5 Steps For a Successful Hospital Discharge
Elder Care Helper offers these five key steps to help you plan a safe and appropriate transition from hospital to home or rehabilitation center.
Don’t Fall Victim to Email or Internet Fraud
I almost paid $95 to obtain software that would allow me to work from home and essentially double my income. I trusted my mother and her source, and then I trusted the MSNBC website, but they all turned out to be bogus.
Tips to Stay Fit
Each week, I applaud my grandmother for attending a local exercise class. Though the social aspect is the draw, the benefit is a healthier self. Recently, I was given the chance to observe the class and interview her instructor Al Schmidt, an entertaining man with a passion for staying fit.
Tips from an Orthopedic Nurse
Nurse Kathy Juran has been in the orthopedic world for over thirty years as a confident and skilled caretaker. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with her and discuss the topics of bone care, accident prevention, and orthopedic surgery. I found her knowledge to be essential for anyone in need of healthy bones. […]
Working Memory. Memory Working.
As we age, or for those of us who develop degenerative brain diseases, keeping more than a couple things in our minds at the same time can be problematic. Don’t get too discouraged just yet, because working memory is something that can be improved with effort.
How Important are Grandparents?
A recent survey released by AARP finds that 90% of grandparents believe they play an important role in their grandchildren’s lives. Based on this survey’s results, it appears their assumptions might be right on target.
Remember Radio Theater?
In the 1940s, the radio-play (now seemingly forgotten) was a common pastime in America. Many of our greatest fantasies, fears, and struggles were broadcast 24 hours-a-day directly into our homes. We closed our eyes, soaked up the words of our favorite heroes and villains, and shared their journeys with our families and friends.
Saving for a Single Retirement
According to The Wall Street Journal, 35% of 50-54 year olds were single in 2011, compared with 29% in 2000. With more baby boomers entering their golden years on their own, retirement planning becomes even more important and challenging.
Life is 10 Percent What Happens to You and 90 Percent How You React to It
There are numerous situations out of our control – and when things aren’t going our way or the deck seems to be stacked against us, anger can rear its ugly head. Older adults can experience a mixed bag of emotions, including anger, as they begin to give up independence and rely on caregivers.
Are the Grandchildren Leaving You Achy?
It doesn’t matter if you are the fittest grandparent in the Midwest; crawling around playing hide and seek – or even just lifting and carrying the grandkids can do a number on your neck, knees and back.
Handling Dementia with Teenagers at Home
Surviving the teenage years of children can be hard enough on a parent; throw in a spouse with dementia and you’ve got yourself a pot of boiling stress and anxiety for a caregiver.
Diabetes More Prevalent In Older Adults
An astounding 8.3% of the population in the United States has Diabetes. That’s 25.8 million people! Even more astounding: 10.9 million of those 25.8 million people are 65 years of age or older.
Defense: Instrumental to the Game, not to Conversation
Whether it is from our boss, the person we are caring for, our parents, our children, our spouse or our friends, learning to communicate without defensiveness is one of the most important factors in determining success in your life and relationships.
Understanding COPD
I was astonished to learn that COPD is most prevalent in adults aged 55 and older, and that more than 24 million people in the U.S. are living with this disease which does not have a cure. COPD is typically thought of as a smoking disease, because 80% – 90% of all the cases in the U.S. are the result of smoking cigarettes; however, nonsmokers can develop COPD, too.
My Long Lost Love: The Library
It’s a place I frequented as a child and as a teenager to check out and read entire collections of books, and where I found new music when I couldn’t afford to purchase a zillion CDs. The library.
Older Adults More at Risk for Winter’s ‘Silent Killer’
We all know the common and obvious dangers of winter such as the slippery ice and road conditions, but winter comes with a hidden danger we often overlook: carbon monoxide. With its colorless, odorless and tasteless properties, phrases like ‘silent killer’ and the ‘ghostly gas’ have been coined because of the inherent danger it poses to our health.
Winter Safety for Older Adults
We should be prepared and take extra precautions when getting out in the winter weather.
Goal Setting – Important at Any Age
Goals are like a road map to help guide your journey to the destination of your heart’s desire.
Little Things Mean a Lot
Random acts of kindness often spark appreciation in others that creates a domino effect when they in turn pass it on and those after them pass it on. Ultimately, these little things mean a lot, and they make the world a better place.
5 Myths About Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
A local neurologist sets the record straight on some common misconceptions about this condition
20 Ways to Manage Arthritis Pain in the Kitchen
Achy joints can make carrying pans, opening jars and cutting veggies difficult, but there are many gadgets and tricks that can help
Alzheimer’s Risk Factors & Prevention
Is Alzheimer’s disease preventable? It’s a question many ask but few seem to get a straight answer to.
Making Homes More Accessible for Everyone
There are plenty of relatively inexpensive changes you can make to your current home to make it more accessible to residents of any age or level of mobility.
Identifying the 10 Signs of Alzheimer’s
Here are 10 signs of Alzheimer’s disease. If you recognize any of these signs, please see a doctor as soon as possible.
Medicare Open Enrollment has Arrived
Open Enrollment was moved to start earlier this year, but that also means the deadline is earlier as well. Regardless of what type of Medicare you have (Original, Advantage or Part D) – now is the time to make any changes for the following year!
