 There is something about school supplies lining the shelves of the stores at this time of year that makes my heart go pitter-pat. I love brand-new, sharpened pencils, organizers, pocket tab dividers, and colored sharpies. Most of all, I love learning. And I especially love that learning is a life-long activity; we don't stop learning when we graduate high school or college. Learning is a privilege and opportunity well into our golden years. With advances in technology, we can now choose the setting and time of day in which we wish to learn. That's a big advantage to a retiree wanting to continue their education without the hassle of student parking at the local college. Did you know that 500+ accredited college classes are available to you online for FREE?  OnlineCourses.com provides you with the opportunity to make use of research-based academic resources from some of the world’s best universities. These free resources are waiting to be used by you to advance your understanding in a variety of academic topics. The free courses listed are considered Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). By definition, MOOC means that any interested learner is able to participate in the course. There are no prerequisites or other qualifiers separating an interested student and the material, although some advanced courses will expect that learners have completed other coursework or have a certain level of knowledge in a related area. (excerpt from About OnlineCourses.com) Back to School for SeniorsIf you like being around people and want to attend classes in the community, check out the Emeritus Class schedule at your local community college. Each semester, a variety of tuition-free classes are offered to older adults to promote lifelong learning.  For our local readers in south Orange County, here's the link to Saddleback College's Emeritus website.
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The elderly aren’t typically motivated by the same factors that influence teens and young adults to use drugs. Seniors are more likely to abuse alcohol and use prescription medications inappropriately than they are to abuse illegal substances, and they usually don’t do so to seek a “high” or thrill. The elderly are usually driven by a need or desire to manage physical or psychological symptoms – so they’ll take sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medications and prescription pain medications to do so.  This is a growing problem because as the number of degenerative diseases increase in one’s aging life, so does the number of prescription medications. Oftentimes these scripts are written by a variety of specialists and filled at different pharmacies which can lead to dangerous drug interactions. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 3 out of 10 adults between the ages of 57 and 85 use five prescription medications or more. (Source SAMHSA webpage)  Why Are Seniors At Risk?
What Can You Do?If you are an adult child of a senior (or a friend or other relative) and are concerned about the possibility of substance abuse or addiction, here’s is what you can do:
Contact us today to schedule your Family ConsultationD-Day is defined as the day an important operation is to begin or a change is to take effect. Being that retirement planning is a daunting task for many people, it is an important operation that is often neglected until too late in the game. At Next Step, we have seen firsthand the devastation resulting from this neglect. That is why we are encouraging you today, to let this day be your Advanced Care Decision Day, the day you and your family members each make a resolution to address saving for retirement and end-of-life decisions regarding: 
 Knowing that things seldom get accomplished without the structure of an appointment or a deadline, we strongly advise that you contact us today to set up a Family Consultation. We also know that conversations between adult children and their parents regarding money, power of attorney, and funeral arrangements are made more comfortable in the presence of a professional third party. Sign up for our Caregivers Building a Financial Foundation Class by clicking here.
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26975 Calle Hermosa Ste #4 Capistrano Beach Ca 92624
26975 Calle Hermosa Ste #4 Capistrano Beach Ca 92624