Magnolia Manor Blog

What did your mom always say when you were a kid? “Go outside and get some fresh air!”

You may not be a kid anymore, but your mother’s advice still pertains. In fact, it’s even more important for seniors to get outside to enjoy the tangible and intangible benefits. Quite simply, sunshine and fresh air refuel the body, mind, and spirit – the fundamentals of life, as we see it here at Magnolia Manor.

What would you do if you were to outlive your ability to pay for your senior living accommodations and care? Scary thought, isn’t it? It’s even more frightening when you consider that such a thing could happen to your own Mom. Unfortunately, especially in today’s economic times, it is not unusual for seniors to outlive their financial resources.

The Georgia Southwestern College of Nursing and Health Sciences Auditorium has a new name – Magnolia Manor Nursing Auditorium. GSW Assistant Vice President Stephen Snyder officially unveiled the change on February 10, in a dedication ceremony that celebrated the commitment and connection between two vital community entities.

March is National Nutrition Month – no better time to talk about healthy eating! Proper nutrition is vital to fuel strong bodies and minds at any age, especially seniors. You may not realize that as you age your relationship with food changes. For one thing, your metabolism slows, which means you need fewer calories each day to energize your body. Aging also tends to diminish the sense of smell and taste, which can diminish interest in eating.

Nobody is happier to live at Magnolia Manor than Jackie Mullis, and to say her enthusiasm is contagious would be an understatement.

Although she was born in Florida, Jackie has lived in Moultrie since 1949. As the years passed, her family became concerned about Jackie living on her own. She had friends at Magnolia Manor and had visited them on occasion, so she went back with the idea of possibly moving there. She fell in love with a two-bedroom apartment and told herself, “I have to go home and count my money.” She was able to move right in within a month.

For families who are close-knit and live near one another, the first line of “defense” when an aging loved one needs a little help is family members. Of course you want to help, it’s only natural. You might say family caregivers are the ultimate “cottage industry”:

How to pay for senior living is a topic that every aging adult (and sometimes their adult children) grapples with sooner or later. Whether you have more than comfortable assets to draw from or your finances are very limited, the cost of continuing care can be weighty indeed. But that doesn’t mean you must divest yourself of key assets such as a home you own before you can make a move.

Are you ready for a raise? Prices go up and retired seniors need to keep up, so the Social Security Administration has announced a “pay” increase for more than 64 million folks who receive Social Security retirement benefits. Starting in January 2022, benefits will go up 5.9% -- the largest cost-of-living adjustment in quite some time. Of course, while your benefit is increasing, Medicare premiums are also going to increase.

Some people are thrilled to call it quits when their “working years” are over. Retirement – finally! This is your chance to spend the days doing whatever you want, on whatever schedule suits you. But that’s not the case for everyone. If you really love your job, you may choose to stay with it longer; something that wasn’t an option to past generations who were forced to retire at age 65.

It is unthinkable that any senior (or anyone) should go hungry because they cannot afford nutritious food. That’s why the SNAP program exists. Sadly, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) reports that 60% of seniors who qualify for SNAP benefits are going without simply because they haven’t applied. They believe one reason is a persistent myth that says seniors receive just $16 per month. This is far from the truth.