Leslie Newlife

The Complete Funeral Planning Checklist to Make Sure Everything Goes According to Schedule

The average funeral cost starts at $8,000 and can run as high as $10,000.

Funerals cost a great deal of money and should therefore be planned with care. But in a time full of grief and other heavy emotions, funeral planning can be a difficult task.

Besides the support of family and friends, a funeral planning checklist can help. Having these often-overlooked details on hand will ensure you don’t miss anything essential.

Read this four-point checklist before sitting down to do anything else.

  1. Prior Funeral Planning

Of the many items that can be arranged prior to death, a funeral and burial are among the most important. If you know that your loved one made arrangements for their funeral and burial, then you can contact the funeral home they made those arrangements with.

If your loved one didn’t leave a letter of instruction, then you’ll need to make those arrangements yourself. If you have other family members involved in the process, be sure to consult with each of them.

  1. Decide on a Budget

It’s important to decide on a budget. You’ll need to know how much you can spend before you start meeting with funeral homes.

Discuss a budget with your family. Figure out what’s an affordable amount for everybody, without causing anybody financial hardship. If you’re having trouble coming up with the funds, consider asking family to contribute in different ways, like purchasing the flowers or bringing food instead of catering.

  1. Choose a Funeral Home

Once you have an idea of your budget, you can check with the local Funeral Consumers Alliance. They should be able to give you a survey of the funeral home prices in your area. That way you can narrow down your options to what’s within your budget.

Besides the list of homes in your budget, you can ask for recommendations. Speak with family, friends, and colleagues and ask them about funeral homes they’ve worked with. You can also check online and read reviews.

Visit the funeral homes that meet your qualifications. Get quotes from each of them and weight the benefits of working with each.

  1. Thinking About the Ceremony

The ceremony is among the most complex parts of making funeral plans. You’ll have to decide whether you want a visitation, viewing, wake, or rosary, for example. You’ll also need to decide whether the viewing will be public or only for the family.

Besides who will attend, you’ll have to choose pallbearers, a eulogist, and assistants to help you with the arrangments of the day. Consider whether you will have food for your guests and whether that will be catered or a potluck.

You also want the funeral to feel personal, to reflect your loved one’s life. That might mean hosting it in a particular location, such as a park, a lake, or a garden. Even the prayers, poems, songs, and hymns can be personalized to reflect their life.

More Family Advice 

Funeral planning is difficult amidst the loss of a loved one. But if your loved one didn’t make arrangements prior to their passing, then you’ll have some work to do. Be sure to enlist the support of your family and friends to make the load that much easier.

And for more family advice like this, be sure to check our blog regularly.

10 Things to Do Today to Improve Back Health

Ow—my back!

If this is a thought that’s been interrupting your daily routine lately, you should know there are easy ways to help.

Your back may be a bigger part of your life than you realize. It rests on your mattress at night, helps you lift objects, and is affected by your neck, shoulders, and even feet. You’ve got to be kind to your back so it can be kind to you.

From exercises to massages, here are our top ten tips for improving back health:

  1. Get Your Body Moving

Even if you don’t consider yourself an athlete, there are some simple exercises you can do to keep your back in its best shape.

For example, you can find moments throughout the day to do some partial crunches on the floor. Or you can try some wall sits while waiting for your tea to boil.

  1. Streeeeetch

Stretching is not just something you should do before strenuous activity. It’s a good routine to practice throughout your day to reduce strain on your back.

If you’re sitting for much of the day, take breaks to stand and stretch if possible. For a routine that uses interconnected muscle systems, you can even think beyond the back itself and stretch out your neck, arms, and shoulders.

  1. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Make sure your mattress is a supportive surface for your back. After all, this is what’s holding your back every night, for several hours. If the mattress is too soft, you may not be getting the support you need.

You can also try some sleeping positions that are designed for back health, like putting pillows under your knees or sleeping on your side or back instead of your stomach.

  1. Re-evaluate Your Pillow Situation

Pillows and cushions can be excellent tools for creating a back support setup. But if you’re not using them right, they can actually lead to more back pain.

