Resources

Articles
Medicare’s GUIDE Program Improves Dementia Care for Families
For families caring for someone with dementia, a groundbreaking program from Medicare has been introduced that could dramatically improve the medical and support services you receive – at no cost to you. Called Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE), this program recognizes the needs of families dealing with dementia and provides Medicare-covered medical and support services to provide individualized assistance.

Articles
Assessing Travel Readiness for Older Loved Ones During the Holidays
The holiday season is a time for family gatherings, shared meals and cherished traditions. When you’re caring for an older loved one, it also includes navigating the logistics of travel. While traveling can offer a wonderful opportunity for connection, it’s important to ensure that your loved one is healthy and prepared for the journey. Before booking tickets or packing bags, consider these steps to assess whether your loved one is ready to travel and how to ensure they have a safe and comfortable trip.

Articles
Hygiene Tips for Caregivers: Promoting Dignity and Comfort
Caring for an older adult who struggles with personal hygiene can be challenging, both physically and emotionally. Some older adults may have physical limitations that make it hard to keep up with hygiene, while others may not recognize their needs or feel resistant to assistance. In either case, the situation can easily turn difficult for caregivers if not dealt with, and the longer a loved one goes without problem care being taken, the greater likelihood that a complication will arise from an unsanitary environment.

Articles
Taking Over a Loved One’s Finances: A Step-by-Step Guide for Caregivers
Often caregivers find themselves in the position of needing to take over a loved one’s finances, especially following a dementia diagnosis. This can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re coming into the situation without a lot of prior knowledge of your loved one’s assets or the scope of their monthly bills. But, with the right approach and information, your help managing finances can work to secure your loved one’s comfort and stability as they age.

Articles
Suicide Awareness and Prevention in Older Adults
Suicide among older adults is an often overlooked, public health concern. While conversations about mental health have become a lot more common and less stigmatized than in the past, the focus is frequently on younger generations, leaving older adults by themselves in the previous mindset of mental struggles being better left unspoken. Understanding the unique challenges faced by older adults is crucial in addressing this silent crisis and ensuring that those at risk receive the support and care they need.

Articles
Balancing Your Caregiving: Prioritizing Self-Care While Supporting Your Loved One
Caregiving is an inherently demanding role because it involves caring for two individuals: not only the person you provide care for, but also yourself. This dual responsibility makes the role uniquely challenging, requiring you to balance the needs of your loved one with your own well-being. When you introduce family dynamics into this equation, the…

Articles
Supporting LGBTQ+ Older Adults: Tips for Caregivers
As our population ages and society continually evolves, awareness of the diverse needs of different communities of older adults has increased. LGBTQ+ rights have undergone some major changes over the past few decades, and while there have been great triumphs, there have been many challenges as well, including some that are particular to older individuals. Caregivers must be aware of these specific challenges and provide holistic, inclusive support to ensure the well-being of their LGBTQ+ older loved ones. Here are key considerations and strategies for caregivers dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ older adults.

Articles
Understanding the Impact of the Older Americans Act
May marks a significant celebration for the nation’s older adults—Older Americans Month. This yearly observance, established in 1963, is more than just a month-long recognition; it’s a celebration of the invaluable contributions and wisdom of older Americans, as well as a commitment to improving their quality of life through important services.

Articles
Finding the Dementia Support Programs You Need
Caring for someone living with dementia is challenging on so many levels. For most of us, there are aspects to providing care that require skills, training and education we feel we just don’t have. There are aspects to disease education and managing behaviors that are difficult to know. And there is also the stress and strain of providing care — which for many of us is something we do on top of working and having a family of our own.