From the time a young adult reaches legal driving age, hopping in the car represents freedom and independence. The same is true for a senior who has been driving for decades. As we grow older, however, safety becomes an issue.

Some elders continue to drive despite not feeling especially safe doing so. It might be to avoid asking a friend or family member for a ride to the doctor, grocery store, or other essential appointments. Having a list of reliable, affordable transportation options might be the key for all parties involved.

Here are a few suggestions for creating a list of safe and reliable ride options.

Where to Find Transportation Options for Older Adults

1. Community level programs: Start your search locally with your area agency on aging or neighborhood senior center. If you need help locating these organizations, you can search online by visiting the Senior Center Directory or the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
2. Medical system van service: If a senior needs transportation to and from medical appointments, see if the provider’s network offers any services. Some hospitals, rehab centers, and physician groups are part of bigger health systems that offer complimentary transportation in company-owned vans. Most will pick up patients at home and drop them off afterwards.
3. Volunteer transportation programs: The National Center for Mobility Management is another resource to explore. They maintain a database of volunteer transportation services for older adults. Search their site to check for programs near your loved one’s home.
4. Public transportation: While public transportation might sound intimidating to seniors who are unfamiliar with it, some local municipalities offer transportation designed for people with mobility challenges and disabilities. Call your township supervisor or mayor’s office to find out what is available.
5. Senior living communities: When the time comes for a family elder to give up driving, moving to a senior living community might be another solution to consider. Many communities offer transportation. Transportation team members can schedule rides to and from essential appointments and social outings for residents.
6. Rideshare services: Many people associate ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft with out-of-town travelers or young adults, but seniors utilize them too. Some rideshare companies, such as Lyft, are working diligently to attract older clients. If your aging loved one doesn’t want to book transportation through a cell phone app, GoGoGrandparent can help. Seniors can call them for help arranging transportation anytime. Additionally, “Are Ride Share Services a Transportation Option for Seniors?” is a good article to help you learn more.

Transportation at Five Star Senior Living

At Five Star Senior Living communities, residents can take advantage of transportation services for errands, appointments, and outings to local destinations like restaurants and shopping centers. Contact a Five Star Senior Living community nearest you for more information on resident transportation.

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If you are a retiree beginning the search for a senior living community, you are no doubt wondering where to look. It’s one of the first decisions you’ll need to make. Do you want to stay near your current home or move closer to family?

As more adult children move away to pursue career opportunities, families are often separated by many miles. Deciding whether to move near an adult child’s home or find a senior living community near you can be tough.

Even after you’ve explored communities in both locations, the answer might not be clear. If you are struggling, here are a few factors to consider.

Where to Search for Senior Living

If you take the following factors into consideration, you’ll likely arrive at an informed decision:

1. Is there a chance your adult child will have to move again?

If your adult child moved to a new city or state for their career, is there a chance they’ll have to relocate again? If their job requires them to move every few years, you could find yourself alone in a new place without family nearby. This is important to consider as you make this decision.

2. Which location will offer the best quality of life?

Many retirees want to spend more time with family as they grow older. But relocating and starting over might be tough. This is especially true if you’ve lived in your current neighborhood for decades. While your adult child and their family might also want to see you more, is their life hectic already? Will their schedule permit you to be together as much as you envision?

If you currently have a wide circle of friends and an active social life, it may make more sense to find a senior living community close to your current home.

By contrast, if you don’t have close friends nearby, relocating near family may be a better choice. In the event of an emergency, you will have someone you can count on nearby.

3. Does one location offer better access to health care?

It’s an unfortunate reality that older adults require more health care services than younger adults. Having quick access to hospitals, physicians, outpatient clinics, and specialists will make it easier to get care.

Before you decide, research health care providers in every area you are considering. That will give you peace of mind about the future.

4. How well do you adapt to change?

Moving to a senior living community can be a big transition. If you add the adjustments of moving to a new city, it can be a lot at once. While some people are always excited for new adventures, not everyone enjoys big changes.

If you struggle with change, you might find it very difficult to relocate far from your current home. A nearby senior living community may make the next chapter in life go more smoothly.

Visiting Senior Living Communities

One of the most important factors in making an informed decision about senior living is a personal visit to tour and ask questions. Be sure to ask questions that will provide the insight you need about each community. Make a list before you begin your tours. “What Questions Should You Ask on a Senior Living Tour?” will help you get started.

