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Guest Blog: How Seniors Can Reduce Financial Stress

Anxiety and worrying about financial problems is a common issue that seniors often face. Obviously, finding a reliable stream of income after retirement is not easy.

Well, one way to reduce mental stress is to visit retirement locations. Another method to alleviate financial problems is to invest in gold bullions at a young age by getting them from Gold Bullion Australia.

Let’s discuss some other techniques to cope with financial stress and live with a mind free from any worries.

Think Positive
Positivity is the key to bringing a healthy change in your life. If you are surrounded with negativity, either in the shape of people or in the form of thoughts, you cannot work on anything without stressing out.

Although it can be difficult to ignore or put your financial problems aside, you can adopt an optimistic approach every time you think about your economic condition.

Define a Budget
Emphasizing on a budget might look like adding more worries to your list, but it is an effective way to get a control on your financial stress. Defining a fixed amount will help you to decide how and when to spend cash.

A budget maintains a balance between savings and spending. When the amount you spend significantly limits the amount you save, you can cut down your budget.

Initially, it will be difficult to make a budget plan because it is not easy to determine how much to save and how much to spend. Once you get a grip of your financial plan, you can easily allocate your budget.

Start by saving on a small scale, and then each month cut down your spending. When you find a right balance, define a budget plan and follow that every month.

An Emergency Fund Can Come in Handy
The money that you set aside for emergency situations and unexpected accidents or incidents is an emergency fund. Allocate a fixed amount to put in the emergency fund box and don’t open that box to take out money until you really have a financial emergency.

This is an effective method to cope with financial stress since you know that you have some spare cash for an unexpected moment.

Although it is not easy to set money aside for an emergency fund, you should really adopt this technique to get out of any trouble in future without asking for monetary help for others or taking bank loans.

Getting Financial Help from Others
In case you are not able to handle your financial problems in spite of having an emergency fund, you might need help from others.

A bank loan or borrowing some money from your friends and family can work in this situation. Keep in mind that a bank loan has to be paid back with interest, while you might not need to pay extra money to your loved ones. So, choose wisely to avoid any financial stress in future.

By Jim|2024-06-10T09:56:36-05:00July 13th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

7 Craft Projects to Bring You Joy

Getting into crafts is a great way to focus your mind and do something that brings you joy. There are so many different crafts that you can do, and even if you are on a budget, you will have no trouble finding a craft that brings you happiness.

1. Soap Making

Soap making is an up-and-coming craft that allows people to create their own handmade soap. There are many different designs, shapes, and more that you can get into with soap making. You can make soap from scratch, or you can get a kit that will give you all the ingredients to make your first batch of soap yourself. As you get more experienced, you can even sell your soap and learn how to create other bath and beauty products.

2. Wood Working

Woodworking has been a popular hobby for centuries. You can create so much wood. From furniture to statues, to even cutlery, you are sure to find something that you can make and enjoy. It is important that when you do this craft, you have all the proper tools for the job like a scroll saw. This will help to ensure that you can create amazing wood pieces that you can sell or just use for yourself. If you are unsure where to begin with woodworking, you should purchase a book on the craft and study it. You may also want to check with your local community college. Some colleges hold woodworking classes to teach about this great craft.

3. Plastic Canvas

Plastic canvas crafts are awesome crafts that you make with yarn and canvas. Many books can teach you how to make different things like tissue holders, magnets, and more. You can also watch various videos online for inspiration.

4. Resin Making

Resin making is gaining in popularity and is a super fun craft. With resin, you mix up the components, and then you mold them. You are not just limited to jewelry. With resin making, you can make mats, cups, picture frames, phone cases, and more. If you are new to resin making, you can watch videos that show you the entire step-by-step process.

5. Candle Making

Candle making is another fun craft that can bring you joy. You can find candle-making kits that will take you through the step-by-step process, or you can purchase molds and start the process yourself. You can also purchase many books and watch videos online about how to get started with candle-making. An up-and-coming craft with candle making that is gaining in popularity is carved candles. Carving unique designs in candles can be very satisfying and bring you joy.

6. Crocheting

Crocheting is an easy craft that uses yarn and needles to create beautiful pieces of work. When you think about crocheting, you will probably be thinking about just blankets. While it is true you can make beautiful blankets with crocheting, you can also create a wide variety of other things as well. For example, many people have branched into making stuffed animals with crocheting. This art, known as amigurumi, can help you to create unique animals for loved ones and to sell. If you are new to crocheting, consider getting books, and watching videos online.

7. Sewing

The possibilities are endless when you get into sewing. You can learn to make blankets, or you can even learn to make quilts. Another option is to learn how to sew your own clothes or baby doll clothes. If you are new to sewing, you will first want to learn how to hand stitch, and then you can move on to learning how to use a sewing machine. If you are curious as to what crafts you might make, you can look online for inspiration or go to your local craft store to find inspiration.

Crafting is therapeutic for many people and can bring you peace and joy. Many doctors and therapists now recommend that people should get into a craft to help ease anxiety and depression. If you want to have more joy in your life, consider getting into one or more of these crafts. You will be amazed at how having a craft to do focuses your brain and helps you throughout your day.

