As I go about my typical day I can’t help but notice increasing numbers of people over the age of 60 still in or returning to the workforce. At 11pm the toll booth operator, at 1am the early morning cashier at Kroger, the other day my pizza delivery guy, all seniors, still on the job for various reasons. I sat down and pondered, “What’s it like to have to reinvent yourself after you have reached your sixties?”

I didn’t have to go far for some answers. My mother who just turned 63, recently retired from her self employed business. She’s been in the bridal business for more than 20 years and a seamstress for more than 30. As one of her former customers says, “She does the best bridal alterations in North Carolina,” which is no easy feat.

My mom had been talking of retiring for more than a year and at first I thought it was just that, talk. As the months approached to D day (Do It Day), I watched, listened and came to understand her drive, determination and desire. You see all three of these things had to match up in order for her to be able to close the doors on a business she loves, move more than 700 miles from one state to another not to mention leave her church, friends of many, many years and some family members behind all to venture into the unknown. Not an easy task for most.

How does one in good health, who is not financially wealthy, has no other major reason except a desire for change, a desire for a more carefree life, pack up and go or change careers or re-enter the workforce? Here is a road map to help you outline the later half of your life.

Get writing. First you really need to determine where you are, so that your thoughts and actions can easily transition you to where you want to be. Now stick the pen to the paper and write it out. Do you want to move from a house to an apartment or condo? Do you like the idea of a retirement community? Do you want to alleviate financial pressure or responsibility and move in with family? How about throwing caution to the wind and turn your hobby or passion into a new business? The more out of the norm for you, your new choices happen to be, the higher your drive, determination, and desire will need to be. Even at this stage in your life anything is possible, especially at this stage. Once you have some clear ideas of what you are wanting…

Now, it’s time to…

Get help. Although the advice of family and friends can sometimes be useful, I believe it can be more effective to get help or information from someone who has not prejudged you. People who know you will tend to tell you all the reasons why you can’t or shouldn’t do something. Leave the naysayers to the side and do your own research, your own due diligence. Your local library is a good place to start and for the computer saavy of course there is the internet. Attend seminars geared to your topic, go to open houses, call ahead and take tours of businesses, community living complexes, expos, and/or colleges. Attend job fairs even if it’s just to pick up business cards, brochures and to get new ideas. Once you open your mind to the possibilities, opportunities will present themselves in the most amazing ways. One tip here; don’t spend any sizeable amount of money until you have slept on the idea overnight.

Now, it’s time to…

Get answers. Here are some resources for you to check out. I have no affiliation with any of them. This is just a short list of what’s available to you. Retirenet.com - a directory of retirement communities. Seniorresource.com - a directory of housing choices. Rv-life-and-travel.com - has RV living information. Caretakers.bravehost.com - contains information and classified ads on becoming a property caretaker. Coolworks.com - information on finding seasonal jobs at places like national parks, ranches, ski resorts and summer camps. Retiredroommates.com - become a roommate or look for one. AARP.org - one of the most popular senior lifestyle sites online. There is a wealth of information out there, just set aside some time to organize your findings.

Now, it’s time to…

Get busy. Alright, here is the hard part. You have thought it out, done your research and got some answers. Don’t let fear, uncertainty or change keep you from moving forward. Don’t worry about making a mistake, it’s guaranteed that you will make one or two. The joy of realizing your new life will far out weigh any mistakes along the way.

When I come to a crossroad in my life I like to remember a quote from a movie called Shades of Fear, “Stretched out in front of me, road like a runway headed for the blue sky, but the road bends and the sky is still dark over there. I can’t tell if I’m going into it or against it. What matters is that I go.”

Please let me know how things turn out for you.

One option would be to have a professional come to the home and look after the everyday living needs of your parents.  They would do the small tasks around the house such as cleaning and cooking.  That is expensive and time consuming for one person to handle, therefore, the social part of the day is short or non-existent.  For assistance with this type of care at home program it has become more and more difficult to tap into as resources become rarer and more expensive.

To care for seniors in a private care setting is quite expensive, usually in the price range of approximately twenty dollars an hour.  That can easily be beyond the average family’s means?  What can one do? One solution might be to have them stay in their home or yours alone during the day.  In today’s world, normally, both parties are out at work and that solution will wear on someone day after day.  It may also affect your job performance which could cost you your job.  And in today’s world, most households need 2 incomes just to make ends meet.

The other option would be for you to stay home and take care of your senior loved one.  Most of us would love to spend time at home with our families but in these cases again it is wearing and trying on everyone.  The other factor is the social impact.  They would not have quality time with their senior friends.  Seniors need their social time with their peers to keep them stimulated, alert and enriched.