When you sleep at night, are your pillows supporting you well? If the pillow under your head isn’t doing a great job keeping your neck elevated, you may be sleeping with a bit of strain on your back muscles.

  1. And Your Cushion Situation

And during the day, the cushions you sit on can make a big difference. If you sit on a hard or unsupportive surface for long periods of time, it might be hard to keep your spine in its healthiest curves. Try changing where you sit or looking into seat cushions.

If you use a wheelchair, your seating setup is especially important. A change here is something that will affect several hours out of your day. Consider investing in a good wheelchair seat cushion to improve your wheelchair posture and reduce pain.

  1. Lift With Your Legs

One way to reduce back pain is to change the  way you lift. You may be thinking to yourself, But I don’t do a lot of manual labor or lifting workouts. But the truth is, almost everyone lifts things from time to time, and anyone can benefit from an improvement to their lifting style.

When you lift with your back, you’re exerting a lot of pressure due to the odd angle. Gravity isn’t helping you here. When you lift with your legs, you’ll be more stable, and you’ll be able to balance the weight better with the use of powerful leg muscles.

To lift with your legs, bend your knees under the thing you’re carrying, and keep your back vertical. You can do this for everyday lifting, like groceries and laundry.

  1. Sit up Tall for Back Health

Posture is a major part of spine health, especially sitting posture. If you’re hunched over or unbalanced, your back could suffer the consequences.

When you use healthy posture, your backbone can support you quite well. When you slouch, though, your muscles and ligaments have to help out in order to keep you upright. Too much strain on these parts is a classic cause of back pain.

Adjust your sitting posture until you feel the most stable. Many people carry tension in their shoulders, so take the time to relax your shoulders as much as possible. You might be surprised at how much relief these simple changes can create!

And if you find that you need some more help in this area, consider upgrading your normal sitting position with back support aides.

  1. Invest in Some Back Support

You might be able to create a makeshift back support setup with items you already have. A small pillow or rolled-up piece of clothing at your lower back can be the lumbar support tool you never knew you needed.

If you’re looking for something more permanent, you can order an ergonomic back support attachment for your chair or a back cushion. And if you’re in the market for a new chair, you can invest in an ergonomic one that’s designed for back support.

  1. Consider Your Feet

The body is a connected machine. Tooth problems can lead to a gut problem, and a shift in balance due to an injury in one leg can cause problems in the other. To find the cause of your back pain, you may need to look to a different part of your body:

Your feet.

As you walk around throughout the day, what do you have on your feet? Are your shoes made for comfort or style? If your shoes don’t support you properly, that imbalance can ripple through to your posture, causing back pain.

The good news is that you have options. You can switch to sneakers and more comfortable shoes for your daily errands. Also, you could get some gel insoles or other specialized ones from places like Protalus for the shoes you already use.

  1. Go for a Nice Massage

This isn’t just an excuse to treat yourself to a relaxing day—though it can be, if you want! Talk to a massage therapist about your back pain and choose an option that targets your tension and relaxes tight muscles.

Getting Back in Business

Back pain can interfere with many of life’s joys, but when you want to improve your back health, you have a variety of options at your hands. Switch out your shoes, drop your shoulders, and maybe go for a nice massage.

These are all changes you can put into motion today! And if you liked this article, share it with someone in your life who’s looking for relief from back pain.

5 Ways to Care for Yourself When You Are the Caregiver

When you hear the word caregiver, the first thing that comes to your mind is taking care of others. It can be your old grannies, your sick spouse, or your disabled child. These people cannot do even the slightest things for themselves, and you have to be there full time to feed, bathe, and take care of their needs.

Being a caregiver is overwhelming and can become a nightmare if you forget to care for yourself. We’ll understand the love you have for your loved ones that you can’t imagine leaving their side for seconds. But burnout is real, and you can’t take care of them if you’re not feeling well.

So, how do you care for yourself as a caregiver? This article outlines five simple ways that can help you take care of yourself as you take care of your loved ones.

