Grandparents have always played an essential role in bringing up children, but nowadays, more people rely on their parents to help them with their kids. The unconditional love of grandparents benefits children in many ways. A grandparent’s love and warmth creates a special bond between both generations. Most important, it gives them a feeling of comfort and security.
Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right? Phooey, it stinks! Forming and maintaining bonds with grandchildren long distance can be challenging and sometimes frustrating. Luckily, technology helps bridge the gap of physical distance.
The summer months provide the perfect opportunity to spend extra time with your grandchildren. Perhaps a week at Grandma and Grandpa’s house is something the children look forward to every year, but this summer, why not go on a little adventure? Road trips can create a whole new family experience, something the children will remember forever.
When seniors live alone, other people may have concerns about their physical or emotional welfare. Particularly if the senior has health problems or don’t live close by, a son or daughter may invite him or her to move in.
If you receive such an offer, ask yourself the following questions and take time to honestly and thoroughly answer each one before making a decision.
Usually, having to take full parental responsibility for your grandchildren or other children not your own comes with little warning. Grandparents often cartwheel into a world of child neglect and abuse, court proceedings and drug addiction they never knew existed. Grandparents need fast, accurate answers to their questions. In sorrow and love they take in the little refugees created by military deployment, fatal accidents, incarceration or mental illness. However, 80 percent to 90 percent of the cases where grandparents find....
Senior or Elder bullying is becoming a problem in the aging population. You may think your loved one is safe from such things, but it is being shown that bullying is becoming a problem in Senior Social and Living Communities. Elder Bullying and Elder Abuse are similar but are not the same thing. While Elder Abuse comes from someone in a position of power over the senior, Elder Bullying can come from senior peers as well, just as the children who are bullied at school.
Have you considered starting your own grandparent blog? Maintaining a blog can improve your life and skillsets in many unexpected ways. It will help you: Add Focus To Your Life. In the practical aspect, a blog becomes another (fun) responsibility in your life that needs caretaking and nurturing, but there is also a deeper aspect to a blog. Once you start writing about your life and the perspective that shapes it, you will become more intentional about who you are and who you are becoming.
With age, the body changes. Digestion isn’t as efficient. Your sense of taste may change due to medications or you may have problems chewing. A visit to the doctor will let you know you need to eat a balanced and healthy diet, combined with adequate exercise, and take other measures to age well.
If you’ve heard of the Rotary Club but don’t know any details about it, you’re probably not the only curious person reading this article. “Rotary is the largest and oldest service organization in the world with over 35,000 clubs internationally and 1.25 million members,” said Gerry Van Der Meer, president of the Rotary Club of Lexington. Rotary started over 100 years ago when several businessmen came together and decided to do some good in the world. Though the club was originally a men’s -
Though definitions and criteria vary, numerous studies of informal caregiving in the United States generally define a caregiver as an unpaid individual – spouse, partner, family member, friend or neighbor – who assists another person on a regular basis with activities of daily living and/or medical tasks. The caregiver feeds the care receiver if necessary. He or she helps the person dress each morning and undress and prepare for bed each night. A caregiver may help the care receiver use the bathroom.
Perhaps you, like many others, enjoyed playing ping pong, paddleball, racquet ball and even tennis earlier in life. Then as the years passed, those hips, legs, knees and shoulders gave way to aging. There is still hope for anyone Living Well 60+ in the golden years who wants to keep playing racquet sports, and it’s called pickleball. Pickleball combines elements of ping pong, badminton and tennis. In this game, two, three or four players use paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated polymer ball....
Provision Living prides itself on creating an inviting environment where residents can flourish in all these aspects of life. Provision Living’s vision is “to create a radiant organization where people are loved, inspired and thriving.” Its mission is to become “the best place a senior adult has ever lived.” “The one thing that differentiates us is our approach to taking care of our residents,” said Barry Brinegar, Community Relations Manager. “Provision Living is committed to having the best caregiver-
The main way most American families save for the future is through private retirement savings plans such as 401(k)s and IRAs. These plans offer the opportunity to designate a beneficiary upon the death of the account holder. These designations allow the account assets to bypass probate and pass directly to the named beneficiaries. Often, individuals make these decisions when initially setting up the account and never reconsider them.
