What are the holiday traditions that you remember from your youth? Who are the people who created those memories for you? For your parent or older adult, the memories they helped create are often the ones that sustain them in their older years. Often travel and intensive decorating or party activities are difficult for your [...]
Travel can be stressful for your family member with dementia. Changes in routine upset their feelings of stability and familiarity. However, you can set it up so that it is easier for everyone. A good first step towards taking your loved one on a longer trip is to plan a day outing or staycation (overnight in [...]
"Every life deserves a certain amount of dignity, no matter how poor or damaged the shell that carries it." – Rick Bragg It can be easy, when your loved one appears to be a shell of the vibrant human being they were in their youth, to treat them with less respect or awareness of the human being that [...]
When my Mom got her Alzheimer's diagnosis, the first thing she said was, "I never want to go to a long-term facility." She said she'd miss her cat even if she couldn't remember him. Her hands wouldn't know what to do while she watched TV. After her decision, we banned together as a family to [...]
Are you caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer's? Dementia patients experience big changes in mood and emotion that can be challenging for caregivers. Major physical or emotional changes might be why you landed on this page looking for answers. Memory care, living facilities specializing in dementia care, are just one solution for [...]
Have you noticed an elderly loved one smells funny, is losing or gaining weight, or seems forgetful? It usually falls on adult children to determine if a parent needs care and the conversation is not easy. The list below will help you determine whether or not that talk is necessary. If you decide that your [...]
The sandwich generation applies to anyone still caring for children (little ones, teens, even young adults) and a parent at the same time. More often than not, those in the sandwich generation assist young adults financially and care for elderly parents. The physical and emotional demands of this role stretch caregivers thin. The financial demands [...]
Family members with elderly loved ones eventually face the challenge of setting up care. The transition is typically marked by apparent changes in a senior's personal care or medical needs. A senior's personal opinion should be taken into account when making this critical decision. Both home health care and nursing homes come with transition and [...]
It might surprise you to learn that older adults watch more television than younger people do. Watching TV comprises most of the leisure time for adults aged 70 to 105 years old. Television can be an avenue to learning new things, connecting with the world, creating a diversion, and providing some light entertainment. However, it [...]
Sixteen million Americans suffer from diagnosed COPD, with millions more likely suffering from the effects but undiagnosed and untreated. If your loved one suffers from breathing challenges, they could have COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). COPD is not just one disease but an identifier for a group of diseases that cause breathing-related problems, including the [...]
