Senior choices 10-13-16

SeniorChoices A comprehensive guide to products and services for active & vibrant senior adults

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From housewife to pantsuits - a 94-yearold looks back

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To drive or not to drive: A senior’s guide

This aging ‘Lion’ still roars page

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In search of the right health plan

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A supplement to The Villager Newspaper October 13, 2016

PAGE 20 | THE VILLAGER • October 13, 2016

The wonders of aging

“To land here has been very surprising to me because I’ve always been very active,” she said.

Even getting within shouting distance of 100 is the biggest shock for a woman whose parents never made it out of their mid-60s. All her siblings have also died in recent deIn her nearly 94 years on the cades.

“I have no role models for this planet, Catherine Canny has had her job,” she said. share of surprises.

Born in Denver in 1922, Canny The introduction of women’s was the youngest of four in a devout pantsuits, for one.

“We didn’t wear pants. Dad wore Catholic family. In an era in which the pants,” Canny said with some women stayed at home and many bemusement. “My husband was in men stayed with one lifelong emmerchandising and he loved to buy ployer, Canny’s father was a dedicated printer for the Rocky Mountain me clothes.”

News.

In decades “The whole of change that family went saw the baby downtown to boom, the pill and buy the first tabevaporation of loid,” she said. the stay-at-home Canny sums wife, perhaps up her formative Canny’s greatest years as a kind of surprise has been formulaic exeraging itself. cise in living.

“I have a lot - Catherine “Number of pain manageone, you had to ment. My vision Canny, 93, on be a virgin. That is not as good as growing old was essential,” it used to be,” she she said. “Womsaid. “There have en stayed home been challenges I never planned on. They have been and had babies. Some of the marphysical, some of them social, some riages were rotten. Mine was not. of them educational. With a hearing We went out with people who didn’t aid, $3,000 later you still can’t hear.” speak to each other. They didn’t Although happy and comfortable sleep together, but they had babies.”

Like many mothers who gave at Inn at Greenwood Village, the retired Cherry Creek Schools teacher birth to the baby boom generation, and principal never envisioned her- Canny married her high school self living in a retirement commu- sweetheart, a World War II-era veteran. nity.

Life never gets old for Greenwood Village woman

I have no role models for this job.

“Number one, you had to be a virgin. That was essential,” Catherine Canny said of being a young woman in the 1940s.

Photo courtesy of Catherine Canny

Frank would spend his entire 38year post-military career in retail.

Canny and the couple’s six children diligently followed the patriarch around the country, transfer to transfer, promotion to promotion, as perhaps the last generation to fully live out that traditional life trajectory.

“I watched my children grow into the ‘60s,” Canny said. “It was time for women to get out of the house and get into careers. But I think it invented divorce. If the man got promoted, and she’d go, ‘I’m trying to get promoted too.’”

Canny was no exception. She went back to school for her teaching credentials and eventually a Ph.D. in education. Her gradual moves from parochial to public schools, and from teacher to principal, came as she modeled herself on an older mentor.

Catherine Canny, whose 94th birthday is coming up, holds a life tribute associated with her Stellar Woman Award.

“She went from St. Mary’s to Cherry Creek, and I said I can do that. She became a principal, and I said I can do that. Then she got a Ph.D., and I said I can do that,” Canny recalled.

The onetime Prairie Middle School principal topped off her career as a major instigator of the Cherry Creek Foundation organization and the district’s first alternative high school program.

“I named it Cherry Creek PREP,” she said. “P was for proficiency. R was for responsibility. E was for education, and the other P stood for something else, I don’t remember.”

As Canny does recall, the PREP name was eventually dropped over concern that some might assume it to be a traditional preparatory school.

The program eventually evolved into Endeavor Academy, which exists to this day.

Since her retirement and the death of her husband nearly three

Photo by Peter Jones

decades ago, Canny has done her best to adjust to the unexpected whirlwind of aging. She has served on a number of nonprofit boards and has written three books on education and aging itself.

Her best laid plans hit the hard surface last year when she took the fall that eventually landed her into assisted living at Inn at Greenwood Village.

There has been a blessing to it, she says, and that has been her “committee” of six offspring, who have each accepted specific responsibilities related to their mother’s care.

