Leslie Newlife

Top Trending Options Boost Boomer Numbers

Every day, more than 10,000 “boomers” reach the age of 65. During this time, depending on their health, many seniors and their families begin thinking about assisted living communities. Although many seniors stay in their home longer, the demographic trends indicate that assisted living communities are truly inviting because they’ve listened to their clients and satisfied their needs.

The effort to attract and keep residents is at the forefront of assisted living providers. According to the recent Senior Living Survey conducted by The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA), 93% of seniors are content and satisfied with their community. These results include 68% of residents who are “very satisfied.” The Senior Living Satisfaction Survey also found 99% of residents almost unanimously feel safe in their communities.

If It’s Important to Seniors, It’s Important to Us

Senior Living Survey Results

• Location: 56% name location as the most crucial factor when choosing a property
• Local accessibility to town: 75% of 65+ residents stated the importance of being close to a town center ranked high.
• Favorable press: 37% of 65+ respondents find the idea of living in an assisted living community a real option.
• Quality of life: 94% content with their overall quality of life because they feel safe.
• Personal independence: 93% appreciate their freedom, knowing help is nearby if needed.
• Seniors like the interaction with staff: 93% like the attention and personal relationship with staff members.
• Quality of care: 90% say they’re satisfied with the care they receive.
• Staff qualifications: 87% of seniors state that those working in their community are qualified and well trained for this type of job.

The marketing options you choose are critical. US citizens born between 1946 and 1964 add up to over six million baby boomers in need of housing capable of providing generation-specific requirements.

How to Attract and Keep Seniors in Your Assisted Living Community

Today’s senior demographic has much to say regarding the amenities and services they want in assisted living communities. The facility must provide unique, well-conceived services that are technologically current and user-friendly.

Tracking the Latest Food Trends

Many assisted living communities are indulging the gourmet preferences express by their clients. Adding exquisite cuisines and chefs make choosing your community effortless. Life is always more enjoyable when the food is fantastic. Also, seniors with dietary issues requiring gluten-free or vegan menus are relieved that their health concerns matter.

Physical and Mental Wellness

The seniors of today know how important it is to stay physically active and mentally alert. Baby boomers seeking to reside in an assisted living community expect spas, fitness centers, and heart-healthy activities.

Technology and Gadgets for Seniors

Providing the best experience for your residents results in more extended stays. Residents want the feeling of being home. Providing extra goodies like webcams, medication reminders, and user-friendly computer access always makes a person feel safe and sound. Additional amenities include:

• Fitbit for sleep tracking and step monitoring
• Walk-in Tubs
• Patient monitoring systems for monitoring heart rate, respiration rate, and activity level
• Auto swing door opener
• Amplifying headphones
• Hardware, software, and access via WI-FI or other suitable connection

Social networking is one of the best, most effective tools providers can use for reaching future residents and their children. The tried and true testimonial speaks volumes when posted as part of your “story.”

Taking Care of Your Overall Health as a Senior

by: Jim Vogel

Taking control of your health isn’t always easy. There are many factors to consider, including past health history and what your needs will be in the future. As a senior, it’s important to think about what will help you feel strong and vital, and for many people that means remaining active, sticking to a healthy diet, and preventing falls to avoid injury. However, every person’s journey is different, and when thinking about your health, remember that it’s not just the physical aspects that are important. Your mental health is a crucial component in staying well as you get older.

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to keep your body and mind in great shape. Seeing a doctor for regular checkups is a fairly easy one, but you can also make some changes to the way you cope with stress and anxiety, remain social with friends and family, take up a hobby or two, and find a healthy routine that works for you. Once you get into the habit of exercising every day or eating a specific diet, it will be easy to maintain. If you live in a senior-oriented community, this should be easy since you always have friends nearby.

Here are a few things to think about where your overall health is concerned.

Schedule Regular Exams

Seeing a doctor on a regular basis can help you stay healthy simply because you’ll be able to discuss preventative options as well as any concerns you may have, which will allow you to address them right away. If you have Medicare, be sure to schedule your annual wellness visit to talk about your cognitive health, diet and exercise routine, and potential health issues according to your age, weight, and lifestyle. These visits are crucial in preventing major health problems, and they can help you stay on top of your wellness all year long.

