...He was struggling to breathe, yet pleaded with me to not insert the breathing tube and to let him die. The cardiologist was scared to do it. With a voice coming from above saying, “Let My People Go!” I honored the man’s wishes. I tremble every time I read this passage. Read more →

Life changing, yes! And perhaps a moment of divine intervention. An elderly man with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) was rushed to the cardiac cath lab after being diagnosed with Read more →

We both wonder what else can be done to assure her that she won’t receive a feeding tube in particular or other extreme measures. She can’t relax until she knows that she’s done everything to make sure that this doesn’t happen. – YT Read more →

Dear Carol: Six months ago, my husband, 83, broke his hip and was admitted to the hospital. His time there was emotionally exhausting and the stay took a terrible toll on him. Eventually, he was released to a local nursing home and things were going well until he developed pneumonia. The nursing home was well equipped to care for him there which is what we both wanted, but I alerted his adult children, as we’ve agreed to do in a health crisis. Even though my step-kids rarely visit, they have rights since we share Power of Attorney which is set up so that any one of us can make decisions. At first, I thought that their coming would be a comfort but they took over and effectively negated their father’s health care documents - FC Read more →

Life changing, yes! And perhaps a moment of divine intervention. An elderly man with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) was rushed to the cardiac cath lab after being diagnosed with an acute myocardial infarction (MI). He was struggling to breathe, yet pleaded with me to not insert the breathing tube and to let him die. The cardiologist was scared to do it. With a voice coming from above saying, “Let My People Go!” I honored the man’s wishes. I tremble every time I read this passage. Read more →

...A double whammy here is that chronic stress is a problem for most caregivers and stress can be a trigger for many people who live with chronic migraines. It is for me. The fact is that whether caregivers have migraines, severe arthritis, asthma, or any other ailment if they are still functioning better than the person or people for whom they care, they carry on. It’s what we do. Read more →

Reasons for hospital stays can range from happy occasions, such as the birth of a child, to planned surgeries or treatments, such as an elder having a hip replacement, to even more frightening emergency medical situations. While any of these reasons can create stress, emergency situations are likely the most difficult for both the patient and their family. Read on for tips on how you can help someone get through this difficult time. Read more →

This is the third in an ongoing series of informative Medicare posts courtesy of MedicareFAQ. Did you know that Plan F will go away for new enrollees in 2020 - and premiums skyrocket for those can stay on it? I didn't. I'd suggest reading this article closely before deciding which type of Medicare is right for your parents, your spouse, or you. You will then be able to make an educated decision. - Carol Read more →

Bed sores, pressure sores, or pressure ulcers are all words used to describe a condition that people often think of as a small problem for a caregiver to handle if they think of it at all. However, this condition is anything but small. Complications from pressure sores can cause death. The Candid Caregiver asked Sharon Roth Maguire, M.S., R.N., a board-certified gerontological nurse practitioner, and the chief clinical quality officer at BrightStar Care®, to help us understand more about this potentially serious condition. Roth Maguire has an extensive healthcare background including more than 15 years of experience working with seniors. Read more →

According to the National Cancer Society, the majority of bladder cancers occur in the older population, with the average age... Read more →