The community-based services provided through formal networks are designed to help older adults and their families to remain living in their community, retaining as much independence and quality of life as possible.

In our society we have become accustomed to being extravagant with resources. These resources cost money. If a family wishes to cut expenses, there are usually many ways in which to do this.

Healthy families are able to maintain a consistent level of involvement with one another, yet at the same time, not become too involved in each other’s lives. Therefore, the focus is on how much, and in what ways, family members show their interest and investment in each other.

The ways in which family members emotionally respond to each other reveals a lot about the quality of their relationships.

Family patterns of behavior are often handed down from one generation to the next. For example, have you ever caught yourself saying or doing something your parents did and wondered why you were doing it?

Effective communication is an important characteristic of strong, healthy families. Research identifies communication as an essential building block of strong marital, parent-child, and sibling relationships.

Roles play an extremely important part in healthy family functioning. Most researchers agree that the establishment of clear roles within a family is directly connected to a family’s ability to deal with day-to-day life, unforeseen crises, and the
normal changes that occur in families over time.

Problem-solving is the family’s ability to resolve problems on a level that maintains effective family functioning.

When preparing for a disaster, it is important to provide for an adequate supply of water for drinking and cooking. In natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, or earthquakes, the municipal water supply is likely to be disrupted. Ice storms and other emergencies can cause a loss of electrical power, leaving well pumps unable to function.

Concerns about personal and family health may lead you to question the safety of the water used in your household.

Many areas have water containing impurities from natural or artificial sources. These impurities may cause health problems, damage equipment or plumbing, or make the water undesirable due to taste, odor, appearance or staining.

Foul taste, smell, or color of your household water may prompt you to investigate water treatment equipment. The publicity about water pollution problems may cause you to question the safety of your water supply. Or mineral scale buildup may cause you to invest in early replacement of plumbing fixtures and water-using appliances.

This publication describes some possibilities for living options where older adults may receive assistance: continuing-care retirement communities, assisted housing, nursing homes, ECHO housing, board-and-care homes, congregate housing, and foster care.

Until recently, the point‑of‑use water treatment industry focused on improving the aesthetic quality of drinking water. The industry has lately been thrust into the forefront of treatment of contaminated drinking waters that pose a serious health hazard. The response has been a plethora of companies and products promising to render the consumer’s drinking water safe and contaminant free.

This publication provides information about basic concepts and approaches used in making decisions on behalf of others or planning for ones own future needs.

Caregivers that place their own physical and emotional needs after their care responsibilities often find themselves feeling frustrated, angry, depressed, or physically ill.