Many Americans will face questions about medical treatment but may not be capable of making those decisions—for example, in an emergency or at the end of life. The following information from the National Institute on Aging explains the types of decisions and questions to think about now so you’re prepared later. It’s important to remember Read More
In the past year, have you provided care for an adult or child with an illness, a disability or special needs? If so, you—and about 53 million other Americans—are considered family caregivers. Family caregiving is work done above and beyond one’s usual household, child-rearing, and work responsibilities. For that and other reasons, it can be Read More
Let’s say you or your loved one are receiving help at home from a trusted caregiver. You’ve also come to realize that you could benefit from the help of an Aging Life Care Manager™, someone who will coordinate the care and provide numerous other services as well. This often happens when the person receiving care Read More
If you’re an aging parent whose adult child has a developmental or intellectual disability, it’s important to plan for your child’s well-being after you’re gone. Aging Life Care Professionals® can be a support to the whole family or support system for a younger client. If the parents are still the primary caregivers, they worry about Read More
An important part of our overall resilience in life—our ability to cope with and survive great challenges—is our cognitive reserve. “Cognitive reserve is the idea of building up additional abilities to compensate for the possibility of declining memory or thinking,” explains Esther Heerema, MSW, who works with people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. “Think Read More
With so many seniors opting to live at home, and frequently alone without family nearby, it’s crucial that they prepare for wildfires. It’s summer right now, but, as Lou Paulson, former chair of the California Fire Foundation and a fire captain, notes, “In California, fire season lasts the entire year.” Potential challenges If you are Read More
Windward Life Care is celebrating Pride Month by obtaining Silver Level certification with SAGECare for the third year in a row. This ongoing staff training continues to enhance Windward’s ability to support the needs of the country’s aging LGBT community. “LGBT older adults are an underserved population. Many people do not have family to support Read More
How can seniors in the LGBTQ+ community trust that healthcare providers and allied professionals will give them culturally competent care? That’s been a real concern for decades because very few large-scale, healthcare-related studies have focused on the needs of LGBTQ+ seniors. It’s one example of how social inequality translates directly to quality of care and Read More
As a caregiver for someone living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, you can do many things to make that person’s home a safer place. You’re probably already familiar with taking steps such as improving lighting in dark hallways, hiding sharp objects, decluttering, and other safety measures. But don’t overlook the fact that Read More
Thriving and enjoying both physical and mental health: these are our goals for all our clients. Mental health challenges can interfere with overall wellness, so it’s important to address them head-on at any age. Fortunately, if you’re on Medicare, CMS (the agency that runs the program) is attuned to the importance of both physical and mental Read More