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Interested in Community Living but Feel it May be Too Expensive?

  While a retirement community may sound appealing, many seniors worry the cost is too high. The truth is, there is a wide range in the cost of independent living communities based on things like geographic location, services and amenities that all impact your monthly fee.  Luxury communities in metropolitan areas tend to be priced higher as do those in more desirable neighborhoods. Also, the apartment’s square footage, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, location within the community such as sought-after views or end-units, balconies or private patios can all up the price.  Experts say it is important to consider the value of the services and amenities you receive. In your own home, you may have paid for things like lawn care and landscaping services as well as encountered unexpected home repairs and maintenance upkeep. Utilities and property taxes for a home that may have more space than you need at this stage in your life can be costly.  Additionally, safely aging in place can often requ
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Hearing Loss is a Common Problem for Older Adults

  The National Institute of Health reports approximately one in three people between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing. Hearing loss causes someone a range of problems including difficulty understanding and following a doctor’s advice, responding to safety warnings, and hearing doorbells, phone calls, and alarms. Another all-too common problem is it can be hard to follow conversations with family and friends, and many start avoiding situations where they may be frustrated or embarrassed.  Medical experts advise asking your primary care physician for a referral to an otolaryngologist, an audiologist or a hearing aid specialist. An otolaryngologist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases of the ear, nose, and throat. They will try to determine the cause of your hearing loss and treatment options. They may refer you to an audiologist who is trained in measuring the degree of loss as well as recomme
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It’s Possible to Live Healthier, More Productive Lives Than Previous Generations

  If we are lucky, we are all going to get a lot older, but experts say with a few commonsense adjustments, we can live healthier, more productive lives than our grandparents or even parents. Moreover, it is worth our while to plan for a long life as mortality rates have raised from just an average age of 47 for men and women in 1900 to older adults routinely reaching their eighties, nineties and upward.  In fact, studies report it is possible to grow older without a significant decline in health. Linda Fried, dean of the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and director of the Robert Butler Columbia Aging Center, says, “The idea that living longer necessarily means enduring significant declines in health has changed in the last two decades.” She adds, “It’s possible to increase your health span as long as your life span. Some decline in health and function is inevitable. But the image that older life is about decrepitude turns out not to be right.” Spending decades work
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MorningStar’s Independent Living in Kirkland, WA

  While there may be a lot of choices for senior housing in Kirkland, WA we would like to introduce you to one of the best.  MorningStar of Kirkland offers stylish apartments for independent living for those who love the idea of carefree retirement years and plenty of time for life’s adventures.  We handle all the maintenance, landscaping, and housekeeping, leaving you free to pursue your interests, explore new hobbies, travel and meet new friends.  We are in the beautiful Totem Lake area with the beaches and parks of Juanita Bay close by and residents enjoy access to both private and public walking trails. We are about a five-minute drive to the highly ranked Evergreen Health Medical Center and The Village at Totem Lake, a 400,000 square foot mixed-use development with a village feel for shopping, restaurants and entertainment.  With easy access to I-405, Seattle is just 20 minutes to the southwest. MorningStar of Kirkland’s contemporary senior apartments include spacious studio, on
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MorningStar’s Luxury Senior Living in Houston

As senior living communities provide a range of benefits such as socialization, healthcare, amenities, and convenient services, it is no surprise it has become a popular lifestyle for many older adults. If your family has already started the search for senior living in Houston , you know there are many options. This may have left you wondering how to narrow down your search to find the optimal community for yourself or a loved one? Experts say the first thing to do is to find a home that provides the proper level of care. If you are a senior who needs help with the ADLs (activities of daily living), assisted living offers you the opportunity to maintain your sense of independence and get on with living your life to the fullest. In addition to 24/7 care managers, access to licensed nurses, and medication management, many assisted living communities offer services including meals, onsite amenities, scheduled transportation, housekeeping and more. They also often provide opportunitie
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Staying Involved in Your or a Loved One’s Medical Care

We have all heard horror stories of someone getting the wrong treatment or a botched surgical procedure, or other examples of outright poor medical care. Doctors say one way to help reduce medical errors is to be an active partner in your care, be it at the doctor’s office, the hospital or pharmacy. If you think your chances of a misdiagnosis, unnecessary surgery, or being given the wrong medication are slim, read the following. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “an estimated 10% of patients in high-income countries are harmed while receiving hospital care.” A 2021 StatPearls reports, “medical errors result in about 100,000 deaths in hospitals and clinics annually.” The danger of a misdiagnosis is it results in delayed treatment for the real problem and perhaps a round of the wrong medications. However, before you lay all the blame on the medical profession, experts say many misdiagnoses can be the fault of the patient. Too often a person fails to disclose important fac
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Find Happiness by Living With Less

Known as the “Minimalists,” Ryan Nicodemus and Joshua Fields Millburn spend their time helping people to learn to live with less. They say a typical house contains as many as 300,000 items; and their advice is to rid yourself of items that do not add value to your life. While obviously easier said than done, if you are an older adult who is trying to downsize for a move to senior housing , the following tips may help. One suggestion is to start by decluttering; not only does it give you more space in your new home but living around clutter has been linked to anxiety and stress. When you throw away or donate stuff cluttering up your home, it gives room for the things you really like. Less stuff lightens your load and helps you get into the habit of not buying things you don’t need. Not only does this mindset save money, but Fields Millburn explains, "Understanding the why behind simplifying gives us the leverage we need to begin to let go and helps us understand what is excess.” Th
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