Fluid Intake - Preventing Dehydration?

Checking your daily intake of fluids is important for seniors residing in a San Diego assisted living facility. With summer days around the corner and living in San Diego, seniors need to measure their daily intake of fluids to prevent heat stroke and dehydration.

The American Medical Association recommend that Adults need 17 to 20 ounces of fluid before beginning activity, as well as an additional 7 to 10 ounces every 10 to 20 minutes during activity.

Your fluid needs don't stop when your activity is over -- you should consume 24 ounces of fluid within the first two hours after outdoor activity. Children need 4 to 8 ounces of fluid before beginning outdoor activities and 5 to 9 ounces every 20 minutes while they are outside. Once kids return from outside play or activity, they also need to consume 24 ounces of fluids within the first two hours after they stopped their activities.

Did you know? One adult-size gulp of fluid equals one ounce of fluid, and one child-size gulp of fluid equals one-half ounce of fluid. Assisted living San Diego residents should try to drink eight full glasses of water per day, and even more when exercising outdoors.

Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration

•Dry lips and tongue.
•Headache.
•Weakness, dizziness, or extreme fatigue.
•Concentrated urine that appears darker than normal.
•Nausea.
•Muscle cramps.

More Hot Weather Tips

•While pouring water over your head might feel good; it does not have any affect on your core body temperature -- make sure you put plenty of water and other fluids into your body.

•Always wear light-colored and loose-fitting clothing.

•Whenever you get a chance, take a break in the shade. It's important to remember that anytime a person who has been exposed to heat becomes disoriented or unconscious, immediate medical attention for that person must be sought.

Another tip for seniors residing in a San Diego assisted living is to stay indoors when the temperature is very hot, say 85-90 degrees. Limit your exercise routine and if you must go outdoors, then make sure you have a good supply of water on hand.

Dealing With Chronic Disabilities

One false step on a cellar staircase, an automobile accident, a stroke, and overnight, any of us could end up with disabilities that make us dependent on others for the simplest tasks. We are all vulnerable to the effects of disability, whether it's a matter of caring for an elderly parent devastated by a stroke, supporting a co-worker who has Parkinson’s, or hearing about a neighbor's baby born with mental retardation. Many San Diego assisted living facilities employ staff that are specifically trained to help you live with a chronic disability.

According to Chronic Care in America, "In 1995, one in six Americans--41 million people-- had a chronic condition that inhibited their lives to some degree." Among the conditions counted are arthritis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, emphysema, Alzheimer's disease, blindness, hearing impairments, mental retardation, mental illness, cerebral palsy, and spinal cord injuries. The report says, "At least 9 million people with disabilities need help either with personal care or home management (40 percent are under age 65)."

Disability rates increase with age. According to the report, in 1994, nearly 40 percent of the elderly not living in institutions--12 million seniors--were limited by chronic conditions. Of these, 3 million (about 10 percent of all elderly) were unable to perform such activities as bathing, shopping, dressing, or eating.

Heart disease accounts for 13 percent of all activity limitations, and injuries cause 13 percent of all disabilities. These two facts, alone, point to the large potential to reduce disabilities by convincing Americans to adopt better nutrition, health and exercise habits and to think ahead about building or retrofitting homes to make them safer and more convenient. Getting the proper medical care you require is important and that is what assisted living San Diego provides seniors with disabilities. Living at home with a chronic, life changing disability requires expert care and treatment.

Services for seniors with chronic conditions, however, are still concentrated in the periods when they need acute care rather than in phases when prevention or rehabilitation services would be beneficial. Costly hospitalizations might be avoided if certain types of services were more affordable and available--transportation to the doctor; installation of railings and ramps; physical therapy to strengthen muscles to prevent falls; education in use of assistive devices; counseling to prevent malnutrition; and provision of home care aides to shop, prepare meals, and assist with personal care.

Working together, the aging and disability networks can make a difference in where and how comfortably Americans spend the last decades of their lives. It is important that you get the care you need, whether in home care or at a San Diego assisted living facility - there are networks out there ready to help you with your lifelong disability.

Managing Assisted Living Costs

People who can make use of San Diego assisted living programs are usually seniors who do not need the more intensive care that is given in nursing homes but require 24-hour monitoring and assistance.

An important factor in this kind of program is that the residents of this retirement living community can socialize and interact with each other. This is an important benefit for many people, particularly for those who do not want to be alone or isolated in their homes but cannot leave the safety of their homes to visit their friends because of their condition.

It is also important to realize that certain components of the assisted living San Diego costs are things that you normally spend for even if you are living at home.

