Contact Care is There Today!
For help caring for your aging parents in Charlottesville, Staunton, or Harrisonburg Virginia, contact Care is There:
434.326.5323 ext 2 - ask for Elizabeth
info@careisthere.com
www.careisthere.com
Video: Tour of Simple Comforts, Supplies for Independent Living
Simple Comforts is a retail store in Charlottesville Virginia selling home medical equipment and supplies for independent living. Simple Comforts sells: Canes and crutches Walkers and rollators Transport chairs and wheelchairs Lift chairs Bath safety equipment Magnifiers Cushions Braces Assistive devices for cooking and eating Devices for getting in and out of vehicles Pressure stockings [...]
Video: Demo of Walkers, Rollators, Canes, Transport Chairs!
Not sure if you need a walker, rollator, wheelchair, or transport chair? What’s the proper height for a cane? What’s the proper way to sit on a rollator? Thanks to Tina and Jon Ross at Simple Comforts in Charlottesville, Virginia for giving us a quick demo of mobility devices. See the video below! See more [...]
Hearing Healthcare of Virginia
Hearing Healthcare of Virginia is a local, privately owned company with six clinics serving Virginia. The Hearing Healthcare of Virginia hearing specialists are longtime residents of the areas they serve and are committed to their communities! I know this personally because of their frequent and enthusiastic participation in Aging in Place Business Round Table in both [...]
The 25 Documents You Need Before You Die
What a luxury it is to have your affairs in order! And what a gift to the people you love! This list of 25 Documents You Need Before You Die, prepared by the Wall Street Journal, is a good guide to what documents you should have organized, and why. You must also be sure your [...]
New Resources for You from the Annual Conference of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers
I recently returned from the annual conference of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, and I’m chock full of new resources for you! To peek inside what’s front of mind for geriatric care managers like us at Care is There, take a look at the conference brochure. In addition to collaborating with hundreds [...]
HomeWork Solutions Handles Payroll Taxes and Background Checks for Your Private Caregivers
If you employ private caregivers for your loved one, you should know your payroll tax responsibilities. Don’t want to handle it yourself? There’s a service for that! HomeWork Solutions’ payroll services allow families to completely outsource the household payroll and tax remittance functions to payroll professionals. Payroll service subscribers offer their staff direct deposit of their payroll, [...]
Dementia Care Specialists Offers Training and Resources
The mission of Dementia Care Specialists is to create a dementia-capable society built on the knowledge that persons with dementia can feel joy, fulfillment, and love. They do this by offering a person-centered approach to training and consulting for those living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias (ADRD) and other cognitive challenges. As a result, clients [...]
Disposables Delivered Ships High Quality Incontinence Supplies to Your Home
If your loved one doesn’t drive or finds errands exhausting, Disposables Delivered can ship incontinence supplies directly to their home. I met Lucille Levine, RN, BSN – a representative of Disposables Delivered – at the annual conference of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. I was impressed by the service this company offers. [...]
Mom’s Meals Delivers Fresh Meals to Your Loved One’s Home
At Care is There we’re always on the lookout for great meal solutions for seniors, so “Mom’s Meals” caught my eye. Mom’s Meals are made from fresh, high-quality ingredients, are delivered directly to your loved one’s home in a refrigerated container, and remain fresh in the refrigerator for 14 – 18 days. The cost is [...]
Marta Keane Named CEO of JABA!
Marta Keane has been named CEO of JABA (the Jefferson Area Board for Aging). Keane, who joined JABA as Chief Operating Officer (COO) this past October, will take over as CEO effective today. “We conducted a nationwide search involving many qualified candidates,” says Dick Gibson, Chair of JABA’s Board of Directors. “The Board was unanimous [...]
If You Can Face It, I Can Face It!
“Are you ready for this?” My client was continuing a game we love to play together: I call to remind her of my appointment to help her with her calendar, the mail, the bills, the taxes, the doctor’s appointments. She warns me, tongue firmly in cheek, of the chaos that will greet me when I [...]
