Fall Prevention Week: September 21 – September 25, 2020 According to the National Council on Aging, one in four Americans aged 65+ fall every year. Having an Aging Life Care Manager as part of your health care plan for your older loved one can help avoid this common, but avoidable, part of aging. As a…
On September 6, 2019, my mother turned 76. As was our birthday tradition, I invited her to lunch and suggested an outing to a local craft store she loved. For the first time ever, she refused to budge from her home. This was new behavior and it really worried me because her world was shrinking.…
“My mother has been complaining about blurry vision, and I am concerned she might be developing cataracts. I don’t know how she is going to adjust if she loses her sight! Is there anything that we can do, or is it too late to save her vision?” – Silvia from Woodstock If your loved…
Susan is getting burnt out trying to care for her 91 year old father. She has a part-time job teaching and takes care of her two school-age grandchildren in the afternoons. Her mother has been gone for three years and Dad is truly struggling to stay independent, and failing at that. His neighbors and church…
Nearly 1 in 10 American senior citizens are abused or neglected each year, yet only 1 in 14 cases of elder abuse is brought to the attention of authorities, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Elder abuse can mean physical and psychological harm, but it also may manifest through financial exploitation…
//// By Susan Birenbaum LCSW, MBA, C-ASWCM //// People do not realize that suicide is a major problem in the elderly. Since Older Adults have so many medical issues, it is assumed that death is a result of co-morbidity rather than suicide. Albeit, our society does not value older adults as other cultures do. In…
“To write a letter is human, to receive a letter, divine” – Susan Lendroth Four years ago, I downsized. Living in an apartment house, I am now part of a community, not a formal one, but one with a passing hello in the lobby or weather conversation in the elevator. However, it was my relationship…
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was launched in 2006 on June 15th by the World Health Organization. Elder abuse is one of the most overlooked public health problems in the United States. Victims of abuse are three times more likely than those who weren’t mistreated to die prematurely. Learn how to identify those at risk and…
//// By: Lakelyn Hogan, MA, MBA, Gerontologist and Caregiver Advocate //// Caring for a family member can require a lot of coordination. Often family caregivers are living day-to-day juggling their responsibilities of caregiving, work and family. Few have the time or make the time to stop and consider plans for the future. COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has…
//// By: Harisa Paco, MSW, LICSW, CMC //// During March and April our whole world saw this pandemic wreak havoc on our lives. And yet, I’ve been amazed by creative ways that people have celebrated while social distancing. It feels like we’re constantly being bombarded by bad news, it’s tough to think about the current…