Smartphone, iPad, and Tablet Tips and Advice for Orlando Seniors

by Michele Moon

Regardless of where you live - be it an assisted living community, your own house in Oviedo, a Winter Park apartment, or with adult children in Orlando - technology has a way of making the world smaller, helping you to communicate with friends and family, and even manage your schedule and life.

It can be especially helpful in the effort to help older seniors age-in-place (remain living in their own homes independently) as innovations like smartphones and tablets make it far easier for older adults to embrace technology and remain in touch with family caregivers. The many applications (apps) available for both phones and tablets can really be a boost for adult children/family caregivers - even for those who are trying to help Mom or Dad on a long-distance basis.

I thought I'd post a couple of videos and other resources that help explain some of the ways in which smartphones, tablets, and apps can play a role in serving seniors and caregiver families in Orlando and all of Central Florida.

We Specialize in Home Sales & Real Estate Services/Downsizing for Orlando Adults 55+

I've also come across a website for seniors run by a 74-year-old woman named Sheila Finkelstein. Check it out to get free answers to technology questions.

TechnologyForSeniorsMadeEasy.com 

Considering selling a house in Orlando, Oviedo, Winter Park, Winter Springs, Casselberry, or anywhere across Central Florida? 

Contact Lisa or Michele for a No-Obligation Consultation

Free Family Caregivers Kit: Information and Help for Orlando Seniors or Their Family Caregivers

by Lisa D'Aloise

A few years ago, the newspaper advice columnist Dear Abby (Abigail Van Buren) and the U.S. government teamed up to promote the free "Family Caregivers Kit," a collection of brochures and information designed to help family caregivers in Orlando and elsewhere navigate the maze of issues and concerns faced by older seniors and those who care for them.

How We Help Orlando Seniors and Family Caregivers with Late-In-Life Moves

While the brochures are no longer available by mail in hard copy form, they are available online for viewing.

As Certified Senior Housing Professionals in Oviedo, Orlando, and all across Orange County, Florida, Michele and I - the Estate Conversions Team of Keller Williams Realty - wanted to make sure you had easy access to all these resources and solid information.

Helping Orlando Seniors Manage Money

Managing an Older Parent's Money: Help for Those with a Power of Attorney

How to Manage Your Parent's Money: Help for Those with Guardianship or a Conservator 

Help for Representative Payees and Veterans Administration (VA) Fiduciaries

Help for Orlando Seniors in Managing Your/Their Medication

Complete List of Senior Caregiver Resources from the U.S. Government

Senior Citizens Resources in Orlando and Across the Country

End-of-Life Issues and Long Distance Caregiving 

Medicare Assistance for Family Caregivers in Florida and Across the U.S.

At Orlando Senior Housing, we help Central Florida seniors or their family caregivers learn how to age-in-place or prepare for a late-in-life move from a larger home to a smaller apartment or senior housing community. We provide end-to-end advice, organization, and service for the entire move, including selling an Orlando house. Contact Michele Moon or Lisa D'Aloise for a no-obligation analysis and casual chat.

3 beds, 2 baths, $225,000

Our Featured Orlando, Florida House for Sale

DRIVE...BUY!!! This home has been lovingly cared for and it shows! The floor plan is ideal and features a spacious living room and dining room off the foyer and an open kitchen and family room combo. The screen porch has nice brick pavers, a gas line and overlooks a scenic POND and CONSERVATION area.

Review: Orlando Memory Care Senior Communities: Serenades by Sonata

by Lisa D'Aloise

As Certified Senior Housing Professionals and Orlando real estate agents who specialize in helping seniors sell a family home and "downsize" to a more manageable living environment, we regularly tour and inspect senior communities in Central Florida. It's all part of our job to ensure that we - The Estate Conversions Team of Keller Williams Realty - can provide the best recommendations and senior housing options for a late-in-life transition.

We Provide Senior Move and Real Estate Services for Florida Seniors

Serenades by Sonata are three memory care assisted living communities in Central Florida, located in Longwood, Winter Garden, and a new location close to Ocala at The Villages, Florida.

Focused on helping seniors with Alzheimer's and related dementias, the communities utilize the latest technologies and understanding of these diseases to help seniors and their caregiver families enjoy the best quality of life possible.

