A media release on marketwire.com caught my eye, because elders and driving is a tough issue for many of us, let alone elders who are in the early stages of dementia. Also, many people without dementia take some of the drugs listed, namely antidepressants. Read more →

Dementia, too, affects the brain, and people with dementia are often treated as though they have something that shouldn't be talked about. When I started writing my newspaper column and mentioned my mother's arthritis, it didn't bother any of her friends. When I talked about her dementia, many were shocked and disappointed I'd "do that to her." She didn't ask for either disease and she wasn't to blame for either. What's the difference? Read more →

For example, the pitch may offer a very low-cost first month premium, but the small type grants the insurer the right to charge your parent’s credit card at a greatly inflated rate every month." Read more →

The list went on and on. Daily baths, attention paid to her mother’s nails, lotions, pulling chin hairs…on and on and on. She got a standing ovation, but my heart ached for her. She was in her early 50s and looked in her late 70s. She was smiling but looked as if life had beat her with a crowbar." Read more →

The research team studied diaries of adult caregivers, and the diaries showed that, "... accumulation of small and large daily stressors such as work deadlines, PTA meetings, supporting family and friends as well as providing routine assistance to a parent living outside one's house can build up," study leader Jyoti Savla, assistant professor of human development and gerontology at Virginia Tech, said in a university news release." Read more →

Humans are social creatures and we all need a certain amount of social interaction. What I find frustrating, when I try to explain my need for solitude to people, is that most people seem to equate solitude with loneliness. They are not the same thing. Read more →

I suffered from severe migraines. As a person who'd been born limber, I hadn't considered it necessary to do much to stay that way, but I did think some poses in a book I received from a book club could possibly help my migraines. The moves were effortless for my young body, but I felt good when I did them. They didn't cure my migraines, but I continued doing the poses just for that relaxed, "stretched out" feeling. Read more →

In those days, we’d have a garage full of modest-sized, plain white signs that said in large black letters, VOTE. Mom and her colleagues spent hours hauling these signs around town, asking people to please put them in their yards, then going back and collecting them prior to Election Day. Read more →

Via Health.com comes this article on getting health treatments paid for. Titled, "Money and Health: Paying for Treatments : 4 Ways to Get Your Medical Expenses Covered," this informative article begins: "The last thing anyone suffering from a long-term health Read more →

The Breast Cancer Journey Planner feels beautiful and special in the hand. The three-ring-binder format invites the reader to use the book as she chooses. It’s easy to add notes from doctor visits and letters from friends. Read more →