Topic: health
This past December, one week after her 64th birthday, a childhood friend had a fatal heart attack. To be honest, I’m still in a bit of shock over this loss, as she had been part of my life and significant events for over 50 years.
My friend’s death prompted me to learn more about symptoms and risks for heart attacks in women, as well as prevention. This is good information for men too! …
Time for a Heart-to-Heart About Women’s Heart Health*Read More »
Ask anyone for advice about living a long, healthy life and you’ll probably hear tips about the importance of eating well, stopping smoking, exercising, and getting regular medical checkups. Don’t throw those good habits out the window; but, it may come as a shock to learn that connecting with others may be the single most important ingredient for aging well. …
We are living longer. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, those who are 85 and older are the fastest growing segment of the population. As a result, more adult children than ever are helping their parents navigate their journey with aging.
Finding appropriate supports and helping guide your parents’ choices when additional care is needed can be overwhelming. Do an online search for in-home, professional caregiving services and the results are endless. Everyone looks and sounds the same.
How can you be confident that they’ll provide safe, respectful, dependable care? Will they support your parents’ autonomy and independence, while enhancing their well-being? Is this financially sustainable? Where do you start? …
Navigating Long-Term Care Options (in greater Seattle) Part IRead More »
Travel for many of us has been put on hold over the past couple years due to the pandemic. It’s been particularly difficult for families that live any distance from one another. However, there’s good news! The prevalence and effectiveness of COVID vaccines and boosters, COVID test kits, along with regular use of KN95 and N95 masks, bring added protection and peace of mind.
This is prompting many of us to make plans again. We are feeling more comfortable about travel, especially domestically. According to AARP’s 2022 Travel Trends report, 67 percent of people age 50+ anticipate traveling this year, many who are looking to spend time with family.
With some thoughtful planning, we can all enjoy a little time away. Certainly, there might be bumps along the way but anticipating those potential obstacles will lessen travel stress and help bring joy to the journey.
Here are some tips for planning ahead that will help ensure you or an older loved one is ready for an adventure: …
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.
…
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 »
Does this sound familiar? It’s a new year. You sit down and thoughtfully write a list of resolutions: Lose 20 pounds by June. Go vegan. Take yoga classes twice a week. Organize your living space. Reserve one hour each day for reading. Stop cussing!
I love lists
Lists keep me focused. Lists help me prioritize projects and meet deadlines. They keep me on budget when I go grocery shopping. My lists are lifesavers, especially in this somewhat chaotic, unpredictable, pandemic-challenged world.
The one list that doesn’t help, however, is my annual list of New Year’s resolutions. Sigh … this is the list by which I can no longer abide. …
Caregiving is difficult and exhausting. Family caregivers frequently report experiencing high levels of stress.
It can be overwhelming to take care of an older loved one who is experiencing health or memory changes. Too much stress can be harmful to both of you. …
Top Tips You Should Know to Manage Caregiver StressRead More »
Self-care is essential to the well-being of family caregivers, yet it is often overlooked.
While it’s natural to focus fully on the older adult who needs support and services, we also need to remind ourselves to pay attention to their support system, be it you, family and/or friends. …
Self-Care is Not Selfish: It’s Essential for Family Caregiver Well-BeingRead More »
Sarah was always an independent, brilliant, engaged woman. Her sons joyfully share stories of how growing up their home was welcoming and where everyone hung out.
She was a whiz in the kitchen, the best homework helper, perpetually punctual, and appeared to be in more than one place at once when her active children had conflicting activity schedules. These attributes continued well into her 80s with family gatherings, church activities, community engagement, and volunteer work.
Changes That are Out of Character. But something appeared to have changed not long after Sarah’s husband, Richard, passed away. While she was noticeably shaken and grieving the loss, she was frequently repeating herself, disengaged from her usual activities, and barely eating. She was unaware of the changes. This was out of character for her. …
My Mom Refuses to Accept Help! Lack of Insight May Be the ReasonRead More »
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