Tag Archives: Senior Care

Stopping Elder Scams: When to Hang Up

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Don't let robodialers give you a headache. Stop them in their tracks with these four steps.

Don’t let robodialers give you a headache. Stop them in their tracks with these four steps.

Have you ever picked up the phone from an unknown caller and heard silence on the other end?

Hang up!

Turns out it could be a company trying to collect your information so you can be victimized.

There are companies all over the world trying to collect people’s phone numbers so they can sell them to others who can use it for nefarious reasons.

If the call is legitimate, they will call you right back.  If not, the “robodialers” have moved on to their next batch of numbers to call.

Here are five steps you can follow to reduce your risk of being a victim:

  1. Know the numbers of those you know and trust.  Save numbers to your phone if you have a cell phone.
  2. If there is silence when you answer, respond with silence.  Any noise can alert the company that you are a potential target.
  3. Hang up immediately.  Do not give them the chance to reply.
  4. If an unwanted caller responds, save them as a “Marketer” (I have over 50 numbers saved as under the name “Marketer”)
  5. Again, if it is a machine or someone from a foreign company trying to sell you something like “pharmaceuticals,” block the number.

The phone is your friend!  It allows you to reach people, to communicate with others, and to stay safe.  Don’t let robodialers ruin your phone freedom!

For more information, here is the NPR article. Or you can listen below.

Your Mother’s Greatest Fear About Aging – And What She Loves

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<em></em><i>1 Assist Care of the Valley sponsors free monthly educational sessions in East Idaho to prepare families and individuals for aging in graceful and happy ways.</i>

You know your parents.  You know them well. Age changes people.  And that is not a bad thing.  With age comes wisdom, experience, and a beauty only the elderly can claim. But things happen to the body and the mind as we age. Here are four statistics you may not know about the elderly.

<img class=”  ” alt=”Elderly woman climbing a wall with the text ” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LiX01VmZvD8/UYf-6RyNH7I/AAAAAAAAHLU/dIW-WRUmrbM/s1600/Sorry-Grandma-No-Bingo-Today-Funny-Old-Lady-In-RussSe Financial</a></span>, is that <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>they are going to be a burden on you</span>.  Yeah, they are more concerned with putting you out than they are worried about death. Talking about what is in store for the future does not have to be gloomy or depressing.  The time will come when age will impact your family’s life.  Wouldn’t you rather face that time prepared with a plan that you have all discussed and understand what everyone is to do – and what the desires of both your parent and yourself are?

<strong>3. Your loved ones may not know what is coming
</strong>According to that same report by GenWorth, <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>49% of those who receiving long term care had not even considered the possibility that they might even need long term care</span>.  That represents almost half of those receiving care.

<strong>4. You may not know what is coming
</strong>This is probably the most surprising, as it represents well over half of those who were providing support to their loved one.  Of those providing support, <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>57% had to dip into their own retirement funds or personal savings to take care of their parents</span>. What does that mean? It means that not only did their loved ones not plan for or realize what was coming, but neither did the family member providing the support.

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<strong>Conclusion – Be Prepared Now
</strong>Does that mean retirement does not have to look like what you hope it looks like?  Absolutely not.  Go and travel the way that you want.  Let your loved one do the same.  Read the books that you all want to read. But in order to make that happen, you need to sit down and plan.  Understand the reality of what may come and prepare for it.  There are options out there to help you prepare for the unexpected – and expected. The time to start is today.  As in now. Schedule some time as a family.  You will all pat yourselves on the back later for making the right choice now.

<a href=”www.valleyhelpathome.com”><img alt=”Picture of a frustrated woman – the greatest concern for the elderly is being a burden on their children.” src=”http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2013/05/11/1226639/918334-frustrated-woman.jpg” width=”312″ height=”176″ /></a> Your mother’s greatest concern about aging? That this is how your are going to feel about making sure she is taken care of as she ages.

<em>To find out more about this and other topics to prepare your family for aging, fill out the form below and we will update you on the free monthly informational sessions.</em> <em><span style=”text-decoration: underline;”><strong><a title=”Our Services” href=”http://www.valleyhelpathome.com/our-services-east-idaho-teton-jackson-hole-in-home-care/” target=”_blank”>1 Assist Care of the Valley</a></strong></span> also provides assisted living services to seniors who desire to stay in the comfort of their own home throughout East Idaho. To find out more, fill out the form below and we will reach out to you.</em>

Keeping Her Home – A Powerful Alternative to Assisted Living for Mom

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Somewhere between 90% and 95% of seniors want to stay in their own home. Read on to find out how to keep your loved one in their own home with all of the comforts of assisted living.

There comes a time in most of our lives when we have to face a sobering question:

What do we do with Mom?

Assisted Living at Home For Parents in East Idaho, Rexburg, Idaho Falls, and Driggs

Assisted Living for Mom no longer has to be in a facility. Now your Mother can have all the comforts of assisted living in the comfort of her own home.

It is not a question that indicates loss of love. It can mean we no longer live close to her and she needs help with daily living. It may mean she has some sort of dementia. It may mean we live close to her, but in the midst of living our lives, it is difficult to find the time to spend with her that she needs.

Do these mean it is time to put her into a home?

That may be a great choice.

But is that the choice she would have wanted?

The fact is, probably not. Somewhere between 90% and 95% of seniors want to stay in their own home. And is it any wonder? She has spent the past several decades making her house a home. Her home is where she raised her children, spoiled her grandchildren, entertained her friends, babysat the neighbors, found ways to beautify its walls, spent countless hours cleaning it, filled its air with smells of Thanksgiving, placed presents under the Christmas tree, hid eggs at Easter time, found ways to pinch pennies to pay it off.

Not very many of us say, “When I grow up I want to have my own house so that when I am old enough my children will put me in a community home.”

Assisted Living Facilities are not a bad choice, do not get me wrong. It just is probably not where Mom wants to be.

So what is the alternative?

How about Assisted Living in her own home? A place where she can be taken care of, enjoy companionship, have her meals taken care of, where she can have help with personal hygiene, a place where she can be watched over to make sure she is safe. But also a place where her family can visit her and be filled with memories. A place where she can feel a sense of community, and the community feels she is part of it because of the time she spent in it. A place where she can go on excursions to her

Home - The Best Assisted Living Place for Mom

She worked hard to make the house a home. Let her stay in it – while keeping her safe and taken care of. Contact us today.

favorite local spots and events.

A place where she can be surrounded by familiarity in a time that is often so unfamiliar to most of us.

That is what 1 Assist Care of the Valley in Rexburg offers. The ability to age gracefully in the comfort of home. Where a member of our care team is able to take care of your mother in a place that she worked for decades to create. The ability to allow you and your siblings to honor your mother’s desire to stay home, coupled with your desire to make sure she is taken care of and safe, knowing that she is not alone or isolated.

The choice no longer has to be – Which assisted living facility do we put her in? Now the choice can be to keep her in her home with all of the amenities and help of an assisted living facility.

Want to find out more on how to keep Mom home? 1 Assist Care of the Valley will work with you to create a plan that works best for you and all loved ones involved. We service individuals and families from Idaho Falls to Rexburg to Ashton to Driggs.

To find out more or to create a plan for your mother’s care, just fill out the contact form below and we will be in touch. You can also call us at 208-557-4215.