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Featured Articles
You'll always find all our featured articles here. We generally post new articles several times each week. We feature them here so you can find all the new articles in one place. Click on any headline below to find the full article. And be sure to click the 'view more articles' link at the bottom of the page to read other articles you may have missed.
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The Elderly Alcoholic
You can't legally force anyone with a drinking problem to accept treatment for alcohol abuse unless there has been a medical emergency that limits access to alcohol, or unless a court has ordered mandatory treatment. But there are several things you can do that will often result in an elderly alcoholic eventually accepting help and treatment . . . keep reading
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Diabetes and Dehydration
Especially in the warmer months when heat increases the need for fluid, it is very easy for a diabetic to become dehydrated and experience a rise in the amount of sugar in the blood. Older diabetics can be even more susceptible to dangerous dehydration than younger people with diabetes . . . keep reading
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The Trauma of Moving to Dementia Care
My mom is in total denial of her dementia/alzheimers. She now needs to go into assisted living. How on earth do I minimize the trauma of going? We have visited the location, actually gotten on their bus and gone with the group to a brunch outing. While in the facility (assisted living) she looked at me, said "Do these people live here?" I said "Yes" then she replied "Im not going to" . . . keep reading
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Medicare Covers Diabetic Supplies - But It's Not Automatic
Several years back when Charlie Adams was first diagnosed with Diabetes, he learned to use special equipment and suplies to regularly test his blood sugar. As the cost of living has increased, and Charlie's pension has stayed more or less the same, the supplies necessary for living well with diabetes are beginning to cost him more per month than he can now afford. Recently Charlie cut back to testing his blood just twice a day instead of the four times his doctor wants him to check . . . keep reading
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Hearing Aid Basics
More than 21 million Americans suffer from some degree of hearing impairment. If your elder is one of them you know the frustration, anxiety and even dangerous errors that can stem from not hearing well. Hearing aids often make a big, positive difference in the lives of people who don't hear well. While they won't resolve all hearing problems, and they aren't appropriate for everyone, they do improve the quality of life for millions of users . . . keep reading
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When is Medicare Not Medicare?
My father has (Big Name Insurance Company) Medicare. I was just informed by the therapist where he is receiving physical therapy after an accident that Big Name Insurance Company Medicare will not cover his stay past the end of this week, even though he is not ready to come home. The therapist said if he had regular Medicare he would still be covered . . . keep reading
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Getting Out of the Car With Less Pain and Effort
Helping someone with limited body strength out of the car can be daunting. It requires a good bit of lower body strength to stand up from a low-slung car seat without additional support. You can try to help by tugging on an arm - with the potential of falls, bruises and skin tears for your elder, or injury to your own back to show for your efforts. The stress and strain of getting someone out of the car can reduce outings for pleasure, which is a shame . . . keep reading
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Find a Nursing Home in a Hurry
More than half of nursing home admissions come directly from hospitals. Most hospital social workers and discharge planners do not really know much about the nursing homes where they discharge their patients. For that reason, they will rarely "recommend" a nursing home for either rehabilitation or long-term care unless it's a rehabilitation area within their own hospital. More commonly, they will hand you a list of facilities and suggest that you make a choice, preferably by the next day . . . keep reading
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Will Nursing Homes Take Someone Younger Than 65?
My husband's sister suffered a stroke when she was 32. Their parents have taken care of her at home, but now she is 48, they are in their 70s, and we can tell it is wearing them down. My husband says nursing homes only take older people and we will have to take her into our home and care for her until she is 65. Is this true? I work full time and have two children . . . keep reading
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What Your Area Agency on Aging Can Do For You
With the exception of places like your ElderCare Team site and a few others like it, there is no real single information resource for what we call the "eldercare maze." The various Area Agencies on Aging are the closest thing we have to a publically supported "gateway," yet far too few people know just what they can offer to caregivers. . . . keep reading
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Fraud Alert: Reverse Mortgages
Like everything else involving potentially large sums of money, seniors eligible for reverse mortgages have become targets for scam artists. While most professionals working with reverse mortgages are scrupulously honest and ethical, all seniors who are contemplating using a reverse mortgage to increase their cash flow need to be aware of the most popular scams in order to avoid being duped . . . keep reading
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Lewy Body Dementia: Dementia With Lewy Bodies
Although Alzheimer's Disease is the most commonly known cause of dementia in the elderly, accounting for about 50% of all dementias, Dementia With Lewy Bodies accounts for somewhere between 20 and 35% of dementias worldwide. Treatment options are sometimes wildly different, and what works for one can cause serious problems in the other, so it's very important to know what's causing dementia symptoms . . . keep reading
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We Need To Talk: Having A Family Meeting
Should we have a family meeting? If you're asking the question, the answer is probably, "Yes." If you have concerns about an older family member, and you have siblings or other close relatives, a family meeting can be the best way to share those concerns and begin putting together a plan . . . keep reading
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Telephones For the Very Elderly
As seniors age the telephone becomes their lifeline to the outside world. But as eyesight and dexterity decline, and arthritis and forgetfulness increase, many of the telephones we choose for our seniors become difficult for them to use . . . keep reading
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Senior Center or Adult Day Care - Which is Right For Your Senior?
At least three times a week Dawn attends her local senior center to participate in an art class and to play bridge. The senior center is a regular part of Dawn's social activities. Eleanor, on the other hand, was asked to stop attending the senior center because it could not meet her needs. How do you know when to choose a senior center, and when would an adult day program be a better choice for a senior? . . . keep reading
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Alzheimers Disease
