Boom

I Car Care & Seniors Age-In-Place

treat Car Care Tips For Seniors

ar repair and maintenance can put a
strain on both a senior's budget and
back. With some smart and simple
preventive care, you can reduce automotive
troubles down the line.

C

TREAD AND TIRE PRESSURE
The last thing any senior needs is a blown-
out tire while driving. Avoid this dangerous
scenario by checking the tread on your tires
and the air pressure once a month. Tires
with little or no tread and that are showing
threads are unsafe and should be replaced
immediately. For the recommended air pres-
sure for your tires, do not go by the numbers
on the sidewall of the tires. Instead, refer to
the owner's manual or sticker on the driver's
side door. Not only does proper air pressure
decrease the likelihood of a blowout, but
it also increases your car's gas mileage and
gives your vehicle better traction.

CHANGE THE OIL
The truth is that oil changes take time and
money. However, if this task is not done

routinely, then the overall
health of your engine can
be jeopardized.
When using convention-
al oil, it's recommended to
change the oil every 3,000
miles. However you can
save yourself some work
and better protect your
investment by using high-
quality synthetic motor oil
instead. For example, Royal
Purple HMX is specifically
designed to minimize wear
and tear and restore per-
formance in engines with more than 75,000
miles. Instead of the typical oil change once
every 3,000 miles, synthetic oil can reduce
the frequency to once every 10,000 to 15,000
miles, or once every 12 months, depending
on how much your vehicle is used.
For more information on how you can
maximize your engine's longevity and save
money, visit www.RoyalPurpleConsumer.

COM.

CHECK LIGHTS
Don't be left in the dark.
Regularly check your head-
lights, taillights, turning
signals and brake lights.
Thousands of accidents a
year are the direct result
of failed lights. Check your
lights by asking a neighbor,
friend or family member
to walk around your car as
you turn the headlights,
taillights and turning signals
off and on. Also, apply light
pressure to the brake to
make sure your brake lights are working. If
a light is out, check the fuses. An easy do-it-
yourself replacement can save you time and
money.
You don't have to be a professional me-
chanic or overextend your budget to increase
the lifetime of your car. Some simple proac-
tive and regular care will go a long way in
keeping you and your car together, far down
the road.

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COURTESY OF STATE POINT.

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More Seniors Age In Place

early 90 percent of people 50 years
old and up want to remain at home
as long as possible, according to a
recent AARP study.
If you have an aging parent or grandpar-
ent, having a discussion about his or her
alternatives is important.
But remember, it can be
a sensitive subject, espe-
cially when he or she has
lived in the same place for
a long time.
Before broaching the
issue, be sure you under-
stand all the options that
might allow for aging-in-
place at home.
"Make sure you look at
new technologies first to
see if you can help your
parent remain indepen-
dent, secure and connected from the comfort
of home," says Walt Podsiedlak, Health and
Wellness sales manager at Linear LLC, a pro-
vider of wired and wireless security technol-
ogy for seniors.
This starts by discussing the greatest chal-

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22

BOOM Magazine •

February 2014

lenges your loved one faces, such as mobility,
personal care and meals, and determining
what kind of technology or service addresses
those specific needs.
One of the most widely used technologies
by individuals aging-in-place are personal
emergency reporting sys-
tems (PERS), that can send
for help in an emergency.
PERS devices have made
significant leaps since TV
commercials first popular-
ized them in the 1980s.
Here are some features
to look for and consider
when picking the right
PERS technology:

• Temperature sensors can
provide alerts to update
central stations of hazard-

ous conditions.
• An activity timer can be programmed to
send a signal if a preset amount of time
elapses before either an activity transmit-
ter is triggered or the console's "home"
button is pressed.

• Audible reminder messages can be set on
a recurring schedule to highlight doctor's
visits, when medication should be taken or
even social activities.
• Some consoles can serve as speaker
phones, allowing for convenient communi-
cation.
• Take note of the range between a transmit-
ter and a console. For example, if your
mom likes to garden, be sure the range
of the PERS is wide enough to include the
yard.
• Transmitters can be wristbands, pendants,
belt attachments or even appear as jew-
elry. Discuss what would serve your loved
one most conveniently.
• Consider the battery life of the transmitter
and if it's waterproof.
• As for cost, users should expect to pay
an installation fee, and a monthly PERS
monitoring charge. PERS device repair and
replacement policies should also be consid-
ered.
Aging-in-place technology is truly shaping
the future for seniors. Before making any
major decisions, look into all your options.

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COURTESTY OF STATEPOINT