...However, when we are caregivers to vulnerable people who are completely dependent upon us, and who likely have health problems to begin with, we are much more apt to face an emergency that can change current plans for anything from a few hours to the rest of our elders' lives. Read more →
Entries categorized "Aging"
...Regardless of how you feel about your mother-in-law and father-in-law, taking on the care of another person (or even two people) is a serious challenge. Furthermore, when your care recipient is a person who is merely a relative by marriage, how much say do you truly have in Read more →
...Older adults, too, want to continue making and following their own rules and routines. The idea of living together, no matter how well you get along, can be disconcerting for both parties. The intimacy of a shared living space can simply be too much of a good thing. Read more →
...is current living situation was no longer appropriate, so he moved into a nursing home nearby. Three years later, Mom's own health problems worsened, and she decided to join Dad at the same facility. Read more →
...The truth is that all caregivers struggle with these concerns and many allow them to get in the way of taking the respite breaks they so badly need and deserve. Thanks to the caregiver “fix-it” mentality, it’s unrealistic to think Read more →
...At this time, Alzheimer's disease is considered incurable. People who develop AD tend to die from seven to 10 years after diagnosis, though some can live as long as 20 years. Still, upon diagnosis, the person diagnosed knows instantly that his or her life is going to change dramatically. Read more →
...An even more common situation, however, is when caregivers are responsible for looking after two or more elders who are ill and live in varying locations, sometimes over long distances. It’s a circumstance that I know well. During my busiest eldercare years, I was the Read more →
Dear ME: I'm deeply sorry about both of your losses. As you mentioned, my family experienced the deaths of both of our parents close together, as well. We had five months separating them, so we had a little more time to adjust... Read more →
Yet, I was still fearful for the first few weeks after the move that Dad would not receive the kind of attention he’d grown accustomed to. I was afraid he would decline further without my one-on-one care. Read more →
...Her mother denied having any health issues, especially those associated with memory. The doctor was too busy to run additional tests on someone who appeared to be “so sharp for her age,” so he signed off on some prescriptions and sent them on their way. My friend felt like banging her head against the wall. Read more →