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What comes to mind when you think of older adults and health? Is it a laundry list of health concerns? We tend to think of older adults as victims of their health, but is that really the truth? According to the 2017 National Health Interview Survey, only 18% of adults aged 65-74 described their overall health as fair or … Continued
We’re at the beginning of an interesting shift in technology. For years now technology has been coming down in cost, working to make day to day life easier, and becoming ever present (it’s not uncommon to glance at a group of people and see more Apple Watches and Fitbits than bare wrists). Technology companies are … Continued
With everything that’s going on, it’s easy to feel hopeless. To help with that Ahead of the Curve has compiled a list of organizations that are accepting donations of materials, financial support, or time. Item Donations Food Gatherers- (734) 761-2796 Accepting food donations Shelter Association of Washtenaw County- (734) 971-1073 Masks Gloves Cleaning supplies Toilet paper … Continued
With Coronavirus, it can seem like each day means more services closing for the near future. Below are resources for seniors and caregivers that are still available in some capacity. Note: Please note that information is rapidly changing. This information is current as of April 8, 2020 and will be updated as needed. Call a resource before visiting. Food Assistance- Food … Continued
March is National Nutrition Month! Did you know that hunger affects 13.6% of Washtenaw County residents? Malnutrition, or not getting enough food or nutrients, is a big problem facing older adults. Once older adults stop driving, they rely on others or on public transportation to get to the store. They may not be able to … Continued
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan issued a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order to combat the spread of COVID-19 that takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Because of this announcement, Catholic Social Services’ Packard office will be closed effective Tuesday until further notice. Several programs have been suspended until further notice, … Continued
The Washtenaw County Elder Justice Coalition is a group of health and social service practitioners and community members working to acknowledge and prevent elder abuse in Washtenaw County through awareness, education, advocacy, and enhanced partnerships. Recently we spoke with Susan Atkins of the Housing Bureau for Seniors. The Housing Bureau for Seniors (HBS) provides guidance … Continued
You may have heard of Coronavirus or Covid19 as it is spreading throughout Michigan and the United States. You may have also heard that older adults are at higher risk of catching and experiencing severe symptoms of the virus. In this special post we’ll walk you through what Coronavirus is and how to protect yourself. … Continued
Why is sleep important? Sleep is when the body repairs itself. The processes that our bodies go through when we sleep have been shown to affect mood, energy, memory, brain health, and our ability to learn. What’s stopping us from sleeping? Difficulty sleeping is often portrayed as a normal part of aging- but it isn’t. … Continued
Yesterday was Caregiver Appreciation Day- It’s never too late to thank the caregivers in your life!
Happy February! In addition to being the month of Valentine’s Day, February is also American Heart Month. Today on the blog we’re going to share some tips to maintain a healthy heart. Eat five servings a day of fruits and veggies (focus on eating the rainbow) Replace heavy condiments and mayonnaise with olive oil Coconut … Continued
Washtenaw County is home to more than 45,000 adults age 65 and over. Despite the high number of older adults in the county, there are few outlets for them to tell their stories. The Ahead of the Curve blog is excited to share stories from interesting adults throughout the county. In honor of tomorrow being … Continued
Scammers never take a break. Believe it or not, we need to be aware of scams all year round- especially around the holidays. Valentine’s Day is a popular day for various scams, but with our tips and some forethought, you can outsmart the scammers. What scams are popular on Valentine’s Day? Romance Scams- scammers contact … Continued
January 28 is Data Privacy Day. Unfortunately scammers love to prey on older adults and each year there are multiple scams to be on the lookout for. Celebrate Data Privacy Day by taking these steps to protect yourself (or a loved one) from identity theft: Keep up with news about what scams are popular at … Continued
When we think of caregivers usually, we picture a woman in her 50s or 60s caring for a parent. In reality, caregiving happens across the lifetime. A 2018 study found that the average age of caregivers was 47 (down from 53 in 2010). According to a 2018 study by the AARP, one in four caregivers … Continued
You love your family member and want to support them as they grow older…but you live in a different state- now what? The National Institute on Aging defines long-distance caregiving as caring for someone you live at least an hour-long car ride away from. Long-distance caregiving is more common than you may think! According to … Continued
Loneliness isn’t something that only affect older adults. With new technology and people living further apart, it can be easy to feel lonely. But it’s something to keep an eye on because one in three older adults reports feeling lonely, which can lead to a lot of issues including increased risks of heart attacks, depression, … Continued
Wishing you a bright and happy new year!