Focus on What You Eat

The foods we eat can play a big role in the way we feel, both physically and mentally. In fact, research has shown that there is a bond between our gut health and mental health, especially in terms of how it affects our moods. So, the more you can do to maintain microbiome — the area in your gut where good bacteria lives, which affects everything from your metabolism to the way you sleep — the better. Consider taking a probiotic, and add fermented foods like sauerkraut to your diet. Talk to the dietary coordinator in your facility’s dining room to ask about adding gut-healthy foods.

Stay Social

Remaining social is a great way for seniors to protect their mental health. From keeping up with friends and family to participating in your community’s planned events, there are many ways you can maintain an active social life and prevent depression, social anxiety, and possibly even cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s. If you’re unsure of where to start, you can talk to your doctor and community activities manager to help you get an idea of what you can do and what’s available.

Don’t Overlook the Details

Sometimes, the details are the most important elements in a given situation, and for seniors, it’s important not to overlook these small components. For some, daily tasks such as taking a shower or chopping vegetables can become hazardous before they even realize there’s an issue, so think about how you might prevent accidents and injuries. Preventing falls and other incidents by adding lighting around the house and utilizing technology can help you stay healthy and safe. If you are already in assisted or independent living, many of these details have already been taken care of for you.

Taking control of your overall wellbeing can be a bit tricky at times. However, by keeping in touch with your loved ones and making regular appointments to see your doctor, you can keep your mental and physical health in check no matter what else is going on in your life.

5 Proven Blogging Strategies to Build an Audience and Create a Brand

Image via Pexels 

Nursing homes and long-term care facilities play an incredibly important role in the world. They are home to over 1.3 million people in the USA alone and provide care to those who need it most. However, like nearly every other industry and business out there, nursing homes are changing. 

In particular, the world of nursing home marketing has changed, as well. Websites and social media are incredibly important, as they can help you reach and connect with more people than traditional methods. While there are many great tactics like SEO or email marketing, integrated digital marketing strategy has proven to be one of the best ways to build and boost your business, no matter your industry. 

With that in mind, this article is going to look at blogging strategies to help build a brand and audience for your nursing home website.

Be Consistent

One of the most important things when it comes to building an audience and creating a brand is consistency. 

Your blog needs to have a consistent voice and message in everything you post. If your topics, content, voice and tone is always different, readers may struggle to get on board. Your readers come to your blog expecting to read about a certain topic in a certain voice, so be sure to give that to them. 

In addition to being consistent with your voice and content, you also should be consistent with your posting schedule. 

You should pick a day and time where you post, so your readers know when a new blog post will be live. If you go from posting twice a week, to only once a month, your readers are likely to become confused or frustrated. Deviating here and there is okay, but do your best to remain consistent. 

Provide Relevant and Valuable Content

Of course, your blog audience and overall brand will grow if you provide and produce relevant content. Your content should show your knowledge in the nursing home industry and you should be sure to carefully select topics your readers will like. You need to be sure your content is not only original and relevant, but also provides value.

The more people get out of your content, the more willing they will be to return to your blog. Content created within your blog should be easy to understand, as well. The content you produce should also answer pressing questions your readers have and offer them actual solutions. Developing high quality and relevant content isn’t alway easy early on, but it can be the difference between a thriving blog and one that barely gets looked at. 

Know Your Audience

The importance of knowing your audience cannot be understated. The audience of your blog will heavily impact the sort of content you produce. For example, those researching nursing homes and checking out blogs will have different content needs than sports fans. Your audience should be in your mind before you create or publish any piece of content.

You should be sure to get specifics of your audience as well. Discovering who is reading your blog isn’t always easy, but it is incredibly beneficial. Bloggers should find out the age, gender, interests, lifestyles and more of their audience. All of this data and information can help you craft the perfect blog content to turn one-time readers into full-fledged members of your audience who relate to what you post. 

Encourage Social Sharing

In order to grow your brand and build an audience, you need to get more individuals invested and interested in your content. One of the best ways to spread your blog to more people is to encourage social sharing. However, in order to get the most shares from your readers, you need to make it easy. If sharing your content is confusing or takes too long, very few people will do it.

You should have social share buttons directly in your blog, and potentially even include a call-to-action as well. You can include share buttons to all platforms, but be sure to focus on the most popular social media platforms within your target market. 

You can also share your blog content in emails and social media posts, but it looks better and more authentic when others are sharing it. If someone sees their friend sharing your content or blog, it is much more likely that they will go check it out. 

