Elder Care Cafe

Elder care concerns, information, and support

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Entries from November 2008

Declining Life Expectancy in U.S. Defies the Norm

November 29th, 2008 · Comments Off

Welcome back!The day before Thanksgiving, Edna Parker, the oldest living person in the world at 115, passed away. After reading of Edna’s demise, I searched for longevity stats to see what the national life expectancy is at this time. I found the site About.com. Longevity, and was surprised to come across an article titled Life Expectancy [...]

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Tags: Health Care

Medco Provides Seniors a Free Donut Hole Guide

November 20th, 2008 · Comments Off

The senior citizen set is currently undergoing the Medicare Part D enrollment process that ends December 31, 2008. To aid seniors in making informative decisions, Medco Health Solutions, Inc. has released a free guide called “What’s Your Gap? Three simple steps to make the most of your Medicare Part D coverage and delay the Coverage Gap.” [...]

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Tags: Health Care

Medicare Part D Sign-up Time

November 17th, 2008 · Comments Off

The enrollment period for Medicare Part D runs from November 15 through December 31, 2008. Medicare Part D insurance plans help cover the cost of prescription medicines. There are numerous plans to choose from, and seniors, or their family members or caregivers, should take the time to sort through the many options to decide what is [...]

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Tags: Health Care

7 Reasons Why Forums are a Beautiful Thing

November 15th, 2008 · Comments Off

Over the past year, I have connected with several forums related to elder care, aging, or care giving. The most emotionally difficult, yet fulfilling, forum relates to care giving. I also belong to several forums regarding freelance writing and blogging. Here are seven reasons you should consider joining a forum in your particular area of interest. Members [...]

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Tags: Cafe

7 Ways Older Americans Can Stay Sharp

November 12th, 2008 · Comments Off

As we age, our life experiences may give us wisdom, but our mind tends to struggle when we are trying to recall facts. Many of us have tried to grasp the allusive date or name we should remember, such as a relatives birthday or the name of an acquaintance. Recent research suggests exercise and healthy [...]

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Tags: Aging · Cafe

Bad Election Night for Special Committee on Aging

November 8th, 2008 · Comments Off

Unfortunately for seniors, the Democrats held strong on the Senate’s Special Committee on Aging while the Republicans took quite a hit. Two former chairs lost their election, another one is voluntarily leaving due to a sex scandal, Senator Elizabeth Dole lost her seat in a shocking loss, and Senator Norm Coleman declared victory, but is in a recount [...]

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Tags: Cafe

Blood Pressure and Diabetes – What the Numbers Say

November 6th, 2008 · Comments Off

Last month I wrote about the role blood sugar plays in diabetes. This article addresses the role blood pressure plays in the life of diabetics. While many diabetics are concentrating on their blood sugar numbers, problems often arise when their high blood pressure goes undetected. Knowing their blood pressure numbers and keeping track of their highs [...]

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Tags: Health Care

Children Safer with Grandparents According to Study

November 5th, 2008 · Comments Off

This is a little off-topic for this site, but there is a growing number of grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren, and apparently that may be the safest place for at risk children. According to a study published in the November 2008 issue of Pediatrics, when children are cared for by their grandmother, their [...]

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Tags: Cafe

Family Caregiver Class Offered by NFCA

November 4th, 2008 · Comments Off

The National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) is celebrating their fifteen-year anniversary throughout the next year. Their desire is to thank, support, educate and empower family caregivers throughout the United States.

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Tags: Aging · Cafe · Caregivers · Elder Care · Health Care

November is National Family Caregivers Association Month

November 1st, 2008 · Comments Off

National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) is celebrating their 15th anniversary during the month of November. The National Family Caregivers Association works “to empower family caregivers to act on behalf of themselves and their loved ones, and remove the barriers to their health and well-being.”

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Tags: Cafe · Caregivers · Elder Care · Website Review