The Arbor Company Senior Living Blog

Most senior living communities, including those operated by The Arbor Company, are prohibiting any visitors during the COVID-19 crisis. Older adults are at higher risk for serious illness and even death, particularly those with underlying health problems such as heart disease, diabetes or compromised immune systems.

So how can you stay in touch with your loved one during this time? You can always call on the phone or write a note to say hello, of course. But with creative uses of technology, you can find ways to ‘reach out and touch’ your loved one without physical contact that might put his or her health at risk. Here are a few ideas:

Aging can be tough — not just for a senior, but for those who love them. You may watch the parent you once saw as omnipotent lose some of their abilities, become more vulnerable, and struggle with their own mortality. Though every family is different, many encounter similar challenges as they navigate the aging journey. Here are five pieces of advice from The Arbor Company’s aging experts. 

Information regarding the COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, is everywhere, and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or confused. However, one thing is certain: The risk of developing severe and dangerous complications due to the virus increases with age. This means that senior care and senior living professionals have been paying especially close attention to the science and research surrounding COVID-19.

This blog was published on March 17, 2016 and updated on December 26, 2019.

Aging can be scary. Seniors often fear the unknown, including the loss of independence and the potential long-term effects of serious medical conditions. This may be why many seniors are resistant to seeking help, and are sometimes even secretive about any new symptoms they experience. Watching your parents make dangerous decisions can be agonizing. For many adult children, the shift from care recipient to caregiver sparks an identity crisis. Navigating this rocky terrain is never easy. You’ll need to keep your own emotions in check so that you can help your parents manage their needs — both physical and emotional. 

Making sense of senior insurance needs and processes can seem confusing and almost unbearable at times. Between paperwork and deadlines, Medicare and secondary insurance, seniors can find themselves inadvertently without the correct insurance coverage. If you or a loved one is retiring or over the age of 65, now is the time to get your health insurance concerns addressed before a major medical crisis hits. To get you started, here are a few of our tips.

Staying active, both physically and socially, is a key component to healthy aging. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seniors of all ages can benefit from regular physical activity. Even better, that physical activity doesn’t need to be strenuous to achieve health benefits.

As you move into your senior years, you may find yourself completely clueless about senior health care. In fact, there is an entire industry dedicated to offering aging adults health care services that aim to keep them as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Options are plentiful, but that also can mean that confusion abounds as well.

You love your Mom or Dad, but are at a loss of what to do if they begin showing signs of aging. It can be overwhelming and somewhat terrifying watching your parent or loved one lose the strength or some abilities that they have had for years. However, aging does bring some new challenges and obstacles to overcome. As a daughter or son, you will likely find yourself navigating a new relationship with your parents, walking a fine line between child and caregiver.

If your parent is having a procedure that proves to be too difficult for her to recover at her own home, or if she simply cannot live safely at home alone any longer, you may find yourself preparing for her to move into your home. Chances are, you are feeling nervous and worried. You may be feeling excited to have her near. You may also be angry or upset that this move is happening. While you work through your emotions, you must also focus on how to make your home work for your mom and for your family throughout this new living situation. Make the move and subsequent months a bit more bearable by preparing ahead of time.