When it comes to Caregiving you may have questions regarding the options like where to live, type of facility or helping your loved one remain at home. Questions like Government benefits, health insurance, home care, and the never-ending questions that continue as your loved one ages. Please welcome Author Harry Cline of The New Caregiver’s Comprehensive Resource: Advice, Tips, and […]
I follow 49 charities and organizations on Twitter to get a close-up view affecting the people and issues closest to me. The National Center on Elder Abuse is a great resource to learn the laws elders have and don’t have. Pressing issues like medical and housing concerns. The NCEA provides the latest information regarding research, training, best practices, news and resources […]
Granny it’s hard to believe it’s your 98th birthday, I celebrate the memories in my head. You were on my side from birth, making unannounced house visits, questioning where I was and making sure I had clothes. You made my clothes until fifth grade, how did you find the time with all the hard work you did? Times were so […]
Second Stage Dementia As dementia progresses, the symptoms first experienced in the early stages of the dementia generally worsen. The rate of decline is different for each person. A person with moderate dementia scores between 6–17 on the MMSE. For example, people with Alzheimer’s dementia in the moderate stages lose almost all new information very quickly. People with dementia […]
Ideas.TED.com Oct 4, 2018 / Alan D. Castel While overall memory declines as we age, that’s far from the end of the story. In fact, there are certain things older people continue to remember quite well, says researcher Alan D. Castel. Our memories are our identities, and at my lab at UCLA, I’ve worked to understand how we remember what matters to us, especially as we age. Memory decline is one of the first things that concern people about growing older — it can start after the age of 20, so being more forgetful when you are 60 or 70 is often normal. And while a vast amount of research has shown the deficits that accompany aging, it’s far too simplistic to say that the elderly have impaired memories. In fact, there are many things older adults remember quite well. Here’s a look at a few of them: 1. Older people tend to remember the essentials. A great deal of memory research focuses on what might be considered by some of us to be mundane — word lists, face-name pairs, studying and being tested on pictures — and it’s unclear why this might be important to remember. But how about things that are of real concern or interest? Imagine you’re packing for a trip. You want to make sure you’ve put in the most important items, the ones that would be extremely costly and/or inconvenient if you forgot them (e.g., your passport, your credit cards). While […]
Knowing my grandparents wanted to die at home was the easiest part of caring for them. The conversation was a common in my gramps family partly because of time the period, the late 1800’s early 1900’s and money. I now understand the difficulty of making decisions as a caregiver, it’s the decisions on the fly you can’t prepare for. Heartbreaking […]
Jan 4, 2018 / Joseph F. Coughlin By joining the Beacon Hill Village in Boston, older people commit to helping each other while they stay in their own homes. And they have plenty of fun while doing it, says MIT AgeLab director Joseph F. Coughlin. Joan Doucette was sipping coffee in a small café at MIT, her bicycle resting next […]
The information is from the DEA.GOV website. It’s important to know the Schedule of the prescriptions you take, they may have Government regulations. According to CVS all Class II prescriptions are kept in a safe and only the pharmacist can open. Did you know the local pharmacy reports usage to DEA if your “RANDOM” name shows up on monthly list. It’s interesting […]
All we need is LOVE. M
Addiction to Opiates Rise to Alarming Rate. by John Rosengren, AARP Bulletin, June 2017| The Opioid Menace – AARP AMERICANS OVER 50 are using narcotic pain pills in surprisingly high numbers, and many are becoming addicted. While media attention has focused on younger people buying illegal opioids on the black market, dependence can also start with a legitimate prescription from a doctor: A well-meant treatment for knee surgery or chronic back troubles is often the path to a deadly outcome. Consider these numbers: • Almost one-third of all Medicare patients — nearly 12 million people — were prescribed opioid painkillers by their physicians in 2015. • That same year, 2.7 million Americans over age 50 abused painkillers, meaning they took them for reasons or in amounts beyond what their doctors prescribed. • The hospitalization rate due to opioid abuse has quintupled for those 65 and older in the past two decades. From pain to addiction Behind the numbers are the shattered lives of many who never dreamed they’d become drug abusers. Cindy Thoma, 63, who owns and operates a bookstore in Muskegon, Mich., became addicted to opioid pain pills after being injured in a car crash with a drunk driver who ran a red light. “I was running away from my pain,” she says. “I did well at first. But I began to take them sooner, which meant I needed more. I needed more because my body got used to […]
My first blog started in 2005 and hosted by Blogger. I was caring for my dying grandmother. I had to write and let it go. Her death was devastating, as you’ve read in many post. She’s never left my side. Granny was the strongest woman I ever met, she knew how to keep her mouth shut. Something I did not inherit. I could let out steam, cry by myself, recharge for next day. Yesterday WordPress sent an Achievement notice. Time does fly, in sickness and health. You are the reason I’ve stayed. You followed me, left good and a few bad comments, you lifted me up when I was down. Most importantly your Blog has entertained, made me cry and lifted my spirits to the sky. I am blessed to talk with each of you. Thank you for standing by me these crazy eight years. M ACHIEVEMENT Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com! You registered on WordPress.com 8 years ago. Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging.
