Caregiving

Aging in place is a new approach to eldercare. It allows the elderly to remain in their own homes as they age, rather than having to be moved to a nursing home or assisted living facility. To enable aging in place, there are many gadgets and tools on the market that make it possible for your aging parent to remain independent and self-reliant. The gadgets assist your parent by making up for deficiencies they may have.

One of the most difficult decisions a child has to make for his or her parent is whether or not to place an aging parent in long-term care.  Luckily, more and more options that allow your parent to "age in place" – live at home with the appropriate care, modifications, and push-in services – are available.  There are numerous communities and agencies recognizing both the social and the economic benefits of allowing aging parents to remain in their homes.

Caregiving for a loved one with one medical condition is stressful enough. When you’re helping someone manage both Alzheimer’s and incontinence, you need targeted strategies.

Thanks in part to medical breakthroughs, Americans are living longer today than ever before. According to the US Census Bureau, people age 65 and older will represent over 18 percent of the population by the year 2030–nearly double that of today. And while a longer life expectancy is certainly something to celebrate, it is not without its challenges.

A version of tough love may be necessary to protect seniors and those in their path when it's no longer safe for them to drive.

Caring for an aging parent on top of the many other day-to-day family, work and financial obligations you have can be challenging.  Simplifying those responsibilities benefits everyone involved by ensuring that:

A geriatric care plan is a way to help aging individuals ensure continued good health, and according to HelpGuide.org, “improve their overall quality of life, reduce the need for hospitalization and/or institutionalization, and enable them to live independently for as long as possible.”  Stemming from a geriatric assessment, a care plan ensures that families, aging individuals, and health care providers are all on the same page regarding health care and living arrangements, and that each knows his or her role in managing the needs of the aging individual.

You made the decision to hire someone to help care for your parent, based on a needs assessment and in conjunction with family members and medical professionals. You created a home care plan and know that you need a reliable healthcare worker, one who is experienced in a situation like yours.

Caring for a spouse brings a different set of challenges than caring for a parent. Lynn Greenblatt shares invaluable life lessons from her own personal experiences.

As the adult child of a senior, at some point you will likely need to explore the idea of finding at-home care for your parent. Here’s how to have the conversation.

In this excerpt of the new book It’s Between You and Me, author Ali Davidson helps the generations take the first step toward understanding and accepting the changes that occur as we get older.

You and your family have decided that it is time to bring in outside help to assist with the care of a loved one in need. Because you want them to be able to remain safe, comfortable and independent in their own home for as long as possible, you have chosen to hire an in-home caregiver or home healthcare agency.