Think You Know What a Power of Attorney is For? Not so Fast – Watch This Video!
Powers of attorney are widely misunderstood, even among professionals in the senior care industry. Equally misunderstood is how to determine if a person has legal capacity to make their own decisions. For example, did you know that in the State of Virginia: If the person granting the power of attorney (the principal) has mental capacity [...]
Charles Hendricks of The Gaines Group Designs Homes for Convenient Living at Any Age
There is a beauty that exists in our built environment when a building is balanced, functional, efficient, accessible, healthy, and comfortable. Our homes should allow us to easily accomplish our daily tasks, be comfortable, help us recharge our energy levels, and be able to adapt over time as our needs change. All of these attributes are [...]
Gordon House Expands Warren’s House for Additional Alzheimer’s Care
Warren’s House , located within The Village at Gordon House in Gordonsville, Virginia was created several years ago specifically devoted to the care of individuals with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other related disorders. The original Warren’s House has been so successful in meeting the needs of this specialized population that a second Warren’s House has been [...]
Answers to Tax Questions Caregivers Ask Most
Read this very relevant and helpful article from AgingCare.com about the tax impact of your caregiving! Among the questions answered: I am a caregiver and my elderly parent lives in my home. Can I claim my parent as a dependent on my tax return? I am a caregiver and my elderly parent lives in my [...]
Overcoming Obstacles and Creating Joy
At Care is There, the mission of our care managers is to make joy possible for our clients and their loved ones. That sometimes means helping them defy the gravity of of their circumstances: health problems, frailty, cognitive decline, or the loss of a spouse. Creating joy in challenging circumstances requires a special kind of [...]
Coffee May Reduce Your Risk of Dementia!
Caregivers rejoice! Coffee may be good for you! Studies found the following benefits of drinking coffee: 1. Coffee Slashes Your Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes 2. Coffee Can Counter Cancerous Cell Damage 3. Coffee May Lower Your Risk of Dementia 4. Coffee Protects Against Parkinson’s Disease 5. Coffee May Buffer Depression Read the entire article [...]
Support the Senior Center Through the Charlottesville Ten Miler Charity Chaser!
See Peter (Thompson) Run! The Senior Center is thrilled to be the beneficiary of the 2013 Charlottesville Ten Miler. To add to the fun, the Senior Center is having a “Charity Chaser.” It’s sponsorship with a twist—Peter Thompson, Executive Director of the Senior Center, will start dead last at the event, giving the rest of the [...]
Seeking Volunteers for the March 16 2013 Charlottesville Ten Miler, Which Benefits The Senior Center!
The Charlottesville Va Senior Center is the fortunate beneficiary of the 2013 Charlottesville Ten Miler (C10M). Each year, this event enjoys the support of more than 400 volunteers drawn from runners’ families, civic groups, church groups, friends, and neighbors who ensure the event runs smoothly and cheer participants to the finish line. This is a [...]
How to Know if You Have Hearing Loss
How do you know if you have hearing loss? I like this summary by the National Institute on Aging. Here is an excerpt, but the full article is well worth reading: How Do I Know if I Have a Hearing Loss? See your doctor if you: Have trouble hearing over the telephone Find it hard [...]
Tips for Communicating with an Elderly Loved One with Hearing Loss
How do you make communication easier with a loved one who has hearing loss? I like the following summary from Oticon. You can download the Oticon full brochure here. Talk Face-to-Face Face the person you are talking to. Don’t try to converse from a different room or with your back turned. It is easier to [...]
Clear Speech Technique Helps Your Hearing Impaired Loved One Understand You
Hearing loss can make your loved one feel isolated, embarrased and frustrated. You can help by making your own speech easier to understand. Clear Speech is a technique of speaking in which the speaker attempts to express every word and sentence in a precise, accurate, and fully formed manner. It is not loud, monotone, artificial [...]
