Declining Health & Frailty Archives - Page 4 of 7 - Aging, caregiving and the journey through the second half of life

A Few Words of Advice on Choosing a Retirement Community

December 10, 2015

When considering a retirement community, most potential residents and their families inquire about: 1. Types of accommodations (independent living, assisted living). This should also include information about the community’s financial strength. 2. Amenities (wellness resources, enrichment programs). This should also…

Rethinking Solo Caregiving For A Spouse

November 24, 2015

Solo caregiving for a spouse takes a toll on both parties. What starts out as act of compassion and loyalty can deteriorate into a role that exceeds the best efforts of one person. Unfortunately, the stress of day to day…

Old Age is the Stage

November 18, 2015

Art is the great decoder of unintelligible worlds like old age. In psychology we call this decoding ‘sensemaking’ and the plays about aging in this splendid article are sensemaking at its finest. As important, they give old age a humanizing…

The Untenable Promise

November 14, 2015

Older adults fear nursing homes more than death itself. Those of us waiting to be old fear it right along with them. When asked to promise to never to put an aging parent in a nursing, we do not hesitate.…

Transitional Care Mind Map

October 27, 2015

Moving an aging parent back home from institutional care is complicated and stressful. For a successful transition, families need a better way to understand the scope, moving parts, and planning steps. This integrative big picture allows them to assess their…

The End of Life Dilemma

October 11, 2015

The question of how much care at the end of life is a dilemma with no easy answers. Ultimately, it is best approached by understanding the patient’s perspective within the context of his or her family: What does the patient…

Should Older Adults Live With Their Peers?

October 6, 2015

Environmental gerontologist and social geographer Stephen M Golant, University of Florida has written a brilliant article on where older adults are living now and why they may opt to live with their cohort in the future: “My focus is on…

The impact of unforgiveness on older adults

September 8, 2015

Families are a battle ground where the wounds of conflict can be carried for a life time. While at some point forgiveness seems in order, its withholding is an all too common theme in the exhausting contest to prove who’s…

Caregivers of Spouses with Dementia

August 31, 2015

The Psychological and Health Consequences of Caring for a Spouse With Dementia: A Critical Comparison of Husbands and Wives This study compares outcomes, based on gender, of caregivers of at home spouses with dementia. It also looks at how the…

Aging Parents: Time To Move?

July 12, 2015

Helping aging parents consider a change in living accommodations is a delicate process. Before offering unwanted advice about where to live, adult children should first undertake a compassionate assessment of the losses and potential gains of this emotional transition. There…