Many older people fear that their retirement nestegg survive, so we put together a few of our best dollar saving tips to help.

Select the lowest level of care possible

Many Assisted Living offers a different level of care. They may be able to meet the needs of your older with less than 24 hours per day care. Among other services they can provide services ° medication reminders, · transfers from bed to wheelchair, · swimming, and, · care and dressing help.

Monthly fees will be significantly lower than those of nursing homes, perhaps as much as $ 1,000 less per month.

Aged Care facilities that offer “aging in place” a double benefit.You reap the cost savings associated with lower levels of care, and your older can relax, away from the stress of an important future step.

Look for care by non-profit organizations.

Our research shows that, on average, nursing homes conducted by nonprofit organizations around 1 / 3 less impaired than homes run by for-profit organizations. Homes run by large companies, especially those with many facilities to manage, the highest average number of deficiencies. By finding a suitable non-profit institution that provides care, you could save thousands of dollars over the course of one year. Older and you can get better care.

A word of warning: I do not mean to imply that all non-profit organizations provide quality care to all corporate housing or provide poor care. It depends on the specific organization. Once you have visited a specific facility several times you have a reasonably accurate assessment of the quality of care is practiced.

Slash the costs of prescription drugs

Your savings can amount to thousands of dollars a year if you have only one or two of these tactics.

1. Ask your doctor for generic substitutes, 2. Brand name prescriptions to out-of-the-country pharmacies, particularly in Canada. 3. Use Pillbot (http://www.pillbot.com) to the least expensive prices in U.S. pharmacies to be found. 4. Apply for reduced cost or free medications. Pharmaceutical companies often have programs that cost less or free recipes available for elderly people who otherwise could not afford to provide. Ask your doctor whether such programs are available for the requirements of your elderly needs.

Ask retailers for discounts for seniors

Many companies routinely offer discounts for seniors, but you may not know that such discounts exist, unless you ask for them.

Comparable to large discounts on sale with prices, especially for aviation. It is not uncommon to find that sales prices are lower than the spot price.

Take advantage of end of season sale

Buy clothing, including sleepwear, casual wear, shoes and coats, at a considerable saving on the retail end of the current season. If your elder needs adaptive clothing, look at the websites that feature specials and close outs.

Use public services

Libraries – It can quickly and easily drop by your local bookstore for the latest bestseller, but it is cheaper to borrow from your local library. It is also a big advantage to be able to return the book to someone else shelves once it has been read. Elder housing often lacks ample storage space.

Public Transport – Older Americans are no different from Americans in another age. They want their own transport, available immediately, and they value the independence that a car represents. However, the cost of ownership, insurance, licenses and property taxes are not justified for an older person who no longer drive routine. If you convince your elder to car ownership to see, you can save as much as two hundred dollars a month.

Many public transport authorities, door-to-door cost rides for elderly and disabled. If your elder lives in a retirement community, some transport into the monthly rent. Special fees may apply for transportation to special events, but alternative transport is available to help you build a strong case for giving your old car ownership.

Senior centers – Senior centers offer companionship and a variety of activities at little or no cost. Check to see what your local senior center that might interest your elder.

Avoiding the hidden costs of long term care

Reviews – Most elderly facilities necessary evaluations. Such evaluations usually take place before the oldest is a resident and be repeated periodically or after a serious illness or accident.Fees for most assessments are between $ 300 and $ 500.Sometimes a physician assessment in place for assessing the facility.

You’ll save money if you warn big appraisal fees, costs over a few thousand dollars. Such fees fit neatly into the category of “hidden costs.”

A cunning variation is the practice of performing the first evaluation 30 days after the eldest is a resident. If you have questions this practice, you’ll probably hear that an assessment is not accurate to the oldest fully moved into his new home. Watch out!

Most facilities will allow you to Elder’s your lease without penalty to terminate within the first 30 days of stay. However, if the assessment of the monthly cost increases significantly (a likely outcome), you will not know until you’re locked into a contract. Often terminate a lease after 30 days you lay yourself open to substantial penalties.

Pharmacy Costs – A new twist in hidden costs, a provision the question that the drugs are packaged in a single dose packets. If you thought prescription costs were already high, get ready for heart-stopping sticker shock when you see the prices of individual packs. This requirement can be as much as six thousand dollars a year to add to your long-term care costs. Ask specifically about this practice before you sign a contract.

Fees and deposits – Fees are recurring monthly services, while deposits are amounts held by the owner to protect it from possible damage. Pets, smoking, and wheelchair / car users can damage a house, so charging fees or deposits in these particular circumstances is reasonable.

Not so reasonable, however, the practice of charging fees and deposits as well. It comes down to one other hidden costs that you should reject.

Argh! Where are my glasses? I put them down. . . what to do? And when?

