Elder Issues
Comprehensive Web Sites for Older Adults
Visit the AARP Web site to find the widest range of topics on living and aging well.
Friendly4Seniors.com allows you to search for Web sites with everything from discount offers to counseling and legal services specifically for older adults.
The federal government is putting more of its data on the Internet every day. To make it easier for older adults to find resources, the government posts items of interest to seniors at FirstGov for Seniors and guidance for aging well at Administration on Aging.
Retirement Planning
This quiz will help you examine what you know about your financial needs in retirement.
Use this guide to make a plan for your financial security and retirement. Get a legal perspective on retirement planning and explore more options for retirement.
Determine what role Social Security will play in your retirement and get legal guidance on managing this income source. Learn how to file for Social Security retirement benefits.
Financial Planning Tutorials and Calculators
Overviews of various ways of saving for retirement:
401(k) Retirement Savings Plan for Employees
403(b) Retirement Savings Plan for Qualifying Employees of Public Schools and Tax-Exempt Organizations
Savings for Retirement in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
Buying an Annuity for Retirement Income: Types of Annuities
Get Retirement Income and Pass On an Inheritance with a Modified Endowment Contract
How to Deal With a Lump Sum Distribution from your Retirement Plan if you Leave your Current Employer
Travel and Leisure
AARP has ideas and tips of interest to older adults for traveling around the country or around the globe. Travel information is FREE, but you have to be a member ($12.50/year) to take advantage of discounts.
Follow these tips for more comfortable airline travel.
Learn a little, live a lot by taking a fascinating educational trip planned just for older adults through Elderhostel.
Third Age offers advice and links for enjoying an active lifestyle. Topics range from beauty and relationships to work and learning experiences for older adults. Be sure to check out the online fun and games.
For more links to amusing ideas and leisure interests online, visit eldernet.com.
Healthy Aging
Advice for aging well from the Mayo Clinic. This quiz will help you identify strategies for healthy aging.
With timely topics from paying for healthcare to strategies for staying active, AARP covers a wide range of health-related issues for older adults.
At HealthandAge.com you can calculate your ideal weight (click on Tools), read summaries of recent findings from leading medical journals on the most common age-related ailments (click Health Centers), or find answers to frequently asked questions (click Questions & Answers).
This online seminar called Get Movin' at 50 Plus will teach you how to engage safely in beneficial physical exercises.
Be warned! Here is recent news about the top 10 dangerous drug interactions for older adults.
Medicare
Read an overview of Medicare programs, and learn how to apply for benefits.
Go to the Medicare Web site for news and enrollment information, or use the Search Tools at the bottom of the Home Page to find health plans and physicians and other providers that accept Medicare in your area. Read more about the new prescription drug coverage, and find checklists and planning tools to help you evaluate what kind of prescription drug coverage is right for you.
Find out why you might want to buy health insurance to cover medical expenses that Medicare does not cover, known as Medicare supplement insurance. The Texas Department of Insurance has advice on buying health insurance to supplement Medicare coverage.
If you have more questions, contact the Medicare Rights Center.
Concerns for Older Drivers
Learn how aging can adversely affect your driving skills.
AAA offers tips and practical advice for dealing with the effects of aging on our driving habits. A brief quiz lets you assess for yourself how safe a driver you are.
If you would like to brush up on your driving skills (and save some money on your insurance premiums), the AARP offers frequent driver safety classes geared to older adults as well as other driver safety resources.
If you are concerned about your driving, you can review the same material a physician might use to assess your driving ability.
Don't become a danger to yourself and others on the road. Learn when it's time to quit driving.
Legal Matters
Senior Magazine keeps an index of articles on legal issues of interest to older adults, ranging from how to select a lawyer familiar with elder issues to warnings about scams that target senior citizens. You might also want to check out the Self-Help Guides from AARP for dealing with a variety of legal situations, from selling or modifying your home to making a will.
Even people of modest means accumulate assets over time. These assets are referred to as your estate. It is important to you and your family that your wishes are followed on your treatment in a medical emergency and handling of your estate after you are gone. Here are some resources for understanding how you can plan and assure that your wishes will be known and followed.
