April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Nearly 1 million people in the U.S. have Parkinson’s disease, with 90,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Most Parkinson’s patients (96 percent) are over 50; more men than women are affected. Common symptoms include: These…
Category: Older Adults
Social Security in the Digital Age
Earlier this month, the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) announced—and then withdrew—a plan to drastically cut telephone-based services. Political issues aside, the agency’s phone lines are already understaffed: on-hold times range from a boring 21 minutes to an excruciating three…
Five Things to Know About Disability and Home Delivery
“They just put the package on the porch and left, without even ringing the doorbell. It was hours before I checked my email and learned my order was waiting outside.” –Amazon customer “I missed a meal because they insisted that…
Building a Well-Connected World for Senior Adults
BridgingApps’ programs for senior adults include “Well Connected” presentations for our local Front Porch affiliate. Usually there is one Well Connected event each quarter, in either English or Spanish, with a dozen or so attendees. The most recent (in Spanish)…
Avoiding Digital Scams: 5 Things Everyone Should Know
This post is dedicated to everyone working to expose and stop scams, including: What would you do if: In every case, the first thing to do is not follow the message’s instructions—or, for item (d), not text back to tell…
Expanded Senior Services from BridgingApps, Thanks to Next50
“It’s expensive to age in this country. That’s why we seek partners like BridgingApps who will change the status quo and help create a world that values aging.” –Peter Kaldes, President & CEO of Next50 “Easter Seals Greater Houston is…
Overcoming Social Isolation for Older Adults
More than one-third of 50–80-year-old Americans report feeling lonely and/or “socially isolated.” There are many reasons, but the most common factors are: Other contributing factors include: How We Can Help For many, the answer is “getting together” virtually, with the…
AirPods as AT: “Hearing Aid” Is Now an Earbud Feature
Remember last year’s blog post on “The New World of Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids”? For a long time, hearing aids required a doctor’s prescription and hundreds to thousands of dollars. And those dollars frequently came out of the user’s pocket, since…
Biking with a Disability
Remember our September 23 article, “Hiking in a Wheelchair”? Here’s another post for readers who love autumn and outdoor recreation. If you haven’t been on a bicycle since you reached driver’s-license age, you’re missing out. Bikes get you around faster…
Aging in Place: How Digital Technology Can Help
September is Healthy Aging Month. Today’s article touches on three aspects of healthy aging: minimizing transition stress; minimizing financial stress; and self-care. The U.S. senior population continues to grow; and so does the number of seniors who want to “age…