Our elders are fiercely independent — that’s a fact. Poll after poll finds that nearly all older adults want to stay in their homes until the very end. So many factors threaten their ability to continue living independently. No one truly anticipates getting dementia, becoming immobile or fighting a life-threatening disease, but the older we […]
The fall weather brings cooler temperatures and while you the caregiver may welcome a little chill, your older loved one may be downright uncomfortable. There are a number of issues to consider as the weather turns colder. Keep in mind older bodies need a little more care. Get Out the Blankets, Throws and Sweaters Even […]
Everyone feels lonely sometimes. But when the feeling persists as a chronic or acute state of being, it can easily morph into clinical depression and suicidal ideation—especially among older people. From poets to professors, many have tried to describe and define loneliness. Harry Stack Sullivan, a 20th century psychiatrist whose studies focused on interpersonal relationships, […]
Everyone has a filing system of some sort for important documents and papers. Yours may be carefully organized by subject matter in drawers or folders, or it may simply be in piles on the desk or, more likely, on the floor. It may look systematic or totally disorganized, but either way you usually know exactly […]
An estimated 114,000 members of the service were discharged because of sexual orientation between World War II and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in September of 2011. Many of those who suffered that humiliation are now seniors; according to the US Census Bureau, there are 8.1 million veterans age 65 and older. Depending […]
There are so many ways to include your older loved one in fun fall activities, especially since the weather is cooler and the leaves are beginning to turn. You can start by asking your elder what activities they enjoyed when they were young. Perhaps they helped with the apple harvest or enjoyed picking out that […]
Facing the need to restrict or stop driving is devastating for many older people. For some, it heralds the first time aging has significantly limited their lives—and brings to mind discomfiting thoughts of “beginning to slip away.” For others, it sets off a fear, and in many cases a reality, of becoming more isolated from […]
Perched in an unlikely place—atop the crest of a hill overlooking a freeway in Novato, California, just north of San Francisco—is a brain trust working to unlock the key to our futures. It’s easy to miss the turnoff to the spot, marked only by a diminutive highway sign: Buck Institute for Research on Aging. But […]