By April Lentini

It happens to everyone with parents. One day, it will be time to take care of those who raised you. Retirement homes have long been the choice for busy families that don’t have the time or the room to care for their folks. But there are other options. If you plan ahead, you hook your mom and dad up with an agreeable living situation that will make you happy, them happy, and will not break your budget.

I recently quit my job at a retirement home. By all appearances, it was a very nice retirement home. The first thing you saw when you walked in was a large elegant dining room, a winding staircase, and a grand piano in the middle of a sky-lit atrium. The average age of residents was eighty five years old, and while it was considered “independent living” most of the residents were dependent. They depended on staff to prepare them three meals a day, they depended on the bus driver for transportation (since many had given up driving) and they even depended on an activity director to schedule ways for them to pass their time (that was my job). These services were selling points for the facility, and families were willing to pay an average of four thousand ($4,000) dollars a month so mom and dad could play bingo and bridge in a nicely furnished community. Because this facility was considered independent living, the rent did not cover health services.

In the year that I worked there, I got to know many of the residents. They confided in me. I learned that many of the seniors never really felt like it was their home or even a suitable replacement. Despite the extravagant landscaping, it was still institutionalized living. A lot of them hated the food. Some were even pretending to be happy just for their children. OK, some old folks are just cranky, and you can’t please them no matter what. But regardless, I couldn’t help the feeling that in many ways, retirement homes are completely unnecessary and even a waste of money.

In today’s tight economy, it’s time to be creative and resourceful when it comes to finding a home for Mom and Dad. Rather than committing your parents (or grandparents) to expensive retirement institutions, consider these housing alternatives.

Make room at home

(Seriously.)

Up until the second half of the 20th century, this is how people lived! Multiple generations lived under one roof. Make room in the basement. Convert the garage into another bedroom. Or simply plan ahead now and buy a bigger house than you need. Ever notice how big houses were in the 19th century? That’s because families actually lived together. They were much more unified than they are today. In the old days, it was not unusual to have granny answer the door in her curlers. In fact, in many households, grandparents had an important and useful role in the family. I’m not sure what changed, but somehow Americans became embarrassed by their elderly relatives. It’s time be proud of our families again –no matter how senile they may be!

Of course having your parents live with you works extremely well if you actually get along with them. I lucked out having really cool folks. But it can be done even if you have differences. Just make sure you have enough space for privacy. My parents are not even retired yet, but my husband and I have decided that our next house will be designed to accommodate them when the time comes. We will have an in-law suite (on the first floor of course) or a separate cottage on our property. It’s important to make sure the space is accessible with walkers and wheelchairs. In my opinion, it’s never too early to consider a house with extra space for aging relatives. You can always make use of the space in the meantime by renting it out, hosting an exchange student, or housing your teenage kids.

Buy the house next door

(Hire home health care services as needed.)

Keep property in the family. On a business trip in Greece, I made friends with a local colleague. Before going out to dinner, she invited me to her brand new condo to meet her family. Her family lived in separate condos, but literally owned the whole building. Her great grand parents lived in the condo on the first floor, her grand parents lived on the second floor, her parents lived on the third floor and she had just gotten the deed to the fourth floor where her and her new husband lived. Why pay over four thousand ($4,000) dollars a month on a small apartment in a retirement home, when you can purchase the house next door (or the apartment below you?) Most mortgage payments are considerably cheaper than rent at a retirement community and plus your money goes toward an investment. Not to mention the sense of true independence this will provide your parents. Old people like to have their own things too.

Understandably, some seniors need special care. In this case you can hire a home health service! There are enough services out there for you to choose from a la carte. Many private health services provide drivers, nurses, and housekeepers as needed. Decide what services you and your parents really need to spend money on and employ a private company. There are many such services. You can find them online or just go to your nearest “independent living” retirement home and look through the multitude of home health care brochures. Otherwise, if your parents are close enough, you can provide meals for them and take them shopping. Of course there may be a time when seniors require full-time nursing care for serious illnesses, but in the meantime, why pay for three meals a day at Sleepy Hollow Retirement when you can keep real estate in the family?