“You know why I think this accident happened?” she asked. “It was for me to re-evaluate my relationship with every child.”

The accident has not slowed down Canny’s avid reading, her quick mind or her Catholicism.

“I go to Mass every day,” she said, “… over the television.”

October 13, 2016 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 21

Inaction could cost future Colorado retirees their earned benefits

Photo by Bob Sweeney

Larry McLaughlin arrives at a neighbor’s home to blow out the sprinkler system on a cool October morning.

‘Service Before Self’ Larry McLaughlin—a ‘professional’ volunteer

Larry and Jeanne McLaughlin live in Heritage Eagle Bend in southeast Aurora. It is the last house that he sold as a real estate salesman before retiring.

The couple has lived in Denver and Centennial after 21 years in the Air Force.

Larry was born in Elkins, W.Va. Jeanne graduated from high school in Wheat Ridge.

It was off to the Air Force Academy and paratrooper jump school during Larry’s first summer at the Academy in 1959. He and Jeanne marred on graduation day June 5, 1963.

Larry did his pilot training at Webb Air Force Base in Texas and spent 21 years flying airplanes, including a stint in Vietnam in 1967. While in Alaska in 1975, he and Jeanne, adopted a Vietnamese orphan girl they named Stacy, who is now married and resides in Centennial with her husband Peter Meredith and Larry’s two grandchildren.

Larry served in Athens, Greece, where one of his assignments was to fly for the American Embassy.

The couple started their family with two sons before adding Sta-

cy. Shawn an engineer who works in Highlands Ranch. Scott works with SRAM, a bicycle- elated firm in Chicago, where he was the state champion in Cyclocross six years in a row.

Larry started his sprinkler business 13 years ago. He reminds residents that the time is near for a fall freeze than can crack those water pipes. Call him at 303-741-1404, email: larrymclaughlin@juno.com.

His true passion is serving people, describing himself as a “professional volunteer.” Larry continues to shoulder a long list of civic and service-organization responsibilities.

The leading group has to be Rotary, where the motto is “Service Before Self.” Larry lives this code of ethics to a tee while living at the HEB Golf Club. He volunteers for the local Lamplighters who replace outdoor and garage lights in the community.

Larry’s Rotary service is a great part of his life, having been a member of four Rotary Clubs, serving as a charter member and president of two clubs, DTC Rotary Club and Aurora Southlands.

He has attended 19 Rotary International Conventions. He is a good friend of Grant Wilkins, one of Colorado’s leading Rotarians, who spearheaded Rotary Clubs in Russia after the U.S.S.R. breakup.

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ing a driver-safety instructor for AARP for the past 17 years, a soccer referee for 40 years and a Habitat for Humanity electrical team member for eight years.

He also drives cancer patients to various appointments and is a two-time cancer survivor himself.

“I get a lot of satisfaction out of driving these patients to their appointments,” he said.

As a safety driving instructor, they know they have a safe driver in Larry.

Along with these volunteer acts of kindness, Larry serves as an usher for the Parker Arts and Lone Tree Arts Center and can be seen passing out programs as patrons enter.

He spent Sunday attending the Broncos game and was one of the cancer survivors featured in the halftime show.

On Monday morning, he was blowing out a friend’s sprinkler system with his trailer and continued his good Samaritan work.

This is a senior that hasn’t slowed down in his life and certainly puts service before himself.

New analysis conducted by AARP shows that 2.7 million Colorado workers who are paying into Social Security today stand to lose 25 percent of their benefits if the President and Congress don’t act.

While the revenue shortfall faced by the Social Security system that could result in cuts is not imminent, the Social Security Trustees reported that the trust fund would run dry in 2034.

After that time, across-the-board cuts of nearly 25 percent would take effect if no action is taken.

“Doing nothing is not an option.

The question is how long our leaders will wait to act,” said AARP Colorado State Director Bob Murphy. “The presidential candidates need to show they can lead on this issue and give voters real answers on how they will update Social Security for future generations.”

AARP launched Take A Stand – a national campaign focused on pressing presidential candidates to show leadership on Social Security. Thousands of Take A Stand Colorado volunteers are telling the candidates that when it comes to Social Security, soundbites aren’t good enough, Murphy said.

