November marks National Family Caregivers Month – a time to recognize the countless individuals like you who make the everyday commitment to care for a loved one. Today, an estimated 39.8 million Americans serve as caregivers for one or more of their family members.1 Of that number, many of these individuals care for an aging adult. As a family caregiver, …
How Do I Know If Grandpa Needs Help? What to Look for During Holiday Visits
Holidays are occasions that many of us spend with family, whether we live down the block or across the country. For those with aging parents or loved ones, these visits are an important time to take stock amidst the hustle and bustle, and to make plans. Make the Most of Holiday Visits: What to Look for When Visiting Aging Adults …
Understanding the Stages of Dementia
Understanding the Stages of Dementia Can Help You Provide Better Care by Heather Imhoff, MSW, LMSW, Aging Life Care Association™ Member Dementia is a progressive and often times, heart-breaking disease. Though every individual is different, there are three primary stages of dementia, each with its own unique set of symptoms. Different care strategies for each stage allow for a …
Hospice and Palliative Care – Is there a Difference?
Know Your Options! is the theme of this year’s National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. Understanding the difference between hospice and palliative care is an important step in knowing your options when faced with a serious illness. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization offer an online, interactive decision tool to help guide you or a loved one in making …
Help for Long-Distance Caregivers
Hiring an Aging Life Care Professional™ when you need help caring for aging parents is really no different from hiring an attorney for legal needs or a CPA for preparing taxes. Aging Life Care Professionals guide you through the often complicated maze of long-term care. From determining optimal housing to managing chronic health care issues, the expertise of an Aging Life …
Aging Life Care Professionals™…The Experts in Aging Well
Overwhelmed by the choices and decisions involved with caring for an aging loved one? Hit with an emergency and don’t know where to start? Or do you want to plan for your own senior years and make your own decisions? No matter your individual situation or preferences, Aging Life Care Professionals™ offer a client-centered approach to guide families to actions and …
Supporting Family Caregivers
A study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health calls family and unpaid caregivers the “invisible workforce” of the health care system. Published in the JAMA Internal Medicine, the study examined how caregivers’ involvement in older adults’ health care activities relates to caregiving responsibilities, supportive services use, and caregiving-related effects. Aging Life Care Professionals™ Help You Avoid the Pitfalls of Caregiving …
What Aging Parents Want Their Children to Remember
The caregiving role reversal for aging parents and adult children is never easy. As an Aging Life Care™ Specialist, I have watched this transition happen in a variety of scenarios all with a different set of circumstances. But through it all, there is a common message that parents want their adult children to know – don’t forget the person your …