The only way to deal with this stigma is to work toward educating ourselves and others through awareness efforts. The hope is that with time, the public as well as those who are personally affected by incontinence can understand that while inconvenient, incontinence can be dealt with. What causes urinary incontinence... Read more →

Dear Classic: I’m sorry about your struggle. Incontinence is a hard thing for any adult to adjust to, but your interest in restoring classic cars could be a terrific motivator for you. Society’s problem, of course, is that we grow up feeling that not being able to manage one’s bladder and/or bowels is babyish. Read more →

Dear JH: By definition, caregivers care for people with at least somewhat fragile cognitive and/or physical health, and often both. That reality keeps many caregivers stay stuck in a fight-or-flight mode due to handling repeated emergencies, sometimes several at once. Unfortunately Read more →

Dear Mom's Helper: Dementia of any kind makes nearly every aspect of self-care and caregiving by others much harder to manage. Your mother's fortunate to have you in her corner.Some of these devices that collect urine can be helpful, as seems to be the case with your dad, but yes, there is the upkeep that is necessary for health and safety. Since your dad wants to be... Read more →

"Incontinence affects millions of Americans and is very closely linked to diet, since what someone eats and drinks directly affects their bladder. With that said, people may think drinking less water will help them avoid incontinence, but... Read more →

This is short and sweet but since Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period begins next month, I wanted to share some useful links with my readers on Medicare Read more →

Dear Dad’s protector: I hear you. It’s scary to watch an older person take off on a bike let alone on skis. While accidents happen to young people as well, they are less likely to break bones and if they do, they are far less likely to be permanently disable or even die from the injury. Read more →

Over time, it’s become apparent that some type of compromise must be found. Isolated older adults, many of whom have some type of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease, are deteriorating in alarming ways. Read more →

...I may not always understand the meaning of your words, but I know what you are saying. I can read your jerky body language, the impatient tone of your voice, and your irritated facial expressions. Read more →

I cared for multiple elders, juggling their needs along with those of young children of my own. Those were some pretty crazy times. I felt driven to give each person the best care humanly possible. To do so meant that many of my elders lived their last months or years in a nursing home. Read more →