Senior Living Advice

with BETH DOW, Geriatric Care Manager

secrecy can contribute to the vulnerability of the person. The more people who can see the financial workings of a senior, the less chances for financial abuse to occur.

There are many products available to help families keep better control of their loved one’s finances. One that I really like is myFloc™. It is listed as an AARP Innovation Labs Portfolio Company.

MyFloc™ is an expense management and payment solution that helps families maintain control and protect their senior’s money. It allows for control, clarity and communication in spending by the senior and for the senior. If your senior has numerous people paying bills or running errands for them, or if they are in the early stages of Dementia where spending can get out of hand, this is a great way to protect them.

If you suspect someone may be the victim of any type of abuse or neglect, remember it is not your responsibility to prove the abuse or neglect has occurred. Trust your gut. If you think something is going on, report it to your local police department or report it to adult protective services. All reports can be anonymous.

Beth Dow is a Dementia and Alzheimer’s Educator, CAEd and Geriatric Care Manager. She is also the owner of Home Helpers of GA & AL in Newnan. Readers can contact her by email at bdow@ homehelpershomecare.com.

maintaining food frozen.

For new home food preservers, the first-year investment with equipment and tools may be higher for canning and freezing, and a long-term commitment may be required to observe the return or savings in preserving food.

Resources such as guidelines and tested recipes are essential to preserving food safely.

Research-based free resources are available through the National Center for Home Food Preservation and from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning: https://nchfp.uga.edu

Additionally, UGA Extension offers the NCHFP book, “So Easy to Preserve” at https://setp.uga.edu

Time. Don’t forget to consider what your time is worth. However, for many people food preservation is a form of therapy, healthy exercise, or a family bonding activity.

One of my best memories as a child was canning green beans with my grandmother, and just last summer, my mom and I spent hours in the kitchen together canning peaches and freezing corn. I would not trade those memories for anything in the world.

Of course, you may get just as much enjoyment out of spending some time visiting local farmers markets where you can purchase locally grown already preserved goods. The Coweta County Farmers Market (located at 197 Temple Avenue, Newnan) is now open every Wednesday and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon through mid-October.

After considering all the factors and comparing the total cost of preserving food at home versus purchasing food at the store or farmers markets, then you may find the costs outweigh or are similar to the savings.

While it is possible to save money preserving food at home, you have a better chance of saving if you commit to it long-term.

For more information about food preservation, contact the Coweta County Extension office at 770-2542620 or coweta.extension@uga.edu.

The University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences is an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization.

Photo Credit: UGA Cooperative Extension, Family & Consumer Sciences