Kendal at Home Blog

As our knowledge of COVID-19 continues to change, new information is constantly emerging about symptom profiles, modes of transmission and more. Most recently, it’s been reported that COVID-19 symptoms might stretch beyond the common signs of shortness of breath, fever and cough. Let’s take a look at some of the latest information and how the virus presents itself differently in older adults.

It may not seem like it, but a pandemic is a great time to build your resilience. Kendal at Home recently hosted a virtual coffee hour with educator, speaker and poet Judy Sorum Brown. She holds a Ph.D. from Michigan State University and has served as a White House Fellow, Special Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Labor, chief financial officer, assistant dean and director of executive programs of the College of Business and Management at the University of Maryland.

Resilience isn’t just something you’re born with, says Sorum Brown. It can be learned and strengthened throughout your life. She shared her tips for creating and strengthening your resilience during times of uncertainty.

As we adapt to life during a pandemic, you’ve likely heard a variety of tips for keeping you and your family safe from COVID-19. These could run the gamut from wearing face coverings in public to help prevent the spread of the virus to disinfecting your groceries or leaving your mail outside for an extended period of time. 

When you get home from an errand, should you disinfect your purchases? What cleaners should you use and what should you clean? We’ll take a look at some tips for cleaning and disinfecting your home from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Kendal at Home member Marion Gatts Russell spent her life enjoying music. As a student at James Ford Rhodes High School, she earned two scholarships — one in voice and one in flute — to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. 

After graduating from the conservatory, Marion spent 36 years teaching vocal and instrumental music for the Lorain County school districts. 

According to NextAvenue.org, an executor is typically charged with more than 100 tasks to address when settling an estate. With all these moving parts, it’s easy for you to forget something important when initially creating your estate planning documents. Plus, what’s needed can evolve when a relevant law changes (as it did when SECURE — the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement—was passed into law in 2019) — so even people who fully complete legal documents may need to review theirs again.

To help, here are foundational items to consider and common estate planning mistakes to avoid. 

Whether you’ve been laid off, know someone who has been infected, have anxiety about catching the virus or can’t go to your favorite local spots, the coronavirus has upended life as we know it. And as a result, it’s completely normal to feel a range of emotions.

As the outbreak — and the implications from it — continues, you might start to feel fear, anxiety, have trouble sleeping or feel depressed or angry. Whatever you’re feeling, you’re not alone. A Kaiser Health survey found that 1 in 5 Americans reported the COVID-19 outbreak negatively affected their mental health. 

Here’s what you can do to safeguard your mental health:

Cannabis is being legalized in increasing numbers of states, sometimes for medical purposes, other times for medical and recreational reasons alike. It’s not surprising that this substance is being used for the health conditions and chronic pain being experienced by older patients in bigger numbers. 

As cases of the coronavirus continue to spread rapidly across the United States, you may be wondering what you can do to help slow the spread and keep yourself healthy. Aside from washing your hands frequently, wearing a mask while in public, maintaining social distance and not touching your face, you may also have heard of several other COVID-19 cures or prevention strategies.

Here, we’ll take a look at what’s fact and what’s fiction when it comes to staying healthy in the face of coronavirus.

Congress and the president enacted a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus law to fight the economic impact of the coronavirus. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will provide many Americans with $1,200 checks, increase the funding for unemployment and offer small businesses money to pay their employees among other things. 

Here’s how the CARES Act could affect you:

As the effects of the spread of coronavirus continue to impact the economy, you might be experiencing some anxiety about your retirement savings and other investments. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about how the coronavirus may affect your savings and what you can do to protect yourself.