Resources For Aging Well

AdaptFocusMy name is DeQuel Robinson, Im a native of Mobile, AL and I currently work as a Program Supervisor for Mobile Parks & Recreation, a Track & Field Coach/Personal Trainer, and Doctoral student. Im also a former Pro Wheelchair Basketball Athlete. Ive lived with an Ambulatory (Physical) Disability since the Fall of 2008. Prior to that date, I was a star athlete in Football & Track & Field.  Sports has always been my passion and love since the age of 5. Who would have thought that the two sports I love so dearly would be taken away from me at the young age of 21.In the Fall of 2008, October 18th, my life changed forever when I was shot 7 times and left for dead. God truly had His hands on me because He covered me while being on the ground an hour in a half and gave me the strength to dial 911. The multiple gun shots left me partially paralyzed from the waist down. That didnt stop me from developing a focus mindset and thriving ahead, tapping into my purpose. After being confined to a wheelchair, I was able to create a path for myself through sports and fitness. I became involved in wheelchair activities and earned a wheelchair basketball scholarship to The University of Alabama. During my tenure at the University of Alabama, I earned my Bachelors and Masters degrees and became a 2-Time Intercollegiate National Champion. Upon completing my masters degree, I furthered my career in wheelchair basketball by accepting an offer to play professionally in France. After completing my time overseas, I moved back to the great city of Mobile, Alabama to fulfill my purpose by helping others like myself and by creating my Nonprofit Organization, AdaptFocus. AdaptFocus is a Nonprofit Organization whose mission is:Help and empower those with Ambulatory (Physical) Disabilities through Athletics, Fitness and Recreational Programs within the community, while also providing mentorship to those faced with sudden physical challenges. Creating a pathway for those with physical disabilities, who are looking to further their goals & dreams through sports and activities. Removing barriers so that everyone has an equal opportunity to enjoy any and all activities to live a more active independent lifestyle. AdaptFocus is dedicated to helping and serving the community in a way that truly makes a difference on our grand vision, Adapting Forward Without Limitations.Contact DeQuel Robinson for more information about the non-profit, AdaptFocus at adaptfocus21@gmail.com or AdaptFocus.org.

First-Time Caregiver?  You~re Not Alone and Hospice Can HelpTaking care of someone who is seriously ill or facing a life-limiting illness can be intimidating, tiring and sometimes frustrating. But your role as a first-time caregiver can also be rewarding if you:Lean on your hospice team for support, education and hospice-specific careFollow the advice and suggestions of experienced caregiversNearly 40 percent of Americans are providing long-term care to an older family member or friend, according to the Associated Press-NORC Centers Long-Term Caregiving Poll.1 Caregivers include 59 percent women, 41 percent men, with older caregivers likely to be caring for a parent or spouse, and those under 40 likely to be caring for a grandparent or friend.Hospice supports patients and their first-time caregiversIf your loved one has a life-limiting illness that qualifies for hospice care, start by calling VITAS to explore the home-based services and benefits that are available to first-time caregivers. Resources range from weekly visits from members of a VITAS hospice medical team (physician, nurse, aide) to home delivery of equipment, supplies and medications related to your loved ones diagnosis. Most hospice care is provided at home, wherever your loved one calls home.Explore Medicare benefits for hospice careThe costs of hospice care are fully covered for hospice-eligible patients by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance plans. Talk to your love ones doctor about the requirements for a hospice referral, knowing that primary-care physicians can remain involved in your loved ones care even after they are receiving hospice services.The goal of hospice care is to relieve the burden on your terminally ill loved one by addressing pain, managing symptoms and supporting quality of life at the end of life. Hospice also supports caregivers by providing access to a hospice chaplain, social worker, volunteer and bereavement support up to 13 months after a loved ones death.The national caregiving poll found that prayer and meditation were common sources of comfort and coping for caregivers, and other strategies and tips from experienced caregivers can help first-time caregivers avoid caregiver burnout.Just remember that if youre a first-time caregiver, youre not alone.1Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. June-July 2018 poll of 1,024 U.S. adults. https://www.longtermcarepoll.org/long-term-caregiving-the-true-costs-of-caring-for-aging-adults/

