Elder Care

How many atrocities against our elder citizens will ensue prior to a significant reform of the nursing home industry? Bed sores, dehydration, malnutrition, physical abuse as well as many other physical, emotional and physiological atrocities are, unfortunately, an everyday occurrence for many nursing home residents. Are public officials "on the payroll" of the nursing home industry's upper echelon? Drunk drivers, burglars and murderers are prosecuted daily. I am dumb founded by how many involuntary murders (or voluntary, since many deaths are preventable) occur without prosecution. Fines, license suspension and other menial punishments do not impose fear into the unscrupulous individuals who neglect and ultimately assassinate our loved ones by their indifference.

As stated in a previous article, I have had first hand knowledge of the reprehensible carnage committed against ...

Parkinson’s, Lou Gehrig’s, arthritis and other mobility limiting conditions trouble your loved ones. Being in one of these situations trouble them. It makes them feel useless and dependent on other people. They also sense that they have lost their vigor and free will. As a result they pity themselves.

In today’s modern world, mobility is an advantage. Thus, to bring confidence back to your loved one’s being, give them something that can help them live a life even with their disability or limitations. A quality lift chair for one is a great aid.

People who are suffering from knee and hip problems brought about by accidents, muscular weakness and other disabilities also need a lift chair. A lift chair can help them get up from a sitting position and back. Having a lift chair around gives them the opportunity to enjoy a normal life.

Caregivers, on the other hand, use l...

You've spent hours pouring over information regarding elder care; you've researched and developed a plan of care for your elderly loved one that should be etched in gold! You're feeling so relieved, knowing that they will now be safe at home, and a caregiver will be there with them when you can't...until the day arrives when the caregiver comes to meet them, and your loved one refuses to open the door! What do you do now?

There can be many causes for this reaction to your plan. Perhaps they feel a loss of control in their lives. Maybe they resent feeling like they aren't trusted to be alone at home any longer, and their self esteem is hurting. Maybe they're afraid of having a stranger in their home. Maybe they want their privacy and don't really understand why they need help in the first place! The way you respond to your loved one's concerns may eventually determine if y...

Did you know the VA will help pay for an aide or caretaker to come into the home to care for a Veteran, Veteran's Spouse, or a Widowed Spouse of a Veteran? Of course, this Aid and Attendance Pension will help pay the costs of assisted living also. The amount of money that the VA pays is determined by income versus expenses ....whether it's a Veteran, a Couple, or a Widowed Spouse of a Veteran......AND, this money is in addition to your social security or other income......AND, it is TAX FREE from the Federal Government! Can you believe this? It's wonderful!

Generally, to qualify for this tax free monthly pension from the VA , the Veteran must have served in the military during a period of war, had an honorable discharge, and assets cannot be in excess of $80,000 (for a couple).

This Pension won't pay the utility bill, etc.... It is only for CARE or MEDICAL help. If quali...

Approaching the second half-century of my life brings me to a new appreciation of the ‘aged’ in our society. Mid-life does have it’s rewards; that being an opportunity to appreciate what has gone by, as well as looking ahead with hopeful anticipation to a world that will allow us to live an age-full life. Simply put; to live and age fully from mid-life to death, to value and honor the full circle of life with all it’s seasons, and the be fully present at each stage or age. There does not seem to be a lot of expectation in that, does there?

A past generation has taught us to respect our elders, but that too has become passé, as society’s trend on respect seems to be declining? Elders are “an older person with some authority..superior in rank.” They convey honor, wisdom and experience. Respect is a learned behavior. No matter how the body ages, the soul and mind are the same unt...

Buying a stairlift is a major investment and the secondhand or reconditioned stairlift market is a perfectly legitimate one. Indeed, major manufacturers such as Stannah do offer secondhand stairlifts but would-be purchasers should be cautious about some unscrupulous dealers.

There can be problems when buying secondhand stairlifts. Straight rails can be safely re-used to install a second-hand straight stairlift but curved secondhand stairlifts always need new rails. This is because even if the carriage is secondhand, the rails have to be tailor-made to fit individual staircases because they must not obstruct doorways and must fit tightly to the stairs. Experts in the industry say it is just not possible to use secondhand curved rails safely.

Some people have purchased Stannah curved rails that have been re-manufactured from a number of old rails which have been cut up and w...

Home medical alert systems are medical alert systems designed to help individuals and senior citizens who are often at home alone.

Home medical alert systems consist of a medical alarm pendant, medical alarm console (also called medical alert base unit), and monitoring center. The alarm pendant is worn around the neck, on wrist, or even on the belt and features a transmitter. On pressing the help button of the transmitter, the signal transmits to the console, which in turn passes through the telephone line. The signal then reaches the person at the medical monitoring center or a neighbor, depending on how the system is set up.

If connected to the monitoring center, the dispatcher immediately communicates with the person who pressed the button. The console has a loud speaker and a sensitive microphone for communication. The dispatcher determines the need of the user and act...

When providing care to aging or disabled parents, many caregivers ignore the most important person involved in the caregiving process. "Who?" - you may ask? The answer might surprise you: The Caregiver.

Many times caregivers get so wrapped up in attending to parent’s needs, trying to fit quality time with their own family into their schedule, and oftentimes attempting to balance a career, they forget or simply neglect to take some time for their own personal needs.

As a caregiver, the results of not allocating personal time can easily lead to intense emotions such as stress, anxiety, frustration, guilt, and feeling extremely overwhelmed. Many caregivers fail to realize that these emotions and feelings could lead to caregiver burnout.

If you have just taken the reins as a caregiver to your parent, or perhaps you have been serving in the role for years, you may have ne...

Nowadays, elder care attorneys represent a growing specialty in the United States. The demand for elder care law expertise continues to increase since more and more seniors have become affected by different incapacitating illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease. Elder care attorneys focus on these special needs of older and disabled persons. Their expertise is targeted at protecting the quality of life, financial security, and autonomy of seniors as they age.

If you have issues on senior housing, managing finances, and medical care, you can seek the assistance of elder care attorneys. They can provide you with unique expertise that even the most financially knowledgeable can benefit from. They usually have nurses, social workers, geriatric case managers, and other specialist on call. They can help you with different issues such as qualifying for Medicare, Medicaid, or other benefi...

Do you know someone acting as a caregiver to an aging or disabled parent, maybe a friend, loved-one, or a co-worker? Are you serving as the role of caregiver yourself? Do the emotional challenges seem impossible to deal with some days, and you just don’t know how you can handle anymore?

As a caregiver for my mother, I would like to share my personal experiences and insight on how to successfully cope with the emotional challenges of serving as a caregiver to an aging or disabled parent. In my e-book Becoming Your Parent’s Caregiver, I detail my caregiver experiences and helpful resources to help you cope with all the emotional challenges you may face while serving as caregiver.

I believe the best way for caregivers to cope with the many emotions they will experience in providing care to aging parents is to prepare themselves for the wide range of emotions that pa...

There is no place like home. When asked, most seniors would like to remain in their homes. A person’s own home represents security and independence to most people. But, a person must be able to shop, cook, and do household chares. Many of us will lose one or more of these abilities as we age.

There are many senior care housing options for older adults over who reach retirement age. They may include living in their own home or residence, sharing their home or another place with others or moving into a retirement community or residential care for the elderly. Making this choice depends on one’s income, health, and family situation. There is an increasing number of older adults age 85 and older living in active retirement communities, senior citizen housing, low income senior housing and assisted senior living facilities.

Nursing Home or Skilled Nursing Facility (Los A...