Family caregivers are busy people! Many are providing many hours of care per week for their loved one, while juggling a full work schedule, other family responsibilities, even caring for children of their own. It's easy to see why exercise falls to the bottom of their "to do" list.
Read More »According to the National Family Caregivers Association, over 65 million Americans now provide care for senior or disabled loved ones, meeting the personal care needs of a spouse or partner, parents, parents-in-law, disabled children or siblings.
Read More »With our growing senior population, along with cuts in senior support service budgets on the local, state and federal levels, it's more important than ever for family and friends to reach out to those who are providing care for a loved one.
Read More »The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that the percentage of seniors who are living in a nursing home has dropped by 20 percent in the last decade—yet there are more seniors than ever, and the number is growing. Are seniors just healthier these days? The truth is, older adults need as much care as ever, but they are receiving it in assisted living communities, adult day centers—and for a growing number, in their own homes.
Read More »As we saw in the previous issue of Hand in Hand, U.S. Census figures show that fewer older adults are choosing to receive care in a nursing home. Yet the projections also shows major growth in the number of seniors who are living with chronic illness. It is clear that our population is aging, and providing quality care for our nation's older adults is already beginning to challenge our healthcare resources.
Read More »Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to all our friends and families! This is a great time to take stock of our plans for 2015. Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet? There is no shortage of research on aging and caregiving—findings that can provide motivation for making lifestyle choices to improve the health and well-being of elders and the loved ones who care for them.
Read More »Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States—but according to the National Institutes of Health, heart disease is also one of the most preventable conditions. With the aging of our population, our healthcare system is now putting increased emphasis on controllable risk factors such as inactivity, poor nutrition, obesity and smoking. A study that recently appeared in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that the risk of heart disease decreases more with each positive lifestyle change an older adult makes.
Read More »Anyone who has owned a pet knows the joy an animal can bring to one’s life. You often hear enthusiasts describing their pets as their “children” and including them in family vacations and activities. Additionally, animals have been used in helping people with various disabilities get around in the world, helping them to navigate indoor and outdoor spaces. Florence Nightingale, a pioneer of modern nursing, noticed that animals served as “excellent companions for the sick,” especially those with chronic conditions.
Read More »When many people think of seniors and weight problems, they think of the problem of being underweight. It is true that being significantly underweight is a red flag for possible health problems in the elderly. But geriatrics specialists today are increasingly dealing with the opposite health challenge in the senior population.
Read More »One of the great joys of the holidays in reconnecting with family who may live far away. For adult children visiting their elderly loved ones, they may find parents who are no longer as healthy as they remembered. Or they might see signs Mom and Dad aren’t living as safely as they should.
Read More »When we think of a typical family caregiver, most of us picture a middle-aged adult child—perhaps a member of the so-called Sandwich Generation, those taking care of both children and an elderly parent. Yet a recent study from the University of Washington revealed that today, many husbands and wives (the numbers of men and women are about equal) are serving as primary caregiver for an ill or disabled spouse.
Read More »Does this sound familiar? Your co-worker comes back after two weeks in a tropical paradise. She’s tan, relaxed and passing around photos of herself in her swimsuit on a catamaran, enjoying an umbrella drink at a luau and swimming with sea turtles. You think to yourself that the way you spent your week off—helping your elderly mom move to a retirement apartment—wasn’t quite so glamorous! And you don’t feel very rested, that’s for sure!
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It happened in seconds. The phone rang while Maggie was carrying in the groceries with her mom, who has Alzheimer’s disease. By the time Maggie hung up on what proved to be a robocall, Mom was gone! Maggie was frantic. Luckily, she had alerted the neighbors that Mom was confused and tended to get lost. “Thank goodness,” she breathed as she spotted Mom coming down the sidewalk, assisted by a kind gentleman from the next block.
According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, most Americans will become caregivers at some point in their lives. In fact, family members provide 80 percent of the long-term care in this country—yet many feel unprepared for their role, and provide care with little or no support.
Read More »September 18 – 24, 2016 is Unmarried and Single Americans Week
Read More »Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa … no matter which winter holidays we celebrate, most of us think of this as a time of joy, family togetherness and traditions. But when we’ve recently lost a loved one, the holidays can be a bittersweet time. Memories of the person who has passed away may be happy and heartbreaking at the same time.
Read More »Once a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or a related condition, family must go into planning mode. What is the best way to care for their loved one? How will their loved one’s condition change over time? Is a nursing home the only solution?
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