...I’m a strong believer in families being realistic. Your parents should have a Power of Attorney for health care with a health directive or living will. This is the document where people assign someone else to make decisions for them should they become unable to do so. They should Read more →

...palliative care began as a focus on helping cancer patients, though now it has been expanded to help in many other circumstances, often even in the later stages of dementia. Read more →

...We don't need to run marathons in order to benefit from exercise. Being moderately active can do the trick. Brisk walking, bicycling, swimming Read more →

...A tale of two elders ...Years ago, I became the primary caregiver for an elderly neighbor, Joe, who was 100 percent deaf and was losing his eyesight. Joe's only son lived across the country. Joe was one of those people who would not have thrived in assisted living Read more →

...incontinence due to menopause would likely begin as only a slightly elevated risk of occasional leaking, especially when coughing, sneezing, or laughing. As time goes on, though, incontinence can become a more routine concern. Kegels are a physical exercise where a person consciously tightens and releases Read more →

...Here’s another puzzler. My mother-in-law, Alice, was in a care facility, where she’d flourished despite her dementia progressing in the sad way​ that it does​. But then, Alice took a turn for the worse when she came down with pneumonia. She was given antibiotics, but the infection continued to rage. The nurse asked us if we would approve Read more →

...The pressure of shoes on sore or twisted joints can force even people who once had narrow feet into sandals year around. This happened to my mother, and I’ll attest that it was a nightmare in our cold climate. Yet buying her regular shoes with a wide toe made them too large elsewhere. I wish we’d had a choice Read more →

...People with early stage Alzheimer's are living with Alzheimer's, not dying from it. In the later stages of the disease, those with Alzheimer's who are treated as whole human beings in positive environments can still give and receive great love, participate in activities Read more →

...Dementia aside, significant research has shown that having a supportive social network is linked with positive health outcomes, both psychological and physical, while lacking such support can be harmful. Previous studies have also suggested that loneliness itself can kill Read more →

...Oftentimes, an aging parent is still cognitively sharp but their days lack outside interaction and structure, therefore they come to rely on their primary caregiver for all of their socialization. Spending a few days each week at a senior center could Read more →