Senior Sunrise

One of the reasons that the health care debate in America has taken so long is that there are so many factors to be considered. It would be easy if all people had the same needs and wants when it comes to health care, but that is simply not the case. The biggest disparity comes when you compare health care for young Americans with senior health care.

As the baby boomers begin to reach senior age, the costs of health care is inevitably rising to account for their increased risk and medical expense. In order to subsidize this increased cost, it is important to have young, healthy people paying for insurance as well. However, many of the uninsured—an estimated 44 percent—are young people, many of whom do not see the need for insurance, so part of the solution is getting these people to purchase a policy. This will help diffuse some of the risk of older generations and lower premiums for everyone.

When it comes to preparing for death, there is a litany of facets to consider. Most people remember to make preparations for the funeral, the will and medical assistance, but there is also the mental well-being of the person to account for. When death is imminent, there are dozens of questions and fears that generally pop into people’s minds.

In philosophy, religion, literature and art the phenomenon of death is often explored. However, looking at death in our youth is much different from those who are well aware that they have months or weeks to live. During this time, it is important to be supportive and to work with the person to cope with these inevitable doubts, questions and trepidations.

Many people rue the days when they will be looked at by the general public as senior citizens. My parents are quickly approaching the age of 55, which is often the quantitative measure for being considered a senior, but they have altered my view of what it that term means. They are both fit and maintain active lifestyles—hardly what my stereotype of senior citizens has been up to this point.

As medicine has improved, people’s quality of life is now remaining at high levels for an unprecedented amount of time. While growing old may be discouraging, it doesn’t mean that you can’t remain active and revise the way the public thinks of senior citizens. Besides, there are perks to look forward to—like grandkids and senior discounts.

Establishing a will is virtually a necessity in this day and age, but a living trust is also a sound measure. The first question that people commonly have is “what is a living trust?” A living trust is created during a person’s life and serves as a means to save on taxes and manage property in the long-term.

The main purpose of a living trust is to avoid probate after a person’s death, which is a lengthy and costly process. It will also help reduce estate taxes and streamline the process of allocating the assets. Often times the living trust also has specific directions in the event that the person becomes incapacitated and is unable to communicate their wishes.

One of the main components of comprehensive elderly planning is making arrangements for the funeral. Before you pass, it is advisable to indicate how you would like your remains to be housed, whether that is in a casket or an urn. If you decide that you would like a traditional burial, it is also advantageous to already have your plot picked out.

There are certain laws, rules and restrictions that are enforced by the FTC to ensure that funerals are dealt with properly. One of the main rules is that the funeral director must give you an itemized receipt that identifies all of the particular goods and services you are receiving. With a few exceptions, you have the right to choose the items and services in your funeral proceedings.

When children grow up and leave the house, some parents experience what is known as empty nest syndrome. It is marked by a general feeling of loneliness and isolation by the parents. While studies have indicated that it is most often associated with mothers, it has been seen in both sexes and, as such, can definitely affect mothers and fathers alike. While many parents who are going to experience these feelings do so when the child first moves away, there are also reports that these feelings can return when the child is married.

In both instances, the role of the parent is reduced in the child’s life. The parent is no longer immediately needed or involved in the child’s life, and this is often seen as the root of the syndrome. Some have argued that it’s more common now than ever because the extended family has slowly been removed from western society, meaning elderly parents are often left living alone. There are several senior solutions that can help, including exercise, taking part in community events, and planning family get-togethers and reunions.

As people get older, they will inevitably begin to think about their passing and how their loved ones will have to cope and take care of the necessary tasks. When people are advanced in years, passing in a comfortable and welcoming environment is always a high priority. For years people have chosen to stay at home during their final days, but for myriad reasons more and more people are incorporating a hospital into their senior planning.

Despite the comfort and familiarity that your home affords, there are several advantages to the hospital. When you die at home, there is excessive paperwork and investigation to ensure that the person died of natural causes, which often leads to unexpected expenses. There will be some costs inherent in checking into a hospital, but the staff will alleviate the paperwork and ado that ensues after a person’s passing.

My grandmother is 87 years old and still lives independently, but all of her children live in a different state. Having had medication mix-ups when emergency treatment was administered in the past, she has been cautious about traveling recently and has missed an important event or two. In order to ensure that she receives the proper medical care and attention, we have prepared an advanced medical directive.

If she were to require medical attention during a visit, this form would assist the hospital or urgent care center and ensure they do not make a mistake with her medications, allergies, or any other medical issues she may have. It also specifies what measures should be taken in a traumatic scenarios. A medical directive is an essential component in ensuring that the proper measures are taken in the event of an emergency.

Preparing for death can be a sobering experience, but the good news is that once you’ve got the planning out of the way you can focus on enjoying life. No one wants to leave family and friends with a financial and logistical burden after death, and by drafting a living will you can prevent that scenario from ever playing out. The first step is to contact a lawyer you trust – or have a close family member make the arrangements.

You’ll be instructed to compile a list of all of your assets – both real and financial. Real assets include vehicles, homes, jewelry and other tangible valuables. Financial assets include shares in stock, savings bonds and the like. Then elderly planning entails systematically deciding which assets should be bequeathed to what particular inheritor. Finishing this process will give you serious peace of mind.

It’s just a fact of life that seniors need to be even more in tune with their bodies than younger people. This means knowing when to seek medical treatment, when to stop driving at night, and even when it’s time to part with certain physically strenuous activities. But just because you know your limits doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the twilight of your life.

Low-impact exercises like yoga and tennis are ideal for people of any age and physical skill level. Tennis is easy on the joints, and you might even meet a new friend or two by signing up for a doubles league. Yoga is great for more than just stretching and working on balance. It can also be a calm and soothing way to relieve stress. Just be sure to get all the elderly health information you can before attempting anything that requires a lot of exertion.