These include the utility costs, three meals every day including snacks, continuous security, monthly rent or mortgage, garbage disposal services, home maintenance, an emergency call system that is available 24 hours a day, transportation costs, costs of visits by health personnel, housekeeping services, laundry service, and social and entertainment costs. There are also no condominium maintenance fees, property insurance costs and property taxes.

If after you have eliminated the above San Diego assisted living expenses from your monthly costs and then added the assisted living costs and the result is still a higher monthly expense, it is time to look for ways to accommodate the additional costs.

The most common way to do this is to convert certain assets into additional cash flow. One example is the reverse mortgage, which is a unique version of the home loan where the homeowner converts part of his or her equity into cash. Another option is to allow your heirs to take care of the bills.

For those who are still preparing for retirement, long term care insurance may also provide help when the time comes. It should be pointed out that the advantages of living in an environment that is good for your physical and emotional health far outweigh the costs of the arrangements.

Moreover, it also advisable to consider a continuing care retirement community where the facilities for a nursing home are nearby so that when the time for intensive care arrives, making the transfer would be much easier.

Assisted Living - A Simplified Choice

While life has its changes, the transition from an independent lifestyle to San Diego assisted living does not always come naturally. It's a choice that can only be made with the proper support, advice, and information. Before you and your family make the final move to an Assisted Living facility, read over these eight essential tips -

1. Visit assisted living communities - The best way to judge whether senior housing is the Diegoright choice, is with a first-hand look. Find different assisted living San Diego facilities in your area and arrange visits to get a feel for their atmospheres and accommodations.

2. Ease in with temporary living - Some assisted living facilities allow residents to move in on a temporary basis-a great opportunity for seniors who are unsure of whether the change is right for them. You or your loved one will receive all of the benefits of a regular residency with the ability to return home at the end of your stay.

3. Build a social circle - A great aspect of an assisted living community is the level of interaction it promotes amongst residents. Seniors are able to visit each other's apartments, attend facility-organized events such as dances, and even create their own hobby clubs and groups. Try to visit one or more of these events while touring so that you or your loved one can meet residents who share similar interests.

4. Research amenities - The services provided by a San Diego assisted living facility can vary from residence to residence. Take stock of your or your loved one's needs and find the community that best fulfills them. While some seniors may only need help with laundry and cooking others may require additional help in the form of transportation, housekeeping, and assistance with administering medication.

5. Listen to others - Ask senior housing residents their opinions and what you should expect from assisted living communities. Some may have lived in multiple facilities and will be able to give you perspective for making your decision.

6. Handling property - Before you begin packing, make time for sorting through personal effects. While most items will likely stay with you, your loved one, or your family, don't be in a rush to throw away the rest. It may be worth hiring an appraiser to go over the items before you end up selling a priceless vase at a five-dollar yard sale.

7. Stay close - Hopefully, you will be able to find an assisted living San Diego community in your area. Whether of not you do, make an effort to visit your loved one or loved ones. If you are the one moving into senior housing, visiting home will help maintain your sense of independence. If your family member is making the move, visits will help create a sense of home in a new place..

8. Check in - Though assisted living communities are often home to trained medical staff and round-the-clock support, it's imperative that you stay aware of your senior's living environment and habits. Call often and be open to cues that your loved one needs a great level of care or assistance.

Assisted Living For Dementia

The loss of basic cognitive functions has the potential to create danger for any senior living on his own. If you are suffering from dementia in San Diego, there are several San Diego assisted living communities that specialize in this type of disease. This can also be the case even when such ability to function is in an impaired state. As the older person's state declines, the danger in his everyday environment increases. In addition to the very real threat of harm to the person who is losing his ability to look after himself and take sensible precautions, there is also the element of frustration-- especially for the senior who is accustomed to an independent lifestyle of doing everything for himself and not needing to rely on anyone.

There is a solution. There are a number of options for assisted living in San Diego which provide all of the essential benefits in the least-restrictive manner. Your loved one will have all of the help and supervision that he needs in order to be safe, secure, and comfortable-- but without the full-scale supervision of a skilled nursing facility if it is not compatible with his current needs.

As most seniors pride themselves on self-sufficiency, two options which will promote this are San Diego assisted living facilities and board-and-care homes. These styles of living arrangements will give your family member every possible opportunity to feel independent and exercise his independence, while at the same time ensuring his overall comfort and safety.

A board-and-care or an assisted living facility will provide your loved one with a home-like atmosphere. Depending on the degree of his needs, he will have help with his basic everyday grooming routines. The pleasant environment which he will share with other seniors will include the opportunity for social interaction, if he wishes, as well as healthy, tasty meals.

