Elder Care Cafe

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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Even us older gals need to pay attention to our beauty habits. In fact, we probably need to more than those who are young. Our guest author for today addresses several bad beauty habits we need to stop committing. You can read more about Margaret Jules at the end of the article. There has never [...]

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Although many of us have heard of and used personal care items for years, the term personal care as it applies to aging seniors hasn’t been quite as well known until recently. I hadn’t heard of the term until the last year or two when we started looking into help with dad.  One of the [...]

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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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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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If you are anywhere north of fifty or sixty, you already know your body is going downhill. As those approaching senior status are aware, sleep does not come as easily or last as long as it once did. Many have trouble sleeping more than three or four hours at a time and sometimes wake up [...]

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My mother fought the battle of the bulge for many years, usually counting calories as a way to keep herself from gaining too much weight. However, as her dementia worsened over time she began gaining more weight than she needed because she no longer had the control to stop. By the time she entered the [...]

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As most of us are aware, as we age we experience numerous changes in our body. Quite often one of those changes is our sense of smell. Unfortunately, any change in our sense of smell can also affect our enjoyment of what we eat and drink, as well as how we eat and what nutrients [...]

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Years ago we envisioned our golden years to be full of relaxation and stress free living; at least most of us did. Who in the world would want financial woes, family problems, or emotional upheavals to plague them as they entered their senior years? Most seniors look forward to living a life that allows them [...]

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As we all know aging is a process that occurs over time. We are young, active, and enjoying life. Then one day the realization sets in that we are feeling and looking older; we either do not or cannot exercise or participate in sports the way we used to; and we are beginning to tire [...]

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Recently I noticed how thin my father’s skin has become. In fact, it is so thin that just touching it can cause it to tear apart. As careful as we are when we apply the lotion the doctor gave him, we still have a problems. That got me thinking about finding skin tips that tell [...]

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Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects the lives of about 16 million people in the United States. Many of those afflicted with the disease are not aware that they have it. Further statistics are just as alarming – 2,200 new cases of diabetes are diagnosed every day and 780,00 new cases every year.  [...]

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This article covers a range of issues relating to the health and safety of seniors. Some of these factors are extremely basic but seldom considered whenever senior health is in the spotlight. While you have probably heard all of this before, we hope that by bringing these issues to the forefront once again we will [...]

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As most of us know, carrying around excess weight as we grow older has a negative impact on our health and the number of years we will likely live. Some people think that once we retire, that gives us a license to sit around and eat all day! That is not the case. In fact, [...]

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What are assistive devices and how important are they for seniors? Assistive devices help the elderly to remain active yet safe. They include but are not limited to canes, bath safety devices like grab bars and even hip protectors. You would be amazed at the number of assistive devices available on the market that can [...]

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