By Jim|2024-06-10T09:56:22-05:00July 11th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

7 Steps to Stroke Recovery

By Jim|2024-06-10T09:55:49-05:00July 5th, 2024|News Posts|Comments Off

Guest Blog: Financial Management For Seniors: Prepping for a New Stage of Life

Approaching the discussion of financial management with the seniors in your life can be a sensitive topic. If you’re hoping to help an elderly family member or friend get a better handle on their monetary commitments, there are several important items to consider. Whether you’re helping a senior straighten out their finances as they transition into assisted living, or you’re simply noticing the elders in your life need to do some fiscal housekeeping, you should always have a plan of action in place.

Organize
With age, staying on top of payments can be made even more difficult if the senior(s) in your family tend to be more disorganized. From putting a filing system in place to creating an excel spreadsheet, organization is key when it comes to helping seniors manage their finances. If you’re planning on assisting the elders in your life with their finances, start small by offering to help your loved one give their financial system some structure. Dedicate a time to go through financial documents and bills together, and once you’ve tackled the paperwork, discuss budgeting as well. If an assisted-living arrangement is being considered for the future, it’s important to be financially prepared for this kind of transition.

Discuss Timing
Timing is perhaps the most sensitive aspect of financial planning with seniors. Explain to your loved ones why they should be prepared for the unexpected, and take the time to discuss their future living situation along with what lies ahead for their expenses. While most seniors have savings set aside for significant transitions, it’s never a bad idea to reevaluate these funds. It might be beneficial to set up a more long term money management plan, and to start assessing areas in which the seniors in your life can save more. Look closely at monthly expenses, and track how much they might need to save over the next few years in order to transition into assisted living, or even to hire a long-term care professional. Now could be a good time to consider helping them refinance their mortgage if they are hoping to put some extra money away in order to prep for unexpected new stages of life.

Automate Payments
Though it’s no secret that most seniors are not the most technically savvy, moving towards automated payments might actually be a better option long term. If you’re finding that an elderly family member or friend appears to have multiple overdue or missed payments, or that they’re overpaying for fear of missing a payment, suggest helping them set up auto-pay. Having their bills paid electronically is one less thing for the them to worry about, and one less thing on their list to have to remember each month. Setting up automatic payments will no doubt help your loved one feel even more prepared for any transitions that might lie ahead.

By Jim|2024-06-10T09:55:32-05:00July 3rd, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

Background

Diverticulosis results from pouches that form in the wall of the colon (or large intestine). Diverticulitis is an inflammation or infection of these pouches. Diverticular disease is more common among older adults than younger people (Tursi, 2007). Sixty-five percent of older adults will develop diverticulosis by age 85 (Kennedy-Malone et al. 2004). The exact cause of diverticulosis is not known, but it is speculated that a diet low in fiber and high in refined foods causes the stool bulk to decrease, leading to increased colon transit time. Retention of undigested foods and bacteria results in a hard mass that can disrupt blood flow and lead to infection. The earlier the diagnosis and treatment, the better the outcomes will be; however, if complications such as bleeding increases the risk of less- than- optimal outcomes.

Warning Signs

Risk factors for diverticulosis include obesity, chronic constipation, and straining, irregular and uncoordinated bowel contractions, and weakness of bowel muscle due to aging. Other risk factors are directly related to the suspected cause of the condition. These include older than 40 years old of age, low-fiber diet, and the number of diverticula in the colon (Thomas, 2011). Diverticulosis may result in pain in the left lower quadrant (LLQ), can get worse after eating, and may improve after a bowel movement. Warning signs of diverticulitis include fever, increased white blood cell count, bleeding that is not associated with pain, increased heart rate, nausea, and vomiting.

Diagnosis

Evaluation of the abdomen may reveal tenderness in the LLQ and there may be rebound tenderness with involuntary guarding and rigidity. Bowel sounds may be initially hypoactive and can be hyperactive if the obstruction has passed. Stool may be positive for blood. The initial evaluation is abdominal Xx-ray films, followed by a barium enema, though a CT scan with oral contrast is more accurate in diagnosing this condition (Thomas, 2011). A complete blood count may be done to assess for infection.

Treatments

Diverticulosis is managed with a high-fiber diet or daily fiber supplementation with psyllium. Diverticulitis is treated with antibiotics, but in acute illness the person may require hospitalization for IV hydration, analgesics, bowel rest, and possible NG tube placement. Morphine sulfate should be avoided because it increases the intraluminal pressures within the colon, causing the symptoms to get worse (Thomas, 2011). Patients should learn about a proper diet, avoidance of constipation and straining during bowel movements, and when to seek medical care. The diet should include fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and increased fluid intake, unless contraindicated. In extreme cases, either where the person has complications that do not resolve with medical management or has many repeated episodes, a colon resection may be needed. Patients will need to work closely with their primary care provider to manage any ongoing problems.

Adapted from Mauk, K. L., Hanson, P., & Hain, D. (2014). Review of the management of common illnesses, diseases, or health conditions. In K. L. Mauk’s (Ed.) Gerontological Nursing: Competencies for Care. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Used with permission.

For more information on Diverticulosis, visit NDDIC at:
digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/diverticulosis/

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By Kristen Mauk|2024-06-10T09:55:00-05:00June 29th, 2024|News Posts|Comments Off

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