Consider what a 25 percent cut to Social Security benefits would mean for future retirees. If

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such a cut went into effect today, it would reduce seniors’ income and push more Coloradans into poverty, and reduce money available for basic needs like food, healthcare and utilities.

• The average annual family income of Colorado retirees would plunge by $4,100. For many other state residents, losses would be much higher.

• The poverty rate of older Coloradans would skyrocket 56 percent. Some 27,300 additional seniors would be pushed into poverty.

• C o l o radans typically s p e n d $8,300 a year on groceries, $5,600 a year on utilities, and $8,900 on health care. A cut of nearly 25 percent would force households to make painful choices about what to buy and what to do without – at a time when the cost of necessities like food and prescription drugs continues to rise.

“This snapshot of the potential effects of inaction on future generations makes it abundantly clear that Social Security needs to be a top priority in the presidential debate,” Murphy said.

“Voters deserve to know how the candidates’ plans will affect families, what they will cost and how they’ll get it done.”

For more information, go to 2016takeastand.org.

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PAGE 22 | THE VILLAGER • September 13, 2016

Assessing your abilities as an aging driver

while driving. If other drivers make you uncomfortable or traffic signs are confusing, this can make it difficult to safely operate an automobile. Such feelings when driving could also be a side effect of a particular medication, so discuss the issue with your doctor to see if that’s the case and if there are any alternatives.

When a person first earns a driver’s license, they’ve earned more than just the right to legally operate an automobile. To many drivers, a driver’s license is symbolic of freedom and self-sufficiency.

The significance of a driver’s license never truly dissipates, which makes it difficult for aging men and women to address their abilities as a driver and whether or not they can still safely share the road with other motorists. Though many drivers can safely stay behind the wheel well into their golden years, others begin to recognize their skills are starting to diminish as they approach senior citizen status. For those who want help gauging their abilities as a driver, some self-examination can help.

Honestly address loved ones’ concerns

Assess your eyesight

Healthy eyes are essential to being a safe driver, and drivers can assess their eyesight in a number of ways. In addition to visiting an eye doctor for an eye examination, drivers should look for signs that they’re having difficulty with driving. If signs and street markings aren’t so easy to read anymore, you might need a new prescription for eyeglasses. When the glare of headlights at night makes it difficult to see, your driver’s seat might need to be adjusted or you might want to consider antiglare eyeglasses that make it easier to see at night.

Aging drivers should weigh a host of factors when determining if it’s still safe for them to be on the road.

Assess your comfort level

Safe drivers are also comfortable drivers. To assess your comfort level as a driver, ask yourself the following questions before getting back behind the wheel.

Is it troublesome to look over your shoulder and change lanes?

Has steering become difficult?

Has your reaction time when switching from the gas pedal to the

brake pedal decreased?

If you can answer “yes” to any of the questions above, then it could be that you’re beginning to lose strength, coordination and/or flexibility, which can make it more difficult to operate a motor vehicle. Answering “yes” doesn’t mean you have to give up your driver’s license. In fact, your doctor might be able to prescribe therapies or medicines or suggest a

fitness regimen that can make it easier for you to comfortably drive a car.

In addition, if you’re having trouble steering or operating a motor vehicle in any way, you might just want to find a vehicle that’s easier to drive, such as one with an automatic transmission that has power steering and brakes.

When assessing your comfort level, also examine your mental state

Aging drivers are often the last to notice if their abilities behind the wheel are starting to diminish. Loved ones are often put in the position of talking to aging drivers about their abilities, and this can cause friction.

If loved ones have expressed concern about your abilities as a driver, honestly address these concerns, even if it’s initially hurtful or embarrassing to do so. Your loved ones are sharing their feelings out of genuine concern for your well-being, so don’t look at it as an assault on your self-sufficiency.

Some organizations, including the AARP and AAA, offer driving classes for mature drivers to help them more adequately handle the challenges aging drivers might face.

Aging drivers face obstacles they may or may not be prepared for.

When such challenges arise, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to stop driving entirely. Instead, honestly weigh a host of factors before deciding if it’s still safe for you to be behind the wheel.

Great gift ideas for seniors Exchanging gifts has become synonymous with the holiday season. Family members exchange gifts with one another, men and women trade gifts and greeting cards with their coworkers and students participate in grab bag gift exchanges in the classroom.

