Too Many Patients Are Delaying Hospice Care By article Although hospice can benefit terminally ill patients over a period of time, one in six cancer patients enroll it in … Read More→
Five Lessons I Learned From My Years as an Alzheimer's Caregiver By Jane Farrell blog Why is life so much clearer in retrospect? With the passage of time, it is easy to look back, see the big picture and think: ΓÇ£If IΓÇÖd only known then, what I know now.ΓÇ¥ I often hear caregivers voice this sentiment. And, as a long-time AlzheimerΓÇÖs caregiver myself (for my mother, father and other relatives ΓÇö now all deceased), I feel the same way. In the rear view mirror, the decisions and choices that I agonized over at the time now either seem so obvious or so trivial. I wish IΓÇÖd not been so caught up in details that were unimportant.
Coming Next Week! August 25th to August 29th 2014 By Sondra Forsyth article HereΓÇÖs a sneak preview of the articles, slideshows, and blogs weΓÇÖll be posting during the coming week on ThirdAge, the biggest and best site for ΓÇ£boomer and beyondΓÇ¥ women since 1997. As always, weΓÇÖll bring you the latest information from top experts about maintaining a healthy body, mind, and spirit as you navigate both the challenges and the joys of being a ThirdAger.
_ Caregiving Daughters, Not Sons, Are the Caregivers By Sondra Forsyth article Researchers at Princeton University found women appear to provide as much elderly parent care as they can, while men contribute as little as possible. The study was presented in August 2014 at at the 109th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association in San Francisco.
_ Caregiving Managing Dementia Related Personality Changes By Sondra Forsyth article AlzheimerΓÇÖs disease causes brain cells to die, so the brain works less well over time. This changes how a person acts. Here, from the National Institute on Aging, are suggestions that may help you understand and cope with changes in personality and behavior in a person with AlzheimerΓÇÖs disease. Common personality and behavior changes you may see include: ΓÇó Getting upset, worried, and angry more easily ΓÇó Acting depressed or not interested in things ΓÇó Hiding things or believing other people are hiding things
_ Women's Health and Wellness Female Boomers with Asthma Face Challenges By Sondra Forsyth article An article published in the August 2014 issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the scientific publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), outlines the challenges faced by older women in treating asthma, and offers practical solutions to improve their care.
Life in a Sandwich By blog About a third of all AlzheimerΓÇÖs and dementia patient caregivers are living their lives ΓÇ£sandwichedΓÇ¥ between caring for their loved one and raising their own children or grandchildren. With women often having their children later, and with so many young adults moving back into the nest, more families are finding themselves dealing with multi-generational caregiving challenges.
_ Aging Well Caregiving Medical Care Long-Term Care Must Be Improved By Sondra Forsyth article As millions of Americans struggle to help loved ones with dementia, policymakers should consider more ways to improve long-term services and supports for the soaring numbers of people with the debilitating condition and their caregivers, according to a new RAND Corporation study done in June 2014. Thereport also offers possible ways to achieve those goals.
_ The "New Normal": Life After Cancer Treatment By Jane Farrell article Cancer is a frightening and even traumatic experience not only for patients but for caregivers. But once diagnosis and treatment are over, people who cared for a loved one may expect to put it behind them and go back to their normal life. As the National Cancer Institute (NCI) explains, though, thatΓÇÖs not usually the case. Caregivers are faced with a ΓÇ£new normalΓÇ¥ that may make life seem more forbidding and uncertain. Here, experts from the NCI take a look at a situation thatΓÇÖs often neglected, and share some strategies for coping:
_ When a Loved One Is Diagnosed With Parkinson's Disease By Sondra Forsyth article By Judy Santamaria MSPH The incidence of Parkinson's disease, which is common in people over the age of 60, is expected to rise with the aging of our populations. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that mainly affects movement. The primary symptoms of Parkinson's disease are tremor, rigidity or stiffness of the muscles, slow movement, loss of movement, and balance and walking problems.
_ Caregiving Early Palliative Support Helps Cancer Caregivers By Sondra Forsyth article Dartmouth researchers have found that those caring for patients with advanced cancer experienced reduced depression and felt less burdened by caregiving tasks when palliative support services were offered soon after the patient's diagnosis. The team presented the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncologist (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago on June 3rd 2014.
Aging Well Seniors Have Roomies, Too By Jane Farrell article By Judy Santamaria, MSPH Most of us know that loneliness isn't good for us -- but as we age, many of us find our circle of friends and family diminishing in size for various reasons. Sometimes consciously, sometimes not, loneliness can creep in, and begin to affect our spirits in a less-than-healthy way. Recently, I've been hearing about some really interesting ways seniors are stacking the deck in their own favor to combat loneliness associated with aging, and I wanted to share a few of them with you here.
_ Caregiving How to Avoid Financial Ruin as a Caregiver By article By Hilary Young A shrinking middle class, medical expenses at an all-time high and a caregiver shortage: it’s the perfect cocktail for financial ruin. And now a new study from researchers with the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada has found that women in particular are more susceptible to going bankrupt when caring for an elderly parent.
An Alzheimer's Toolkit For Caregivers By blog If you’re caring for someone with dementia symptoms you’ll already be aware of the complex challenges it presents. People with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia are affected by a range of symptoms, including memory loss, difficulty communicating, changes in mood, agitation, depression, physical issues and so much more. These symptoms are not difficult just for the person who is ill, but for their loved ones as well. In fact, they can be overwhelming.
_ How You Can Help a Spouse With Cancer By article By Nurse Practitioner Jamie Kabat, BSN, MSN, CNP and Clinical Nurse Specialist Josette Snyder, RN, MSN, AOCN One of the most frequent – and touching – questions we get on the Cleveland Clinic’s Cancer Answer Line is from people whose spouses or partners have been newly diagnosed with cancer. They want to know how they can help and support their spouses through this life-changing diagnosis and the ensuing treatment.
_ Aging Well The Future of Aging, 2014 By article Here’s a link to a video of the General Session from the 2014 American Society on Aging "Aging in America" Conference in San Diego. JoAnn Jenkins (AARP); Ken Dychtwald, Ph.D. (Age Wave); Joe Coughlin, Ph.D. (MIT AgeLab); and Fernando Torres-Gil, Ph.D. (UCLA) present their views about the future of aging.
_ Caregivers for Wounded Veterans By article More than 1.1 million spouses, parents, and friends are caring for the injured and disabled who have served in the U.S. military since Sept. 11, 2001, often doing so without a formal support network and putting their own well-being at risk, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
Caregiving Adult Day Care A Boon for Caregivers By article Family caregivers show an increase in the beneficial stress hormone DHEA-S on days when they use an adult day care service for their relatives with dementia, according to researchers at Penn State and the University of Texas at Austin. A release from Penn explains that DHEA-S controls the harmful effects of cortisol and is associated with better long-term health.