Toward A More Age-Friendly DallasJust as the human body needs a good diet and exercise to thrive, the places we live, work and play our communities grow stronger with a plan for getting better with age.In Dallas, an effort is underway to make this a more livable city for everyone, whether you are eight years old, 80 or older. And what's great about this effort is that we all have the opportunity to help and to shape the future of Dallas.Public discussions about how to improve our community will come about as the City of Dallas Senior Services Program and community groups develop a five-year strategy on how to improve the livability of the city for people of all ages.To build awareness of what's happening, AARP and a popular social networking group, IACT (Innovation in Aging, Caregiving and Technology, a meetup.com group), will hold monthly in-person meetings about big issues facing Dallas.Only a few months ago, Dallas took a big step toward becoming a more age-friendly place when it entered the AARP Network of Age Friendly Communities. The nationwide network involves dozens of communities, including other major Texas cities like Fort Worth, and seeks to help towns and cities find ways to strengthen the quality of neighborhoods. The work entails devising safer, walkable streets, better housing and transportation options, access to key services, and finding opportunities for all residents to engage in their community.As I see it, Dallas leaders now have new opportunities to discuss and invest in community essentials like outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, and housing. There's also room for conversations about the other things that make for a great community like social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, and community and health services.Dallas is a healthy and vibrant community. Now, as the city crafts a strategy for becoming more age-friendly, we have the opportunity to set the standard for what it means to be a world-class community for people of all ages.Editor's Note: This article was submitted by Susan Williams. Susan is an associate state director with AARP Texas and can be reached at 1-866-551-5377.

Same person, different abilitiesThis topic is very personal for me. My mother, who lived an extraordinarily active and healthy life until age 75, suddenly found herself using a wheelchair for mobility after a car accident. While driving one day, she experienced a mini-stroke and lost control of her car, hitting a large stone wall head on. Thankfully, she survived, but her recovery required months in the hospital, followed by years of rehabilitation.Mom accepted her limitations with a usual positive attitude, but it wasnt easy. She hated having to rely on others because, in the past, she was always the helper, not the person needing assistance. She learned to graciously accept help when needed, though she continued to do whatever she could on her own.Life in a wheelchair was difficult for mom, but she coped well with her new normal. What bothered her more than her physical limitations was the way people looked at her once in the wheelchair. If they looked at her at all, that is. She was the same person, but treated very differently. Why do people make negative assumptions about people with disabilities?Why are people uncomfortable around people using a wheelchair?When out and about, I noticed strangers avoided making eye contact with Mom and looked over her head. If one of us happened to be nearby, they sometimes spoke to usabout heras if she were invisible.Occasionally someone spoke directly to her, but talked loudly and slowly as though she had a hearing impairment or possible dementia. Mom was sharper at her advanced age than most people 30 years younger. There was nothing wrong with her brain and she was not deaf. She simply could no longer walk easily.At a wedding, I saw people looking at Mom with pity, something she did not want or need. Very few people other than immediate family took the time to sit down and keep her company.I know people are sometimes uncomfortable with situations with which they are unfamiliar. Or perhaps theyre afraid of saying the wrong thing and unintentionally offending the other person. Plus, we are taught early on not to stare, so avoidance is often the knee-jerk reaction.  I get it. I just wish it were different.So how do you treat someone in a wheelchair?The best way to talk to someone in a wheelchair is to talk to them as you would anyone else. Ignore the disability and look at the person in front of you. Here are some basic tips that might help:Speak directly to themDo not ignore the person in the wheelchair and talk only to the able-bodied person with them. This behavior is frustrating to the individual in the wheelchair. Let them know you are interested in what they have to say.Make eye contactDon't look over their head, look at their eyes. If you expect the conversation to last more than a couple of minutes, pull over a chair so you can more easily converse eye to eye.Do not touch the wheelchairTo a wheelchair user, the wheelchair is part of their personal space. Some consider it an extension of their body. Do not touch or move a person's wheelchair unless invited to do so.Ask before you helpYou might want to help if you observe someone with a disability experiencing difficulty, but always ask before helping. The person with the disability may want to try to do whatever they can on their own first, even if difficult for them. Most people prefer to try to be as independent as possible, and if it turns out they do need help, your assistance will likely be very much appreciated.Challenging the negative disability stereotypesSadly, my mom passed away four years ago at age 83. As one of her caregivers, I learned a lot over the eight years she used a wheelchair. As a result of this experience, I became a passionate advocate for disability rights.As the Publisher of 50PlusToday, an online senior lifestyle magazine, I have a platform where I can educate people about all aspects of aging, including accessibility. I work diligently to help people live their best lives as long as possible, as safely as possible. I also try to educate the general population about ways to be more inclusive. Below are some of my favorite articles from the 50PlusToday online magazine related to accessibility.Want to Age in Place? How to Make Your Home Work Long TermLets Call It VisitabilityKitchen Modifications To Make NOW (Before You Need Them!)8 Reasons Modern Bidets Are Becoming A Must-Have Bathroom Accessory: Do You Need One?Four Most Commonly Googled Questions About Grab BarsLooking for a Grab Bar That Doesnt Look Like a Grab Bar?Planning To Age in Place? Consider Universal Design Concepts6 Innovative Products/Services That Make Life Easier For Family CaregiversApproximately 20 percent of the American population lives with some sort of disability, according to the latest US Census data. Statistically, about 10% live with a visible physical disability or some type of mobility impairment. More than three million people in the U.S. use a wheelchair full-time.These are not small numbers! To effect change, we each need to do our small part to help make the world a better place for those who need a little extra help.I challenge you to start today. When you next encounter a person in a wheelchair, stop and say hello. No need to even offer to help or comment on their situation; simply make eye contact and greet them as a regular person. Because they are a regular person. People with disabilities have full lives with interesting stories and experiences to share. The hardest part of disability is being ignored.Try to see the person, not the disability.Written by Leslie Farin, Publisher 50Plus-Today, Online Senior Lifestyle Magazine