Promote Conversation and Have a Community

A great way to create a brand and grow your audience with your blog is to build a community and converse with your audience. While many types of marketing are one-way, blogging is more of a two-way conversation. When someone sees a commercial or listens to an ad, they have no real option to respond. But it is easy to leave comments or critiques on blogs, opening up the floor for communication. 

By responding to your audience and engaging them, you are building a relationship with your readers. These amplified relationships can help readers and customers be more loyal and trust you and your company. 

Answering questions and responding to comments often are also great ways to build a community, which is important to the success of any website or blog. Remember, your site or blog is nothing without them, so be sure to strengthen those relationships and promote conversation. 

In conclusion, we hope that this blog post has been able to help you learn helpful blogging strategies to build your brand and audience. 

Seniors Skyrocket as Social Media’s Exponential Audience

Marketing to the senior living market via social media puts you directly in front of approximately 40 million US citizens at any given time. There are currently millions of seniors who comprise the exponentially growing demographics online this minute; chatting, searching for products, and seeking services you have to offer. Today’s technology makes marketing to this lucrative group of individuals easier than ever. The research is complete and the numbers are in. Your senior audience is online and waiting to hear from you.

The Senior Living Market: Ready, Willing, and “Online”

The Pew Research Center is known for its extensive research and fact recording regarding social media users and usage for over 10 years. Business News Daily referred to Pew’s research to gain information about the senior demographic currently using social platforms. Their quest led them to marketing professionals where they learned how successful their campaigns were when engaging older audiences on social media.

Savvy Social Media Tips

Formulating a comprehensive social media campaign requires a strategic plan designed to achieve your overall goal. In this case, your objective is to market your senior living community. Start by reaching out to both seniors and their adult children who may be actively involved in the various social media sites, or, searching for specific information.

Seniors on Facebook

According to the marketers contacted by Business News Daily, “Facebook is the most successful platform for marketing to a senior demographic. According to Pew, 62 percent of internet users ages 65 and older use Facebook, and 72 percent of 50 to 64-year-olds use Facebook as well. Facebook continues to have the highest number of users in these age ranges.”

Every small business should be on Facebook. With more than 2.27 billion monthly users, small businesses can use Facebook in a number of ways including:

  • Promote services
  • Increase customer support
  • Boost recognition

Facebook Marketing Strategy

Facebook encourages reviews and has an on-page review system that showcases honest reviews from current employees, senior residents, and families. The public is accustomed to and impressed by reading reviews and testimonials backed up by a personal profile.

To learn more about developing successful marketing strategies on Facebook, click this link supplied by Business News Daily: Facebook: Everything You Need to Know.

LinkedIn

Seniors love being online. But according to Pew, there are fewer seniors using LinkedIn. The following demographics could be useful in marketing to the more affluent children of seniors who’re concerned with future housing and care needed for a loved one. The LinkedIn site is a great way to reach 30 to 49-year-olds rather than individuals 50-and-older.

LinkedIn Marketing Strategy

Company Pages that are complete receive double the visitors. Companies that put up monthly posts usually gain followers up to six times faster than those that don’t. For more information on setting up your LinkedIn page go to LinkedIn Marketing Solutions portal and click the blue Create a Company Page button.

Pinterest

Many seniors look forward to “sharing” their past and present experiences using Pinterest as they can connect with like-minded communities. The Pinterest platform is totally visual, so posting current, well-cropped photos of your residents and facility can make a positive and memorable impression. Visit Pinterest for a business guide for more tips.

Pinterest Marketing Strategy

According to Barbara Bannon, Author Optimizing Patient Experiences, “Search for hashtags or keywords to find popular topics based on Likes, Repins and Comments. Post your comments regarding senior living on community boards to multiply the chances of being found and followed. Fill the board with pins related to senior care and the best care of your parents. Advantages to using Pinterest include:

Power – to go viral from a single picture or story.

Audience – demographics include aging Americans and their children.

Format – Visual stimuli register 60,000 times faster, making this social media platform an effective, lead generating tool. Using keywords and hashtags enable people to locate your content repeatedly.

Your Mission

Begin your marketing journey with authentic, verifiable facts, photos, and testimonials. Make it a point to post photos as part of your “story” including current residents (with permission) and share the details of their arrival, friends, activities, and what they like about you. When possible, show residents and staff participating in your facility’s amenities, or, just relaxing in a serene environment.