UVA Speech-Language-Hearing Center Provides Hearing Aid Services
The UVA Speech-Language-Hearing Center offers comprehensive services for the diagnosis and treatment of language, speech, and hearing disorders for adults, adolescents, children, and infants. The facility has treatment rooms with observation capabilities and diagnostic suites for hearing evaluations and hearing aid fittings. At Care is There, we have experienced Dr. Mani Aguilar’s passion for her [...]
Venture Builders of Harrisonburg: Remodeling for Aging in Place
As senior citizens age, limbs don’t work as freely as they once did; the eyes dim and responses slow. Physical and mental changes can make it difficult for these loved ones to stay in their homes as long as they would like. Sometimes minor repairs and some home modifications can be made which enable these [...]
On her iPhone home screen, next to her knitting instructions
I am constantly inspired by our clients, and I’ve learned to never underestimate them. Today I was talking to a new client, who cares for her elderly mother in the home they share. We were getting her setup on the website we use to communicate with her and her out-of-town sister about the geriatric care [...]
Video: Charlottesville Albemarle TRIAD Helps Keep Senior Citizens Safe
TRIAD presents Senior Safety Seminars about home safety, scam awareness, safe shopping on the Internet, storm preparedness, gang awareness, and elder abuse.
How to Say it to Seniors
Want to know how to communicate with your elderly parents? David Solie wrote the classic: How to Say it to Seniors, Closing the Communication Gap with our Elders. This is a must read for anyone who wants to learn what is important to our elders, how to understand what they are trying to tell us, [...]
Online Course and Study Group “Know Thyself” Helps Lifelong Learners Expand and Connect
Coursera offers free, high quality courses on-line. Starting March 4 is the course Know Thyself by University of Virginia professor Mitchell Green.
Virginia Lifespan Voucher Program Reimburses up to $400 in Respite Services
The Virginia Lifespan Respite Voucher Program provides reimbursement vouchers to home-based caregivers for the cost of temporary, short-term respite care provided to individuals of any age with a disability or special need (children and adults, including elderly persons). Individuals eligible to apply for voucher funding through the Virginia Lifespan Respite Voucher Program include Virginia caregivers of children [...]
Ed Roseberry’s Vintage Photographs of Charlottesville Virginia
Ed Roseberry has been photographing Charlottesville, Virginia since the 1940′s, and his images and his memories are a treasure for our community. I was privileged to see Mr. Roseberry present and discuss his photographs in a show arranged by Steve Trumbull. Both men are charming, and if you can manage to see a showing of [...]
Gordon Walker’s Outstanding Leadership of the Jefferson Area Board for Aging (JABA)
Today, Gordon Walker retires from his thirty-year role as the Chief Executive Officer of the Jefferson Area Board for Aging (JABA) in Charlottesville Virginia. Gordon’s list of accomplishments is astonishing, and is best enjoyed in the Thomas Jefferson-style proclamation issued by JABA’s Board of Directors. Feast your eyes below. Gordon, thank you for all of [...]
Managing Meds with Mom
My mom has the engineer’s mind in our family, so I always pay attention to the solutions she creates. On a recent visit she showed me how she makes it easier to manage her medications. She uses a different size pill box for the morning meds and the evening meds. This allows her to see [...]
Senior Center’s Peter Thompson Given Leadership Award
Peter Thompson, Executive Director of Charlottesville’s Senior Center, Inc. has been awarded the Leader’s Leader Award from the Leadership Charlottesville Alumni Association. How appropriate and well deserved! We are so very lucky to have this extraordinary man at the helm of our Senior Center for so many years, quietly but surely increasing its strength, size, [...]
Digging Ditches with Dad – the Art of the Family Visit
What’s the recipe for a perfect family visit? Answering that question can open a whole new world of joy and connection with the people you love. My family loves doing projects together. We thrive on the closeness we derive from planning, trading ideas, recognizing each other’s strengths, and admiring the fruits of our labor. Our [...]
JABA’s Mary Williams Community Center Opens at the Jefferson School City Center
JABA’s Mary Williams Community Center is now open in the historic and beautifully renovated Jefferson School City Center in Charlottesville Virginia. The Center welcomes individuals and families of all ages with a focus on independent adults over 60. Whether it’s for health related or current events discussions, crafts, sewing, gardening, exercise programs, computer classes, games [...]