  1. Talk to Someone

When you start taking care of your loved ones, you’ll notice that your network will grow smaller. You can’t go out for drinks, no parties, no work. You’ll be at home 24/7.

Do you know what happens when your situation gets to this? You’ll start feeling lonely, stressed, and abandoned. It’s normal to feel this way. It could be even worse if your life took a drastic turn from a fun-loving person to a stay at home caregiver.

But you know what? You’re not alone. Your friends and other family members may not understand your situation, but there are other caregivers out there going through the same ordeal.

You need to find these people, talk to them, and relieve the stress. There are support groups for caregivers you can find in your area or internationally. Whether you have Alzheimer’s patient, a child with autism, or a disabled partner, you must find someone in the same situation.

Don’t be afraid to join those caregiver’s support groups and find the necessary care for caregiver that you deserve. This is the place to exchange information, encourage each other, and find ways of coping with caregiving stress.

  1. Care for Yourself and Health

Many caregivers only revolve around seeing their patients healthy and happy. Don’t forget you also have a life and you can fall sick at any time.

Imagine who’ll take your position when you’re unwell. It can be a nightmare if you don’t have money to hire a professional caregiver to cover for you while you recover.

To avoid all the trouble, make sure you don’t fall sick often. You should take care of your health situations that are within your control. Read this article on how to take care of yourself including your health and your general well-being as a caregiver.

Maintain your regular health checkups. See your doctor at least once a year, even when you’re not feeling sick.

Get your doctor’s advice on stress management techniques, coping exhaustion, and managing sleeplessness. Eat healthy meals on time. Also, remember to take the annual flu vaccine to protect you and the person you’re caring for.

  1. Don’t Get Stuck at Home

It’s normal to want to stay by the side of the person you’re caring for all the time. It’s also normal not to trust anyone to cover for you when you’re away for an errant or just to treat yourself.

But you also have a life to live, right? You must sneak in a few minutes or a whole day for yourself.

You need to take a break to exercise, go for a walk, or have some time for yourself away from the caregiving duties. Exercise is vital to help you prevent diseases and stay away from stress. If your hobby is dancing, hiking, or partying, make sure you find time to do this even if it’s not as often as before.

  1. Meditation Works Magic

No matter how much love you have for your loved ones, it’s normal for a human to feel tired. Sometimes you feel you can’t take it anymore and you want to give up. You can wake up feeling irritable and regret ever committing to the caregiving duties.

When you reach this point, you need to step aside and meditate. Meditation is a kind of soul-searching activity that calms the mind and ensures your mental health care.

When you meditate, it helps you lessen the stress, anxiety, and depression feelings. Just a few minutes of soul searching helps you get your normal self back.

There are different types of meditation for caregivers that can help you out.

Deep breathing meditation is the most common one. You can breathe in and out with your hands in your stomach for a few minutes. Do this with your eyes closed and hold your breath a few times.

Visualization is also a kind of motivation that gets you to imagine the nice things in life. Just have your eyes fixed in one place but not looking. Imagine a peaceful place like a forest, a river, or a park. Engage all your senses, including smell, sight, and ears.

Practice these kinds of meditations and engage in them whenever you feel overwhelmed. They will help you get back to your feet.

  1. Don’t Push Yourself Too Hard

The situation can sometimes get too overwhelming for you. Instead of pushing harder and getting even more desperate, take a break and relax. You need to find a better approach to the events unfolding, and you can only do it if you relax.

Create time for yourself, especially when you feel that you’re reaching your limits. Try finding a friend or family member who offers to stay with your loved ones while you take a rest. Make use of this time to treat yourself and forget about your problems.

Once your mind is relaxed, and your body recovers from the exhaustion, you will come back stronger and ready to fight again.

You Can Make Caregiving Fun

Caregiving is hard, but if you know how to juggle between caring for your loved ones and care for yourself, you can make it fun. Always remember that you have a life outside your caregiving duties and you must live it. Follow all the tips for caring for yourself, and you will beat the exhaustion that comes with caregiving.

