In my experience, I’ve found that it isn’t always seniors who avoid talking about death. Some do, of course, but many of our aging loved ones would like to discuss the legal and financial arrangements they’ve made, as well as their preferences for end-of-life care... Read more →

Dear TL: Something that is often missed in caregiving discussions is the substantial time it takes to do the administrative work involved with providing care. Just working with the facilities and the insurance companies is a lot. Add your elders’ medical care management, the trips to the clinics, tracking the medications and questioning those where necessary, getting the bills and taxes... Read more →

An in-home caregiver’s best efforts are often met with anger (or even abuse) dished out by the elder they are supposed to be helping. It is crucial for the family and hired caregiver(s) to determine the underlying reason for a senior’s lack of cooperation and find ways to remedy the situation... Read more →

...The main decision most beneficiaries will have to make is whether they should enroll in Medicare Advantage or stay in Original Medicare and purchase gap coverage (i.e., a Medicare Supplement or ‘Medigap’) plan when it comes to their hospital and medical costs. There are two advantages and two disadvantages of Medicare Advantage plans, compared to Medicare Supplement plans... Read more →

...Each time I visited and saw him in such an agitated state, I would hurry from his room back out into the hall to talk with his nurse, Sarita. Had the doctor been in yet? Had he seen Dad like this? Would he please help us get Dad on hospice? Read more →

You might think that nothing can improve your own situation. But if you are open to change, you may find that the symbolism of the New Year does offer opportunities to make your life better. Resolve to... Read more →

All too often the words "dementia" and "Alzheimer's" are used interchangeably, so it's important to know that Alzheimer's is just one type of dementia, though it's thought to be the most common type. Dementia means the loss... Read more →

However, humans are human and what is easy enough to write in a list can be difficult to put into practice. The result? incontinence does affect many of those living with diabetes... Read more →

One day years ago, my son was coming out of a severe asthma attack and resting in his room when my mother’s medical alert system went off. The dispatcher called to have me go to her apartment to check on her, and I was immediately faced with a difficult decision. “Can I leave Adam?” ... Read more →

...If the person you are caring for is on Medicaid, you might qualify for a certain number of paid hours depending on their needs. There are also Medicare waivers that can help as well as other government programs... Read more →