For family members who are no longer able to make important decisions for themselves, you may have to consider a legal guardianship. Find more information about the process and support for guardians at the National Guardianship Association.
Find an attorney near you who specializes in legal issues for older adults through the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys or the National Elder Law Foundation. Members of the AARP have access to discounted legal services for older adults. Low-income seniors may even be able to find free legal assistance. Before you hire an attorney, use this checklist to organize your thoughts. You might also want to review samples of legal documents older adults are generally advised to consider.
The National Senior Citizens Law Center advocates for fair treatment of older citizens at the federal level. Read about the issues the Center is working on at this time.
Daily Living Options as We Age
For a wide variety of reasons, including financial and health concerns, we must reevaluate our living conditions as we age. Sometimes, by making physical modifications or getting help, we can stay in our own homes. In other cases we must consider moving to more manageable lodging or residential settings with full-time caregiving. These Web sites will help you explore the options available and choose the right answer for you and your family at this stage of your life.
Evaluation Quiz to help you determine the right answer for you and your family.
Independent Living
Read what the Mayo Clinic has to say about maintaining your independence and staying in your home.
Make changes around your house to improve your safety and comfort as you age. Find out how to make a home safer for seniors. Learn about changes that will make your home safer and more comfortable. Get advice about making home modifications. Sometimes small assistive products can make your home safer and more comfortable. Get help making your home more livable. Explore Central Texas resources for making home modifications. See if you qualify for state assistance to stay in your home. Williamson County is served by the Capital Area Agency on Aging.
Get advice for families of older adults on evaluating the safety of the home environment.
Exploring Long-Term Care Options
Eventually, most of us will need some degree of assistance with daily living tasks. Familiarize yourself with long-term care options, and evaluate what might be right for your situation. Get information on the quality of care from Texas providers.
Get advice for families about long-term care. Find out more about senior housing and choosing a residential care facility.
Learn about special considerations in choosing long-term care when memory loss is a factor.
In-Home Care
Getting help in your own home can range from occasional visits and help with chores to full-time nurses. Explore options and get advice for choosing home-care services that are right for you. Use AARP's self-help guide for evaluating your options.
Weigh the pros and cons of hiring a home-care agency vs. an individual caregiver. Use Medicare's locator for finding home-care agencies.
Get tips for finding and hiring a home-care worker. Locate non-medical home-care assistance nationwide or here in Central Texas.
Continuing Care Retirement and Assisted Living Communities
Find out about Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) and the services they offer. Is a move to a CCRC right for you?
Find out about assisted living facilities and the board and care model in shared homes. AARP has more to say about finding assisted living and evaluating facilities. Read more about assisted living facilities in Texas.
Is a move to an assisted living facility right for you?
See a listing of state-regulated Assisted Living Facilities in Central Texas.
Do a Web search for Continuing Care Retirement Communities or assisted living facilities.
Residential Nursing Facilities
Find out about residential nursing facilities, and read about issues in choosing a facility. The Capital Area Agency on Aging oversees nursing homes in Central Texas and offers this advice. This checklist will help you as you evaluate facilities.
Is a move to a residential nursing facility right for you?
See a listing of state-regulated nursing homes in Central Texas.
Do a Web search for residential nursing facilities, or use Medicare's Locator Service to find a nursing home.
Paying for Long-Term Care
Get an overview of sources for financing long-term care.
Find out more about long-term care insurance, and get a legal perspective on this kind of policy.
If you are age 60+ you can get FREE counseling on benefits available to you. The Capital Area Agency on Aging serves all of Central Texas including Williamson County.
Read the State's guidance on financing long-term care in a nursing facility.
If you think Medicaid will cover your long-term care, find out how it will impact your estate. Also see Medicaid in column at right.
Get a FREE Benefits Checkup to see if you are getting all the financial assistance you deserve.
for more information on Health Conditions, Medication Safety, Nutrition, and Healthy Lifestyle Choices
to see Jobs for Older Adults
I need to know about … Getting Around
for Public Transportation Options for Seniors
Services for Seniors in Central Texas
Texas Department of Aging and Disability
Links for Caregivers
Caregiving.com Guidance and Online Community
ElderCare Locator Services
