“Cognasium” is a term created by the Alzheimer’s Association and means “gymnasium for the brain”. Cognasium is a four-pronged approach that focuses on:
Millions of elders and older adults fall victim to various scams and financial fraud each year. From bank account information to social security numbers, thieves can target a variety of different financial and personal information. According to the FBI, the over $3 billion a year being lost to scams targeting older adults is only going to increase due to a growing elderly population. Knowing the common signs and types of scams, how to protect yourself and your family’s assets, and understanding the correct ways to report these attempts can help keep you safe.
Recognizing Common Scams
Oftentimes, a scam or fraud begins with a stranger attempting to impersonate a close relative or loved one. On many occasions, someone will send an email or call over the phone pretending to be a child or grandchild of an older adult, and requesting money or access to bank information. This family connection is used to manipulate people more easily and pressures them to let their guard down more quickly than they might have otherwise.
There are a few scams or fraud attempts that are very commonly used amongst potential thieves:
- Phishing: Someone calls claiming to be a trusted source, i.e. a family member or from a company, and attempts to ask for personal information such as a credit card or social security number.
- Government Imposter: Someone pretending to be an IRS or government worker and claims you owe money, and threatens you with legal action or imprisonment if you don’t pay.
- Lottery/Sweepstakes: Criminals pretend to work for a legitimate organization and claim that you have won a large sum of money that you can claim for a “fee.”
While there are many other ways that untrustworthy people can use in order to attempt to steal your information, knowing some of the most common ways can help you recognize them sooner. In situations where you’re concerned your personal information might be stolen, it’s best to know as soon as possible to take the appropriate action.
How to Protect Yourself
It’s important to be able to defend yourself against these financial scams. Should you fall victim to one of these fraud attempts, it can have a very negative effect on your financial plans. It can negatively impact your credit score to buy a house, ability to get loans and can raise your insurance costs. While some situations might be able to be resolved through changing a password, identity theft or direct access to your bank accounts can have a much greater and lasting impact.
As mentioned, phishing is a very common scam targeting older adults, so it’s important to be able to verify identities before giving any information over the phone or online. In addition, double-check their email address, many times it looks reputable, but it’s a fake address changed by a single letter or digit. Never open any websites or links sent to you by an unknown person.
Try to keep any anti-virus software installed and updated frequently, as this is a great way to block unwanted access to your computer or devices. While many computers have built-in protection, if you choose to use a third-party program for extra safety, it’s worth investing in a high-quality option. A general rule of thumb is if an application is free, you are most likely their product, i.e., they are likely selling your information or user profile.
If you think you’ve been targeted by a fraud or scam, it’s best to report it to your financial institutions, or other necessary parties. Some people are ashamed or embarrassed, but that should never be the case, and not acting will only cause you further stress. Taking swift and decisive action is always the best way to minimize any damage that this might cause, and help protect your assets.
Ways to Report Fraud and Scams
There are several ways to report attempted fraud or scam, and you should try and collect all the information you have when reporting them. The name of the person, company, phone number, anything that might be able to help the proper authorities. The more information you’re able to provide, the greater chance they’re likely to find the perpetrator, and in a timely manner.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the main agency that collects fraud information and has a specific page to allow scam reports. Through filling out the form, you can help prevent yourself and others from falling victim to any further attempts. There are a few other places to report certain aspects of cybercrime, but it’s important to ensure you’re giving accurate information to an official website. For starters, looking for a .gov or a .org are good indicators of a trustworthy site.
In addition, many email providers have the ability to report fraud directly if you received the mail electronically. This can ensure you never receive emails from that address ever again and helps them track the address and prevent future scams.
Due to the financial stability and trusting nature of older adults, they are targeted by scammers at a much higher rate. Having the ability to recognize a fraud attempt, protect yourself from it, and report it to the proper authorities can help you protect yourself and your family’s financial future, not to mention millions of others as well.
Contributed By:
Aspen Senior Care Contributor
Health is important, but as you get older, it may seem harder and harder to manage. However difficult it might sound, it’s not impossible. No matter what age you are, don’t be afraid to take your wellness into your own hands and improve your health, and overall well-being.
