The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can be tiring and overstimulating for many older adults. And with everyone shopping, running errands, and attending holiday celebrations, seniors can sometimes feel forgotten in the fun. With a little pre-planning, however, the right adjustments to beloved traditions can be made (or new traditions started) so that the whole family can celebrate the season together.
Creating a Family Memory Book with Aging Loved Ones
Reuniting with loved ones during the holidays can be a wonderful time of connecting and enjoying time together! It can also be quite eye-opening. Some families notice a growing gap between generations, with the kids huddled together around their phones and iPads while Grandpa sits quietly on the couch just watching. If you’re looking to get the whole family together and enjoy each other’s company, and make some memories, one…
Recognizing the Signs of Burnout when Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s
Envision how it would feel to awaken in an unfamiliar place, not being able to remember how you arrived there or even what your name is. Utter disorientation quickly turns into anger and fear, and you might now discover yourself yelling at the stranger positioned by your bed, talking to you in a quiet voice.
Finding Work-Life Balance for Family Caregivers
Regardless of whether or not you love your job, the workplace can, at times, be stressful. Now consider how stressful it can be for those who have a second full-time job taking care of an older or disabled family member. For many family caregivers, balancing caregiving and a career can be virtually impossible, along with taking care of a home and family, and caring for an older loved one, which…
Family Caregiver Tips: Practicing Self Care
We plan for our careers. We plan to purchase a home. We plan for a family. However, life often has other plans and throws unanticipated curveballs. Taking care of an aging parent is often not a role most people plan for, and many are unaware of the financial burden, the amount of time required to provide that care, and the emotional toll it can take. Luckily, there are a few…
Overcome Hurdles in Helping Seniors Adapt To New Technology
These days, seniors are flooded with a lot of high tech products directed at bettering their self-reliance and safety and contributing to life enhancement. With the touch of a button or two, they can instantly pay a visit “in person” with friends and relatives through Skype, wear a necklace that takes action with emergency services when needed, and even remain safe from getting lost with specialized sensors attached to clothing…
Holiday Safety for Seniors – Avoiding Emergency Room Visits
Although of course we’d love to visualize enjoying a Norman Rockwell-worthy holiday gathering, with all of our family members spending quality time together and Mom’s traditional holiday feast, the reality for numerous family gatherings instead can consist of something unanticipated: an E/R visit. In fact, research shows that E/R visits for seniors rise about 10 – 20% over the holiday season. That’s why it’s so important to take holiday safety…
Enriching Activities for Seniors that Promote Purpose and Self-Worth
Perform an online search for the term “activities for seniors” and you’ll likely find a number of games, crafts, memory-stimulating puzzles, and of course, the requisite bingo. What you won’t find, unless you really search much longer, are the purposeful, philanthropic activities that bring meaning and enrichment to our lives. And yet, if you ask aging adults what they would most want to do, the majority of them will not…
Increasing Senior Self-Confidence Through Meaningful Activities
“Here, let me help you with that.” “Take it easy and don’t overdo it!” “You just sit down and rest; I’ll take care of that.” How many times have we made statements just like these to senior loved ones, with the very best of intentions, of course? We want to do whatever possible in an effort to help our older loved ones, to keep them safe and to take care…
Long Distance Caregiving: How to Prepare to Help Aging Parents From Far Away
Living far away from senior loved ones can make the need for help at home easier to overlook. As a matter of fact, many adult children of older parents never even realize that Mom and Dad need assistance until they come home for a visit or spend a longer period of time together during the course of the holiday season. If you are a family caregiver who lives far apart…