Giving gifts is such a big part of the holiday season that shoppers may run out of gift ideas before they have crossed everyone off their lists. For example, it might not be easy to find the perfect gift for the senior citizen on your holiday shopping list. Seniors might not be up-to-date on the latest gadgets or might have downgraded from a home to a more manageable living arrangement, so knickknacks or decorative items for the

home may not be too practical, either. The following are a few tips for gifting seniors this holiday season.

Warm things up. As men and women age, many develop medical conditions that require medication. Medications like blood thinners can make seniors feel the cold more than others, so a gift that can keep seniors warm through the winter can make a great gift. A thick wool sweater or a fleece blanket is both practical and thoughtful.

Open a senior’s eyes to e-readers. Many seniors find that maintaining a household is simply too much work once all the kids have grown up and moved out. As a result, many move from private

homes into apartment complexes geared to the senior set or even into assisted living facilities that make it easier to deal with the daily demands of life. When seniors make such a move, they sacrifice space for convenience. Personal libraries may no longer be possible or practical, but an e-reader such as Amazon’s Kindle or the Nook(R) from Barnes and Noble allows seniors to store their favorite books in one small and convenient place.

Give the lap of luxury. Many seniors are on fixed incomes, which greatly limit how much disposable income they have to treat themselves to something nice. But seniors still love a trip to the spa or a round of golf just as much as their younger counterparts. Savvy

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shoppers know that deals can be had on such luxuries, and it just takes a little patience and research.

Sign up for a service like GrouponTM to gain access to exclusive discount offers to a variety of luxury offerings, including spa treatments, cruise vacations and rounds of golf. Signing up is free and easy, and you might just find a deal that makes a senior’s holiday season.

Go healthy. Many men and women embrace a healthier lifestyle as they age. Seniors who might have been too busy raising a family to focus on their own health are typically encouraged by their physicians to exercise and embrace healthier eating habits. Giftgivers can help seniors on their quests to become healthier by buying them a membership to a local fitness club, many of which provide classes designed specifically for seniors. Fitness clubs typically offer discounted memberships to seniors, who might even be eligible for rebates from their health insurance providers if they meet established attendance requirements.

Seniors who suffer from arthritis might benefit from a membership at a nearby yoga center.

Give the gift of communication. Sometimes the best gift is the simplest gift. Seniors love to speak with their children and grandchildren, so why not give the gift of communication? If you haven’t already, alter your cellular phone plan to a family plan that gives seniors unlimited minutes when calling family members so they can speak to their grandkids as often as possible. You can even go the extra mile and upgrade a senior’s computer so he or she has access to instant messaging and videoconferencing services such Skype, allowing seniors to see just how fast their grandchildren are growing even if those youngsters are on the other side of the country.

October 13, 2016 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 23

Medication mismanagement can be prevented Medication management is an important issue for seniors and their families. Failure to properly manage medications can threaten the lives of seniors, highlighting the emphasis families must place on ensuring seniors take their medications in strict adherence to their physicians’ instructions.

Polypharmacy, or the taking of multiple medications for different conditions, can be a potential health hazard for the thousands of seniors who must manage health conditions with prescription drugs. Harmful drug interactions are a result of the confusion that can arise when seniors take multiple medications at the same time.

The American Society of HealthSystem Pharmacists estimates that more than 34 percent of senior citizens are prescribed medications by more than one physician, and 72 percent use medications they were prescribed more than six months prior. Many people also have begun “pharmacy shopping” to save money. According to a study published in 2010 in American Nurse Today, 44 percent of men and 57 percent of women older than age 65 take five or more medications per week, with some taking as many as 10.

Medication confusion is one risk, but older adults also metabolize medications differently than young people. As a result, they may be more susceptible to over-

dose or other ill effects. Families looking to help seniors effectively manage their medications should consider the following tips.

Keep a running list of medications. Maintain a list of all medications being taken, noting both prescription and over-the-counter medications and any supplements and herbs. Provide a copy to any new doctors you visit and any new pharmacies you patronize.

Use pill sorters. Medication sorters can keep medications organized and eliminate some of the personal error in medication management. Organizers have daily slots and may also differentiate between nighttime and daytime medications.

Understand why each medication is being prescribed.

