Forbes contributor Howard Gleckman recently published an article that covered the challenges facing assisted living facilities (ALFs) around the country in the next few years. ALFs will have to respond to the demands of their customers, who largely have a negative view of care institutions. Many seniors tend to compare ALFs with the dreaded “home”, […]
A new survey is showing what many family caregivers have already known for a while now: most people are not ready to care for their parents or loved ones when the time comes. Baby boomers in particular are often in denial about what is on the horizon. Check out this CBS special news report describing […]
I found it quite enlightening when I used my mom’s walker and traveled around her apartment. It gave me a better perspective on how she needs to maneuver and where the fall risks are. Power cords are like trip wires from Vietnam! Get them out of the way immediately. Make sure that the chairs are […]
Getting ready for eldercare is like going on an extended trip. You pack your suitcase with the necessary items, such as toiletries, clothes, jackets and the like. You may also pack a bathing suit just in case you might want to take a swim. You might pack your tennis outfit just in case you get […]
My mother and my mother-in-law live in the same assisted living community. Taking one out without the other needs an element of confidentiality so the one left behind is not jealous and does not accuse you of paying too much attention to the other one…sometimes you can’t win… We do have group visits as well […]
As a senior’s health begins to fail, there comes a time when a conflict arises between the parent’s interests and the children’s interests when it comes to safety and autonomy. There were polls done among parents and their children and the overwhelming results are that the parent wants to keep their autonomy and the kids […]
What exactly is ElderCare? My definition of eldercare is not necessarily helping your folks with bathing, grooming, toileting, and the like (which many families do), but rather all the other stuff like making doctor appointments and taking them to the doctors; handling all their financial business of deposits, bill paying, tax return preparation; handling phone […]
My mom and mother-in-law, both living in assisted living, routinely state that they don’t know why “they are still here.” There are myriad studies about depression in the senior community and then I saw a news blurb and the light bulb came on for me. The usual functions at assisted and independent living communities are […]
Large independent living and assisted living communities are their own little society. The women outnumber the men by a huge number (due to mortality). My wife and I are a few years apart in age. We worked it out so we will both live to about the same time! One dynamic of these communities is […]
After 30 years as a practicing elder law attorney, having to face caring for my own parents was a real eye opener. I decided to begin this blog to share practical assistance with family caregivers so that they don’t have to reinvent the wheel when caring for their own family members and friends. Eldercare tends […]