When an aging parent is diagnosed with dementia of any kind, it can be devastating and confusing to the family. For some, there is denial: ”It’s not that bad, I don’t see anything wrong with her, and let’s just let things stay the same for now.” For others, there is overreacting and trying to push […]
Your aging parent may have demanded something from you long ago: “Promise you’ll never put me in a home!” And you may have promised that. Perhaps you never thought through the implications. For elders who saw what healthcare was like before Medicare in 1965, their fears are founded in what things looked like then: unregulated […]
Gertie is a sharp 89, with a history of being well organized in her life. She is widowed, and was living alone. During Covid, one of her four daughters and her husband moved in with her, a plan that was supposed to be temporary. Gertie needed a little help with shopping and transportation, as she […]
You may see some public notices from governments, nonprofit agencies and consumer organizations warning about increased scammer activity lately. There is a lot of focus on internet and phone scams — everything from fake threats to pay money or fake enticements to get a “deal” on something. People are shopping online and scammers are looking […]
The start line of the annual race in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, was crowded. A rain delay had participants just waiting. I looked over at a woman next to me, and said “hello”. She was friendly and we had a conversation. When the announcer asked who was celebrating a birthday, we both raised our […]
Just about everyone understands that our elders are at risk of health crises just because of age. Covid taught us a lot about emergencies from an unanticipated source. Most of us understand that our aging loved ones are vulnerable, especially those over 65 years old. Chronic medical conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease […]
As most people at retirement age are looking at a few chronic health conditions, it isn’t surprising that most are taking medications. According to astonishing 87-year-old Ann Kahl, a fitness guru in Florida, we’re using these drugs to do what we ought to be doing ourselves in many cases, just by being more active. Ms. […]
The law in any state allows a person with assets to do whatever they want with them in a will or trust. Many adult children, however, believe that they are entitled to inherit their aging parent’s wealth. This sense of entitlement can cause ugly fights after the elder passes, particularly when the family members who […]
People used to fear a diagnosis of cancer above all. That has been replaced by fear of a diagnosis of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. Most people know someone who has it or did in the past. There is good reason to be afraid. It’s a difficult, expensive and sometimes very long journey with this disease. […]
This is shocking, but it actually happened. I describe a real case, with names changed. The man involved was what we call an “elder orphan”. These are the ones with no kids, never married, or widowed and they do not have anyone paying much attention to them as they age. They are vulnerable to predators. […]
