Even in Old Age, Your Mom Wants to be Your Mom
Recently a colleague asked for some advice on dealing with his mom. He assumed that since I am in the business of serving older adults I would have some wisdom on the topic.
Avoiding Dehydration & Heat Exhaustion
What most of us are not aware of, is that summer heat claims more than 1,000 lives each year in the United States; more than the icy winters or the severe storms.
Is It Time to Downsize?
Contemplating retirement is also the time to start contemplate downsizing your home.
Looking for New Friendships
Typically, making friends is something that just happens. It has never been something that you had to give alot of thought. When you were in school it was who sat next to you in class
Stepping into the Leadership Role
Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia involve a progressive loss of one’s memory, thinking, language, and self-care skills. Someone with dementia eventually loses the capacity to be completely independent, and others must step up to provide assistance. A special brand of leadership is called for. At least one person must assume overall authority for […]
Spring Cleaning Can Actually Save Money?
Spring cleaning. Something about it sounds refreshing. Something about it also sounds exhausting. The idea of going through your entire home, cleaning and reorganizing it from top to bottom can be a long weekend project — maybe even two weekends worth of work. You may not want to commit to it considering the weather is clearing […]
Lifting Safety for Caregivers
We may not recognize the risk we are putting ourselves in the moment of leaning over someone for an extended period of time. We may not feel any different a few minutes after lifting up a person from bed or transferring a person from a chair to a wheel chair, but inevitably, it hits us the […]
Communicating with Alzheimer’s Patients
I recently read an article in Parade about a speech-pathology professor at Ohio State University, Michelle S. Bourgeois, who is finding new ways to communicate with Alzheimer and Dementia patients.
Driving — Time to Stop?
The changes of normal aging can often interfere with the ability to drive. Driving is a complex function and it’s important to be alert for changes in yourself and others that might indicate it’s time to stop driving.
Top Jobs for Older Adults
If you are anything like most retirees or soon-to-be ones, you have probably taken a financial hit over the past two years. What was once the comfortable retirement lifestyle you had always imagined might be looking very different in this harsh economic climate. To make matters worse, prices are going up and your income is undoubtedly fixed. You might be asking yourself what you could possibly do without having to go back to work full-time. There are actually some great part-time positions perfect for the formerly retired.
Vacations – A Must For Caregivers
It’s March. We all feel it — the spring in our step when a 40 degree day hits followed by the dread the next day when it’s back down in the 20s and snowing. The daily pressures combined with the weather all starts to mound and we wish we could just get away for a week or maybe even a few days. It’s time for a vacation
Spruce Up For Spring!
To paraphrase the legendary Rock & Roll group The Beatles, “Little darling, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter… but here comes the Sun!” With the warmer weather just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start thinking about completing those home maintenance projects that have been on your mind all winter. Some […]
Tips for Helping Family Members with Finances
A frequent challenge is how to help older family members with their finances without taking away their autonomy or getting into a tug-of-war over the issue. Concerns often arise when visiting loved ones and finding that bills have not been paid, papers are in disorder, or even that utilities have been cut off. It’s not […]
Be Sure to Check on Your Aging Relatives
Years ago my favorite great-aunt died. She and her husband never had kids of their own but bestowed their love upon a dozen or so nieces and nephews. They were a fun couple and a visit to their house, located on a golf course, was always filled with fun and mystery. There was a small […]
Tricks That Stick: Medication Tips
Red, round, blue, oblong, white, rectangular — pills come in all shapes, colors and sizes making it difficult to keep them straight. Even more difficult is keeping track of when you’re supposed to take them. The blue one in the morning or afternoon, but not with the white one etc. — all the rules and […]
Health Plans 101: Knowledge is Power
Health plans — ugh. My least favorite subject and more than likely your least favorite as well. I’m not sure I’ve met anyone who really likes to talk about them and I’m guessing it’s because most of us, myself included, don’t fully understand them. HMOs, PPOs, POSs, private/government plans, deductibles and co-pays; who has the […]
Button up the house for winter
With the winter season fast approaching, now is the time to take a closer look at all of those home maintenance projects that are on your “to-do” list. A little bit of preventative maintenance now will give you peace of mind all season long and may end up saving you money down the road. As […]
Preparing Advanced Directives
We never really know what is around the corner. Most of us think optimistically and prefer not to think about car accidents, sudden illness, or other life-threatening situations that could leave us unable to make decisions about our health care. We would prefer to think it just won’t happen to us because it’s uncomfortable to […]
Manage your Prescriptions, Avoid Unnecessary Stress
The more drugs the doctor prescribes for various conditions, the harder it is to keep up with what you’re taking and when you’re supposed to take it. The confusion can lead to a missed dose or a mistake. Mistakes often result in dangerous side effects of medications interacting. Take a few moments to get organized […]
Hobbies for Retirement: Taking Advantage of Free Time
We all have mixed feelings when we think about retirement. While the stress relief is certainly welcome, many retirees can find themselves bored without their normal routines filling their daily schedules. The anticipation of all that time can lead us to depression and feelings of inadequacy, because we spend so many years attaching our purpose […]
Caregivers: Knock Out the Flu This Season
“Nowhere to run to, baby. Nowhere to hide.” This classic tune by Martha & the Vandellas might run through some caregivers heads when the ones they are caring for get sick. With the flu season gearing up, everyone is telling us to avoid people who are sick with the flu, but caregivers certainly don’t always […]
What is Your Healthy Weight?
There are many health risks associated with weight; this holds true if you are either underweight or overweight. Maintaining a healthy weight may reduce the risk of many chronic diseases and help you stay physically active and mentally sharp. To be safe, ask your doctor or dietitian what the optimal healthy weight is for you. […]
Counting Sheep: Techniques for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
“I had to count sheep to fall asleep last night.” “I stare at the alarm clock for hours trying to fall asleep.” “I can’t stop thinking of all the things I have to do.” “I’m so worried about the situation; it’s keeping me up at night.” “I have too much to do. I can sleep […]
Symptoms and Effects of Hearing Loss — What?
Have you ever been so frustrated with someone because you’ve repeated the same sentence 3 times – each time louder than the time before? Yet you still receive a reply of, “What did you say?” Perhaps you’ve been on the other end, frustrated that you have to keep asking someone to speak up? Well, don’t […]
Home Care or a Congregate Setting: Which is Best for your Parent?
Many children of older adults have heard their parents implore them to: “Please never put me in a nursing home!” Unfortunately, some of us find ourselves faced with a difficult decision when our parents become debilitated by disease or compromised with memory impairment issues. Today there are congregate settings, assisted living and supportive living programs […]
