Elder Care ABC

Informal or family caregiving for an elderly loved one when they are ill or disabled is expected in virtually all cultures of the world and is generally accepted as the “norm” in most developing countries. In the US, family continues to provide most of the care and supportive services to older family members. The family contribution to [...]

Each year, one in three people over the age of sixty-five will experience a fall. This is an eye-opening statistic for many. The question is, are you doing anything to prevent falls? If not, you should. Here are four things you can do now to help reduce your chances of falling.

Sometimes I think guilt is the caregivers’ natural state.  Parent care is a huge responsibility. It can feel like you are not doing enough.  Sometimes guilt can get out of control. I knew as a caregiver that when I started feeling guilty over disagreements that I had with my mother when I was a teenager [...]

Eldercare is a deeply fulfilling gift in my life, nourishing me with heartfelt connections and enriching my perspective.  I cherish precious moments spent in the company of people nearing the end of their lives.  Even so, I have challenging days when I call on effective strategies to access extra reserves of patience.  If you can [...]

If you are caring for parents, you may be worried about their memory and whether there is anything you can do as part of your eldercare routine to help them maintain or even improve their memory functioning. According the American Psychological Association, there are several things people can do to boost their brain power:

The act of compassion begins with full attention, just as rapport does. You have to really see the person. If you see the person, then naturally, empathy arises. If you tune into the other person, you feel with them. If empathy arises, and if that person is in dire need, then empathic concern can come. [...]

Her caregiving experience reached a new low, when a phone call woke her out of a sound sleep.  “We’re having a problem with your dad, can you come right away?”  My friend rushed to her dad’s assisted living community in the middle of night.  Her father, with Parkinson’s related dementia, was threatening the staff with [...]

Last year my 88 year old  Dad fell  and broke his leg.   His recovery included an inflatable cast and the requirement that he put no weight on  it for six weeks. As the ER physician was telling us Dad should be able to hop up the steps once home, my mind began to ponder [...]