Geriatric Care Management: Useful and Ornamental!
I spent Christmas Eve with a delightful client who was having a medical emergency. In the process of thanking me she said, with a gleam in her eye: “You’re both ornamental and useful!” I love that compliment! As care managers, those of us at Care is There want our client’s lives to go well, but [...]
Connecting With Your Elderly Parents at the Holidays
The holidays are a time for connecting with our families, with our traditions, and with what makes our lives meaningful. How can we make this precious time a fulfilling opportunity rather than a stressful rush? As usual, a client provided me with insight and inspiration! Today I helped a client prepare her holiday cards. This [...]
New Life for Loved Ones’ Vintage Clothing
Rosalba Valentino creates beautiful new custom garments from treasured vintage clothing and fragments. When I met Rose, I was impressed by her love of vintage fabrics and her interest in the stories behind the garments she transforms into new, wearable art. In my travels as a geriatric care manager I meet people who have lived [...]
Boundary-setting for Care Givers and Care Receivers
Care giving and care receiving present many challenges, not the least of which is learning to set healthy boundaries. Johanna Rude can help! Johanna is the founder of Passion Points, an organization that combines psychotherapy tools with executive coaching. With her background in psychotherapy, business and executive coaching, Johanna provides the guidance, insight and accountability [...]
AAA Online Interactive Driving Evaluation for Senior Citizens
Concerned it is not safe for your senior citizen loved one to drive? Driving safety is one of the most difficult conversations between adult children and their elderly parents, and sometimes it helps to use a neutral evaluation tool. AAA has developed an on-line, confidential self-screening program featuring a series of computer-based exercises that can [...]
Jaclyn Tahboub Shaves Her Head to Support Her Brother’s Fight with Cancer
I am inspired by the commitment and generosity of so many people who choose to work with senior citizens. My most recent hero is Jaclyn Tahboub, marketing coordinator at Rosewood Village assisted living and memory care community. Jackie’s brother Mario, only 37 years old, has a rare form of cancer called myxoid liposarcoma. On November [...]
Elderly Parents Not Taking Their Medications? Partner With Your Pharmacist!
Failure to take medications as prescribed is a leading cause of problems for senior citizens, and can contribute to them prematurely losing their health and independence. A 2012 study indicates that the most pervasive reason for non-compliance is the cost of the medication, but that patients are more likely to take their medication if they [...]
Local Scams Target Senior Citizens – Beware!
Thank you to our Harrisonburg, Virginia Police Department for looking out for our senior citizens! Lt. Kurt Boshart and Sgt. Ron Howard of the Harrisonburg Police Department gave a presentation about senior-targeting scams to the Aging in Place Business Round Table from the Harrison-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce. They warned us to be watchful for these [...]
Maxim Healthcare Services offers Home Care for Seniors
Maxim Healthcare Services is a national home healthcare company with offices in Charlottesville (servicing many nearby counties including Rockingham) and nine other Virginia locations. Maxim provides: Skilled and non-skilled private duty nursing services for pediatrics and adults Companion care Staffing services for facilities Wellness and Flu clinics Maxim accepts Medicaid (but not Medicare), Managed Care [...]
Communicating with Senior Citizens: Listen, Be Authentic, Show Respect
Excerpt: “As Seniors we know our capabilities and energy are diminishing, but want to retain the right to limit ourselves when the time comes, and not have young people put those limitations on us, to make them feel better.” I recently asked Dawn Schultz and several others to speak at the Aging in Place Business [...]
How to Effectively Communicate with Senior Citizens and Their Adult Children
I asked four esteemed colleagues to participate in a panel discussion titled “What Seniors (and their Families) Want – How to Promote Your Services Effectively and Respectfully.” The discussion was brilliant, and made for a very rewarding meeting of our Aging in Place Business Round Table from the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce. It was [...]
The Art of Making a Personal Connection – Plus my own Dad singing!
