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September 29, 2016
Today’s seniors have more options on health care, housing and leisure time than ever before. Look inside for tips and strategies to make the best of your golden years. A SPECIAL SECTION BY
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September 29, 2016
How to choose the right residential care facility
C
hoosing a residential care facility may seem like an overwhelming task, but asking the right questions and knowing what you should be looking for in a facility can make it more manageable. Because residential care is available in a variety of settings, it’s important to understand the needs of the person with dementia so you can choose the best care.
The first step, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, is understanding what kind of care facilities can provide. And the second step is to ask the right questions.
TYPES OF FACILITIES RETIREMENT HOUSING: This can be appropriate for individuals in the early stage of Alzheimer’s who can still care for themselves independently. There is limited supervision, social activities, transportation and other amenities.
ASSISTED LIVING: This bridges the gap between living independently and in a nursing home. It typically offers a combination of housing, meals, supportive services and health care.
MEMORY CARE UNITS:
NURSING HOMES:
These are designed to meet the These provide around-the-clock care specific needs of individuals with Alzheimer’s and long-term medical treatment. Most nursing disease and other dementias. They take many homes have services and staff to address issues such as forms and exist within various types of residential care, nutrition, care planning, recreation, spirituality and medical care. They including assisted living facilities, and may or may have different staff-to-resident ratios and staff members have not be secured units. Because laws vary by various levels of experience and training. They state, it’s important to ask specific are usually regulated by the federal CONTINUING questions about the care government and licensed by provided. the state. CARE RETIREMENT
COMMUNITIES:
These provide different levels of care — independent, assisted living and nursing home — based on individual needs. A resident can move through the levels of care if needed. Shutterstock images
QUESTIONS TO ASK Factors to consider include staff, the facility, the programs and type of treatment provided. For a full list of questions, go to www.alz.org or call the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7 Helpline number, 1-800-2723900.
Source: The Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org, 24/7 Helpline number 1-800-272-3900.
MAKE A VISIT Plan to visit several facilities. Make an appointment for the first visit, but then also make one or two unannounced visits. Look around and talk to staff, residents and their families. Visit at different times of the day, including meal times. Ask to see the latest survey/inspection report and, in some states, the Special Care Unit Disclosure form, all of which facilities are required to provide. Ask questions about cost and insurance considerations.
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September 29, 2016
Online resources for seniors only a click away Douglas County introduces Senior Life and NearMeDC online tools Are you in the 60-plus age group in Douglas County? If so, you are part of the county’s most dramatic percentage of population growth — and two online tools have been created just for you: Senior Life in Douglas County the NearMeDC Community Resources tool. Both online tools are in direct response to a 2013 survey of seniors, their caregivers, and those planning to retire in Douglas County, 90 percent of who indicated they would use online tools to find information specifically targeting this age group. According to the State Demography Office, by 2030 one in four residents of Douglas County will be aged 60 or older. That’s approximately 24 percent of the county’s population. The conception of these online tools began in 2012 when, knowing the demographics in the county were changing, the Partnership of Douglas County Governments established the Senior Initiative to explore the implications of the growing population of seniors. Additional information gleaned from the Senior Initiative’s focus groups, as well as the survey, concluded that seniors want to have a more effective and efficient way to obtain information and provide input regarding topics of interest to seniors. Focus group participants also indicated the senior community wanted to be more involved when decisions are being made in the county. Source: Douglas County
Courtesy photo
LINKS TO ONLINE SENIOR RESOURCES: Senior Life in Douglas County http://www.douglas.co.us/ community/senior-adultservices/
NearMeDC Community Resources: https://douglas-countycitygram.herokuapp.com/
Partnership of Douglas County Governments: www.douglascountypartnership.org
Senior Initiative: http://www.douglas.co.us/ community/senior-adult-services/ senior-initiative/
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September 29, 2016
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Be savvy: map out senior living choices By Andrew Granger When mapping out plans for our lives we always have a Plan A, what we really want to happen and assume will happen. If we’re savvy, we also make a Plan B, a viable alternative that would be just as acceptable. Then there is Plan C, notorious for its last-minute scramble and only reserved for when things get desperate. Apply this to senior living choices. Most people, when considering their future care options, acknowledge Plan A is to stay at home. In reality, however, home is not always the safest or the most convenient option. Loneliness, the inability to drive, needing a bit of assistance with daily life, and the high expense of in-home care are all reasons to start thinking about Plan B. Plan B is your reliable, viable back-up plan when you find living at home is no longer the best option — or your care needs exceed what you, a spouse or your adult children can help with. Plan B is researching and choos-
ing a good senior living community that is to your liking, before it’s too late and you have to rely upon the dubious Plan C. To get started on a Plan B, think about your future and ask some important questions. Do yourself a favor and give the answers a lot of thought. How is my health? What is the likelihood that I will require assistance? Is my house situated so I can get around easily? Is my family nearby and available to help? Can I or do I want to live with my family? As I continue to age, how will my requirements change? What can my finances support? Research and personal visits to different types of communities are a must. Good sources for communities are the internet, phonebooks and local senior publications and organizations. Compile a list and start touring. As you visit, be sure to ask questions that will define the quality of your life in that community. Services,
resident impressions and level of care provided are important factors. Take good notes and take home all the printed information the community can provide. Involve your family and loved ones and their opinions. This decision can be as much emotional as it is pragmatic. Be sure to keep your top choices for the various levels of care you might need and a letter of instruction in a place where your family can find it. This prevents leaving your spouse or your children to deal with choosing emergency options of Plan C because your wishes were not made known. Most people do not regret moving to a senior living community — the quality of life, opportunities and peace of mind that people experience make them wonder why moving was never Plan A in the first place. Andrew Granger is community relations director with Ralston Creek Senior Living in Arvada.
