SCB Team Love

Helping Senior Citizens improve their memory

2008-07-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

All of us find it difficult to watch our elderly loved ones lose memory; forget things, places and even people.

There are ways to gently jog their memories with the help of everyday activities.

- Pictures help recall events, places and people in the best way. Use of scrap books and pictures with captions, dates etc put in visible areas in the room help elders remember these occasions, people and places.
- Ask questions about childhood activities, pets, games and friends.
- Reading letters and viewing greeting cards and holiday pictures also help jog memory.
- Children bring a special joy to seniors and children can help in their own way to help seniors remember. Plan visits to grand children often. Children’s games and fun activities also help.
- When visiting a senior who is experiencing memory problems try and dress to look like they way the remember seeing you.

Memory loss can be due to various reasons – illness or poor nutrition, vitamin deficiency etc. Get medical help to determine the cause and take action accordingly.

You can get free or low cost service and guidance for senior citizens online www.seniorcitizensbureau.com and also has an online directory and resource guide that lists various housing, product and service providers. They are a national, non-profit community resource for the elderly and children of the elderly and caregivers to the aged. Their national hotline, the Elder Info Line, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for senior members. To avail their services contact: 832-230-1238 or e-mail them at director@seniorcitizensbureau.com.

Senior Citizens and sleeping problems

2008-07-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

Most of the senior citizens have the common complaint of sleeping problems.

Sleep and Aging – Senior citizens also need 7 – 9 hours of sleep like a younger person but they tend to sleep early and wake up early and also may nap during the day which might cause sleeplessness during nights. Any kind of illness or pain also causes sleeplessness. Lack of sleep in the night makes a person wake up tired in the mornings, depressed, forgetful and irritable.

Insomnia – Usually adults over 60 years of age experience insomnia. It has many causes, excitement, worry, or a side effect of a medicine or illness. This can last for days months and even years. People with insomnia take a long time to fall asleep, wake up early and cannot go back to sleep, wake up tired or wake up several times in the night.

Rather than taking prescription medicines for sleep it would be better to follow a schedule –

Avoid napping during late afternoon and evenings.
Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday.
Practice a regular bed time routine by doing the same things before going to bed every night like reading a book, watching TV or listening to music.
Keep the bedroom at the right temperature with comfortable mattress, pillow etc.
Avoid a large meal close to bed time and also products containing cafferine that’ll keep you awake.
Avoid too many liquids later during the day as this may make you wake in the nights to go to the bathroom and break your sleep.
Get enough sunlight and exercise everyday.
Do not exercise few hours before bed time.

For service and guidance for the elderly contact the The Senior Citizens Bureau which is a national, non-profit community resource for the elderly and children of the elderly and caregivers to the aged. They offer free or low cost services and guidance to the elderly and also have an online directory and resource guide that lists various housing, product and service providers. Their national hotline, the Elder Info Line, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for senior members. To avail their services contact: 832-230-1238 or e-mail them at director@seniorcitizensbureau.com. Visit http://www.seniorcitizensbureau.net/ for more information.

Computer for Senior Citizens

2008-07-24T01:03:00.000-07:00

A computer unfolds a whole new world of possibilities for a senior citizen and you can have a lot of fun with it. Apart from the usual activities like sending emails, chatting, exchanging pictures and watching loved ones on the webcam, there are a whole load of things that you can do like shopping online save money through online discounts and check out variety of products, check live weather information, maps and driving directions and travel enthusiasts can visit various site to learn about the culture, lifestyle, language, etc of people from various parts of the world. Games are another good activity on the internet and there are several websites that offer senior friendly games from scrabble to crossword puzzles. You can check real estate prices, stock market prices, read news and the latest health updates. Ideas for hobbies, arts & crafts, painting etc can be sourced and for food lovers you can find recipes from all over the world.

You can download a lot of stuff too and for free – Movies & Videos, Music, Software, Pictures, Recipes, Maps etc. These can be exchanged from other uses too if you sign up in some of the website where they offer free file sharing. Google and Yahoo are popular for searching and all you need to do is just type in the words of what you are searching for and it throws up a whole lot of responses. One main thing to be cautious about while downloading is Virus. Viruses and Worms disrupt your work and harm all that you have stored on your computer. It would be wise to invest in a good anti virus software but also take care while downloading stuff especially software.

