The Bask Blog

GPS tracking is becoming more and more a part of our everyday life. Most of us probably have GPS tracking capability in our cell phones already (although it may require some setting up to get it to actually work). And you should also know that there are laws in the U.S. to prohibit the use of GPS tracking to keep track of a person. (See this Wikipedia article for a brief discussion of the possible legal ramifications.)

The legal problems are interesting. GPS is beginning to be used in some personal emergency response systems, and these systems might run afoul of applicable state law, especially if the person being tracked has not consented and/or is not aware of the existence of the GPS tracking.

…continue reading GPS Tracker – How, When, and Where to Use It

Laurie Olov, who blogs at “Aging In Place Technology Watch,” is a senior advocate, and one of the harshest critics of personal emergency response systems. Despite her concerns about PERS technology and the companies who market them, Ms. Orlov has provided a helpful summary of the reasons consumers still feel that investment in a PERS unit is useful to many elderly.

…continue reading Reasons for Persistence of PERS Technology in the Marketplace

For seniors who are striving to maintain their own households, rather than moving in with the kids, or going to a retirement community or other independent living community, one of the primary concerns is avoiding a fall.

According to Disabled World, chronic pain can actually increase the likelihood of a fall.

…continue reading Chronic Pain Can Lead to More Falls

If you have tried looking for independent living communities or assisted living communities, you may have been frustrated by the difficulty in finding good information. This might be especially true if you’re moving to a new area.

The Internet can be a great place to find good information, but sometimes it can be a little overwhelming as well.

A resource I stumbled across recently can put a lot of the information you need about all kinds of lifestyle opportunities at your fingertips.

…continue reading Resource For Finding Independent Living Communities and More!

It is encouraging to see examples of older folks who live a full, happy, independent life. Sometimes good examples are hard to come by, so we have to take them where we find them.

Bruce newman, writing in the Palo Alto Daily News, gives some examples of dynamic seniors, who have contributed a lot during their lives, and continue to do so as they adjust to aging.

…continue reading Seniors Making the Most of Independent Living

We rarely think of the good news coming out of economic difficulties, but there are often opportunities for those who are prepared and think ahead.

Anton Troianovski, writing in the Wall Street Journal, writes of the opportunities for seniors that have arisen in these difficult economic times. While real estate has become a problem for sellers, those who are buying can find good prices — and this includes those looking for housing for seniors.

…continue reading Recession Good for Seniors Looking for Housing

According to Senior Housing News, a new assisted-living community for seniors with Alzheimer’s is being built in the Houston, Texas area.

The LaSalle Group, Inc. Breaks Ground on Alzheimer’s Assisted Living Community In Houston, Texas Area

“This is the start of what we anticipate will be sustained growth for our business in the Houston area,” commented Mitchell Warren, president of LaSalle. “Our partners and investors alike recognize the increasing need for these types of services catering to the senior population and are committed to our continued growth as we provide for this underserved market.”

One of the first places that reductions in health care expenditures is likely to hit is nursing homes.

According to Denise Tyler, writing in the Eldercare ABC Blog, Dr. Tyler opines that we know little about how any reform might affect nursing homes because this critical area of health care has been largely ignored. This is, of course, of great interest to the seniors in the population, especially the availability and expense of nursing home care.

…continue reading How Health Care Reform Affects Nursing Homes

When politicians and bureaucrats talk about “cutting the cost of health care,” they often mean a very different thing than what you and I understand when we hear those words.

We usually think of reducing the cost to us — we hope less money will come out of our pockets for doctor visits, hospital stays, and prescription drugs. That is, we hope we will be better able to afford the health care that we need.

But when the bureaucrats say “cutting the cost of health care,” they mean cutting the cost to them — to government programs and insurance companies. And often they mean reducing expenditures on health care by society at large. This came out in a recent blog post by Julie Rovner at NPR’s health blog, “Shots.”

…continue reading Government Health Care Means Reduced Health Care

One of the problems with nationalized health care is giving control of our medical decisions to bureaucrats. We prefer to make our own decisions about medical treatment in private consultation with our physicians.

The current shortage of swine flu vaccine has given a good example of how bureaucrats manage these things. What seems like common sense is often thrown aside for some “good” reason … “good” to a bureaucrat maybe.

According to The New York Times, seniors are being sent to the back of the line for flu vaccines, sometimes for the sake of vaccine for healthy middle-aged persons.

…continue reading Health Care Rationing Bureaucrats Deny Swine Flu Vaccine to Seniors