I believe the only solution to the problem, if you are looking to have your loved one stay in their home or yours, is an Adult Day Care Program, which can be extremely cost effective. When done through a quality facility, your loved one will enjoy the company of other seniors and a heightened quality of life. They will receive proper medical attention, assistance with bathing and a hot meal in the middle of the day.

Consider such a program. Even if you have the time and energy for caring for your senior loved one, enrolling them into an adult day program will most likely enhance their quality of life and perhaps even extend their life.

It’s sometimes difficult to recognize that everyone including YOU needs quality of life. As they say on the airlines, put the oxygen mask on you before assisting others. That’s a great metaphor for caring for the senior in your life. You need to keep rejuvenated so that you have the energy to properly and lovingly take care of them. So how do you get that needed break from caring for the one or two seniors in your life?

Well, there are options. You might be fortunate enough to have another family member able and willing to temporarily relieve you of your responsibilities. For most people, that is just not possible. As you know, properly taking care of seniors requires more than a spare room. It requires patience, intimate knowledge of their personal and medical needs, and their trust of the person providing their daily care.

A popular option for care giver relief is adult day programs. Such programs will provide care for your loved one during the day allowing you to focus on other aspects of your household or to leave your home with the peace of mind that they are being well cared for.

Adult day care programs can be utilized on a daily basis or as needed. When looking for a suitable facility consider the following questions:

• What activities will your senior be allowed to participate in during the day?
• What type of meal will they be served? A hot lunch or just wraps/sandwiches?
• Will they be assisted with bathing if needed or desired by you?
• What initiatives will the facility take to socialize your loved one?
• Last, but certainly not least, what is the cost?

Southwinds provides an adult day program that specializes in giving the caregiver relief during the day. We do so by providing a hot meal for lunch, and even provide a meal to take home with you when you leave. We assist with bathing and make sure that they are involved in social activities throughout the entire day.

The cost for our program is very low. In fact. It is lower than most child day care facilities.  Our program runs 5 days a week and our hours are from 8AM til 5PM.  You would be welcome to bring in your senior for a day to try it out for free. Please feel free to call us with any questions by calling us at (845) 341-1888.

1.  Senior Nutrition:  We all get tired of cooking and cleaning up after ourselves with meals.  We also have a problem with our taste buds changing over time.  It is no different for our seniors.  They don’t want to cook neither care much to eat.  What can be done?  Make it easy!  Make it easy for them to pop something into the microwave or oven.  Make it good for their taste buds so that they will want to eat again.  Make sure your loved one has one balanced meal per day.  As they eat and make it easier for themselves, it will become a routine and you will see over time them changing their eating habits and become much better.

2.  Hygiene care:  As we age, it becomes harder and harder to do the personal care things that we have always done.  And we really don’t see the need to do them to keep ourselves up.  For what?  What can we do to help our loved one maintain their personal hygiene?  Encourage them with their personal hygiene, compliment them when little things are done, make sure that they feel safe getting in and out of the tub.  Maybe assist with in and out of the tub but leave them to do their own personal care.  And always remember to encourage them by complimenting them when they do something different that really should be done.  A little bit of help and encouragement will see that their hygiene will improve over a short period of time.

3.  Medication:  Most of our seniors are on some if not large amounts of prescription medication.  It is hard for them to remember when and what to take, what needs food, and what does not.  Work out a system, an easy system, with a pill box and check that system everyday.  It is very important for medication to be given at the proper time and the same time on a daily basis.  You continue to do this and it will become a routine with most of the seniors.  They will feel better and as they feel better they will remember more and more what they need to do to feel better.  Check with your physician.  When there is a change with medication, be aware of the side effects that could happen.  Watch closely, don’t hesitate to call the physician if you see something that is unusual.  Life becomes easier and can become happier for our seniors with just following a few easy steps and it also can become easier for caregivers.  The job is not easy!

We take our responsibility to the senior population of New York’s Hudson Valley very seriously. Southwinds provides a great home for seniors who need some assistance with their day to day care, whether that need is full time care or just a fun place to socialize during the day. If you have questions about any aspect of senior care, please call Southwinds at 845.341-1888. We’d love to get your feedback about this post and your thoughts about how we might be of service. Feel free to leave a comment below, and we will respond quickly.

There is an answer and it’s short time stay Southwinds Retirement home has the ability to provide short time stay, Stay a week or two maybe a month! Make use of all the actives for the week or two have a care free time filled with enjoyment. By the way most towns in the county have this service just need to make a few calls.

We at Southwinds Retirement Home are in the business to care for our senior population with grace and dignity along with independence which our seniors deserve. As your loved one age it becomes harder place them why not think about a visit and let them make the choice to change the way or place they live. Socializing plays a big role in quality of life as we age; Southwinds is filled with fun actives and good friends.  We are a great place for our seniors and a safe comfortable place for the Family. Everyday is a learning experience, by the way did you know that you must trim and sharp your mums in the first week of July.