Elder Care Cafe

We were saddened last week by the death of my Dad’s sister, my Aunt Vi. She was 92-years-old at the time of her death. She and Dad had spoken by phone almost daily since the death of her husband in 2001, which was especially helpful to Dad after the death of his wife (my mother) [...]

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You made the decision. You chose to care enough for someone else that you were now their caregiver. Whether you decided to move in with the person you were caring for, or they moved in with you, you arrived at a time when you wondered how you were going to keep it all together.

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Over the years, most of us lived our lives along a continuum of day to day experiences that grew into weeks, months, and years. One day we looked back and realized just how many years we have been on earth. At some time or other most of us have faced not only our own struggles, [...]

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As caregivers soon learn, stress becomes part of their daily life. Long hours, mental and physical strain, and isolation, among other aspects, often leave the caregiver exhausted and at the breaking point. In the past, we have discussed a number of ways caregivers can de-stress when their duties seem overwhelming. Earlier this year I found [...]

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Numerous studies have shown the connection between what you eat and how you feel. Eat the right foods and you will feel happy and full of energy. Eat the wrong foods and you will feel down in the dumps, cranky, and struggle trying to get a good night’s sleep.

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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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For the past two weeks, my daughter and my two-and-one-half-year-old grandson, David, stayed with us while they visited area family and friends. They headed back to the Coastal Bend of Texas a couple of days ago. What a joy to see my little guy – I hadn’t seen him since he was nine months old. [...]

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Dad and I had a conversation tonight that got me thinking about what happens when my caregiving days are at an end. Although it’s not the first time I have wondered what I would do or where I would go, for some reason the feeling of needing to seriously consider the future seemed stronger tonight. [...]

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A growing trend in recent years is to choose natural, or green, funerals and burial sites. Many cemeteries are running out of room, people are growing more aware of the impact on the environment that the typical modern funeral yields, and as funeral and burial costs rise, natural funerals and burials are becoming more attractive [...]

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Because I am still recovering from Monday’s birthday party, I thought I would stay away from serious subjects for today. There will be time for seriousness tomorrow. Today I am still slightly hunger-over from the sugar rush. The birthday cake was delicious. However, as I was relaxing and thinking about the fact that this is [...]

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Most people at one time or another have experienced the feeling of loneliness. Being alone can be a positive or negative experience for a person depending on whether they are alone by choice. Loneliness, however, can occur when someone experiences strong feelings of emptiness, even when one is in the midst of a crowd.

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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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Recently, I had the very pleasurable experience of enjoying a DVD filmed and edited by Bill Manning and produced by Natural Arts Media. Waterfalls is the title, and as the subtitle notes, the DVD does “Bring a New Level of Relaxation to Your Day….”

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  Mom grew up in the eastern side of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, between St. Ignace and Sault Saint Marie. There are many lighthouses throughout the Great Lakes region. She loved taking their pictures, and entered those she could, climbing to the top to enjoy the panoramic view. One year shortly before she retired, Mom, [...]

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Recently, I ran across an article on WebMD that was published in 2000 addressing an interesting study suggesting loneliness seemed to improve or disappear as one grew older. The study showed older adults emotionally bounced back much easier than young people. The researchers believed it was due to the maturity and life experiences of the [...]

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