Amongst the most difficult to navigate issues for adult children are financial frustrations with senior parents. Finances are both exceedingly personal and a representation of your self-sufficiency, and adult children especially can often be met with reluctance when stepping into the financial arena with their senior parents. However, for multiple reasons, such as the ever-increasing…
Family care providers realize that navigating the journey of choosing appropriate care resources for a senior loved one can feel like trying to cross the ocean in a rowboat – blindfolded, and blindsided by the buffeting waves and winds. The probability of making it safely and securely to your destination are pretty slim without the…
The latest recommendations from the Endocrine Society regarding the elderly and diabetes are surprising, to say the least: lower blood sugar isn’t always best. And for those who’ve been maintaining a regimen of finger pricks, insulin injections, and careful monitoring of food intake, this change of course may be a bit hard to swallow. Known…
Of the many challenges related to providing care for a loved one with dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association reveals that the most prevalent difficulty is with personal hygiene, for a variety of reasons: Reduced sense of vision and smell Comfort found in familiarity (i.e., wanting to wear the same clothes over and over again) The complexities…
As a family caregiver, you no doubt encounter a range of emotions throughout the day: shared laughter over a joke with your loved one; worry over a health concern; and certainly, from time to time, frustrations. We want only the best for those we love, and when an older adult is resistant to doing something…
“Absolutely Dad can move in with me!” Family care providers are making this commendable choice more often, signifying the beginning of changes in lifestyle they can only fully understand once immersed in them. And even though the rewards of providing care for an older loved one are immeasurable, they are not lacking multiple challenges as…
Think of an average day in the life of a senior loved one. Ideally it provides a couple of positive and enriching experiences: savoring breakfast, participating in an enjoyable hobby or interest, visiting with a good friend or relative, watching a well-liked show on tv. Nonetheless, there’s a distinction between positivity and purpose; and the…
Of the many effects of Alzheimer’s disease, perhaps one of the most concerning is the individual’s tendency for wandering as well as the potential dangers that may occur if the senior becomes disoriented or lost. Wandering can take place when the older adult is: Scared, confused or overwhelmed Trying to find someone or something Bored…
“I’m telling you, there is a dog in my closet! I hear it growling all night long. We have got to find its owner!” Hearing a senior loved one express worries such as this that you know to be untrue is unsettling – yet not abnormal. Your very first impulse could be to attempt to…
Falls among senior citizens are all too common and may have serious outcomes. Taking precautionary measures is crucial, such as examining the house for fall risks like area rugs along with other trip and fall hazards, inadequate lighting, and a lack of appropriate grab bars and railings. But there’s a new approach being suggested now:…