This year, my 82-year-old mom started working out with weights at the gym. Realizing that she was losing strength and mobility, which is a risk as she still lives on her own, she decided to take action. She found a trainer to teach her how to use weights safely and what exercises to do, and now she works out at the gym three days a week. [Read more…]
While fairy tales talk about living happily ever after, rarely do movies portray what love relationships look like in the last years of life. When people get married, they say some version of “til death do us part,” but what happens when a spouse has dementia and not only isn’t cognitively present in the marriage, but also must be placed in a secure environment with 24 hour care for their well being and safety? [Read more…]
One of the most powerful lessons that we have learned in working with seniors and their families, including our own elderly family members, is that we may not have a choice in the challenges that they encounter, but we do have a choice in what we do when faced with them. [Read more…]
In a season known for its busyness, with extra social gatherings, gift buying, decorating, cooking, and family get-togethers, we all have the tendency to put off what doesn’t need to be done until “after the holidays.” If you are thinking about moving a loved one into an assisted living community however, instead of waiting until January, consider these advantages to making this move during the holidays. [Read more…]
Nothing prepares you for that visit when you suddenly realize your parents are “elderly.” Yes, we all know they are getting older, but unless we see them often and pay close attention, we can be caught off guard when they suddenly struggle with daily tasks, become more frail, experience confusion, or lose their way while driving.
Such revelations often come to adult children over the holidays, so as we head into the holiday season, here are some yellow flags to catch before they become red ones. [Read more…]