Many of us have loved ones who would benefit greatly from having help in their homes due to illnesses or injuries which have caused activities of daily living such as dressing, showering, walking, and others to become a challenge. Because we can’t always be there, we would love nothing more than to know that a […]
Have you ever noticed how the majority of us attempt to handle difficult situations independently until the weight of our burden overwhelms us and forces us to seek outside assistance? For some, it seems, never asking for help is considered a virtue. We’re taught to “pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps” and that “God […]
I’m sure that each of you were equally as shocked as I was at the recent story of an 85 year old woman suffering with Alzheimer’s disease, who was found on a Pompano street, raped and shot. According to the newspaper, she wandered away from home in a matter of minutes and police responded, quickly […]
Things that Mom or Dad won’t tell you about can hurt them. “Boomers” need to sharpen their detective skills to discover how their parents are really getting along “on their own.” Many health hazards can develop without on-site supervision. Having a home health aide , visit the parent on […]
“How do I handle the problem of getting my Mom to accept some help in her home?” asks the concerned daughter. I receive numerous phone calls from adult children about this dilemma. Adult children are faced with the task of persuading a parent to have some assistance in their home. The difficulty is broaching the […]
Keeping your domestic help happy and harmoniously working together for your benefit can be quite a challenge! The task seems multiplied exponentially by the number of workers you have in your home. When the head of the household is physically or mentally impaired, or not feeling well, then the opportunity for the hired help to […]
There was a shocking news report recently about a Boca Raton woman, who tried to kill her invalid mother, in order to eliminate her burden of taking care of her mother. Yikes! This gives a whole new definition to the term “caregiver burnout.” The daughter attempted to set her mother’s bedroom on fire, and prevented […]
Ring…ring…ring…For the past three hours Lucy’s mother had not answered her phone. Lucy knew her mother was home. What was preventing her mother from picking up the phone? Just yesterday Lucy had put her mom on a plane, heading back to Florida. In spite of Lucy’s objections, her mother insisted that she was well enough […]
Independence, autonomy, self-directed: all attributes we associate with the Fourth of July. These same character goals not only apply to our nation, but also to each one of us. Independence is especially precious once it is diminished or lost due to illness or incapacity. In fact, dependence has a negative meaning at any age. Dependence […]
In honor of Valentine’s Day, I’d like to encourage Seniors to have a “heart-to-heart” talk with their immediate family members about their future “care wishes.” It is very important for any Senior to verbalize his or her preferences for how he or she wants to be taken care of. Otherwise, family members or “others” in […]