Seniors Count : Seacoast

Tips for Seniors to Keep Warm and Save Energy This Winter

Seniors Count — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:24:00 GMT

· Pre-holiday hint, ask for a gift certificate to help weatherize your home or pay for fuel.

· Winter in a warmer climate with friends and/or family.

· Move in with a friend or have your friend move in as your roommate for the winter.

· Attend an Adult Day Program, Church or Senior Center during daytime hours.

· Use a hot water bottle to warm your bed, add extra blankets.

· Wear layers of clothing, especially natural fabrics.

· Use insulated drapes to improve energy efficiency; close draperies at night and on cloudy days; open them on sunny days.

· Trim or remove evergreens and shrubs that block the sun.

· Remove or cover air conditioners.

· Lower thermostat to 65 degrees when away or asleep.

· Set your hot water temperature at the “normal” setting—no higher than 120 degrees; wash clothes in cold water.

· Insulate your hot water tank and pipes with insulation.

· Place aluminum foil behind radiators to reflect heat.

· Vacuum heat registers.

· Close the damper on your fireplace when it is not in use.

· Don’t block radiators/heating vents with furniture or draperies.

· Minimize use of ventilation fans such as bathroom fans and kitchen hood fans.

· Use ceiling fans by reversing the spin and setting on the lowest speed to keep warm air down to the living area.

· Block drafts blowing into your home via mail slot, through the floorboards, doors or windows.

· Keep your garage door closed.

· Install storm doors and windows; put added insulation in your attic.

· Seal doors and windows with draft reducing weather stripping, plastic or door sweeps.

· Close down part of your house and move your bed to the sunniest room.

Important Phone Numbers and Websites

City of Manchester Welfare Department

(603)-624-6484

Health and Human Services District Offices

195 McGregor St. 603-668-2330 – Manchester

Walk-in hours 8:00 – 4:30

1-800-852-3345 ext 4238 – Client Services

New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning

(603)-271-2155 – Office

www.staywarmnh.org/residentialtips.htm#efficiency

www.nh.gov/oep/programs/energy/energyconservationtips.htm

“Keep warm tips and energy saving”

ServiceLink Resource Center (Information and Referral

1-866-634-9412 – toll free for entire state

(603)-644-2240

Southern New Hampshire Services (fuel, electric assistance & weatherization)

(603)-647-4470 or (603)-668-8010

www.snhs.org

Additional Websites on tips to stay warm

“How to stay warm and healthy in winter”

http://seniorliving.about.com/od/healthnutrition/a/stay_warm.htm

“How to stay warm and healthy in winter”

http://seniorliving.about.com/od/healthnutrition/a/stay_warm.htm

“Keep warm this winter while staying warm and healthy”

http://4elders.org/tips/articles/heating-bills.htm

No More Senior Ghettos!

Seniors Count — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:20:00 GMT

I just heard of a project which would build over 100 SMALL/TINY apartments. Another Senior ghetto!

Why must we segregate seniors when what they need to keep healthy and active is a neighborhood where they can interact with all ages, walk to the grocery store, post office and find available transportation? And where younger neighbors can be of assistance in an emergency and perhaps offer help such as taking them to the doctor or the store.

In a ghetto such as the one begin proposed where only the elderly reside there will be none of the give and take of a “normal” neighborhood. It is true that affordable housing is needed for seniors, but make it livable and cost effective. We should plan housing where seniors can access as many services as possible on their own, even when they no longer are able to drive.

I once visited an apartment complex in Nashua that was just what I had in mind. It was less than a block from the hospital, two blocks from downtown where bus service is available as well as stores, restaurants, churches with their many social groups and other forms of entertainment. It was easy for a senior in a wheelchair to access an active community. Needless to say, there were no vacancies.

Instead we plan cramped quarters and confine a fast-growing segment of our population to loneliness and take away there independence. Virtual prisons. This is not cost effective. “the longer seniors can function on their own in a friendly environment where they can reach most of the needs of their daily life, the longer they function without expensive paid care, the more money society saves and the better their quality of life.” We seniors are not afraid of dying. We are afraid of living too long. The way we provide for seniors in our community/neighborhoods is how we can insure the “golden” years become a reality.

