Family Caregivers

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Respite Care - What It Is and Why Family Caregivers Need It

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Respite Care - What It Is and Why Family Caregivers Need It

Caring for a senior loved one is a rewarding, yet challenging task.

Aging seniors need a varying degree of care from companionship to assistance with all activities of daily living such as getting out of bed, getting dressed, using the washroom, and cooking meals.

If you have your own full-time job and other family responsibilities, adding in the role of caregiver for your senior loved one can cause you to burn out. Not because it’s a burden on you, simply because you only have so much energy to expend in any given day.

What it Means to Be a Care Lead

What it Means to Be a Care Lead

Some clients arrange their own basic care needs, while others require a care lead. When we discuss the topic of care lead, we are often referring to the member of the family that has been appointed to make medical or healthcare decisions. The formal term for this is referred to as a Medical Power of Attorney.

This person is appointed by the client for the purpose of making healthcare decisions, but only if the client is not able to make decisions for themselves.

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Caring for Your Spouse

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Caring for Your Spouse

Many caregiving resources, from books to podcasts and everything in between, are targeted toward adult children. Some of us might assume that all senior care is orchestrated by children, or at the very least by younger relatives, and this assumption isn't unfounded: almost half of all caregivers in the US are between 18 and 49 years of age. But according to an analysis conducted in 2015, 34% of caregivers are over 65 years old. This is not an insignificant portion of the caregiving population, and these caregivers, many of whom are the spouses of the persons receiving care, require different support than adult children caregivers do. 

This post offers advice for spouses who have found themselves, along with their partners, at the stage in life during which “in sickness and in health” has transitioned from being a promise to being their daily reality.

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Top 10 Things to Do with Your Aging Parents in Boston

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Top 10 Things to Do with Your Aging Parents in Boston

Boston is a city rich in history, culture, and natural beauty. Sources of entertainment are seemingly limitless in Boston, but seniors do often face limitations when it comes to being active and exploring, such as low stamina and difficulties with mobility. Despite this, however, there are numerous senior-friendly activities in the city which are suitable for both visitors and longtime residents. In this post, you'll find a list of activities that you can partake in with your senior parents, many of which are accessible. Find an activity that suits your parent's interests and enjoy a family outing in "Beantown." 

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10 Summer Activities for Your Aging Parents

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10 Summer Activities for Your Aging Parents

Summer is traditionally an active time: kids are off school and playing outside, families gather for reunions and barbecues, and people flock to the beach for swimming, volleyball, and sandcastle-building. Aging may cause some mobility issues and heat sensitivity, but with a few adjustments, there is no reason seniors shouldn't enjoy the active summer season. Indeed, participating in indoor or outdoor activities can be beneficial for your senior parent's physical and mental health. 

With summer upon us, here are some ideas for activities you can do with your aging parent, or that your parent might want to partake in on their own, with friends, or even with their caregiver. 

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Sibling Communication in Senior Care

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Sibling Communication in Senior Care

Caregiving requires a lot of communication. You’ll have to establish clear lines of communication with your parent who needs care, with their doctors and other medical professionals, and with their home care aides.

But you’ll also have to establish good communication with the rest of your family unit – most importantly, your siblings and siblings-in-law. In the midst of making sure that our parent’s caregiver and all of the medical professionals in their life are on the same page as we are, communication lines with siblings are the ones we often forget to leave open.

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How to Care for a Difficult Elderly Parent

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How to Care for a Difficult Elderly Parent

Nearly every culture expects filial responsibility. It’s such an ordinary expectation that it seems like common sense: parents raise their children, and when they’re elderly or infirm, their children take care of them, returning their love and support. 

But what happens to expectations of filial responsibility when children feel that they never received love and support from their parents, or that parental love and support had unfair conditions attached? What happens to those expectations when your relationship with your aging parent is difficult, uncomfortable, or painful? 

These are hard questions for children who have negative relationships with their parents. There are no easy answers, but as with all aspects of senior care, there are many possible options. 

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The Importance of Spending Time with Family

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The Importance of Spending Time with Family

The benefits of spending time with your parents are numerous. Connections are so valuable, and it is our experiences with each other that allow us to build and foster relationships. Our connections to others are not frozen in time; they erode without proper maintenance. Allowing this to happen will lead to deep feelings of regret, and we should all try to avoid this emotion as much as possible. The worst regrets are those that we cannot change. This is always true of regrets concerning how we spend our time. Try not to allow this to happen to you. Spend time with your loved ones and create new lasting memories, while revisiting cherished old ones.