; these situations […]

As we grow older, times inevitably change. With that change comes retirement. Some may avoid retirement because they still feel a sense of purpose with their career and may love what they do. In fact, they may have been working so long that they don’t know what life is like without their work. Others may […]

It is wonderful to look forward in the New Year to all the coming excitement and opportunities that lie ahead. This is especially meaningful for me, as I have recently hung up my spurs as a clinical neurologist. I immensely enjoyed my practice—the research and the relationships with my patients and colleagues—but, after five years, […]

Paul Stout, a man who lives in a small southern Missouri town, mows his own lawn as well as his elderly neighbor’s lawn every two weeks. He always takes the stairs when given the opportunity, every morning he walks around his block fifteen times and at family dinners he is the first to make a […]

There are a lot of surprises that people encounter when searching for a senior housing provider. Here are the top four things that most consumers or caregivers don’t know before looking for housing for older adults:   1.     You will probably be paying out of pocket for your care. Being on Medicare won’t help you pay for […]

As your loved one’s or even your own age begins to creep closer and closer to the years in which restricted mobility becomes a stressful topic, the top concern is safety. You begin to feel like you should always be right next to them, and in reality they probably don’t want you to be! The […]

It can be a daunting task to move into a new community.  For those who are moving to independent living or a CCRC, having time to plan the move can help ease the transition to retirement living. Before I go any further, let me point out that it does not take a year to move […]

  If you have a strong religious preference and want to be around other seniors who share your faith, then you might look for a retirement community that is affiliated with or sponsored by your religious denomination: Most communities welcome all faiths. As you might expect, retirement communities make more money by not limiting their residents to […]

I get asked all the time if there are things that someone should watch for during their visits to senior housing facilities.  While some communities can hide poor management or bad staffing, it’s very likely that you’ll notice some signs if there are any.  Here are the top things to watch for during your visit: […]