If you are struggling to keep up with your overall health, then read on to learn how to get your health back on track!
Focus On Physical Health
As you age, it is normal to slow down and become more inactive in your day-to-day life. It’s crucial, however, to keep up with your physical health to maintain your overall lifestyle. As you age, your metabolism slows, and your balance and flexibility decrease. Exercising regularly can help you maintain a healthy weight, and strengthen your mobility. Now, staying on top of your physical health won’t always be a walk in the park, but start by creating a workout plan that fits your goals. Whether that is focusing on implementing more cardio or strength training by joining a senior fitness group, starting slow is still an important first step.
Check-in With Yourself
This year has been challenging for many, and if you are experiencing negative fluctuations in your mood then it can affect your overall well-being. As a senior, it’s essential to find positive ways to navigate your mental health. Start by identifying where you struggle; common mental health problems among seniors include isolation, dementia, and anxiety disorders. Once you are able to pinpoint your issues, then you can take the necessary steps to help improve your mental health. Engaging in hobbies or daily activities you enjoy can help you relax and lower anxiety. Playing brain games has been proven to improve memory function as they serve as a mental exercise. If you still find yourself struggling to improve your mental health, then talk to a loved one or your doctor. It’s never too late to prioritize your mental health, so check in with yourself.
Experiment With Telehealth
During these uncertain times, you might find it difficult to feel comfortable leaving your house, especially to go to visit your primary care provider. If you’re finding it harder than usual to make the trip, or are uncertain about leaving your house, consider looking into telehealth services. Telehealth services help provide convenient and timely access to a clinic or local doctor. Telehealth is also extremely beneficial as it minimizes your time in a waiting room, and can get you help right from the comfort of your own home. There is a wide variety of sicknesses that telehealth covers, from serious mental illness to blood pressure issues. Don’t let the fear of COVID-19 keep you from sticking to your monthly doctors’ appointments.
Notice The Changes
As you age you will experience changes in your body daily, and although some might just come with age, be aware of what they might mean. For example, erectile dysfunction is extremely common in senior men and can be treated with ED pills. ED can be a symptom of another serious underlying health issue, like type 2 diabetes or chronic kidney disease. This is why it’s vital you take note of the changes in your body and let your healthcare provider know. Understanding what’s normal when it comes to aging and what’s not will help you better comprehend the reg flags and treat them properly.
If you notice negative changes in your overall health- don’t sit around and wait. Seniors are at a greater risk for chronic health conditions such as the flu and COVID-19. Take action and get your health back on track today.
Blog submitted by:
Aspen Senior Care Contributor
Many seniors have found that working out in the water is an excellent way to improve their overall well-being, from providing various physical benefits to offering social time and a trip out of the house. The unique properties of water provide seniors with the opportunity to get relief from painful physical conditions such as arthritis and circulatory problems while deriving the benefits of low-impact exercise in an environment that minimizes the risk of injury.
Why Water?
Cardiovascular exercise and weight loss are common benefits of any aerobic exercise, but exercising while submerged in water provides some distinct advantages that set aquatic exercise apart from land-based activity. Age-related joint conditions like arthritis can be a painful impediment to a senior’s capability (and enthusiasm) for exercising. But water-based exercise puts significantly less stress on joints, allowing them to enjoy these activities for longer periods of time, and can also provide some relief from these chronic conditions. Swimming can also be relaxing and meditative, which may offer some stress relief, adding to its cardiovascular benefits.
The Physical Benefits of Water Exercise
Cardio: It doesn’t matter if a senior is water-jogging or swimming—using the water to get their heart rate up will increase aerobic capacity, burn fat, and decrease their risk for heart disease.
Balance: Reduced muscle tone and vision loss can affect senior coordination and increase their risk of falling. Aquatic exercise is a great way to help improve balance. Doing specific balance exercises in water helps build strength and coordination. Water provides the ideal environment for this type of exercise, safely allowing for a loss of balance since their water-induced buoyancy will prevent them from falling.
Strength: Working with water “barbells” or wrist bands can provide a great form of resistance training which helps build muscle strength and endurance without injury.
