Talk to Your Children About Mortality

Your grown children may not want to talk about your end-of-life, but they will thank you when the time comes. It is a subject too often avoided and yet not preparing for your own death is a burden you are passing on to your grown children. Death comes to us all, but because of medical advances,…

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Elder Loneliness and Isolation

Many older adults find themselves in this cycle of compounded loss, but it should never be considered the norm for this stage of life.Loneliness and social isolation are now believed to be as dangerous to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and surpass the mortality risks of obesity. A 2017 SCAN survey of 1,000 older…

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Dementia Help for “After Diagnosis”

The Dementia Spotlight Foundation, founded in January of 2016, is a local organization working to educate the community about dementia. “We hope to help make Decatur the first Dementia Inclusive city in the State of Georgia,” according to the organization. “To do this, we are committed to working with local media to raise awareness about…

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Symptoms and Statistics of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Awareness month has ended for 2018, but the search for a cure is continuously  being sought. The Michael J. Fox Foundation, www.michaeljfox.org is urgently working on a cure. The purpose of setting aside this month of April was to bring awareness to Parkinson’s and to help people become mindful of their well-being. The more information…

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It’s Time to Write Your Will

Get yourself a will because dying without one, “intestate,” is a drag for everyone. Not everyone has a will – even Prince died without one.  Imagine, all that money and one of the greatest performers didn’t spend a little of it on sorting out his estate. We know that death is inevitable, but we continue to…

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Alzheimer’s Diagnosis? First Things First

Your mom got the dreaded diagnosis! What do you do first? Start by contacting your local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association; ask for guidance and use their printed information. Locate a geriatric care manager, doctors specializing in dementia, adult day care services and respite care services. Eventually you will want to investigate memory care facilities…

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Friendships – Good – Sometimes Ending

A conclusion was reached, through 300,000 participants, that people who had strong friendships lived 7.5 years longer than those with weak or few social ties. Brigham Young University reported the conclusion that friendship extends life. Other research by Marla Paul, author of The Friendship Crisis: Finding, Making and Keeping Friends When You’re Not a Kid…

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Lessons for Retirement

A few notes from an early retiree, Jonathan Look, are passed on for your enlightenment. For his complete story you can check out his approach to retirement at: www.LifePart2.com. His paraphrased suggestions follow: With retirement, you have more time to do things you love, but the extra time is wasted unless you are using it…

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New Medicare ID Cards

Preventing identity theft is the purpose of the new Medicare ID cards. Because a person’s Social Security number is currently on Medicare ID cards, this number, (used by Social Security Administration, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, state Medicaid agencies, health care providers and health plans), is subject to misuse in the hands of an unscrupulous person.…

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National Healthcare Decisions Day

On April 15, Americans will file their taxes. April 16, following Benjamin Franklin’s saying, “nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” is a day for health care decision planning. Each year, National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) is observed the day after tax day. NHDD is a day of education and awareness, aimed at encouraging…

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