This week I’ve been visiting my own parents, who have taught me so much over the years about caregiving. Besides raising me and my two sisters, they cared for their own aging parents and took on extensive, longstanding caregiving roles for members of their church. My dad is a graduate of Duke Divinity School and [...]
Cardiovascular Associates of Charlottesville – Heart Doctors with Heart
At Care is There, our job is to help our senior citizen clients and their families have lives that work and lives that are joyful. So I’m always on the prowl for service providers that provide extraordinary customer service. I was delighted when I visited the cardiologists at Cardiovascular Associates of Charlottesville and witnessed their [...]
Ducks in a Row: End of Life Planning with Mary Ann Stripling
One of the most difficult components of senior living is the constant worry over what comes next. Oftentimes, it is overwhelming to consider how many decisions have to be made in a short time-span, so that in the event of disability or death, all personal wishes and information are easy to access and understand. Well, [...]
Kaitlyn Sewell, Community Resource Coordinator for Care is There
My name is Kaitlyn Sewell, and I am the Community Resource Coordinator for Care is There! My job is to educate the Care is There Lifestyle Coordinators — and the entire local community — about all the resources available for senior citizens and their caregivers. I can also help you set up your profile on Cville Seniors and [...]
File of Life Program from TRIAD
Do you know where your elderly loved one’s medical information is, or how accessible it would be to an EMT or other personnel during a medical emergency? More and more long distance care givers have this dilema. The File of Life is a program developed to remove this concern. It was developed by TRIAD as [...]
Mental Capacity and Surrogate Decision Making for Senior Citizens
When does someone have the mental capacity to make their own decisions? What authority is granted, and not granted, through a “power of attorney?” Doris Gelbman, an elder law attorney here in Charlottesville, Virginia, answers these questions in this video. She also tells “stories from the trenches” to help you grasp the implications of mental [...]
Stuarts Draft Retirement Community – Independent and Assisted Living
I recently visited a hidden gem – Stuart’s Draft Retirement Community and Christian Homes — and wanted to share it with you. David Brenneman, Director of Marketing, gave me a great tour and will do the same for you! This is a lovely community, run for 17 years by two local families committed to providing [...]
Charlottesville Va Reduces Permit Fees for Accessible Homes
I’m delighted to see Charlottesville, Virginia reduce its permit fees for new and remodeled homes that meet “Visit-Able” accessibility standards (25% reduction) and “Live-Able” accessibility standards (50% reduction.) Accessible homes make it easier for our senior citizens to age in place and enhance their independent living, but these design standards create convenient, sensible homes for [...]
Specialty Housekeeping – cleaning service for seniors
It seems like such a simple thing – cleaning – but as we age, it is a physically challenging, often risky task. A dirty environment can be very discouraging to live in and often leads to clutter and a sense of hopelessness. Enter Specialty Housekeeping, LLC. Created in 2005 by Nancy Alexander, Specialty Housekeeping offers [...]
Care is There Geriatric Care Management – What we do for our clients
Ever wonder exactly what a geriatric care manager does? Well, here’s a quick video about what we do at Care is There Geriatric Care Management. My thanks to the Aging in Place Business Round Table from the Charlottesville (Virginia) Regional Chamber of Commerce where I recently gave this presentation. Know someone who worries about their [...]
Door to Door Solutions, Senior Relocation Specialists
Door to Door Solutions is a senior move manager, which means they are specially trained to help senior citizens make a successful transition from one living space to another. Door to Door Solutions was in my neighborhood today (see photo), which inspired me to share their services with you! Plus, I’m a big fan of [...]
The Lodge at Old Trail Opens in Crozet Va – Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care
The Lodge at Old Trail has opened its doors in lovey Crozet Virginia, just outside Charlottesville! The Lodge offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care and is part of the large mixed use, multi-generational development of Old Trail Village. I’ve been following the development of the Lodge since its earliest stages, so it was [...]