You need someone to teach you how to be a better caregiver, especially if you’re not a professional one. You can visit our site for more advice on caregiving and your health in general. Our experts are ready to give you the answers.

How to Relieve Sore Feet: Seniors Guide to Comfort

Did you know that nearly 77% of US adults reported some kind of foot pain and problems, as discovered by a 2014 study? Most of these people ignore the pain, but wish they could get rid of it so they can live more active lifestyles. The foot pain issue is more pronounced in seniors as well.

Luckily, there are solutions to this problem. You just have to learn how to relieve sore feet. Some foot pain remedies have been proved successful in people of all ages, especially seniors. Keep reading to learn a few interesting tips and tricks about sore feet relief.

Apply Ice on Your Feet

One reason why your feet might get sore is because they tend to swell. This happens as a result of fluid accumulation in the feet. Seniors are the most exposed to this problem because they are not that physically active anymore.

To fix this problem, you should apply ice on your feet. This reduces inflammation and sends the blood and other fluids away from the lower extremities of the body. If ice is too cold, you can also apply towels that have been soaked in cold water previously.

Use the RICE Method

No, eating too much rice won’t alleviate the pain in your feet. It’s about the RICE method, aka rest, icing, compression, elevation. We already covered icing, let’s focus on the other 3 elements in this equation.

Resting your feet helps a lot to reduce soreness and swelling. This method is particularly useful for people who stand or walk for a lot of time every day. You should just go home and rest for at least one hour on your couch or bed, watching your favorite TV shows or reading.

Compression also works to alleviate feet pain. You apply compression on your feet and make sure it’s slightly tight. This will force the blood and other fluids away from your feet. Applying cold compresses is even better.

Finally, elevation refers to lifting your feet slightly higher than your hips. You need to make sure that the blood travels upward to your feet when pumped by your heart. Thanks to gravity, any fluid in your feet that might cause swelling and pain will go down and you will feel much better.

To elevate your feet comfortably, you can simply place them on a large pillow. Do this while you watch your favorite shows to also take advantage of the resting benefit. This pillow from Everlasting Comfort might do the trick for you.

Do a Foot Bath

A regular bath is recommended, but if you don’t have time or you’re not in the mood, a foot bath is also good. This means placing your feet in a large vessel filled with lukewarm water. The water will help your blood vessels dilate, so your lower extremities get more oxygen and nutrients.

A foot bath can last 30-60 minutes, depending on your preferences. You can also spice it up with some Epsom salts that contribute to the relaxing effect of this technique. Do this a few times a week and you will keep your foot pain under control.

Stretch Your Feet Regularly

Feet stretching is easy to do and it can help you greatly. Such exercises improve flexibility in your feet and bring more blood filled with oxygen to the extremities of your body. Some good exercises include toe curls, stretching your calves, and even feet rotations.

You should only do what feels comfortable. Don’t do too much because you don’t want to tire your legs either. Stretch your feet while you sit on your bed and make this a weekly routine. You will see that your feet flexibility improves and any swelling will go away too.

Do a Foot Massage

The beauty of foot massages is that you can do them on your own. You just grab your feet and gently massage them, preferably after you have applied a topical cream. Numerous places in your feet correspond to different parts of your brain. By massaging your feet, you’re rejuvenating your mind at the same time.

If you like this habit, you can even take a reflexology course. This is a foot massaging technique with proven benefits. You will learn what parts of your soles to apply pressure on to achieve a more profound relaxing effect. Needless to say, massaging your feet will also alleviate pains and swelling.

Buy Some Arch Supports 

Poor-quality shoes can contribute to feet swelling and soreness. That’s why you should invest in better-quality footwear, especially if you’re walking or standing a lot as well as going to the gym.

For example, shoes with arch supports can prevent and alleviate foot pain. You can also buy arch supports from the internet if some of your shoes are not equipped with this feature. These special supports will take some of the weight applied on your feet when you’re standing or walking.

