Talking to Siblings About Caring for Mom and Dad

Many modern families have members living all over the country—and all over the world.  Which means that the holiday season provides one of the only times to all get together in person, celebrate, catch up… and talk about caregiving strategies for aging parents. Unfortunately, this kind of conversation can be a difficult one, especially if… Read More »

Estate Planning Through the Ages

Can you remember what you were doing in your early 20s?  Can you imagine what kind of life you’ll be living in your 70s or 80s?  We experience incredible changes as the decades roll by—not just to ourselves, but in the world at large. With our lives changing so much, our estate planning documents and… Read More »

The Quiet Devastation of Alzheimer’s Disease

According to a recent report put out by the Alzheimer’s Association, 5.3 million people have Alzheimer’s disease.  Chances are that you or someone you know has been touched by this illness.  In spite of these overwhelming statistics, Alzheimer’s continues to be a disease that sneaks up on individuals and their families, quietly tearing apart lives… Read More »

Just Say No? Medical Marijuana in Nursing Homes

The legalization of marijuana is on the ballot in California this November, but California isn’t the only part of the country where marijuana is making news.  The use of marijuana for medical purposes is being debated around the nation—especially as concerns elderly patients in nursing homes which receive federal funding through Medicare or Medicaid. This… Read More »

Help for Alzheimer’s Patients AND Their Caregivers

Shakespeare said that old age is a return to childhood; without teeth, without voice… and in the case of Alzheimer’s patients, without memories.  But if the elderly have to endure the drawbacks of childhood, shouldn’t they get some of the benefits too? The Family Caregiver Alliance must have thought so too, because a few times… Read More »

How to Help Your Elderly Parents When You Live Far Away

We’ve written often on this blog about the concerns that caregiver children have for their elderly parents, but that’s only one side of the story. Many families also have an adult child living far from home, and though the concerns of the long-distance child may be different from the one who lives down the street,… Read More »

Will Long-Term Care Living Arrangements Prevent You from Leaving an Inheritance?

In our last post we wrote about what matters most when choosing a long-term care living situation, suggesting that it’s not always the place that matters most, but the mind-set of the elderly person who will be living there, and how involved that person is in the decision-making process. However, this does not mean that… Read More »