by Lisa Kaufman I received a call this morning. A man who has never spoken with me before wanted my opinion about the care needs of his 80-year-old mother. He explained that she has moderate to severe (read severe) dementia, visual impairment, is hard of hearing and is in renal failure requiring dialysis. He went on to tell me she

by Miriam Zucker I live in New Rochelle, New York, a city whose fame is rooted with the Petrie’s of The Dick Van Dyke show. That image of a suburban family living on a quiet tree-lined street changed dramatically on March 10.  New Rochelle became the first COVID-19 containment area in the United States. On that date, I was visiting

By: Tasha Beauchamp What we know as of 3/1/20 COVID-19 is spread much like the regular flu—through coughs and sneezes that put droplets in the air and on surfaces. It may be 2–14 days after exposure before a person has symptoms. That means people can spread the virus without knowing it. And many have symptoms that seem much like a

In this trying time with the Coronavirus (COVID 19) upon us, the one thing that seems certain is uncertainty. Creative and out-of-the-box thinking, flexibility and need to think on your feet is critical with the rapidly changing tides. Who better than Aging Life Care Professionals® to meet this challenge? As a midsize practice in Newton, Massachusetts, we, like you, have

by: Lisa Mayfield At 72, Betsy is doing all the right things to ensure she enjoys good physical, emotional, mental, and financial health.  She eats a Mediterranean diet, doesn’t smoke, drinks in moderation, exercises regularly, has adjusted her spending and investments for retirement, goes for regular check-ups with her doctor, and gets the recommended health screenings. She gardens, spends quality

By Anne Sansevero As Aging Life Care Managers® one of our important roles is helping clients and their families look ahead to assist them with emergency preparedness. We do this with advanced directive planning and health education by ensuring their vaccinations are up to date. However, there are times when certain situations pose new and unprecedented challenges and require extraordinary

Thirty-five years ago a group of visionary women in eldercare created a profession and a professional association. Originally the National Association of Private Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM), this non-profit has grown from 75 members to the now 2,000-strong Aging Life Care Association® (ALCA). Since 1985, Aging Life Care Association members have cared for about two million older adults. The impact

Shutterstock / Lisa S. Young While “Dryuary” or Dry January seems like a relatively new trend, it’s origins date back much earlier. Even the New York Times showcases the activities around when Prohibition began (Jan. 17, 1920.) January is also a month where people re-consider their over-indulgences in food and drink then hit the gyms or yoga mats and buy

Being a caregiver can be lonely. Over time, friends and family may start to fade away or your involvement with your elder can become more and more time consuming. Your world can begin to feel very small. As you encounter tricky situations, you might struggle to know how to navigate them gracefully. This caregiving race is a marathon and not