Savvy Senior

Dear Savvy Senior, Do you know of any resources that help family caregivers monetarily? I have to miss a lot of work to take care of my elderly mother and it’s financially stressing me. Stretched Thin Dear Stretched, Caring for an elder parent can be challenging in many ways, but it can be especially difficult financially if you have to miss work or quit your job to provide care. Fortunately, there are a number of government programs, tax breaks, and other tips that may be able to help you monetarily while you care for your … [Read more...] about Financial aid for family caregivers

Dear Savvy Senior, What’s the best way to find good, trustworthy, qualified people who can help seniors with home chores or small jobs? Looking for Mom Dear Looking, Getting help at home for any number of household tasks is a lot easier than it use to be thanks to a number of web-based tools that can quickly and easily connect you and your mom to a wide variety of skilled, carefully vetted workers. Here’s what you should know. Finding Qualified Help One of the best ways to find qualified, reliable, trustworthy people that … [Read more...] about Where seniors can get help with home chores and small jobs

Dear Savvy Senior, Can my Social Security benefits be garnished if I have some outstanding debts? I just turned 62 and would like to start collecting my retirement benefits, but want to find this out before I apply. Worried Retiree Dear Worried, Whether your Social Security benefits are garnishable or not depends on whom you owe. Banks and other financial creditors, for example, can’t touch your Social Security checks. But if Uncle Sam is collecting on a debt, some of your benefits are fair game. Here’s what you should … [Read more...] about Can a debt collector take my Social Security benefits?

Dear Savvy Senior, What’s the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia? My aunt has dementia, but they don’t know if she has Alzheimer’s disease, which is very confusing to me. Trying To Understand Dear Trying, Many people use the words “Alzheimer’s disease” and “dementia” interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. In fact, you can have a form of dementia that is completely unrelated to Alzheimer’s disease. Here’s what you should know. Dementia versus Alzheimer’s Dementia is a general term for a set of … [Read more...] about What’s the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia?

Dear Savvy Senior, Are there any specific auto gadgets you can recommend that can help senior drivers? Both of my parents are in there eighties and still pretty good drivers, but due to arthritis and age they’re very stiff, which causes them some driving problems. Researching Daughter Dear Researching, To help keep senior drivers safe and prolong their driving years, there’s a plethora of inexpensive, aftermarket vehicle adaptions you can purchase that can easily be added to your parent’s vehicles to help with many … [Read more...] about Simple Gadgets That Can Help Older Drivers

Dear Savvy Senior, What resources can you recommend to help seniors with vision loss? My husband, who’s 76, has macular degeneration that has progressed to the point that he can’t do a lot of his routine activities anymore, and has become very discouraged. Looking for Help Dear Looking, Unfortunately, there are around 15 million Americans, like your husband, living with macular degeneration today. Over time, this progressive disease can rob people of their central vision, making everyday tasks like driving a car, reading the … [Read more...] about Tips for living with low vision

Dear Savvy Senior What are the cheapest cell phone plans available to seniors today? I’m 78-years-old and want it primarily for emergency purposes. Infrequent Caller Dear Infrequent, While unlimited high-speed data, video streaming and mobile hot spot are now standard for most cell phone plans today, there are still a number of low-cost wireless plans designed with seniors in mind. These plans offer limited talk time and text, which is ideal for seniors who want to stay connected without spending much money each month. Here are … [Read more...] about Cheap cell phone plans for seldom calling seniors

Dear Savvy Senior, What’s the best way to go about making a living will? I recently retired and would like to start getting my affairs in order, just in case. Approaching 70 Dear Approaching, Preparing a living will now is a smart decision that gives you say in how you want to be treated at the end of your life. Here’s what you should know, along with some resources to help you create one. Advance Directive To adequately spell out your wishes regarding your end-of-life medical treatment you need two legal documents: A … [Read more...] about How to make a living will

Dear Savvy Senior, What types of travel discounts are available to older travelers? I just retired and am interested in learning about travel deals for people over 60. Ready To Go Dear Ready, There are literally thousands of different travel-related discounts available to retirees that usually start anywhere between the ages 50 and 65. These discounts – typically ranging between 5 and 25 percent off – can add up to save you hundreds of dollars on your next trip. Here’s how you can find them. Ways to Save The first thing to … [Read more...] about How to find retiree travel perks

Dear Savvy Senior, What can you tell me about reverse mortgages for retirees? My wife and I are contemplating getting one but want to make sure we know what we’re getting into. Running Short Dear Running, For retirees who own their home and want to stay living there, but could use some extra cash, a reverse mortgage is a viable financial tool, but there’s a lot to know and consider to be sure it’s a good option for you. Let’s start with the basics. A reverse mortgage is a unique type of loan that allows older homeowners to … [Read more...] about What you need to know about reverse mortgages