You can find out various resources for senior citizens on the computer and do visit www.seniorcitizensbureau.com which offers free or low cost services and guidance to the elderly and also has an online directory and resource guide that lists various housing, product and service providers. They are a national, non-profit community resource for the elderly and caregivers to the aged. Their national hotline, the Elder Info Line, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for senior members. To avail their services contact: 832-230-1238 or e-mail them at director@seniorcitizensbureau.com.

Financial Abuse of Senior Citizens

2008-07-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

Senior citizens become easy targets of various types of abuse including financial abuse. Many times elderly abuse happens when their trusted people like family friends or caretakers and sometimes an unscrupulous individual also who take away their financial resources such as property, investments and cash and this leads to a lot of emotional pain, distress and anguish. The elderly have to be extra careful while dealing with their finances and be very aware while dealing with investments and property.

When any kind of abuse occurs, many seniors are either afraid or embarrassed to tell anyone about it. Each one of us can help in this situation. If you have a senior citizen in your family or friends circle and if you notice any changes in their behavior or personality, you should start questioning to find out if something is wrong. If you suspect financial or physical abuse then report it by contacting your local law enforcement office.

An active involvement and management of the caregiver can help avoiding elder abuse be it emotional or financial and a professional caregiver will know how to react to all types of clients situations. In addition, since they are providing care as a career, they will be the first to report any unsavory activity by family members or friends. For service and guidance for the elderly contact the The Senior Citizens Bureau which is a national, non-profit community resource for the elderly and caregivers to the aged. They offer free or low cost services and guidance to the elderly and also have an online directory and resource guide that lists various housing, product and service providers. Their national hotline, the Elder Info Line, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for senior members. To avail their services contact: 832-230-1238 or e-mail them at director@seniorcitizensbureau.com. Visit www.seniorcitizensbureau.com for more information.

Driving tips for Senior Citizens

2008-07-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

Everyone likes the independence of driving a car on his or her own. Safe driving is a key concern for all but more relevant for older people due their physical and mental changes.
The aging eye for people over 60 is one of the concerns due to which it would be difficult to see and understand visual information and also react accordingly.

Some tips can be followed to make the driving experience safer:

- Ensure regular eye check-ups are done in order to maintain eye health so that undetected vision loss and cataracts does not result in bad driving.
- It is best to avoid nighttime driving which involves bright and glaring light. If there is an urgent requirement to drive at night, do not look directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles instead concentrate on the road ahead and toward the right side of the lane in which you're driving. Try and take a familiar route.
- Driving under the influence of some medications can change the ability to react and respond to unexpected road hazards. Check with the doctor about the side effects of prescribed medications.
- Sudden changes in light require more adjustment in older drivers and a good pair of sunglasses can minimize this.

The Senior Citizens Bureau offers free or low cost services and guidance to the elderly and also has an online directory and resource guide that lists various housing, product and service providers. They are a national, non-profit community resource for the elderly and children of the elderly and caregivers to the aged. Their national hotline, the Elder Info Line, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for senior members. To avail their services contact: 832-230-1238 or e-mail them at director@seniorcitizensbureau.com. Visit www.seniorcitizensbureau.com
for more information.

Nutritive food for the elderly

2008-07-14T22:52:00.000-07:00

Nutrition remains important throughout life, more so in old age as it can improve quality of life and also helps lessen the effects of diseases in the later years. One does not feel good to hear that as we grow older our diet needs to have more and more restrictions. However, we do need to alter our diet as we grow older to suit the metabolism and also older people with health issues do need to make some changes in their diets. Every health condition faced by seniors need special diets: like a low-sodium diet for high blood pressure, a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet for heart disease, or a low-calorie diet for weight reduction.

However, these alterations in diet should not pose a restriction on the variety of food or enjoying a meal. Special diets often require extra effort but it will help in the long run. Seniors should not settle for fast foods like canned foods, frozen dinners, lunch meats etc only because they are easy to prepare, because these kinds of foods contain high calories, fat and sodium. Rather than this it helps to use fresh vegetables, herbs and olive oil for cooking which has many health benefits. Food cut into small pieces and cooked well are also easy to chew and swallow. A little extra care goes a long way and food preparation can be done in a simple and effective way at the same time making it tasty and nutritious to make a wonderful meal for the elderly.

