Remaining independent: Tips & tricks for creating good habits

Posted by fiesty76 @fiesty76, Jan 8, 2020

Concerned because a neighbor has called three times in recent months to tell me my garage door had been standing open for several hours and was checking to see if I was ok. While very grateful for the calls and after the 1st call immediately posted a sign on my utility door as a reminder to "close door", two more calls followed that 1st one.

I've lived alone in my home for decades. I'm 76 and still maintain my home and do my own yard work. While I've laughed for years that I have always been a bit scatter brained, I am also fiercely independent and not yet ready to relocate out of state near my daughter and into a sr living establishment.

I'm looking into installing a locking system for my automatic garage door but if I continue to fail to press whatever buttons required to close or engage the system, I will not be able to live alone in this house. Any suggestions or tips on how I can "train" myself to be Sure that garage is firmly down?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Aging Well Support Group.

@hawkssr

Maybe this has been suggested, I’m 76 also, but I find the alarm settings on my iPhone is a life saver so I don’t forget to do something. You can set it for a certain time everyday, so I would set it maybe around 5 or 6 at night to alert you to check your garage door. Good luck!

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I also use my iPhone alarm & calendar setting as reminders for everything. It really helps keep me on track.

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@eva1930

I am 87 I live alone, do everything on my own including banking and driving.. I am told I should not drive by family members but I don’t agree with them. What do others think.

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Why not drive?!?! Ask for reasons !? Is that a safety hazard or something else!
You know when you have to get help with your banking account and driving. Please plan ahead just like everything while you are in control of your body and your mind. Enjoy your beautiful life and independence. Hugs
Nattaya

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@eva1930

I am 87 I live alone, do everything on my own including banking and driving.. I am told I should not drive by family members but I don’t agree with them. What do others think.

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If you can still drive safely and well: go for it!
Kudos for still doing all this! And to be cool enough to use this online interface 💖

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I’m 85 work in a office 20hrs a week(love it), do all my household shopping, drive, washing, banking, bills and ??. I have someone come in about once a month to clean apartment . Walk with a walker about 10 to 20 min. a day ( weather permitting). It sounds like I’m bragging. Don’t mean to. I have a few health problems, but try to stay busy and active. I would like to have some friends, mine have moved away or died.(sorry). I’m just lonesome!!!! Because of COVID every thing shut down. Just now opening back up. I was ill the whole month of Aug. Trying to get strength back, still weak, but lots better. Happy day to all.

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@eva1930

I am 87 I live alone, do everything on my own including banking and driving.. I am told I should not drive by family members but I don’t agree with them. What do others think.

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@eval1930 My dad drove until the age of 90+ He voluntarily chose to stop driving when he understood that his reaction times and depth perception were no longer good enough for him to be safe on the road. He had a few parking lot "boo-boos" as he called them.

It seems driving is such a mark of independence, right? We don't want to be beholden to someone else for getting around, nor be tethered to their time available to help ferry us. And we don't want to be a burden!

Here is an article published by AARP about driving. It is a great source for anyone to read, and may help some of us make the decision to look hard at ourselves: https://www.aarp.org/auto/driver-safety/info-2016/when-to-stop-driving-in-older-age.html

What do you think?
Ginger

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@eva1930

I am 87 I live alone, do everything on my own including banking and driving.. I am told I should not drive by family members but I don’t agree with them. What do others think.

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The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal has an excellent article on how to decide when it's time to stop driving. It's a Canadian site, but nearly everything on it also applies to aging in the US. I highly recommend it. There's a questionnaire you can answer for yourself and/or share with loved ones.

I'll be 81 in a few weeks, and even though it showed me I'm still OK to drive, it has made me start noticing little situations where I need to take extra care, and also some daylight, weather, or traffic conditions when it's smarter for me just to postpone the drive or find another solution.

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@kaca22

I’m 85 work in a office 20hrs a week(love it), do all my household shopping, drive, washing, banking, bills and ??. I have someone come in about once a month to clean apartment . Walk with a walker about 10 to 20 min. a day ( weather permitting). It sounds like I’m bragging. Don’t mean to. I have a few health problems, but try to stay busy and active. I would like to have some friends, mine have moved away or died.(sorry). I’m just lonesome!!!! Because of COVID every thing shut down. Just now opening back up. I was ill the whole month of Aug. Trying to get strength back, still weak, but lots better. Happy day to all.

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Hello kava, that is wonderful to be able to do things and keep busy! Yes I understand it is lonely here some ideas get a meeting group chat at your condo? A book club, coffee group, I wish you are near us, my husband and I would love to have your company. We went out for dinner with friends and we all take turns select a restaurant and sometimes go to movies and card games.Today with cell phone and email you can get in touch with other people easily. Just do it!! Remember you are not alone someone else has that too. Do something that you can do! Hugs. Nattaya

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My dad installed a device that automatically shuts his garage door after five minutes. He can put it on hold to keep it up longer or shut it immediately when he wants to. It’s been great to avoid just this sort of problem!

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@dorisjeanne

I am 85, will be 86 in about 3 weeks. I live alone with a daughter and son-in-law about 15 miles away; very rural part of Ozarks. It's beautiful here and I've been in my home for 24 years now. Lost my husband of 60 years about 9 years ago. Lately my memory is getting worse and I wear a contact around my neck in case " I fall and can't get up"!
Getting so I get confused handling finances; recently hired a couple to do my windows, also had some guys remove old carpets and install vinyl tile in 2 bedrooms. I began to get confused with writing checks, etc.! Never happened before!!! My daughter was on vacation in Colorado. I should have waited, right?

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I'm surprised about side effects of some meds - ie causes confusion etc.
Then we know that Chemo Brain is real - Hope you don't have experience with that.
Arecept works well.
Also, good to study Mindfulness.

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