More and more older people are returning to school these days than at any other time in history. Longer life-
A will is the legal declaration of what a person wants done with his or her possessions after his or her death. The person making the will is called the testator. Generally, though there are exceptions, the will must be in writing and must conform to the laws of the testator’s state and nation. Usually, but not necessarily, it is written by a lawyer and witnessed by a notary.
More people in their golden years are hitting the gym these days. It is important to find a gym that meets your standards and expectations – one that you like and feel comfortable going to. The experience at the gym makes or breaks membership and plays a large role in your motivation and willingness to exercise. Before you sign up for gym membership, tour the facility to see what it has to offer. A gym whose front desk staff greets you cheerfully and who enjoy their job will make you feel comfortable....
Health screenings can be lifesaving. “Any individual of any age does better taking care of themselves before they get ill, but sometimes that is unavoidable,” said Lydia Jacobs, aging program coordinator with the Bluegrass Area Agency on Aging and Independent Living. “For the most part, with annual checkups, vitamins, eating healthy, drinking plenty of water and just being aware of your body, you will do better.” What kinds of screenings should you have?
Falls a real danger for people entering their golden years. One minute Amanda was coming down the stairs in her home. The next minute, she was lying face down on the floor at the foot of the steps. She remembered the fall; she recalled scraping her nose on the rough pile of the carpet, getting a kind of a rug burn and hitting her head. She could not get up because her limbs were weak and useless. A neighbor discovered her and called 911.
Perhaps one of the most special gardens on earth is in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Keukenhof Gardens is the international independent showcase for the Dutch floricultural sector, with a special emphasis on flower bulbs. Keukenhof is considered the royal supplier of flowers. It has almost 100 exhibitors who give their very best range of floweing bulbs for display in the park. With these bulbs, the garden designer creates a special design for each exhibitor.
Are you afraid to give a gift of more than $14,000 in any one year because you will have to pay taxes? Are you confident that making the $14,000 annual gift will keep you Medicaid complaint? If you ask an adult American how much they can give away each year without paying taxes, most will automatically respond, “$14,000.” It has become almost a part of the American DNA.
When the first Grandparents as Parents (GAP) conference convened in Lexington 15 years ago, the pleasant facilities of the Fayette County Agricultural Extension office on Red Mile Place were roomy enough to accommodate the 100 or so people who attended. Times have changed. The 2017 Bluegrass Regional Grandparents and Relatives as Parents Conference has outgrown several previous venues and continues to grow.
All taxpayers dread it: the possibility of being audited. An audit is not as common a practice as you may believe. Kentucky Planning Partners found in 2015, the IRS audited 0.8 percent of all individual tax returns. The IRS defined an audit as a formal review of a tax return to ensure information is being reported according to current tax law and to verify the information itself is accurate. It does not necessarily mean you have done something wrong.
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is the most common name used to designate a significantly debilitating medical disorder or group of disorders generally defined by persistent fatigue. CFS is often accompanied by other specific symptoms that persist for at least six months, according to the Mayo Clinic. This disorder is known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), post-
While it is difficult to talk about end-
The loss of a child is one of the most devastating experiences a parent may face. You are not only losing a child; you are also losing a piece of yourself, and your future will be forever changed. Compassionate Friends is an organization that supports families that have lost a child. Its mission statement says: “When a child dies at any age, the family suffers intense pain and may feel hopeless and isolated. The Compassionate Friends provides highly personal comfort, hope and support to every family experiencing the death
As parents and other loved ones age, a prime concern is finding a place for them to live. Many senior housing options are available, forming a continuum of care that seeks to make the transition to each stage easy. You could choose to help your parents age in place in their own home, hiring home care personnel to help with daily living activities such as cooking, laundry, grocery shopping, taking medications and bathing. You might make modifications to the house, such as installing easy-
Nursing homes are inserting arbitration clauses into their admission contracts with more frequency. The Federal Arbitration Act (“Act”), 9 U.S.C. § 2, often questions the enforceability of such clauses. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that counsel advising nursing homes understand the laws applicable to the validity of arbitration clauses related to admission contracts and the finer nuances.....
