Allergic Reactions in Older Adults: Identifying and Managing Symptoms
Ahh, summertime! Now that the long, cold winter and wet springtime are over, we can at last spend time out in nature. For older adults, getting out into the fresh air, sunshine, and beauty of nature is extremely important for both mental and physical health. Regrettably, however, outdoor activities can trigger seasonal allergic reactions in […]
Advocacy Ideas to Help You Support a Senior in the Hospital
Whether an older loved one is in the hospital for a planned procedure or an unplanned medical crisis, you might be left feeling vulnerable and helpless. You are trusting the trained medical experts to satisfy all of your loved one’s needs during their stay in the hospital and to know precisely what to do to […]
What to Do When a Senior’s Appetite Decreases
You have just made a large batch of Mom’s special chili recipe. The house smells delicious, and you can’t wait to enjoy a helping. However, while you’re savoring not just the taste but the memories the meal invokes, Mom is simply stirring the food around in her own bowl. And it’s not the first time. […]
Use Adaptive Activities for a Person With Alzheimer’s to Help Preserve Independence
If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, you may be inclined to do whatever you can for the person to help relieve the stress of even the most basic everyday tasks. Independent living and dementia may even seem like polar opposites. However, we all have a natural need to safeguard self-reliance and the […]
How to Handle Negative Feedback as a Caregiver
“You never…” “I can’t believe you…” “Don’t do it that way!” As a family caregiver, you work selflessly to provide care for a person you love. What happens when you’re giving it your all, but your all isn’t good enough? Negative feedback is never easy to hear, but it is particularly hard in your role […]
Strategies for Handling Shadowing in a Loved One With Alzheimer’s
Primary caregivers for people with Alzheimer’s disease are frequently all too familiar with the difficulty experienced in trying to take a quiet minute or two alone – to use the bathroom, get a quick shower, or even just walk into another room. Those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s can experience enhanced fear when a loved one is […]
Top Things to Ask the Pharmacist About a New Drug for a Senior Loved One
You’ve just left the physician’s office with Mom. The doctor is forwarding a new prescription to the pharmacy that should be ready to be picked up by the time you get there. You plan to zip through the drive-through window, collect the meds, and take Mom to lunch. But you’re missing an important step. Whenever […]
Understanding 8 Possible Alzheimer’s Behaviors
You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you have started to notice some changes in Mom’s behaviors recently. She’s a bit more forgetful than before. She keeps losing her car keys. Often, she repeats herself. Could it be Alzheimer’s disease? Currently, more than 6.5 million people age 65 and older are struggling with […]
Is It Anhedonia? What to Do When an Older Loved One Is Struggling.
Following the busyness of the holidays, it is not unusual for the winter gloom to emerge. Yet what may appear at first glance to be a bit of boredom could in fact be something much more serious that needs to be addressed, and you will want to ask yourself: Is it anhedonia? Anhedonia is a […]
Top Ideas to Help Senior Loved Ones Live Life to the Fullest
As we get ready to roll the calendar forward to 2023, it is the perfect time to think about what we have learned over the previous year and what changes we would like to make in the coming year. It is more than just making a resolution that’s likely to be given up on within […]