Arch supports come in various sizes and they can be made from different materials. They follow the natural arch line of your sole and prevent lesions, tenderness, and other issues related to your feet.

Take OTC Medication

It’s advisable to speak with your doctor first, but some medications can also be helpful to alleviate sore feet. Ibuprofen is a good example in this case. It will reduce inflammation and swelling, making you feel better when you walk or stand.

You might want to consider applying a topical medication too. These products have a relaxing effect on your feet and they reduce tissue swelling and tenderness. Some of them are available at most drugstores and you don’t need a prescription to buy them.

Now You Know How to Relieve Sore Feet

Hopefully, this article answered your original question – how to relieve sore feet. Remember that proper footwear is paramount to prevent and alleviate some of your pains. Use these tips in case of serious discomfort and your soreness might subside quickly.

For more useful pieces of advice on how to reduce soreness and pains in your lower extremities, make sure that you check out the other articles on our website.

4 Services That Help Seniors Aging in Place

While an assisted living facility provides everything a senior needs on demand, you may prefer to age in place in your own home. This allows you to retain old routines and freedoms much longer than others do. If you make this decision, you’ll need supportive services to assist with tasks you don’t have the energy or capacity for anymore. These are a few of the services that help seniors aging in place and why they may be good for you.

Companion Care

First up, companion care. This lesser-known option, put simply, recruits another person to keep you company and perform light tasks around the house. The goal here is social and emotional health plus practical help with housecleaning, cooking, and running errands. Your companion caretaker could be a volunteer or paid, depending on the service and what you prefer. This service is best for those with only moderate needs and preserves your freedom.

Food Delivery

If you aren’t ready for companion care but struggle to stand for long in the kitchen, consider a food delivery service. Services range, but all of them promote a senior’s healthy diet by delivering balanced meals right to their door. These food delivery apps have driver tracking software where our seniors can track and anticipate the arrival of their delivery driver. And as the coronavirus pandemic lingers, delivery cuts down on contact from others, lessening your risk of catching anything.

Day Programs

Akin to companion care but away from home, a day program provides seniors an outlet primarily for socialization. Though many programs will present curtailed opportunities as long as the pandemic is a threat, these still give life to people who participate. Activities range from exercise sessions and book clubs to arts and crafts time and more.

Personal Care and Home Health Care

Last on our list of services that help seniors aging in place, personal care and home health care are each good for individuals with significant needs. A personal caregiver assists with dressing, bathing, going to the bathroom, and other daily needs.

While personal caregivers can support general medical goals such as promoting urinary health, an in-home therapist or nurse tends to focus on rehabilitation, medications, and specialized health monitoring. It’s vital to choose an in-home nurse and/or personal caregiver who has the experience or training to address your unique needs if you go that route.

No matter what you need, know that you aren’t alone if you decide on aging in place. There are many paths to receiving the help you need without losing the life you love.

Keeping Prescriptions Safe in an Assisted Living Facility


Anyone who has cared for an aging loved one knows the importance of proper medication. Having the right prescriptions with the right doses can ease pain, promote recovery, and improve your loved one’s overall quality of life. There are several medication management tips you can follow when caring for your loved one at home, but what about when they reside in an assisted living facility? You and your staff should create and follow standards regarding the organization, storage, and dispensing of prescriptions to every resident in your community. Learn more about keeping prescriptions safe in an assisted living facility with these tips.

Keep an Organized Inventory

Inventory is a crucial aspect of any business, and it becomes even more important when it revolves around your residents’ health. Make sure your facility maintains a neat, organized, and well-documented inventory of prescriptions. Keep a record of every medication you need for each patient. Include the proper dosage, how much a prescription contains, and when you will need to order a refill. An organized inventory system also makes it easier for nurses and other authorized personnel to quickly locate the item they need without wasting time searching through dozens of prescriptions.