We invite you to contact us to schedule a tour of a nearby Five Star Senior Living community. With over 125 communities in 28 states, you are sure to find a community near you or near your children!

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Are you the caregiver for an aging parent or other senior family member? You aren’t alone. According to the Pew Research Center, one in eight people in this country finds themselves in this situation. They are caring for a senior loved one while raising their own family and oftentimes working outside the home, too.

These people are referred to as sandwich generation caregivers. The challenges they face juggling so many roles often mean especially stressful days.

What can you do to survive the sandwich generation caregiver years?

We have a few tips to help you navigate a demanding schedule.

4 Tips for Surviving When You Are a Sandwich Generation Caregiver

1. Set priorities: When a senior loved one’s health is declining, a family caregiver may strive to make everything as perfect as possible. It can result in unrealistic expectations. A better approach may be prioritizing the most important things and giving yourself permission to compromise in other areas.
2. Seek support: Adult children often feel duty-bound to care for a parent on their own. Many doubt anyone can care for their parent as well as they do. While that is a noble goal, it’s rarely achievable. When friends and family members offer to lend a helping hand, say yes instead of no. Easy tasks to ask for help with include running errands, picking up prescriptions, or sitting with the senior while you take a break. In addition to helping you, family members will enjoy spending meaningful time with the senior. If you don’t have anyone close who can help, call your local office of the Area Agency on Aging. The staff can typically offer a list of suggestions.
3. Get organized: Caregivers often struggle to manage an abundance of paperwork and appointments. It’s easy to become disorganized and stressed out. One of the best ways to reduce stress is to establish systems that give you peace of mind. One way is to set up a binder with the senior’s important health information and medical schedule. You might also want to create a master calendar that lists appointments for everyone in the house.
4. Commit to self-care: From failing to schedule an annual physical to skipping routine health screenings, sandwich generation caregivers often get so busy they neglect their own health. Maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise may seem like luxuries you don’t have time for. Eventually, it can put a caregiver at risk for health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes. That’s why it’s vital for caregivers to practice good self-care. Doing so will help you take better care of your family.

One final tip is to consider respite care services at an assisted living community. Your loved one will receive the same care and support as long-term residents while you take a restful, renewing break. Contact the Five Star Senior Living community nearest you to learn more!

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It’s happened.

You’ve become a full-time caregiver for your senior parent.

In addition to helping an aging loved one with activities of daily life (ADLs), such as bathing or grooming, you are probably also helping them manage their financial affairs.

Even if your parent is fortunate enough to live in a senior community that provides assisted living services, you’re probably still responsible for their legal and financial matters.

What legal paperwork should you have on hand to not just to pay for senior living, but to be prepared for an emergency?

Gathering the items on this handy checklist can make it easier to keep your loved one’s finances in order.

Last Will & Testament

This legal document is one of the most important to have should your loved one pass away. It indicates who receives their assets, including real estate, savings, and perhaps even household items with monetary value or sentimental significance.

Although 70% of Americans don’t have a will, helping your loved one draw one up can reduce fights or hassles over cash and property, and can also prevent having money left in probate until the court decides who should receive it.

Store the will in a fireproof safe with digital copies in a secure location.

Power-of-Attorney

This legal document gives the caregiver the authority to make financial, business, and legal decisions on behalf of their senior loved one. If the older adult in your care has Alzheimer’s or otherwise become incapacitated, this document makes decision making less complicated.

Life Insurance Documents and Other Investment Paperwork

While not legal documents, per se, having all relevant paperwork and account numbers handy for investments and accounts will make it easier for the person with power-of-attorney to access cash when it’s needed. It is especially helpful in an emergency.

Living Will

A living will tells medical professionals the extent to which your loved one wants end-of-life care. For instance, they might request palliative care but request that measures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation or life support systems not be used. A living will may also include wishes regarding organ donation or autopsy.

While this document doesn’t affect finances, it can prevent disputes amongst family members and keep caregivers from having to make difficult decisions on their own.

Health-care Proxy and HIPAA Authorization

While a living will outlines a person’s medical wishes, a health care proxy gives the caregiver the authority to make medical decisions on behalf of the person.