Happy holidays!
December 21 is National Crossword Day. Celebrate (and test your knowledge) with a special Ahead of the Curve crossword! To download the crossword and answers: Click on “download” button or hover mouse over the document title until it changes color. The crossword should open in a new tab (if it doesn’t, click “open” when prompted). … Continued
Grief is universal and can be especially difficult during the holiday season. GrieveWell is a non-profit organization that envisions a community in which individuals grieve well so that they can lead a full life after loss. To reach their vision, the GrieveWell mission is to provide resources and support to individuals in grief — as … Continued
Traveling is often an amazing experience that can broaden you as a person or just provide some much-needed rest and relaxation. But what can you do when you want to travel but are a full or part time caregiver? Don’t give up on travel, instead use these tips to travel smarter: Think ahead Are you … Continued
It’s that time of year… the days are getting shorter and grayer. It’s getting darker earlier and earlier and people choose to hibernate instead of going out. Winter can be an unpleasant time for anyone, but it can be especially dangerous for older adults. Our bodies are less efficient at sensing cold as we get … Continued
This month on the blog we’ve been focusing on stories from famous family caregivers in honor of Family Caregivers Month. We’re closing out the month with a video from actor Rob Lowe who acted as caregiver for his mother and is an advocate of the importance of self care for caregivers. During #NationalFamilyCaregiversMonth, I am … Continued
Patrick Dempsey and his siblings have famously stepped in to care for their mother when she was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. My mom, Amanda, is a seven-time ovarian-cancer survivor. One of the times she was going through treatment I realized that I had my sister Mary, who is a nurse, available to explain to me … Continued
This month on the blog we’ll be focusing on stories from famous family caregivers. Lots of people find themselves acting as a caregiver- even celebrities! Today we’re sharing a touching video by Sean Hayes and his plea to reach out to the caregiver in your life. Make sure to visit the Ahead of the Curve … Continued
November is National Family Caregivers Month! This month on the blog we’ll be focusing on stories from famous family caregivers. Lots of people find themselves acting as a caregiver- even celebrities! We’re starting out the month with a video from Caregiving Club. Their CEO interviewed celebrities who have acted as caregivers and asked for their … Continued
Do you care for a loved one full time and live with them? Do you hire a nurse to stay with your loved one and visit periodically? Do you live in a different state and research resources for your loved one? Do you have a neighbor you regularly check up on? If you answered … Continued
We’re living in an increasingly digital world. It seems like every few years there’s a new technological device or service that we soon can’t live without (remember life before Netflix?). Some of these new technologies are aimed at caregivers…but can be prohibitively expensive. The good news is that if you’re creative and keep an open … Continued
October is National Crime Prevention Month. We all know that scammers exist and like to prey on older adults. What you may not realize is that scams are constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated. According to the FBI, between 2018 and 2019 scammers collected $700 million from about two million people, most of which were … Continued
Caregiving can easily feel overwhelming, especially when you’re starting out. A quick web search shows results for various guides, websites, and articles spread throughout the internet. Luckily, Home Instead Senior Care Services has created an interactive quiz to help you make sure everything is covered in your care-giving plan. This is a great jumping off … Continued
We’ve talked on the blog before about the importance of self-care for the caregiver. Today we’re going to focus on why self-care is so important: preventing caregiver burnout and compassion fatigue. What is compassion fatigue? “Compassion fatigue refers to the phenomenon of perpetual caregivers — whether familial or professional — becoming physically and emotionally depleted … Continued
The start of fall can mean a lot of different things- crunchy leaves, scarves, and more pumpkin-flavored things than you can imagine. The first day of fall is also Falls Prevention Awareness Day. Falls are a huge issue for older adults. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 300,000 older adults … Continued
You or a loved one may have had trouble recently with self-care. Maybe it was a fall or forgetting to take medication. Either way it’s becoming to be clear- you (or your loved one) can no longer live alone. Luckily there are plenty of options for senior living, so many in fact that it can … Continued
Are you Ahead of the Curve? Take our short training any time to learn more about ways to support older adults in your family or community. You’ll learn to identify when someone might need more help and which resources are available for support.
Our easy to use and regularly updated resource directory is a one-stop guide to older adult services in Washtenaw County.
