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Many seniors live frugally because they were taught good work and play and living habits as a child or developed them to manage their own homes and lives.  So you might realize how "green" you already are -- and how a few choices can also save you significant money!

For example, 

Biking or walking for short errands ... or even to your volunteer or paid jobs

Learn to take the city bus -- many cities have significant discounts for seniors and even if you pay full price...bus rides cost much less than a car and gasoline and maintenance!  My husband and I are having a ball exploring our city on the bus...and at $ .25 a ride!

Save water -- as water supplies becomes more volatile, they also become more expensive.  Consider converting water-guzzling lawns to hardscape or native plants, or mulched beds.
And you can remind  yourself daily of the value of water by changing to a glass of water for tooth brushing instead of wasting a gallon of running water every time!

 Manage your window drapes and shades to enjoy the beautiful rays of free sunshine during your active times...and close them for filtered light to keep your rooms cool when not in use,

Make or use home-made alternatives -- like baking soda for scrubbing and scouring.  Vinegar and basic soaps are easier on the environment...and will save you big bucks over fancy cleaners.

 Simple things like reusing paper -- both sides ,,, and using mugs and glasses instead of disposable cups are simple changes to make.  Just take the time to create an easy to use system ... and you'll have them handy every time!

Pay your bills on time...avoid late charges and interest charges.  Fees for banking services are growing rapidly and by using an automated payment, you can even avoid monthly interst charges on your credit card.  Just make sure you cover your minimum payment each month with an automated payment...and then add a second payment at your leisure to finish your payment.  This can save BIG BUCKS as well as preserve your credit rating!

Gift giving can be even more special when you use your own arts and crafts to make cookies, or paintings, or embroidered dishtowels or potholders!  Wrap them in a usable cover -- such as a dishtowel or wash cloth...and your gift truly is appreciated through and through!

Going green can be a game...with unending ideas and strategies that you can use your imagination to refine and your friendships to share ideas and resources.  And then, Mother Earth becomes a valued friend, as well.

The Insight Foot Care Scale  helps people with health problems check the bottoms of their feet for erythema and signs of inflammation.

Especially for older folks with diabetes, the bathroom scale has with built-in mirrors that eliminates the need to twist one's feet to see  the plantar surface.

There are about 82,000 amputations in the US every year among people with diabetes. Doctors agree that over half of these amputations could be prevented if people would just check their feet.

The Insight Foot Care Scale helps you do just that, by reminding you to check your feet every time you weigh yourself and also making it easy to see the bottom of your feet with the illuminated, magnified mirrors.


SOURCE:  Insight

Vaica Medical has developed a programmable pill box for those taking a complicated regiment of pills. The Smart Pillbox contains a grid of boxes for a week with four scheduled times a day. The unit plugs into the phone line and is programmed by a provider to call the patient and notify which compartment holds the right pills for that day and time.

The SimpleMed ™ system reminds the user both visually and audibly to take his/her medication at the right time.

SimpleMed ™ also features a panic button with a 2 way communication system. All events are logged and sent periodically to the monitoring center and caregivers.

Over the last decade technology has created a whole new world - but it has largely been  geared to the young. Computer games. Camera phones. Reality TV.  But technology always seeks new market niches, especially those with scale -- and the Baby Boomer generation is bringing about that marketing nirvana.  Boomers love technology...and they are going to need practical applications of technology to help them live independently and cost effectively.

Technology is both helpful and fun -- "It's fun."  "And challenging,"

Leaders in the aging services field say introducing new technology is much more than a smart business move. They call it a must.

• Touch‐screen computers
• Software to test - and polish -  mental skills.

      Example:  The program by Dakim called (m)Power "It helps us keep our brains active."

Andrew Carle, nationally known for coining the term "nana technology" to identify innovations that improve seniors' quality of life. "They're not optional. They're mandatory," says Carle, who managed hospitals and senior housing before joining the faculty at George Mason University, where he directs a program in assisted living/senior housing administration.

Technologies that help provide care and well‐being will be essential as people live longer and a huge baby boom generation - those born between 1946 and 1964 - edges into retirement and later life, he says.

By 2030, 1 of every 5 people in the United States will be 65 or older, compared to 12 percent in that age group now.

And by 2050, there will be more than a million people over age 100.

"We have to have technology to help seniors live independently, or to allow one's caregiver to be as productive as three or four are today," he says. "Or we're not going to have enough professional caregivers."