Work Out and Get Out
Socializing is an overlooked added benefit of many types of senior group activity, and aquatic exercise is a prime opportunity to get out of the isolation of the home and into a social environment—and in the case of outdoor pools, enjoying some sun (with sun protection, of course).
Studies have shown that the opportunity to socialize is one of the key reasons older adults will maintain a successful exercise program. Group exercise classes provide an ideal opportunity for conversation.
Whether that be an exercise class, individual standing exercises, or swimmers using kickboards to kick side-by-side, there are many opportunities in the pool to socialize.
Getting Started
If you haven’t been swimming in a while, start slowly. Try swimming laps for just five to ten minutes while coordinating your breathing, strokes, and kicking. A pair of well-fitting goggles is a must. A less strenuous option is just walking or running in the water. Water aerobics classes are offered at a variety of levels, and often specifically for seniors. Check out your local senior center, community center, or YMCA for their Summer offerings for seniors.
Article by Caren Parnes for The Senior’s Choice
In today’s modern and tech-savvy world, more and more people are embracing technology, seniors included. Close to 70 percent of the elderly are now connected to the internet. Undeniably, technology for seniors is growing in popularity and has shown no signs of slowing down.
Nowadays, tech devices have become an integral part of the daily life of most seniors. These ingenious technologies have allowed them to move around, connect with loved ones, and live healthier, fulfilling, and more connected lives.
Invaluable Tech Solutions for Seniors
From managing medications and sleep to assistance with day-to-day life, here are some of the most innovative technologies that have made life easier for seniors:
Hero Digital Pill Dispenser
Hero digital pill dispenser is designed to dispense a senior’s medication at a scheduled time each day. The Hero digital pill dispenser can hold up to 10 different kinds of pills of various shapes and sizes. It can also be tailored to any medication schedule.
The digital pill dispenser can store up to 90 days of medication supply, depending on the pill’s size. This digital pill dispenser is also connected to the Hero app, which tracks the pills’ consumption and doses.
The Hero digital pill dispenser won’t accept half pills, gummies, and sticky dissoluble pills to avoid contamination.
Additional Features
- 30-day free trial
- Password protected
- HIPAA-compliant security for all data
- Free shipping and returns
- Notifications (when medication is low)
- Free software update
Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Generation)
This smart and compact speaker has many senior-friendly abilities and features. Apart from being voice-activated, it is also small, so they can take it anywhere. This imaginative device can also be used to:
- Stream music
- Play games
- Check the weather
- Receive news updates
- Set alarms for medications
- Chat
- Create grocery lists
When set up to guard the home, this additional feature included in the Alexa app provides seniors alerts about smoke alarms, broken glass, and carbon monoxide.
Additional Features
- Hands-free calls
- Privacy Protection
- Voice control (turn on lights, adjust thermostats, and lock doors)
COWIN E7 Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones
If your senior loved one has hearing loss, the COWIN E7 can be a great option. Its advanced active noise reduction technology is designed to cancel lower frequencies. This gives them the ultimate listening experience when they listen to their favorite music or podcasts or watching their favorite movies.
COWIN E7 also comes with Bluetooth technology that makes hands-free listening possible.
Additional Features
- 30-hour battery life
- High-quality built-in microphone
- 90 degrees swiveling ear cups
- Professional padding
GrandPad
This easy-to-use tablet is designed primarily for seniors and comes with built-in wireless data. It allows them to listen to music, video chat with their loved ones, and play games with the utmost ease.
This breakthrough technology also allows seniors access to their own private family network where approved friends and loved ones can update contact information and add photos.
The GrandPad is also a practical gift for seniors who are not tech-savvy since it won’t require passwords and won’t need any modem.
Additional Features
- Unlimited support team access
- Safe from spams and scams
- Has enlarged text for easy reading
- Sends voice-automated emails
Tile Sticker
Seniors who always lose everyday items would sure love Tile Sticker. Tile Sticker is placed on wallets, keys, remotes, and other things that can easily be misplaced. When seniors need to find their lost items, they need to use the company’s app on their phones to locate them.
The Tile Sticker has a Pro version that’s recommended for valuable items. It comes with a Bluetooth range of 400 feet.