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September 29, 2016
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“Freedom of the Press” Guaranteed by the First Amendment To the Bill of Rights Arvada Press I Castle Pines News-Press I Castle Rock News-Press Centennial Citizen I Douglas County News-Press I Elbert County News Englewood Herald I Golden Transcript I Highlands Ranch Herald Lakewood Sentinel I Littleton Independent I Lone Tree Voice Northglenn Thornton Sentinel I Parker Chronicle I South Platte Independent Westminster Window I Wheat Ridge Transcript
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September 29, 2016
Do you suffer from a longevity disconnect?
By Brandpoint
T
hey say that age is just a number. For the 10,000 who reach retirement age every day, however, that number may come with a multitude of questions about whether they have done enough to prepare for retirement. The good news is that Americans today are living longer than previous generations. But too many of us don’t realize that this boost in lifespan means we need to fund a retirement that could last for 20 or 30 years. This is what’s known as the longevity disconnect. Calculating how much you need to save for retirement is even more difficult if you don’t realize how long retirement can be. What concerns Americans the most? One of the biggest worries Americans have when it comes to retirement is outliving their money, according to a plan participant survey by Prudential Retirement. A substantial 71 percent of survey respondents fear they may not have sufficient income for their retirement years. Only one in five are highly confident they will have enough to last a lifetime. “Today we have more financial information, education and planning tools available to us than ever before,” says Christine Marcks, president of Prudential Retirement. “But despite the steady drumbeat of headlines about retirement planning, we’re still not getting it right.” Why are people having a hard time saving for retirement? Why are they actually saving less when they need to save more?
Blame our brains
The answer to those questions may surprise you. Research shows the reason could lie in how our brains are wired to respond to the environment. Humans are conditioned to focus on survival in the here and now. Yet, our contemporary life demands that we plan for multiple scenarios and contingencies, often with effects that could shape our lives far into the future. Behavioral researchers have found that people actually perceive their future selves as strangers, and many find it difficult to understand the financial needs that “stranger” will have in his or her lifetime. That’s one reason why saving for many years ahead is difficult for us. This and further research from Pru-
Shutterstock images dential shows us there are five inherent behavioral biases that make us our own worst enemies when it comes to saving for retirement.
1 Not being aware of increasing life spans (longevity disconnect) 2 Putting off difficult or time-consuming tasks (procrastination) 3 Thinking that bad things only happen to other people (optimism bias) 4 Making decisions
based on what other people are doing (herd mentality)
5 Putting today’s wants
ahead of tomorrow’s needs (instant gratification)
Smart planning For older Americans approaching retirement, the greatest advice comes from the people who know best: those already in retirement. Many retirees agree that, if they had to do it again, they would take advantage of everything available through
their employers. Other advice includes maximizing contributions to your workplace-based retirement plan or IRA, and taking advantage of IRS-allowed catchup contributions if you’re 50 or older. Retirees also suggest that those approaching retirement assess all the ways they spend money today, and avoid impulse purchases or peer pressure. Careful planning now can help you to achieve your goals of a secure and fulfilling retirement and make it last a lifetime.
Molly Brown House gives glimpse of famous figure The life of Margaret Brown spanned one of the greatest periods of change in American history. From her birth in a Mississippi river town to elegant Newport, Rhode Island, from the Colorado mines to the stages of New York and Paris, she had a starring role as a progressive reformer and a strong voice for human rights. Margaret, who was never known as “Molly” during her lifetime, first achieved fame after her husband J.J. Brown, a selftaught mining engineer, struck gold in Colorado’s mines in the 1890s. After the family moved to Denver in 1894, Margaret’s egalitarian spirit led her to the most pressing issues of her day.
The mission of Historic Denver’s Molly Brown House Museum is to accurately portray the story of Margaret Tobin Brown within the context of her lifetime through ongoing research, artifact collection, preservation and educational programming in order to inspire courage, conviction and pro-active change in her spirit. Come visit: Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 4 p.m. Closed all major holidays. Admission (prices are subject to change): Adults $8; Seniors, 65 and older, $6; Children 6-12, $4. For additional information, call 303832-4092 or visit www.mollybrown.org.
September 29, 2016
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September 29, 2016
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