Minneapolis ranks 4th among U.S. cities in percentage of gay, lesbian and bisexual residents. Approximately 12.5% of Minneapolis identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Transgender was not a category in analysis. (UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law & Public Policy) There are an estimated 48,000 LGBT older adults living in Minnesota. Many LGBT older adults do not have the same support networks that are available to heterosexual peers. LGBT older adults are five times less likely to access senior services than heterosexual peers. By not accessing these services, LGB&T older adults are more susceptible to experiencing increased isolation, depression, substance abuse, and institutionalization. M http://www.trainingtoserve.org/lgbt-aging-resources
Our population is in a large up swing as “Baby Boomers” reach Social Security age which indicates the potential increased need for Caregivers. There are many stages the elderly and dying go through until death. The books below helped me maneuver the invisible line we have to cross based on their capabilities. ” Each of the books made a profound difference in understanding which I needed Actions I needed to potentially help with and understand the root cause of certain actions. I found with my Grannys the time frame was at breakneck speed due to her Dementia. With my Gramps we had more time together and for him to participate in his affairs which caused conflict as we transitioned over to me making decisions. The 36 hour day by Nancy L. Mace & Peter V. Rabins Elder Rage or Take My Father Please !, How to Survive Caring For Aging Parents by Jacqueline Marcell The Savvy Senior, The Ultimate Guide to Health, Family, and Finances for Senior Citizens by Jim Miller The Complete Eldercare Planner by Joy Loverde I hope one of the books or all help you if you find yourself at a crossroad. Xx M
My best girlfriend and I practiced hard on dance moves, it was so funny. Get ready for a The one and only Micheal Jackson,”Boogie..or Dance the Night Away” M
Granny today is a special day. Today is your 96th Birthday, time for a well deserved Big Party. Gramps cooking of the grill, everyone lining up for the brisket. I attend to your needs and help you around to socialize and know when the conversation ran dry. Let’s go all out, it’s just money, money you never spent on yourself. It’s your Special day. I hold you’re hand so you can dance with Gramps. He’s happy if your happy, he just can’t say it in words. It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since you left us. I have so many questions. I talk to you or about you everyday. Our bond was not broken in death. Hold my hand as I battle this disease. I need your strength, more than ever. I watched you suffer daily as you slipped away and no longer knew me. I think of your last minutes, my hand under your head, giving you a Morphine stick. Saying granny you’ll be in Heaven, the pain is gone. You can let go, let go of the pain, Take Gods hand. I felt her pass and knew she was in the right place. As I lose my memory, I pray for your strength and dignity. I love you, cry for you and miss the great times we had. My childhood memories as clear today. Nothing like being Speed Racer in your wheelchair and taking over the mall. You got […]
We Are The World Blogfest: Spreading Stories of Positivity and Compassion in Social Media
