Try: What the care recipient needs from independent living depends on his own unique situation where would they be most comfortable here are a few things to keep in mind it’s all about the people no matter what type of independent living you consider you want to make sure the care recipient connects with peers and feels comfortable in the community when you visit the area talk with some of the residents are they people the care recipient would like to know better are some of the care recipient’s favorite hobbies or activities available are support services timely is the staff friendly and accessible size and location of community there is no set size for an independent living community so it’s really the care recipient’s preference do they prefer a smaller size community or a busier place with more people and opportunities for socialization is the care recipient comfortable with more compact apartment style living or is having a detached home with easy access the ultimate goal be sure to visit several communities to get a sense of what is comfortable to the care recipient location of facility some popular retirement independent living areas are in warmer states such as arizona california and florida however consider carefully if the care recipient would need to move a considerable distance it does mean developing a new support network if the care recipient doesn’t have family and friends close by as well as finding new medical care accessibility take a look at how accessible the community is both inside and outside does the care recipient feel safe coming and going at different hours of the day is the outside of the community walkable or would the care recipient need transportation like a car or cart to get around how easy is it to get to services such as a common dining hall or recreation center carefully look over the inside of the housing unit to get a feel for future adaptability are there any stairs inside the unit or outside can ramps be added if necessary check to see if adaptive devices like grab bars can be easily installed in bathrooms community resources and support with so much variation in services think about which are most important to the care recipient in independent living also consider services that they may find useful in the future for example if the care recipient likes to exercise consider a community with an exercise area pool or fitness classes the care recipient may like cooking their meals now but want the option of having meals in a shared dining area in the future prioritizing the services the care recipient wants also helps them budget correctly since the more services a community offers the higher the cost may be care pathways has a checklist you can use internet resources seniorsforliving com a place for mom retirenetcare com information references independent living for seniors understanding your choices in retirement communities and homes by joanna saisan and doug russell 2010 available at

Materials: n/a

Categories: Sage, Topic, Maintenance, Medical Physical

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: Independent living living options housing alternative care options

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Macular degeneration is an eye disorder that damages the center of the retina the center of the retina is called the macula macular degeneration makes it difficult to see fine details like threading a needle or reading a phone book cause of macular degeneration the retina is the layer of tissue at the back of the inner eye it changes light and images that enter the eye into nerve signals that are sent to the brain the macula is the part of the retina that makes our vision sharper and more detailed macular degeneration is caused by damage to the area around blood vessels that supply the macula this change in the blood vessels damages the macula scientists aren’t sure what causes macular degeneration the disease is most common in people over 60 which is why it is often referred to as age-related macular degeneration risk factors several risks factors increase a person’s chances of getting macular degeneration these include family history race whites cigarette smoking high-fat diet gender females being over weight treatment although there is no cure for the disease several treatments can slow it down these include a combination of vitamins antioxidants and zinc laser surgery special medications low vision aids such as magnifying glasses and other devices can help a person use the vision he she has more effectively and improve quality of life information references adapted from martidis a tennant mts "age-related macular degeneration " in yanoff m duker js augsburger jj et al eds "ophthalmology" 2nd ed philadelphia pa mosby elsevier;2004 chap 125

Materials: n/a

Categories: Sage, Topic, Maintenance, Medical Physical, Vision, So-So Vision, Poor Vision

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: Vision macular degeneration age related macular degeneration vision loss

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Proper dental care is important at all ages but some seniors have medical conditions that can affect their oral health these include heart disease liver disease eating disorders anemia diabetes osteoporosis arthritis hiv common dental problems in seniors gum disease gum disease is more common among seniors diabetes may reduce the senior senior’s ability to fight the bacteria that gets trapped around the teeth the gums may become inflamed and teeth become loose dentures many older people wear dentures dentures that do not fit correctly can cause pain and lead to loss of appetite loss of appetite will lead to poor nutrition and illness dentures need to be refitted regularly because the jaw reshapes itself continually when the teeth are not there to hold the jaw in place oral cancer oral cancer is most common among seniors early detection is important to increase a person’s chances of surviving the disease dry mouth some seniors take prescription drugs many of these drugs cause dry mouth dry mouth leads to less saliva in the mouth saliva keeps the bacteria from building up and causing tooth decay it’s important to drink plenty of water information references adapted from donna theobald 2011 "geriatric dental care " available at

Materials: n/a

Categories: Sage, Topic, Maintenance, Medical Physical

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: Teeth dental care gum disease dentures oral cancer dry mouth

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Make a list of the noises that bother cr and the volume level that bothers him or her ask cr to move to the other end of the house when you are using the vacuum cleaner and other household appliances that are loud if this is not possible ask cr to use ear plugs that are reusable or head phones to help keep the noise down if cr has hearing aids removing them may be helpful encourage cr to go outside if possible see if cr is able to use the household appliance if so the noise may not seem as load and it gives cr something to do encourage cr to listen to music or a book on cd while he or she is using the loud appliances plan to use household appliances where cr is out of the house for example vacuum the house when cr is out with friends or visiting the doctor

Materials: Ear plugs or head phones device to play music such as boom box for cds or mp3 player

Categories: Maintenance, Medical Physical, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: Household chores bothered by noise noisy household appliances

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Encourage cr to place items to be laundered in a large tote bag instead of a laundry basket that is difficult to hold encourage cr to sling the tote bag over his or her arms this leaves both hands free to hold onto the hand railings

Materials: Large tote bag with straps or handles

Categories: Maintenance, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: Washing clothes doing laundry home safety household chores