Additional Features
- 3-year battery life
- Free shipping
- 30-day guarantee
- Waterproof
Fitbit Versa 2
The Fitbit Versa 2 is a health manager and versatile watch rolled into one. It comes with a heart-rate tracker and provides easy access to information and apps. You can also use it to listen to unlimited music on Spotify, track the weather, and set alarms. What’s even impressive? They can use it to pay the bills while on the go.
Additional Features
- Personalized clock face
- Fitbit pay
- Sleep tracker
- 24/7 heart rate tracking
- Built-in Amazon Alexa
Ring Video Doorbell
Ring designs doorbell camera systems that provide notifications to smartphones in real-time when motion sensors are triggered or when visitors ring the doorbell. This product will not only help ensure their safety, it can also help make life easy for seniors.
With the Ring Video Doorbell, they can speak to visitors anytime and anywhere. The device can also be used to monitor the doors around the home. Custom motion settings can be set. Safety and crime alerts can also be sent directly to a smartphone.
Additional Features
- Advanced motion settings
- 1080 HD video and two-way talk
- Night vision
Conclusion
It is reassuring to know that many innovative technologies are now available to help make life easy for seniors. While some technologies require some getting used to, they are a massive step in the right direction for improving their quality of life.
About the Author
Melissa Andrews is the Content Marketing Strategist for Paradise Living Centers, an assisted living center for seniors with locations in Paradise Valley and Phoenix, Arizona. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and going on hiking trips with her siblings and cousins.
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Debbie Booth with Adult Protective Services (Utah) provides our caregivers with training on the Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults.
What does “abuse” mean? Abuse can refer to any situation in which someone who has more power hurts someone with less power. It may include:
- Verbal Abuse — saying mean or cruel things to you.
- Physical Abuse — hurting you intentionally.
- Emotional Abuse — hurting your feelings intentionally, scaring you, or deliberately making you feel guilty about matters you cannot control.
- Sexual Abuse — inappropriate touching or speaking about sexual matters.
- Neglect — withholding things that you need (inappropriately) or refusing to take you to the doctor when you need to go.
- Exploitation — taking advantage of you, your money or belongings.
It is important to know that reporting elder abuse in Utah is mandatory. You can describe and report the current situation of Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation, or Self Neglect and choose to remain anonymous if you desire.
Watch the video to learn more about how to be aware of cases of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults.
Please Note: This training contains images of sensitive content pertaining to the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults. If you do not prefer to view this content, please reach out to the office for other training material at 801-224-5910.
Reach out to Debbie Booth at [email protected] with any questions. All reports of abuse will be considered serious and investigated to the fullest extent.
Adult Protective Services (APS)
Salt Lake County — 801-583-3567
Statewide — 1-800-371-7897
Web — daas.utah.gov
By: Dr. Jessica Peterson, Au.D CCC-A
Founder and Owner of Audiology Consults LLC — www.audiologyconsults.com
Hearing health can be difficult to understand and manage. In today’s world, there are many venues to receive hearing health care. Technology can also differ greatly due to an increasing number of hearing aid varieties. As a clinical audiologist, I educate my patients about maintaining their hearing devices and how to maintain their overall hearing health. Hearing aids, cochlear implants, and your ears all need routine care. Your daily communication will be greatly improved if you take the time to understand both the technology you are using and how to manage your hearing loss.
1. Routine Hearing Test
Hearing testing should be done routinely. The majority of hearing loss occurs gradually. It can be difficult to perceive if a hearing loss has occurred to even the most discerning patient. Having a baseline hearing test, followed by further testing will ensure that small changes are detected early. Early detection of hearing loss is important. Studies show that early treatment of hearing loss will significantly improve outcomes. Hearing aids will benefit you even with a mild hearing loss. Our ears are the gateway to our auditory cortex. The auditory cortex is the part of the brain that makes sense of the sounds around us. The auditory cortex is similar to a muscle, and just like your muscles would shrink if you decided to not lift weights, the function of your auditory cortex will decrease function if the sound stimulus is decreased. Even a mild hearing loss will start to change the way the brain reacts to sound, and if you delay treatment too long regaining the same function will be more difficult and sometimes impossible to achieve.
Some signs that your hearing may have changed:
- You are asking people to repeat themselves more than before.
- You have been feeling like people mumble when they speak.
