Plan Ahead for "Aging in Place"

The MetLife Mature Market Institute has published a report called "Aging in Place 2.0: Rethinking Solutions to the Home Care Challenge".  "Aging in Place" means using care services to stay in your own home as you age, rather than using institutional care. This report provides a model which "... promises to use integrated home design, tools, equipment, services, and technologies to house and care for more people less expensively, more efficiently, and with more dignity" (p.4).  Aspects of the model include:

• technology (devices and sensors to connect the older adult with the outside world) - such as emergency response systems and tele-health.
• community resources - social support such as Senior Centers and Adult Day Care Centers.
• transportation for older people who can no longer drive
• modifying the home so that it is safer and more senior-friendly.

The report then describes specific home modifications which can help people to "Age in Place".  It also gives a range of expected costs for these modifications.  It is a very  useful primer on how to prepare your home and how much it may cost.  Please click here for the full report.

MetLife has also published  a supplement to this report, called the "Aging in Place Workbook: Your Home as a Care Setting".  This workbook has worksheets to help individuals and/or their caregivers to plan every aspect of "aging in place".  This is an excellent planning tool and you can download it here.

Senior Safety Phone Project

Old Cell Phones Can Be Lifeline for Seniors!

Please donate your old cell phones to the Senior Safety Phone Project, which provides seniors in Pinellas and Pasco counties with free emergency cell phones. The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco – Pinellas collects donated cell phones, tests and charges the phones, and then distributes them to seniors in the community. For a full list of the donation and distribution sites in Pasco and Pinellas counties, please call the Senior Helpline at 1-800-96ELDER (1-800-963-5337).

Thank you, Veterans!

Today is Veterans Day, when we honor all who have served in the United States Armed Forces.  The Veterans Day National Ceremony will be held at Arlington National Cemetery today at 11:00am.  Tampa Bay area Veteran's Day events are listed here.  Below is an inspirational video from the Department of Veteran's Affairs:

Have you chosen the best Medicare plan for you?

Medicare's next annual open enrollment is from November 15th to December 31st, 2010.  Get information and advice on how to pick the best Medicare plan and prescription plan to meet your needs.  Jan Rauer, a SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) volunteer, will give a talk on "How to pick a Medicare plan and prescription plan" at New River Library.

              Friday, November 19th at 2:00pm

                     New River Library
                     34043 State Road 54
                     Zephyrhills, Fl
                     813-788-6375

Senior Social at New River Library

Come join us for cards, board games, Wii bowling,

and refreshments 

Friday, November 12th at 2:00 pm

New River Library
34043 State Road 54
Zephyrhills, FL 
813-788-6375

Senior Expo in Largo

The Senior Connection and Mature Lifestyles magazines will be sponsoring a "Senior Friendly Extravaganza" on Thursday, November 18th, from 10:00am - 3:00pm. Admission is free and the event will feature:

• Live Music
• Free Health Screening
• Senior-friendly sports area
• "Grandkids are the Greatest" photo contest
• Free Coffee and Goodies
• Prizes and Giveaways
• Senior Fun Walk at 9:30am

Largo Cultural Center

105 Central Park Drive
Largo, FL

For more information about this Senior Friendly Extravaganza, please call 888-670-0040.

Social Media Use by Older Adults

The Pew Research Center has published a report called "Older Adults and Social Media".  This report was based on a phone survey of 1,756 adults.  Here are some highlights from this report:

•  Social networking use by internet users age 50 and above, has nearly doubled in the last year - from 22% to 42%.
• 47% of internet users age 50-64 use social networking sites
• 26% for internet users age 65+ use social networking sites.
• 11% of internet users age 50-64 post status updates on twitter or other sites.
• 5% of internet users age 65+ post status updates on twitter or other sites.
• 92% of internet users age 50-64 use email and 89% of internet users age 65+ use email.

The Pew Report gave some suggestions for why older adults have begun social networking: 

• to reconnect with past associates to network to find a new job or career.
• to find support online if the older adult has a chronic disease.
• to interact with grandchildren and other family members, who may live far away.  According to this report, "... social media bridges generational gaps."(p. 7).  It provides a place where people of all ages can interact and learn from one another.

The full report can be found here.