Here’s a book about quality end-of-life care: The Best Care Possible – A Physician’s Quest to Transform Care through the End of Life. Dr. Byock, professor at Dartmouth Medical School and a passionate advocate for quality end-of-life care, argues that the way Americans die is among the biggest national crises facing us today. Yet in [...]

I’m so happy when I hear an older person tell me about e-mailing their children, or going on Facebook to see what’s new with their grandkids! The old saying that you’re never too old to learn is certainly true.  But it’s also true that learning how to use the internet and computers in general is [...]

This is an excerpt from an article in the Alzheimer’s Reading Room.  It’s the Valentine’s Day reflections  of  a 68 yr old woman whose husband has Alzheimers and who now lives in a residence.   It’s also about the support she gives and receives from her  twin sister whose husband has dementia.   It’s about gratitude [...]

Here is an excerpt from Mayo Clinic’s Caregiver Newsletter with some great tips and ideas that I think you’ll find helpful. From considering underlying reasons why mealtime might be difficult to giving concrete ideas such as: using white dishes large-handled utensils offering foods one at a time See complete article Alzheimer’s – Making meals easier [...]

Here’s an excerpt from an article Nine Suggestionss to Get You Through Winter (click for entire article) on the ARR website.  (Alzheimer’s Reading Room) Lots of useful ideas to fight the winter blues & good tips for you and the person you are caring for. “The whole point is to bear in mind that living [...]

“An initial bone mass measurement is seriously underused…..”  Seriously?  Even though breaking a hip can have life altering affects on seniors? A recent article in the The NY Times by Paula Span,  describes this serious flaw in our medical system.  Here are some of the key points she makes: Doctors often overlook the test because [...]

Just like changing the batteries in our smoke detectors every year, don’t forget to update your beneficiaries regularly. Why you Need to Update Your Beneficiaries Do you remember the last time you reviewed the beneficiaries for your retirement plan ( IRA, ESOP), life insurance, etc.? It it seems like a faint memory, it’s probably a [...]

If you have a loved one in a nursing home and are concerned about quality of care, you should be aware of a good resource: Your local Ombudsman. Long-term care ombudsmen are advocates for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes and assisted living facilities.  Under the federal Older Americans Act, every state is [...]

I just read a very interesting article and I wanted to share it with you.  I’ll paraphrase the key points here: It was about the work that Dr. Dr. Stephen Thielke and his colleagues are doing to dispel myths and stereotypes about pain and aging. Among them are the notions that: pain is a natural [...]

Many people have misconceptions about the problems of substance abuse in older adults.  Lack of correct information can prevent older adults from seeking and receiving help for these problems.  Learning what is reality and what is myth can help improve the quality of life for you or someone you care about. MYTH Only older adults [...]