Changing the Bedsheets

By Elizabeth Eby

Under ordinary circumstances, changing bed linens is a snap; but changing the linens while someone is in the bed calls for domestic engineering. Read more

 

Healing With Music

By Deborah Harkins

What balm can doctors or caregivers offer a human being whose life has been derailed by a devastating impairment-dementia, say, or a crippling accident, or paralysis, or the loss of the ability to speak? They can give the gift of music. Researchers at the Institute of Music and Neurologic Function, a nonprofit research center founded in 1995 in New York City, has found that music has the ability not only to calm, to stimulate and to trigger elation, but also to heal. Read more

 

Helping your Loved One Accept a Second Opinion

By Vicki Rackner, M.D.

A situation all too common for caregivers is the reluctance of loved ones to get a second opinion. For instance, Jody, a caregiver, said, “My mother seems to have a million reasons for not getting a second medical opinion. She has some good points, and I’m often hard pressed to overcome her objections.” Read more

 

Making Shared Time Enjoyable for All

By Ellen Neuborne

Of all the things we can do for a sick or aging loved one, perhaps the best and most important, is to simply visit. Read more

 

Memory Games

By Elizabeth Eby

When I think about being fit and keeping in shape I usually think about the gym, but the Alzheimer’s Association reminds us that keeping fit from the neck up is even more important. Studies show that people with well-developed analytical skills and positive mental attitudes are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Read more

 

Moving Tips: Making a Loved One's Move Less Stressful

By Christopher Johnston

With a laundry list of things to do when taking care of a loved one, some choices must take priority. Moving can be very stressful and moving a loved one into a nursing home or care facility may be especially difficult. The logistics can be overwhelming, not to mention the emotional stresses. Read more

 

Old Age or Treatable Condition?

By Elaine J. Amella, Ph. D, A.P.R.N., B.C.

It's no surprise: Bodies change as people grow older. Yet sometimes, important clues to disease, like shifts in appetite or sleep, are dismissed as the normal results of "old age." With a combination of close observation and readily available assessment tools, family members, caregivers, and health- care staff can tell the difference. Read more

 

Time for a Nursing Home

By Amy Hoover Tuso

It happens to all of us. Death in the family. A remaining spouse without their life partner now, all of a sudden, in major need. At the time this occurred in my life, I thought my mother would take care of her mother…after all, she was next in line. Read more

 

Touch & Comfort Heal

By Nicole Levison

Whether one is nine hours old or 90 years old, touch heals. However, many seniors go without intimate touching for a year or more at a time, with medical personnel providing the only physical contact. Touch is important for people of all ages.It's comforting and helps us feel closer to the people in our lives. Read more

 

When Someone You Love is in Pain

By Vicki Rackner, M.D.

A parent, child, or partner in pain can bring even the strongest, most capable adult to his or her knees. Read more