There’s no need to go the doctor’s office for some simple lab work when nurse practitioner Laura Black is on duty. And she’s on duty 24/7.
Black is a home health care nurse practitioner with Commonwealth Care Alliance in Massachusetts. One thing she does for her patients is help them stay out of the hospital—and the doctor’s office.
At the medical blog KevinMD.com, she writes about seeing …Read more ›
People who care for their elderly parents don’t have a lot of time to take care of themselves. In fact, “there are times when the caregiver’s health is worse than the people they care for,” Susan Warren, director of Elder Day Stay, an adult care facility near Lake Ella, Florida, says in an article at Tallahassee.com.
But services like adult day care and in-home care can give caregivers time to improve …Read more ›
When shopping around for a designer for an aging-in-place remodel, don’t just consider the designers. Consider the other people they can bring to the table, recommends Toronto-based home redesigner Beth Hirshfeld. That way, you hopefully won’t have to have things done twice.
In an interview featured at The Huffington Post, Hirshfeld says:
If you hire a home re-designer, make sure he or she can arrange for qualified contractors and relevant specialists to …Read more ›
The application process for Aid and Attendance is notoriously long and complicated. So the VA is trying out a new remedy for some people.
In our article about applying for this veterans benefit, used to pay for long-term care, a representative of Disabled American Veterans advises starting the application process as soon as you can—even if you don’t have all the evidence you need. It has to do with establishing your effectiveness …Read more ›
If your parent can’t reliably handle their finances anymore, it may be time for a family member to take over. But to make this transition go smoother, let your parent help direct the financial plan, advises Paul Golden, spokesman for the National Endowment for Financial Education.
A Q&A at FoxBusiness.com poses this question: “Should family members involve their aging parent in the process of developing a financial plan for them?” Golden …Read more ›
This Wednesday, almost 30 participants at our live Twitter #ElderCareChat forum discussed the topic, “The Power of Pets,” sharing how pets can provide hope and encouragement to seniors.
Chatters shared their personal pet stories, and how pet therapy is becoming a more important and effective part of senior care. From innovative programs that help …Read more ›
If your home doesn’t fit your needs as you age, instead of moving, you might be able to remodel. Widen doorways, add grab bars, address stair concerns. But before deciding on a big remodel like this, make sure your house can take the work, recommends an article at the Washington, D.C., news site WashingtonInformer.com:
… remodeling experts recommend assessing, first, whether a home is suitable for remodeling. In many instances, poorly …Read more ›
When you have to use a wheelchair, bathing can be challenging. Many people find solutions in curbless showers and walk-in tubs. But there’s also the option to basically turn your entire bathroom into a shower, explains an article at the Virginia news website ConnectionNewspapers.com.
The result is what is known in the industry as a “wet room”—a completely waterproofed space that includes a curbless level-access shower, conveniently located grab-bars, and counter …Read more ›
As you know, #ElderCareChat has been a leading Twitter chat for the past three years, and just because there are API issues with some longstanding chat platforms, that doesn’t mean our lively, informative, and encouraging conversations have to end. It’s merely time for a slight change — and, as they say, “Change is good!”
Two of our recommendations for making the #ElderCareChat Twitter chat hour simple: Twubs and Hootsuite. Here’s a quick how-to to get …Read more ›