Eric Dishman, general manager for health, research and innovation for the California‐based Intel Corp., backs up Carle's theory.

Dr. Michael Magee, son of a house‐call‐making doctor and director of the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative, frames the challenge this way: "how to increase services for three times (3X)  as many seniors while reducing health‐care costs."

Technology is at the core of the solution, say Dishman and Magee in a video created for the Center for Aging Services Technology (CAST). In "Transforming an Aging Nation" (www.agingtech.org/index.aspx) and a companion video on the Web site, they share a look at one of many ways technology can bring efficiency to aging services.

The "new caregiver model"

What are some of these assistive technologies for seniors?

• Online games of solitaire and poker help seniors exercise their minds.
• A high‐tech watch reminds you to take  medications,
• Sensors turn off the burners on the stove if forgotten.
• Medical information is digitally recorded so any doctor has immediate access to it.
• A "reality family TV" monitor in the home allows two‐way communication with family members

Specific Senior Health Care Technologies Marry Information and Access

Health care always benefits from good information -- easily accessible at the right time.  And technology is capturing that information and making it readily available.

A Portable Health Profile on a miniature CD and tiny flash drive made by Critical Access  stores all sorts of medical records including X‐rays.

Many diabetics now carry cell phones that can analyze a strip of blood within seconds and send results to their doctors' offices.

Intel is researching how new technology can bring three pieces together: cell phones, inexpensive sensors that capture biological data and the infrastructure of health care.

Good decision‐making requires good information.

In Ecumen's senior housing communities, technology reduces doctor visits with a device called Invivi Soft Pulse that uses electromagnetic frequencies to minimize the pain of wounds from injuries or skin breakdown - a common condition as people age ‐‐ and help them heal.

A system called CareTracker makes recordkeeping and other "paperwork" more efficient, freeing up additional time for nurses and aides to deal directly with residents.

"Magic floors," are being developed in which sensors in a layer of carpet can track footstep patterns and detect changes in a person's gait that warn of potential falls.

Plastic pill cases are being designed to remind people when to take their pills. Sensors on a pill bottle alert someone that they are taking the wrong pill or taking a pill at the wrong time.

Ecumen residents barely notice the seven pocket‐flashlight sized motion sensors tucked in seven strategic places in residents' kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom to monitor  movement in the apartment. They're at the heart of a system called QuietCare  to detect longer‐than‐normal time spent in bed or the bathroom, which can signal something is wrong.

Technology for Seniors Goes Beyond Physical Health

Internet entrepreneurs are "dabbling in" a new twist on Web sites popular with teenagers. Sites like Eons, Razoom, Multiply and Boomertown help older adults stay connected from anywhere.

ABOUT the reference author:  Kay Harvey writes for Eldr Magazine and reports on aging, demographics, gender and psychology for the online newspaper MinnPost.com.

When our President was a Senator, Barack Obama worked a day with home health care worker Pauline Beck to learn the inside of the health care system. Interesting...

During a patient stay in a hospital, nursing home, or other health care setting, the staff will work with you to plan for the patient discharge. The patient and their caregiver are important members of the planning team. This is a checklist of important things you should know to plan for a safe discharge. To view the checklist, click here.

Examples of the items in the checklist include:

1.  Who will you contact to get care after you are discharged?

2. Do you understand your health condition(s)?

3. Do you know what problems to watch for...and how to handle them?

Check the checklist for more details.

Public agencies have resources available such as home-delivered meals and rides to appointments. Ask a social worker at your health care provider for more information about the local community services and support available in your area.

Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs)
Assist adults age 60 and older and their caregivers.  Call the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116 weekdays or visit their website at www.ElderCare.gov

Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs)
Assist people of all incomes and ages in 43 states.  Check the website to see if your area is served:  www.adrc-tae.org

Centers for Independent Living (CILs)
Assist people with disabilities. A state directory can be found at www.ilru.org

State Technology  Assistance Project
Information on medical equipment and assistive technology.  Contact the RESNA - Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America to get contact info for your state.  www.resna.org

State Medicaid Agency
Information about Medicaid. To find your local office visit www.nasmd.org/links/links.asp. It has a clickable map of the US.

Medicare
Call 1-800-Medicare (800-633-4227) or visit www.medicare.gov/LongTermCare/Static?Counseling.asp