Website: Serenades Memory Care Assisted Living by Sonata

Of course, in an Orlando memory care setting, safety is of the utmost concern, and Serenades by Sonata employs a wide variety of tools in that effort including:

Wireless Wander Guard system at all exits
Camouflaged exits
Secured proxy card access
Safety cameras in courtyard and at external exits
Bed exit and motion sensors
Double barrier exits
Non-glare surfaces
Resilient flooring

Living Space

Private and companion suites are available, as well as private suites with shared baths. All utilities are included in their monthly fee. Suites feature:

Emergency wireless call system

5-ft. zero-entry showers with grab bars and seats

Secured resident storage in each suite

Bed exit and incontinence sensors

Motion sensors

Memory boxes outside each suite

Amber lighting provides cueing of bathroom location

As Orlando Realtors, we specialize in selling houses for seniors who are on the move, be it in Oviedo, Winter Park, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Lake Mary and all points beyond. 

But it's also our honor to help seniors and their adult children navigate the complexities - emotionally, logistically, and financially - of such a move. We - Michele Moon and I - are specially trained to help you handle the entire move from start to finish. Please feel free to contact us at anytime for advice and a no-obligation consultation. 

Our Featured Winter Springs, Florida House for Sale

This is a great starter home or investment property. There's lots of room to spread out with a formal dining room, living room and family room. The kitchen cabinets have been updated and the roof replaced after Charlie. There is a half bath downstairs that leads to the oversized, fenced back yard. The master bedroom is roomy and the secondary bedrooms share a jack and jill bath. There's no HOA so bring your toys! The schools are top rated too! See it soon!

Orlando Senior Housing Review: Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary

by Michele Moon

My partner Lisa D'Aloise and I recently stopped in to visit with Kay Stober and the residents at Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary, a new, 25-acre luxury senior living community in the heart of Lake Mary, Florida.

Left: Lisa D'Aloise, Right: Kay Tober

In our role as Certified Senior Housing Professionals - Orlando real estate agents who specialize in helping seniors sell their family home and move to a new community or smaller home - it's part of our job to stay up-to-date on senior living communities across Central Florida. We want to make sure that we refer our senior clients or their caregiver families to the best senior community for their specific needs.

Lisa and Michele: We Specialize in Orlando Real Estate Service for Seniors On the Move

Debuting in 2009, Oakmonte Village features 42 free-standing Villas, each with a one-car garage and two bedrooms and two baths.

You'll also find 165 Independent Living apartments with a choice of studio, one, or two bedroom floor plans. 

For those who require a bit more help, there are 114 private, Assisted Living apartments where the level of care is customized to each resident, including those in need or daily care or memory care.

Learn More About Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary Here

Lisa and I were struck by the high-end, luxurious feel of the community, an attribute that - paradoxically - is made even more enjoyable by the fact that Oakmonte Village, unlike many Orlando senior living communities, demands no "Entrance Fee" for new residents, a nice feature that contributes to the ease of those worried about "how much do senior living communities in Florida cost"?

Along with restaurant-quality dining, served inclusively with three meals daily, those who get up a bit late may also partake of the continental breakfast option or - throughout the day - a bistro café.

Follow Oakmonte Village on Facebook

Other highlights of Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary include:

All inclusive services with no entrance fee demand

On- site physician services

Personal Concierge services

On- site banking, gift shop, & fitness center

Dining Service 

Transportation 

24- Hour Security

Maintenance & housekeeping service

Monitored emergency call system

Handy convenience store with pharmacy service

If you'd like to learn more about our impressions of Oakmonte Village or have other questions concerning senior housing in Orlando, please feel free to contact either Lisa D'Aloise or me - Michele Moon - at the phone or email addresses here.

If you're a senior or the family member or caregiver of an older adult who needs advice on a real estate transaction or sale of a house, please contact us here at Estate Conversions for a no-obligation chat.

Our job as Certified Senior Housing Professionals is to serve as advisers, friends, and business partners for any senior or family member who needs help in the sale of a home or any aspect whatsoever of a late-in-life move.

Our Featured, Winter Springs, Florida House for Sale

Come see this custom-built home with all the "I Wants" in this exclusive Arrowhead neighborhood in Tuscawilla. The main living areas offer lovely views of the golf course from its vantage point on the 9th tee of the Tuscawilla golf course. This energy efficient home offers foam insulation in the blocks, and a 14 seer a/c system. The kitchen features custom maple cabinetry, quartz and granite counter tops, center island with sink, and pasta-filler water faucet.

