In-Home Care for Seniors Helps Reduce Risk Of Dangerous Conditions

by Karon July 13, 2010

It’s summertime, and the living is easy. That is, except in warm climates where dehydration is a real concern. As we age, declining kidney function and our inability to recognize thirst both contribute to increased risk of dehydration. Not only that, but those who have a difficult time getting around are a lot less likely [...]

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Senior Helpers Make Aftercare Easier for Everyone

by Karon July 5, 2010

Here’s a scary statistic. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year, one in five Medicare patients will return to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. It’s not surprising when you think about it. Patients leave the hospital with confusing aftercare instructions regarding additional medications, and the possibility [...]

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Far-Flung Relatives Find Peace of Mind with an In-Home Caregiver

by Karon June 28, 2010

When the distance between you and an elderly parent is measured in plane tickets instead of miles, the stress can be hard to handle. Mom’s not ready to give up her independence, but you’re not able to shake the guilt and anxiety of being so far away. Every unanswered phone call, every storm report, and [...]

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Other Voices: Hallucinations in Hospital Pose Risk to Elderly

by Tim June 21, 2010

As we have written about before here, it is wise to make sure that when anyone is admitted to the hospital, they have someone else stay with them to be their advocate and witness.  See our article “Should My Parent Have a Caregiver Stay With Them At The Hospital?”
A recent New York Times article reminds [...]

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Other Voices: “What Broke My Father’s Heart” from the New York Times

by Tim June 20, 2010

Sometimes our culture’s technical ability to prolong life may exceed our individual ability to make hard choices under difficult circumstances.
Although our culture traditionally treats this as an awkward or uncomfortable topic, the best time to make wise choices about what we want our last days to look like is before circumstances call for those choices [...]

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Cool Tool for Seniors: FotoDialer Makes Using the Telephone Easier

by Karon June 16, 2010

Meet FotoDialer, the cool tool that makes in-home care for seniors easier. If you’ve ever seen your older loved ones struggling to read tiny type in an address book or punch little buttons on a phone in just the right order, you’ll appreciate FotoDialer’s simplicity and ease of use. It allows the elderly or [...]

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Are Home Care “Minimum Standards” Good Enough for My Parents?

by Tim May 5, 2010

Summary
In California, there are two main types of “certifications” for non-medical home care companies: CAHSAH and ABHC.  Both certifications serve as guides for families when choosing an in-home elderly care company for their older loved ones.  Both certifications use their own set of “minimum standards” for certification.
Those minimum standards are necessary but not sufficient when [...]

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How Can I Plan Ahead for Mom and Dad’s Elderly Care?

by Tim April 7, 2010

Marlo Sollitto over at AgingCare.com has a great new article out on the very important topic of Planning Ahead for Mom and Dad’s Elderly Care.
…Advance care planning is the process of discussing, determining and executing treatment directives – such as a Living Will, and appointing a health care proxy decision maker for care in the [...]

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What Should I Watch Out For When Paying A Deceased Person’s Bills?

by Tim April 6, 2010

Molly Shomer over at The Eldercare Team has a great post today about protecting Seniors and the estates of Seniors called Paying A Deceased Person’s Bills
The point of the article is that some people prey on the relatives of a deceased person whose name they have found in the obituary column. The deceased person’s [...]

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How Can I Help My Parents Plan for a Crisis?

by Tim April 4, 2010

(ARA) – An earthquake strikes a community and looting and violence follow. A tax protestor crashes a plane into a downtown building. Headlines alert you to arrests of terrorism suspects in communities you thought of as stable and safe.
Reports of terrorism, natural disasters and other crises may seem overwhelming, but it’s important to know you [...]

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How Can I Prepare My Elderly Parents For Earthquakes?

by Tim April 4, 2010

It happened today!  We had a 7.2 magnitude earthquake less than 200 miles away, in Northern Baja, just across the border in Mexico.  We felt it here, and HOW!  The earth rolled and rolled for what seemed like a long time, but was actually about 30 seconds.  Fortunately no one in our service area was [...]

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Keep an eye on ’silent killers’ in the golden years

by Tim April 4, 2010

(ARA) – Getting older is not easy, especially when it comes to making sure your body is healthy. Doctors probably have you watching your weight, your cholesterol and other health vitals in every effort to make sure you have a happy and full life.
But there are conditions that many times do not get mentioned [...]

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There’s no time like the present to treat hearing loss

by Tim April 4, 2010

(ARA) – Hearing loss can be life-altering. People who have difficulty hearing can feel isolated and lose self-confidence, which can put a strain on relationships with family and friends. But even when people who are losing their hearing are aware of the problem, it can be difficult to bring up the idea of getting a [...]

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How Can I Protect My Parent Against Census-Related Fraud Schemes?

by Tim March 7, 2010

Dale Carter over at www.transitionagingparents.com has posted an excellent article about protecting Seniors from scams based on the upcoming U.S. Census.  She says:
“The best way to protect your aging parents against Census-related scams is to educate them about the census.  Also, encourage them to complete and return the 10 question form as soon as they [...]

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Should My Parent Have a Caregiver Stay With Them At The Hospital?

by Tim March 4, 2010

The answer is: Yes!
Whenever a patient, whether or not the patient is a Senior, is admitted overnight to stay in a hospital, we recommend that someone else stay with them at all times to advocate for them, to be an observer/witness for what takes place, and to be there for them when they need help. [...]

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