- Your television has to be increased in volume for you to hear it well.
- It is more difficult to hear in background noise than it used to be.
2. Technology Management
If you have hearing loss and are wearing technology such as hearing aids or a cochlear implant, routine maintenance is essential. It is possible that your hearing may change over time and the devices may need to be adjusted. In addition, Hearing aids are small electronic devices that sit in your ear where there is sweat and wax. To ensure they are functioning properly, it is important to have them professionally cleaned from time to time and to have your ears looked at to ensure the skin inside remains healthy and that no wax blockages are occurring.
3. Communication Strategies
Hearing aides are one part of an effective communication plan. Another important part of communication is relying on other visual cues like facial expressions and body language. When tested, most people perform better when they are able to watch the speaker’s face. Although you may not be conscious of it, seeing a speaker’s face will help you understand what they say, even when you did not clearly hear what they said.
Background noise is troublesome for speech comprehension because the signal is difficult to detect. Picture deer on an empty hillside. With no other objects, it is easy to see. Now picture the same hillside but with several trees and bushes around the deer. The task of finding the deer in the trees is more difficult than finding the deer on the empty hillside. Our ears have the same problem. When background noise is present it is harder for our ears to focus on the speech we care about. It takes more work for us to understand speech in the midst of background noise. Because the task takes more work, it will create auditory fatigue. Many people experience auditory fatigue but with even a mild hearing loss, the task of listening is more difficult, and auditory fatigue may happen more quickly.
These are some rules that you can incorporate into your communication routines to give yourself every advantage for communication. While these things may seem like common sense, they are easy to forget.
Communication Strategies:
- The speaker should have your full attention before launching into a lengthy speech.
- Face the speaker so that you have access to visual cues.
- Make sure you are in the same room with the person you are talking to.
- Try to dedicate yourself to listening, multi-tasking can make understanding more difficult
- Reduce background noise when possible.
- Don’t be afraid to ask someone to repeat or rephrase if you didn’t understand.
4. Hearing Health Education
Fully understanding your hearing loss, your hearing test, how to make a communication plan, hearing aid technology, and the hearing aid process is essential to making sure you are getting the most out of your hearing. A frequent misunderstanding is that hearing aids only will fix hearing loss. Hearing loss is complex and requires technology in conjunction with deliberate communication strategies
It is important for the patient, their family, their caregivers, friends, and others to understand how to navigate communication. Many audiologists and hearing instrument specialists are excellent at providing patient education but are limited by appointment times. Due to the lack of easily accessible education on hearing loss I have created an online course that walks you through all of these topics in depth. If you would like to learn more about hearing loss, hearing aids, communication strategies, the process for managing hearing loss and more, I would encourage you to join me in my course. You can find the course at www.audiologyconsults.com. You may also contact me there if you would like to connect or have questions.
Trifocal lenses improve distant, intermediate, and nearby sight issues. You might be aware of the far and near sight issues and their relevant corrections. But the intermediate vision, too, is essential for most of our everyday tasks. To cater to all three, trifocal, as the name suggests, consists of three separate lenses that re-establish a complete vision range.
Ideally, trifocal lenses work for people over the age of forty who are suffering from existing conditions or have developed presbyopia due to age. They are made up of an anti-reflective layer to promote the comfort of thoroughly clear eyesight. The coating provides better vision in low-light situations.
Whether you are finding a good solution for yourself or a senior loved one, a local eye doctor will be able to help you understand if a trifocal lens is a suitable option.
Advantages of Trifocal Lenses
These multi-purpose lenses have a range of benefits:
- These are three-in-one correction lenses saving you from the hassle of managing multiple glasses.
- Enable a broader viewing area in case of nearer vision. That makes it easier to use a screen or read with reduced strain on the eyes in case of dimmed surround lights.
- From the beginning, you will experience enhanced visibility and brightness in the colors around you.
- Trifocal glasses offer you the ability to see adequately in all kinds of lighting conditions, including dim lighting, bright lights, low light, and even daylight.
- Another significant aspect is that you will endure fewer glares from bright lights, which will make driving at night easier for a lot of people.
