Simplifying Personal Care Routines for People with Memory Loss As memory loss progresses, it can become increasingly difficult for older adults to manage many personal care activities. It takes longer for them to get dressed, groom themselves, take a bath and use the toilet. Busy caregivers sometimes decide that it's easier and faster to take over personal care tasks themselves. As a result, their loved one may gradually lose some of their independence and ability to manage their own care. The easiest way to help your loved one retain independence in their personal care is to keep things simple and find ways for them stay involved in the process while still offering your help. Read more
Keeping Bones Fit and Healthy as You Age Most people have been told at least once in their life to drink milk so they will have strong bones when they grow up. As all of us continue that process of growing up into older adulthood, maintaining strong and healthy bones can be of even greater importance in order to prevent serious fractures, brittleness and significant loss of bone mass. Read more
My Mother’s Caregiver: Long-Term Care Insurance Writer and photographer Mark A. Lee joins us yet again for a guest blog about his struggles advocating for both his mother and himself as a caregiver to long-term care insurance companies. Read more
There’s No Place Like Home: Creating Safe Environments for People With Late Stage Alzheimer’s For someone with Alzheimer’s or another memory disorder, home may not always be the safest or most convenient place to live. As caregivers, we can help a loved one make modifications so they can continue to live safely in familiar surroundings. Read more
Why Transportation is so Important to Older Adults Transportation is more than a vehicle. It is about mobility, independence and autonomy. Transportation is a necessity that contributes to our quality of life. It gives us access to more than just medical help and other appointments. With it, we can connect to healthy foods, safer neighborhoods and social activities. Having reliable transportation can enrich our relationships and social life, contributing not only to our sense of well-being, but also keeping us cognitively connected. Read more
Pet Ownership and Aging This infographic explores the benefits, challenges, opportunities and concerns of client pet ownership encountered by professionals. Read more
Caregiving for an Aging Pet Owner This infographic explores the challenges, benefits, opportunities, and concerns of caregivers caring for pet owners. Read more
Spring Increases Risk of Dementia-Related Wandering For caregivers of someone with memory and thinking problems, the change of seasons from winter to spring can raise unique concerns. The same freedom that warmer weather provides can also increase the risk of wandering for those with dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 60 percent of persons with dementia will wander at least once; many will wander repeatedly. As risky and dangerous as wandering is, caregivers can take steps to reduce the risk. Read more
Understanding and Diagnosing an Older Loved One’s Dementia- or IDD-Related Depression Dementia, intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and depression can, unfortunately, be closely linked. An estimated 30 to 40 percent of individuals diagnosed with dementia may also suffer from depression. This number includes older adults in the IDD population who also have dementia—and who are already fifty percent more likely to struggle with mental health conditions, according to the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. Read more
Caring for Yourself as a Caregiver with Mini-Breaks Being a caregiver of an older adult with a chronic illness can be especially challenging. Trying to meet both their healthcare and safety needs can often take up most of a caregivers’ time. Letting your loved ones’ care needs overshadow your own, however, can lead to resentment and impatience and can impact your own health. How can caregivers step away from their caregiving role and still ensure supervision and safety? Enter the mini-break, a small bitesize rest period that provides time to step out of the caregiving role without leaving the one you care for to do so. Read more