Perfect Your Storage Practices

The way your facility stores medications is also important. Your staff should always be careful and considerate when handling, storing, and organizing patient medications. A secure, central storage unit helps ensure that only well-trained, authorized staff have access to your patients’ prescriptions. This minimizes clerical errors, misuse of prescriptions, and other accidents that can stem from mishandling medications. You should also use the right equipment to store your supplies. Pharmaceutical-grade refrigerators offer many benefits when storing, organizing, and securing temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals. Extend the shelf life of patient medications and prevent contamination by investing in proper storage solutions for your facility.

Provide Attentive Care and Monitoring for Each Patient

Keeping and providing medications is just another aspect of senior care, which means they require the same personal care and attention. You should keep a record of each residents’ prescriptions, dosages, and allergies. Proper documentation helps ensure your residents get the medications they need on schedule without ever running out of a certain prescription. Beyond knowing how to keep prescriptions safe in an assisted living facility, this kind of personalized attention ensures that your residents feel as comfortable, secure, and welcome as possible while in your care.

Sleep and Aging: Understanding Insomnia and Other Sleep Disorders in the Elderly


On average we spend about a third of our lives sleeping. It is likely no surprise that research links poor sleep with a multitude of health problems. That seems particularly true as we get older as research reports that over half the elderly population experience sleep difficulties.

Sleep and aging should be of great interest to us all since we are all getting older. If we can understand the importance of sleep and its effect on us, we would be more willing to invest in quality sleep.

In this article, you will learn some basic facts about insomnia and how sleep patterns change with advancing age. Yet most of all you will learn about what you can do to have better quality sleep and a better quality of life, especially if you are an older person.

What Is Normal Sleep?

Normal sleep has several stages, each leading to the next. In one night, you will cycle through these stages several times. There are 2 basic types of sleep. Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep.

There are 3 specific stages of non-REM sleep followed by REM sleep. As you cycle through these stages you will spend longer in REM sleep each time. Interestingly, it is the third stage of non-REM sleep that is ‘deep’ sleep and is what makes us feel like we have had a good sleep by the morning.

It is noteworthy, this type of ‘deep’ sleep occurs more in the first half of the night. Getting to bed late, or later than normal will cause you to lose out on this type of sleep.

Sleep and Aging – What Changes?

Everybody has a naturally occurring cycle within their body that operates on a 24-hour rhythm. This is called your circadian rhythm. Its control center is in part of your brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN).

This natural rhythm controls many functions within your body including your sleep cycle. However, there are also external factors that influence sleep such as the amount of light, eating food, and so forth. Ideally, internal and external triggers of sleep are synchronized.

In the elderly, it is common for dysynchrony to develop between the internal sleep clock and external environmental triggers. One of the significant causes of this is changes in the elderly brain that controls the circadian rhythm.

Less Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone that responds to light and is an important trigger in telling your body the day is ending and the nighttime is beginning. People produce less melatonin as they get older. Plus changes to their routines in life may mean that older people are less exposed to adequate light throughout the day.

Increased Medication

Another significant factor as to why older people suffer from sleep difficulties is the multitude of medications that they may need to take to treat various geriatric problems. These medications disrupt physiological and hormonal functions within the body that impact their circadian rhythm.

Primary Sleep Disorders

Some primary sleep disorders directly affect sleep in elderly people. You can think of these as external factors that disrupt falling asleep, remaining asleep, and getting adequate benefits from sleep.

Sleep Apnea

This is a sleep disorder that affects your breathing. During the night your breathing slows down along with your heartbeat as the body relaxes. However, this disorder causes your breathing to pause at times.

This can be for a few seconds or longer. This ‘pause’ will repeat itself throughout the night. That leads to reduced oxygen and feeling tired in the morning.

There are different types of sleep apnea depending on the cause. A common symptom is snoring. Not every snorer has sleep apnea but if you are snoring regularly and do not feel you are getting the rest you should have then it could be a sign of this sleep disorder.

The prevalence of sleep apnea increases with age. A decline in mental function combined with sleep apnea may indicate the onset of dementia. If you think you have sleep apnea then seek your doctor’s advice.

Restless Leg Syndrome

This is exactly what it says on the tin. People with Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) experience involuntary leg movements or a strong sensation to move their leg because of an uncomfortable feeling.

