Elder Care Cafe

Depending on their circumstances, it doesn’t usually take a long time before caregivers start to feel a little overwhelmed. As time goes by and the needs of the person or people they are caring for increase, the pressure to succeed as a caregiver begins to intensify. When someone is caring for more than one family [...]

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Caregivers must take care of themselves if they expect to take care of their loved one for any period of time without burning out. They need to make sure they are taking care of their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. We have a checklist for caregivers to use to make sure they are touching all [...]

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Family dynamics can be a complicated situation. Some families seem to have a loving, close-knit relationship with children who seem to grow to adulthood with little strife. On the other end of the spectrum are the families that have multiple problems, dysfunctional parents, and abused and damaged children. Many of us are somewhere in between. [...]

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Beware this personal rant on a situation I have noticed more often the past couple of years. Not only are people aging, but so our the financial institutions we have lived with for decades. Unfortunately, they are not willing to change with the times and adjust to the fact that there is a growing number [...]

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When I first moved in with Dad in the fall of 2006, I had no problem sleeping through the night. In fact, I was a good sleeper! I woke up alert and ready to face the day. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long before I struggled with sleeping all night, woke up tired, and forced myself [...]

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I’m a little ticked off today and I’m going to tell on someone because I think, as caregivers, we need to be aware of where abuse comes from and who it is aimed at. And, we need to try to nip it in the bud! A number of wonderful people in our life at this [...]

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In a previous post I wrote about caregiver abuse as it applies to the caregivers by the elderly. In this article I would like to address the issue of caregiver abuse towards the person they are caring for.  Caregiver abuse towards the elderly can also include neglect as well. Elder abuse tends to be more [...]

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Caregiver abuse is a problem in our society, but can take on two different scenarios – caregivers can be abused by the person they are caring for, and elders and others can be abused by their caregivers. A third scenario is when both are abusive to one another – the most toxic type of caregiver [...]

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The other day as I was trying to reconnect to the old caregiving forums I used to inhabit several years ago, one of the sites I checked out was the AARP website. I was specifically looking for forums or discussion boards. What I found was the Community tab on the second group of tabs at [...]

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Today I wanted to connect up with some of the caregiver forums I used to inhabit. What a surprising challenge that was! First of all, apparently not all of them are up and running any more. Others have changed their websites including the URL or the link goes to a dead end message. I started [...]

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One of the most difficult tasks of a family caregiver is when the parent needs personal care. Very few adult children are able or willing to perform the intimate tasks of personal hygiene that will keep their parent clean and healthy. Most of us know how a shower or bath and a clean change of [...]

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Fountain of youth – a myth that has been passed on from generation to generation. According to the myth, anyone who drinks from it will be given the gift of eternal youth. In reality, nobody is exempted. All of us will get old. And as we get older, our physical body changes along with the [...]

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No-one wants to see a loved one lose their independence. But if the worst does happen, and they need full-time care, does the job fall to you? Or should you find paid care for your relative? With so many options out there, it really can be hard to make an informed decision. If you’re thinking [...]

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Although aging seniors can sometimes be difficult to live with, making the decision to share a home Is sometimes the best or only option. You will need to prepare yourself and your family for the additional number of people in the house, as well as the adjustments and sacrifices that will have to be made [...]

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Many elderly people want to stay in their own home as long as possible. That makes sense because it’s familiar to them and they feel safer than they would if they moved somewhere else. Thankfully, there are organizations on a local and national level that can help families decide what would be best for their [...]

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