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Blog archive

May 2025

A Day to Celebrate, Connect, and Empower: Older Americans Month at Victory Park
05/30/2025

End of Life: You Do Have Choices!
05/30/2025

Get Moving, Pasadena Village: Walking Toward a Healthier, Happier You
05/30/2025

Music: A Universal Language
05/30/2025

Presidents Message
05/30/2025

The New Grammar Guardian of Pasadena Village
05/30/2025

Undue Influence: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
05/30/2025

Village Within a Village
05/30/2025

What do we do now?
05/30/2025

Status - May 10, 2025
05/10/2025

A Tribute to Dad
05/05/2025

A Tribute to Mom
05/05/2025

A Board Director Perspective
05/02/2025

A Death Valley Adventure
05/02/2025

Ask an Architect
05/02/2025

Message from the President
05/02/2025

My 15-Minute City
05/02/2025

Neighboring Anew
05/02/2025

Scam Red Flags
05/02/2025

Sir Beckett, A Woman's Best Friend
05/02/2025

Volunteer Appreciation: Giving a New Level of Love and Caring
05/02/2025

April 2025

March 2025

About Senior Solutions
03/28/2025

Building a Bridge With Journey House, A Home Base for Former Foster Youth
03/28/2025

Come for the Knitting, Stay for the Conversation... and the Cookies
03/28/2025

Creating Safe and Smart Spaces with Home Technology
03/28/2025

Finding Joy in My Role on The Pasadena Village Board
03/28/2025

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!
03/28/2025

Managing Anxiety
03/28/2025

Message from Our President: Keeping Pasadena Village Strong Together
03/28/2025

My Favorite Easter Gift
03/28/2025

The Hidden History of Black Women in WWII
03/28/2025

Urinary Tract Infection – Watch Out!
03/28/2025

Volunteer Coordinator and Blade-Runner
03/28/2025

Continuing Commitment to Combating Racism
03/26/2025

Goodbye and Keep Cold by Robert Frost
03/13/2025

What The Living Do by Marie Howe
03/13/2025

Racism is Not Genetic
03/11/2025

Bill Gould, The First
03/07/2025

THIS IS A CHAPTER, NOT MY WHOLE STORY
03/07/2025

Dramatic Flair: Villagers Share their Digital Art
03/03/2025

Empowering Senior LGBTQ+ Caregivers
03/03/2025

A Life Never Anticipated
03/02/2025

Eaton Fire Changes Life
03/02/2025

February 2025

Commemorating Black History Month 2025
02/28/2025

Transportation at the Pasadena Village
02/28/2025

A Look at Proposition 19
02/27/2025

Behind the Scenes: Understanding the Pasadena Village Board and Its Role
02/27/2025

Beyond and Within the Village: The Power of One
02/27/2025

Celebrating Black Voices
02/27/2025

Creatively Supporting Our Village Community
02/27/2025

Decluttering: More Than The Name Implies
02/27/2025

Hidden Gems of Forest Lawn Museum
02/27/2025

LA River Walk
02/27/2025

Message from the President
02/27/2025

Phoenix Rising
02/27/2025

1619 Conversations with West African Art
02/25/2025

The Party Line
02/24/2025

Bluebird by Charles Bukowski
02/17/2025

Dreams by Langston Hughes
02/17/2025

Haiku - Four by Fritzie
02/17/2025

Haikus - Nine by Virginia
02/17/2025

Wind and Fire
02/17/2025

Partnerships Amplify Relief Efforts
02/07/2025

Another Community Giving Back
02/05/2025

Diary of Disaster Response
02/05/2025

Eaton Fire: A Community United in Loss and Recovery
02/05/2025

Healing Powers of Creative Energy
02/05/2025

Living the Mission
02/05/2025

Message from the President: Honoring Black History Month
02/05/2025

Surviving and Thriving: Elder Health Considerations After the Fires
02/05/2025

Treasure Hunting in The Ashes
02/05/2025

Villager's Stories
02/05/2025

A Beginning of Healing
02/03/2025

Hectic Evacuation From Eaton Canyon Fire
02/02/2025

Hurricanes and Fires are Different Monsters
02/02/2025

January 2025

Security When Aging (Especially If You Are Single)

By Suzi Hoge
Posted: 09/17/2024
Tags: suzi hoge, newsletter october 2024

In the course of aging, many of us may enter the situation of living alone, especially if we have opted to remain in our longtime residences. Recently, while taking the Village course Ready or Not, several single Villagers shared their concerns about living alone. It’s good to gather some strategies and information for elders living alone or in a caregiving role, and also good for couples. There are many ways to increase our safety, some that can prevent accidents and others that will keep our homes more secure.

According to AARP, the elements of home security/monitoring systems are: Video doorbells, super cameras, special alerts, useful links, door control, phone feeds and constant monitoring. 

If you are looking for a security system, three companies receive the top ratings for elders, according to Security.org:  ADT, SimplySafe, and Vivant.

According to AARP’s ratings, ADT is the best professionally installed system. The equipment runs from 4450 - $1500.  Monitoring runs from $25 and up on a monthly basis. The contract is for 36 months. Alexa and Google Home can be part of the system.

AARP rates SimplySafe as having the best professional monitoring. You install it yourself. It runs from $250 - $750. Payment is month to month. Alexa or Google can be used with it. Monitoring is less than $1 per day.

Vivant is rated best by AARP for elders with home automation. It costs $660 and up. Monitoring is $39 a month. The contract is for 42 months. You can use Alexa & Home Google. It can control temperature and lights.

Technology can provide many simple-to-use items to increase a person’s physical safety in their own home.  Examples of these are cameras, smart locks, video doorbells, motion sensors, automatic lights, motion sensor lights, smart speakers, automatic turn-offs, etc. 

Here are some examples of easy fixes:

- Put a rechargeable motion detector with a small light under the end of the bed.  It comes on to light the way for nighttime bathroom trips.

- Put extension pull chains on overhead fans, lights, etc. so they are easily within reach

- A countdown timer (about $12 on Amazon) allows you to have electrical items automatically turn themselves off – after 15 minutes to 6 hours.

- Install solar motion sensor lights in outside areas — by the car area or garbage area.

- Install a plug-in emergency flashlight wherever needed.

Additional safety tips – for security and safety – are provided by HealthinAging.org, a trusted source for up-to-date information and advice on health and aging, created by the American Geriatrics Society’s Health in Aging Foundation, at:

https://www.healthinaging.org/tools-and-tips/tip-sheet-home-safety-tips-older-adults

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