This can make it hard to get to sleep, or when you are just going off to sleep, it can then wake you up again. It is uncomfortable and frustrating for the person. The strange thing about this disorder is that the cause is not known.

As many as 1 in 3 people over the age of 65 years experience this disorder. If you are one of them, the best you can do is make sure you adopt good sleeping habits like the ones mentioned below.

Tips for Improving Your Sleep

Thankfully there are many things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep. For example, you should make your sleep part of your routine. Go to bed at the same time and most importantly, get up at the same time.

Before bed, make sure you relax your mind and body and do not stimulate with exercise or TV, at least an hour or two before going to bed. Avoid eating late.

Remember that alcohol sedates, it does not lead to quality sleep. In fact, you are more likely to wake up after alcohol.

Another important factor you can control is your bed itself. You can get a specially designed mattress for seniors that offers additional support and has memory technology so that it will conform to the contours of your body.

The Basics of Sleep and Aging

In this article, you have read the basics of sleep and aging. The key take-home is that you want to limit any negative external factors on your sleep as much as possible. Being ‘protective’ about your sleep will help you get quality sleep and experience better health.

Following the tips in this article is a good starting point if you are experiencing trouble with your sleep. Don’t stop reading here, check out other helpful articles on our site that can guide you in life as you experience getting older.

7 Qualities to Look for When Choosing a Caregiver

Do you need to hire a caregiver to look after a loved one? If so, you know that it can be an extremely hard decision.

How can you find someone you trust to look after your vulnerable loved ones? It’s not an easy task.

However, it can help you find the right person by conjuring key qualities you’d like a caregiver to have. If you’ve ever wondered, ‘what are the qualities of a good caregiver?’—read on to find out.

  1. What Are the Qualities of a Good Caregiver? First, Look for Kindness

Kindness is one of the key qualities of a caregiver. You want someone who will treat your loved one with empathy, respect, and dignity.

Kind staff are also one of the key qualities of a good nursing home, something to consider if your parents may need extra help in the future.

  1. Reliability

You and your loved one depend on your caregiver for assistance each week, and they may be scheduled to come in when you need to go to work or have other commitments.

Therefore, reliability and dependability are key things to look for. When calling references before hiring a caregiver, ask if they have been reliable in previous roles.

  1. Patience 

How to choose a caregiver? Look for someone who is patient.

Our loved ones may slow down with age, taking more time to eat, move, or express their thoughts. This is especially true if your loved one is experiencing age-related dementia or memory loss.

Someone who is patient will take the time to help your loved one with whatever is required.

  1. A Good Communicator

Communication is vital when hiring a caregiver. You want someone who can communicate with your parents and help them, but also someone who can communicate back to you in regards to updates or concerns.

Unfortunately, elder abuse does happen, and you want someone who will speak up and let you know if they have concerns about this occurring.

  1. Passionate

Caring for seniors can be demanding, thankless work sometimes. You want someone who is passionate about helping others and has a true love for caregiving.

  1. Flexible

Flexibility and creative thinking are important in a caregiver. Plans or schedules can change at any time, so you need someone who can think on their feet and improvise.

  1. Someone with a Positive Outlook

Optimism and positivity can make a huge difference to any situation, especially when dealing with tough topics like health and aging.

A caregiver with a positive attitude can encourage your parents to be optimistic as well!

Find Your Ideal Caregiver Today

What are the qualities of a good caregiver? Hopefully, after reading the above, you now have a better understanding of what to look for.

Use the suggestions above to start researching and interviewing caregivers for your loved one. Soon, you’ll find the perfect person for the role who will care with love, dedication, and safety in mind.

5 Questions About Social Security Answered

Social security almost feels like a myth sometimes to people who aren’t retired. However, it’s very real and, for many seniors and retirees, very important. Social security is a federally run program known more prosaically as the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program. It was signed into law in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who realized that the only way for a society to deal with grave economic problems like the Great Depression, which was in full swing at the time, is to fund a robust social safety net.