Whether you are new to caregiving or have been at it for a while, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed and worried about your ability to handle all the responsibilities involved in looking after a person with a long-
The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation, has released its 2016 Scorecard on Local Health System Performance (LHSP). This is the foundation’s second evaluation; the first report was released in 2012. This year the scorecard measures changes in local area performance over recent years. For most localities, this is anywhere from 2011 to 2014.
Many relationships have their ups and downs. No relationship is perfect. It takes a lot of work to sustain a relationship, and having a partner with a mental illness can have a significant impact. The National Alliance of Mental Health (NAMI) (www.nami.org) defines mental illness as a condition that affects a person’s thinking, feelings or moods. If you are living with a mental illness and are already in a relationship, you may wonder whether you should tell your partner about your mental illness.
Ever have an idea for a new product or a solution to a problem? Most people do, but they don’t know what to do with their ideas. That’s where the Inventors Network KY comes in. The Inventors Network Kentucky is a 501c3 non-
The subject of near-
While it is difficult to talk about end-
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You can create your own game and play however it works for everyone, whether in real time or back and forth through texts. Sto-
TEENS
Too cool and “in the know” is the motto for this bunch. Brush up on Internet acronyms and emoticon meanings to impress your older grandchildren with your hipness and ability to “get it.” Again, if they have a gaming console you should get one, too, if possible. Apps teens might enjoy include Scoodle Jam, a free cooperative drawing app for ages 13 years and up. It provides 18 scene starters and a blank comic strip and allows you to create your own scene by selecting a photo. The app can also be used for homework help, planning a trip or designing a project together. Chess.com can help develop kids’ strategic thinking skills. They can ponder moves for days or play through. Word With Friends is a fun vocabulary-
Perhaps you and your grandchild(ren) can start a blog together. Take turns picking a topic and then both of you can write your take on it and post. It can provide a lot of insight into stages of life and also offer a non-
Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right? Phooey, it stinks! Forming and maintaining bonds with grandchildren long distance can be challenging and sometimes frustrating. Luckily, technology helps bridge the gap of physical distance.
If you haven’t already employed social media and other online tools for your relationships, you should. Whether it’s texts with smart phones, live video calls that allow for interaction and document or game sharing or other social media platform, try to come up with an activity or game that keeps the kid(s) participating and playing. This could be trivia or something else that suits their interests. If the grandchildren have a gaming console such as a Wii, Xbox or PlayStation, get one yourself so you can play video games together while voice chatting. You’ll be the coolest grandparent ever in their eyes.
There are so many wonderful apps and social media platforms available it would be impossible to mention them all. Here are some that can help keep your connections strong, no matter the distance.
YOUNGER GRANDCHILDREN
When it comes to younger children, interactive is the name of the game. Play games, draw and read stories together.
ANGELA S. HOOVER
Staff Writer May/Jun 2017
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BUILDING A LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR GRANDCHILDREN
Scoot & Doodle is a free drawing and sketching app that can be used in Google Hangouts. Drawpile is another free app that allows children to share their art masterpieces with anyone in their network. It’s interactive so the receiver can add color to a drawing or an audio recording before sending the piece back to the sender. Draw Something is a drawing game app for i-
ANGELA S. HOOVER
Angela S. Hoover is a Staff Writer for Living Well 60+ Magazine
more articles by Angela S. Hoover