Encourage your parents to move to a big city.

(Especially a city you would want to visit!)

For the more active retirees, there are options for adventure. If you have the kind of parents that can’t stand to be still, you may consider packing them up and sending them off. The complaint I heard to most when working in a retirement home was how much the residents missed their cars. They hated giving up their wheels and missed being able to go wherever they want when they want. Subsequently, there is an increasing trend of seniors moving to large cities so they can take advantage of public transportation. While many people have sprawled out to the suburbs, it makes sense for driving impaired seniors to choose an urban setting. living in the heart of a metropolitan area means you don’t need a car, plus there are many things to do and see.

Send your parents to college.

If your parents have an active mind, think about getting them a dorm on a college campus. That’s right, some colleges are now catering to seniors and even offering free classes and discounts on amenities such as golf and tennis. Who needs bingo night when you can take a French class, go to a football game, or see a theatre performance? Research has shown that mental activity may prevent dementia. So, for those seniors considering an "institutional lifestyle," they may as well choose a college campus over a retirement home. The cost of senior dorms vary. Depending on the housing package, some dorms may be just as expensive as retirement homes. But hey, if you plan on forking out rent for a home, renting a room on a lively college campus sure beats the activity department of any retirement home.

Help your parents escape the country.

Retiring abroad may be an appealing choice for seniors who are looking to stretch their dollars. If they insist on enlisting in a retirement community, look at places like Mexico. In fact, many retirement homes in Mexico cater to the American market. One major pitfall of course, is that you won’t get to see them as often. But look at it this way, you’d have a cool place to visit. A few years ago, a lady from England made news for choosing to live out her golden years on a cruise ship. 86-year-old Bea Muller of Florida was aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 in 2000 when her husband died. She didn’t want to move back home to live alone and she didn’t want to live in a retirement home. So, she decided to sell everything and book herself for a world cruise one year at a time. In her case, with all the amenities, it actually worked out cheaper than assisted living.

Of course there may be that rare instance where your parents insist on living in a retirement home. They may actually want to have a 400 square foot apartment, collect "funny money," endure Elvis impersonators, and rely on a one-size-fits all activity calendar for fun. But this is doubtful. Most people want to remain as independent as possible for as long as they can. Most people want to be an active member of a family or community. No matter how old and senile, there are certainly plenty of options for giving them that opportunity outside a cookie-cutter retirement home.

About the Author: April is a freelance writer living in Atlanta. Her website is: www.aprillentini.com

Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=271810&ca=Family+Concerns

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By JoAnn Clarke

Is it the perfect time to pack your family up and explore untamed Africa, or the melting pot of different cultures in Europe, or perhaps marvel at the spectacular Rocky Mountains of Canada? As the seasons of time, of work and of school pass, so may opportunities of vacationing as a family unit. Therefore, you may need to ensure that you put forth earnest effort so that you can make an easy transition from not just talking about the trip to actually affording the trip and taking it.

We all know that vacations are not cheap. Not only is the cost of airfare but also the money required at your destination. You’ll need to keep the tickets for your plane flight to a minimum thus ensuring you have ample funds remaining for accommodation, entertainment and meals.
You’ll want to make sure that you think about the date before you pick it. Check there are no major events in the area during that time. If it is a busy period of the year, there is no ways that you’ll be able to find anything cheap.

Another possibility is to go during the week. Weekend getaways tend to be popular and therefore cost more money. Take into account traveling midweek to acquire savings when it comes to accommodation bookings and entertainment tickets.

Additionally airline tickets generally tend to be costly. There are various options that you may be able to take and have a pleasant flight and save money on the price. Keep in mind that you are going to have to do your research to become educated in what precisely a good deal is and what a bad deal is. You’ll soon discover that there are more than a hundred websites that may give you a good airline deal, but you’ll find that each and every one of the offers is unique.

