Archived Issue: January 2010

In This Issue

Plan for Long Term Care

Caring for Your Parents?

Understanding Dementia

Make Planning for Long Term Care Your New Year's Resolution This Year!

According to some sources, 60% of us will need long term care sometime during our lives. It is important for all of us to prepare for that day when we will need to help loved ones with elder care or we will need elder care for ourselves.

It is simply a fact of life to prepare financially for unexpected disasters by covering our homes, automobiles and health with insurance policies and to provide funding for our retirement. But no other life event can be as devastating to our lifestyle, finances and security as needing long term care.

Start planning for your future today.

Click here to learn more about planning for long term care.

Do you know if your parents need help?

We all want to support our senior loved ones' desire to live independently, even when we have concerns about their safety and well-being. But how do we know when it's time to step in?

Top areas to focus on when assessing the safety and well-being of a loved one:

• Physical & Mental Health
• Medication Use
• Daily Living Skills
• Home & Community Safety
• Support Systems
• Appearance & Hygiene
• Finances
• Interests & Lifestyles

Understanding Dementia

If you have a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia we have tips to help you get a better understanding of the disease. Dementia is a word used to describe the symptoms of many diseases and processes. Dementia itself is not a specific disease but a collection of symptoms.

Here are the top common symptoms of dementia:

• Memory Loss
• Loss of Reasoning
• Loss of Cognition, Thinking Skills
• Poor Judgment

This Senior Living Answer was published on January 1, 2010.