How to Avoid Long-Term Care Surprises by Planning Ahead

If you or a loved one needed a nursing home next week, would you know how to pay for it? Planning for long-term care is important. However, too many people fail to talk about it with their loved ones in advance and end up without a plan when the time comes to begin making decisions about long-term care.

Anticipate All of Your Health and Care Costs

The costs of medical care seem to rise with age. For adults who are 65 and older, Medicare can provide help with those costs, but coverage can be limited. That’s why most seniors who are eligible for Medicare opt for additional Medicare Advantage coverage. Medicare Advantage plans can help offset expenses for things like eye exams and dental care. You should do your homework to figure out whether Medicare Advantage coverage could help you or your senior loved one with medical expenses down the road.

One thing to keep in mind is that there is very little Medicare coverage for long-term care. If you have certain Medicare plans, you may be covered for short stays following a hospitalization or to treat or prevent medical conditions. However, for most seniors, the average annual costs of their long-term care needs will not be covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or any other health insurance. You can expect to pay up to$100,000 each year for skilled care facilities, and you should expect to cover those costs in other ways.

Start Planning for Long-Term Care Costs ASAP

If you or a senior dependent requires a lengthy stay in a long-term care facility, you could be left footing a huge bill out of your own pocket. However, if you can plan ahead for those costs, you may have many more options for covering those high long-term care bills. For one, you can research insurance plans that may help you pay for long-term care. Long-term care insurance plans tend to be expensive, but if you sign up when you are younger, your premiums have the potential to be much less than if you shop for plans when you are older.

Opening an HSA is also a good option for adults who are planning for long-term care costs ahead of time. You can begin contributing to your HSA early, but those contributions must stop when you become eligible for Medicare. You can use the money in your HSA to help with care costs even if you are enrolled in Medicare.

Of course, financial planning is not the only way you can anticipate your long-term care needs. Better health choices, such as getting more exercise, can help seniors fight off health conditions that could require a lengthy stay in a long-term care facility.

Know How to Pay for Long-Term Care Without Planning

Many times, the need for long-term care is unexpected. Although most seniors will need some form of long-term care in their lifetime, many still do not plan appropriately for it. If you did not plan ahead, but you do own a home, you may be in luck: You could use home equity to get the cash you need for care costs. There are several different options open to homeowners, from taking out a reverse mortgage to selling your property outright. If you think you will be returning to your home, or if long-term care is needed by a loved one, a reverse mortgage may be your best bet. Make sure you know the pros and cons of taking this kind of loan out on your home. Confirm that you can handle the payments or you could end up losing your home.

Another funding choice for long-term care costs is to cash out life insurance. If you have tons of coverage or multiple policies, this could be a safe bet for you. Once again, read the fine print before you make any major financial decision to pay for long-term care.

Don’t let long-term care cause you unnecessary stress or derail your retirement plans. If you can manage it, make a plan for long-term care ahead of time. If not, do your homework to figure out a financial option that will work best for you.

Improving the Senior Resident Experience

For many Seniors the transition into a Senior Living Community can be a scary and daunting Assisted Living imageendeavor.  Of course it is.  Most of these individuals have spent sometimes upwards of 40-50 years in the same house.  They spent years watching their grandchildren run and play in the same backyard that their own children did and embracing every memory they could.  This was, after all, their home.

Now it is time for a new chapter in their life.  The transition into a Senior Living Community is a life-altering decision.  However, if the right community is selected, it can be the best thing that they have ever done for themselves and their family. Today’s competitive Senior Living world is all about the resident experience.  Many communities strive to create a wonderful resident experience that will not only improve the lives of their residents but hopefully help bring in more seniors.

Five Ways to Improve the Senior Resident Experience:

1.  No Odors:  There is nothing worse than walking into a Senior Living Community and being hit with an unpleasant odor.  This will not only greatly impact the happiness of the residents and their visiting families, it is also an immediate deal breaker for prospective visitors. Do whatever you have to do to get rid of the odor!

2. Quality Food:  A community can have lavish furnishings, exquisite artwork and fantastic views, but if the food is sub par, then the community will fail; this is an unfortunate truth.  Residents and family members demand good food.  The best thing a quality community can do is hire an executive chef with a Culinary Arts Degree or Certification. The quality of the food will make or break the community.

