The Aging Helpline (agingtransitions@orangecountync.gov or 919-968-2087) is a one-stop-shop for all aging needs/questions for solo agers and anyone else, including questions about advanced directives, hiring home care, transportation, and more.

You can sign up for the E-newsletter here:
https://www.orangecountync.gov/1764/Endless-Possibilities-E-Newsletter

Visit the Department on Aging website for an overview of all the center, aging transitions, and volunteer services.

You may have heard references made to an organizational aid created by the American Bar Association jointly with AARP (known as the American Association of Retired Persons prior to 1999; they happily accept membership fees from anyone, retired or not, of any age). While your recipient(s) may think of this as an end-of-life checklist, you need to start now as collecting the suggested data will require more than a few minutes. One can obtain an electronic version of this ABA/AARP Checklist for My Family: A Guide to My History, Financial Plans, and Final Wishes, Second Edition at no cost (one must enable cookies in your web browser for this download to succeed). The one file you download contains two versions (PDF and word processor format) of eleven multipage documents, totalling 180 pages. If you anticipate collecting and sharing this information on paper (vs. on screen and sharing via flash memory cards or USB drives or encrypted email), you may consider spending ~$20 for the 282 page published book version.

We have a list of elder law attorneys. Your lawyer can act as your durable (financial) power of attorney.

We have a list of local Geriatric Care Managers.

Home Repair/Renovation

We have a list of community recommended handypersons.

Here is a link to the Orange County Home Preservation Coalition where older adults residing in Orange County can submit a request for home repairs.

Certified Aging in Place Specialists (CAPS)

The National Association of Home Builders trains Certified Aging in Place Specialists (CAPS).

Additional information about CAPS including the clue that you may find a local CAPS by contacting:

Professional Designations Helpline
designations@nahb.org
800-368-5242 ext. 8154

Advance Directives

As indicated on pages 3 through 12 of the presentation, there are four alternative documents from which you may wish to select no more than one (to reduce confusion where two or more documents may contradict):

• Living Will
• Health Care Power of Attorney
• NC Practical combines the information in the two forms above
• Five Wishes is a newer and potentially much more detailed document, which will cost you at least several dollars unless you are sure you will use one and obtain it through the Orange County Department on Aging

• Do Not Resuscitate order (DNR) {must be obtained from a medical provider}
• Psychiatric Advance Directive (PAD)
• Supplemental Advance Directive for Dementia (SADD) for someone who may be interested in Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED)
• Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST) {must be obtained from a medical provider}

Another summary of these options is available on this page. Besides conversations with your family and medical care providers, you may wish to consult someone among those on a list of elder law attorneys. You may also benefit from reading Choosing a Healthcare Agent or Proxy. Note that a lawyer can be a health care agent but your medical provider cannot serve in that role (if you do not have a trusted family member or a friend you would prefer to select).

If you complete a DNR and / or a MOST, they also can be stored on a bracelet you wear so that emergency responders may be informed even if you are far away from your home's refrigerator.

Dying Right North Carolina provides information about Medicaid Aid in Dying (MAID) locally and elsewhere.

Additional resources for aging in place

We have the AARP home fit guide.

We have an aging in place checklist.

We have an Age in Place Guide that was created by the Neighborhood Connections Senior Resource Team.

See the UNC Partnerships in Aging Program website for Solo Agers.

Downsizing

While we refrain from commercial or professional endorsements, a local business has constructive clues for your downsizing countdown clock.

Via the National Association of Specialty & Senior Move Managers® (NASMM) website one can find that there are many nearby businesses who may assist with organizing, downsizing, and relocating. Of course, if you are still accumulating instead of shedding possessions, you may be interested in acquiring some items previously possessed by someone else who has downsized.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities

We some information about local Continuing Care Retirement Communities, which was extracted from information gathered by the state Department of Insurance. Much more information is also available from these communities.

Family Care Homes

Jennifer Albright presented some information about Family Care Homes as regulated by the state of North Carolina.

There is a List of Licensed Family Care Homes by County in NC.

You can use the Medicare Facility Rating Tool. [To see any content on this page, you need to enable cookies for at least this site in your web browser.]

We have data from 2022 Local Ratings of Assisted Living, Memory Care, Family Care Homes, and CCRCs in Alamance, Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties.

For Your Refrigerator

We have an emergency planning document that was created by the End of Life Choices Senior Resource Team. Would you like to fill out some information on this form and post it where others could easily find it?

Living Alone with Dementia

• 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease.
• 10 Ways to Love your Brain.

Home & Fall Safety

Some different fall detection technologies are:

• Apple-Based Options:
  • Watch Fall Detection
  • General Safety Features
  
  There had been mention that iPhones themselves have fall detection, but as of yet that is not a feature. However, notice the car crash detection.
• Android Options:
  • Detect Fall Feature on Galaxy watches
  • Tech-Enhanced Life gives a great (and lengthy!) overview of using smart watches as medical alerts.

If you are considering a medical alert device, here are some evaluations:

• If you do not mind venturing into the edge of the surveillance capitalism business model, where the opinions are claimed to be unswayed even though "When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission" you can read reviews by the New York Times wirecutter team which had been updated in September 2023 the last time we noticed.
• A more demonstrably independent review by Consumer Reports is also available, updated in 2020 the last time we noticed.
• More detailed ratings are available to Consumer Reports subscribers or by seeking a paper copy of the magazine e.g. in your public library.
• If you might consider using a smartwatch as a medical alert device, see these reviews by a team of ‘longevity explorers’ which had been updated in 2023 the last time we noticed. The recommendations section is very helpful as it gives example personas, and which kind of watch might benefit that persona. They have also shared further updates in January 2024, which are available to subscribers.

Folks are welcome to reach out to request a Home Safety Consultation or CarFit Appointment.

We appreciate Jennifer Albright, Lydia Arnold, Marie Dagger, Kendall McMillan, Maggie Sloane, ... [your name could appear here] and others for collecting this information.

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