Contact the The Senior Citizens Bureau which is a national, non-profit community resource for the elderly and children of the elderly and caregivers to the aged. They offer free or low cost services and guidance to the elderly and also have an online directory and resource guide that lists various housing, product and service providers. Their national hotline, the Elder Info Line, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for senior members. To avail their services contact: 832-230-1238 or e-mail them at director@seniorcitizensbureau.com. Visit www.seniorcitizensbureau.com
for more information.

Become a caregiver to the elderly

2008-07-09T01:15:00.000-07:00

Starting and running an elder care center could be a satisfying profession. As in many cases, both the spouses work full-time they are in need of someone who will take care of the senior citizens that live with them. These aged persons require support because of age-related infirmity or chronic illnesses. Quite a few of them may require help while bathing, getting dressed, and having their meals. This is when a professionally trained elder caregiver can render assistance.

As a first step, find out all you can about the business of running an old age care center in the area of your choice. Once you have the required information, decide on the nature of elder care service you want to offer – whether you want it to be an adult day care center for the old, home assistance service to the aged, long term assistance service, etc. It is wiser to register your business as that will provide liability protection and also enhance the credibility of your business. You could hire qualified and experienced staff depending on the kind of services that you decide to provide. It will be an added advantage if you have extensive contacts with physicians, social workers, attorneys, residential facilities, etc.

You center has to be strategically located and be easily accessible. You should provide quality service, making sure that the elderly are indeed treated politely and with respect by your staff. Starting an old people care center is indeed a great way to make a contribution to the community as well as pursuing a noble profession.

The Senior Citizens Bureau is a national, non-profit community resource for the elderly and children of the elderly. The Senior Citizens Bureau is always happy to join forces with other organizations and advocacy groups that work toward the greater good of the senior community. If you or your company is interested in collaboration or linking of services, e-mail them at: info@seniorcitizensbureau.com or call 832-230-1238. For more details visit www.seniorcitizensbureau.com

GIVE LIFE THE RIGHT PROTECTION AT THE RIGHT TIME

2008-07-07T05:16:00.000-07:00

Would you like to look youthful and glowing? Would you like to retain the normal texture of your skin? Did you know that bodies tanned by the sun turn old before their time? Then stay away from the hot summer sun and avoid over-exposure that can cause harm. Get time-saving advice and information from the Senior Citizens Bureau that gives senior citizens timely care and educative information so that they can lead healthy and happy lives. The Senior Citizens Bureau located in Houston, Texas, offers free or low cost services and guidance to the elderly that helps them to keep up with the latest news in health and care for the senior citizens.

As a person grows older life there are many fears that they face and insecurities that they must overcome. Most of the problems are health based and deter senior citizens from enjoying their original lifestyles. As with everyone, including senior citizens like to soak up the sun and look tanned and healthy, but sometimes following regular patterns of sunbathing or tanning can be harmful and can lead to an unhealthy body. Over-exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer, burnt skin, freckles and wrinkles. SPF or Sun Protection Factor and sunscreen blocks containing UVA and UVB rays are effective protectors. These are broad-spectrum sunscreens with ingredients that are active. Make sure that the sunscreen is hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic and does not clog pores causing acne. Senior citizens can get timely help and direction from the Senior Citizens Bureau if they detect signs of skin cancer that may be detected through change in the texture of the skin, or a new growth, a sore that does not heal quickly or a change in an old growth or other unusual signs in the skin.

If you need to get away for a summer holiday, sunscreens are a must and should be applied thickly to get the full SPF protection. Sunscreens should also be applied every 2-3 hours after a swim or in case of sweating. Outdoor activities and sports require sunscreens that are sweat proof and waterproof. When out on a vacation in a sunny place, remember that the rays of the sun are strongest between 10 am and 4 pm besides being stronger at high elevations and lower latitudes or near the equator. Another way to check if you are prone to sunburn is by seeing if a person’s shadow is shorter than their actual height which makes their risk of sunburn much higher. It is wise to wear a hat with a wide brim, sun protective clothing and anti-UV sunglasses which prevents ultraviolet radiation from entering the eyes. Surfaces that are reflective like snow and water can increase UV radiation thereby harming the skin. Senior citizens can enjoy a care-free holiday if they adhere to the norms to protect their skin from over exposure to the sun.