Board-and-care homes and assisted living communities both offer the option of single or shared rooms in a variety of price ranges. Whichever arrangement is best suited to your family member's needs and personal preferences, they are quite affordable. Assisted living for dementia does not have to be unduly expensive; and you will be glad to know that affordability does not mean cutting corners. It is designed to accommodate your family member's special needs.

At most San Diego assisted living communities your loved one can reside in a lovely home-like setting, tailored for his comfort and safety. You will know that he is in a secure environment where attention is focused on helping him to do the most for himself while helping him with any daily tasks that are necessary. He will have the highest degree of self-suffiency, and that all-important feeling of independence, with the supervision and assistance that he needs in his everyday life.

Senate Votes to Maintain Quality Health Care for Seniors

Seniors who were worried about physicians refusing to treat Medicare patients in the future due to a huge government pay cut for doctors, which was scheduled to begin in January, can breathe a little easier--at least for the next year.

The U.S. Senate yesterday voted unanimously to block the pay 25 percent reduction in Medicare payments to physicians for one year. The measure now goes to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to gain final passage and be signed into law by President Obama before Congress breaks for the holiday, well before the January 1 deadline. That's great news for seniors residing in a San Diego assisted living retirement community.

"Stopping the cut for one year will inject some much needed stability into the system for seniors residing in assisted living retirement communities in San Diego and physician practices who have spent this year in limbo because of five short-term delays," said Dr. Cecil B. Wilson, president of the American Medical Association, in a statement following the Senate vote. "This one-year delay comes right as the oldest baby boomers reach age 65, adding urgency to the need for a long-term solution before this demographic tsunami swamps the Medicare program."

The legislation would pay for the $19.2 billion fix by diverting money previously allocated to support state-run insurance exchanges, which were created by the healthcare reform law.

The new legislation also extends a number of Medicare provisions, including an extension of the therapy caps exception process through Dec. 31, 2011, to help ensure seniors continue to have access to sufficient physical therapy and speech-language pathology services.

In addition, the bill would repeal a delay in the implementation of the new Medicare payment structure for nursing homes, making the new structure retroactive to Oct. 1, 2010 rather than delaying it until Oct. 1, 2011. Saving doctors 25% in medicare payments will ensure that excellent care will continue for seniors at their local assisted living retirement community in San Diego.

The White House pushed hard for passage of the temporary fix, and urged the Senate and House to use the next year to develop a permanent solution to what has become a perennial problem for seniors and their physicians.

Holiday Events For San Diego Active Seniors

Spending the Christmas Holiday Season in San Diego has its benefits: the weather is usually mild - in fact December is one of the sunniest months of the year. Which means unlike other parts of the country, we miss out on rituals like shoveling snow -although the nights can get pretty darn chilly this time of year. But that doesn't mean San Diegans lose out on traditional holiday activities...San Diego has plenty of traditional things to do. With all the excellent assisted living retirement communities in San Diego, active seniors are encouraged to ask their transportation directors about organizing a trip highlighting these activities:


1. December Nights in Balboa Park:
The holiday season kicks off with a grand celebration in Balboa Park. Balboa Park December Nights is a holiday gift to the community that brings out the holiday spirit in all. The beloved San Diego event features sparkling lights, theatrical and musical entertainment, and exotic Food/Spirits throughout the Park.

2. Holiday of Lights:
Simply spectacular - they claim it's the largest animated, drive-through light show on the West Coast. It's held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds north of La Jolla and runs nightly from Thanksgiving through early January. On Fridays, they offer a special hayride tour through the lights.

3. San Diego Botanic Garden:
This is a must see for all seniors residing in a San Diego assisted living retirement community. Their holiday display boasts more than 100,000 sparkling LED lights, providing a backdrop for activities that include horse-drawn-wagon rides, marshmallow roasting and visits with Santa.

4. San Diego Bay Parade of Lights:
The city of San Diego's only Christmas parade happens on the water and it is scheduled to run December 12 and 19, 5:30 - 9pm. The route runs along a long stretch of waterfront and you'll find plenty of places to watch it from. This year's theme theme is "The Sounds of Christmas" and it promises to be better than ever. Best vantage points are from the shore along the Embarcadero, Seaport Village, Harbor Island and Coronado.

December in San Diego is a great place to celebrate the Holiday Season. We are so blessed to live, work and play here. Check with your San Diego assisted living retirement community for their schedule of events - enjoy the Holidays in beautiful San Diego.