Helping someone realize they are at risk You've probably heard someone say I'm worried that my mom will fall and no one will be there or my mom got lost while walking her dog or my client forgot to take their medication or my client over dosed on her medication because she could not remember if she had taken it. Don't you wish there was something you could do for them? The following approach can be used to assist your discussion with them in any situation including fall prevention, diabetes, medication errors, safe driving, memory issues etc. Remember, this is about them; so include their thoughts on the subject. The first question is to ask is if they think they are at risk? If they flat out say no, its time to move to another subject and approach the topic again at a later time you do not want them to become entrenched in their thinking and you want the opportunity for a positive discussion. The next time you ask the question, bring up a specific event to engage their thoughts and help them to identify things they can do to help themselves to remain safe. They forget their medicine or take too many sometimes. Remind them that not taking their medicine makes them feel worst or causes them more pain and taking too much medicine caused them to go to the hospital. Solutions may include putting a note on the fridge to remind them when its time to take their medicine and helping them to prepare their medication for the week. They have fallen before and are at a risk for falls. Ask them if they have fallen or almost fallen in the past. Ask them if no one was there would they be able to get up on their own. Solutions include identifying ways to prevent them from falling and ways to call for help. While they are thinking about risks, provide more information to help them face their illness or problem. Its important to listen. The more they feel they are in control and making the decision, the more likely they will follow through with it. Get a professional involved who can offer additional information. Most importantly, respond positively and support them in their decisions so they continue to communicate with you. With an open line of communication, you can help them to identify and prevent risks. Editors Note: This article was submitted by Bonnie Resnick-Destruel with Family Care Services, Inc. Contact Bonnie at 972-668-8242 or bonnie@familycaresrv.com

Join Kathleen Warshawsky, BSN RN, for a Seniors Blue Book Senior Care Spotlight, featuring Tavis Schriefer, CEO of teleCalm.What is teleCalm?The teleCalm service stopsproblem calls for seniors whether they live at home or in a senior living community.We especially help those living with Alzheimers and dementia by keeping them safely connected to family and friends.Our service reduces senior isolation. We help seniors maintain their independence, while helping family caregivers prevent phone-related problems such as late-night calls, repeated calls, and 911 abuse. Plus, we stop 100% of telemarketer/scam calls.How do you do that?Family caregivers subscribe to the teleCalm service for their loved one, and it replaces any existing home phone service provider. Our service works whether the senior lives at home or in a senior living community even in memory care, where ordinary phone service is not allowed.We provide a small wireless adapter that the telephone plugs into. They dont need to have existing phone service or internet service.The family caregiver manages all the features and benefits of our service remotely through the teleCalm Caregiver app on their smartphone.If a family wants your service for their loved one in senior living, does the community have to already have your service installed?No. Were currently in over 170 communities across the US. In the majority of these communities, the family member has brought the teleCalm adapter into their loved ones apartment and plugged it in themselves. The great thing is we dont touch the communitys telephone wiring and we dont use the community Wi-Fi. Our wireless adapter uses cellular but has a standard phone jack on the back to plug in any standard home telephone.What do your customers tell you they like most about the teleCalm service?Our customers love how simple our service is to use. If you know how to add a contact in your cell phone, you will find it easy to use our Caregiver app to manage the teleCalm service.For many, our service has been life-changing for their family whether its stopping all those late night and repeated calls, or stopping their loved ones from getting scammed, or stopping the frequent inappropriate 911 calling. Often times, we have been the only way their loved one can keep a telephone because we are able to stop all the bad calls, while keeping them connected with their family and friends.Our customers also love teleCalms personal touch to support. Our US-based customer support is manned by staff who have been caregivers themselves so they understand first-hand the issue families are going through.What changes have you seen since COVID-19?Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in the US, weve witnessed the same concerns that we are all seeing on the news regarding senior isolation, both at home and in senior livings.We hear this firsthand in the phone calls with our new customers as they as they are searching for ways to stay connected with their elderly family members.teleCalm is helping to reduce social isolation in seniors, especially during pandemic and were providing peace of mind to the families.Since the stay-at-home orders and the lockdowns in senior livings, our customers are talking with their loved ones longer. The average phone call is now over 70% longer then pre-COVID calls.Since families cant visit their loved one in person, they are spending more time talking to them on the phone.Some new customers thought that maybe they had to wait until the lockdowns were over before they could install teleCalm service in their loved ones senior living apartment, but thats not true.We continue to add new subscribers during COVID-19. Normally the caregiver brings the adapter in and sets it up, but during COVID, the senior living staff have been more than willing to set it up for the family, because it only takes 10 minutes.Besides teleCalm, have you seen any other technologies that can be helpful for seniors, especially during these times? Well, on the telephone side, a lot of families like these photo dial telephones that allow their loved ones to make calls by touching the picture of the person instead of dialing the phone number.Also, with all of us staying at home, we are watching a lot more TV. There is this one type of speaker thats specifically designed for the hearing impaired. It enhances the voices, making them clearer, while toning down the background music and noises that often make it difficult to understand the dialog.Then theres this unique adaptive clothing company that customizes your loved ones existing clothing, replace the need for buttons with hidden Velcro or magnets, making it easier for seniors to dress themselves.You can learn more about some of these items here:http://www.telecalmprotects.com/dags/How would someone find out more about teleCalm?Theres a wealth of knowledge on our website at teleCalmProtects.com, and they can also call us at 888-701-0411.