Senior Living Advice: Learn Today to Live Better Tomorrow

By BETH DOW, Home Helpers of GA & AL

Aging isn’t for the timid.

Whether you are prepared for what life has to throw you as you age or not, if you are lucky, you will get to age.  But if you are like me, I don’t just want to age.  I want to age well.  And your best bet to age well is to be prepared.

But how can you be prepared for something you have never faced?  You research, look for answers and talk to experts.  That could take a lot of time.  Or you could attend this Fall’s Healthy Aging Expo.  This Expo is a one-stop shop for everything you need to know about how to age well.

The Expo – “Learn Today to Live Better Tomorrow, A Healthy Aging Expo” –  is set to take place on Thursday, Sept. 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Crossroads Church, 3260 Hwy. 16, in Sharpsburg. 

We will have professionals from healthcare, housing, finance, and senior law.  Whether you are “of a certain age” or you love someone who is, this is a great place to begin your search to gather information.

Now a bit of advice about attending expos.

What typically happens is that you end up with a bag full of information which you have all the good faith in the world to read over, organize and file.  But instead, you don’t.  You stuff it up on some shelf somewhere for later or worse yet, after staring at it on your counter for a few weeks, you just chunk it.

So here is a tip.  Before you go to the expo, grab three folders or three manila envelopes.  On each folder or envelope, write: “Where Do I Want to Live”; the next one write: “How Am I Going to Pay for It”; and on the 3rd one write: “Who is Going to Take Care of Me.”

Then when you get home, just take five minutes to put all the brochures, fliers and everything you picked up in one of those three folders or envelopes.  Then go put them in a drawer or file cabinet. Throughout the year as you pick up other information, put that information in the same envelopes or folders. Then when you need it, you will know where to find the information.

That is step one after attending the expo.  Step two?  Attend the Experts’ Panel on Tuesday, Oct. 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  This is a great place for adult children and their parents to attend together, to ensure they are on the same page in understanding the goals and the steps to achieve them.   You can find out more about the Experts’ Panel at the Expo.

If you are a vendor that serves the senior population and would like to have a booth at our Healthy Aging Expo, email [email protected].

I hope to see you there.  Stop by the Home Helpers booth and say Hi!

Beth Dow is a Dementia and Alzheimer’s Educator, CAEd and Geriatric Care Manager. She is also the owner of Home Helpers of GA & AL in Newnan. Readers can contact her by email at [email protected].