Caregivers: In Life, Put the Oxygen Mask Over Your Nose and Mouth First
I recently made a blog post called “Why You Shouldn’t Quit Your Job to Care For Your Loved One.” One of my favorite advisors responded with this, among other observations: “There is a notice in most airlines that say very firmly that mothers with young children, should they need to use oxygen masks, the mother [...]
Beautiful Lighting Helps Keep Senior Citizens Independent
The right lighting makes homes safer and more comfortable for senior citizens. Phil Blosser is a Central Virginia lighting designer who provides beautiful lighting solutions tailored to the needs of older adults. Margaret P Calkins, PhD reports in Senior Journal.com that “older people require three times the amount of light to see as well as [...]
Solutions for Low Vision in Charlottesville Virginia
If your client or loved one has low vision you should know about these two Charlottesville-based service providers that can help. Suzanne Burch, of Vision Solutions, makes house calls to demonstrate devices for low vision. She works in partnership with Dr. Stephen Record of Drs. Record and Record Optometrists. In addition to his traditional eye [...]
Why You Shouldn’t Quit Your Job to Care for Your Loved One
Should you quit your job to care for your elderly loved one? More and more reports say “no”, including these from NPR, the Wall Street Journal, and Reuters. We all want the best for the people we love, and most people want to age in place in their own homes. But many caregivers don’t realize [...]
Video: Caregivers and Medication Management Review
In the sixth of 6 videos for caregivers and health care providers, we review the materials presented in the series. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the United Hospital Fund’s Next Step in Care campaign collaborated on a series of six videos called “Helping Patients & Family Caregivers Take the Next Step in [...]
Video: Help with Medication Costs for Senior Citizens
In the fifth of 6 videos for caregivers and health care providers, learn how to get help finding a Part D plan, programs and benefits that can help with drug costs, and cost saving strategies. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the United Hospital Fund’s Next Step in Care campaign collaborated on a [...]
Video: How to Help Elderly Parents Who Don’t Take Their Medications
In the fourth of 6 videos for caregivers and health care providers, learn how many people may not be medication compliant, practical solutions for non-compliance, and the role of education and persuasion. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the United Hospital Fund’s Next Step in Care campaign collaborated on a series of [...]
Video: Medication Management in Care Facilities
In the third of 6 videos for caregivers and health care providers, learn how medication is usually dispensed in an institution, where to find medication management and caregiver help on the web. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the United Hospital Fund’s Next Step in Care campaign collaborated on a series of six [...]
Video: The Role of Family Caregivers in Managing Medications for Elderly Loved Ones
In the second of 6 videos for caregivers and health care providers, learn what medication reconciliation means, the roles of family caregivers and health professionals, and the problems reconciliation can identify. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the United Hospital Fund’s Next Step in Care campaign collaborated on a series of six [...]
Video: Helping Caregivers Manage the Medications for their Elderly Loved Ones — Introduction
Managing medications can be one of the most important roles of a caregiver. Doctors can prescribe medications, but it is up to caregivers to help patients take the medications as they are prescribed. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the United Hospital Fund’s Next Step in Care campaign collaborated on a series [...]
The Doctor Will See You Now – How to Get an Appointment Sooner
Tips for getting a quick appointment with the doctor for your elderly loved one: This is a great article from Agingcare.com, discussing advice from Marion Somers, Ph.D., a geriatric care manager and author of the book, Eldercare Made Easier. As Care is There geriatric care managers we often use this collaborative, professional approach. Her tips are [...]
Aging in Stride: Geriatric Care Managers Fill a Growing Need
Many families don’t realize that geriatric care managers – like us at Care is There Geriatric Care Management - can take a heavy load off their shoulders when it comes to caregiving — especially long distance caregiving. We all want our elderly parents to be independent and we also want them to be safe and to be assisted in [...]
Respite for Caregivers – the Daily Living Center in Waynesboro
Daily Living Center in Waynesboro Va is an excellent resource for both caregivers and care receivers. Daily respite services provide a valuable and resonably priced way for caregivers to go to work, run errands, or just take time for themselves. I urge caregivers to give these services a try and see the difference it can make in [...]