Ask your pharmacist and doctor to explain why each medication is prescribed. This information should be printed on the prescription label. Some drugs designed for one symptom may actually be used to treat other issues as well.

Ask for help. Some seniors may benefit from friendly reminders from a loved one regarding when to take certain medications, especially if they need to take multiple doses throughout the day. Cognitively impaired seniors may

require the services of a visiting nurse or another caregiver.

Recognize that not all medications are right for seniors. The American Geriatrics Society maintains a list of medications that older adults should avoid or take

with extreme caution. Some drugs pose a high risk of side effects or interactions, while others are less effective. Discuss alternatives with your physician if you are prescribed one of these medications.

Keep a medication diary. Re-

cord any side effects that occur and how the medications make you feel. Always bring up issues promptly with a doctor.

Proper medication management can help seniors avoid drugrelated accidents or worse.

Advice for aging athletes Retired professional athletes often speak about the difficult moment when they knew it was time to retire from professional competition. The transition can be easy for some but far more difficult for others. But aging amateur athletes know you need not be a professional to realize there comes a time when your body is telling you it’s time to ease up.

Athletes are used to pushing themselves and stretching their limits, but some limits are best not pushed. Such is the case with the limits posed by aging. While athletes don’t have to completely fold up shop and hang up their cleats, tennis shoes or other athletic equipment as they approach senior citizen status, there are steps aging athletes can take to ensure they aren’t pushing their bodies too far as they grow older.

Recognize your new recovery time. Veteran athletes tend to have a sixth sense about their bodies, knowing how long they need to recover from common ailments like ankle sprains, knee pain, back pain and

shin splints. Despite the body’s remarkable ability for recovery, it’s not immune to aging, and that recovery time will increase as the body ages.

Whereas a sprained ankle might once have been as good as new after a few days or rest, aging athletes must recognize that the same ankle sprain now might require more recovery time. Returning too quickly from an injury can only make things worse for aging athletes, so don’t push yourself.

Take more time to warm up. As the body ages, its response time to exercise increases. This means the body needs more time to prepare itself for cardiovascular and strength training exercises. Increase your warmup time as you age, gradually increasing the intensity of your warmup exercises until your body feels ready for more strenuous exercise.

Focus on flexibility. The more flexible you are, the more capable the body is of absorbing shock, including the shock that results from repetitive activities. But as the body ages, it becomes less flexible, which makes it less capable of successfully handling the repetitive movements common to exercise. Aging athletes should focus on their flexibility, stretching their muscles before and after a workout. In addition, activities such as yoga can work wonders on improving flexibility for young and aging athletes alike.

Don’t stop strength training.

Some aging athletes mistakenly feel they should stop strength training as they get

older. No longer concerned about building muscle, aging athletes might feel as if they have nothing to gain by lifting weights and continuing to perform other muscle strengthening exercises. But the body gradually loses muscle mass as it ages, and that loss puts the joints under greater stress

when aging athletes perform other exercises. That stress can put people at greater risk for arthritis, tendinitis and ligament sprains. While you no longer need to max out on the bench press or challenge yourself on the biceps curl, it is important to continue to make strength training a part of

your fitness regimen as you age.

Aging athletes need not associate aging with ceasing their athletic pursuits. But recognizing your limitations and the changes your body is going through is an important element of staying healthy as your approach older adulthood.

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PAGE 24 | THE VILLAGER • September 13, 2016

Psychological benefits of giving Do You Have the Charities often benefit significantly from the generosity of donors and volunteers. But the person providing the philanthropy also takes away something from the experience, and there actually may be measurable emotional advantages to being charitable.

Helping others not only makes a person feel good, but it may also increase physical and emotional wellbeing. Several studies have indicated that being generous has profound effects on how a person thinks and feels. One such study from researchers at Cornell University uncovered that volunteering increases one’s energy, sense of mastery over life and self-esteem.

It also promotes feelings of positivity, which may strengthen and enhance the immune system.

In 2008, Dr. Ellen Langer, a professor of psychology at Harvard University, advocated for giving gifts and being generous -even in tough financial times.

“When you give a gift it makes you feel generous, it makes you feel in control, it’s good for your self-esteem, and it’s good for the relationship,” says Langer.

