Do you find yourself more easily distracted these days? There is good reason: Concentration is about keeping what’s useful top of mind while at the same time suppressing thoughts that distract from your primary objective. As we age, the “executive” center of the brain becomes less able to sort out distractions. It’s a filtering process that requires heavy brainpower. Many people worry that lapses in concentration are an early sign of Alzheimer’s. Not necessarily. While memory and focus are related, they are not the same thing. …
May is both Older Americans Month and National Aging Life Care Month. This presents a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the things I love about the work I do as a Care Manager, celebrating our profession in Aging Life Care, and the clients we serve.
In that spirit, here are some of the reasons I love what my Aging Wisdom colleagues, my professional colleagues, and I do for a living. …
Why I Love Being an Aging Life Care Professional™Read More »
Since 2011, baby boomers have been turning 65 at an average rate of 10,000 per day. This will continue until 2030. And we are living longer. Fortunately, we are also healthier and more active than past generations.
But the reality, according to the Administration on Aging (AOA), is that “70% of people turning age 65 can expect to use some form of long-term care during their lives.” 35% will spend some time in a long-term care facility, such as a nursing home or assisted living community. …
The pandemic has provided many lessons, including the importance of our communities, the value of the place we call home, and what steps to take to protect and care for our mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
All these factors play essential roles in our overall health, happiness, and ability to remain independent.
Perhaps this is why the Administration for Community Living has chosen to focus on “aging in place—how older adults can plan to stay in their homes and live independently” for Older Adults Month 2022. This year’s theme is “Age my way!” …
8 Tips for Aging Well: Make Your Plan Now for a Healthy, Supported FutureRead More »
Are you tired of long waits to get an appointment? Rushed visits? Not being able to talk to your doctor by phone or communicate via email?
You aren’t alone. Doctors dislike it too. But because most physicians today are employees of a large medical group, they are required to complete 30–40 patient visits per day. Appointments are set to last no more than 15 minutes. This is necessary to manage a typical patient load of 4,000.
Some primary care doctors are moving away from this business-focused model of medicine.
…
When it comes to mom and dad, each adult child’s relationship with their parents is different. This can trigger conflict and misunderstandings as parents grow older and family input, support, and collaboration are needed.
It’s natural for disagreements to occur, even in families with strong functional relationships. However, when parents are experiencing memory and health changes, it can create tension. Rare is the family who are all on the same page and managing decisions and tasks smoothly. …
Clash of the Siblings: How to navigate family dynamics when your parent needs helpRead More »
As many family caregivers can attest, caring for a loved one who has a chronic or progressive health condition such as Alzheimer’s disease can be physically, emotionally, and mentally challenging. As well as isolating.
You give it your all day in and day out, through the laughter and tears. No matter the duties, you’re ready to tackle them one by one. Some tasks are large, others small. Some responsibilities are intimate and others mundane.
There are days when the edges of life seem to poke and chafe and there is little relief in sight. But then come the moments or even weeks where the routine is smooth and relatively straightforward. No matter the ease in which you get through a day, the caregiver’s journey is wearing. It can be difficult (or even feel impossible) to find the time and energy to take care of yourself. …
If you have trouble participating in conversation in a noisy room or tend to want the TV volume turned up, you might want to investigate a new category of device called an enhanced “hearable.”
Up until now, there have been few options short of a hearing aid for people with only mild hearing loss. The best have been “personal sound amplification devices” that fit in the ear like a hearing aid. While reasonably affordable and easily purchased online, they have the disadvantage of amplifying all sounds, even the ones you don’t want to hear. …
As we enter our third year of the COVID pandemic, it’s important to pause and acknowledge how it has stretched us all emotionally, physically, mentally, and financially. Daily life is challenging enough. Toss in an ever-evolving pandemic and the landscape becomes more complex.
Family caregivers, you have been hit exceptionally hard. We want to acknowledge that too. We also want to say “We see you. We celebrate you. We thank you!” …
Caregiver Burnout: Is Your Flame About to Fizzle? (Updated COVID Edition)Read More »
The Dance. That’s how a colleague once described the way families approach an older loved one’s journey with aging. This is especially true in their final years of life, in what our professional association colleague Amy Cameron O’Rourke calls The Fragile Years.1
It makes sense. Some days it’s a slow, beautiful waltz. Others can be a fast-paced polka. And then there’s the occasional freeform dance that is unchoreographed, a bit chaotic, later stumbling into a seemingly smooth twirl. Occasionally you’ll find yourself in an energetic Go-go. …
The Dance: Finding Balance with Helping an Aging ParentRead More »