3. Robust Activity Calendar:  Walk into some senior living communities and take a look at the activity calendar.  If it says 10am Bingo, 1pm Bingo, 3pm Bingo, 6pm Bingo then this is not the place for your parents. A quality community will have many variable activities for all walks of life such as: book clubs, arts and crafts, card games, movies and aerobics.  Residents that are able to keep busy, interact with others, and share stories and life experiences will be happier.

4. Give a Voice to the Residents:  Executive Directors and Administrators that live in their own little bubble are not good managers.  The voice of the resident must be heard.  Provide a mechanism for residents and family members to voice their opinions and concerns.  This can be in the form of suggestion boxes, resident councils and customer satisfaction surveys.  Promote these vehicles and take the information seriously.  Quick resolution to issues and concerns will resonate throughout the community.

5.  Create a Family Culture: This begins at the top.  The Executive Director must promote a culture of kindness towards families, residents, and employees.  Treat your employees like they are special and they will, in turn, treat the residents special.  The best answer a resident can give when asked how do you like it here is, “The staff treats me so great.”   Treating a resident with kindness and respect will make a more lasting impression. 

Relocating to a Senior Living Community does not have to be a scary transition.  A great resident experience can make your community a place where residents and family members are proud to live and visit.

5 Things To Consider When Choosing a Care Taker For Your Loved One

by: Ben Philip

A few years back, people would inherit the cultural tradition of taking care of their loved ones when they would grow old even if they had to leave their jobs and education. Now times have changed, and the dynamics of caretaking have been transferred in the corporate world. You will be surprised to know that caretaking has become a business down the years, and professional services are provided against money. If you are looking forward to hiring a suitable caretaker for your loved one because of lack of time or your chaotic routine, hire a person who you believe is going to be the best after you. In this article, I will guide you through 5 things to keep in mind when choosing a caretaker for your loved one.

5 things to keep in mind when choosing a caretaker:

1. Check his/her social media profile

In this day and age, working professionals make the best possible use of social media to project their services and work. If you are hiring somebody online, check his/her social media profile thoroughly and do go through customer reviews. Some people even have their personalized websites where they post blogs about their work and offer services after you register there. Once you are sure about the veracity of the person’s services, only then position a meeting somewhere.

2. Conduct a background check

It is very crucial that the person you’re hiring must have a clean background in terms of having no criminal record at all. If you are hiring professionals from Home Care Calgary, you need not worry much because the company already hires people who have a clean background. However, if you are hiring somebody randomly based on online interaction or just because somebody suggested, you need to check the person’s address, criminal records, education, work experience, etc.

3. Don’t overlook the experience

To deal with older adults, one needs to be patient enough. Have you asked the caretaker about the experience at work? Are you sure he/she will be able to manage your loved one just the way you do? If yes, you’re good to go with that person. You also need to check the person’s behavior before hiring him/her. Fix a meeting between the prospective caretaker and the rest of the family. Ask several questions and tell about your family.

4. See if your loved one’s routine matches the care taker’s timings

Unless you don’t have a 24/7 caretaker at home for your loved one, you will need to check with the caretaker for his/her timings in compliance with the routine of your loved one. Keep in mind that older adults are like kids; they are stubborn at times and don’t like to change their routine. Explain everything to the person as you would to a doctor and choose a favorable slot when the caretaker can easily visit your house.

5. Consult about fees in advance

All the finances must be agreed upon before the initiation of the contract. Everything should be in written form, and nothing should be verbal. If you are hiring a caretaker through an agency, the dynamics of payment will be completely different. However, with somebody who randomly provides services at home, you need to be mindful about the fees plan, payment mode, etc.

Conclusion:

Lastly, keep in mind that nobody is better than you for your loved one. The love and warmth which you provide are unmatchable as compared to somebody who has been hired for the job.

The Power of a Familiar Face

The mind is such a powerful thing. Realizing that you may not have complete control over your mind and memories is enough to breed many

insecurities and fear.  Lack of control in your own mind is a betrayal of sorts. It often leads to the fight or flight response when the person is around anything unexpected or unfamiliar.

This can often create many challenges from clients in an adult daycare setting.

Never underestimate the power of the mind.  Our self identity is formed within our mind.  When tiny pieces of it start to betray us it becomes very scary, uncharted territory.  When pieces of our identity seem to fade inside of our own mind the outcome can come unpredictable.  Feelings and actions can then come unpredictable.