According to psychologist Robert Ornstein and physician

David Sobel, authors of “Healthy Pleasures,” they talk about a “helper’s high.” This is a sense of euphoria that volunteers experi-

ence when helping others. It can be described as a sense of vitality and a warm glow. It has been compared to a runner’s high and may be attributed to a release of endorphins.

Various studies have found that donors and volunteers gain the most from a charitable encounter.

Here are a few more health benefits that may result from being altruistic: An activation of emotions that are key to good health, Lower stress levels, Longer periods of calm after the generous act, I m p r o v e d mood, and A potentially longer life span.

There are many ways to give back and experience these physical and psychological benefits, including: Sharing experiences at a school, Volunteering at a hospital, Volunteering at a national or local park, Donating unused items, like clothes or cars, Reading to children at a library, Helping to care for animals at shelters, Volunteering at a hospice and comforting those at the end of their lives, Donating supplies to a new teacher and Becoming a companion to a senior citizen.

The biggest risk left in your life is long term care. What’s your plan?

Let me help you personalize a plan to take care of the overwhelming emotional, physical, and financial consequences of long term care as you age.

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Right Health Plan?

SUBMITTED BY JANDEL ALLEN-DAVIS KAISER PERMANENTE Open Enrollment is right around the corner and choosing the right plan is one of the most important health care and financial decisions you can make. Understanding health care coverage in today’s world can be complicated, and making such an important decision can feel stressful. Here are some important steps that will help you make your decision:

Review past health care experiences

Look at your current health plan. Are you satisfied with the level of service and support you receive? What do you like or maybe want to change?

Estimate your health care needs for the coming year

Predicting the future isn’t easy! Start by looking at the past year. Did anything change for you in regards to your health? Maybe you’ve developed a chronic condition like diabetes that might require more attention.

Make sure your plan makes it convenient to access this increased level of care.

Accessing health care when you need it

No matter what plan you choose, you should be able to easily and quickly access your physician and health information so you can manage your health. At Kaiser Permanente, our members can email their physicians, order prescriptions online, view test results, make appointments for themselves and family members, and have a video visit with their provider from the comfort of their own living room — at no additional cost.

Examine all costs involved in maintaining your health

Don’t automatically sign up for the plan with the lowest premium. Look at the total value you’re getting in terms of services and costs. What services are provided? What are the co-pays for office visits, hospital visits and prescription drugs? What is the deductible? Once you know the answers to these questions, you’ll be prepared to find the health plan that’s right for you.

Choosing the right health plan takes time but you’ll find it’s definitely time well spent!

-Jandel Allen-Davis, MD, is vice president of government, external relations, and research for Kaiser Permanente Colorado

Did you know?

Recent surveys show there are fewer young people and more senior citizens behind the wheel in the United States. According to the National Household Travel Survey, members of Generation Y, who are between the ages of 16 to 34, are driving less. From 2001 to 2009, the average annual number of vehicle miles traveled

by Gen-Y-ers dropped by 23 percent. Some find the process to be a hassle, others are frightened

by the prospect of controlling a vehicle, and others are merely taking a green approach to transportation, choosing bicycles or public transportation. There is also the high cost of owning and fueling-up a vehicle today. On the flip side, researchers at the University of Michigan have found that people age 70 and older make up the largest group of drivers on the road — even higher than those in their 40s and 50s.

October 13, 2016 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 25

Home Care Options for an Aging Parent According to a recent AARP survey, 89% of adults over 65 years old prefer to stay in their home as they age. One of the most difficult decisions adult children make when caring for aging parents is where to turn for help with in-home care. The myriad of choices can be overwhelming. Essentially, there are three choices: private hire, Domestic Referral Agencies and full service companies.

With a private hire caregiver, the family or older adult becomes responsible for all steps of the hiring process. They must advertise, interview, and conduct background checks. Once a caregiver is selected, the older adult or family member must negotiate schedule, salary and benefits. A written contract, signed by both parties, clearly outlining all of the duties and expectations, is imperative. Liability normally falls on the client’s lap when it comes to payroll taxes, social security, unemployment taxes and workers compensation cost. It is imperative to get a rider on your homeowners’ insurance policy to protect your assets if anything should happen to the private hire in your home. Even though a private hire may be cost effective, the safety risk is the greatest especially when the older adult lives alone without supportive family available or there is impaired judgment on the part of the older adult. The risk is greatly reduced when a family member is able to supervise the caregiver. Professional geriatric care managers are also excellent supervisors when family is not available.