The Art of the Medical Emergency
My client’s medical emergency is beautiful. My client is beautiful and she is the master of her emergency. Here’s why and how. She is of 81 years; a Ph.D. in sociology; a painter. Gracious, generous, and thoroughly competent, a friend said she “should be running the United Nations.” Quite. Her health is better than most people [...]
Love Plus Velcro Equals Dignity for Aging Loved Ones
Supporting your aging loved ones in their desire to live with independence, dignity and normalcy can sometimes be as easy as Velcro buttons and bendable straws. I recently visited the Universal Design exhibit at James Madison University in Harrisonburg Virginia. The exhibit highlighted easy ways to make simple tasks accessible to everyone. One of my favorites [...]
Caregiving Resolution: This Year We Celebrate!
Here’s a powerful mind trick: pretend you are sitting at the funeral of the elderly person you love. Now that they are gone, what are you treasuring about them? What is lost now that they are gone? What do you wish you had done or said? Now: snap your fingers and you have a second [...]
How Not to Have the Same Old Conversation with your Elderly Parents
It’s that time of year – time to visit the elderly parents! You’re glad you’re going because, you know, you love them and all and they may not be around forever. But are you already getting antsy thinking about sitting around in that dusty house having the same conversation you’ve had for twenty years? Time [...]
CareCheckers Call Service Checks on Your Elderly Loved Ones
CareCalls from Care Checkers are designed to assist families of aging and disabled loved ones by making daily health and safety checkup calls. Care Checkers offers medication reminders, meal reminders and activity reminders, along with friendly social interaction. All calls are made by live representatives, not an automated system. They keep caregivers updated with daily status reports [...]
Massachusetts General Hospital Documents the Benefits of Care Managers
Where do geriatric care managers fit into the health care system? Today I listened to a presentation about innovations in the delivery of health care. Timothy Ferris, M.D., M.Phil, M.P.H., Medical Director, Massachusetts General Physicians Organization reported these important results of adding care managers to Massachussets General Hospital (a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School) in a [...]
Does Your Elderly Loved One’s House Support Their Needs?
My pals at BuilderFish have produced a very practical guide for making sure your home supports you and your loved ones at every stage of life. The BuilderFish “Lifetime Home Survey” is free, comprehensive, easy to read and easy to apply. If you’re building a new home, remodeling your home, or preparing for the move-in of a loved [...]
What can a Geriatric Care Manager do for You?
A geriatric care manager can bring your loved one the support they need without putting stress on your life!
Thanking my clients for their…Moxie!
My clients have moxie. I love them for it! Two of my beloved clients died this year but while they lived they did it moxily! One of them raised three kids on her own after her husband was killed suddenly in a freak accident. She picked herself up and did what needed to be done – [...]
Be a Caregiving Genius! Ten Easy Tips
Want to be a caregiving genius? Try these ten easy tips! How do I know so much, besides the fact that I’m a geriatric care manager? I like to listen to my clients, and yesterday one of them said to me (and I quote) “You are a genius!” Hey, cut my pay in half and sign me [...]
The Intimacy of Caregiving
I knocked on the door – no answer. I called – no answer. His newspaper was still by the door. I asked if the neighbors had seen him. No. I was checking in on a new 90-year-old client while his family was away for the weekend. On Saturday everything went as planned – he greeted me [...]
Helping Senior Citizens Relocate
Do you know a senior citizen who is facing a household move? Change is difficult for anyone, and it can be especially unsettling for senior citizens. Moving one’s house means moving one’s home. It means giving up familiar surroundings and routines and often means giving up cherished belongings that signify memories, accomplishments, and affection. It may [...]
Caregiving – How Everyone Can Win
In my work as a geriatric care manager I’m always looking for the win/win/win scenario: the client wins, the caregiver wins, the community wins. I see so many caregivers frustrated because their loved ones won’t accept the help they appear to need. But who really wants to “be helped?” We are used to being independent and productive, [...]
