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Preparing for Medicare Open Enrollment: Should Your Elderly Loved One Change Plans?
Every fall, Medicare recipients–your parents included–are bombarded with notifications about the upcoming “open enrollment” period and their options for switching coverage. As you read them, be aware that these notifications basically are advertisements for the different plans. This annual “open enrollment” period, currently from about October 15 through December 7, should not be confused with […]
Why You Should Sign Up for Medicare When You Hit 65
Updated February 2026 Most people, including your parents, sign up for Medicare when they “retire” and hit 65, unless one or both of them still works and they may be covered by an employer’s health plan. But retirement at age 65 is not as fixed as it once was. Maybe because people are living longer, […]
Understanding Your Elderly Parents’ Medicare Coverage
Most people over 65 know all about Medicare, what it costs, what it does and doesn’t pay for, even why it makes financial sense to pay extra for a Medigap or supplementary insurance policy to help with deductibles and co-payments. These policies are sold by private insurance companies, but exactly how these policies supplement the costs […]
Speaking from Experience: Advice for Hiring Caregivers for an Elderly Parent
When the tides turn and you become the one responsible for the care of an elderly parent or family member, you will need to develop a plan of care. That plan may include hiring a day-to-day caregiver. Finding the right match for your elderly parent, aunt or uncle can be challenging – and overwhelming. If […]
Advice for Caregivers Part 4 – Easing the Burden: How to Survive Caregiving for Mom and Dad
Caregiving is exhausting, both physically and emotionally, as well as time-consuming. That means that caregivers need–and should take advantage of–all the help and support they can get. It helps to have someone else check in on your parents periodically to assess their living situation. You need to recognize that your parents may not be totally […]
Advice for Caregivers Part 3 – Caregiving for Mom and Dad: Preparing and Handling Transitions in Care Settings
Your parents are healthy, live independently in their own home, and seem to manage well on their own with little help or oversight. But how can you be sure, and what can you do to make sure nothing changes? If you live nearby, visit frequently, occasionally without advance warning–that way you can see how they […]
Advice for Caregivers Part 2 – First Things to Gather as Caregiver for Your Parents & Determining Best Housing Options
Now that you are beginning to understand the challenges of caregiving, have identified and assembled your caregiving team, had the difficult conversation with your aging parents about their visions of the future, and emphasized again and again the need for open communication and feedback, you are ready for the next steps. Some More Fundamentals Some […]
Advice for Family Caregivers Part 1 – Preparing for Your Role as Family Caregiver
Taking on the role of caregiver for your aging parents is a life-altering challenge–both for your parents and for you. For your parents, it marks a transition from the independent life they are used to, a transition where they turn over some, if not all, of the decision making and responsibilities to someone else–namely you […]
Top 5 Signs Your Elderly Parent is the Victim of Financial Abuse
According to a MetLife study, seniors who are most vulnerable to financial abuse are women who are at least 80 years old, who live alone, and who receive help with healthcare or home maintenance. Any senior, however, might become a victim of financial abuse. As our parents age, their declining mental skills and memories make […]
The Cost of Independent Living Communities
Like any other housing, the cost of residing in an independent living community varies. Just as a luxury home in Beverly Hills is more expensive than a ranch house in Topeka, the units in some retirement communities cost more than those in other communities. And just as the rent charged for a single bedroom apartment […]