Getting Seniors to Exercise All Year Round
For the last year or so, my husband has been meeting his childhood friend for a weekly 3-mile run. They’re pretty consistent—running outside through most any weather—and in October, they ran a local race together. To anyone in town who sees them, it’s just two guys out for a run....
When Age and Illness Ruin Travel Plans
My grandparents in Maine gave up their annual trip to Florida about 10 years ago. Air travel from their island isn’t easy for even the most able-bodied travelers (the small airport is two hours away and a flight to Florida usually involves several layovers and a 12-hour travel day), so...
Finding Hope in Stroke Survival
Like many home health professionals, our caregiver Linda came to professional caregiving from a very personal place. Less than two years ago, Linda’s 48-year-old husband went into the hospital for open-heart surgery. He spent the next 11 days sedated and on a ventilator, having suffered multiple strokes during surgery. Doctors...
Getting Seniors to Eat: Old Food Habits Die Hard
I’ve eaten the same thing for breakfast (oatmeal) every day for almost 10 years. Before that, it was Grape-nuts, which I ate for 15 years. I also eat the same lunch almost every day, and I’d probably eat the same dinner if my family shared my love for routines. But...
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Hospital Stays Have Lasting Impact on Seniors
This can be a tough time of year for seniors. Flu and cold season leads to illness, ice and cold hamper exercise, and shorter days have a negative effect on dementia and Alzheimer’s. For whatever reason, this is the time of year when hospitalizations increase exponentially. Often times, my relationship...
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Ebbs and Flows: The Rollercoaster of Caregiving
One of the hardest adjustments for me when I became a new parent was accepting the ebb and flow of caregiving. People had warned me about the sleep deprivation that comes with late-night feedings but they didn’t warn me about the stress of his ups and downs—he eats everything, then...
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We May Need to Lower Holiday Expectations for Aging Loved Ones
Even though I work in senior care every day and advise people on the care of their aging loved ones, I’m the first to admit I don’t always make the right decisions or act the right way with my own family members. I can calmly and patiently deal with just...
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When It’s OK Not to Buy the Very Best
Perhaps the toughest gift you’ll buy this season is the one for your aging loved one. It’s likely the gift you’ll wrack your brain over, debating what he might really need and attempting to come up with something he’d never buy for himself but that he’ll really love. This is...
A friend recently told me about a conversation she had with a man at a local bar. He was telling her the story of caregiving for his wife. After describing almost a decade of medical appointments, health disappointments, and moments of family strife, he said to my friend, “Do you...
Holidays Can Reveal a Lot About Aging Loved Ones
After my husband’s dad moved from Swampscott to Florida, we only saw him four times a year. I like to think we traded quick weekly breakfasts at Red’s Diner for long, quality weeks together by the pool. He got to know his Florida-based grandson like he never would have, and...
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