Let’s stop building prisons for the elderly!

Although nursing homes are bad enough, they are necessary. But, to take away the pleasure of being independent is truly a crime that our society needs to investigate. Yes, there are assisted living facilities that can provide a varied environment, but the cost is prohibitive for those low income seniors being targeted by this project. It is just a matter of where we place our priorities when we choose locations for senior housing. We need to ask: what is essential and how do we obtain it?

A high rise for seniors was built near Catholic Medical Center, a bank, a grocery store and on a bus line. Great! But now the store has left the area and another group of seniors must adapt. Planning boards need to make responsible decisions regarding what is available in neighborhoods. If we need laws, let’s make them!! But do it before we all go broke caring for our fast-growing senior population which you will be joining soon.

Helen Zarnowski, age 86

Seniors Count Coordinating Committee Member

Manchester Regional Area Committee on Aging

This holiday season . . . Give the seniors in your neighborhood a gift from the heart

Seniors Count — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:22:00 GMT

Seniors Count is a collaborative community initiative involving many organizations and individuals partnering to ensure each elder receives the help he or she needs in order to maintain their independence, and to safely live out their lives with dignity and in the manner they choose. For more information about Seniors Count please call 603.644.2240 or visit www.seniorscountnh.org

They are our parents, our grandparents, our friends, our neighbors.
They are our community’s elderly.

The holidays are upon us once again. Many older citizens do not need (or want!) one more afghan, knick knack, or bottle of hand lotion. Instead, they can use our companionship, our love and/or friendship, and our day-to-day help.

Here are a few ideas that may just brighten the holidays.

Take a meal to a senior and eat it with them
Call your elderly neighbor or stop by for a visit
Shovel the walk and driveway for an elderly neighbor
Give a ‘coupon’ redeemable for you to run errands for them a few times a month
Ask to see a neighbor’s family photos
Send a holiday card to an elderly neighbor
Give a senior a pre-paid calling card
Shop for a senior
Include a senior in your holiday gatherings
Exchange recipes with a senior
Take a senior to religious services
Introduce a senior to computers, or send an e-mail to their loved ones for them
Buy a senior a book of stamps
Offer to write out holiday cards for a senior
Play board or card games with a senior
Take a senior for a drive to see holiday lights
Offer to read to a senior who has failing vision
Exchange contact information with a senior in case
of emergency
Help a senior decorate for the holidays
Help with a special project such as organizing closets
Help prevent falls or accidents by installing hand rails, non-slip stair pads and automatic light sensors
Give a calendar with family birthdays marked
Offer yourself as a willing, cheerful helper for the day to do chores (change light bulbs and smoke detector batteries, etc)
Bring a basket of craft projects they can do with a grandchild
Deliver a fresh basket of seasonal fruit in person

Thank you to the generous partners who support this community neighborhood initiative

ServiceLink Resource Center, Easter Seals New Hampshire, Southern New Hampshire Services, Weed & Seed

For more information:
Manchester Region ServiceLink
603.644.2240 • www.seniorscountnh.org

Community Partnerships for Older Adults is a national program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help communities develop leadership, innovative solutions, and options to meet the needs of older adults over the long term.

Seniors Count Partners with Dartmouth Community Medical School to Present Lecture Series on Successful Aging

Seniors Count — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:17:00 GMT

Over the past few years, the support that we received from Seniors Count partners and friends has helped to address the critical needs of the frail elderly in Greater Manchester. We are making significant progress on many fronts.

In our continuing effort to shape new approaches to seniors’ issues. Seniors Count is proud to be a part of this fall’s Dartmouth Community Medical School’s public lecture program. This important series entitled, “The New Thinking About Aging: Fostering Health, Coping with Frailty,” will run for seven weeks and feature discussions led by some of the most prominent experts in the field of geriatrics.

