Senior citizens can be taken advantage of through telephone, internet, insurance, or home repair scams. Sometimes they are taken advantage of by people they know and think they can trust. Here are some tips for avoiding possible cons:
• Do not feel hesitant to hang up on telemarketers to protect yourself from possible bullying, suggestiveness, or false information.
• Never give personal information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, or bank account numbers over the phone.
• Do not take money out of your account when instructed to by a stranger. A common scam involves strangers pretending to be bank tellers and asking people to take money out of their accounts. Banks never use these methods for testing purposes.
• Be cautious of deals that sound too good to be true or involve presenting large amounts of money up front with promises of receiving money later. Checking with your local Better Business Bureau can give you more information about real companies in your area.
• Be cautious of people going door to door and offering home repair services. They may not be properly trained and can overcharge for services. If you employ someone for this kind of work, check references, get an agreement in writing for the services, and never pay in advance.

– Donna

. . . if you have been out of school for a while or engage in the same repetitive tasks each day. In other words, your brain is on cruise control when you should always strive to learn and stretch your mind. I have a grandmother who is 92 years old and still sharp as a tack. She keeps her mind sharp by continually learning new ideas, facts, and solving puzzles.
- Donna

Every Christmas Eve was spent at Grandma’s house. There was much anticipation about what goodies we would find covering the table in the dining room. Now that I am an adult I’m sure she was in that kitchen for two weeks baking her heart out for as much as was on that table. Fudge, divinity, cookies, and the list goes on!
All of the parents would buy a small gift, wrap it up and get it to the designated Santa (who was usually my step-father). All of the kids would be playing in Grandma’s closet, or in her room, while the parents visited in the warm and cozy living room.
At some point in the night we would hear the sleigh bells ringing, Santa’s coming!! We would all run out and tell the parents ( as if they didn’t know) that Santa was headed for Grandma’s roof top. Santa would come in the back door since Grandma had a insert in her stove. He would pass all the different packages out to all of the kids and question them about their year’s behavior, and we were all perfect angels of course.
Years later after Grandma’s passing, the Christmas gatherings stopped. Grandmas house was sold and the traditional family meeting place was no longer there.
My Grandma has been gone for about 19 years now. After the wonderful thing of the internet I have reacquainted with several of my cousins and a few aunts. When Grandma dies, it’s a wonderful idea to just move the gathering to another home instead of letting the family take different directions and losing so much time.
Have a Merry Christmas. Enjoy your family’s traditions and think about starting some new ones while you’re at it.
- Donna

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 3 seniors fall every year, resulting in 90% of senior citizen hip fractures. Of these seniors who fall, and this is the scary part… 60% of them die from complications. With the elderly, It is important to recognize factors that contribute to falls. They include: change in eyesight, lack of strength or physical ailments, changes in medication or dosages, poor lighting, stairs, throw rugs, pets, small objects lying around the house, and other risk factors that add to the list. Be proactive in helping or seniors live a safe daily life!
- Donna

Have you ever forgotten where you put your car keys? Have you spent time searching for your sunglasses when they were perched on top of your head?

Don’t laugh. Even I have done that!

Today’s culture refers to these scenarios as “senior moments.” While these senior moments can be quite common, we all have our days! You could be 40 years old with three kids, a full-time job, appointments, school functions…

And after all of this, I too lose my keys and often find my glasses on my head after spending 20 minutes looking for them. You do not have to be a senior to have one of these moments!

- Donna

One day, a little girl is sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly notices that her mother has several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast to her brunette hair. She looks at her mother and inquisitively asks, “Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?”
Her mother replied, “Well, every time that a little girl does something wrong and makes her mommy cry or makes her unhappy, one of her hairs turns white.”
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and said, “You must have really aggravated Grandma.”
- Donna

Are you or someone you love ready for Independent Living?
This is interesting,, you can take a test to see if your loved one is ready for independant living!
Check it out!
https://www.theindependentlivingassessment.com/
Happy Thanksgiving to all,
- Donna

Individuals who resist care and assistance are trying to communicate to you. If dementia, stroke, vision loss, hearing loss or other illness limits one’s ability to speak and convey information effectively, body language and physical actions take on a greater role in communication. Refusal to accept care, physical contact or participation in an activity is the individual’s way of telling you something. When your loved one resists care, choose your battles wisely. Also, it’s usually helpful to get another family member’s perspective on what is really going on! Hugs to all those patient caregivers out there!
- Donna

Chuckle #1
Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, “You’re next.” They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.

Chuckle #2
An older gentleman was on the operating table awaiting surgery and he insisted that his son, a renowned surgeon, perform the operation. As he was about to get the anesthesia he asked to speak to his son.
“Yes, Dad, what is it?” “Don’t be nervous, son; do your best and just remember, if it doesn’t go well, if something happens to me … your mother is going to come and live with you and your wife….”

No you go and brighten someone else’s day with your own Chuckle #3!
- Donna

This last weekend the weather really turned cold! The family naturally stayed home and stayed warm. We found all of us going through our closets and pulling out the sweaters, corduroy pants, and scarves. The summer clothing was pulled out and boxed up for another 9 months of storage. The best thing about this method is next Summer when I get those boxes out, I will feel like I have “new clothes!!!”
– Donna