There are numerous ways to secure cheaper airline tickets, but it’s imperative that you do your research and planning. Firstly, allow yourself some time to plan. You may want to start at the beginning of the year to track down the best deals and packages and then to coordinate your bookings. In this way you will be able to beat the vacation rush and get your tickets before they disappear. For instance, during the summer months it can be tricky to get a good flight in and out of a destination area.

Certain things will affect your price and your flight. The time of your departure is one of the prerequisites that will ascertain some of your discounts. Basically, an early morning flight will be cheaper than a flight that is near to being sold out. Keep in mind that there are some sites that search for your flights according to time. So you may not be able to obtain the desired price for the desired time that you wish to leave.

When it comes to finding the deals, you’ll also want to check with travel agents, because they will be able to hook you up with some great deals that you may not find online. Travel agents offer many advantages that websites may not have. Due to their business longevity, travel agents have established relationships with many airlines and tourism operators so thus they can offer you discount rates that you just wouldn’t secure online. Personalized service is one of the greatest advantages of dealing through an agency.

So, by being flexible in your travel dates and departure time, by booking your reservations early and dealing through a travel agent you may increase your chances of getting the lowest fares possible and finally treating your family to that overseas vacation.

About the Author: JoAnn Clarke, author, artist and entrepreneur, wishes you love, savings and happiness. JoAnn invites you to start your search for the lowest fares with the airline who pioneered the online ticket – right here => Great Airfare Deals. JoAnn has sourced further coupons, discounts and great shopping deals for you here => Coupons, Discounts and Online Deals

Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=416898&ca=Travel

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Do you have any plans of going on a holiday? As you may know by now, vacation is a pleasurable event and a good number of people need to have adequate savings to go on their dream vacation. As it means so much to a large number of people, a lot of them discover holiday planning to be a taxing time but it need not be so. The moment you are adept in making proper vacation plans, it need not be nerve-wracking at all. The following are a few tips to assist you plan a dream vacation.

• In the first place decide on your destination. The preliminary step in making holiday plans is fixing on the location. Once you’ve settled on the vacation spot, you can then address all the other particulars concerning your trip. The world over, there are a lot of fabulous holiday spots to pick.
• Who will accompany you on your travel? In all likelihood this will be decided once you select your holiday spot but if not, you may mull over it now. You will require different accommodations depending on whether you are traveling solo, with friends, as a couple, as a family, etc. Ensure you are aware of who will accompany you.
• Next, think about when you will take off on a vacation. The period of the year will definitely have a huge impact on the reservation, price, accommodations and lots more. It’s best to make holiday plans in the off-period where prices are low, there’s less crowd and you can easily make bookings in your preferred locations. Besides, the weather is another factor to be taken into account depending on where and when you’ll be traveling.
• Settle on your budget. It is an essential part of making holiday plans. You have to be very sure you understand how much you’ll be able to spend before you commence making plans and bookings that you really cannot afford. The greater the time spent on planning, the better you’ll be able to discover discounts and deals which enable you to have an amazing vacation without exceeding your budget.
• Determine how you’ll get to your destination. This also will depend on where and when you are traveling. You may rent a vehicle, fly, drive your own vehicle, travel by boat or other means of transportation. Regardless of how you intend to travel, it’s vital to know in advance. When you are aware of how you’ll reach your destination, you also have to know where you’ll reside once you reach there. Do you wish to stay in a motel, a hotel, a cabin or a vacation rental? When traveling, there are several different choices at your disposal but settling in advance gives you more choices and saves you from being turned down because of unavailability.
• Now dwell on what you require to carry with you. It’s a good idea to travel light. You need not tote around a lot of stuff that keeps you from enjoying yourself. You also have to bear in mind that you’ll be taking back a lot more than you bring with you. Nevertheless, when selecting what is essential to carry, you have to remember important stuff like prescriptions and medications and also the appropriate clothing for the activities you’ll indulge in and the weather out there.
• Finally, consider what you’ll do the moment you get there. You need not plan everything to the minutest detail but it certainly helps to have a broad idea of what you’d prefer to visit and do while you’re at your destination.

Guy Starbuck is a crazy dreamer and author who writes for LearnVacation.com, and XmasData.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Guy_Starbuck

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