As the daughter of an Alzheimer’s patient, this inability to take everyday objects, like my glasses and car keys, drives me absolutely crazy! Absent-mindedness has always plagued me.Now, it keeps me anxious and guessing. Is this an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease? I could end up like my father, crippled by this disease? I decided to worry about and act to stop it!

I searched the latest literature to see what techniques (no prescriptions, thank you!) Can prevent or the onset of Alzheimer’s disease to slow down. Here are some of the things I found.

Nutrition Counts!

Vitamin E

Diets rich in vitamin E and essential oils may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. A study recently published in the Archives of Neurology (2002) found that participants aged 65-102, who ate fish at least once a week showed 36% less decline in cognitive functioning than three years of study +. Similar results were found in the Rotterdam Study, a study followed more than 9000 participants. These researchers found that participants who ate fish usually only one third as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as those who ate fish least often. These studies provide compelling reasons to at least one meal of fish to add to your diet each week.

What other foods should you take? Olive oil is a particularly valuable source of vitamin E and other antioxidants. I prefer the extra virgin variety of olive oil for the milder taste. With a dash of fresh lime juice, olive oil makes a pleasant dressing. And I have found that the more I use it, the more I like it.

B vitamins

B vitamins, particularly folic acid and vitamin B-12, help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and a host of other diseases such as heart disease and stroke. A study by the National Institute on Aging found that mice fed a diet rich in folic acid were able to damage the DNA of nerve cells in the hippocampus (an area needed for memory and learning) to repair. Foods rich in B vitamins whole grains, yeast, meat, skim milk, lentils and leafy vegetables.

Can not I just take a pill?

B vitamins may not be readily absorbable from pills. Certainly, the pills are better than nothing, but for good absorption by the body, vitamin B shots may be preferable. Vitamin E and fish oil capsules are readily absorbed, so they should help. Contact your doctor or a nutritionist for correct dosages.

Soy milk replaced

Soy may have protective properties and is a good source of B vitamins. I’ve known for years that ice cream gives me a stomachache. The problem is that I have an ice cream junkie, a dairy products junkie, for that matter am. I’ve never met one I did not like old cheddar cheese. So I was very surprised that I actually based on soy milk and ice rather their dairy counterparts. I have not tried soy-based cheese yet. If you have, or if you’ve tried other soy substitutes, let me know what you think.

A caution: genetically-modified soya beans are often used in soy-based products. Without labeling, such as that Western European countries require all genetically modified food, it is difficult to ensure that genetically modified beans are excluded from the products you eat. I get mine at the health food store for a little extra protection. Although I can not say whether the product contains some genetically-altered soy, the fact that it is organic assures me that it is free of pesticide residues.

What about NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)?

One of the prevailing theories is that inflammation causes or encourages Alzheimer’s disease. This theory has led to the suggestion that a daily dose of NSAIDs (Ibuprofen and similar products) can prevent the disease. However, researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center (8th International Conference on Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders, July 25, 2002) found no significant benefits from NSAIDS compared to a placebo.

What to avoid

Smoking

A brand new study, also reported in Stockholm (July 23, 2002) during the 8th International Conference on Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders, showed that people who lack the gene that predisposes people to Alzheimer’s disease, smoking is significantly related the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease.Another reason to quit smoking now!

Mercury

Even small amounts of mercury can make the neurofibrillary tangles (abnormal tau proteins) occur in Alzheimer’s and related diseases according to research conducted at the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine. So I’ll avoid silver / mercury fillings.My mercury-filled thermometer now resides in the bin. The newer digital thermometers are easier, faster and safer to use.

Other benefits of a nutritious diet

A nutritious diet, combined with a healthy lifestyle can prevent or alleviate many diseases associated with aging. With a growing U.S. population now over 65 + (17 million + according to the latest U.S. Census), seniors with serious medical problems may soon require more care than we as a nation has to offer. We must do all we can to the problems associated with aging to eliminate. Then the golden years can truly gold.

Sixty-five year old Arthur Jones served a self-imposed life sentence – in his own home.

Arthur lived in a high crime neighborhood, so he built iron cages around his outside doors and installed bars on the windows.Nobody could find it easy to break into the house of Arthur’s!

I met Arthur a few years ago, although you would hardly call our interaction meeting. When I arrived to deliver his meal, as part of the meals-on-Wheels program, Arthur barely cracked open his front door, even though his cage clearly protected him. He refused to open the cage door at all, even to him his meal, I had the corner of the box through the bars. Without doubt, this maneuver scrambled the hot contents of his boxed meal, but Arthur would have no other way. He clearly feared me, a 100-pound woman, and everyone else.

I wish I could say that Arthur’s family came to his aid, finding him the medical and emotional treatment he needed. I can not. Arthur’s depression and paranoia compounded relentlessly, killing him at far too young.