Something as simple as a photo of a loved one may bring some much needed comfort and security.  Their time away from home does not have to be unfamiliar.  Bring their world to them.  Recorded messages from their loved ones, photos, familiar songs, and home movies are all good ways to bring their comfort with them.

Visual aids will be one of the best tools you can use to communicate with your clients.  Even something as simple as having pictures of the drink options to point to instead of having to find the right words to reply verbally can help boost confidence.  

Make scrapbooks with the clients picture on the cover.  Fill it with pictures and messages from loved ones. 

A great program to start is family mail.  Each week send your client home with a few postcards.  Have their caregivers write a message and mail it back.  Stimulating the sense of love, and memory, and comfort are great pathways to unlocking the door to the comforts of home.  

Never underestimate the power of the mind, or a familiar face.

Stay Active During Retirement While Still Having Fun

by: Jordan Fuller

Why It’s Never Too Late to Pick Up Golf

For many people, golf and retirement go hand in hand. The goal of retirement is to move to a sunny climate like Florida, Arizona, or in Austin CCRC, live on a golf course and play every single day. Golf-centric retirement communities cater to these desires all over the South and Southwest: anywhere that it’s warm enough to  play year-round has houses filled with retirees lining the fairways of beautiful golf courses.

But if you’ve never played golf, is it too late to pick up the sport later in life? Not at all! In fact, many golfers who play every day in retirement never picked up a club until their 50s or 60s. The golf world has begun to cater specifically to these older beginners, with schools and equipment geared towards making the entry into the game smooth and entertaining. 

Health Benefits

While the stereotype of an overweight golfer riding around in a cart with a beer in one hand and hot dog in the other persists, golf is actually a great way to workout and stay healthy in your later years. Even if you ride in a cart, golf helps your heart health and sleep, keeps your brain stimulated to help prevent Alzheimer’s, and reduces stress all while being a fun activity with relatively low injury risk. 

Golf is the best kind of addiction: one that drives you to improve by workouts. Playing better golf is just plain more fun, so once you start playing and finding out how good it feels to hit good shots, you’ll be driven to get better. And that means more playing and practicing, which is more exercise. You’ll discover thatactivities like yoga and pilates help your golf swing and your mental game, as well as your general fitness and blood pressure. 

This snowball effect of golf is one that can transform your whole life. Spending a day outside easily getting 10,000+ steps and practicing yoga or pilates on your off days will enhance your physical fitness, sleep quality and overall mindset.

Healthy Competition

Science has demonstrated that competition is the best motivator for exercise. So whether you and your spouse play a friendly game or if you find a league of golfers to compete with, the competition will drive you to play and exercise more. 

Some couples love to compete against one another, and golf’s handicap system is a way to make it possible for spouses to compete on a level playing field. I’d suggest keeping it to a friendly skins game, but you know what’s best for your relationship. 

Bob J, a retiree in Bradenton, FL, taught his wife to play golf and they now play frequently together. “Rule number one is that no one cares how well or how badly you’re playing as long as you’re playing fast.  As a result, we could go out to the course in the afternoons and play in under three hours, especially on hot summer days when no one was on the course.”

But it’s also a great option to join a Mens or Womens golf group and play with them once a week (or more), if you can find the right group. It’s excellent camaraderie and can really help fuel your competitive fire. A seemingly easy two-foot-putt carries a lot more weight when it’s the deciding factor in a hard-fought skins game!

While Bob and his wife Nancy tried playing in a men’s and women’s group, he found he didn’t like the men’s group’s 8:30am tee times – “In retirement, who wants to get up that early?” – and she found the women’s group’s slow play and lack of golf etiquette maddening: “they would jabber when other players were about to hit, they walked on people’s putting line, they often failed to recognize whose turn it was to play.” So now Bob says “I’ve become known as the ‘guy who always golfs with his wife’ or the ‘guy who sleeps with his best golfing buddy.’”

Vacations are more harmonious when couples can find activities to do together, and playing golf on a beautiful oceanfront course is a perfect way to spend a day as a couple enjoying the scenery and exercising. 

Can you afford it?

There are many different options for golf in retirement with many different financial requirements. Some communities are built around the golf lifestyle, and simply buying a house in the community automatically comes with golf course privileges. Many places offer multiple golf courses to choose from, and even offer reciprocity with other courses so you can keep things fresh.

