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.

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.

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.

Tips to Decrease Risk of Falling - San Diego Assisted Living Retirement Communities

Are you concerned about the agility of an aging loved one and think it may be time to look into a San Diego assisted living retirement community for him/her? It’s true that as people age, the risk of falling increases, especially if they have medical conditions such as arthritis, cataracts or issues with their hips.

If your loved one is not in an assisted living retirement community in San Diego, or any other city for that matter, there are some things that you can do in the home to help decrease the risk of falling. Some things to consider according to familydoctor.org include:

• Have good lighting. This could help avoid tripping over unseen objects. Use night lights throughout the house, especially on stairs.
• Keep electrical cords out of walking areas.
• Fasten rugs to the floor – loose ends and corners are tripping hazards. Use rugs with nonskid backing.
• Install hand rails in the bath, shower and next to the toilet for support.
• Have rails on both sides of stairs.
• Keep kitchen items within reach so that stools are not necessary – do not store anything too high or too low.
• Make sure they wear shoes that fit snugly and have nonskid soles.

Taking preventative measures will help ensure a safer environment for your loved one. If you believe that your loved one would benefit from some extra assistance with daily living there are many quality San Diego assisted living retirement communities to choose from.