Many older people live like Arthur, holed up in their own homes, barricaded against the world. Who cares? Family and friends should care, and they have the primary responsibility, acting in their earlier state rivals that of Arthur. We can not shift this burden to our government. We can not wish it away. Those of us lucky elders in our lives have the responsibility to see that they do not succumb to depression shoulder.

At this holiday season, many elders experience transitory depression, as celebrations bring memories of friends and loved ones who are deceased. Reduced hours of sunshine may add to their depression. How do you know if your elder suffers from serious depression? And, if you suspect depression, what to do?Here are a few tips.

What signs should lead you to suspect serious depression?

Lethargy and / or refusal to get out of bed; changes in sleep patterns such as sleeping all morning Special Complaints memory and loss of ability Frequent sighs concentrating or cry as unusual for the patient Feeling fear and loneliness , thoughts of death Refusal to eat for prescription drugs thoughts or talk of suicide to take (remember, the idea that suicide is not their plans signal a myth!) Significant changes in personality Irritability

What can you do?

A few simple steps can improve their condition rapidly:

call more often than usual. Take your oldest for trips away from the house. Schedule a medical appointment to confirm or deny your suspicions, and one for your elder to that appointment. Depression often accompanies the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Check bottles to make sure that your elder is actually taking prescribed medications at recommended doses. Too many or too few pills in the bottle can alert you to problems. If you find evidence that the drugs not be taken as directed, soft probe to see if you can learn why. Take the oldest in the parties and holiday festivities, but keep the duration of their participation at a level they can easily handle.Drop more than usual on homebound elders.

Myths associated with selecting quality nursing home care suggest quick and easy ways to identify quality of care. In fact, relying on these myths to disastrous results. I stated a few of the most common myths in hopes of helping you avoid some of the problems commonly found in many nursing homes.

1. The smell test

You’ve heard it repeatedly: “The best way to improve the quality of care in a nursing home has to be determined to be alert to bad odors during your visit to the house.”

This rarely works. Why? Nursing home administrators have heard the same advice. As a result, they are particularly sensitive to unpleasant odors in an area that could receive visitors. Almost all will do their best to unpleasant odors as quickly as possible, even if it means avoiding their primary responsibility to remove their inhabitants.

2. Personal recommendation

Recently I heard a guest on a radio talk show state that the best way to find great nursing home care is to get recommendations from a friend. Like other myths, there is some truth here, but you should check whether your friend has had extensive interactions with the nursing home recommended. Often this is not the case.

Last weekend I dealt with an emergency call from Jim, a friend who had his mother in a nursing home recommended by a friend.Although she was recuperating from a stroke, no nurse or aide checked on her condition for more than 14 hours. Jim discovered her in the morning with lots of cuts and bruises, her sheets soaked in blood. He was surprised that anyone would recommend such a bad institution.

“My friend said her grandmother in this particular nursing home,” he reported. ”So, I thought it would provide good care.”

“How often does your friend visit her grandmother?” I asked him.

“I did not think to ask,” he replied.

“And you have the latest survey for that nursing home?”

“No,” he replied. ”I thought a personal recommendation was all I needed.”

Jim’s mother is now back in an area hospital. Nobody knows yet how much damage this experience caused to her recovery.

3. You get what you pay for

Nowhere is this statement less applicable than in the elderly. In fact, I would replace it with another shibboleth – “Buyer Beware.”Our own research, includes more than 6000 nurses and more than 100 assisted living facilities shows no relationship between cost and quality of care. You will find the quality of care in an expensive facility, or you can not! The fact that a facility is low cost does not indicate a poor, average or quality of care to get. You should do your homework. Relying on price as the only indicator of quality of care can lead to disastrous results.

4. Adequate Staffing Equals Quality Care

A recent report by the Senate Special Committee on Aging indicated that quality of care for a nursing home resident requires more than three hours per day of nursing and nursing aide time.However, statistical analysis of the latest federal database on nursing home deficiencies indicates no relationship between the quality of care and the workforce. This finding is consistent with a number of university studies.

What do you seek, then nursing workforce?

There is a level below which nursing homes are so understaffed that quality care can not be provided. I suggest you not every house with a level less than two hours per day per capita to consider. For levels higher than this, I would not focus on the number of hours available for care, but the motivation of the staff available to provide care. Those who are motivated to care for the elderly will.Those who are only motivated by a salary will probably provide shoddy care regardless of their number.

5. A well-known chain would best care

This is another myth that can lead to a tragedy. Sometimes known companies offer top-quality care. In other cases, however, a quick overview of newspapers and magazines to show other companies with a long record of legal problems arising from allegations of neglect and abuse. Such an undertaking was simultaneously sued by a number of states attorneys general.

How will you know? The company is not likely to tell you, so you will not know unless you take the time to look at the historical performance of the company.