Addressing Elders in Respectful Terms
posted over 2 years ago | 0 comments
As my aunt and uncle (who had no children) aged, they found it appealing to move from their longtime home in Arlington, Virginia to be near us in Fargo, North Dakota. They'd been used to a military lifestyle and much more formality than they...
Finding Escorts for Doctor Appointments a Problem
posted over 2 years ago, updated 1 minute later | 0 comments
One of the saddest things I see when I walk into clinics is elders having been left by transit buses slumped in their wheelchairs, waiting. The elders have envelopes prominently pinned to their clothing to identify them. True, these elders are...
Getting Doctors to Ask the Right Questions
posted over 2 years ago | 0 comments
Many of us are familiar with escorting our elders to a doctor's visit with high hopes that a particular health issue will be handled. Two of the most sensitive health issues are dementia and dealing with driving problems. In cases of dementia and...
Grief and Relief: Mixed Emotions After a Death
posted over 2 years ago | 0 comments
Out of the seven elders I cared for over the span of two decades, four would qualify as having had long, slow deaths.
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Why "Parenting Your Parents" is Demeaning
posted over 2 years ago | 0 comments
As our parents age and their needs increase, it can feel like you are changing roles with them.
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Talking About Death When Someone Has Dementia
posted over 2 years ago | 0 comments
Dear Carol: Is it ever appropriate to try to talk about "End of life issues" with the severely demented? My wife and I had all the proper paper work drawn up before she was severely demented. The living will dates back several years and revised...
The Empowered Elder Advocate: We Won't Be Brushed
posted over 2 years ago | 0 comments
Many of us are old enough to remember the accepted thought that the doctor was always right. We were trained to bow to the superior knowledge of the doctor, because after all, why would you go to the doctor if you already knew all of the answers?...
Handyman Services for Seniors: A Growing Need
posted over 2 years ago | 0 comments
You don't have to be all that old to want a little help around the house. How many of us, whether because of time or lack of talent in that area, have wished we could just have someone come in a fix a ding in the wall
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When An Elder Thinks People Are Stealing
posted over 2 years ago | 0 comments
A woman named Elizabeth was a fixture at a nursing home where I visited nearly every day for fifteen years. My neighbor, my uncle, my mother-in-law, and eventually my parents all lived there at different times.
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Writing a Living Will Can be Daunting
posted over 2 years ago | 2 comments
It's common for people to put off starting a living will. Since they don't know where to start, the duty becomes something they "really need to do "sometime." I've found one effective way for some people to kick off the process
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