Posts Tagged With ‘ Aging parents ’

Briana called AgingParents.com in distress. She was feeling panicky and angry. Her 80-year-old mother, Rhonda, had just bought another new car she could not afford. Briana explained that her mother’s funds were limited, but she kept insisting on living the life she had before her husband passed. Her parents had depleted their assets in the process of having a lot of fun in retirement, never considering that their money would not last. Rhonda was going to run out of savings in about a year, the way she was spending, and it was becoming clear that she was starting to need help at home. Briana had... Continue Reading

Most of our aging parents are living on longer than they or we expected. It’s great that an elder is part of the family into one’s 80s, 90s and beyond, perhaps living to see grandchildren and great grandchildren. And then there’s the long goodbye and the caregiving that almost inevitably comes with long life. Medical improvements can keep us going, overcoming some of the illnesses and conditions that used to end lives sooner. The question of quality of life remains unanswered–is it worth keeping someone going that long when the body and mind are failing and they can no longer enjoy life?... Continue Reading

The concepts of cannabis use in our society are still confusing, as Federal law conflicts with state laws. The majority of states have legalized the use of cannabis for medical use. In recent elections, more are steadily legalizing it for recreational use as well. Federal law still classifies cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug, the same as heroin. States allow its medical use for a variety of conditions that might otherwise be treated with opioids and other drugs. But the legalization of cannabis does not answer the question of how it could help aging adults with dementia-related agitated behaviors. Some... Continue Reading

The United States of Aging Survey, conducted by the National Council on Aging (NCOA), UnitedHealthcare and USA TODAY reported on seniors’ perspectives on aging and what concerns them. Of interest is what doesn’t seem to concern them so much:  taking care of their health. The survey was comprised of 4,000 telephone interviews, including nationally representative samples of Americans ages 60 and older and adults ages 18-59. The study found that sixty percent of seniors expect their health to stay the same over the next five to 10 years. (Who are they kidding?)  This comes from folks who... Continue Reading

Factors to consider Assisted living homes continue to spring up, with owners hoping to attract the highest paying residents to the nicest facilities. After all, Medicare does not cover assisted living and residents must pay out of pocket. If you are considering this for an aging parent, cost is a primary factor in the decision. The price of such a home varies widely from state to state depending on the cost of real estate in any location. The better amenities in an assisted living home also cost more. Before a family chooses a place based on costs of care, explore all options in the area. Notice... Continue Reading

Warn Aging Parents About Post-Disaster Scammers Devastating hurricanes, storms, tornadoes, flooding, and fires, across many parts of the U.S. leave people vulnerable. Aging parents, often far away from family, are especially at risk. When disaster strikes, scammers see opportunity. The waters after Ian haven’t even receded, and ripoff artists are already scheming how to take advantage of people. They move fast. They can get to your loved ones while they are still dazed and feeling lost. Scammers see confuses folks as a golden opportunity to get money. The Federal Trade Commission has issued a warning of... Continue Reading

For those with aging loved ones, it may be difficult to distinguish a few signs of “normal” aging from things that should raise some red flags. No one teaches you in school how to spot trouble signs with aging loved ones. And it’s our human nature to avoid unpleasant things, isn’t it? Watching our aging parents decline is difficult, though part of nature. But there are some obvious warnings we really need to see, and act upon rather than ignore. Here’s an example, though I have just made up the story that goes with what I saw. In walking in my neighborhood, I came across a beat-up car,... Continue Reading

In our work at AgingParents.com, we often hear from adult children that the elder in their lives absolutely doesn’t want to be “put in a home”. By that they typically mean that they fear giving up their own living situation and being forced to go elsewhere for some form of care. They extract promises from their loved ones that they’ll never do that. There are times when family can’t take care of the aging parent at home and a living situation with caregivers in place is a solution. But for some with ruthless adult children, the nightmare comes true. Here is a real-life example. Jonas... Continue Reading

Every year since 2004, private long term care insurer, Genworth has conducted a national survey to determine the average costs of care at home, and in facilities. The data is broken down by state, with the median price listed. The bottom line: the cost of care is rising significantly in all the four general areas Genworth studied. It is also rising in the areas it did not study. Inflation is affecting how much it costs elders and families to keep them at home or in any living situation.  The Genworth study includes home care, adult day health, assisted living and nursing homes. There is a lot... Continue Reading

Devastating hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, fires, across many parts of the U.S. leave people vulnerable. Aging parents, often far away from family, are especially at risk. When disaster strikes, scammers see opportunity. The waters after Ian haven’t even receded, and ripoff artists are already scheming how to take advantage of people. They move fast. They can get to your loved ones while they are still dazed and feeling lost. Scammers see folks like that as a golden opportunity to get money. The Federal Trade Commission has issued a warning of what to watch for and how to avoid the opportunists... Continue Reading