The number of drug and alcohol deaths among people 65 and older is on the rise. It’s a concerning trend, but substance abuse treatment centers are mostly out of reach for older adults on Medicare.

 

Celebrating the coming of the new year means deciding on party ideas, what to serve, who to invite, and honestly, it can become overwhelming.

If you find yourself in this situation, you’re in luck! We have seven perfect New Year's Eve party ideas for you to choose from, including murder mysteries, nostalgia, games, dress-up themes, and even a thought for those who can’t make it to midnight.

 

Recognizing that you need help caring for an aging loved one who’s unable to live safely by themselves marks the beginning of a challenging journey. You might feel overwhelmed by the different options as you consider your senior loved one’s needs, preferences, and financial situation. Learn about the differences between care at a senior living community and home care so you can make an informed decision.


 

Winter home maintenance can be hazardous for seniors. Follow these tips to take extra precautions and ensure that your elderly loved ones are safe and comfortable in their homes during winter.

Even though most of us have happy memories of holiday celebrations, this time of the year can be stressful. There are pervasive societal expectations that everything should be cheerful, regardless of the circumstances. Our elders used to be in charge of making the holidays merry while the younger generations were the focus. But as our elders begin to slow down and need more help, the holiday responsibilities increasingly fall to us.

I wrote this piece on Thanksgiving, but it has meaning 365 days a year. The truth is that seniors like me would be utterly LOST without our caregivers.

 

Have you or your senior loved one been recently diagnosed with diabetes? Are you wondering how to manage it with the many upcoming holiday plans? Check out this guide to help you keep your blood sugar under control and prevent complications during the festivities.

Fall and winter can be depressing seasons for many people, but the elderly are often the most vulnerable. From seemingly minor mood swings to life-threatening health conditions like heart problems, the dark months can significantly reduce the quality of life for senior adults.

Costs can very but Senior Helpers strives to keep costs down and families safe.

Over 10 million Americans live with osteoporosis, a condition of low bone density that occurs when a person loses too much bone mass. Learn what daily habits worsen or cause osteoporosis so you can help your senior loved ones live a healthy lifestyle and avoid osteoporosis-related injuries.

Hear from our caregiver Stacy why she loves working with Senior Helpers in Tempe- we're so lucky to have you Stacy!

Seniors with osteoporosis are at a much higher risk of bone fractures, loss of balance, and immobility; but it doesn’t take much to provide relief and improve bone health. Learn how to incorporate daily habits for treating and managing osteoporosis so that your elderly loved one can continue living a healthy life.

As more and more seniors continue to move to the Grand Canyon state, it has never been more pressing to increase access to affordable, high-quality health care for Arizona seniors and those living with disabilities.

 

Retirees in Tempe, Arizona struggle to divide monthly social security payments of $1,667 between rent, food and healthcare bills. Provisions in the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act seek to ease some of that budget strain by introducing caps on rapidly rising Medicare costs.

Despite falling fuel prices, a disappointing inflation report Tuesday showed the consumer price index inching up 0.1% in August. On the same day, there was a celebration touting the Inflation Reduction Act at the White House.

 

When it comes to eye care, what's good for the young is good for the elderly. While not every senior citizen has eye problems, aging poses various threats to eye health. Reports indicate that 12.2% of seniors aged 65-74 and 15.2% above 75 years have vision loss. So, how often should their eyes get checked to achieve optimum senior eye health?

The federal government is beginning to take action against hospitals not complying with pricing transparency laws. This month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued two civil penalties to hospitals in Georgia, totaling more than a million dollars, for non-compliance, and the agency says it will continue to investigate hospitals around the country to make sure consumers have all the information they are entitled to.

Just because loved ones are 65 years or older doesn't mean they stopped having fun. A dinner party is an excellent way for older persons to have fun, stay active, and reminisce with family and friends. To make the dinner party successful:

The Dementia Caregiver Guide includes:
· An explanation of each of the GEMS States
· A description of the types of support needed as the condition progresses
· A demonstration of Positive Approach to Care techniques such as PPA and Hand-under-Hand
· A combination of visually appealing pictures and helpful text explanations

Tempe Community Council is committed to creating a community that not only meets the immediate needs of its aging citizens, but also embraces the concepts of healthy aging. TCC is proud to be a regional partner with The Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), who has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the Pfizer Foundation and Grantmakers in Aging (GIA), a national association of funders, as part of Community AGEnda: Improving America for All Ages. This new initiative is funding nonprofits in five U.S. cities to help accelerate local efforts to make communities “age-friendly” – that is, great places to grow up and grow old.

 

I have spent my career as a gerontological nurse practitioner working with people who have Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. My interest in this field began when my grandmother developed dementia and I was dissatisfied with the care and level of understanding she received from medical professionals. Families often consult with me about one worrisome symptom of dementia: wandering. For dementia patients, this behavior is very different from the aimless wandering of hikers exploring the woods or tourists moseying around a new city. Most often, there is nothing purposeless about the wandering behaviors I observe.


 

Kyrene School District announced it will be using new state funding to give all employees a pay increase this school year. Thursday marks the start of the school year for the district in Tempe, and the start of Kenora Hernandez’s 32nd year of teaching there. “To be very honest, it's been a long time since I’ve been energized to start a school year,” she said. “It’s the first time in probably three years that I’m excited.”

Communication can be challenging. There are so many things that can get in the way of proper communication; people speak different languages, or maybe we speak the same language but some words mean one thing to one person and something very different to someone else. Perhaps you received the message I’m giving in a way that was not intended? Maybe I misheard what you said. There’s always the potential that something was lost in translation. There are many things that can get in the way of effective communication when we have healthy brains, but what happens when one of us is living with dementia?