Category Archives: Business

3 Tips for Aging Gracefully

Aging is a part of life that everyone has to accept. Until they invent a magic potion or figure out how to keep us cryogenically frozen, we simply have to accept that getting older is a part of our existence. Instead of resisting it, wouldn’t it be better to fully embrace it and maybe even learn to love it? Believe it or not, aging is not only about wrinkles and graying hair.

Aging can be so much more if we know how to make the most of it. Whether you live in an assisted living facility or you’re still getting around on your own, here are some helpful tips for helping you age gracefully and love life the same as you did when you were 20.

Get Active

Exercise is essential at any age; however, it’s especially important as we are over the age of 50 because our metabolism starts to slow down. If we fail to keep our bodies strong, we could find ourselves more susceptible to obesity, injuries, and even disease. Before you get scared and think that means you need to become a bodybuilder, rest assured that no one is asking you to enroll in the Olympics.

Sometimes it’s as simple as going for a brisk walk 20 to 30 minutes a day. If walking isn’t your thing, perhaps you could try dancing or even swimming. The idea is to move your body to keep your muscles strong and your blood flowing. Not only will this physically improve the signs of aging, but it will also help you mentally. You’ll feel much more alert and less susceptible to stress. Exercise may even help improve your memory.

Eat Well

It’s no secret that eating well is one of the most important things you can do for your overall health. It is particularly helpful for reducing the signs of aging. Eating a balanced diet full of plenty of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits can improve the overall appearance of your skin and reduce the chance of diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.

Get Plenty of Sleep

In your younger years, you might have resisted sleep because you didn’t want to miss a good party or event. Yet, as you get older, just about nothing sounds better than a good restful nap. Not only that, the good news is that sleeping more can help improve your memory and overall cognitive function

One of the biggest challenges of getting older is that it can be difficult to stay asleep. Many older people may find themselves waking up frequently throughout the night and feeling groggy throughout the day. In order to get a healthy sleep, it’s important that you maintain a healthy sleep schedule. Try to avoid screens too close to your bedtime and avoid caffeinated beverages, which could inhibit you from getting to sleep faster.

3 Things To Do When Your Medical Expenses Spike

Just like everything else, medical expenses are rising. But unlike the money that you’ve budgeted for things like entertainment, you can’t just decide to not spend this money if you want to take care of yourself physically and mentally. So when you do see medical bills coming your way, be it for emergency medical care or the necessity of getting around-the-clock care at an assisted living facility, it’s important to know how to respond to these bills and what steps to take to settle them.

To help you in doing this, here are three things to do when your medical expenses spike.  

Try Your Hand At Negotiations

Unlike many bills that you’ll get in your life, medical bills can often be negotiated. Especially if you have medical insurance that your bills are going through, you may be able to work through your insurance to get charged less for certain services.

Even when you get your medical bills after they have been processed through your insurance, you can still seek to negotiate even further. To do this, always ask for an itemized bill of whatever services or procedures you had done. From here, you can speak with the medical facility or provider to try to negotiate down on the costs. And because they would rather get paid something as opposed to nothing, they are often willing to negotiate, at least on some points.  

Look For Financial Assistance Options

Once you feel like you’ve negotiated the bill to the best of your ability, you should then look for financial assistance in any place where you can get it.

For those who don’t make a lot of money as it is, seeking assistance from the government, non-profit organizations, and more could prove to be beneficial. While this can require you to put a lot of time and energy into filling out paperwork and taking phone calls, it could be well worth it if you’re able to get the financial assistance that you need. 

Set Bills Up On Payment Plans

For the final amount that you’re responsible for with your medical expenses, you should then speak with who you owe the money to about setting up a payment plan. 

With a payment plan, you can pay on the bill in monthly installments rather than having to pay the entire bill in one fell swoop. This can help to ease the financial burden while still getting you out from this medical debt. And since medical providers often will offer these kinds of payment plans with little to no interest required, this is a great option even for those who may not have a huge amount of other financial stress. 

If you’ve seen your medical expenses spike and will soon have some large medical bills that you’re responsible for, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn what you can do to get on better financial footing here.