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Introduction: Being a grandparent is special in many ways. It sometimes means overspending and spoiling our grandkids. We tend to cut down on other expenses rather than buying gifts for our cute little ones.

What’s so special about being a grandparent? Grand parenting brings along with it opportunities for loving a new person, the magic of childhood, play and fun and the joy of parenthood minus the heartache that often goes along with it. It is also an opportunity to share your hobbies with a young, curious mind, watch as the kids grow and develop, provide encouragement and make an impact, draw upon your breadth of experience to guide the child through life’s challenges. Many grandparents, in today’s graying America, provide care for their grandkids while mom goes off to work. This can be a very enriching experience for both.

Why do we overspend on our grandkids? A 2012 study by AARP shows that 89% of grandparents spoil their grandkids. USA Today says that 40% of Americans spend $500 or more per year on their grandchildren. Some grandparents even pay for their grandchildren college education and afterschool activities, such as piano lessons and dance classes. Grandparents often find themselves in a dilemma where they would like to be there for their adult kids financially but don’t want to jeopardize their retirement savings.

Where can I cut on spending?

• Give the gift of time. It doesn’t always have to be a gift. Going on a hike together or doing a baking project can be a very memorable one for the two of you, much more so then a gift. Share stories. Your grandchildren will be delighted to hear stories about when their parents were children. Get with the times and learn to text and build a relationship that will last.
• Make a budget. “Making a budget is the most important thing you can do because then you will be able to understand where your money is going and where you can afford to make cuts,” says Meg Favreau, senior editor of Wisebread.com. Grandparents should not fall into the trap of overspending on their grandkids. “If it’s affecting your ability to meet your obligations or is dipping into retirement savings, that’s a sign that it’s excessive spending,” says Suzanna de Baca, vice president of wealth strategies at Ameriprise Financial. For full article, click here.

Save your retirement for the fun things in life. Very often, without proper planning, our retirement funds get totally wiped out down the road if a loved one requires long-term care. Medicaid will usually cover for many types of care, including in-home, assisted living and nursing home care. They will however “look back” for a period of five years prior to application to uncover monetary gifts granted- “spent down” during that period, in which case they will impose a penalty corresponding with the gifted funds. Plan ahead and gift the monies to your loved ones now, so it doesn’t hurt you in the years to come. A Medicaid planning company like Senior Planning Services can guide you through the application process if you’re eligible and help shoulder the burden in these stressful times.

Conclusion: Being a grandparent is one of life’s most meaningful pleasures, but it can also be a juggling act. Knowing when to educate, when to spoil, when to stop spending, when to “spend down” and when to save your retirement funds; are all part of this blessing called grandparenthood.

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Presbycussis, or age related hearing loss is very common in the over sixties. However because it is a gradual loss of hearing over many years it is difficult to notice at first. Most people with age related hearing loss are unaware of the problem until they cannot follow conversations or misunderstand what is being said to them.

The inability to understand those around them can make a vulnerable person feel as through they are losing their mind. Having to concentrate hard whenever someone is talking can cause extreme tiredness which can make a person very forgetful. Worries about memory loss create stress and make the problem worse.

Tinnitus is a common symptom of hearing loss. It is usually described as a ringing noise in the ears, but in reality it can be any tone or buzzing noise. It may sometimes increase in volume until it drowns out normal speech sound, it can also change tone and sound musical. Someone may be reluctant to talk about the strange sounds they are hearing in case people think they are going a bit mad, or, if they are already concerned about their mental health they may think it is a hallucination.

The thought of becoming ill and losing independence is something many older people fear. The thought of having dementia and being unable to care for yourself is very frightening.

Problems in the ear can also lead to balance problems, making a person more likely to fall over. Vertigo is also common and can make it feel like the floor is moving as you are sitting still or walking along. This is very scary if you don’t know what it is.

To an observer, some of the symptoms of hearing loss may seem similar to those of dementia. They may be easily confused or not seem to know what is going on. A simple question may be met with a blank look or they may say something random in the middle of a conversation.

Age related hearing loss is caused by the slow decline of the delicate hair cells in the inner ear. Because certain sound frequencies are lost before others, they may only hear half sentences or miss the beginning sounds from words. The brain can compensate for this by automatically filling in the blanks so that the sentence makes sense, but this can cause lots of confusion when the person doesn’t realise they have misheard something. After all, it sounded right to them.

Everyone has different speech patterns and voice frequencies which makes some people harder to understand if the listener has hearing loss. Tiredness can also affect a person’s ability to hear well. This inconsistency in hearing ability can make others think they are sometimes being ignored or that hearing is ‘selective’. It can also make the person believe that there is no problem with their hearing because sometimes they can hear everything. This in turn, can increase the concern about mental health problems.

A hearing check can determine if there is a hearing problem as well as looking for any signs of disease or illness in the ear. A specialist can also give advice about coping with tinnitus and vertigo. These symptoms can be made worse by stress, so having as much information as possible about how to cope and being assured that there are no other causes can help immensely. Having hearing checked regularly will allow the audiologist to tell if there is rapid deterioration and whether the hearing loss is age related or due to other causes.

Modern hearing aids are much more discrete than they used to be and can be programmed to compensate for a person’s exact hearing loss. If they have been without good hearing for a while the hearing aid may seem too loud and they will be tempted not to use it. However it is important to encourage them to wear it as much as possible so that they can get used to normal hearing volumes again. The more they use it, the easier it will be to set the controls and get the most benefit.

Arrange some follow up appointments with the audiologist so they can make any alterations needed to the hearing aid programs.

Some hearing aids also come with a remote control so that the volume or program can be changed easily and discretely. This is ideal if the buttons on the hearing aid itself are too small and fiddly.

There is plenty of specialist equipment which can help them to stay independent. A pager alert system which vibrates or flashes can tell them if their doorbell or telephone rings. It can also be linked to a smoke alarm and pillow shaker to give them, and you, peace of mind at night.

These alert systems can also be linked to doors or floor mats so they know if someone has come through the front door or gone into certain rooms. This is ideal if they are caring for their partner or have a shared entrance to their flat or apartment.

Telephones are available with extra loud ring tones and flashing lights to make sure they do not miss your calls. These are hearing aid compatible and have volume controls so that they can turn the speaker’s voice up. Being able to use the telephone again can help them stay in touch with friends and family and feel connected to everyone again.

In social situations, make sure the person is sitting where they can see everyone’s faces and that background noise is kept to a minimum. Be aware that when you are outside, or in a large room with a high ceiling, it will be harder to hear what is said.

Even when a hearing loss is diagnosed and they have a hearing aid, a person may need time to come to terms with their hearing loss. If they start to avoid social occasions or they seem withdrawn, they may be suffering from stress or depression and might need extra support.

About the Author: Paul Harrison has been in the hearing aid industry for over 15 years working at both manufacturer level and retailer level. He now operates a UK online hearing aid business www.yourhearing.co.uk which offers all the major hearing aid manufacturer hearing aids.