Many seniors and their loved ones still have misconceptions about what were commonly called nursing homes. Most baby boomers were raised thinking that nursing / retirement homes were drab places for the elderly to just merely exist. Fortunately, over the years, as society began developing a more progressive way of thinking, the days of the sterile, hospital looking environments are few and far between. Now, assisted living centers, retirement communities and nursing...

If the task of choosing a nursing home for an elderly parent or family member has fallen on your shoulders, you might be overwhelmed. It is not easy to find something that will make everybody happy and also give you the peace of mind that the person will be safe and well cared for.

The obvious place to start is to decide on the area. Ideally it would be close to you or other family members so that you can regularly visit and assist with problems or other necessary tasks. You will...

Recently, the Seattle Times has been writing articles regularly about horrible events that have been occurring in adult family homes in the Seattle area. Here is a recent article: . These articles write about the atrocities, such as neglect and beatings, that certain adult family home owners have exposed their residents to. One particually disturbing story describes:

“In July, Detlefs spotted bruises on her husband’s arms and an untreated gash on his left hand. She...

Caring for an aging parent or loved one is a very challenging task. It requires a lot of time, patience and understanding.

Most of the time, caregivers become very busy taking care of others that they tend to forget to take care of themselves. This can result in to stress, anxiety, frustration and exhaustion, which may eventually lead to "Caregiver Burnout."

Caregiver Burnout can occur when a caregiver becomes overwhelmed and tired emotionally, physically and...

Over the past decades a huge change has been seen in the life expectancy rate. Many incurable diseases have literally been wiped out and drugs have worked wonders. The retirees have found a second youth through the fitness regimes and the Yoga centers, thus making them believe that truly 'Life Begins at forty'. People above the age of 55 now dare to experiment something which they could not attempt earlier, and hence they are seeking active adult communities. An over 55 retirement...

Many people in our society are clinging to retirement myths, despite the publicity and information available. Holding on to these myths as truth can be very harmful to your happiness in retirement.

To help you avoid holding on to these detrimental myths, I’d like to offer my take on some of the most widely held retirement myths.

Myth #1: Retirement is an event that occurs on the last day of your career. This is false. Retirement is a new phase of your life,...

When I visited my library the other day, I came across the Senior Citizen's Handbook: Laws and Programs AffectingSenior Citizensin Virginia.

Financial Assistance
It's a slender, oversized book, with chapters onFinancial Assistance,explaining in detail everything you need to know about Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Pensions and Veterans Benefits, the Food Stamp program and Federal Tax Relief.

Health Care
There's also a section onHealth...

<b>boomerang </b>
Noun
1. a curved wooden missile of Australian Aborigines which can be made to return to the thrower
2. an action or statement that recoils on its originator
Verb
(of a plan) to recoil unexpectedly, harming its originator [Aboriginal]

They’ve changed American society in unexpected, unplanned—even unwanted—ways, but the massive impact of the Baby Boom generation, if only because of its colossal size, has...

There comes a time in many families that in-home care for the elderly must be considered. The good news is that there are many wonderful providers, which are fully capable and adequately trained to provide this much-needed assistance.

If you are at a loss when it comes to choosing the right provider, there is no harm in asking friends for their recommendation. This will save a great deal of time, when time is usually of the essence. You just might be surprised by the number...

AARP is an organization for older adults in America that can be joined for a very small fee.  The purpose of the program is to talk about older adults rights and various medical, health, and end of life issues that most start to think about by the time they qualify to join this program.  What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of this program?

There are some advantages.  First of all, it's rather cheap at less than $15 a year in most cases.  This...