Chicago (IL) Tribune
Person-centered care creates home-like environment for residents
Person-centered care is a recognition that resident choice and autonomy should be the primary aim of resident care in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
2013-03-08
|
Health News Digest
5 Signs Your Grandparents Can’t Take Care of Themselves
When an elderly loved one is no longer able to care for him or herself, the burden often falls on the family. An aging parent or grandparent will not always ask for additional help, and so it is up to family members to recognize that loved ones need assistance.
2013-02-18
|
Marketwatch
Caregiving for parents: What it can cost
It’s a responsibility that can exact a stiff financial penalty: Women who take time off or quit work to care for a loved one lose an average of $324,044 in lifetime wages, pension and Social Security benefits, according to a 2011 study by the MetLife institute; for men, the average loss is $283,716.
2013-02-12
|
Senior Living Facilities
Comprehensive Listing of leading senior living facilities for people 62 and older. Includes Independent Living, Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) & Life Care Retirement Communities (LCRC) as well as assisted living, long-term care, skilled nuring and memory care.
2013
|
55 and Older Active Adult Retirement Communities
Comprehensive Listing of active adult retirement communities.
2013
|
USA Today
Most grandparents provide care for the grandkids
Most grandparents babysit and provide financial support for grandkids as they try to save their children money and build stronger family connections, two new studies show.
2012-09-06
|
Senior Housing News
Factors & Influencers in the Decision to Move into Senior Living
Making a move into senior housing is not a decision that’s made lightly, but it is often a decision that’s made by multiple people, including adult children.
2012-08-07
|
NorthJersey.com
New-style senior centers are in demand in N.J.
Senior centers are being reinvented to cater to a baby boom generation looking for something different in a golden-years hangout. Many of these over-65 residents are in good health, working full time or taking care of grandchildren. They don’t want to be treated like they’re old — in fact many won’t even go to a place with “senior” over the door.
2012-06-21
|
Chicago (IL) Tribune
Eldercare fast becoming an issue in workplace
According to one recent study, there are nearly 10 million adult children over 50 years old responsible for an aging parent, and companies are losing upward of $17 billion a year due to absenteeism and other factors relating to caregiving.
2012-06-17
|
New York Times (NY) - Health
Revived by Music
But when a staff member puts earphones in place and clicks on an iPod loaded with favorite hymns, he awakens, moving to the music, humming along. ... He becomes a different person, or perhaps, for a while, the person he always was.
2012-05-17
|
New York Times (NY) - Health
Rethinking the Value of Pets
Some experts believe the health benefits of pet ownership have been overstated, especially for the elderly.
2012-03-30
|
Chicago (IL) Now
Caregiver Stress: Ten Ways Our Thinking Gets the Better of Us
Under extreme stress, we’re more vulnerable to shifts and kinks in our thinking that can undermine our well-being.
2012-03-28
|
New York Times (NY) - Health
Tables Reserved for the Healthiest
In a C.C.R.C., residents are able to graduate to increasingly higher levels of care without the trauma and disruption of moving to a different facility. But that also means these communities serve a population with unusually broad ranges of health and function. ... The hybrid facilities provide care overseen by different governmental authorities: The nursing home sections are federally regulated, but assisted living units fall under state laws. Independent living units often are regarded simply as local housing.
2012-02-09
|
Melbourne (FL) Florida Today
No detail too minor when looking at assisted-living facilities
More than 900,000 Americans live in about 39,500 assisted-living facilities, according to estimates, but there is no federal oversight of the industry. Each state sets its own definition of assisted living and decides what licensing procedures and inspections are required. More than 26 designations are used to refer to what is commonly known as assisted living, including residential care, board and care, adult home and retirement residence.
2012-02-08
|
Los Angeles (CA) Times
How to have 'the talk'
Understanding and diplomacy when suggesting lifestyle changes can be vital, experts on aging say. ... The nation's 77 million baby boomers are not the first adults to care for their aging parents. But they are the first generation to care for parents who are living longer but with more chronic medical conditions -- and often far from their grown children.
2012-02-06
|
Forbes
A Portrait of Family Caregivers in Black and White
In a recent survey, The Washington Post asked white women and black women about their outlook and priorities when it comes to issues such as money, religion, and marriage. And in many cases, they found very big differences. But when it came to one issue, there was no disagreement at all. You guessed it: Caregiving.
2012-02-01
|
U.S. News & World Report
How to Succeed at Juggling Caregiving Burdens
More than 65 million of us spend an average of 20 hours a week as unpaid caregivers. Looking only at people being cared for who are at least 50 years old, 90 percent of them are family members. ... More people—caregivers, as well as those being cared for—are older.
2012-01-24
|
CNN - Living
As baby boomers retire, a focus on caregivers
As the country braces for the prospect of providing health care to roughly 72 million adults, the impact on caregivers is coming into focus. A study released last week found that Americans caring for aging and chronically ill relatives reported higher levels of stress, poorer health and a greater tendency to engage in unhealthy behaviors to alleviate stress than the population at large. Moreover, 55% of caregivers reported feeling overwhelmed by the task at hand, according to the American Psychological Association's "Stress in America" survey ...
2012-01-16
|
Omaha (NE) World-Herald
Aiding the move of a lifetime
From cleaning out dresser drawers to organizing estate sales to helping to decorate a new apartment, senior move managers take the lead on work that often leads to stress and family squabbles.
2012-01-08
|
Forbes
Wake-Up Call: Mom’s Trip To The Emergency Room
It can be extremely dangerous for aging parents to rely only on memory when it comes to taking medication.
2011-12-29
|
Champaign (IL) News-Gazette
Tips for caregivers at holiday time
There's holiday stress, and then there's holiday stress for people who are family caregivers.
2011-12-19
|
Fort Washington (PA) Montgomery News
TO YOUR HEALTH: Reducing stress for caregivers in the holiday season
The most important thing, whether during the holidays or not, is “caregivers need to take care of themselves first.”
2011-12-18
|
Canada - Halifax (NS) Chronicle-Herald
For dementia sufferers, holidays can overwhelm
The holidays are a time when families get together to celebrate cherished traditions — among them gathering around the Christmas tree and sharing a turkey dinner or lighting the menorah and exchanging gifts for Hanukkah. But for families with a relative contending with dementia, holiday festivities can present a host of unanticipated challenges, experts say.
2011-12-17
|
Albany (NY) Times-Union
Helpful gifts for those touched by Alzheimer's
A gift can make a difference to a person with Alzheimer's disease. ...
2011-12-16
|
Alexandria (MN) Echo Press
Pay attention during Christmas visits with parents, grandparents
There will be a lot of us from the “sandwich generation” getting together with our elderly parents or grandparents during the upcoming Christmas Season. Family members who haven’t seen their aging relatives for a long time may be shocked at what they see.
2011-12-14
|
FoxBusiness.com
Parents to Boomerang Kids: Your Allowance or My Retirement?
The bottom line is, yes, you want to be emotionally--and to some extent, financially--supportive of an adult child who is sincerely stymied in terms of finding employment in the current lousy economy. At the same time, it’s not healthy for either party if you make the conditions too cushy because that doesn’t create financially-responsible adults.
2011-12-12
|
Wall Street Journal
Heiring Grievances
If you're a parent with multiple heirs, here is a bit of advice from estate-planning professionals: Before making any decisions about who gets what, think carefully about the emotional legacy you want to leave behind.
2011-12-12
|
Redding (CA) Record Searchlight
Senior Living: Thoughtful gifts are always appreciated
Seniors may be the most difficult to shop for at Christmastime. After all, seniors have lived through many Christmases. Selecting gifts that can be appreciated can be a daunting task. Dietary restrictions or physical limitations may make the gift inappropriate or just awkwardly received.
2011-12-08
|
USA Today - Life
Specialists in late-life downsizing on the rise
As Americans live longer, many people find themselves navigating a confusing web of interconnected services for themselves or their parents when it comes time to shed possessions and relocate.
2011-12-07
|
Canada - DailyStar
Downsizing isn't an easy project
Jill Pollack, host of the HGTV show Consumed, says downsizing can be an emotional experience. Here are her tips for successful downsizing.
2011-12-03
|
Paramus (NJ) Post
Caring and Caregiving through the Holidays: Seven Considerations for Families of Alzheimer’s or Dementia Patients
Whether your loved one is a parent, grandparent, other relative, or family friend, you’re probably wondering what to expect during your time together. According to Nataly Rubinstein, the presence of Alzheimer’s or dementia will change the way the holidays “have always been,” but you can take concrete steps that create the best odds for an enjoyable experience.
2011-12-02
|
Chicago (IL) Tribune
In caregiving, bond is often more important than blood
'Quality of relationship' trumps family ties, study says
2011-11-30
|
NewJerseyNewsroom.com
Caregivers for elderly need to recharge during holidays
The holidays should be a time for caregivers to recharge themselves, both physically and emotionally.
2011-11-19
|
Sacramento (CA) Bee
Long-term care -- many don't give it a thought until too late
Recent studies show that much of the aging public remains in denial about the potential need for long-term care, which could wreak financial havoc on the baby boom generation's retirement years.
2011-10-10
|
Minneapolis-St Paul (MN) Star Tribune
'Granny cams' are catching on as a tool to deter elder abuse
riven by a mistrust of nursing homes, more families are taking advantage of advances in surveillance technology and using video cameras to help protect loved ones they suspect are being abused or mistreated by caregivers.
2011-09-19
|
Washington (DC) Times
The Challenge of Long-Distance Caregiving
Caregiving for aging family members is challenging in the best of circumstances. In today’s mobile society where family members often live hundreds or thousands of miles apart, it is especially stressful. It can create a constant sense of concern, and generate tremendous guilt.
2011-09-12
|
New York Times (NY) - Health
A Helping Hand, Paid on Commission
Many services that refer families to local assisted living facilities and nursing homes are paid to do so by those businesses.
2011-09-02
|
Tucson (AZ) - KVOA
Senior Style: 7 items every senior should have in an emergency
During the emergency, you may not be able to speak, or remember important information that family members or health care providers need to know.
2011-08-31
|
Durango (CO) Herald
Protect aging parents: Listen, question, act
The turmoil brought on by the recession and sustained low interest rates have pushed many seniors to seek investment alternatives to provide them the income they had planned to live on during retirement. As a result, seniors now make up 30 percent of fraud victims.
2011-08-30
|
Washington (DC) Post
More families living together means more family fights
The recession has pushed extended families closer together, with more parents and kids moving in with in-laws and relatives and friends, according to the latest census figures.
2011-08-25
|
New York Times (NY) - Health
Deciding to Die, Then Shown the Door
Armond and Dorothy Rudolph had talked about their plans for more than a decade. They had a mutual horror of a lingering decline in their final years. They’d joined an organization that supports the right to end life when illness or pain becomes overwhelming; they’d attended meetings and given both their children literature on the subject. They’d drafted advance directives. ...
2011-08-24
|
Canada - Aurora (ON) YorkRegion.com
Nutrition challenge for seniors
Chances are, if your parents are elderly and eating alone, they are not getting the nutrition they need.
2011-08-22
|
Raleigh (NC) News-Observer
Housing bust derails path to assisted living for some
In the fourth year of a depressed real estate market, experts say thousands of people remain unable to move into senior housing because they can't sell their homes quickly or for the prices they need. The upshot: greater pressure on families to pay for parents' and grandparents' placements, or to take over the care themselves.
2011-08-22
|
Portland (ME) Press Herald
Getting help when needed
It is often baby boomers who have to arrange for the kind of assistance their parents require.
2011-08-21
|
Sarasota (FL) Herald-Tribune
Are you stressed out and overwhelmed?
The message about stress is — don't ignore it, do address it.
2011-08-16
|
Columbus (IN) Republic
End-of-life plans can't wait until the end for discussion
For millions of baby boomers and their parents, this conversation is the elephant in the room. And in today's volatile political and financial landscape, experts say, frank discussions between the generations about money, health care and other end-of-life issues are all the more crucial.
2011-08-15
|
San Francisco (CA) Catholic San Francisco
Preventing caregiver isolation: To remain effective, stay connected
It’s easy for caregivers ... to become isolated as a result of their relative’s need for continual care, whether it’s practical help or supervision. ... Separation from others fosters loneliness and may precipitate depression, a common affliction among caregivers. While sustaining all relationships may be impossible, close relationships - a vital source of pleasure, validation and practical support -- need to be nurtured.
2011-08-12
|
Ramona (CA) Sentinel
Life After Caregiving
Empty nesting isn’t just for the parents of college students anymore. Caregiver empty nesting is an increasingly common occurrence that refers to the feelings a long-term caregiver experiences when the loved one is gone or no longer needs daily support.
2011-08-11
|
Forbes
The Danger Of Your Aging Parent Covering Up Dementia
Here’s what’s important: it doesn’t matter if you have a diagnosis for your aging parent or not. It matters how your aging parent functions. It matters how you deal with what you see.
2011-08-11
|
Smart Money Magazine
3 Tips for Caring for an Elderly Relative.
It’s well known that many Americans come to look after their parents later in life, but a new study shows just how much time and energy these tasks can require.
2011-07-29
|
McKnight's Long-Term Care News
Economic impact of family caregivers is substantial, report suggests
Well over 40 million Americans provided care for an adult family member in 2009, representing an unpaid economic impact of approximately $450 billion, according to a new report from the AARP Public Policy Institute.
2011-07-19
|
U.S. News & World Report
10 Tips for Caring for Aging Parents
Caring for an aging parent may be the highest calling of your life. But it also can rob you of time, money, and your own experiences. In some cases, these personal sacrifices can create bitterness and regret, causing ill will toward the very people you love and have pledged to help.
2011-07-18
|
Los Angeles (CA) Times
Home-care hiring: Developing a good working relationship
It's not necessary to reward workers with large gifts, say experts, but it is important to develop a good working relationship.
2011-07-15
|
Forbes
Beware of This Financial Advice About Aging Parents
Have you ever heard this? ... “Your dad paid taxes all his life. Let the government take care of him. He should get rid of his assets so he’ll qualify”. ... This may be considered “good” advice by some financial planners. Here’s why I usually consider it terrible advice.
2011-07-15
|
Los Angeles (CA) Times
A difficult lesson in hiring a caregiver for mom
Learning the hard way the importance of doing due diligence when hiring a caregiver for an elderly parent.
2011-07-09
|
Doylestown (PA) Intelligencer
Don't wait too long
Don't fall into the trap of complacency. The time to choose the retirement community that will best support your needs is BEFORE the need arises.
2011-06-21
|
Naples (FL) Daily News
New Caregivers: What to Expect
Family caregivers generally earn their job title in one of two ways. The first is what I call the
2011-06-15
|
Caring.com
10 Surprising Ways to Avoid Nursing Home Care
Most older adults, needless to say, would choose their own homes. But for any number of reasons, from physical or mental health issues to dwindling finances, staying at home doesn't always seem possible. If someone close to you appears to be headed for a nursing home, there are alternatives that can -- sometimes indefinitely -- forestall the need for such a move. Here are ten ideas for keeping your loved one at home:
2011-06-15
|
Met Life
Caregiving Costs Americans $3 Trillion In Lost Wages, Pension And Social Security Benefits
Americans who provide care for their aging parents lose an estimated three trillion dollars in wages, pension and Social Security benefits when they take time off to do so, according to “The MetLife Study of Caregiving Costs to Working Caregivers: Double Jeopardy for Baby Boomers Caring for Their Parents”.
2011-06-14
|
Los Angeles (CA) Times
Death of 91-year-old spotlights line between care and killing
Maria 'Concha' Lopez, living with her great-niece, dies weighing 35 pounds and covered with sores. Was the 91-year-old's death murder or natural causes? ... In the end, the trial showcased the difficult questions facing doctors, courts and families today, when the "old old," 85 and up, are the fastest-growing segment of the population, when more than 43 million Americans care for aging relatives or friends and when neither science nor the law has kept pace. ... What is elder abuse? When does inadequate care become criminal? Can the elderly be forced to seek help? And what exactly does a "normal" death look like?
2011-06-02
|
New York Times (NY) - Health
The Last Place She Expected to Be
This was the most important decision we had made so far, and my brother and I found ourselves utterly in harmony, led to it as we were by my mother’s clear head. Rather than balk at our clumsy efforts to be good children, she had given us permission to do the unthinkable. She would go to a nursing home after all.
2011-04-29
|
Morton (IL) Times-News
Summer visits: Have a grand time with the grandkids - on your terms
Summertime often means more time with the grandchildren, whether a couple of days a week or an entire summer. Parenting experts and seasoned grandparents/babysitters say these are ideal occasions to not only share memories and experiences with grandchildren, but to create some fun new ones together
2011-04-20
|
New York Times (NY) - Health
Everything in Its Place, Until It’s Not
She was also relatively healthy and fiercely independent, exactly as I wanted her to stay, even if it meant keeping my eyes squeezed shut at early evidence to the contrary.
2011-04-08
|
Birmingham (AL) News
Caring for aging parents can bring siblings closer together or tear them apart
The responsibility for caring for aging parents can turn back the clock on relationships among adult children, bringing them as close together or pushing them as far apart as they were as kids, according to a new survey on elder care dynamics.
2011-03-17
|
MSN - Health
5 Signs a Caregiver Is Stealing From You
Talk to anyone who's hired someone to help care for an older loved one, and theft is almost always a major worry. Bringing a paid caregiver into the home -- whether through an agency or privately -- can come as welcome relief to all, but it can also feel like a risky decision.
2011-03-01
|
USA Today
Five ways to manage costs of caring for aging parent
There are steps you can take to cut costs that won't compromise your parent's care. Five ways to manage caregiving costs:
2011-02-28
|
Smart Money Magazine
Best Careers for Family Caregivers
For the 43 million Americans taking care of another adult, climbing the corporate ladder may seem all but impossible. Now, though, help is coming from a surprising corner: Your employer.
2011-02-24
|
Ithaca (NY) Journal
Security a concern at retirement communities
Families who are considering placing a relative in an adult-care facility should also ask questions about visitors' policies, room security and the safeguarding of residents' valuables, according the heads of adult care facility trade groups.
2011-02-19
|
Cape Girardeau (MO) KFVS
Growing trend: Grandparents raising children
What do you plan to do with your retirement? Golf? Travel? Raise grandchildren? Well that's a growing trend in the U.S.
2011-02-09
|
Chicago (IL) Tribune
Walking a mile in the shoes of my elderly mom ain't easy
Like a few million other baby boomers, I have become a caregiver for my mother, a shift of roles that comes with many stresses. Cleaning out her California apartment and persuading her to leave the sunny climate for an assisted living facility just over the border near our home was just the start. ...
2011-01-03
|
New York Times (NY) - Health
Caregiving and Dementia: New Ideas
The Times reports today on research into new ways to care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
2011-01-01
|
Winston-Salem (NC) Journal
Caregivers cope amid challenges
Spouses and children of Alzheimer's patients suffer two simultaneous heartbreaks. - First, they hurt because they are losing a loved one, even before death. The love and affection once shared may go away, and the senior may become a virtual stranger. - Second, they are getting ready to become a doctor, social worker, therapist, nurse's aide, maid, cook and baby sitter, all rolled into one. Sometimes, all of this is in addition to a full-time job.
2010-12-30
|
Reuter.com
Sibling wars: How to share financial responsibility for Mom
Nearly 31 percent of those surveyed considered their care giving situation to be highly stressful because of co-residence and the burden of care. Coupled with the emotional strain on family ties, it’s easy to forget the common thread in the sibling war is love for the parent.
2010-12-30
|
Wall Street Journal
Training to Be a Family Caregiver.
People train for marathons, hikes and bike rides. But can you train to withstand the challenges of elder care?
2010-12-27
|
Sacramento (CA) Bee
Grandparents' giving stretches beyond holiday season
But for most grandparents, the giving of gifts is a straightforward business - an expression not only of love but also of faith in the future that the grandchildren represent.
2010-12-21
|
Caregiving.com
Ghosts of Christmas Past – and 4 Other Top Caregiver Challenges
Looking back on a year of caregivers’ roughest personal battles.
2010-12-21
|
Dallas (TX) Morning News
How to help a grandchild pay for college
Grandparents play an important role in a child's life, not the least of which is sometimes helping to finance a college education.
2010-12-11
|
Wall Street Journal
Should You Pay a Relative to Take Care of Mom? .
Growing numbers of families are compensating relatives who serve as caregivers to elders. But to avoid exacerbating tensions, it is important to disclose such arrangements to the entire family. ... Feeding the trend: the high unemployment rate, the rising cost of nursing-home care, an aging population and a 2006 change in Medicaid law that makes it harder for people who wish to qualify to give away assets.
2010-12-11
|
Marietta (OH) Times
Caregiving can take a toll
Family members who care for Alzheimer's patients are especially vulnerable to stressor problems and need to stay healthy so they can continue to help their loved ones.
2010-12-07
|
New York (NY) Daily News
Nonprofit Search and Care helps care for home-bound seniors' pets with new program
The innovative program was made possible by a grant from Amie's Place Foundation, which funds programs that help people care for their pets in times of need because no one is there to help.
2010-12-04
|
Wall Street Journal
When It's Time for In-Home Care
The signs can hit you quickly or sneak up on you gradually. But what do you do if Mom or Dad isn't safe living alone anymore? ... Here are five questions to consider when thinking of hiring or becoming a caregiver.
2010-11-29
|
Dansville-Genesee (NY) Country Express
Help available in coping with caregiving
A caregiver plays an important part in health delivery services, and he or she allows for a loved one to stay at home with someone willing to care for them. However, the daily drain on the caregiver’s energy is immeasurable.
2010-11-26
|
Canada - Comox Valley (BC) Record
Coping tools for holiday season
Coming face to face with the changes in their loved one’s life is hard enough. Add in gift buying, decorating and entertaining on top of caregiving responsibilities and it’s no wonder caregivers feel overwhelmed.
2010-11-25
|
Dansville-Genesee (NY) Country Express
Facing the challenges of caregiving
Situations are as unique as the people involved. Day in and day out, more than 65 million family caregivers in this country fulfill a vital role on the care team according to the National Family Caregivers Association.
2010-11-18
|
Brunswick (ME) Times-Record
Caregiving works best as a team effort
So looking back, this is a good time to revisit family caregiving, and to share suggestions that might help those who suddenly find themselves tending a seriously ill family member — especially a spouse or a parent.
2010-11-08
|
Fort Myers (FL) News-Press
Aging gracefully: Family fun crosses generations
Special events and holidays are great opportunities for families to share traditions with the next generation while still engaging older family members in the fun. An activity such as trick-or-treating can be a special event for all generations.
2010-10-26
|
Fort Myers (FL) News-Press
Aging: Caregivers must care for selves, too
Caring for an older family member often is an enormous job for the primary caregiver. For even the most organized and patient person, caregiving responsibilities can quickly become overwhelming, leading to stress and potential burnout.
2010-10-12
|
Visalia (CA) Times-Delta
Finding dementia care takes time, patience
Regardless of the instigating factors, one thing is certain: Many families wait too long before looking at options for a loved one with Alzheimer's or dementia.
2010-10-11
|
Fox News
How to Help a Grieving Friend
Losing a spouse is one of the most stressful and sad ordeals a person can go through, but often it's not just the personal grief that brings widows and widowers to despair -- it is the paperwork.
2010-09-29
|
Wall Street Journal
Compensating a Family Caregiver
Given the still-fragile economy, a growing number of families are compensating relatives who serve as caregivers to elders, elder-law attorneys say. But to avoid stoking family tensions or running afoul of Medicaid eligibility requirements, it's important to draft a formal employment agreement--and disclose the arrangement to the entire family.
2010-08-29
|
Vancouver (BC) Sun
Alzheimer's caregivers suffer severe stress, depression
They also run high risk of anger and anxiety, Canadian Institute for Health Information study warns.
2010-08-27
|
St. Augustine (FL) Record
Care for the caregivers
Providing care for a loved one can be tremendously rewarding, but it can also lead to high stress, depression and health problems. Experts emphasize that caregivers need to tend to their own well-being.
2010-08-27
|
CBC News
Almost 20% of home caregivers distressed
Nearly all of the people receiving publicly funded home care in Canada also rely on an informal caregiver like a spouse, but one in six of those helpers experiences distress as a result, suggests a new report.
2010-08-26
|
Contra Costa (CA) Times
A 'lonely marriage': Spousal caregivers confront brutal challenges
Caring for a sick or disabled relative exacts a brutal toll -- physical, emotional, financial -- on any involved family member. But for spousal caregivers, the challenges and traumas are even greater, says Linda Fodrini-Johnson, executive director of Eldercare Services in Walnut Creek.
2010-08-10
|
Washington (DC) Post
Most senior citizens learn to adapt to the loss of a partner
Psychological and emotional losses change older Americans' lives. How they navigate a cascade of challenges -- particularly social isolation, death of a spouse and depression -- can determine the course of their final decades.
2010-08-10
|
Naples (FL) Daily News
Navigating Life’s Transitions: Lifesavers for caregivers
Becoming a caregiver is usually not a choice, but rather, a situation in which we find ourselves. Whether you are taking care of your spouse who suffers from an illness or injury or an aging parent, your caregiving journey is likely to be both rewarding and challenging. For most, caregiving isn’t something we get to do over and over, improving with each experience. For that reason, tips from experienced caregivers are invaluable.
2010-08-09
|
USA Today
'Passages': What Gail Sheehy learned as husband's caregiver
Author Gail Sheehy has tackled the subject of caring for her husband with cancer in her latest book, Passages in Caregiving: Turning Chaos into Confidence. ... In the step-by-step guide, she covers the bases of caregiving from her experiences and from interviews with dozens of other caregivers of the elderly and chronically ill.
2010-06-22
|
Miami (FL) Herald
Baby boomers juggle caring for kids and parents
With its many multigenerational families, South Florida is at the center of an explosion in middle-age people caring for their children and their aging parents.
2010-06-20
|
Newsweek
The Caregiving Boomerang
The most devoted family caretakers are at risk of dying first themselves. Survival strategies from the author of 'Passages.' ... With parents living routinely into their 90s, a second round of caregiving has become a predictable crisis for women in midlife. Nearly 50 million Americans are taking care of an adult who used to be independent.
2010-06-18
|
Princeton (IN) Tri-State Media
Coping with aging parents
When you also take care of an aging parent or relative, you can feel stretched beyond your limits. Use the tips provided below to help you cope.
2010-06-10
|
New York Times (NY)
Talking About Dying
Discussions about death are never easy. ...
2010-06-08
|
McKnight's Long-Term Care News
Finding common ground at both ends of the long-term care continuum
While we in senior living view skilled nursing facilities and CCRCs at opposite ends of the continuum spectrum, the evolving expectations of consumers at each type of community show we may have to start sharing more traits in common than we typically think.
2010-06-08
|
Boston (MA) Globe
Dread talking with aging parents about their finances? Try these tips to start
Relatives can take advantage of seniors, so understand that your parents may be reluctant to hand over financial information. Nonetheless, keep pushing because in all that you will have to do, it’s vital to effective caregiving to have some idea of what resources there are. So talk.
2010-06-04
|
Vancouver (BC) Sun
Suicide a risk in retirement, nursing communities
Seniors who move into residential homes are often at risk for suicide, yet these communities are ill equipped to deal with these problems, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
2010-05-19
|
U.S. News & World Report
The 10 Most Affordable Cities for Long-Term Care
To come up with a list of affordable places for long-term care, U.S. News compared the costs of four types of long-term care in major metro areas using Genworth Financial data: the median hourly rate for a licensed home health aide, adult day health care daily rates, assisted living facility annual rates, and the annual cost of a semi-private room in a nursing home. Here are the most inexpensive cities in which to purchase various types of long-term care. ...
2010-05-19
|
U.S. News & World Report
How to Find Affordable Long-Term Care
A prolonged illness or chronic condition could end up being one of your biggest retirement expenses. Medicare pays for a maximum of 100 days of nursing home care
2010-05-17
|
Baltimore (MD) Sun
Spouses who care for partners with dementia also at risk
The emotional toll of caring for a partner with dementia can be overwhelming — and wreak havoc on a caregiver's own health. New research from Johns Hopkins and Utah State suggests that stress may put a caregiver at risk for developing dementia as well.
2010-05-16
|
Lansing (MI) State Journal
How to be a better caregiver
As the population ages, a growing number of people are caring for an ailing family member or friend at home. Here are tips from doctors:
2010-05-16
|
Redding (CA) Record Searchlight
Senior Living: Have you had the talk with parents?
Many people find it uncomfortable to talk about the inevitability of failing health or death with their family members. Perhaps you are the daughter or son who feels it may be disrespectful to bring up the topic to Mom and Dad. Or you may be a parent and want to spare your kids from envisioning the time when you will not be strong enough to make decisions on your own. Don’t wait for the perfect time, because there is no perfect time. Things can change suddenly, and if you don’t know your family member’s wishes, location of documents and other vital information, it will be much more difficult to manage in a crisis situation.
2010-04-14
|
Wall Street Journal
When Siblings Step Up
Sisters and brothers are finding new ways to circumvent old conflicts as they take on one of the toughest roles in their lives: caregiver,
2010-03-27
|
Mayo Clinic - Health
Caregiver stress: Tips for taking care of yourself
Caring for a loved one can be a strain on even the most resilient individuals. If you're a caregiver, take steps to preserve your own health and well-being.
2010-03-23
|
New York Times (NY) - Health
Finding the Right Care for the Elderly
Older people each have unique medical and emotional needs. And finances often dictate how far you can go in creating the ideal situation for them.
2010-03-12
|
Redding (CA) Record Searchlight
How to find the right living community for parents
Here is a brief description of the types of living options available in the greater Redding area for seniors.
2010-03-11
|
Time Magazine
When Elder Care Brings Back Sibling Tensions
Eldercare and end-of-life debates often hit families after decades of negotiating nothing more serious than where to spend Thanksgiving. We can be grownups with successful careers and kids of our own, yet all the old stuff ambushes us: sibling rivalry, entrenched roles and resentments, the way our family talked or didn't talk about important things. One two-year study of married women caring for parents with dementia found that siblings were not only the greatest source of help to these caregivers but also the biggest source of interpersonal stress.
2010-02-01
|
New York Times (NY) - Health
Who Takes Care of the Caregiver?
Dr. Chen notes that the medical profession often falls short when it comes to caring for caregivers, those people who dedicate countless hours and emotional energy to caring for aging parents or children with disabilities.
2010-01-21
|
New York Times (NY) - Health
Offering Care for the Caregiver
... doctors as a profession have been slow to recognize family members and loved ones who care for patients at home. These “family caregivers” do work that is complex, physically challenging and critical to a patient’s overall well-being, like dressing wounds, dispensing medication, and feeding, bathing and dressing those who can no longer do so themselves.
2010-01-21
|
New York Times
The New Old Age: A Novel Take on Assisted Living
I can’t say with assurance that Leslie Larson’s “Breaking Out of Bedlam” is the first novel set in an assisted living facility, so I’ll just say it’s the first one I’ve read, and that it’s a kick.
2010-01-13
|
U.S. News & World Report
These Nursing Homes Care About Their Elderly Charges
At new-culture facilities, the emphasis is on respect for residents and a homelike setting.
2010-01-11
|
New York Times (NY)
Old Age, New Gizmos
When the vast Consumer Electronics Show, underway this week in Las Vegas, adds an exhibition called Silvers Summit, devoted to new products for the aging and their caregivers, brace yourselves. American tech companies, taking notice of the unmistakable demographic trends, have launched a surge.
2010-01-06
|
New York Times (NY)
Overlooking the Frail Years
... Most elderly Americans – more than two-thirds of current 65-year-olds, according to a detailed 2005 projection by a team of health policy analysts — at some point will need assistance to cope with daily living, either paid help or unpaid, at home or in a facility.
2010-01-01
|
New York Times (NY)
Assisted Living: Back to the Future
Ever since a 1990s building boom, the term “assisted living” has conjured up mental images of a three-story stucco building on a highway, with a brass chandelier in the lobby and a “concierge” desk. But long before those places began popping up, many owned by regional and national chains, lots of smaller, homier residences for seniors were tucked into ordinary neighborhoods.
2009-12-28
|
Fort Myers (FL) News-Press
Aging gracefully: Planning ahead can cut holiday stress for aging
Christmas time is a wonderful time to connect with family and friends, especially our older friends. As we plan Christmas and New Year's celebrations, it is important to include older family members while being respectful of their lifestyle and routine. ... Making sure everyone is aware of how changes in routine can affect both the person with memory loss and his caregiver goes a long way in having an enjoyable holiday celebration for all.
2009-12-22
|
Boston (MA) Globe
Off the road
For seniors who give up driving, the emotional - and physical - costs of surrendering independence can be high. ... Driving, or more precisely, deciding when to surrender the keys and license, has become the third rail of aging. A spate of car accidents involving elderly drivers in Massachusetts earlier this year prompted proposals for mandatory testing after age 75. Yet the emotionally charged debate, here and around the country, has largely ignored the rest of the equation: Then what?
2009-12-21
|
Minneapolis-St Paul (MN) Star Tribune
Aging folks' troubles appear at holidays
As families gather, some will discover that things have gone downhill for elderly relatives, and that traditions need to change.
2009-12-21
|
Los Angeles (CA) Times
Technology becomes friendlier to older generations
Entrepreneurs and researchers are stepping up developing products and services for seniors, including high-tech walking canes with gyroscopes and Internet-based services that encourage social networking.
2009-12-20
|
Richmond County (NC) Daily Journal
Caregivers can need help too.
The holidays are tough on everyone, but to someone who’s used to being able to take care of everything, being in a caregiver situation can be a tough one, so any little thing friends and family can do to help, will be much appreciated
2009-12-12
|
WebMD Health News
1 in 3 Adults in U.S. Is a Caregiver
About one in three adults in the United States cares for a loved one who is elderly, sick, or has special needs. And two out of three unpaid caregivers are women, a new report finds.
2009-12-11
|
Newsweek
A Smaller, Kinder Way to Retire
Can't cope with the idea of a nursing home? Consider a retirement commune.
2009-12-07
|
Forbes
Taking Over Elderly Parents' Finances
Taking over the finances of an elderly relative is tough work. Here are some pointers.
2009-12-04
|
Medical News Today
Emeritus Senior Living Provides Holiday Tips To Alzheimer's Caregivers
The holidays are a time for families to gather and celebrate generations coming together to enjoy each other's company. Though for those caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's or dementia, this time of year can bring increased anxiety as they strive to create a calm holiday environment while keeping family traditions alive. For that reason, Emeritus Senior Living, a national provider of assisted living and Alzheimer's and related dementia care services to seniors, has put together helpful guidelines and suggestions to make this holiday season a memorable one for the whole family.
2009-12-04
|
Lafayette (LA) Daily Advertiser
Plan ahead for holiday travel with senior citizens
The holiday season is here. Families and friends are traveling so they can be together with loved ones in homes or at vacation sites. Accommodating everyone's needs and requests can be overwhelming with all the different traditions, ages, diets, physical abilities and personal quirks. Planning ahead for the most important needs will aid in minimizing stress and anxiety, resulting in days more enjoyable for all.
2009-12-03
|
USA Today
Like happiness, loneliness is contagious
Loneliness, like happiness, can be contagious, says research out today that shows how feeling lonely can make others lonely, too.
2009-12-01
|
Salt Lake City (UT) Deseret News
Grandfamilies: Growing trend in grandparents raising children
An increasing number of grandparents, ... , are taking over parental duties, trading in the golden years for another round of spit-up and diapers. In 1970, about 3 percent of American children lived in grandparent-headed households. According to the 2008 U.S. Census, that percentage has now more than doubled. At last count, about 18,000 Utah grandparents had stepped in where their own children had failed.
2009-12-01
|
Miami (FL) Herald
Overwhelmed and Underappreciated: Holiday Stress Saps the Joy Out of Caregiver's Season
The holidays can cause large amounts of stress for people caring for elderly parents (over 34 million Americans). In addition to caregiving duties, they now add shopping, holiday parties and family gatherings to a never-ending to-do list.
2009-11-30
|
Little Rock (AR) KARK
New Approach to Senior Caregiving
Deciding how to take care of an aging parent is difficult. Quite often families prefer to bring professional help into the home rather than place them in a group housing facility. If it's done right, it can change the definition of family.
2009-11-27
|
NewJerseyNewsroom.com
The Sandwich Generation: Modern dilemma of elder care
More than 25% of American families are involved in elder/parent care at some level. Today, the baby boomers are the
2009-11-27
|
Boston (MA) Globe
Caring for the elderly
ONE THING that is lost in the health care debate is how to care for the elderly. It’s ironic that at a time when thousands of Americans are struggling to find appropriate care for their failing parents, the field of geriatric medicine appears to be vanishing.
2009-11-25
|
Lexington (NC) Dispatch
In-home care for elderly is growing
With the elderly population growing faster than any other segment, the need for nonmedical caregivers to help seniors stay in their homes has created the demand for agencies that can supply such services.
2009-11-25
|
New York Times (NY)
Home for Thanksgiving, and Managing Meds
If your parents’ kitchen counter or, worse, bathroom medicine chest is crammed with pill bottles — old, new, rarely used, barely remembered, emptied and never refilled — a new brochure from Consumers Union and the Eldercare Locator, a service of the United States Administration on Aging, might prove useful.
2009-11-25
|
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Cost of caregiving: How is it affecting you?
More than a quarter of Canadians help co-ordinate health care for someone else, and some say they've taken a financial hit in the process, a new survey suggests.
2009-11-25
|
Canada.com
Eating well in the twilight years
Loss of appetite just one reason some lose interest in food ... Foods that should be on every senior's grocery list.
2009-11-25
|
Newsweek
Bankruptcies Hit Retirement Communities
The recession is hitting elderly people where they live, literally. Financial problems have been mounting at a number of assisted-living and continuing-care communities, forcing some facilities into bankruptcies and inflicting new worries on residents and their families who thought their life plans were comfortably set.
2009-11-24
|
Indianapolis (IN) Star
Don't wait too long to talk about elder care
Through nearly 20 years working with the elderly, I've learned something profound. Most people don't fear dying -- they fear the aging process.
2009-11-21
|
Clifton (NJ) Journal
Choosing an eldercare facility
As these people grow older, many will choose to continue living on their own or may decide to move in with family. However, some will prefer to reside with people closer to their own age or will, by necessity, need to live in a facility that can cater to their changing medical needs. What should you keep in mind if you must choose an eldercare facility for yourself or a loved one?
2009-11-20
|
Little Rock (AR) KARK
Frank Broyles on Alzheimer's Awareness
With Alzheimer's nothing can reverse the inevitable, but the family could provide the security she craved to ease her fears.
2009-11-20
|
AnnArbor.com
Caregiving: Do you know who's coming in your home?
Many families caring for loved ones hire caregiver’s and homecare agencies to provide respite or continuous care. The biggest concern is will your loved one be safe and cared for? So do you know who's coming in your home?
2009-11-17
|
WebMD Health News
Boomers Doomed to Disability?
Bad Sign for Baby Boomers: Disability on the Rise for Americans in Their 60s
2009-11-12
|
Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News
Community resources can make easier for dementia patients to stay home
Keeping dementia patients in their homes as long as possible is often beneficial to their well-being, but it can be difficult for their families. The good news is: There are resources available to help.
2009-11-11
|
Boston (MA) Globe
Home-care system leaves elderly at risk, auditor says
A $332 million state program that oversees home health care services for about 18,000 elderly and disabled residents is vulnerable to fraud and has employed personal care attendants who have committed felonies, including manslaughter, assault, and threatening to commit murder, according to a report released yesterday by the Office of the State Auditor.
2009-10-15
|
USA Today
Study: Half with advanced dementia in nursing homes die in 18 months
Medical experts say the new research emphasizes the need for doctors, caregivers and families to consider making the feeble elderly who are near death comfortable rather than treating them as if a cure were possible — more like the palliative care given to terminally ill cancer patients.
2009-10-15
|
CBS News - Health
Some Nursing Home Elderly Get Futile Care
A surprising number of frail, elderly Americans in nursing homes are suffering from futile care at the end of their lives, two new federally funded studies reveal. One found that putting nursing home residents with failing kidneys on dialysis didn't improve their quality of life and may even push them into further decline. The other showed many with advanced dementia will die within six months and perhaps should have hospice care instead of aggressive treatment.
2009-10-14
|
Trenton (NJ) Times
Senior citizens have wide options for living facilities and services
For older adults choosing to move and become more free of the chore of running a household, the options are becoming better and better. No longer is the choice to either stay at home or go into a
2009-10-11
|
Melville (NY) Newsday
Alzheimer's tsunami poised to hit Long Island
The face of Alzheimer's disease may vary. It is an affliction that knows no racial, social or intellectual boundaries, and each individual who suffers from it may display different symptoms and behaviors. But its conclusion remains the same and for those who watch their loved ones suffer from the disease, the journey is one of unending sacrifice, financial struggle and emotional pain.
2009-10-09
|
U.S. News & World Report
7 Tips on Retirement Community Safeguards
Consumers living in or interested in a retirement community—particularly a newer facility—should carefully review the community's financial records and its ability to honor its service and refund commitments. Concerns have arisen in response to reports that the recession and the depressed real estate market have caused financial hardships for some institutions throughout the country.
2009-10-09
|
New York Times (NY)
The Nursing Home as Battle Zone
Nursing home staff and family members tangle — how could it be otherwise? Family members, doing something no one ever really wants to do, grapple with stress, guilt and raw emotion as they turn daily care for a loved one over to strangers. And virtually all nursing homes are chronically short-staffed, with too few aides and nurses scurrying to help too many residents, who are more impaired and suffer higher rates of dementia than their peers a couple of decades ago. Even staffers who want to provide warm, personal attention rarely have the time.
2009-10-07
|
New York Times (NY)
Nursing Homes That Belie the Bad Image
Then last spring, after I had made similarly disparaging remarks in a public forum, I was invited to tour one of the largest nursing homes in Florida, now called Miami Jewish Health Systems. I was delighted to discover an example of a home where one could not only benefit medically and emotionally but also enjoy one’s last days.
2009-10-05
|
Dallas (TX) WFAA
Aging in America: Searching for the right caregiver
Nearly eight million people require some sort of home health care, according to the National Association for Home Care and Hospice. Finding the right agency can often be agony for the adult children of elderly patients who want to stay home.
2009-09-22
|
New York Times (NY)
Helping Elderly Leave Nursing Homes for a Home
A growing number of states are reaching out to people like Mr. Brown, who have been in nursing homes for more than six months, aiming to disprove the notion that once people have settled into a nursing home, they will be there forever. Since 2007, Medicaid has teamed up with 29 states to finance such programs, enabling the low-income elderly and people with disabilities to receive many services in their own homes.
2009-09-19
|
New York Times (NY)
Taking Care of Parents Also Means Taking Care of Finances
About 30 percent of adult children in the United States contribute financially to their parents’ care, according to the Pew Research Center. ... One way out of this bind? Take full advantage of the hundreds of government and nonprofit programs and services geared to the elderly throughout the country.
2009-09-18
|
San Diego (CA) Union-Tribune
See-for-yourself exhibit lays bare dementia's toll
Dementia is a broad term describing a measurable, accelerating decline in cognitive function and memory loss unrelated to age that eventually interferes with daily activities in a significant way. The condition has multiple causes, most commonly Alzheimer's disease but also strokes, vascular ruptures, vitamin deficiencies, substance abuse, head injuries and diseases such as Parkinson's and syphilis. It afflicts about 5 million Americans 50 and older — a number that is growing steadily
2009-09-17
|
Atlanta (GA) Journal-Constitution
Helping a senior transition to a new home
It's a situation more of us will be facing in the coming years: Helping our parents move to a smaller home or a community where living on their own will be easier, or where they'll have more access to day-to-day services. Although there are many emotional issues around the senior's relocation, there are also many practical factors associated with choosing a new home, and the actual move itself.
2009-09-16
|
CNN - Money Magazine
How to talk money with Mom and Dad
The market's plunge has damaged your parents' nest egg. Will that affect your own plans? You'd better find out.
2009-09-10
|
Atlanta (GA) Journal Constitution
How to know when it’s time to stop driving
If your aging parent or other family member is like most people, the decision to stop driving is likely to be a wrenching one.
2009-09-09
|
U.S. News & World Report
Caregivers Need Health Reforms, Too
Caregivers are mostly women taking care of mostly women, generally unpaid and stressed most of the time. And that was before the recession. Now, stress levels have risen, fueled by added family financial pressures due to job losses and retirement-fund declines. Health reform proposals and debates largely by-pass this group, which has been estimated at 34 million persons.
2009-08-25
|
U.S. News & World Report
8 Facts to Know About Palliative Care
Misconceptions abound. Patients and families need not be afraid to ask for help
2009-08-25
|
New York Times
Experiencing Life, Briefly, Inside a Nursing Home
Geriatric specialists hope the program and others like it help generate interest in the profession, one of the most underrepresented fields in medicine. Medical schools and residencies require little to no geriatric training, and many students are reluctant to get into the field because it is among the lowest paid in medicine.
2009-08-23
|
New York Times
When You’re Your Mother’s Keeper
Soon, the 49-year-old Mrs. Cooper couldn’t leave her alone and the days became logistical brainteasers, as she tried to balance the needs of her son and those of her mother
2009-08-21
|
Nashville (TN) Tennessean
Severe underreporting of elderly abuse should worry officials
What constitutes abuse against older people? It can run the gamut, from denying ailing elderly people food, medicine or help with hygiene to ignoring people with Alzheimer's or dementia who may get disoriented and wander from their home. It even extends to physical abuse or murder. Sadly, the perpetrators are most often their own children or, ironically, their caregivers.
2009-08-20
|
U.S. News & World Report
When Your Nanny Is Granny
6 tips for balancing your retirement plans with caring for grandchildren
2009-08-17
|
Santa Clarita (CA) Signal
Tips to seniorize your home
"Bringing someone (a senior who needs care) into your home really needs to be well thought out," said Myles McNamara. "Is it the best move, the best environment for them?" ...think long and hard before you bring your aging senior home to live. How will it affect their quality of life? How will it affect yours?
2009-08-15
|
Jackson (TN) Sun
Make plans for care before illness strikes
Don't wait until it's too late to talk about long-term plans, finances and essential legal documents.
2009-08-09
|
BusinessWeek
The Elderly: Finding a Good Geriatric Care Manager
Such professionals can be a tremendous help if you're trying to take care of ailing parents but live far away .
2009-08-06
|
MedicineNet
Elder Abuse, Neglect Make Early Death Far More Likely
The study points to an imminent problem, according to Dr. Karin Ouchida, medical director of the Montefiore Medical Center Home Health Agency in New York City.
2009-08-04
|
Jackson (TN) Sun
Caregivers for elderly require support system
People want to help, but they don't know what to do unless you tell them.
2009-08-02
|
Jackson (TN) Sun
Burden borne with love
Children face tough decisions, increasing responsibilities as parents age, ... Those who care for their parents often must struggle with mounds of paperwork and the intricacies of finances, hospitals, medicine, nursing homes and legal matters.
2009-08-02
|
Mason County (TX) News
Choosing An Eldercare Facility
The American population is aging. In fact, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, one in five Americans will be over 65 by the year 2050. As these people grow older, many will choose to continue living on their own or may decide to move in with family. However, some will prefer to reside with people closer to their own age or will, by necessity, need to live in a facility that can cater to their changing medical needs. What should you keep in mind if you must choose an eldercare facility for yourself or a loved one? The Texas Society of CPAs offers some tips.
2009-07-31
|
Atlanta (GA) Journal-Constitution
Sasha and Malia Obama's Parents Have Living Wills, How About Yours?
At least young Sasha and Malia Obama won't be left guessing decades from now. For those who aren't sure where their parents' critical-illness and end-of-life wishes stand, I asked geriatric psychiatrist Ken Robbins, a Caring.com senior medical adviser, how to tackle this often charged conversation.
2009-07-30
|
Waltham (MA) Daily News Tribune
Senior Savvy: No pattern to progression of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease can progress rapidly or progress slowly. There is no pattern to the way the disease progresses. It is unpredictable. Alzheimer's disease affects the way someone is able to care for themselves and make decisions about themselves. As the disease progresses, changes occur such as what you are seeing; incontinence, more help with dressing and grooming, plus an increase in memory loss.
2009-07-28
|
U.S. News & World Report
How the 'Old Old' Can Have Best Lives
The frailty identity crisis, ... can be addressed by recognizing frailty as a natural stage of life, developing a healthy psychological outlook to adapting to it, and then getting appropriate support from caregivers and, if available, family and friends.
2009-07-23
|
USA Today - Travel
Caregivers, too, need time away
When an elderly relative being cared for at home can't go on vacation, what's a caregiver to do? ... Enter assisted-living communities that offer short-term
2009-07-23
|
BusinessWeek
How to Talk About Caregiving with Your Aging Parents
Unfortunately, many of us would rather talk about sex with mom and dad than the topic of this conversation: their plans for managing the last act of their lives—where they hope to live, who will care for them if they can’t take care of their daily needs, how they will pay for assisted living if they are unable to stay in their home. These are not easy questions to ask. ...
2009-07-23
|
New York Times (NY)
Congress Tackles Long-Term Care
Generally overlooked in the debate over health care reform, and of particular interest to New Old Age readers, is the C.L.A.S.S. Act, a bill introduced by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, that would establish a national long-term care insurance program.
2009-07-22
|
Palm Springs (CA) Desert Sun
Seniors increasingly targeted by abusers
The National Center on Elder Abuse in Newark, Del., estimates that more than 1 million seniors suffer abuse or neglect each year. ... Seniors who live alone or do not have family and friends checking in on them are at the greatest risk of becoming abused.
2009-07-18
|
MedicineNet
Spouse Has Dementia? You're at Risk, Too
A first-of-its-kind study suggests that spouses of people with dementia are at substantially increased risk of developing dementia themselves. ...
2009-07-15
|
Kiplinger
The Long-Distance Caregiver
If you're too far away to monitor a parent, you have a couple of options. You can hire a professional to oversee your parent. Or you can coordinate the care yourself by assembling a network of neighbors, medical specialists, drivers, housekeepers and other helpers.
2009-07-14
|
Clarksville (TN) Online
Elder Care & Elder Rage: Know the early warning signs of Alzheimer’s Disease
You don’t need a doctorate degree to know something is wrong, but you do need the right doctor who can diagnose and treat dementia properly.
2009-07-14
|
Carson City (NV) Nevada Appeal
RSVP offers respite for caregivers
The latest statistics indicate that 40 percent of all caregivers predecease the loved one they are caring for because of the stress of the never-ending responsibility of care and never having the time to address their own health problems or other interests. ... As a caregiver you definitely need to take some time off. It is not only healthy for you but it gives your loved one a new experience of interacting with someone new, someone they can tell their stories to. Don't put it off, do both of you a favor.
2009-07-12
|
Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle
Cottage-like elder care facilities gaining popularity in Rochester area
Rochester became a national center of nursing home reform ideas in 1997 when people from around the country met here to talk about transforming elder care. The Pioneer Network was formed to promote person-directed, less-institutional care.
2009-07-06
|
BusinessWeek
Coping with the Caregiving Dilemma
How to avoid the victim-rescuer trap and other tips for the millions of baby boomers sandwiched between parents and children
2009-07-02
|
Atlanta (GA) Journal-Constitution
AGING & CARING: Paid caregiving options worth a look
If you’re helping someone with the same activities of daily living that a home health aid would provide — and taking time away from your own work to do so — you have probably wished you could be compensated for this care. ... In many states, programs are available through Medicaid or directly through the state that compensate a senior for home health services, which he in turn can pay a family member to perform.
2009-07-01
|
BusinessWeek
Perfect Babysitter? When Granny is the Nanny
Growing Old in America, a just-released study by the Pew Research Center, shows that parents and their adult children are relying on each other in many ways. Aside from the interesting retirement data in the study, what caught my eye is that 36% of respondents ages 65 and older say they help with their children with childcare.
2009-06-29
|
New York Times (NY)
Getting Insurance for One’s Frailest Years
Long-term care insurance ... offered as a way to pay for a nursing home, assisted living, home health care and other costs associated with growing older. But where to begin? The policies are expensive, complicated and have a severely flawed history.
2009-06-26
|
Wall Street Journal
When Granny Is Your Nanny
Prevailing child-rearing beliefs have taken many turns in the past 60 years, creating ample grounds for disagreement between caregivers, whether they’re tradition-minded World War II-era grandparents, hovering baby boomers or the family-focused, informal moms and dads of Generation X.
2009-06-24
|
Toledo (OH) Free Press
Elder care
It is never too early or too late for elder-care planning. People often think it is too early if there is not a crisis, or if a crisis has occurred, many think it is too late.
2009-06-19
|
CNN - Money
The coming long-term care crisis (and why personal finance can’t solve every problem)
I’ve been a personal-finance journalist for over a decade, and what I’m about to say almost amounts to heresy in my line of work: Some of your most pressing financial questions just don’t have any satisfying answers. There may not be much you can do.
2009-06-11
|
New York Times (NY)
Downturn Puts a Chokehold on Those Caring for Family Members
The economic crisis has spread its pain widely, but it has placed special stresses on the estimated 44 million Americans who provide care for an elderly or disabled relative or spouse, many of whom have already made themselves financially vulnerable trying to balance work and family.
2009-06-07
|
New York Times (NY)
Is Home Always So Sweet?
To move or not to move: it’s a daunting decision that may pit an older person’s preference against his safety and health. It’s not always clear which should prevail, where quality of life really lies. ... The familiarity of home is a comfort, but maybe it shouldn’t be the only consideration.
2009-06-04
|
Vancouver (BC) Sun
Seniors stay healthier when they live with spouse
Elderly, community-dwelling men and women appear more likely to obtain preventive health care when they live with their spouse, as opposed to living alone or with an adult child, researchers report in the American Journal of Public Health.
2009-06-01
|
ABC News
What To Do When Mom Moves In
Facing longer life spans and shrunken assets, a growing number of the elderly are living with their children.
2009-05-17
|
MSNBC - Health
Caring for ill, elderly has reward - a longer life
Caring for an older, ailing family member may be stressful, but studies say it may actually increase your lifespan.
2009-05-05
|
USA Today
Seniors at home in co-housing
Projects such as Silver Sage are called co-housing. European-inspired housing built around a common area and a social compact that all residents agree to, co-housing has existed on a small scale in the USA for years. Now, the concept is coming to senior housing, a trend supported by advocates who favor independent living for the old.
2009-05-04
|
MarketWatch
When older Americans move, family is big reason why
One of the most common reasons people ages 55 and older decide to move is to be closer to family and friends, according to an analysis released this week by the National Association of Home Builders and the MetLife Mature Market Institute.
2009-05-01
|
Gig Harbor (WA) Peninsula Gateway
Consider many factors before choosing an ‘assisted living’ facility
Senior facilities offer diverse services: one, independent living apartments (where residents live independently, with certain meals and “light housekeeping” provided); two, assisted living (where meals, housekeeping and certain levels of nursing care are provided); three, nursing homes, where persons too old or disabled to care for themselves are kept secure and comfortable (sometimes combined with rehabilitation therapy for injuries or illnesses); and, four, victims of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. ... Choosing the appropriate facility is a major, traumatic, permanent decision for the senior member of your family.
2009-04-23
|
New York Times (NY)
Why Do We Avoid Advance Directives?
It’s startling how few Americans have advance directives, an umbrella term including living wills that state your wishes and health care proxies that designate someone to carry them out if you can’t.
2009-04-20
|
U.S. News & World Report
How Providing Eldercare Affects Your Job Security
Employees providing eldercare say they have significantly less access to the flexible work options needed to fulfill their work and personal needs, compared to employees caring for a child under age 18 and workers not providing dependent care, according to a survey of more than 2,200 employees ages 17 to 81 by the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College.
2009-04-17
|
Glendale (CA) Balita.com
Helpful resources for caregivers
One of the biggest obstacles for caregivers is losing sight of their own physical and emotional needs. Emotions such as guilt, anger, regret and hopelessness – "burnout" – can erode caregivers' physical and emotional state if they don't allow time for their own needs. It is easy for caregivers to get lost in the many issues of caregiving and lose sight of their own needs, but it is important that they understand taking care of their own needs will help them to be more effective in their caregiving role.
2009-04-10
|
Louisville (KY) Courier-journal
Lightening the caregiver's load
Imagine living on an island with no one to share your deepest feelings with or to understand your emotional pain during one of the most strenuous times of your life. That's what life seems like for some caregivers who become consumed with taking care of the needs of others while struggling, at times, with a constellation of conflicting emotions, from compassion to resentment.
2009-04-09
|
Fort Myers (FL) News-Press
Aging gracefully: Exploitation a risk in Alzheimer's
For older persons who are experiencing early stage memory impairment, the task of managing household finances becomes increasingly difficult. Some are able to recognize the difficulty and ask for help from trusted family members or friends. Meanwhile, others struggle with the task which may in turn put them at risk of exploitation. As the person with memory impairment begins to have difficulty with routine tasks such as paying bills, balancing the checkbook, and managing daily finances, he becomes more vulnerable to scams, solicitations, and exploitation.
2009-04-07
|
Forbes
Home-Based Program Extends Seniors' Lives
A home-based program for seniors that includes occupational and physical therapy, as well as some minor home modifications, can help people live longer, new research found.
2009-04-07
|
Fremont (OH) News-Messenger
Find ways to reduce caregiving stress
Getting a break is essential. Keep your sense of humor. Remember that some caregivers are born and some are "in training." Give yourself a pat on the back for doing the best you can.
2009-04-07
|
Wall Street Journal
'Grandfamilies' Come Under Pressure
... the number of grandfamilies has been growing. In 1970, about 3% of all children under 18 lived in households headed by a grandparent. By 2007, 4.7 million kids -- or 6.5% of American children -- were living in households headed by a grandparent, according to Census Bureau data. This shift was driven by a variety of factors, including more parents hit by drug use, AIDS or cancer, and the large numbers of single parents who, if struck by tragedy, leave children behind.
2009-04-04
|
New York Times (NY)
At the End of Life, Denial Comes at a Price
Like the rest of us, doctors struggle to talk about dying. These conversations with patients occur haltingly, awkwardly and often not at all. But a study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests just how costly that silence may be, both in health care dollars and in patients’ suffering.
2009-04-03
|
Wall Street Journal
Checking Out Elder Caregivers
Before bringing a caregiver into an aging parent’s home, it’s crucial to know exactly who you are hiring. That’s especially true for affluent consumers, and perhaps even more so now due to the troubled economy. Screening candidates and setting up safeguards, particularly for frail or cognitively impaired parents, is vital.
2009-03-26
|
New York Times (NY)
Wise Counsel at Unexpected Moments
On the ground in Newark, as I settled my mother into a wheelchair for the ride down the jetway into an uncharted stage of her life (and mine), that flight attendant touched my shoulder and said one sentence that I remember to this day: “Just don’t hurry.”
2009-03-26
|
Wall Street Journal
Mom and Dad, You're Broke
There are few more unpleasant topics for adult children and their aging parents than talking about money. But after the financial devastation of the past year, you have more reasons than ever to have that conversation. After all, the same forces that have walloped your 401(k) may also have wreaked havoc on your parents' retirement savings -- and they probably don't have years to sit tight and hope for a recovery. While you're trying to figure out how much longer you may have to work, they may need to rethink everything from their daily budget to their estate planning, and they may need your help to do so.
2009-03-25
|
Liberty (MO) Tribune
Not asking for help is a common mistake among caregivers
Many adults today are forced to take care of an elderly parent soon after sending children off to college. That’s when those caregivers can feel stressed mentally, physically and financially. The No. 1 suggestion professionals give for caregivers, according to caring.com, is to take time for themselves, but that’s easier said than done.
2009-03-19
|
Smart Money Magazine
Parents in Crisis: Trimming the Tax Bill
Assisting a relative who’s in financial trouble can be even more painful if your largesse hurts you at tax time. SmartMoney looked at a few tax-efficient ways of assisting your family financially.
2009-02-17
|
Smart Money Magazine
5 Ways to Cut Elder-Care Costs
The so-called sandwich generation -- those caring for their children and their aging parents -- are being squeezed more than ever these days. The retirement savings their parents were depending on are being decimated, while health care and other costs associated with caring for them skyrocket. Add to that steep college tuition bills and the strain on the family budget is, well...overwhelming. According to a 2005 Pew Research Center report, 13% of baby boomers (about 9.75 million) are in such a situation.
2009-02-13
|
Orlando (FL) Sentinel
Parents refuse to accept assisted living; what next?
The increase in the size of our elderly population is being accompanied by an increase in the number of elder-abuse cases that impact our public-health and social-welfare systems. Your situation -- which is shared by hundreds of thousands having parents in their 70s, 80s and 90s -- points out the need to address self-abuse in the elderly as a problem of epidemic proportion in the United States today.
2009-02-09
|
ABC News
Grandparents Packing Up, Moving Cross Country to Spend Time With Family
No statistics track the number of grandparents ... who are pulling up stakes and moving closer to adult children and grandchildren. Yet anecdotal evidence suggests that the trend, while still modest, is growing.
2009-01-31
|
U.S. News & World Report
Family Caregivers: Exhausted, Stressed—and Abusive?
Bearing the responsibility for an aging parent or spouse can become an increasingly thorny task—and not necessarily because of the need for more and more complex care. Caregivers themselves can sustain emotional, mental, and physical blows that may go unattended in the name of duty to their loved one. Sleep is lost; stress mounts steadily; and something just might give.
2009-01-22
|
Sacramento (CA) Bee
Sandwich Generation: Take a positive approach
A 74-year-old man was diagnosed with untreatable lung cancer. Until his death three months later, his 35-year-old daughter focused all her energies on him. ... Afterward, the daughter realized how she could have handled the overall situation better. Here are some tips for a more positive caregiving process.
2009-01-21
|
USA Today
Feds rate U.S. nursing homes
An analysis of nearly 16,000 nursing homes reveals for-profit homes are more likely to provide inferior care than their non-profit rivals, according to a USA TODAY examination of the federal government's first ratings of the homes' performance. The new Zagat-like rating system, released today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, assigns homes one to five stars for quality, staffing and health inspections, plus an overall score.
2009-01-18
|
Baltimore (MD) Jewish Times
Bonding with Out-of-Town Grandparents
Keeping in touch with far-flung grandparents, or any loved ones, can be hard. But there are lots of strategies and creative ideas families can use to strengthen the bond, whether it’s creating a family blog, making frequent phone calls, sending photos or videos, or just scheduling a visit.
2009-01-16
|
Orange County (CA) Register
Hard times leads to crowded homes
Millions of older grandparents benefiting from today's longevity are moving in with adult children and grandchildren because they need assistance and care. AARP says there are 4 million multigenerational families nationwide and the number is growing.
2009-01-16
|
New York (NY) Daily News
Families with live-in grandparents have advice for Obamas
In about 1.3 million American homes where the parents are head of the household, at least one grandparent lives with the family. ... The key issues that need to be discussed between grandparents and parents are privacy and the discipline of the children, says the psychologist, who practices in Hartford, Connecticut.
2009-01-15
|
New York Times (NY)
Your Mother Is Moving In? That’s Great
A recent study by AARP shows that multigenerational households are on the rise, up from 5 million in 2000 to 6.2 million last year, an increase from 4.8 percent of all households to 5.3 percent. It’s not always a smooth ride — families being what they are — but it’s still an appealing solution to the work-life conundrum.
2009-01-14
|
San Jose (CA) Mercury News
With more generations under one roof, U.S. families no longer shrinking, census data shows
Immigration, housing prices and the economy are all factors in the expansion of families. But some demographers and sociologists say other social changes are pulling generations closer, and broadening the template for the American family. ... "There is a rediscovery of intergenerational ties," said Stephanie Coontz, director of research for the Council on Contemporary Families. "I think it's a very significant shift in family life."
2009-01-10
|
MSNBC - Business
Áegis Living Offers Assistance to Recognize When Help Is Needed
Each and every January, following the holiday season, senior living communities see an increase in inquiries from concerned family members looking for help and answers.
2009-01-08
|
Billings (MT) Gazette
Families called on to provide medical attention
The number of Americans serving as unpaid caregivers for another adult has doubled in the past 10 years to more than 44 million, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving, a nonprofit coalition of caregiving groups. When the caregiver is a child or a spouse, it is often the case that outside help is financially out of reach. Respite care can cost tens of thousands of dollars a year. For those who do it alone, caregiving can be a mental-health minefield.
2009-01-07
|
USA Today
For grandparents, child care can be a blessing and a curse
Millions of grandparents know just how she feels. They are regular or frequent babysitters for their grandchildren or, in a growing number of cases, share a home with grandchildren they care for — whether as a full-time substitute for a missing parent or as a senior member of a multigenerational household.
2009-01-04
|
CBS News
Navigating Care For Aging Parents
When an aging parent needs care, it's often one child out of several siblings who steps up to the plate to offer help. And with more Americans living longer - to 75 years and beyond - this scenario will only become more familiar. ... With more Americans living well beyond their 70s, more adult children are now left in a position where they have to be caregivers for their aging parents.
2008-11-26
|
USA Today
Does a stress-free holiday visit really exist?
Are you looking forward to having out-of-town family and friends stay at your home for the holidays? Perhaps you're still smarting from the last visit, when a year's worth of expectations, a few days of eating and drinking too much, and one too many after-dinner discussions about politics or healthcare left you whispering to your spouse in the kitchen "Honey, when are they leaving?" ...
2008-11-18
|
New York Times (NY)
Caring for Family, Caring for Yourself
Whether you choose to be a family caregiver or the job is thrust upon you by circumstances, your most important responsibility beyond caring for your ill or disabled relative is caring for yourself.
2008-11-17
|
New York Times (NY)
When Families Take Care of Their Own
Relatively little official attention has been paid to those who provide the overwhelming bulk of services for people, both young and old, who are unable to care for themselves. I’m talking about family caregivers — primarily wives and daughters, but also partners, siblings, husbands, sons, grandparents and sometimes young children — who by choice or necessity assume the responsibility of caring for loved ones for months, years or even decades.
2008-11-10
|
Fort Myers (FL) News-Press
Aging gracefully: Share special events, traditions across generations
Passing traditions to the next generation is a great way to promote intergenerational sharing in the family. As young parents teach their children about special family traditions, grandparents have the pleasure of witnessing their own successes. They fondly admire the caring parents their children have become, and they marvel at the interest and enthusiasm young family members exude for their beloved traditions.
2008-10-28
|
Sioux Falls (SD) Argus Leader
Pets are great fun, company for seniors
I am reminded that it has been proven through the years that having a pet can be beneficial in many positive ways. Studies show that senior adults who own pets go to the doctor less and often have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than non-pet owners.
2008-10-27
|
Forbes
Caring for Aging Loved Ones Can Be a Catch-22
Too often, chronically ill patients and their families simply lurch from one crisis to the next, with no continuity of care to make sure that once patients leave the hospital, they aren't getting readmitted a few weeks later.
2008-10-26
|
CNN - Living
Hello mom - goodbye retirement
Even into adulthood, there is this notion that parents will be there to take care of us, emotionally or financially, possibly with a nice inheritance. That's still the case for many families. But increasingly, adult children like Martin are finding themselves cutting into their own savings and retirement funds or even going into debt to support their aging parents.
2008-10-22
|
Forbes
Prepare For Elder Care
We often read about the aging of our population and concerns about health care, Social Security and the challenges of an aging work force. However, as a baby boomer, you may be facing a more immediate crisis: the onset of caring for aging parents while simultaneously juggling the tasks of employment and parenting.
2008-10-22
|
Glen Saint Mary (FL) North Florida Daily News
Supporting loved ones in nursing homes enhances daily living
The experience of living in a long-term care facility can vary greatly for residents, depending on the level of support provided by their families. Dewan E. Williams, clinical coordinator for the Practical Nursing program at Brown Mackie College -- Akron, Ohio, offers insights into how family members can enhance the quality of life for loved ones in long-term care.
2008-10-20
|
Ft. Lauderdale (FL) Sun-Sentinel
Room to grow old: Seniors who don't choose assisted living facilities can get help from 'age in place' businesses
Businesses that help South Florida homeowners
2008-10-20
|
Walla Walla (WA) Union Bulletin
Alcoholism among older people may be overlooked
As people age, they may tend to mix alcohol with prescription drugs. Disaster can ensue.
2008-10-18
|
Allentown (PA) Morning Call
Senior citizens often targeted by thieves
Many scams are pointed at senior citizens. Some, alone
2008-10-09
|
U.S. News & World Report
When Parents Move in With Their Adult Kids
Twenty-somethings who move back in with their parents after college are often lamented as
2008-10-06
|
Canada.com
Boomers rewrite grandparent rules
Boomers are taking on the challenge in a time far different from the days when their own grandmother appeared to be a fixture in the kitchen. Today's grandparents are often still juggling the demands of their own careers as they do their best to see the grandkids.
2008-09-30
|
Glenview (IL) Prioneer Press
Elder Wii people
Like a growing number of seniors in the northern suburbs, she was using the Nintendo Wii video game system to bowl that perfect game. Unlike traditional video games that require players only to sit and use their hands to control the action, Wii games are played by using body movements, with limited finger action, to simulate the required action on the TV screen. Video games, once thought to be for kids, are being played by the oldest generation on the Wii system. Not only is it fun, but activity coordinators and health care professionals say Wii is actually healthy for seniors.
2008-09-18
|
Cumberland (MD)Times-News
Home care providers keep loved ones in comfort zone
The Allegany County Human Resources Development Commission Inc. through the Medicaid Older Adult Waiver Program makes it possible for homebound individuals to receive the assistance they need. ... “The value of the program is the quality of service the recipient gets,” he said. “They’re allowed to age in place in a setting of their choosing with as much dignity as possible.”
2008-09-08
|
USA Today
Raising grandchildren an extra burden for many
While older Americans are on average much better off than a few decades ago, a large number of grandparent caregivers still struggle to get by. Generations United says some literally have to choose between buying prescription medications or diapers with their money.
2008-09-07
|
USA Today
Grandparents help with back-to-school bill
In the midst of one of the toughest back-to-school buying seasons in years, grandparents in many families are pitching in to get kids clothed. ... Retailers say grandparents are now major apparel buyers for grandkids:
2008-09-01
|
CNN - Living
Who should pay for mom and dad's care?
An estimated 10 million American adults need help with daily activities, and family members are responsible for 80 percent of such caregiving, according to the AARP.
2008-08-20
|
Roanoke (VA) Times
The costly years -- Most common financial myths
If growing old isn't for sissies, as the saying goes, then neither is trying to help your spouse or parent navigate the frailties of late life. The truth is sad but undeniable: Anyone who reaches the age of 65 stands a 2-in-3 chance of needing assistance with care for some stretch of time before death, according to the AARP. How do families manage the costs of arranging for their relatives' long-term care?
2008-08-17
|
Forbes
Keeping Family Wealth From The Taxman
Tax planning for the efficient transfer of the business cannot be done in a vacuum. There are a multitude of tax considerations to keep in mind when attempting to quantify the tax costs involved in the business transfer. Certain methods of transfer are less costly than others from a tax perspective. What is an effective plan from an estate or gift tax point of view may not be so efficient when viewed in the context of personal income tax. Additionally, what most benefits the family may not necessarily be the wisest alternative for the business.
2008-08-14
|
Wall Street Journal
To Be Old, Frail And Evicted: Patients at Risk
Across the country, nursing homes are forcing out frail and ill residents. While federal law permits nursing-home evictions in some circumstances, state officials and patient advocates say facilities often go too far, seeking to evict those who are merely inconvenient or too costly.
2008-08-07
|
Kiplinger
Who Gets Mom and Dad's Stock?
If there are no beneficiaries on stocks, who gets them when both parents die?
2008-08-06
|
New York Times (NY)
Simulating Age 85, With Lessons on Offering Care
As the population in the developing world ages, simulation programs like Xtreme Aging have become a regular part of many nursing or medical school curriculums, and have crept into the corporate world, where knowing what it is like to be elderly increasingly means better understanding one’s customers or even employees — how to design signs or instrument panels, how to make devices more usable.
2008-08-03
|
McKnight's Long-Term Care News
Seniors don't raise many surgical concerns with doctors, study finds
Whether or not to undergo a surgical procedure can be a tough call, and most patients come armed with many concerns to talk through with their doctors. But a recent study finds that seniors just aren't asking many of those questions.
2008-08-01
|
McKnight's Long-Term Care News
Study: baby talk not suitable for adults with dementia
Sufferers of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia don't like being talked down to any more than healthy, competent adults do, according to new research. So-called
2008-07-29
|
ABC News - Health
'Baby Talk' Irritates Alzheimer's Patients
Caregivers For the Elderly Should Avoid Certain Patterns of Speech, New Research Says
2008-07-28
|
U.S. News & World Report
How to Avoid a Nursing Home
2008-07-21
|
Pittsburgh (PA) Post-Gazette
Next Steps: Think carefully before signing community care contract
The best person to review your contract is your attorney, with assistance from your certified public accountant and/or financial adviser because of the expense and potential pitfalls that seniors don't need to deal with after the fact. ... While all contracts contain similar language, some have bells and whistles that require explanation.
2008-07-15
|
Contra Costa (CA) Times
Just don't call me 'granny'
Actually, the San Francisco author was four years older than the average first-time grandmother, according to an American Association of Retired Persons survey — and the exact same age her own grandmother was when Lara was born. But times have changed.
2008-07-14
|
Janesville (WI) Gazette
Sorting through the long-term care process
When the supervision and time required to care for parents or grandparents goes beyond a family member, it's easy to get lost and stressed in the plethora of long-term care options. ... If you will be helping a family member or friend or looking for yourself, here are tips and resources to guide you through the process of finding long-term care.
2008-07-12
|
Atlanta (GA) Journal-Constitution
What's the secret to a great visit of the grandkids?
As families head out on vacations this summer, grandparents await the tsunami of kids, toys, bottles, sippy cups and video games to arrive. How well everyone survives depends on a little sense of humor and a lot of planning.
2008-07-11
|
Spokane (WA) Journal of Business
Planning can prevent errors, family strife
Attempts to ease probate process can create problems in handling estates. Elder-law attorneys here say people make avoidable, but all-too-common mistakes in planning their estates.
2008-07-10
|
New York Times (NY)
The New Old Age - What I Wish I’d Done Differently
Looking back on the last few years of my mother’s life, with 20/20 hindsight and the belated knowledge that came from four years of reporting about aging for The New York Times, my single biggest mistake was not finding a doctor with expertise in geriatrics to quarterback her care and attend to the quality of her life, not merely its length.
2008-07-07
|
New York Times (NY)
The New Old Age - Our Parents, Ourselves
Jane Gross blogs about aging parents and the adult children struggling to care for them. ... Thanks to the marvels of medical science, our parents are living longer than ever before. Adults over age 80 are the fastest growing segment of the population, and most will spend years dependent on others for the most basic needs. That burden falls to their baby boomer children, 77 million strong, who are flummoxed by the technicalities of eldercare, turned upside down by the changed architecture of their families, struggling to balance work and caregiving, and depleting their own retirement savings in the process.
2008-07-01
|
Boston (MA) Globe
Vital help for caregivers
There are countless daughters out there struggling to keep their frail, elderly mothers in their own homes, desperately trying to find ways through the morass that is the healthcare system. Virginia O'Connor was one of them. ...
2008-06-29
|
Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch
Lending a hand, gaining a friend
ElderFriends matches seniors with volunteers who share interests and visit regularly. A highlight of Miguel Lozano's week is when Forrest Black comes for a visit. The two men have known each other for just a couple of months, but they have become fast friends.
2008-06-28
|
Rocky Mount (NC) Telegram
Visits' value: Even brief stop can lift up senior
All too often, residents of adult-care facilities and nursing homes feel they are no longer wanted or needed and have been cast aside, said Bob Garner, communications director for the state office of AARP in Raleigh. What many people do not realize is that having visitors, whether they are beloved family members or total strangers, has the power to change that feeling for nursing home residents, Garner said. Visitors make them feel important and recognized, which in turn helps their emotional and physical well-being.
2008-06-24
|
Chicago (IL) Tribune
'Life-care contracts' moving in to help -- Concept combines insurance, real estate
Many older people are afraid that they'll outlive their money, leaving them with few resources to pay for care at home or in a retirement facility. Long-term care insurance is one option, but several new continuing-care projects are rolling such insurance and real estate into life-care contracts. Under these arrangements, residents pay the building a monthly fee and an upfront entry fee (usually at least partially refundable) for an apartment and a capped fee if he needs assisted or nursing care. As with all insurance, the details get complicated.
2008-06-22
|
Wall Street Journal
Dealing With the Cost of Alzheimer's
An Alzheimer's diagnosis is the start of a long, hard road. Naturally, health-care questions must be resolved, but at the same time, families need to address a host of financial issues. They range from the logistical -- tracking down deeds or making sure family members have access to bank and savings accounts -- to budgeting and assessing the potential costs of care.
2008-06-22
|
Minneapolis-St Paul (MN) Star Tribune
The new idea in elder care: Membership
Stay in your home. Pay an annual fee. Get easy access to a network of help when you need it.
2008-06-21
|
New York Times (NY)
8 Reasons You Should Not Expect an Inheritance
You’ve probably heard about the bumper sticker, even if you haven’t seen it. It’s the one on Cadillacs in Florida and Lexuses in Arizona that says “I’m spending my children’s inheritance.” We’ve laughed at that for years. But the truth is, retirees have a lot of demands on their savings. Out-of-pocket health care costs, for one, are rising fast. At the same time, many people are not waiting until they die to help their children and grandchildren financially. And some are finding creative ways to draw on money that would otherwise be part of their estate. For all these reasons and many more (I’ve ticked off eight below), it would be a bad idea to plan on getting any inheritance from your older relatives.
2008-06-21
|
Winston-Salem (NC) Journal
Like father, like... Communication is key issue for family-owned businesses
Open communication and the ability to separate the different expectations of home and work are the keys to a successful father-child business relationship, experts say.
2008-06-15
|
St. Louis (MO) Post-Dispatch
Estate plans should put your life first
A good estate plan puts your life and your wishes first. In an ideal world, it should be part of a plan that foresees your expenses through the end of life and provides for an orderly distribution of assets after your death.
2008-06-15
|
BusinessWeek
Installment Sales: The Time Is Ripe
It's a nice problem to have: enough money that you need to think about lessening estate taxes for heirs. And this is a good time to start estate planning, since the interest rates the government sets for one strategy, called installment sales, make it particularly attractive right now.
2008-06-12
|
U.S. News & World Report
Why Wait to Give Away Your Money?
Parents and grandparents with money to spare are no longer waiting until death to pass on their wealth. Instead, they're increasingly handing it over to their adult kids while they're still around to see how it's spent—and, in some cases, lend a hand.
2008-06-12
|
Tampa (FL) Tribune
Slow Housing Market Hurts Retirement Communities
Florida's retirement communities are taking a financial beating as would-be residents struggle to sell their homes. Hit especially hard are facilities that offer life-care services, known in the business as continuum of care retirement communities. Places such as North Tampa's University Village charge entrance fees ranging from $75,000 to $500,000. In exchange, residents are guaranteed a place where they will be cared for the rest of their lives.
2008-06-09
|
Lewisville (TX) Leader
SeniorHelpers provide companionship to depressed senior citizens
As the Baby Boomer Generation grows increasingly older, their well-being sometimes becomes the responsibility for the younger generations. According to a study done by the Gallup Poll, one out of five employees in the United States is the primary caregiver for a senior loved one.
2008-06-07
|
Melville (NY) Newsday
Let the chronically ill be home
Every day, countless middle-class elderly New Yorkers are stripped of their dignity - not to mention their homes and other assets - and propelled by government regulation into poverty in order to get health care. Their crime? They are unlucky enough to have the wrong disease, one that leaves them neither sick enough to require acute hospitalization nor well enough to live at home unassisted.
2008-05-30
|
CNN - Money
Managing your folks' money: 5 steps
Even if you think you're well prepared to take over an aging parent's finances you'd better read this guide.
2008-05-28
|
New York Times (NY)
High-Tech Devices Keep Elderly Safe From Afar
Experts on aging say the systems will become commonplace as the 76 million baby boomers approach ages when disabilities or conditions like diabetes and failing eyesight jeopardize the ability to live independently. ...
2008-05-25
|
Manchester (CT) Journal Inquirer
Not-so golden years
Many people look forward to retirement. They anticipate spending their golden years in the company of friends and family, perhaps enjoying some favorite hobbies. Some senior citizens reside with their grown children and may come to depend on them for help with every day life. In many cultures around the world, adult children care for their elderly parents, but what happens if the parent-child relationship sours? Reports of elder abuse by grown children are on the increase, and as baby boomers age, the problem is not likely to go away.
2008-05-19
|
USA Today
Lack of transition training confronts family caregivers
The lack of training for family caregivers is a major gap in a health system not ready to care for an aging population, said an April report from the Institute of Medicine. The report, which also detailed shortages in well-trained health professionals, said
2008-05-19
|
Miami (FL) Herald
Books: Caring for mom inspires tales of life and death
Dudley Clendinen was writing editorials for The New York Times in 1994, commuting from Baltimore, when his mother finally agreed to sell her house in Tampa and move to an assisted living high-rise overlooking Tampa Bay. From that year on, life changed for both him and her.
2008-05-17
|
HealthDay News
Health Tip: Keeping the Caregiver Healthy -- Here are ways to prevent feeling burned out and stressed
Caregiving is one of the toughest jobs around. It is both emotionally and physically draining. The American Heart Association offers these suggestions for those who assist others to help them feel energized, refreshed and happy:
2008-05-15
|
Crookston (MN) Daily Times
Value of family caregivers on the rise
As more and more long-term caregiving is being done in the home - about 85 percent in Minnesota - rather than in skilled nursing facilities, the value of family caregivers is increasing. However, people who care for an elderly or disabled family member face many issues themselves and often don't realize just how exhausting this work is. They may not realize until it's too late how worn out - emotionally and physically - they really are, putting their own well being in jeopardy.
2008-05-14
|
San Francisco (CA) Chronicle
Adair Lara's rules for Boomer grandparents
As a 56-year-old Baby Boomer, Adair Lara is trying to wrap her mind around the idea that she's a grandmother. Grandmothers, the award-winning former Chronicle columnist notes, are often thought of as old women in print dresses sitting in rockers, alone, waiting for a loved one to call. That doesn't match Lara or many of today's grandparents, who are increasingly just as busy at work, traveling or carving out second careers for themselves as their sons and daughters who are raising young families.
2008-05-11
|
Victoria (Canada) Times Colonist
Middle-aged children don't know what's best for their parents
Surely it's our turn to kindly proffer advice to our grateful, white-haired parents, and to make wise decisions for their benefit. We love them, after all, and we want to do what's best. And what would that be, I wonder? Just who do we think we are? This power shift between adult child and aging parents is going to be the last, and possibly the biggest, of that complex relationship. An intense renegotiation looms, as our parents' health declines, their circle of friends dwindles, and siblings are drawn back into roles they abandoned decades ago.
2008-05-11
|
Colorado Springs (CO) KKTV
Protecting Your Life Savings
Statistics show one out of every four American households cares for someone over the age of 50. Many of those families just can't afford to get help. Buying any type of insurance is like rolling the dice. You never know if you'll need it, but your policy gives you peace of mind if you're involved in a car accident or if your house goes up in flames. The same is true with a long term care policy. If you suffer a chronic illness or have a memory problem and need help with daily activities... long-term care insurance pays for in-home care. It can also pay for you to stay in a nursing home or assisted living facility.
2008-05-09
|
Norfolk (VA) Pilot Online
The decisions of dementia
This fretful monitoring of elderly parents, living alone and coping with the early stages of dementia, is a problem for a growing number of Americans, particularly baby boomers. ... The challenge for relatives is keeping them safe and pinpointing the time for change.
2008-05-08
|
Norfolk (VA) Pilot Online
How to help safegaurd family members with dementia
Finances may be a barrier to moving a family member with dementia into an assited living facility. Here are some tips on how to help protect family members who remain in their homes:
2008-05-08
|
U.S. News & World Report
Electronic Pillbox Helps Seniors Stick to Drug Regimens
Older adults following a medication regimen are less likely to miss doses when reminded by an electronic pillbox that both beeps at the appointed drug-taking time and announces the number of pills to take and how to take them, new research reveals.
2008-05-07
|
Toronto (Canada) Globe and Mail
He's driving to work, she's driving golf balls
Research shows that couples who retire at different times can experience added tension in their relationship, writes Siri Agrell
2008-05-01
|
Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer
Older adults deserve to run their own lives
How would you define quality of life? Being around family and friends? Being able to do the things you enjoy? Having a sense of control over your life? We are many times so preoccupied with nursing home residents' physical functioning and health that we do not stop to think about their quality of life.
2008-05-01
|
New York Times (NY)
She Wants a Career and He Wants Golf. Now What?
WITH his longtime New York City estate and business law practice winding down, Robert Rubinger was ready to retire five years ago, at age 76. But his wife, Nancy, who was then 66, was not. ... Of course, even a traditional retirement, like any life-cycle transition, can cause strains in a marriage, so the timing mismatch just adds one more hitch. There may be arguments over washing the dishes, vacations and moving. Roles that have been set in stone for decades are upturned. “When you’re retired at different times, there are very different agendas,” said Maryanne Vandervelde, author of the book “Retirement for Two” and a founder of the Institute for Couples in Retirement in Seattle.
2008-04-21
|
U.S. News & World Report
Health Tip: Talking to a Person With Alzheimer's Disease
As Alzheimer's disease progresses, communicating becomes more of a challenge. The U.S. National Institute on Aging offers these suggestions for talking to someone with Alzheimer's ...
2008-04-18
|
MarketWatch From DowJones
Not your father's emergency response system
Older Americans and their family caregivers are at long last warming to the notion of using technology to achieve their respective goals. Older Americans want to age in place and their family caregivers -- be they long-distance or not -- want some peace of mind that their adult parents and loved ones are safe.
2008-04-17
|
Kingsport (TN) Times-News
Dramatic Toll of Stress on Those Who Care For Older Adults
New survey, Web data show dramatic toll of stress on those who care for older adults . New evidence and interviews of family caregivers reveal a disturbing trend of debilitating stress that can accompany this role, even though most still say that, in spite of the challenges, the job comes with many rewards.
2008-04-16
|
Chicago (IL) Tribune
Admitting it's time to move is tough for all
In survey after survey, older Americans say they want to stay in their own homes as long as possible. Forget seniors housing, they say. But many don't avoid time in a seniors building, and the timing of a move can make a difference in their experience. It's hard to know when it's the right time for a move. Many seniors move when a health crisis forces them into assisted living or a nursing home. As people live longer and remain healthier, it's easy to put off a big decision like a move.
2008-04-13
|
Boston (MA) Globe
Wii gets seniors back in the games
It's the sort of high-tech gaming setup that you'd expect their grandchildren to master. But at Sudbury's Fairbank Senior Center, and elsewhere throughout the state, elders ... are playing Nintendo's Wii gaming system in growing numbers. They are using the technology to rekindle their interest in baseball, bowling, tennis and other games in a low-impact, virtual world where they can exercise their aging muscles and not get hurt.
2008-04-13
|
Corvallis (OR) Gazette-Times
Exploring options for elder care
Experts say it is never too early to start looking at care options for aging parents. Last September, Corvallis resident Ann Flanagan moved her mother Merry from an apartment in St. Paul, Minn., to a retirement community in Corvallis. The big move came after Merry, 85, mentioned during a phone conversation that she “just wasn’t as fast as she used to be” and that she wanted to move closer to her adult children.
2008-04-12
|
CNN - Living
When grandma is your 'roomie'
Thinking of living with a grandparent or grandchild? It's important to have open communication from the get-go, says Marion Somers, a New York elder-care expert and author.
2008-04-11
|
Kiplinger
Hiring a Caregiver Can Be Taxing
When you hire a care provider for a spouse or parent, you can either go through an agency or strike out on your own. If you hire a caregiver yourself, you get to choose the person who you think will be the best fit for your family. One big downside: The paperwork can be overwhelming.
2008-04-09
|
Siftings (AR) Herald News
Open Forum: How to evaluate nursing homes
Look at your medical needs, what's available locally, your physical condition, accessibility of the housing, etc. Incidentally, we are going to have a lot more options here in the future.
2008-04-07
|
Siftings (AR) Herald News
Open Forum: What do you need to know about nursing homes?
We often hear it said - we may even say it ourselves -
2008-04-07
|
Chester County (PA) Daily Local
Boomer generation nurturing bonds between young and old
With Americans living longer than ever before, many children now have the opportunity to know their great-grandparents. It’s a relationship, however, that other family members can help along; the very young and the very old often are wary of each other. Great-grandparents may worry that youngsters will break something or disrupt their household. Children might be put off by an older person’s wheelchair, smell or frailness. Grandparents and parents can be a good go-between. With a bit of planning, it’s possible to make the encounters enjoyable for everyone.
2008-04-06
|
Quincy (IL) Herald-Whig
Retirement boom yields more choices for services, living arrangements
There are more options for caring for older adults than ever before, and it's no accident. When once the only option was placing an older adult in a nursing home when it was not wise for him or her to live alone any longer, today there are all sorts of facilities and care packages available.
2008-04-01
|
Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger
Invest in you: Cut the financial umbilical cord
The Money Across Generations study conducted for Ameriprise Financial by GfK Roper Public Affairs makes clear that a large percentage of boomer parents have a difficult time cutting the financial strings. ... Determine whether your own retirement plans are being put at risk by using too much of your savings or income to help pay bills for your kids. That could result in a financial shortfall for you later in life and possibly postpone retirement.
2008-03-30
|
Glasgow (KY) Daily Times
Grandparents are a blessing
There have been studies that found grandparents can fill a vital role in the lives of their grandchildren, probably a much stronger impact than previously understood. I know this to be true, both from my own grandparents and now watching my children with theirs.
2008-03-28
|
MSNBC - Business
Midlife crisis: Moving back in with parents
Taking shelter with parents isn’t uncommon for young people in their 20s, especially when the job market is poor. But now the slumping economy and the credit crunch are forcing some children to do so later in life — even in middle age. Financial planners report receiving many calls from parents seeking advice about taking in their grown children following divorces and layoffs.
2008-03-23
|
Washington (DC) Post
One-Third of Seniors Have Mental Decline
More than 5 million elderly people have a hard time remembering things, sorting through daily decisions and even sometimes knowing what day it is, according to the first national estimate of how commonly the minds of aging Americans are starting to fade.
2008-03-18
|
USA Today
18% of all boomers expected to develop Alzheimer's
About 14 million, or roughly 18%, of the USA's 79 million baby boomers can expect to develop Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia in their lifetime, a newly released report shows.
2008-03-18
|
Knoxville (TN) News Sentinel
Baby boomers caring for aging parents get variety of support from employers
An estimated one out of four U.S. households is involved in caring for a loved one aged 50 or older, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance.
2008-03-17
|
Associated Press
Dementia Diagnosis May Relieve Patients
Not only did the diagnosis not increase anxiety or depression among patients and their caregivers, but most were relieved to have symptoms explained and a way to find help.
2008-03-14
|
Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette
It's out with the old stereotypes at SNC
Aging class has college, elderly students sharing life stories.
2008-03-13
|
Red Wing (MN) Republican Eagle
Understanding age and dementia
We’re just beginning to scratch the surface on what “old-timer’s disease” really is, but it’s safe to say it has quickly become one of the most feared prospects of aging. Some of those fears are overblown.
2008-03-10
|
American Medical News - AMA
Older physicians trim hours in lieu of retiring
Experts say this trend among doctors 50 and older could ease the impact of physician shortages.
2008-03-10
|
Baltimore (MD) Sun
More prescriptions, greater confusion
Medications improve the lives of seniors, but errors in taking them can be lethal.
2008-03-09
|
EMS1.com
Old Age Ain’t for Sissies
It‘s time to amplify our efforts to address the increasing out-of-hospital healthcare needs of our elders.
2008-03-08
|
Reuters
Multidimensional retirement planning
Researchers say there are specific and measurable non-financial assets that folks should bring with them into retirement: Items like an exercise habit, connection to a religious community, and a good sense of self.
2008-03-06
|
Lexington (MA) Minuteman
Senior Cares: Boomers enter the golden age
If you’re 40 or over and your parents are 70 or over, it’s time to start the conversation about some of these difficult topics: driving, finances, living arrangements and even romance. We call this the 40-70 Rule.
2008-03-05
|
Wall Street Journal
Mediating Elder-Care Disputes
It's hard enough for families to navigate the complicated and emotionally charged decisions related to elder care when everyone gets along. Throw in a family with tensions or outright hostility and it's no wonder that disagreements sometimes end up in court, an expensive proposition that can easily magnify divisions. Another way to handle these problems is growing in popularity: mediation.
2008-03-02
|
U.S. News & World Report
7 Tips for Retiring With Your Spouse
Some advance planning can help couples ease into retirement. Here are some topics for discussion.
2008-02-28
|
Stress Free Living
Minding Our Elders and Living Through It
It's far easier to say than to do. But caregivers must practice self-care. ... Health problems, including depression, are rampant among caregivers, and thirty percent of our caregivers die before the people they are caring for. Thirty percent! Don't be a statistic. Practice self-care. Everyone will be better off, including your elders.
2006/04/06
|