Disadvantages of Trifocal Lens
As is the usual practice, here I am presenting the other side of the story as well for better perception:
- Since trifocal lenses correct multiple sight problems simultaneously, you might experience some visibility issues when seeing through another section of your glasses.
- The trifocal lens within the case of cataract IOL might cause reactions such as blurred sight or intolerable glare because of the presence of the implant.
- Unlike progressive lenses, there is no possibility of customizing these glasses.
How to use them?
It is essential to note that the trifocal lenses are easy to use. Below are some of the measures you can take to make the transition convenient:
- Learn the proper technique of using your new glasses from your optometrist and make sure they fit you well.
- They should be well adjusted on your nose to avoid slipping, and for you see through them appropriately.
- Always ensure that you continue looking in front and not downwards when walking. That will avoid vision distortions due to the glasses.
- When reading something, it should be held at a convenient distance for you to be able to read it properly without much strain.
Can anyone use trifocal glasses?
Although they can overcome a variety of visibility issues, trifocal do have their limitations. In patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), advanced glaucoma, diabetes, and cataracts, the trifocal lenses are not a suitable solution.
The ideal candidates for trifocal lenses are people over forty who are suffering from presbyopia that prompts them to need to change or begin their eyeglass prescriptions. Trifocal glasses can restore enhanced visibility in all ranges and can be chosen as an alternative to avoid correction surgeries.
If so far, you have been able to figure out that you need trifocal glasses, you can go a step further by visiting an eye doctor in your local area. They will be able to understand your prevalent eye ailments and then prescribe the most suitable lens options for you. Remember, trifocal glasses and contacts ensure a close-up, intermediate, and faraway view.
Author Bio:
Aaron Barriga is the online marketing manager for Insight Vision Center, eye care center, Fresno. With a knack for understanding medical procedures, and an interest in eye and vision health, Aaron loves to share what he knows and what he learns. He blogs to inform readers about the latest eye care technology and other topics related to eye care, especially LASIK. Aaron loves collecting coasters from the different bars and restaurants he visits during his travels.
For most of us, aging comes with increased health issues, thoughts of our own mortality and sometimes watching the ones we love—friends and family—pass away. It becomes very easy to fall into depression and depression can lead to a variety of physical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems and diabetes. That’s where the power of positive thinking comes in. Positive thoughts condition our brain to think positively and our body follows the command of our brain.
For older seniors a caregiver plays an important role in maintaining positive thoughts and healthy aging. Caregivers are trained to watch for warning signs of depression like loss of interest in daily activities and restlessness. With careful observation, caregivers can help to stave off depression by offering companionship and promoting fun, happy, activities like gardening and dancing or offering transportation to social events and church.
Here are some tips to maintain a positive frame of mind—for both caregivers and their charges:
- Cultivate enthusiasm. Do your best to be happy and not to indulge in negative thoughts. The glass can be half full or half empty—it’s always the same glass.
- Keep a sense of humor. Perhaps more than any other strategy, finding something to laugh about is an effective buffer for the difficulties we face in life.
- Show gratitude. Everyday find something to be grateful for. The shoes on your feet. The food on your plate. The flowers in your garden.
- Be compassionate. Put yourself in other people’s shoes. Understanding leads to acceptance.
- Be flexible. Understanding that things are not always going to go the way you would like and being comfortable changing course is a life skill worth practicing.
- Have faith. Whether it be a belief in a force beyond yourself or the belief in the best possible outcome for a situation, maintaining faith in things beyond your control is crucial to a positive outlook.
- Dream. Engage in “imagineering.” Set a goal. Aim high.
- Learn from mistakes. If we approach life as an opportunity to learn and grow, even negative experiences provide a positive take-away.
- Take joy in helping others. Helping others and touching lives can be a huge source of satisfaction in our lives. Knowing that you’ve made a difference in someone’s life can bring nothing but positive thoughts.
- Cultivate acceptance. Work to accept adversity and disappointments—they are an inevitable part of our journey. If you can overcome and accept what you cannot change you will emerge the stronger for it.
- Think “love” first. Develop a loving and forgiving attitude to everyone around you. It will come back to you ten-fold.
Caring Super Star of 2022
Daily Herald Best of Utah Valley, 2022
Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year