Editor’s note: Caregiving can be so all-consuming that you forget to care for yourself. But it’s essential that you do. Here, from the experts at the National Institute on Aging, are some suggestions for finding the time for self-care – and why it’s so important. Physical activity can help you: Increase your energy level so… Continue reading Caregivers and Exercise: Take Time for Yourself
Category: Family
Our Search for Self-Fulfillment May Be Based in Biology
Self-actualization – the process of working to realize our full potential – may have a biological as well as a mental drive, according to new research. “Despite all of this interest in becoming self-actualized, we still didn’t know what people believed it would mean to realize their full potential,” says Jaimie Arona Krems, a doctoral… Continue reading Our Search for Self-Fulfillment May Be Based in Biology
10 Tips to Avoid Caregiver Burnout
Being the primary caregiver for a loved one dealing with a serious medical condition is hard and will take a toll on you. The good news is there are things caregivers can do to help them provide the best care possible, make it through the tough times and avoid caregiver burnout. Soothe yourself with prayer,… Continue reading 10 Tips to Avoid Caregiver Burnout
Grief Delayed Is Not Grief Denied
It all seems pretty straightforward – almost formulaic in a way. You lose someone you love. It feels terrible. You cope with the shock. You mourn and you grieve. You wait patiently…and subsequently impatiently…for the time to arrive when life will resume some semblance of normalcy. The time arrives, the pain finally “disappears”…and you continue… Continue reading Grief Delayed Is Not Grief Denied
Parents, Teenagers and the Dangers of Online Dating
When most of today’s parents were teenagers, they developed their romantic crushes on the person they sat next to in algebra class, bumped into in front of their school lockers, or spotted at the next table in the cafeteria. But these days, teens in search of a date for Saturday night can find romance online,… Continue reading Parents, Teenagers and the Dangers of Online Dating
Older Adults Are the Ones Most Likely to Have Extramarital Affairs
Older Americans are cheating on their spouses more than their younger counterparts are, with 20 percent of married Americans over age 55 reporting they’ve engaged in extramarital sex. Just 14 percent of those under age 55 say they’ve cheated, according to Nicholas H. Wolfinger, a professor in the University of Utah’s Department of Family and… Continue reading Older Adults Are the Ones Most Likely to Have Extramarital Affairs
6 Things We Need To Stop Saying To Bereaved Parents
I know the gut-wrenching, hollow feeling left behind when a child is taken too early. It’s a feeling that mothers have experienced recently and throughout the last few years after tragic attacks in Orlando, Manchester, London, San Bernardino, Calif., and Charleston, S.C., just to name a few. With every new tragedy, vigil, story on the… Continue reading 6 Things We Need To Stop Saying To Bereaved Parents
10 Ways to Prepare for the Passing of a Loved One
Nobody wants to think about the passing of a loved one, but being prepared can make a difficult time a little bit more manageable. While it’s never easy, there are things you can do so when the inevitable happens, you are as ready as you can be. TELL OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS. Losing someone… Continue reading 10 Ways to Prepare for the Passing of a Loved One
thirdAGE Health Close-Up: Alzheimer’s Caregiving is a “Living Bereavement”
Having your spouse develop Alzheimer’s is a tragedy for anyone, but for Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, Ronald Glaser’s illness is laced with heartbreaking irony. In the early 1990s the couple published a landmark study proving that the caregiving of those suffering with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease experience stress that dramatically impacts their own health. Recalls Janice, 65,… Continue reading thirdAGE Health Close-Up: Alzheimer’s Caregiving is a “Living Bereavement”
Are Friends Better for Us Than Family as We Age?
The power of friendship gets stronger with age and may even be more important than family relationships, according to research published online in June2017 by a Michigan State University scholar. A release from the university explains that In a pair of studies involving nearly 280,000 people, William Chopik found that friendships become increasingly important to… Continue reading Are Friends Better for Us Than Family as We Age?
Older Married Couples and Advance Directives
A study published in June 2017 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society examined the effects spouses had on the decision of older adults to have Advance directives (ADs), the legal documents you can use to state in advance what medical treatments you do or do not wish to have under certain circumstances. You… Continue reading Older Married Couples and Advance Directives
Alzheimer’s Association Survey Shows That Many Caregivers Are Going It Alone
Findings from an Alzheimer’s Association survey released in June 2017 in conjunction with Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month show that while people overwhelmingly agree it often takes a village to provide care for someone living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia (91 percent), far too many caregivers are doing it alone. A release from… Continue reading Alzheimer’s Association Survey Shows That Many Caregivers Are Going It Alone
Medication Safety: Advice for New Parents – and Grandparents!
If your family has recently welcomed the addition of a precious newborn, make sure you know how to administer medications safely should the need arise. Grandparent alert: Don’t rely on your memory of bringing up your own brood! Advice may have changed. Your health care provider can be a great resource. A good time to… Continue reading Medication Safety: Advice for New Parents – and Grandparents!
Virtual Support Groups Help Grieving Spouses with Depression
As the U.S. population ages, it’s estimated that half of women older than 65 are widows, while one-sixth of men of the same age have lost their spouses. Support groups have proved to be a helpful resource for those dealing with grief, but for older individuals, obstacles such as geographic location and physical immobility can… Continue reading Virtual Support Groups Help Grieving Spouses with Depression
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Need to Learn Current Health Advice or Risk Endangering the Kids.
If you are a grandparent raising grandchildren, you deserve a lot f credit. Even so, be certain you’re up on current health advice about childrearing. A lot has changed since you were bringing up your own children. Many grandparents raising their grandchildren practice outdated health and parenting myths that could potentially pose serious risks to… Continue reading Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Need to Learn Current Health Advice or Risk Endangering the Kids.
Co-Parenting Communication: Rebuild Trust With Your Ex
You and your ex may have had your differences in the past, but let’s face it—you’ll never really “get along” now or anytime soon. Despite your differences, the fact is, while you two no longer have a romantic relationship, you do have children together. Which means you both need to put your differences aside and… Continue reading Co-Parenting Communication: Rebuild Trust With Your Ex
Delaying Middle School & High School Start Times Is Beneficial to Students
An position statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) published in the April 15th issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine asserts that the school day should begin at 8:30 a.m. or later for middle school and high school students. A release from AASM reports that data show that later start times… Continue reading Delaying Middle School & High School Start Times Is Beneficial to Students
Older, Married LGBT Couples Happier than Singles
Although same-sex marriage has been legal for only a short time, University of Washington researchers say they are already able to detect health benefits among couples. For years, studies have linked marriage with happiness among heterosexual couples. But a study from the UW School of Social Work is among the first to explore the potential… Continue reading Older, Married LGBT Couples Happier than Singles