Continuing on...
26. Be debt free ASAP. Whether you are retiring or just want to be more financially secure, get out of debt as fast as possible and stay out. You can make a limited income stretch further if you aren't paying multiple debts (with interest!) every month.
27. Consider bulk cooking. A lot of times, people who are elderly and/or living alone don't feel like cooking a complete meal every single day. With soups/stews/chili/etc stored in single-serve containers in the freezer, you will always have a good meal at hand when you don't feel like cooking.
28. For seniors who have difficulty cooking for themselves, local Meals on Wheels programs may be a great option.
29. Other food options to look into: meals at the local senior center, accessing food stamps, and community meal programs for seniors.
30. Do all you can to avoid falls. Did you know that falls are the leading cause of hospitalizations and one of the leading causes of death for the elderly?
31. Consider your driving and know when to hang up the keys. Obviously this is easier said than done as may seniors don't live in places with good public transportation or they may see this as limiting their freedom but it is an important topic look into as you age. Here is a way to evaluate your driving ability.
32. Look into taking a senior driving class in your community (there are several, this is one example). After taking the class, people can often get discounts on their car insurance plus it is just good information to know.
33. If you know of a senior driver who could be a danger to themselves or others, most states have a senior driver reevaluation process as well as rules specifically for elderly drivers.
34. Check out the senior centers in your area. We have several in our city which offer meals, exercise classes, or just the opportunity to socialize.
35. Depending on your ethnicity, there may be special centers in your city such as Tribal Elder Centers, Chinese Senior Centers, Jewish Senior Centers, etc.
36. A great way to socialize and get some exercise is walking. I belong to a local chapter of this walking club and our area also has a senior hiking club.
37. For people who really want a lot of activity and socialization opportunities, consider living in a senior (55+) community. Here is the club list for a senior community in our area. A caveat for this, grandkids and younger family and friends are limited to the number of days they can stay with you.
38. Speaking of exercise, there are so many opportunities for seniors--from following along with a chair yoga YouTube channel, to swimming at your local pool (seniors get discount passes for this), to participating in the Senior Olympics!
39. Ask for senior discounts everywhere you go. We do this and often save 10% off our groceries, 10% off at Ross on Tuesdays, and 10% off our groceries at a local Asian store on Wednesdays. Here is a huge list of senior discounts to check out.
40. You can also sign up for this huge list of birthday freebies to help you celebrate growing older!
41. Here's a list of mental health resources for seniors.
42. And here's a list of elder abuse resources (I think this is a bigger problem than most people realize).
43. And here's a quick reminder about seniors and sexually transmitted diseases.
44. Create a life file. My friend just passed away yesterday and now her daughter is tasked with so many things that probably weren't taken care of because my friend's death was totally unexpected. This life file list is a good place to start when it comes to planning your end-of-life no matter your age.
45. Take a video of your home and it's contents. This is great information to have if you suffer a disaster or need to file an insurance claim.
46. Speaking of disasters, prepare a "Go Bag" in case you need to evacuate your home during a disaster or find yourself staying over night at the hospital. Here's how to do this.
47. On your cell phone, keep an ICE (in case of emergency) number for your next of kin/trusted friend on the lock screen. This way, if you are unconscious, the police will know who to contact on your behalf.
48. Also on your phone, keep your (and the spouse's) list of medical information (prescriptions, health history, allergies, doctor's name, health insurance info, etc). This is much easier to provide during a medical emergency than trying to remember all of this stuff off the top of your head.
49. Consider taking a senior self defense class. It should never come to elderly people having to physically defending themselves but that isn't the society we are living in now.
50. Stay up to date with cell phones and new technology. While there are several things that aren't great about technology, cell phones, tablets, and computers can become lifelines for seniors so it is good to learn all you can about them.
No comments:
Post a Comment