The Senior Citizens Bureau offers its services and resources and support to the elderly and the caregivers of the elderly. Individuals are encouraged to contact them regarding their services for the elderly from any location. They can provide information on senior citizens centers, senior citizens organizations, centers for elderly assistance, centers for elderly care, centers for elderly care services and centers for elderly parents.

Even more convenient is the 24-hour hotline, which can be utilized to access and learn more about many services at any time. They are the one-stop information shop for the senior community. With their assistance, seniors and their caregivers will no longer have to go through the extensive and time-consuming task of researching product and service providers. They have a passion to protect senior adults, and are more than happy to lead them in the right direction.

Online help for senior Citizens

2008-07-03T02:30:00.000-07:00

There are online elder information services that provide support, information and referral to assist online elder information in dire situations. This service is available to older people, their family, friends and others who are concerned about elder welfare. The elder information also assists elderly caregivers to get the required information to render timely service to the aged persons. Elders may need help in the form of financial, psychological, physical, social, sexual and intentional or unintentional neglect. The online elder information can provide all relevant details to the old people to overcome their problems.

The elder online Information aims to enhance the quality of life and safety of senior citizens by ensuring that: Older people have access to services with fully developed inter-agency networks providing a coordinated response. Elder care online is also a beacon of hope for people caring for aging loved ones - whether they be a spouse, parent, relative or neighbor. The services are committed to providing an online community where supportive peers and professionals help improve the quality of life of the aged and infirm people. The eldercare online info services are the first step to finding resources for older adults in any U.S. community. These services enable older persons to obtain the right information as and when they need it and live independent of outside help. The service links those who need assistance with state and local area agencies on aging and community-based organizations that serve older adults and their caregivers

The Senior Citizens Bureau is a national, non-profit community resource for the elderly and children of the elderly and caregivers to the aged. They provide free or low cost services and guidance to the elderly and offer an online directory and resource guide that lists various housing, product and service providers. Their national hotline, the Elder Info Line, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for senior members. To avail their services contact: 832-230-1238 or e-mail them at director@seniorcitizensbureau.com. Visit www.seniorcitizensbureau.com for more information.

Understand caregiver services

2008-07-02T03:01:00.000-07:00

There is no denying the fact that people are living longer than ever before. Because many women are marrying and begetting children rather late in life, they frequently find themselves in a piquant position of caring for their children and elders at the same time.

Many older adults develop mental or physical impairments that will cease to make them self-reliant and look for outside help. It is estimated that presently nearly 50% of the aged over-85 population needs some assistance for their daily activities such as eating, bathing, toileting or dressing. The availability of elderly caregivers to the aged is a critical factor whether the elders remain at the home or seek admission into an institution. The fact remains that while the number of older people is steadily increasing, the pool of available caregivers for them is shrinking. Care giving can be broadly defined as providing assistance for the physical, mental and emotional needs of an aged person, ranging from partial assistance to 24-hour care, depending on the condition of the old person. Caregivers to the aged often provide a wide range of services, depending on the degree of disability, economic situation and living environment of the senior citizens. The nature and quantum of care will also vary with the type of disease or disability as someone with Alzheimer's disease will have different needs than someone with cancer.

The Senior Citizens Bureau is a national, non-profit community resource for the elderly and children of the elderly and caregivers to the aged. They provide free or low cost services and guidance to the elderly and offer an online directory and resource guide that list various housing, product and caregiver service providers. Their national hotline, the Elder Info Line, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for senior members. To avail their services contact: 832-230-1238 or e-mail them at director@seniorcitizensbureau.com. Visit www.seniorcitizensbureau.com for more information.

Help seniors overcome depression problems

2008-06-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

Apart from the physical infirmities and deteriorating health conditions, the elderly citizens quite often experience emotional trauma caused by neglect by their children, bereavements in the family, loss of company etc. Left isolated, depression not only prevents older people from enjoying life like they should, but it also takes a heavy toll on their mental health. Senior citizens with a personal history of misfortunes, victims of elder abuse and old persons with inadequate social support are the ones most susceptible to emotional upsets and bouts of depression. Loneliness and isolation, a feeling that they are no longer needed, chronic physical pain, family bereavements and fear of death – are some of the common causes for depression in the elderly persons.

