Growing together at the end of life: Having honest, emotional conversations
A life-limiting diagnosis can be a frightening prospect, but some people learn to use the opportunity to their advantage. They...
Senior care
How to Create a Meaningful Bucket List
Although the Morgan Freeman-Jack Nicholson movie “The Bucket List” was in theaters more than a decade ago, people across America...
Creating a Social Network May Protect the Elderly From Financial Fraud
Seniors aged 65 and above will make up 18 percent of the nation’s population by 2030. Currently, Americans over the...
4 Ways Seniors Can Avoid Isolation After a Spouse Dies
In her new book, “Now With You, Now Without,” actor and author Kathryn Leigh Scott writes about the isolation she...
May “Senior Sense”- Creating a Legacy that Endures: Grandparents Connecting with Grandchildren
“Mom, look at Grandma. She looks so pretty.” My twelve-year-old daughter discovered a picture of my mom in a box...
How to Distance Yourself From Regrets
Looking back on your life, do you have any regrets? If you’re like most people, a few notable moments may...
How to Talk to Aging Parents About Who Gets What in the Will
Jenna said she didn’t think it was possible to feel worse than she already did after her mother’s death, but...
Should You Consider Switching Pharmacies to Save Money?
Cheaper prescriptions may come at a higher price. Most seniors are careful with managing their money, and prescription drugs offer...
Should You Get a Doll for Grandma?
Dolls can be a “miracle” for some dementia patients, but try before you buy. For Rose, dementia brought troubling problems...
How to Move Forward After Surviving a Heart Attack
Learn to move toward life with cardiac rehabilitation, medication, a heart-healthy diet, and cognitive therapy. It happened. You had a...
Learn About AFib and How to Live With It
Once you find the right treatment, it’s possible to have a normal life with AFib. Atrial Fibrillation, or AFib, is...
How Man’s Best Friend Can Help Ease Dementia Symptoms
For someone with dementia, a dog can put them at ease, brighten their mood, or help them carry on more...
Comparing in-home care and adult day programs
Nearly half of all older adults need at least some kind of help with everyday activities, according to a 2014...
How to manage the transition to assisted living
Life is full of transitions, some of them more difficult than others. When a loved one gets into their senior...
In-home care vs. assisted living: What’s best for your family?
Adults don’t all age the same way at the same time, so having an open and honest conversation with the...
July “Senior Sense” Caregiving from a Distance: Learning to Make the Best of It
In the middle of the night, I hear my iPhone ring. With a groan I look over, half-expecting it to...
August “Senior Sense” – Are you your parent’s keeper?
To understand the nuances of caregiving and how to navigate this uncertain terrain, I had a chance to interview Jody...
September “Senior Sense” Explaining Dementia to Children
“Mom, how come Grandma doesn’t remember my name? I keep repeating it, but she doesn’t recognize me.” For young children,...
As baby boomers move into old age, who will care for us?
My high school buddies and I recently got together and reminisced about old times. “Can you believe we’re 60?” we...
The cost of caregiving: Meet the millennials taking a 2nd (unpaid) shift
At the tender age of 14, Angelina, an earnest and soft-spoken middle schooler, began caring for her mother, who suffered...
How to care for a parent who couldn’t care for you
When my friend Morgan began caring for her father, I remember being surprised. I didn’t know Morgan’s dad was even...
What ‘Succession’ and Sumner Redstone can teach us about planning ahead for senior care
Many of us have read the titillating and tragic story of Sumner Redstone, the former executive chairman of Viacom, and the...
The Medicare card scam every senior should beware of
In an effort to reduce identity theft and fraud, new Medicare cards were sent out beginning in April to more...
The hidden costs of Alzheimer’s disease
When Rick could not remember where he kept his trusted toolbox, and then forgot his computer passwords, Sandy — Rick’s...
Maine’s Universal Home Care proposition could mean big changes for seniors and their caregivers
An initiative on the ballot in Maine this November could bring free home care for seniors and higher wages for...
What Millennials really want to know about caregiving for their parents
Not long ago, I was invited to speak—virtually—to an audience that you wouldn’t normally think of when you think about...
December “Senior Sense”: The Hidden Costs of Alzheimer’s Disease
By Jody Gastfriend, LICSW, VP Senior Care | Recently published on Forbes.com When Rick could not remember where he kept...
Want to enjoy old age? This 90-year-old has one simple trick, and science backs her up
As Bette Davis famously quipped, “Old age ain’t no place for sissies.” My mother knows this all too well. In a couple of months, she’ll turn 90...
We are not our parents’ parent: Balancing caring for an aging parent and honoring their independence
I often refer to my 89-year-old mother as the Energizer Bunny. She’s always on the go and is good at...
Caring for an aging parent? Try these 8 tips to smooth the transition from child to caregiver
It may seem strange to become a caregiver to the person who once changed your own diapers. But caring for...
January “Senior Sense”: Want To Enjoy Old Age? This 90-Year-Old Has One Simple Trick, And Science Backs Her Up
By Jody Gastfriend, LICSW, VP Senior Care | Recently published on Forbes.com As Bette Davis famously quipped, “Old age ain’t no place for sissies.” My...
5 ways to maintain healthy family relationships when caring for an aging loved one
Caring for an aging loved one is undoubtedly a stressful experience. Add in the stress that caregiving can put on...
Having the inheritance talk with parents brings both sadness and relief
Several months ago my sister made a surprising suggestion: Let’s sit down with Mom and figure out how this whole...
February “Senior Sense”: We Are Not Our Parents’ Parents
By Jody Gastfriend, LICSW, VP Senior Care | Recently published on Yale University Press I often refer to my 89-year-old...
Alzheimer’s and dementia: The wandering problem
Six in 10 people with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia will wander away from their care settings, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Disorientation begins...
Health Care Over the Age 55
Call it the era of American longevity: Currently, approximately 35 million citizens are 65 or older, a tenfold increase over the past...
Nursing Homes in America
From the moment we’re born, our parents have the responsibility to watch over and care for us. For most...
Should you write your own will or hire a lawyer?
If you don’t yet have a last will and testament, you might be wondering if you really need to hire...
March “Senior Sense”: How to Talk to Parents About Needing Care
By Jody Gastfriend, LICSW, VP Senior Care Clara always had a contentious relationship with her fiercely-independent mother, and things didn’t...
A rock and a hard place: A family caregiver’s account of her mother’s final months
Caught between my dying mother and my teenaged son, I felt as if I couldn’t do anything right. Or could...