There have been many changes, additions, and tinkering with the law since its inception but it has retained broad political consensus. Most people agree that once senior citizens reach a certain age, they should be able to retire and live comfortably; most people agree that folks who have disabilities or debilitating life circumstances should be able to supplement their income or household with social welfare.

However, despite its ubiquity, many people are confused and misinformed about certain aspects of Social Security

Here are the 3 most common questions that confuse people:

Is every American citizen automatically entitled to Social Security?

The answer: no, which strikes some as surprising. Social Security is not actually an entitlement program, which means to qualify for it you have to earn 40 lifetime work credits (this isn’t as hard as it may sound).

However, there are other ways to qualify. If you are disabled or the spouse of a worker who earned Social Security, you can qualify for benefits.

People are also frequently surprised to learn that while the federal government runs the Social Security Administration, there are privately owned entities that can help with services like replacing a lost social security card or changing a name on an existing card. One private social security office Phoenix residents prefer allows them to avoid the long lines often seen in the local federal agency offices.

Are Social Security benefits taxed?

The answer: it depends on several factors, including your other income sources. If your only source of income is Social Security benefits, your money will most likely not be taxed. On other hand, if you are retiring with 401(k) distributions, a pension, dividends, capital gains or most any other income totaling over $25,000 ($32,000 for couples), you can expect about half of your Social Security to be taxed. If your income total is over $34,000 ($44,000 for couples), about 85 percent of your Social Security will be taxed.

How much do you pay in & how much do you get?

As of the year 2020, worker wages are taxed 6.2% for Social Security purposes. That extends up to $137,700 for high-income workers. That 6.2% is matched by an additional employer-paid 6.2% (self-employed workers pay 12.4%).

There is a complex formula for determining how much Social Security you get. It factors in the income from your 35 highest-earning years.

Happy hunting!

What to Expect When a Loved One Enters Hospice Care

It’s the most difficult moment of your life when you first hear the words “hospice care” in relation to a loved one. As a caregiver or family member, you feel loss, dread, and an overwhelming fear of the unknown. What comes next? Knowing what to expect when a loved one enters hospice care can help relieve some of this anxiety as you begin to chart your course through the dark waters ahead.

You Will Be Assigned a Team

When a loved one enters hospice care, expect to be assigned a team. These dedicated individuals include physicians, nurses, aides, volunteers, social workers, counselors, and clergy members. Physical therapists may also be included as well as your loved one’s personal physician. These team members focus on the physical and emotional needs of everyone involved.

Location May Be an Option

Hospice care can be called for at any point the doctor determines that a patient has six months or fewer to live. If your loved one is on the shorter end of the spectrum, or if they require a greater degree of support to maintain life, then you may not have the option of utilizing hospice care beyond the confines of the hospital or facility your loved one is in. However, if they have longer to live and can manage to operate without life support machines, you may have the option to continue care at home, depending on the hospice care option you’ve chosen. In this case, the hospice team will check in daily in order to provide needed support for you and your loved one.

They Will Keep Them Comfortable

When someone enters hospice care, the focus of the team shifts from treatment of illness to keeping loved ones comfortable. The hospice team will monitor the patient’s pain, and you can expect that infusion pumps such as Hospira pumps will be utilized to ensure that patients receive as much medication as needed to manage their pain.

You Will Be Heard

In the final days and hours, you may notice your loved one’s faculties, such as breathing, taste, and sight, fading. It is easy to think in the last moments that your loved one is unaware of your presence. This can leave you feeling abandoned or cut adrift. But it has been said that hearing is the last sense to go. So even in the last moments, you will still be able to speak to them and take comfort in the knowledge they can hear you.

Someone Will Ask About Arrangements

Sometimes the logistics of death can be the most daunting to deal with. How can you think about paperwork and arrangements in the wake of such a significant moment? You can rest assured that hospice care team members will help you to make arrangements in the months leading up to your loved one’s passing. And if there isn’t enough time, someone will offer assistance after the fact.