One lecture of special note entitled “Seniors Count: Imagine a Senior-Friendly Community,” is coordinated and sponsored by Seniors Count partners and will take place Wednesday, November 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Nancy S. Boettiger Auditorium at the Derryfield School in Manchester. Beth Carroll of New Hampshire Public Television will host a panel discussion with New Hampshire’s health and social service leaders on designing livable communities for seniors with Elinor Ginzler, Director for Livable Communities from the Office of Social Impact at AARP. Panelists include Stephens J. Bartles, MD and others to be announced.

The complete series includes the following sessions which are held from 6:30-9 p.m. at The Derryfield School, 2108 River Road, Manchester, NH:

Sept. 18: But I Was Born Young!

How and why we age

Stephen J. Bartles, MD
Donald L. St. Germaine, MD

Sept. 25: Heart of Hearts – Don’t Fail Me Now!

Advances in the prevention and treatment of heart disease

Robert Capodilupo, MD, FACC
Mary MGowan, MD

Diane Palac, MD

Adam Schwarz, MD

Sept. 27: “Young at Heart” Chorus

Special concert at The Dana Center at St. Anselm College. Concert tickets are available at www.anselm.edu/dana/boxoffice.

Oct. 2: Boning Up for the Long Haul

Helping our joints and skeleton cope with decades of wear and tear

Lin A. Brown, MD

Julie P. Fago, MD

Michael B. Mayer, MD

Deborah A. Peltier, MD

Oct. 9: Getting Engaged

The fine art of making complex decisions about your health care options

Lisa A. Leinau, MD

Dennis M. McCullough, MD

David W. Nierenberg, MD

Oct. 16: Is There Light on the Horizon?

Making progress in preventing and treating stroke and macular degeneration

Julie P.W. Bynum, MD

Chris R. Fields, OD

M. Brooke Herndon, MD

Timothy G. Lukovits, MD

Rosalind A. Stevens, MD

Oct. 23: Grey Matter Matters

The biology and challenges of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases

Julie P.W. Bynum, MD

David J. Coffey, MD

Robert B. Santulli, MD

Rand S. Swenson, MD, PhD

Lynn A. Villemaire, MD

Nov. 7: Seniors Count – Imaging a Senior-Friendly Community

Designing livable, accessible, senior-friendly communities for successful aging. Join health care and social service leaders for a community forum and panel discussion about making the greater Manchester area a more senior-friendly community.

Registration is $30 in advance for all seven sessions. Advanced registration is strongly encouraged as space is limited. For more information or to register for the Aging Series, please call (603) 653-1532 or visit http://ccehs.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/eventinfo_86.html.

Given the urgency of our work, the progress we have made, and the importance of our future initiatives, we hope you will join us at these exciting events.

Silent Crisis: Working Caregivers Need Help

Seniors Count — Tue, 08 May 2007 18:46:00 GMT

Seniors Count is a citywide collaborative community initiative involving many organizations and individuals partnering to ensure each elder receives the help he or she needs in order to maintain their independence, and to safely live out their lives with dignity and in the manner they choose. For more information about Seniors Count call 603.644.2240 or visit www.seniorscountnh.org

Susan had a stressful deadline at work. Her father woke her every night this week.
The home nurse didn't come on time.
Her supervisor asked why she was late to work again.
Working caregivers face these kinds of problems every day.
The U.S. Department of Labor states that 30% of employees are caregivers to elderly loved ones. The study reports by 2010 that number will rise to 54%.

This is no longer an issue affecting only women in the workforce. It exists at the CEO level as well as the lower levels of the company echelon. It affects women, men, young and older workers alike. The implications of caregiving in the future are that there will be more elders who need care, fewer women to provide this care due to their work responsibilities and more men who will be involved in caregiving.

The Workplace Impact

The cumulative effects of caregiving can hurt a company's bottom line. Researchers have found that caregiving duties, if not supported, can be associated with decreased productivity, excessive phone use, absenteeism, distraction on the job, increased desire to quit, emotional and physical exhaustion, taking leaves of absences, turning down promotions, or choosing early retirement.

