Your parent prizes his or her independence and insists on living at home, alone. However, you see signs of vulnerability and a precarious situation with the potential for falls and injury , poor nutrition and your parent becoming neglected or housebound . You want to help, but you live at a distance and don't know [...]
In working with seniors, one common error is the rush to assume that because someone has reached a certain age, any negative changes in thinking or behavior must be due to the onset of dementia. Promoted by age related stereotypes, many suspect dementia as the probable cause of symptoms that for non-seniors would be quickly [...]
Caregivers are often the first line of defense in protecting the elderly and infirm – especially when it comes to making sure medications are obtained and taken properly. Senior citizens are the fast-growing sector of the population, and age often leads to the need for many medications to treat many conditions and chronic diseases. Each [...]
Are you wondering how you are going to care for your pet as you age in place? Are you wondering if you should adopt a pet as you age in place? This guide will help you decide on the best choice for you. Studies have shown that owning a pet can be physically and mentally [...]
While exercise is often touted as a fountain of youth, it often gets harder to do as you get older. Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) physicians, also called physiatrists, are doctors who restore and maintain function lost due to injury, illness and age-related conditions such as osteoporosis, arthritis, joint replacements or stroke. They often prescribe [...]
What is it like to be a caregiver? Your clients and their loved ones probably never expected to be caring for a person who is sick or has a disability. As professional caregivers, we need to ensure a meaningful quality of life for our clients, the care recipient, and ourselves. Just as the care recipient [...]
Winter is a special time for celebration. It should also be a time for added caution if you or someone in your family is an older adult. It is the season for falls, slips on icy streets and other dangers that can be especially harmful for older adults. "Something as simple as a fall can [...]
Every year, the media bombards us with advertisements showing the “happy family” gathering for the holidays. People from different generations are together, having a wonderful time, sharing traditions of old and creating new ones as well. It is not that way, though, for a great number of individuals. For those who don’t have families of [...]
In addition to common, year-round domestic hazards, each season presents its own set of potential issues for the health of seniors. As colder temperatures set in, many new threats to seniors’ health and safety emerge. To help ensure seniors’ safety through the winter, it’s important to consider potential threats both inside and outside the home [...]
In many areas of the country, cold weather is an old-forgotten nemesis that reappears this time of year. When caring for those with disabilities and seniors, caregivers must take some simple precautions to ensure a loved one’s safety this winter season. Temperature control The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 600 Americans [...]