Although depression in the elderly is quite expected and a common problem, only a small percentage of senior people get the type of relief they need. Most of us tend to overlook seniors with depression problems and dismiss them as part of old age syndrome. Likewise doctors attending on aged people more often ignore depression and concentrate only on their physical complaints and health problems. Depression need not be a normal or necessary part of aging. But, we also cannot brush aside the fact that several old men and women are averse to talk about their hurt feelings or seek emotional support. The good news is that with treatment and support, depressed seniors can improve and overcome depression. If caregivers to the elderly can learn how to spot the symptoms of depression and find effective ways to support the aged people, the elder citizens will continue to remain happy and vibrant throughout their golden years.

The Senior Citizens Bureau is a national, non-profit community resource for the elderly and children of the elderly. They have the experience and expertise and trained staff to provide exemplary care to senior citizens. To avail their services contact: 832-230-1238 or e-mail them at director@seniorcitizensbureau.com. Visit www.seniorcitizensbureau.com for more information.

The Role of Caregiver to the Elderly

2008-06-24T02:56:00.000-07:00

No one can arrest the passage of time and old age will positively catch up with every one of us. The need for elderly care assumes greater significance particularly because more and more families are becoming nuclear. There is no denying the fact that elderly people at home contribute greatly towards enriching the family atmosphere till they become weak and infirm. When they attain this stage, they cease to contribute actively to the family and begin to think they are no longer wanted. So, the onus of the caregivers to the elderly becomes increasingly difficult as they have to cater both to the physical and emotional needs of the senior citizens. Thus the old age caregivers must be of the right temperament and display patience, understanding and mental composure.

Elderly persons are prone to age-related health disorders and there could be sudden emergency situations to cope with. An ability to perceive the wants of the old people and understand their gestures are essential qualities for the elderly caregiver. Elders are immensely pleased when the caregiver anticipates and does things for them even before they ask help. Solving the problems of the elders may not be easy all the time but reassurance has to be given to them regularly so that the seniors do not feel neglected. Loneliness is one thing the aged people resent most and they want company most of the time.

The Senior Citizens Bureau is a national, non-profit community resource for the elderly and children of the elderly. They have the experience and expertise and trained staff to provide exemplary care to senior citizens. To avail their services contact: 832-230-1238 or e-mail them at director@seniorcitizensbureau.com. Visit http://www.seniorcitizensbureau.com/ for more information.

2008-06-12T03:13:00.001-07:00

Helping Seniors

2008-06-12T03:10:00.001-07:00

Do you have any personal stories that have led you to want to help seniors in the community? Are there any ideas or experience you would like to share with other volunteers?

Here are few statistics about volunteers and how they help others throughout the world:

About 60.8 million people volunteered through or for an organization atleast once between September 2006 and September 2007, the Bureau of LaborStatistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The proportionof the population who volunteered was 26.2 percent. This 0.5 percentagepoint decrease in the volunteer rate follows a decline of 2.1 percentagepoints in the prior year. The volunteer rate had held constant at 28.8 per-cent from 2003 through 2005, after rising slightly from its 2002 level of27.4 percent. These data on volunteering were collected through a supplement to theSeptember 2007 Current Population Survey (CPS).

The supplement was spon-sored by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The CPS is amonthly survey of about 60,000 households that obtains information onemployment and unemployment among the nation's civilian noninstitutionalpopulation age 16 and over. Volunteers are defined as persons who didunpaid work (except for expenses) through or for an organization. Formore information about the volunteer supplement, see the Technical Note.Volunteering Among Demographic Groups In the year ending September 2007, both the number of volunteers and thevolunteer rate declined from the previous year. About 29.3 percent of womendid volunteer work during the year, down from 30.1 percent during the prioryear. The volunteer rate for men was about unchanged at 22.9 percent.

As in previous years, women volunteered at a higher rate than men across allage groups, educational levels, and other major characteristics. (See tablesA and 1.) By age, persons age 35 to 54 continued to be the most likely to volunteer(30.3 percent), while persons in their early twenties were the least likely(17.7 percent).

The volunteer rate for teens showed the largest decline inthe year ending in September 2007; the rate for females age 16 to 19 fellfrom 28.8 to 26.6 percent and the volunteer rate for males of that age fellfrom 24.1 to 22.5 percent.