Video Review: Premier Senior Consultants: Helping Orlando Seniors Find the Right Retirement Communities

by Michele Moon

As Orlando real estate agents who specialize in helping seniors downsize, sell a house, and prepare to move into more manageable housing, we at Estate Conversions regularly come across other people who are providing some unique and first-class services for Orlando seniors or their caregiver families.

The Estate Conversions Team: Specializing in Home Sales for Orlando Adults 55+

I recently had the pleasure of spending time with Holly Jennings who - along with her business partner Carrie Vick - are the driving force behind Premier Senior Consultants, an Orlando company that provides a free service that many people probably don't even know is available to them.

If you're an older adult or the family caregiver of a senior citizen and need to learn more about the process of moving into a Central Florida independent living or assisted living community (often commonly referred to as retirement communities) Holly, Carrie, and Premier Senior Consultants can be of extraordinary assistance.

And, as mentioned above, their service is free to you: the senior or family member. Holly and Carrie both hold extensive experience as administrators and executives within the senior housing industry. Now, they've started their own business to utilize that knowledge and provide a concierge/consultant service to seniors or their families.

Watch My Video Interview with Holly

Visit the Premier Senior Consultants Website

Here's how Holly and Carrie explain their assistance:

The Premier Process begins with a personal interview to gather information with family member(s) and the future resident. This is to ensure each potential community meets the expectations and requirements we have identified.

Next, we will tour each Senior Living Community by your side, supporting the process from start to finish. Our goal is to ensure each future resident will be welcomed, cared for and safe in their new home.

Our service is at NO COST to you and the fee is paid by the community after the resident has successfully transitioned to their new home.

Many thanks to Holly, Carrie, and Premier Senior Consultants for being a part of the effort to make finding the right senior housing in Orlando an easier and more intuitive process for all involved!

Our Featured Orlando House for Sale

Come see...Come sigh! Hurry in to see this lovely home in highly desirable Waterford Lakes! Inside you'll find soaring ceilings, spacious formal living room and dining room and a large family room. The master bedroom is located on the first floor and has a jetted tub, large walk in closet and access to the pool/patio. Upstairs are 4 bedrooms, two with walk in closets and a loft. The pool has solar panels, pop up cleaners, a gas heated spa and an indoor control system. The exterior was just painted in November and the A/C was replaced in '04. Residents of Waterford Lakes enjoy a community pool, playground, tennis, walking paths and top rated schools. The location is ideal with close proximity to the 408 expressway, Waterford Lakes Towne Center, shopping and restaurants.

Resources for Seniors and Family Caregivers in Orlando

by Michele Moon
The Estate Conversions Team

Family caregivers in Orlando - those who take care of an older adult - do exceptional work! As Certified Senior Housing Professionals - Realtors who help family caregivers and seniors in the sale of a family home and move to a new phase of life - we at Estate Conversions regularly come across people who are at the forefront of this demanding time in life.

The Estate Conversions Team: Specializing in Home Sales for Orlando Adults 55+

It's part of our job to know as much as possible about opportunities that can make life a bit better and easier for both those caregivers and their loved ones. I wanted to use this blog post to provide information on some of the community resources available to family caregivers across central Florida.

Veterans Administration Caregiver Support

If you're the family caregiver of a veteran in Orlando, from Oviedo to Lake Mary to Live Oak to Winter Springs to Altamonte, the Veterans Administration provides a wide variety of resources to help not only the veteran, but also YOU - the family caregiver of a veteran. These include respite programs, the free, online workshop "Building Better Caregivers," and plenty of other assistance.

Family Caregiver Support at the Orlando VA Medical Center

The Orlando VA Family Caregiver Support Coordinators are:

Elinor Splitter, MA, MSW, LCSW: 321-397-6465

James Conte, MSW : 407-646-4055

Jane Hoke Otto, RN: 407-271-2311

Richard Kennedy, RN: 407-646-4100

Central Florida Alzheimers and Dementia Resource Center

A fantastic local resource for Orlando family caregivers of those with these illnesses.