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Encourage the cr do the following cool hot foods quickly by putting them directly in the refrigerator to cool this will not hurt the refrigerator place the food dishes pans and so on in an ice water bath to cool quickly before putting in the refrigerator for foods with volume such as soup place into shallow containers to shorten the needed cooling times

Materials: Ice water shallow food storage containers

Categories: Maintenance, Medical Physical

Information: n/a

References: Adapted from www foodsafety gov and www cdc foodsafety

Keywords: Leftovers food storage food spoilage

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Many crs have an aversion to specific foods due to limitations and obstacles try making a smoothie to overcome the cr’s obstacle of chewing whole fruit gather together the blender and all of the ingredients don’t be afraid to be creative try different combinations such as vanilla yogurt blueberries and mango orange juice strawberry yogurt with bananas and cranberry juice peach yogurt with canned fruit cocktail the possibilities are endless ask the cr to choose the combination of ingredients for the smoothie open an eight ounce container of yogurt and dump the contents into a blender use the yogurt container as a measuring cup fill the container to the top with frozen fruit and add to the blender the frozen fruit will make a nice cold drink for the cr fill the yogurt container half full with fruit juice and add to the blender if you don’t have any frozen fruit on hand omit the above step using frozen fruit and fruit juice instead use canned fruit and its juice to fill the yogurt container to the top add this to the blender along with a few ice cubes place the lid on the blender and turn it on to liquefy pour into a tall glass or cup for the cr to enjoy additional suggestion if the cr could benefit from the nutrients in fresh spinach but does not like the taste try adding small amounts of chopped spinach to the smoothie the cr will not be able to taste the spinach but will still receive the benefits

Materials: Blender ingredients for the smoothie such as yogurt fruit juice fruit fresh frozen or canned ice drinking glass or cup

Categories: Maintenance, Medical Physical, Personal

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: Healthy eating nutrition beverage drink drinkable potable

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Check options with local senior service organizations churches meals on wheels and other volunteer groups make some calls and find out if there are any local grocery stores who deliver some stores charge for this while others may do it as a public service if the cr is living in a senior housing community check to see what transportation options are available many senior communities have a van that takes the residents shopping on a regular basis some senior communities may have a car and driver that can be used there is usually a per mile charge for this service you will probably need to make a reservation ahead of time so plan accordingly check out public transportation options if the cr is physically able to use them for example taxi and chauffer services buses commuter trains for example the metro system that runs under ground in the washington d c area or the elevated trains in chicago may allow the cr to get around the metro area with relative ease however the cr would need to be in good physical shape and able to walk moderate distances check out online grocery shopping services that would deliver directly to the cr cr’s living quarters there is a delivery fee for this service however the convenience makes this a very good option if the cr is unable to place an order online you would need to find a friend or family member who can assist the cr check out in home caregiving agencies they provide companionship help with household chores grocery shopping meal preparation and so on many of these services are non-medical and the cost is generally lower than hiring a nurse or health care professional ask a family member or friend to take the cr to the grocery store this option only works well if the family member or friend lives in close proximity to the cr if a friend or family member has to drive a significant distance to take the cr grocery shopping the time involved cost of gas and so on need to be considered in the decision while other options taxi home delivery and so on may appear to be expensive they may be the lowest cost option compared to a friend or family member driving a great distance

Materials: Computer with an internet connection phone book and phone

Categories: Maintenance, Medical Physical, Personal, Some Supervision, Maximum Supervision, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware

Information: n/a

References: n/a

Keywords: Public transit home health care home caregiving nutrition poor diet anemia

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: caregiver (cg) wants to make sure that the foods are safe to prepare and eat materials reading glasses or magnifying glass to read dates trash can try the following terms are used to refer to the dates usually found on perishable foods sell-by tells the grocery store how long to display the product best if used by or before lets you know when you will get the best flavor or quality it is not the safety date use-by is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality if the product has a use by date that is the date that you should use use the reading glasses or magnifying glass if you have difficulty reading the dates if frozen foods and kept continuously in the freezer they are safe indefinitely even if there is an expiration date canned foods usually have a manufacturer manufacturer’s date use the following rules of thumb for stored canned goods if the can is in good condition and has been stored in a cool clean and dry place 12-18 months for high acid foods such as tomatoes grapefruit and pineapple 2 to 5 years for low acid foods such as meat poultry fish and most vegetables if there is an odor discoloration or mishandling of food follow the number one rule when in doubt throw it out

Materials: Computer with an internet connection phone book and phone

Categories: Maintenance, Medical Physical

Information: n/a

References: Adapted from www usda gov and www eatright org

Keywords: Food product safety food storage guidelines food safety hazards

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed

Try: Encourage the cr to use the following procedures put the thermometer in the refrigerator and adjust the refrigerator setting to maintain temperature at or below 40 degrees fahrenheit make sure the containers have tight fitting lids when storing foods use the labels pen or marker and tape to identify what food is in the container or bag the date the food was prepared or bought the following is a guide to help the cr keep food from spoiling fresh ground meat stew meat poultry fish and raw sausage 1-2 days fresh meat steaks chops and roasts 3-5 days bacon and smoked sausage 7 days fully cooked slices of ham 3-4 days leftovers 4 days fresh in shell eggs 3-5 weeks keep yourself and others free of food bourne illness when in doubt throw it out

Materials: Thermometer pen or marker food storage containers or bags larger self-adhesive labels that the cr can read tape

Categories: Maintenance, Medical Physical, Personal

Information: n/a

References: Adapted from www foodsafety gov and cdc foodsafety

Keywords: Leftovers food storage food spoilage food expiration dates

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed