When you’re working together to make sure the needs of your older parents are satisfied, even the closest siblings could find themselves in contradiction. Stress and emotions are, obviously, running high. Add to that your past family dynamics and history, which have a tendency to resurface in the midst of challenging times, and it’s easy to see how problematic this phase in life can be for each of you.
Insights and Tips for Enhancing Care at Home
Mom’s Coming Home from the Hospital: Can We Handle Her Home Care Alone?
Your 90-year-old mother, who has been living independently, recently experienced a fall that resulted in a cracked pelvis. After spending time in the hospital, she is finally coming home from the hospital today. As you quickly go over her release paperwork, you begin to feel a wave of anxiety wash over you. The list of responsibilities is long and daunting: picking up prescriptions, arranging transportation for physical therapy sessions, scheduling…
How to Overcome the Stigma Surrounding Mental Health in Aging Parents
Mental health awareness is crucial at every stage of life, but it takes on added significance as our parents grow older. For many older adults, discussing mental health can be particularly challenging due to deep-seated stigmas and the values they were raised with. It’s important to understand why older loved ones are often reluctant to talk about mental health, and recognizing the signs that they might be struggling can help…
Older Adults and Substance Abuse: Could Your Parent Be at Risk?
How to Help an Older Loved One Living With Chronic Pain
Think about how it would be like to wake up each day, greeted by the relentless reminder of unyielding pain. From the moment you get out of bed to every step you take throughout the day, you experience discomfort. Even falling asleep is a challenge as the pain lingers. This is the stark reality for millions of people who are living with chronic pain. In the U.S. alone, as many…
Tips on How to Support Family Caregivers
Family caregivers know all too well how it is to feel invisible. Caring for someone you love takes center stage, and you may discover that your own needs are put on the back burner. A recent listening session, however, allowed family caregivers to speak honestly and openly about how to support family caregivers—and their feedback may surprise you. Here are some of the key findings and insights gleaned from these…
10 Time Management Tips for Family Caregivers
The Appropriate Steps for Transferring a Senior
The statistics are indeed alarming: more than half of all caregivers report injuries resulting from lifting or transferring older individuals. So many family members eventually assume the role of a caregiver, so it’s important to know the best safety measures for transferring a senior to ensure both your well-being and that of the person you care for.
Safe and Effective Tips for Lifting a Senior
Taking care of an older family member often means that you’ll be helping them move around the house, getting in and out of chairs and the bed, or even going to and from the bathroom. Handling these tasks incorrectly can pose a significant risk of injury to both you and the person you love, making it vitally important to know proper techniques for lifting a senior.
Noticing Signs of Senior Hearing Problems? These Tips Can Help!
“Can you repeat that for me?” “I’m sorry. One more time, dear?” “Excuse me – what did you say?” If you hear these phrases a lot while talking to an older adult with hearing problems, you’re not alone. The National Institute on Aging reports a strong link between aging and hearing loss, with as many as half of all individuals age 75 and older encountering senior hearing problems. Senior hearing…