Alzheimers Association Central Florida Support Groups

Share the Care: Adult Day Care and Respite

Based on income with sliding scale fees

Senior Resource Alliance: Central Florida

Central Florida's Area Agency on Aging serving seniors, caregivers and aging services providers in Brevard, Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties.

Orlando Counsel for Caregivers

As Certified Senior Housing Professionals, we at the Estate Conversions Team - Lisa D'Aloise and Michele Moon - consider it an honor to help boomers, seniors, and family caregivers with any and all questions they may have about the caregiving or downsizing/moving process. Reach us anytime here or fill out the contact form on the right sidebar.

Lake Mary, Florida House for Sale

Orlando Counsel for Caregivers Spring 2014 Seminar Series

by Michele Moon
The Estate Conversions Team

The Orange County/Orlando Counsel for Caregivers is an extraordinary community resource for the family caregivers of senior citizens across Central Florida. To be honest, there are very few communities fortunate enough to have a group dedicated specifically to caregivers. It's one of the many things that make our area a fantastic place to live.

The Estate Conversions Team: Specializing in Home Sales for Adults 55+

One of the highlights of the Orlando Counsel for Caregivers is the Spring 2014 Seminar Series, a magnificent collection of educational events held at three libraries across the area.

I'm happy to note that I - Michele Moon - will be representing the Estate Conversions Team on April 17, 2014 and May 14, 2014 as I provide an educational seminar on the topic of "Choosing the Right Home for Life's Next Chapter." 

Email Me for More Information on How to Choose the Right Home for Life's Next Chapter

I'd love to see you join me at The Orlando Public Library on April 17th and the South Creek Library on May 14.

Click Here for the Entire Spring 2014 Seminar Series Schedule

At the rate of three seminars each month, the counsel offers a marvelous opportunity for those who take care of older loved ones - be they spouses, parents, or grandparents - to learn how to better handle, navigate, and thrive in the stressful (yet blessed) role of being a family caregiver.

RSVP by Email or call 407-836-7446

Other upcoming topics in February, March, April, May, and June of 2014 include:

Understanding the Many Decisions of End-of-Life Planning
Health Issues No One Wants to Talk About 

Creating Purpose & FUN – and Preventing Depression 

Strengthening Your Bones 

A Physical Therapist’s Tips & Tricks to Staying Healthy 

Women’s Issues and Aging 

Elder Law 101 

Helpful Community Services for Seniors and Family Caregivers 

Solutions for the Aging Spine

Choosing the Right Home for Life's Next Chapter

Orlando House for Sale: Orlando, Florida 32828 5 beds, 3 baths, $270,000

2014 Orlando Family Caregiver Conference

by Michele Moon

As Certified Senior Housing Professionals - real estate agents who specialize in helping seniors downsize, sell their home, and move to a new phase in their lives - we at Estate Conversions Team of Orlando realize the pressures and amazing work that family caregivers offer those they love.

Buy or Sell a House in Orlando: Contact Lisa or Michele of The Estate Conversions Team at Keller Williams Realty

Whether you care for a senior spouse, parent, or other loved one, it's our goal with this blog to ensure that family caregivers, boomers, and seniors of all ages are aware of and have access to the many resources in Central Florida available to enhance their lives.

One of those resources is the Fearless Caregiver Conference which makes it's way to Orlando this month on January 30, 2014.

It will run from 8:30am - 2:30pm at the Holy Trinity Reception & Conference Center, 1217 Trinity Woods Lane, Maitland, FL 32751.

More Information on the Orlando Family Caregivers Conference

You'll get advice on how to balance family, work, and caregiving while learning to win support from family members. It's also an opportunity to pick the brains of a wide variety of experts and get your caregiving questions answered, while figuring out the particulars of how to obtain financial and community resources for caregivers in Orlando, Oviedo, Orange County and throughout the area.

Family Caregivers: Click Here for Free Tickets

In addition to exhibitors with a wealth of information, a round-table question and answer session will cover topics such as respites options, financial and legal issues, getting a parent to stop driving, Alzheimer’s care, grandparent caregiving, depression, stress management, and adult day services.

If you need advice on real estate services for seniors and their caregiver families, including everything you need to know about making a late-in-life move, please feel free to contact Lisa or Michele of the Estate Conversions Team of Orlando.

Oviedo House for Sale: Oviedo, FL 32765 4 beds, 2 baths, $215,000