Happy Hanukkah --

I now have 2 videos on YouTube! (I feel so 2010!) (I thought YouTube was just for funny home videos and singers and dancers and stuff like that.) If you go to www.youtube.com/user/AgeWiseLiving you can check them out.

I also just did my very first webinar. (There's information about it in the next section.) There's no holding me back now!!!

As I may have mentioned once or twice, The Ultimate Caregiver's Success System makes a wonderful holiday gift for someone dealing with eldercare (like you!). And, if you become an affiliate, you get a great gift, too, because when you or someone you know buys "The Ultimate Caregiver's Success System" using your affiliate code, you will receive a 25% commission. Click here to find all the information you need on becoming an affiliate and buying "The Ultimate Caregiver's Success System."

On my December 1st (and last) Age Wise Living radio show, I did a program on gifts for elderly parents with Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, a free-lance journalist with a great blog (Quips and Tips for Achieving Your Goals). She had just written an article titled Creative Holiday Gifts for Elderly Parents so she was perfect. On the show she shared some of the best and worst gift ideas she uncovered in her research. It was a lot of fun and I suggest you go to the Radio Show page to listen to it. In the meantime, here is her article. In addition, in the FYI. . . section below, I've added a great gift for your elderly parents that I urge you to check out.

Until next week . . . Happy Hanukkah.

Have a great week.

PS> Are you on Facebook or Twitter? If so, I'd love to have you 'friend' me and AgeWiseLiving. That way you can get the latest news and have lots to share with your followers about AgeWiseLiving, the AgeWiseLiving newsletter, my radio show, etc. A whole new world!

The Ultimate Caregiver's Success System

ARE YOU AN ELDERCARE PROVIDER?

If you found something that told you WHAT to do and HOW to do it so you could resolve your eldercare issues by choice, not crisis . . . you'd buy it . . . right?

BARBARA ON TECHNOLOGY WEBINAR

Last week I was a guest speaker for a great weekly "aging and technology webinar." Each week they focus on topics related to this market (marketing technologies to seniors, changes in the senior demographic, how the Internet is changing the aging population, new technologies, etc.) They have people from all ends of the aging spectrum and last week it was me. To listen to the webinar I did, go to http://rec1.dimdim.com/view/dimdim/dd085f36-318a-102d-9515-003048642bd7.

BTW - anyone can join any of the weekly webinars. Just go to http://dealerweb.grandcare.com and click on "register" to sign up. (You can unsubscribe at any time.) By registering you will also receive a weekly reminder email (every Wednesday about Thursday's call topic and speaker).

ARTICLE: CREATIVE HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR ELDERLY PARENTS

Your dad might be singing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" - but the last thing you want to shop for is dentures!

Instead of giving your parents more doodads or thingamajigs for Christmas, give them a service (eg, snow shoveling until March, or a personal secretary for a year) or an experience (a casino jaunt to Vegas or Vancouver).

Here, several Boomers share their creative gift ideas - they tried them and they like them . . .

Build a bridge to family and friends. Hire a "personal secretary" to visit your parents once a week to write letters, print emails, send birthday cards, or even run errands. Retiree Maggie Rayner of Vancouver, BC, says, "We hired a young woman, Daniyel, who had just completed a care aid program. When the family sent emails to my mom, Daniyel printed them, and Mom dictated her reply for Daniyel to email back. Mom loved it." Maggie adds that her mom was demanding of family members, so this serviced lightened their load and assuaged their guilt and regret of not living closer.

Dig out the shoeboxes of photos. "My parents have tons of photos in packages in a box," says Suzanne Allan, who lives on Bowen Island, BC. "I bought them photo albums and started labeling and putting them in albums, mainly with my mom, to help her remember people. This gives her something meaningful to look through." It's also a great way to spend time together and strengthen bonds between generations (bring your kids to the scrapbooking parties!). A related gift idea is to hire a professional to write your parents' life history - or do it yourself with a book, such as To Our Children's Children: Preserving Family Histories for Generations to Come by Bob Greene (DoubleDay, 1993).

Plan a shindig. Musician Julie Vik's parents are in their mid-80s - and they still like to party. "I've hired a band to play at their house a few times," she says. "I invite their friends, and hire a caterer. My parents still feel like they're graciously entertaining without having to do a thing." She explains that this gives them back their power, especially since they loved to entertain when they were able. "I let them decide on things that don't stress them out, such as the guest list and napkins. Having it at their own home - not somewhere else - is the key. Let them be hosts again." Julie recommends hiring a cleaner first.

Organize volunteer visits. Loneliness is a constant companion to many elderly people - and it's unhealthy physically, emotionally, and spiritually. To arrange regular visits to your parents, set up an online calendar of needs and invite siblings, cousins and friends to participate. At VolunteerSpot, people can sign up to take turns bringing a meal once a week, offer a ride to the beauty parlor, or help around the house. And, it's free! This is especially helpful if you don't live near your parents or you can't help as much as they need. "Knowing several people are providing caring gestures all month relieves some pressure - and guilt - in caring for elderly parents," says VolunteerSpot coordinator Karen Bantuveris. This way, elderly parents don't need to ask for help or call for a visit - and you can feel confident you're giving the much-needed gift of attention.

Quick Gift Ideas for Elderly Parents