Do you need a health care proxy if you’re married?
A health care proxy, also known as a durable power of attorney for health care or a medical power of attorney, is...
Senior care
Best online end-of-life planning and document services
The multitude of documents required to create an end-of-life plan can feel overwhelming. For health care, there are medical directives...
The 6 steps of probating an estate
After a person dies, it can be difficult to know what is to be done with the property and possessions...
How to select the right insurance advisor
When it comes to buying insurance, these days many of us turn to the Internet first. Nearly three-quarters of consumers in the...
Financial caregiving: 10 essential tips
Your parents took care of you, and at some point, there’s a very good chance you’ll do the same for...
June “Senior Sense”: I Spent 30 Years Advising Families On Senior Care And I Still Wasn’t Ready To Care For My Mom
By Jody Gastfriend, LICSW, VP Senior Care | Recently published on Yale University Press “I’m sorry for keeping my phone...
I spent 30 years advising families on senior care — and I still wasn’t ready to take care of my mom
“I’m sorry for keeping my phone on,” I said as I introduced myself at a recent conference. I was excited...
How to juggle parent and kid care in the summer months
Navigating life in the sandwich generation is tough enough during the cooler fall, winter and spring seasons, but the challenge...
How to be a strong advocate for your elderly parents
It was close to midnight. I was worried, tired and cold. Why are emergency rooms always so cold? A few...
August “Senior Sense”: How to be a Strong Advocate for Your Elder Parents
By Liz O’Donnell It was close to midnight. I was worried, tired and cold. Why are emergency rooms always so...
Caregiver tips for dressing and grooming someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia
Everyday activities such as dressing and personal grooming can be difficult for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia and their caregivers. People with Alzheimer’s or...
What is the lifetime cost of caring for a person with Alzheimer’s?
Dementia takes an enormous emotional toll on the people with the disease and their caregivers, but it can also be...
How to Care for Ourselves Too
Excerpt from Jody Gastfriend’s “My Parent’s Keeper: The Guilt, Grief, Guesswork and Unexpected Gifts of Caregiving” As caregivers, we may...
Good, Bad and Nonexistent Siblings
When you’re overwhelmed and overburdened, it’s easy to feel that your siblings are standing on the sideline taking potshots. Those...
The Art of Connection: Caring for a Loved One with Dementia
By Jody Gastfriend In the fall of 2015, I had the opportunity to participate in an event sponsored by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s,...
How to Care for Ourselves Too
By Jody Gastfriend As caregivers, we may ignore advice to take care of ourselves, but we do so at our...
Making Work Work
By Jody Gastfriend Sometimes when it comes to work/life balance I feel like I missed the boat. Yes, I somehow...
The Care Maze
by Jody Gastfriend Back in the mid-1990s, when I ran a home health care agency, it was the visiting nurse...
October “Senior Sense”: Self Care Tips for Alzheimer’s Caregivers on the Brink of Burnout
Caregiving for a family member with Alzheimer’s or dementia is a full-time commitment. Even if you’re not living with your loved one full time,...
November “Senior Sense”: 6 Simple Ways to Make a Home Safe for Seniors to Age In
By Marisa Cohen Enjoying post-retirement in the home you raised your children in — or in the comfy condo you...
Managing Stress in the Workplace
We all encounter some form of stress every day–commuting to work, difficult bosses, caring for our children and parents and...
Advocacy in Healthcare Settings
While you hope to never receive the dreaded call that mom has fallen or dad had a stroke, many families...
Important Resources for Family Caregivers
As family caregivers, we are often confronted with a confusing array of choices. How can you sort out the various...
Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia: Caregiving Challenges and Strategies
There are more than 5 million Americans currently living with Alzheimer’s disease and more than 15 million family caregivers who...
Aging Well
We are living in unprecedented times. Life expectancy is on the rise and centenarians will no longer be a rarity....
Maximizing Quality of Life as You Age
Whether retirement seems far away or just around the corner, it’s important to maximize quality of life as we age....
December “Senior Sense”: The Top 5 Steps to Take for Long-Term Care Planning
By Harry Margolis Unfortunately, with longevity comes the increasing likelihood of needing care, whether due to cognitive decline, short-term injury...
January “Senior Sense”: Realistic Strategies for Self-Care To Try In the New Year
As a veteran of the sandwich generation, who knows first-hand the pressures of life squeezed between the demands of caring...
February Senior Sense: Caregiver Guilt Is a Choice; 3 Ways To Choose Differently
By Liz O’Donnell After my mother died, I was racked with guilt over the amount of time I spent, or...
March Senior Sense: 4 Game-Changers for Dementia Caregivers
By Liz O’Donnell In my father’s final months of his life, I visited him every day. He was living in...
Your coronavirus questions, answered: What seniors and caregivers need to know
As cases of the COVID-19 continue to rise, people concerned for senior loved ones’ safety have good reason to continue...
April “Senior Sense”: Caregiving Through a Crisis
By Liz O’Donnell Caregiving on a good day, can be stressful. Caregiving during a crisis can feel completely overwhelming and...
Planning for the financial and legal aspects of long-term care
Facilitated by Jody Gastfriend and Harry Margolis Our population is aging at an unprecedented pace. While many older adults will...
7 ways families can stay connected to senior loved ones during COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges for families hoping to stay in touch with vulnerable loved ones. Those who...
Managing Caregiving in the Era of COVID-19
Facilitated by Jody Gastfriend & Chandi Deitmer. The unique circumstances of COVID-19 add an extra layer to the already complex...
Is it safe to take my senior loved one to the hospital during COVID-19?
No matter how far along we get in this global pandemic, it remains challenging to get a grip on everyday...
Choosing Quality Senior Care Providers
Facilitated by Sheri LaBree and Erin Winsor If you’re a family caregiver, you may be making decisions without enough information...
More seniors are using cannabis to boost their well-being, but there’s one key risk
After decades of prohibition, cannabis laws are changing rapidly. The drug is currently legal for adults in 11 states and...
6 ways to navigate your role as a secondary caregiver
We recently found out that my mother-in-law has mild cognitive impairment. As she deals with memory issues related to the...
Black seniors are harder hit by COVID-19 — here’s why
Early in the pandemic, in April 2020, COVID-19 outbreak took place at an Atlanta-based nursing home where almost all residents of...