Many elder-care resources are available online

Dear Geezer,

It’s Al again. Your last column was helpful in a number of ways to me, but it wasn’t very specific as to what resources might be available to seniors or even to us who are not ready for such services. Can you give some examples of resources we can look at?

Al

Dear Al,

You are right. I must honor my column’s word-limit. So here are a few places I would suggest you look into.   

There are a great many electronic newsletters and services you might check out.

If you are interested in health and nutrition, one site is Dr. Andrew Weil’s extensive site, www.drweil.com. It invites you to sign up for daily and weekly health tips, some of which I have found intriguing and useful. He advocates alternative health measures as well as traditional medicine.

A monthly newsletter I usually see some practical tips in is the “Aging Network Connection.” It is published by the Idaho Commission on Aging. You can find it by going to www.idahoaging.com. 

In the March edition, for instance, issues covered are: Medicare part B, the Veterans’ Emergency Care Fairness Act, reducing your stress, breathing exercises for stress reduction, advocating the life-saving value of colonoscopies, grocery tax credit refund for low-income older adults.

There are other articles that are more like a “bulletin board” promotion. But you get the idea.

Another e-newsletter site I find helpful is www.agingwellmag.com. They offer a variety of good articles and tips about physical and cognitive health issues.   

Check out the internet. There is an increasing amount of information about aging and the various resources available for almost any age-related need. A warning! If you see something on the internet or in some sort of commercial that interests you, please check it out with someone you trust who knows more about that kind of product.

I just saw an ad headlined “The Official Antioxidant of Centenarians.” Targeting centenarians says something about our aging population, doesn’t it! 

This particular ad is for a pill with pomegranate extract. I don’t know who crowned this pill the “official antioxidant of centenarians,” but I’m skeptical the pill is as magical as it sounds.

When in doubt, check it out!