Pet Friendly Senior Living: What Questions Should I Ask? In the United States, just over half of people ages 50 and older live with at least one pet, and studies have shown that companionship was the most common reason for owning a pet. Experiencing this bond with a pet can be a value that shapes an older adult’s choices, preferences and environment as they experience changes associated with aging. But if a time comes to transition to assisted living, how can you maintain that important bond with your pet? Read more
Challenging the Stigma of Dementia Dementia is a condition that affects millions of individuals and their families around the world. Yet, despite its prevalence, dementia remains overwhelmed in stigma and misunderstanding. In pop culture, dementia is often used as a punchline, or even an insult against older public figures. In day-to-day life, people who encounter individuals with dementia may become annoyed and frustrated, and try to avoid the situation, even if the individual needs help. The stigma can also affect caregivers: if a loved one with dementia is exhibiting strange or socially inappropriate behavior in public, for example, people may blame the caregiver for not “controlling” their loved one or make the caregiver feel ashamed or embarrassed. Read more
Why Health Literacy Matters for Older Adults Health literacy—the ability to access, understand and use health information—is a key part of living a healthy and fulfilling life, especially for older adults. After all, the more we understand about health, the more likely we are to recognize risk signs, take preventative measures against common diseases, make informed decisions about our own health and communicate more effectively with healthcare professionals. Read more
The Power of Memory Cafés for Dementia Care Most communities have plenty of gathering spaces available for people to meet up, chat, share a meal and take a break in a relaxing, supportive environment. But for people with dementia and their caregivers, finding a truly safe space out in the community can be a lot more challenging. Due to stigma and lack of knowledge, many people in the general public aren’t sure how to interact with someone with dementia, and even business owners may be at a loss to handle a situation where someone with dementia is distressed, or struggles to make a purchase. Aware of these challenges, caregivers may hesitate to bring a loved one into the community, unintentionally putting them at risk of social isolation. Read more
Aging in Place: Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities The desire to age well in our homes tends to drive us to explore ways to safely remain in the community as long as possible. But safety isn’t the only concern: we hope to be independent, engaged, empowered, connected, and have access to resources when we need them as well. Naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs) offer an opportunity to coordinate livable communities that ensure we can comfortably age in place. Read more
Things to Look for When Visiting an Older Loved One to Assess Wellbeing As your loved one ages, you’re likely to find yourself worrying more about their wellbeing. Maybe you’re concerned about issues of them living safely in their current home, or taking care of themselves without in-home support. Or maybe you’re anxious about the possibility of memory loss, and early signs of dementia developing without anyone around to notice. These concerns are especially common for long-distance caregivers—who make up roughly 15 percent of all family caregivers. Read more
Navigating Hospice Care for Loved Ones with Dementia in the End Stages Dementia is often described as “the long goodbye,” as those with the condition tend to live with it for many years before reaching the advanced stages. This prolonged journey can leave caregivers wondering when they should begin to consider transitioning their loved one to hospice care. Read more
Medications and Driving: Safety Tips for Older Adults and their Families With laws around THC use changing around the country, the subject of “drugged driving” has been appearing more and more in the national discourse. Most people are aware of the risks involved in driving under the influence of marijuana, but aren’t aware that prescription drugs can also fall under the umbrella of drugged driving—and that many older adults are unintentionally driving impaired, and contributing to the high statistics of drugged driving accidents. Read more
Combating Ageism: Understanding and Overcoming Negative Age Stereotypes Ageism is discrimination against individuals or groups because of their age. It can be easy to make judgements based on someone’s perceived age but, like other forms of discrimination, negative stereotypes resulting from age prejudice can have very real consequences. While ageism can apply to individuals of any age, it is often directed towards older adults. It is important to note that even if one does not currently experience ageism, we are all inevitably aging. Therefore, if we don’t work to combat ageism now, all generations will experience ageism in the future. Read more
Pain Management for Older Adults with Dementia Just like most other older adults, people with Alzheimer’s and related types of dementia suffer from headaches, stomachaches, toothaches, muscle cramps and other painful conditions that are an uncomfortable part of the aging process. However, an older person with memory loss who suffers from chronic pain may not be able to tell their caregiver how they feel or ask for help to relieve their discomfort. Instead, they may communicate their distress through other means, such as becoming agitated or crying, which their caregiver may not understand how to interpret or address. Read more
