Helping a Loved One Maintain Good Credit While it’s important for all of us, at any age, to keep our finances in good condition, issues of credit card debt are growing among older adults. If we are caring for a loved one struggling with debt and maintaining good credit, it is important for us to understand credit scoring and how to help a loved one improve their credit so they can better manage debt. Read more
I’m the Man (and the Caregiver) All of us caring for aging loved ones face unique challenges. Societal expectations about who handles these responsibilities – and how they should be handled – make some of these challenges ever more difficult for male caregivers. After all, when we think and talk about family caregivers, most of us immediately envision a woman, usually a wife or a daughter, and it is with this image in mind that most caregiver support programs have been created. And yet, according to a recent AARP study, 44 percent of family caregivers for older adults—or six million caregivers—are actually men, and 28 percent of these men are millennials Read more
Delirium with UTIs in Older Adults Have you noticed a change in the behavior of an older adult you care for? Perhaps this change has taken place over the span of several days, and includes symptoms such as confusion, restlessness, hallucinations or social withdrawal? Before we jump to the conclusion that a loved one has the beginnings of dementia, we should have a physical exam performed by a physician. They instead might be suffering from delirium brought on by a urinary tract infection (UTI). Read more
Benefits of Exercise for Older Adults We’ve all heard it a hundred times: exercise is important! When we hear this, many of us automatically think of the role of exercise in weight management, but do we think about the other benefits of exercising? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlight many of these benefits such as reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression; improving our moods; reducing our blood pressure and the risk of falls; and maintaining healthy bones, muscles and joints. Read more
Planning for the Future after a Dementia Diagnosis: Why Working Together Is Important If we are caring for a loved one who has recently been diagnosed with dementia or a related disorder such as Alzheimer’s Disease, it can feel devastating. Often, families avoid having discussions with their loved one about what the diagnosis could mean for their future out of fear. As the disease progresses over time, we may find ourselves as a caregiver in the position of making important care or health-related decisions for a loved one in a time of crisis, even if we have never previously discussed with our loved one what kind of care they would prefer. As a result, we may feel guilty about having to make decisions on our loved one’s behalf, without prior knowledge of their care values and preferences. Read more
Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Older Adults It may strike some as surprising, but the rates of sexually transmitted disease (STD) in older adults are rising. Older people who are sexually active may be at risk for diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydial infection, genital herpes, hepatitis B, genital warts and trichomoniasis. Read more
Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease and What Comes After As your loved one ages, you may grow concerned about the possibility of them developing Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. However, you may not know how to recognize the signs and symptoms of the disease, how best to discuss your concerns with your loved one, or how to care for them if a diagnosis is made. If you are looking to take some initial steps to assess your loved one’s condition, consider these common questions regarding Alzheimer’s disease to help you better understand the disease and its symptoms and what steps you can take to prepare yourself and your loved one for a diagnosis. Read more
Protecting A Loved One From Self-Neglect It can be challenging to ensure the needs of an older family member, or a loved one living with a disability are met. It can be especially difficult if they are living alone or cannot care for themselves because of physical or cognitive declines, such as dementia. In some cases, a loved one’s health condition or social isolation can put them at risk to self-neglect. Read more
The Impact of Caregiving on Family Members and Friends Family members and friends provide an average of 80% of the help needed by older adults who are unable to independently complete all their daily activities due to an illness or disability. While assistance from professionals or paid helpers may also be beneficial, most of the time, family members and friends are the main source of support, with one or more assisting and serving in the role of caregiver. Read more
Caring From a Distance Do you have to travel over 60 minutes to reach your loved one? Does this distance sometimes interfere with your caregiving responsibilities or prevent you from giving the care your loved one needs? If so, you may be considered a long-distance caregiver. Providing care from afar can complicate the caregiving experience, but there are tools, resources and new technological advancements that can help us all approach the distance in a more effective way. Read more