In order to exercise your right as a health-care proxy, however, you’ll need your aging loved one to sign a Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) authorization form, which gives you legal access to their medical records.

The Power to Make the Right Decisions

From paying for senior living to making difficult choices about your loved one’s medical treatments, having the right legal paperwork in place and the necessary documents accessible can make life easier during this challenging time.

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In order to give you the option to make changes to your plan, Medicare offers open enrollment from October 15^th to December 7^th each year.

What You Should Know About Medicare Open Enrollment

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about Medicare open enrollment:

How do I know if I need to change my plan?

If you or your senior family member is already enrolled in Medicare, you should be receiving materials in the mail with information about health or prescription drug plans. Be sure to carefully review these materials once you’ve received them, as changes are regularly made to plans.

Materials such as your “Evidence of Coverage” (EOC) or “Annual Notice of Change” (ANOC) will typically detail changes being made to your coverage or plan. Based on upcoming changes to your existing plan, you can assess your own health care needs and decide whether or not you need to make a change or help your older family member make one. If there are gaps with your existing plan, it is a good idea to consider other options during open enrollment.

How can I find information about plan options?

Information about the next year’s Medicare plans is released in October, right before the open enrollment period. To find general information about your coverage choices, visit How to Get Medicare Coverage for more information.

If it is challenging for you to navigate the Medicare website, you can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227) to get general Medicare information, as well as information about health plans.

Can I delay my Medicare Part B enrollment?

In certain situations you can delay your Medicare Part B enrollment without having to pay higher premiums or a late enrollment penalty.

The situations in which you may be able to delay your Medicare Part B enrollment without penalty include:

• You or your spouse did not enroll before the deadline because one of you was still working at the time and had access to group coverage through an employer or union
• You were volunteering overseas or living abroad when you turned 65, making you ineligible to claim Social Security benefits
• You have become eligible for a low-income subsidy due to loss of income
• You were eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid but have recently lost dual eligibility status
• You are moving into certain types of skilled nursing facilities

If you have an extenuating circumstance and are not sure whether or not it will qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period, call Medicare to confirm at 1-800-633-4227.

What happens if I miss open enrollment?

Unfortunately, if you miss open enrollment and do not qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, you will be unable to change your plan until the following year’s open enrollment.

You can, however, disenroll from Medicare Advantage coverage between January 1^st and February 14^th. Should you decide to disenroll from Medicare Advantage, you will have the option to enroll in a stand-alone prescription drug plan, to ensure that your medications will still be covered by insurance.

Additional Resources for Seniors

Check out our blog for more helpful tips and informational for seniors.

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We know families are often separated by many miles. As a parent grows older or begins to experience health concerns, caregiving across the miles can become challenging. Being able to see a senior loved one’s face and hear their voice can sometimes reassure an adult child that they are doing well. It can also help spot potential problems, such as a flushed face that might indicate a fever and infection.

The good news is that when you can’t be there in person, there are different types of technology that make it feel as if you are.

Technology and the Virtual Caregiver

Here are a few virtual caregiver systems to explore:

• Grand Care: This versatile technology platform allows families to set up a comprehensive remote monitoring system in a senior loved one’s home. It can send alerts to family caregivers if something out of the ordinary occurs. Another nice feature of this system is remote video chat. You can talk “face-to-face” with your aging Indiana family member with this easy-to-use video platform.
• Claris Companion: A tablet with a large screen and oversized on-screen buttons, this device is another one that allows family caregivers to easily stay connected to a senior loved one. The features include video chat, text messaging, email, medication reminders, appointment reminders and more.
• Skype: This video chat platform can be another option for families to consider. It is easy to set up and free to use, especially if the senior has a tablet device. Adult children can use it to check in on a senior loved one as many times a day as they need to.

Many in-home care providers now use tele-monitoring services to monitor patients’ chronic health conditions including congestive heart failure and diabetes. These remote systems typically work in conjunction with a tablet device that is left in the senior’s home. Your loved one’s primary care physician can be a good resource for learning more.

Short-Term Senior Living Stays

If you have to be away on a business trip or if your family will be taking a vacation over the holidays, respite care can provide you with a safe solution for a senior who lives alone. We invite you to contact the Five Star Senior Living community nearest you to learn more.

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