Elder Care Cafe

Welcome back!A side effect of aging or even chronic illness that most people do not understand is the loneliness that most seniors experience. Loneliness isn’t just about being alone. It is about being lonely, and, unfortunately, it comes with a price. Along with loneliness comes the feeling of isolation, of being disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and [...]

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There are a couple types of depression that may show themselves in today’s economic times. Short-term depression occurs in most all of us at some time or other in our lives, but severe depression is more serious and may require some type of medical care or intervention. Severe depression is when the feelings become so agonizing [...]

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The economic decline over the last couple of years in the United States, with its accompanying number of people who have lost their jobs, their lifestyles, and often their homes, reminds me how many people could also be struggling with depression. Unfortunately, the older people are when enduring these life-changing losses, the more likely they will [...]

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Many of you will remember Jane Pauley from her 13 years on NBC’s Today Show and later her 12-year stint on Dateline NBC. The good news for her fans is that she will appear on the Today show once a month as an ambassador in the new AARP-sponsored segment, Your Life is Calling With Jane Pauley. During the [...]

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Often as we grow older, we may begin to experience problems affecting our body and mind, including a change in our sense of smell and taste. Sensory changes may affect how we eat, enjoy food and drink and also affect the type of nutrients we put in our bodies. Depending on how severe the loss [...]

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Wednesday, May 26 was the 17th Annual National Senior Health & Fitness Day, a day that is dedicated to the health and fitness of America’s seniors. The day is part of the Older Americans Month celebrated every May. As we honor our seniors and celebrate those who are healthy and fit, it reminds us that [...]

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Every time a super-centenarian passes away, his or her story is highlighted in the daily news. Why is this news? Because super-centenarians are a unique group of people who have reached the age of 110-years-old.  According to those who are keeping track, there are approximately 300 to 450 super-centenarians currently living world-wide.

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There are a number of activities we can participate in to keep our minds stimulated and active as we age. As explained in Part One, most of the time Alzheimer’s and dementia occurs due to disease, not aging in and of itself. We can keep our minds active much longer than we do by actively [...]

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Reading and learning about our brain and how it functions are a fascinating adventure. I recently ran across several articles that explain more about how the brain operates and what we can do to keep our brain from falling into decline. Hopefully, this information will help all of us keep our brain active long into [...]

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How to Maintain a Healthy Brain No Matter How Old You Are! In years past, scientists thought we lost brain power as we aged. Now, they are realizing that we keep most of our brain cells as long as we live. In recent years we have seen a plethora of ads calling for us to [...]

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Over the years, I started to notice a chronic ache here, a slight painful few days there. Usually the ache or pain would go away after a while. I was quite athletic as a child until well into my thirties and forties. After a long run or a night of bowling three to six games, [...]

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As our parents age, many of us find ourselves having to cope with our parents declining health. Not only do we need to help them deal with a growing number of health issues, but also make such decisions as whether they should stay in their own home, move in with a family  member, or relocate to an assisted [...]

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During the 1950s and 1960s most seniors either moved in with their adult children or an adult child or caregiver moved in with them when they were unable to care for themselves. Life expectancy was much lower and most families did not have to care for their family members beyond their 40s, 50s, or 60s. [...]

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Along with the goals and objectives I am developing for the coming year as mentioned in yesterday’s post, I am also including healthy aging as a priority for both Dad and myself. As a caregiver, I need to stay healthy in order to better help the one I am caring for. Here is a brief [...]

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Readers of Elder Care Cafe will undoubtedly realize I haven’t posted in quite a while. It has been a long  almost six weeks mainly due to a crashing computer that has since died. I just got my laptop back from my daughter who used it while at school. Today is a new beginning for Elder [...]

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