Domestic referral agencies are essentially registries. A client calls for service and a caregiver is placed in a home for a placement fee and sometimes an ongoing management fee. The referral agencies do not employ the caregiver. The client becomes the employer, and similar to a private hire is responsible for payroll taxes, social security, and unemployment insurance and workers compensation.

Some referral agencies have trust accounts where the client pays the agency and the agency then pays the caregiver, and sometimes sets up a tax service for the client, but

the client is still considered the employer. Since referral agencies are not employers, they do not supervise the caregiver. This increases the safety risk. Like a private hire, it is important that a family member or geriatric care manager supervise and oversee the care.

Full service agencies employ the caregivers. They hire, screen, train and supervise the employees and place them in the older adult’s home. As the employer, the full service agency is responsible for all payroll taxes, social security, worker compensation, and unemployment insurance. A good full service agency should be able to produce a copy of their liability insurance and carry some sort of bond. Supervision is done by the agency, with some agencies providing care managers who directly oversee client cases, thereby lowering the risk to the consumer. The cost of a full service agency is normally higher than a private duty hire or a domestic referral agency due to these factors, however the risk is essentially lower.

When choosing homecare for yourself or an older adult, remember to take into consideration the risk level of the older adult and the familial involvement. Educate yourself on what service is best for your situation and then interview several potential individuals or agencies. Finally, think ahead, don’t wait for a crisis to begin searching for the best care for you or your loved one.

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How to prepare a home for elderly residents Upon reaching retirement age, new retirees may face decisions regarding their living arrangements. Some seniors may opt to stay put, while others may want to downsize their homes to save money and relieve themselves of the burdens of maintaining larger homes.

But those are not the only situations seniors find themselves in. Some seniors realize they can no longer care for themselves without assistance.

In such instances, seniors may opt for assisted living facilities or choose to move in with a relative, such as a grown son or daughter. While assisted living facilities are designed to meet the needs of the elderly, young men and women welcoming seniors into their homes may need to take on some home improvement projects to ensure their homes are as safe as possible for elderly residents.

• Convert a room on the first floor into a bedroom. While this may not apply to all seniors, some men and women struggle with stairs as they age, and that can make it difficult for them to fully participate in a household.

Homeowners with an extra room to spare can convert a room on the first floor of their homes into a bedroom so seniors won’t have to climb up and down stairs throughout the day. That ease of accessibility to the primary floor of the house encourages seniors to be active participants in a household. If possible, choose an area that is close to a firstfloor bathroom.

• Take steps to make bathrooms safer. The National

Grab bars and shower benches can make bathrooms much safer for seniors.

Institute on Aging says that more than one in three seniors over age 65 fall each year, and 80 percent of those falls take place in the bathroom. Slippery tile floors can make it difficult for seniors to navigate bathrooms safely, and bathtubs and shower stalls present additional challenges. Install grab bars on bathroom walls and next to toilets to provide support. In addition, consider installing a shower chair or bench and removable shower nozzle in the shower or tub so seniors can sit down while they bathe and rinse without having to stand up on slippery sur-

faces. Make sure any mats around bathtubs and sinks are nonskid to reduce the risk of falls even further.

• Install an extra phone line or two. While kids and adults between the ages of 18 and 50 may never use the landlines in their homes, many seniors still rely on traditional telephones as their primary means of communicating with the outside world. Install extra landlines in your home, including in seniors’ bedrooms, so they can more readily access the phone should they fall and need to call for emergency help. Phones in seniors’ bedrooms may also provide some additional privacy to seniors who don’t want to carry on phone conversations in busy areas of the home, such as the kitchen or living room. Such lines may also reduce feelings of isolation.

• Prioritize accessibility when storing items. When storing groceries, books, magazines, or other items seniors are likely to use, choose locations that are accessible to seniors. Avoid storing items on the top shelf of pantries, bookcases or entertainment centers, as seniors with limited mobility may not be able to reach them.

Many seniors move in with their adult children to make their golden years safer and more enjoyable and manageable. Such a change in living arrangements may necessitate some changes on the part of homeowners so they can ensure their homes are safe for seniors.