Elder Care Cafe

Welcome back!The complete title of this wonderful book is What’s Next…for You? The Gussin Guide to Big Decisions, Big Changes, and Big Fun by Robert and Patricia Gussin. What’s Next is a fascinating story of two people who retired after long successful careers in science and medicine and then went on to writing, publishing, and [...]

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My mother died of a stroke in 2004 as a result of TIA dementia. For at least ten years prior to her death, mini-strokes slowly reduced her ability to function on all levels, particularly on a cognitive (mental) level. I remember a particular afternoon when Mom and I were sitting side-by-side on her living room sofa [...]

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There are many issues before us as we move into what the authors call the best half of our life. There are wills to write, plans to make as we consider what we will want or need if we become incapacitated, choices to consider as we age and possibly need to move into nursing homes [...]

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In the midst of grief, it is often difficult to find the right words to express our feelings. I recently came across Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep, which contains over 250 carefully selected poems, quotations, and readings for use when you or someone close to you has lost a loved one.

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When my mother first showed signs of dementia, one of the early casualties of the disease was her inability to read the books she so loved. A number of times I sat on the sofa with her as we looked at magazines such as Ideal with its beautiful color photographs and large print. I am [...]

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Do you ever feel like life has passed you by? Is there something you always wanted to do, but you feel at your age it’s too late? Well, I have good news for you. Although I have not yet read his book, I came across the announcement that 79-year-old Bob Frey just published his first [...]

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Zina Kramer’s mother had Alzheimer’s and her mother-in-law, dementia. She saw first hand how children and grandchildren were affected when their grandparent no longer acted the same. That’s why Zina decided to write Hugging Grandma: Loving Those With Memory Disorders; with the hope the book would help children understand the changes they saw, and be able [...]

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Dr. Valentin Bragin, M.D., Ph.D., Founder and Director of the Stress Relief and Memory Training Center in Brooklyn, New York has recently published Conquering Depression in the Golden Years, a worthy follow-up to How to Activate Your Brain. This newest offering is an informative and easy-to-read guide for anyone who struggles with depression, or knows [...]

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Noveline DeVault was a Southern pentecostal preacher in her mid-fifties when she and her husband adopted four-year-old Carol. When her adoptive mother was eighty-nine years old, author and adopted daughter Carol O’Dell, brought Noveline into Carol’s home. Her mother was suffering from Parkinson’s and heart disease, and could no longer live on her own.

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As most any online savvy person knows, Twitter is all the rage right now. Not only does Twitter allow us to let others know what we are about nowadays, but it provides a great forum to promote our articles, products, or ideas. Recently I exchanged Tweets and then emails with someone associated with a British carer [...]

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As a long time fan of Debbie Macomber’s Cabot Cove and Blossom Street novels, I was thrilled when she wrote her first nonfiction book, Knit Together. The book starts out with a wonderful introduction by Liz Curtis Higgs who calls Debbie a savvy mentor who helps point the way to our God-given purpose in life. (All [...]

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In April, AARP created a fantastic online news magazine called AARPBulletinToday.  It is loaded with the most recent news in the world of the 50+. The AARP website has been a great source of information, but I also joined several groups and am getting to know other members. There is a good variety of groups with [...]

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