Joy with Our Mothers Now
I spoke on Jennifer Till’s radio show about how we can miss the joy of “now” with our mothers by relating to them based on past experiences. (Click here to listen to a recording of that episode of “Real Life with Jennfer Till.”) Perhaps we had difficult childhood experiences with our mothers that we haven’t fully [...]
Your Mom and I are Having a Slumber Party
At 1:30am I got a call from the personal emergency response system (PERS) for one of my clients. The message was cryptic and unsettling: “Person number one is not responding! Person number one is not responding!” Hmm. So I called her and she was fine — bright as could be! I apologized for waking [...]
My 92-year-old Client Says “Do Resuscitate!”
Should a healthy ninety-two year old woman sign a do not resuscitate (DNR) order for herself? A client of mine was given that choice recently. She is marvelously modern, healthy and alive, having a spirit that is deep in wisdom and fresh with optimism and grace — and a body that is holding up well! [...]
11 Ways to Stop Caregiver-Related Depression
Don’t let depression get you! Care-giving is life-giving and love-giving. Don’t let it suck the life and the love out of you! At Care is There, one of our most important jobs is to support caregivers so they don’t burn out, get sick, lose their jobs, neglect their families and forget their own sources of [...]
A Miracle Can Look Like A Bagel
This week I attended Charlottesville’s Senior Networking Group – one of several such groups I participate in to keep informed about services available here. After the meeting there were bagels left over. Margaret Fitch – Program Coordinator for our local Senior Center – knew I was going to see on of our geriatric care management [...]
How a Trip to the Hairdresser Can Change Everything
Today I took a client to the hairdresser. That was a giant victory because this very frail and very proud lady rarely lets anyone do anything for her. Then we had lunch (something she rarely does anymore) and picked up light bulbs for her nightlights and a battery for the radio beside her bed. So [...]
The Number One Reason Why Caregivers Get Sick
Stress is the number one reason that caregivers get sick: see this helpful article on caregiver stress. As geriatric care managers we see this all the time — caregivers wearing themselves out trying to look after their loved ones. Don’t fall victim to the “I have to do it myself” mentality. Services are available, volunteer [...]
Resources for the Visually Impaired
“Jim Vlock is on a mission. Afflicted 15 years ago with macular degeneration, a retinal disorder that erodes central vision and thus the ability to drive, read, watch television and recognize faces, Mr. Vlock is determined to spread the word about the many devices that can help people like him live more fulfilling, independent and [...]
Coming to Terms with Dementia
This is a beautiful article about the changes that dementia brings and how family members and caregivers can cope, adjust, and ultimately reconnect: “Loving Those with Dementia the Way They Are“, by Daniel C. Potts, MD
Cell Phone Designed for Senior Citizens Includes an Emergency Response System!
“Just Five” is the next generation in cell phones for seniors. See the Independent Lifestyles Newsletter for a description and how to learn more. In order to age in place with excellence and maintain our independent living as long as possible, it make sense to leverage technology in addition to all the love and care [...]
Aging in Place: Your Home as a Care Setting
How do you adapt your home as a care setting for your loved one? This Aging in Place Workbook from MetLife is a good guide.
The Hidden Costs of Caregiving, from the Wall Street Journal
At Care is There, we see on thing consistently after caregiving families start working with us. Relief! What a joy to know your loved one can receive what they need without you having to give up what you need!
Senior Citizens and Driving: Dementia – What if My Parent Forgets They Can’t Drive?
Dementia and driving are a dangerous mix, and it becomes even more complicated if your elderly parent forgets they can’t drive.
Senior Citizens and Driving: Life After Driving
Losing the ability to drive can be a major turning point in a person’s life and can threaten their independent living and plans for aging in place. It means he must depend on other people or professional services for transportation, and he is subject to their schedules, routes, and destinations. There is the risk that after an older person loses the ability to drive, they will stop doing the things that keep them healthy and engaged.
Senior Citizens and Driving: The Process of Reporting an Unsafe Elderly Driver
The DMV has a process for evaluating the skills of elderly drivers that have been reported to them for review. This article describes the procedures and possible outcomes.