A Met Life study finds the total cost to employers—including unpaid leave and cost of reduction of work hours from full time to part time—at over $17 billion a year. This study also suggests the total cost of losing an employee is half their salary. One estimate of quantifying costs of businesses without formal caregiving support programs suggest businesses could lose $3142 a year per caregiving employee in lost
productivity.

The solution from the point of view of the working caregivers and from the financial perspective of the company is one and the same: provide a caregiver-friendly work environment. Companies recognizing this will achieve a more satisfied workforce with higher retention and an increase in the quality of their products and services. Working caregivers will no longer have to miss work or spend their work day worried about their elderly loved one at home.

Creating a “Win-Win” Scenario

· Increased schedule flexibility. The best thing an employer can give an overstressed caregiver is flexibility, through their schedules and shifts in order to meet their many caregiving responsibilities. Other examples of employer support that may be useful to working caregivers include: telecommuting, not requiring overtime and minimizing transfers. Leave policies, flexible benefit plans, voluntary
reduced time and phased retirement, are not intended specifically for working caregivers, but they can be beneficial.

· Information and assistance. Working caregivers need information on community services available to support the needs of elders. Generally this information is available to individuals during the workweek, which makes retrieving the information difficult at best while the caregiver is at work. It is invaluable to have locally accessible, expertise to provide referrals and advice, determine eligibility and payment options, assist with legal, financial and health insurance matters and package together the needed services. Providing caregiver related workshops at lunchtime or after work is another avenue of reaching individuals who need the information. One simple way to provide assistance is to give your employees the ServiceLink phone number (1.866.634.9412) for information and referral to a variety of services in NH.

· Emotional support. Emotional support for working caregivers can come in the form of support from co-workers and supervisors at the workplace, or allowing a support group for caregivers to be held at the worksite.

· Direct services for elder care recipients. Some companies help employees to deal with their dependent care needs directly by providing subsidies, vouchers, or discounts for dependent care services, such as an adult day center.

Strategy for the Future

Managing work and family has become a major issue for a large and growing number of family caregivers and their employers. With the aging of the “Baby Boomer” generation will come a dramatic increase in the long-term care needs of our population. Companies, small and large, that invest in providing assistance to caregiving employees will not only help their workers, they'll also protect their bottom line.

Need help strategizing ways to make your business environment more “caregiver friendly”? Call Seniors Count at 603-621-3619.

Mother's Day . . . a perfect opportunity to recognize senior women in your life

Seniors Count — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 17:47:00 GMT

Seniors Count Tip #5

Seniors Count is a citywide collaborative community initiative involving many organizations and individuals partnering to ensure each elder receives the help he or she needs in order to maintain their independence, and to safely live out their lives with dignity and in the manner they choose. For more information about Seniors Count please call 603.644.2240 or visit www.seniorscountnh.org

Mother’s Day . . . a perfect opportunity
to recognize senior women:
your Mom, neighbor or friend

Seniors Count suggests:

· Focus on good health—do weekly grocery shopping & fill prescriptions

· Address transportation needs—drive her to doctor & other appointments

· Share a meal—cook extra & place in individual freezable containers

· Be a willing, cheerful helper—clean closets, attics and basements

· Spruce up the yard—rake leaves, mow the lawn, clean the windows

· Make her feel secure—subscribe to an emergency response system (Life Line)

· Improve home safety—install hand rails, non-slip stair pads and night light

· Lighten the load—prepay a cable, electric or phone bill

· Treat her to something special—give gift cards to restaurants or hair salon

· Streamline finances—help her set up automatic bill paying services

· Pay for services—hire a professional for home or auto maintenance

· Stay in touch—give books of stamps & prepaid gas or phone card

· Keep connected—arrange for travel to activities & visits with friends

· Share yourself—make time for regular visits and outings

· Celebrate family—offer to arrange family photos, or create a family tree.

Seniors Count is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through its Community Partnerships for Older Adults (CPFOA) national initiative.