Whom can you trust when you cannot make decisions for yourself? Adult children, trusted friends or a legal professional could work, but the selection process must be done carefully. While not frequent, criminal cases based on misuse of a power of attorney do occur.
Continue reading “Determining Who Can Decide for You When You Cannot”
Personal Emergency Response Systems allow for much more independence for seniors.
Technology has come a long way toward providing systems that allow seniors to age in place securely. Perhaps there is no one in the English-speaking world that does not immediately recognize the TV-made-famous line, “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” And, while we smile at the memories, it is really not funny at all.
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of vision loss among people 50 and older and impacts 16 million Americans – more than glaucoma and cataracts combined.
When a loved one dies, we look for ways to honor them. So too, we want to give those left behind ways to say goodbye. Customarily, society has turned to funeral services that are based on religious or cultural traditions to commemorate one’s passing. But, times change. As the world has become more mobile and less connected to organized religion, less formal and more personalized approaches are more often acceptable.
For those seniors who are dental-resistant, the information in this article may motivate reconsideration of those check-ups. Those in the 65+ age category face a higher risk for both dementia and gum disease. And, now we know they can be linked.
It is all too common that people think that they can put off creating a will until “later”. As recent events have shown, things happen we cannot anticipate. The advent of COVID-19 put many families in a situation they never anticipated – the sudden demise of a member of the family.
Stories about Covid infections in nursing facilities are all too common. This has expanded the feeling among families (88%) that they would rather find a way to care for relatives in their own homes instead of moving them into a facility. The deaths of nearly 200,000 long-term care patients and staff in the US has fundamentally changed the business of long-term care. This is the result of the fact that aging in place overwhelmingly seems to increasingly be the decision of choice. The pandemic seems to have highlighted the benefits of home care and it is likely that the trend of delivering long-term care in the home will expand.
Continue reading “Aging in Place; Now it is Easier Than Ever”
Seniors generally take one of two approaches to doctor’s appointments. They either talk too much or say too little. If you are a caregiver for a senior, you can greatly help with the usefulness of the appointment if you act as a coach.
Continue reading “Seniors: Doctor Appointment “Dress Rehearsal””
Let’s not bury the lead. No stroke is good. TIA’s however, when discovered and treated quickly, can help prevent a major stroke. In fact, doctors estimate that up to 15 percent of people will have a major stroke within three months of experiencing a mini-stroke.
Continue reading “TIA (Mini-Strokes): Bad News, but Maybe a Blessing”
The living will is one form of Advance Directive that speaks for you when you cannot. They are generally written, although oral directives, properly witnessed, are legal, too. They are important should you or a loved-one become incapable of conveying your wishes due to illness or by being unconscious.