Complaining Senior Citizen When orienting newly hired home health aides, one should always stress the problems and uniqueness of the situation that they will be encountering. What they should NOT expect to find is a smiling, polite, sweet and considerate patient behind that apartment door. What they WILL find is a grumpy, complaining senior citizen.…
DetailsElderly Alcohol Abuse Alcohol abuse seems to be the most common form of substance abuse in the elderly and is on the rise among this age group. According to Dr. Richard A. Friedman’s article in the New York Times, “A Rising Tide of Substance Abuse,” there seems to be much cause for alarm as the…
DetailsMedical Note Takers With families dispersed throughout the country and the world, a needs gap has developed. Having someone else accompany a senior and take notes during doctors’ visits is gaining popularity as an additional way to care for the elderly. This is especially important with children at work or living in faraway cities. These…
DetailsMemory Clubs for Dementia More and more, dementia patients are being encouraged to join Memory Clubs, a popular and successful form of Reminiscence Therapy. This therapy involves clubs or social groups forming around shared and intense interests in which participants may discuss their opinions, experiences and feelings. The focus of these groups could be sports…
DetailsBehavioral & Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) Many people think of dementia impacting cognitive impairment, like memory loss and attention, but dementia is not just memory loss. However, there are behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) that occur in about 90 percent of dementia patients. Moreover, these non-cognitive symptoms are equally important to the syndrome…
DetailsStart Sooner Rather Than Later We need to start thinking about Long Term Care (LTC) and its associated insurance sooner than once considered. While we do think of this coverage with respect to our elderly population, (about 60% of individuals over age 65 will require services), this coverage should also be seriously considered for younger…
DetailsHome Health Aides Home healthcare is a service for individuals who need professional skilled home healthcare services recommended by a professional or physician. It’s appropriate for you if you have had an illness, surgical procedure, injury, or any life event that makes carrying out the daily activities of living difficult. In these cases, a certified…
DetailsChoosing a Home Healthcare Agency When it comes to choosing the right Home Healthcare Agency for you or your loved one, it can sometimes feel like a daunting and emotionally charged task. But, it does not have to. If you have the right questions to ask, the answers will lead you to the right agency.…
DetailsDo Older Adults With Heart Disease Resist Change? This New York Times article entitled Generation Y-Me by Paula Span puts an interesting twist on a theory as to why the older adults resist change. Researchers parse a study comparing how two different age groups deal with heart failure. In it, they detect a key difference in…
DetailsStill Need to Say, “Wash Your Hands!” More than 150 years after the discovery of the germ theory, we are still harping on the directive your mother always screamed at you to do – “wash your hands!” The following Wall Street Journal article, “Why Hospitals Want Patients to Ask Doctors, ‘Have You Washed Your Hands?’”,…
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