Long Distance Care for Your Aging Parent Living Alone

Written by Denise DeGuzman


In 1987, 8.5 million elderly lived alone; by 2020, 13.3 million elderly will live alone. These elderly may suffer if they don’t have face-to-face interaction with others or if they don’t have measures in place to handle emergencies. As a child or caring relative or friend who lives too far away to care for your loved one in person, there are steps you can take to help from afar (and give you peace of mind).

Develop a support network of people living close to your loved one. Discuss this with your loved one in order to compile a list of neighbors, friends, and other relatives living inrepparttar area. Contact those people to request their support. Ask them to keep in contact withrepparttar 110147 person not only via phone but also by sharing meals, visiting, taking them out ofrepparttar 110148 house, etc. Provide those inrepparttar 110149 network with your contact information and ask that they get in touch with you if any concerns (you can offer to have them call you collect) – let them know that you may contact them occasionally to see how they feel your loved one is doing. Suggest to your loved one that they give a copy of their house key to a close friend or neighbor in case he needs assistance and can’t openrepparttar 110150 door. Ask a member of your support group to monitorrepparttar 110151 smoke detector(s) and carbon monoxide detector(s) changingrepparttar 110152 batteries twice a year (and have them check to confirm your loved one is able to hearrepparttar 110153 alarms); have them also keeprepparttar 110154 fire extinguisher current and accessible. In addition to a support network, various agencies offer services forrepparttar 110155 elderly such as chore services, visitor services, etc. (the agencies and amount of support can vary by location). Agency information can be found at http://www.eldercare.gov/Eldercare/Public/Home.asp or by calling 1-800-677-1116.

Gift Baskets – A Gift For the Person Who Has Everything !

Written by Donna Hamer


Ever wondered what to giverepparttar “Person Who Has Everything”? A Gift Basket could be justrepparttar 110146 thing. Have you been from shop to shop and thought “Yes This is It” and then discountedrepparttar 110147 gift because it wasn’t really what you wanted.

My best friend has everything and when I say everything, “I Mean Everything”. She has either been given or purchased every conceivable gadget available inrepparttar 110148 last 5 years. She loves to shop. One of her motto’s is “Shop Til you Drop, Spend Tilrepparttar 110149 End”. And she lives by that rule!

When it comes to gifts for my friend – she is “The Hardest Person to Buy For”. Oh did I tell you, she even has a kitchen sink on her car key tag !

It was while looking for a present for my friend that I thought “What About A Gift Basket”. I was in a specialized shop andrepparttar 110150 sign said “Forrepparttar 110151 Person Who Has Everything” andrepparttar 110152 light turned on.

I’m not sure if you are aware but these days gift baskets have changed. No longer are theyrepparttar 110153 old style cane baskets (although there are some very attractive cane baskets available on today’s market). Today Gift Baskets came in all shapes and sizes. In fact, it is basically up to your imagination as to what a “Gift Basket” should be. You can use old shoes, buckets, calico bags, pot plant holders in fact anything that holds what items you purchase to fillrepparttar 110154 basket with.

Gift Baskets are lots of fun to create and very easy to make. Gone arerepparttar 110155 days of saying… oh I’m not creative enough to make a professional looking basket. Anyone can make a professional looking basket – as long as you have some imagination and a willingness to give it a try.

If you are stuck for a present for that “Person Who Has Everything” then a Gift Basket is for you!

Firstly decide on a theme or if you aren’t sure then write downrepparttar 110156 interests ofrepparttar 110157 recipient ie. golf or tennis, shopping etc. You could even base it around a coming event. Once you have maderepparttar 110158 list, work your way through it until you find something that stands out that would fit into your Gift Basket “theme”.

For today’s basket lets say your friend loves to entertain and one of her favorite meals is “Italian” food.

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