All Entries in the "Challenges" Category
Help and hope for Alzheimers Caregivers
From Dale Carter:
While discovering that our aging parent has Alzheimer’s may seem like a devastating loss, one woman shows us the way to view it as a life-changing opportunity.
That woman is Lori La Bey. She is no stranger to Alzheimer’s. Her mother suffered early onset Alzheimer’s, and after 30 years, is [...]
Lessons on being resilient
Our aging parents face all sorts of challenges as they grow older:
A simple illness can wreak havoc on a compromised immune system.
A fall can result in a broken hip and extensive rehab.
The loss of a spouse can result in quick onset of depression.
The 3 challenges I’ve listed are more common than you [...]
Survival tools for a caregiver
Margery Pabst, author of “Enrich Your Caregiving Journey” was a guest on my BlogTalkRadio show. If you have time, I highly recommend you listen to the archived recording. She shared so many nuggets of wisdom for caregivers. I’ve decided to highlight 3 tools that I think are quite unique and powerful.
Create a Circle of [...]
Can memory loss be prevented?
Articles about preventing memory loss are prevalent these days. For those of us caring for elderly parents, we are likely immersed in caring for a parent with dementia… or perhaps our parent recently received the diagnosis…or we are watching our parents closely for signs. I realized something last night as I was leaving a meeting. [...]
The challenges of online dating
I hosted my first Flourish Over 50 event recently, and one of the hot topics of discussion was “dating”–speed dating, online dating, E-Harmony, match.com–and all the frustrations that go along with trying to find a companion when you’re single over 50. Why is it so hard to find a great man to spend time with, [...]
Redefining dementia as a terminal illness
Dementia affects 5 million Americans. The number is expected to triple by 2050. Many believe dementia is simply a mental ailment of old age. It is not!
A Time Magazine article highlights a large research study published in the Oct. 15th 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The conclusion is that “dementia is [...]
“Top 5″ lists when caring for aging parents
I’ve created two Top 5 lists that summarize keypoints that will help you and your aging parent before crisis hits.
5 things I did (in my mother’s crisis) that helped
5 things I wish I had known and done beforehand
5 Things I did that helped us:
1. From [...]
Caregivers–parenting your parents
Parenting our parents is one of the greatest challenges for the over-50 generation. It can mean not only taking care of your family and your career, but also taking care of the physical and emotional needs of an aging parent who becomes more dependent on you every day. It is important to get support when [...]
How to Deal with a Difficult Sibling in Decision-making for an Aging Parent
It seems that every day I have a similar conversation with friends and colleagues. “I can’t get our family on the same page about our elderly parent. It’s like my brother came in from another planet.” I laughed the first time I heard that statement but realize that’s exactly how I felt about my brother!
Why [...]
Better communication with your parent
Many long-distance caregivers are preparing for visits with our aging parents during the spring and summer. We all want to make the most of the time with our parents.
But do you sometimes end your visit and realize you wished you had broached some important topic?
OR sensed there was something your parent was not sharing with [...]
Online dating for the over-50 generation
Why is online dating more acceptable? Our society has experienced significant changes in the past few decades. These changes make online dating a far more feasible option than it was in its infancy.
Reason #1
The divorce rate is rising. Divorce has been losing its negative stigma for many years. Divorced men and women, [...]
Dealing with your parent’s “stuff”
My parents lived in the same town their entire adult lives in only two houses. After my father passed away and my mother’s health was failing, we made the tough decision to move her closer to me to an assisted living complex. Then came the hard part–going through the years of “stuff” to decide what [...]
Empty nest, redefined
In an excellent article on the “empty nest syndrome,” Dixie Mills writes:
There are many ways to prepare for when our children leave our homes, and redefining our roles as mothers can be a rewarding experience not just for ourselves, but for our kids as well. So instead of visualizing a real bird’s nest without any [...]