However, this may not be affordable to everyone. Even membership to a golf club carries additional costs: cart fees, food minimums at the clubhouse, guest fees for the grandkids, and monthly dues on top of initiation fees. Not to mention equipment: balls, shoes, clubs — it adds up! 

A lot of retirees find that getting a part time job at a golf course is the best way to make golf affordable in retirement. If you’re a people-person, a job in the pro shop or as a starter could be right up your alley. If you’re an early riser and don’t mind a bit of hard work, mowing greens and fairways might work too. 

You’ll not only earn a small hourly wage, but you’ll get as much free golf as you can play! Many courses offer 7-day-a-week access to employees, and some even offer discounted rates to the other members of your group. Tom D, 72, a starter at a municipal course in Bensenville, IL, took an interesting route to employment as a retiree at a golf course. “My nest egg wasn’t big enough for me to retire until I won a $600,000 jackpot in the Lucky Day Lotto. That extra cash allowed me to retire, but my fixed income didn’t provide enough for me to play as much golf as I wanted. Working as a starter for 15 hours a week gives me a little extra income, but more importantly allows me to play free golf 5 days a week at any of the munis in the county. And I’ve met some new golf buddies while I’m at it.”

So whether you’re a sometimes golfer looking to play more in retirement, the spouse of a golfer who’s considering picking up the game yourself, or just someone looking for a fun way to get outside and get some exercise, golf might be your perfect new obsession.

Tips for Caregivers Who Want To Be the Best They Can Be

If you are a caregiver or planning to be a caregiver in the near future, you should know that one of the most critical things you can do is make a conscious effort to stay productive. Continually work on yourself and don’t fall into a slump or routine that may cause you to burn out. Although the act of caring for one or several individuals each day can be very rewarding, it also can become exhausting. It can be difficult to understand the toll of juggling your personal life as well as the lives of others who need you. Here are some great tips for all caregivers that could help exponentially not only in improving your state of mind and well-being, but make your life simpler as well.

Stay Organized

Keeping your life organized is an essential part of being a caregiver. Not only do you have to manage your own life, but the life of one or more other individuals as well. Take time each week to pay your bills, balance your checkbook and prepare for the week ahead.

You may find it difficult to do certain things, such as getting groceries, picking up prescriptions at the pharmacy or going to the bank if you are a full-time caregiver, but always know there are ways to get what you need simply and easily. Order groceries and items you need from Amazon, which will deliver right to your door. You can order prescriptions online that will also be sent directly to your address, and now you can even manage your finances on-the-go. Don’t let yourself fall into a rut or make excuses that there isn’t enough time in the day. Stay focused and keep your mind busy.

Make Time for Physical Activity

If your patient(s) are immobile or spend very little time walking/moving in general, you may receive very little exercise throughout the day. It’s important that if this is the case, you make the effort after work to stay active and energized. It takes a lot of work and attention throughout the day to adequately care for a patient. If you find yourself becoming easily fatigued, anxious or developing depression-like symptoms, it could be due to lack of exercise. Working out at the gym or running outside can keep you from feeling isolated as well when you spend most of your day inside with your patient(s).

Eat a Well-Rounded Diet

Just as those you care for probably have a regimented, healthy meal plan that you follow for them, you should likewise have a meal plan to give you a well-rounded diet. Many find that meal-prepping at the beginning of each week gives them one less thing to worry about throughout the week. Making meals can be a strain, so doing it beforehand in equal portions for each day of the week helps make lunch and dinner easy. Eat multiple servings of fruits and vegetables, and avoid caffeine as much as possible to prevent yourself from crashing in the middle of the day.

Take Care of Your Own Well-Being

As much as you worry about your patient(s) health and welfare, you should be giving just as much if not more attention to your own. If you allow yourself to become completely immersed in your caregiver responsibilities, you may neglect your own obligations, whether that be as a parent, guardian or simply your personal commitments. Don’t isolate yourself — instead, make it a priority to spend time in social situations and don’t shy away from an active lifestyle.

You should also continue to plan for the future, and if you feel that you are becoming overwhelmed as a caregiver, this may not be the profession for you. At the end of the day, always keep in mind that this is simply a job, and you shouldn’t take the weight of your role as a caregiver home with you at night. If you are a full-time, in-house caregiver, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Everyone needs help at some point, so be comfortable reaching out to others for moral support.