With Baby Boomers now hitting their stride into retirement age at record numbers (10,000 per day), many consider where to retire as a key consideration.

An AARP study concludes that most people want to remain in their own home for the rest of their lives, or at least as long as possible. That leaves a few people to consider moving to someplace a little warmer and sunnier.

Here are a few things to consider when thinking about where to retire:

• Can you financially afford to sustain your ideal lifestyle for many years to come?
• Will you need a car where you live?
• Is there good public transportation in the area?
• How close will you be to family and friends?
• Does the area offer good amenities such as shopping and restaurants?
• Are there plenty of options for recreation and exercise?

While these are just a sampling of things to consider, make a list of what's important and ensure that the area where you choose to retire will meet your important needs.

There's no shortage of retirement ideas on the internet and we've found a few that looked interesting.

Yahoo Finance recently ran a story, "The Best Place to Retire Overseas on a Budget” that discusses the attributes of Ecuador.

U.S. News Money had an article called, "The 18 Best Places to Retire Overseas" that lists each area with a short summary about why each place made the list.

We also found, "Best Places to Retire" on Pinterest that has plenty of photos and links to resources. If you don't know about Pinterest, it's one of the hottest things going on the web today and is certainly worth a look.

You may not be planning to retire just yet, but it is highly recommended to begin planning in advance to be sure you can afford it and find the best deals before they get too expensive. Eventually, others find the hidden gems and the prices always go up in due time.

One of the problems facing wheelchair users is scraping the walls and doorways when wheeling through the house, not to mention scraping fingers and knuckles. Offset hinges work well for widening doorways a few inches by expanding the door opening at the hinge. These are an easy and cost effective way to solve the problem.

But sometimes there is a door opening in a hallway that doesn't have a door to expand - it's just a narrow opening. While it's wide enough to fit through, it's a snug fit.

These narrow openings are easy to spot, as the wheel marks are evident on the walls and doors where the paint has scraped off. It's bad enough when you own the home you live in, but it's worse if you're a renter and have to pay to fix the walls when you move out.

We recently helped a wheelchair user by affixing clear, Plexiglas wheelchair wall protectors to a narrow door opening. The plexi sheets are thin enough that they don't impede movement through the opening but save the paint and wood from being scraped away.

We've seen commercial wall protectors in parking garages and even offices where furniture is constantly being moved, but we haven't found a commercial solution for homes yet. So we fabricated our own wheelchair wall guard.

It's a fairly simple procedure to install them, and until somebody comes out with a pre-made protector, take a look around your own home and see if it might help save your paint and wood.

The ADA Pool Accessibility requirements have changed and go into effect on March 15, 2012. This means all commercial pools over a certain size will require an ADA Pool Lift or sloped entries.

We have posted some of the Pool Accessibility Requirements on our blog, it's always best to check with local authorities to ensure your pool is in compliance.

The U.S. Department of Justice website can be a good resource for information regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act and ca be found at: www.ada.gov.

While it's still Winter in most parts of the country, the law goes into effect soon and it gives most commercial and municipal pools time to plan for pool openings this summer.

If you need more info about pool lifts, we have examples on our main website and would be happy to discuss options.

For people with Parkinson's Disease, one of the most telling signals of the disease is their gait, or shuffling movement of the feet when they walk. Instead of walking heel to toe, many times they don't lift their feet at all. They sometimes shuffle their feet on the ground or stride with the toe first.

As the disease progresses, this gait shuffling becomes more pronounced and eventually they may become susceptible to falls or "freezing of gait" symptoms, also known as FOG.

Freezing of gait episodes are closely related to falls and both can be debilitating. Medication can help decrease the chances of episodes or the severity of episodes, but as things progress, medication can only do so much.

When freezing episodes occur, the patient has trouble starting to walk and may stand in the same spot for a minute or two. The brain wants to walk but the feet don't move. There are a variety of stimuli that may trigger gait freezing such as small spaces or stressful situations, but there are ways other than medication that can also reduce freezing and minimize falls.

One of the most effective prevention techniques we've found is with the use of a Parkinson walker that uses a laser beam near the feet. The laser provides a visual cue to the brain to walk. The video below shows how the Parkinson walker works.

As the video shows, not only does the laser aid in reducing freezing of gait episodes, it is a very stable walker with features designed specifically for Parkinson's. The automatic braking and reversible handle and brake combination make this an attractive walker for a person with Parkinson's Disease.

While it may be impossible to eliminate freezing of gait completely, it is possible to reduce the tendency to freeze or fall with the right equipment, and ensure safer daily routines.

We have more information about the Parkinson Walker on our website at:

www.AccessibleConstruction.com/services/walkers/parkinson-walker.html

Yesterday I was at my local CostCo buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Jake the Wonder Dog, and was in the check-out line when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

Since I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no,
I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in intensive care with IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a Perfect Diet and that the way that it works is, to load your pants pockets with Purina Nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry.

The food is "nutritionally complete" so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story).

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I stepped off a curb to sniff a poodle's butt and a car hit me.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard.

Better watch what you ask retired people. They have all the time in the world to think of crazy things to say.

*Note: This was sent to us in an email and we thought it was funny enough to post. We don't know where it started but we hope you find it funny too.

The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California will have its 9th Annual Festival of Human Abilities on January 28-29, 2012.

The festival showcases the talents of people with disabilities and includes wheelchair dance, accessible SCUBA diving, service dog demos and more.

The image below is from the PDF they e-mailed out. Group Reservations are required for groups larger than ten people.

For more information, visit the website at: www.AquariumOfPacific.org

We have many Parkinson's clients and this video from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine does a great job of shedding light on the disease.

Parkinson's affects approximately one million people in the United States alone. Most visible symptoms include tremors, and slow movement or gait freezing episodes. We've found that a Parkinson's Walker with a laser is one way to improve or decrease gait freezing.

While there is currently no cure for the disease, stem cell research and other strategies show promise for the future. As the video discusses, medications can help but become less effective over time.

We have a summary of Parkinson Disease Resources on our website.

For more information about the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine visit their website at: www.cirm.ca.gov

This is one of the best videos we've seen that explains what Alzheimer's Disease is, and how it spreads throughout the brain.

As the video illustrates, Alzheimer's begins when Plaques and Tangles form in the Hippocampus and kill brain cells. As the disease progresses, it spreads to other parts of the brain, first to the language center and finally to all other areas until breathing is compromised.

While there is no cure for Alzheimer's Disease, it is important to understand the disease and how it may control a person's thoughts and emotions, as well as physical well-being.

One in ten people over the age of 65 will get Alzheimer's Disease. While many live for eight to ten years after being diagnosed, at some point they will need monitoring, a caregiver, and some form of mobility equipment to carry on with their daily lives.

Thanks to AboutALZ for this very interesting and informative "pocket film." To find out more, visit: www.AboutALZ.org

Every year, seniors are seriously injured by falling, many times in their own home. Fall prevention for seniors can be as easy as following a few simple steps:

 - Get a Complete Physical and Eye Exam
 - Review All Medications With a Physician
 - Get Regular Exercise
 - Make Sure the Home is Safe

This video is from Eldercare 911, which offers preventive, proactive client advocacy through eldercare management services customized to meet individual needs. They have a variety of senior safety videos on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/Eldercare911

Laughing with Mary Maxwell is a video series by CaregiverStress.com. Mary's dry, deadpan delivery is hilarious and she would certainly be a hit on the standup circuit.

This video is her take on money saving tips for seniors.

We hope Mary continues to give us a humorous look at aging!