The last two years have been a rough ride. As a reminder for 2022, if you havent taken the time to sit down and organize your familys finances, there is no better time than now to develop new habits and get your year off to a running start. These are the necessary steps to take.Find a Financial Planner. A financial planner will help walk through the whole process. It is important to work with a financial planner who works with people similar to you. Going on the internet and searching names is probably not the most effective way because you never know what you are going to get. Asking for referrals from friends or family is a great way to go. You know the financial planner has done a good job for them, which automatically creates trust and credibility. Remember, there are many options. Speak to a few people and see who would be a good fit for you and your family.Meet With a Financial Planner. The first step is establishing your financial goals. The financial planner will ask: What are the financial goals that you want to achieve? What are your dreams? Without setting goals, it makes it impossible to achieve them. A goal a client may have is, I want to send my children to school. So, right away I need to know what that means. Does it mean youre paying for all their tuition, or just part of it? A client may also say they want to save to purchase a home and need 20% down. Well, what type of home are you looking for, and in what price range? A financial planner will probe and dig deeper to get those answers.How Do We Get There? Your goals must be written down. When you begin to work towards these goals, budgeting becomes a vital part of this process. As a family, its about sitting down and looking at your monthly cash flows. This is a basic practice that every family and household must to be doing. You need to know what your budget is, to ensure you are not living outside of your means. Which means, you have enough money coming in to pay for the expenses going out. It doesnt matter if you are a billionaire or if youre making $20,000 a year on a side job, if you are spending more money than youre bringing in, you are going to find yourself in debt.Budgeting is Easier Than You Think. People tend to overcomplicate budgeting. Remember, budgeting is not one-and-done, it needs to be done on a regular ongoing basis. How much you spend on food or utilities varies from month to month, so you want to figure out on average how much you are spending. Once you start the process and go year-over-year, you really understand your spending. The same average holds true for how much money you are bringing in, because that might change from month to month depending on your job or career.Realize Your Debt. When working through budgeting, you will realize your debt. Now, you can work toward paying off your debt, as well as saving money for the future. People say, I cant save money, I need to pay off my debt first. This should not be an all-or-nothing thing; it should be more of a balancing act. You want to be paying off your debt while you are saving for the future, because you dont want to miss the early earning years in your career. Time is your friend when it comes to saving and investing.Have an Emergency Fund. If your hot water tank blows up, you need to replace it right away. You want to ensure you have cash immediately on hand, avoiding the I have to use my credit card. Or, if you lost your job, you want to have cash set aside to cover your expenses. If you are in a two-income household, the rule of thumb is to have three months of expenses saved as cash. In a one-income household, you want to have six months worth. Many people lost their jobs during the pandemic, and having cash would have helped them to get through. As were saving for the future, we want to make sure were saving for the emergencies that can happen today. That needs to be a top priority.Long-Term Saving. Were saving for our immediate expenses and now we need to be thinking long-term saving for our retirements. This includes saving for our children. If you will be sending them to school, starting a 529 Plan for their college expenses makes sense. Or, if you plan to send them to private school for K-12 education, a 529 Plan can also be used for that. Working with a financial planner on what your goal is for your childs education and future is as important as working on your investment planning. The sooner you start the better. Ill get more into detail about 529 Plans in an upcoming article.Term Insurance. Term insurance is used in case something happens to the primary breadwinner. You want to make sure your spouse is protected. What happens if the breadwinner passes away unexpectedly? Term insurance is great coverage to protect your family financially in those unforeseen situations. Working with your financial planner, and walking through these steps, youll know how much coverage needs to be there and for how long to protect your family to be financially secure now and in the future. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER practitioner and a Certified Personal Finance Counselor professional with the Weber Group at Hefren-Tillotson, I have outlined these simple steps to protect you, your family, and your future. I stress the need for education because, as a former educator, I believe making informed and educated decisions about ones financial life is just as important in ones medical life. If you have concerns about getting your familys financial future in order, please contact me as I would be glad to help.

Signs and Symptoms of GlaucomaAs we age, there~s a ton to pay attention to in terms of our health. One area that tends to be overlooked is our eye health. More than 12 million Americans have a vision impairment. For many people, wearing glasses or contacts has been a part of life since childhood, and a slow digression in vision feels normal.Glaucoma is an eye condition that affects more than 3 million Americans and can lead to irreversible blindness. This new year, use the month to vow to better eye health and learn about glaucoma signs and symptoms. Understanding this condition could save you from losing your vision in the future.What is Glaucoma?Glaucoma is a common eye condition with more than 200,000 cases each year in the United States. Glaucoma develops when high eye pressure damages the nerves connecting the eyes and the brain. It~s a slow-progressing condition that often leads to a loss of eyesight and, in some cases, total blindness. While there~s no way to bring back vision after it~s lost, surgery to release eye pressure can slow or stop glaucoma from progressing.Since it~s a slow-moving condition, many people don~t notice early signs of glaucoma, although late symptoms include pain and vision loss. Glaucoma is most common in people aged 40 and older and those with a family history of glaucoma. It~s also common in people with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or sickle cell anemia.Types of GlaucomaGlaucoma refers to a type of eye condition that affects a person~s vision. There are two main types of glaucoma.Open-angle glaucoma. This is the most common form of glaucoma and occurs when the trabecular meshwork is blocked, causing gradual pressure on the eye. Many people don~t experience any open-angle glaucoma symptoms and often don~t notice a problem until they begin losing vision.Angle-closure glaucoma. This type of glaucoma occurs when the bulging of the iris blocks the drainage angle. Symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma include severe headache, eye pain, eye redness, and blurred vision. This condition may suddenly occur and is considered a medical emergency.All forms of glaucoma happen because there is unwanted pressure on the eye due to a blockage. Different types of glaucoma are diagnosed, depending on how the blockage occurs.Pigmentary glaucoma-When the eye~s drainage system becomes clogged by pigments from the iris, it~s referred to as pigmentary glaucoma. It~s most common in younger adults because there is less pigment in the eye to cause a blockage as we age.Uveitic glaucoma- The middle layer of the eye is called the uveitis. Its purpose is to provide blood to the retina. If the uveitis becomes swollen or inflamed and puts pressure on the eye, it~s called uveitic glaucoma.Exfoliative glaucoma- Sometimes, the eye~s outer layer can shed a flaky material that gets stuck in the drainage system, causing exfoliative glaucoma. This type of glaucoma is most common in those of northern European descent after the age of 40.Living with GlaucomaUnfortunately, once you lose your vision to glaucoma, there~s no way to get it back. Early detection is the key to protecting your vision against glaucoma. You should start regular eye exams by age 40 as this is when vision changes begin to occur. When looking for early signs of glaucoma, your doctor will examine the inner eye pressure, the shape and color of the optic nerve, your field of vision, the angle of where the iris meets the cornea, and its thickness of the cornea. If you have high-risk factors such as diabetes or a family history of glaucoma, your doctor may suggest more frequent follow-ups to monitor your eye health.This article was submitted by Visiting Angels with locations in Mobile and Baldwin Counties.  If you or a loved one suffers from glaucoma or another eye condition that makes it hard to see and perform daily tasks, Visiting Angels can help.  Call them at 251-345-4100.