“I am telling you, there is a dog inside my closet! I hear it growling all night long. We’ve got to track down its owner!” Hearing an older loved one voice concerns such as this that you are aware to be false is unsettling – yet not abnormal. Your first reaction can be to try […]

The first signs might be so subtle that many people wouldn’t even notice that anything is amiss. Mom is extroverted, friendly, and conversational while visiting relatives and friends and while running errands. But those closest to her are beginning to detect concerns: being forgetful about the soup cooking on the stove, resulting in a scorched […]

The latest Alzheimer’s data is sobering. The disease has become the 6th leading cause of death, rising above both breast cancer and prostate cancer together. And though deaths from many other chronic health conditions, including cardiovascular illnesses, are decreasing, those from Alzheimer’s have jumped in excess of 100%. The toll the condition takes on family […]

In marriage we agree to stick with each other for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health – but what doesn’t come up during our vows to one another is how to deal with the increasing needs of senior care as our parents age.

Falls involving the elderly are all too frequent and may have serious consequences. Taking precautionary measures is crucial, such as assessing the home for fall dangers like throw rugs along with other trip and fall hazards, insufficient lighting, and an absence of appropriate grab bars and railings. But there’s an additional approach being suggested now: […]

While we may envision a Norman Rockwell-worthy Thanksgiving celebration, with the whole family relishing high quality time with each other and Grandma’s classic feast, the reality for some families also includes something unforeseen: a hospital emergency room visit. Believe it or not, studies indicate that emergency room visits for older adults increase an astounding 10% […]

It’s a struggle that arises for a lot of families: aging parents adamantly would like to age in place at home, while their loved ones worry about their health and safety. The struggle between senior safety vs. independence is real, and there’s an argument to be made from both sides. Seniors, particularly those who live […]

When caregiving for a family member, it can be challenging not to let difficult family dynamics get in the way. For people who have been brought up by caring parents who took care of all their needs, providing the same degree of care may just be second nature. But what if you’ve been negatively affected […]

Have you ever walked in to the office or a get-together with friends or family and had a person say to you with great concern, “You really look tired today!” Even though you may have been feeling relatively perky before that instance, unexpectedly you actually DO feel tired and rundown. The words we speak to […]

With an impassioned level of debate rivaling the Hatfields and McCoys, it appears insurmountable to arrive at a resolution on the issue of gun control. Yet in spite of which side of the issue you are on, there’s one little-discussed situation that should cause us all to take pause: the alarming combination of dementia and […]