Because every disease, cause, and semi-notable soul seems to be singled out for special notice every day and month of the year, it’s easy to get cynical about the honorifics and get lulled into forgetting the import behind the honoring. And so it was when the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, an advocacy […]

If you haven’t experienced it yourself yet, then surely you’ve heard the rumblings of discontent from those who have. It turns out Bette Davis was right: old age is no place for sissies. In fact, it’s mean-spirited. And sneaky, too. It seems you go to sleep one night unfazed, but when you wake up your […]

Did you grow up wanting to be like your mom? Not me. Honestly that’s the last thing I wanted to do and worked really hard at it. I remember being one of those ornery daughters. I also remember having one of those daughters. You know what they say about “payback.” It’s all so true. Now […]

We all want to keep our minds sharp and our lives interesting. The best way I’ve found to do that is to always keep learning new skills and stay interested in the world around me. I went back to college — old, really old. I thought it would be so hard but what I found […]

Pets bring us joy and fun, and certainly make us much healthier by far. I’ve had seniors who live alone tell me that their pet is the reason for them to get up in the morning and look forward to the day. One 80-something year old told me her dog was always so glad to […]

Fall is my most favorite time of the year. The weather turns a bit cool and sweet breezes flutter the leaves on the trees. It’s a time to celebrate the harvest of food with family and friends. Out here on my two acre homestead, the geese are beginning to fly overhead. My garden is looking […]

Most of our lives we’ve looked to our parents for advice and answers to questions. Now we’re the ones having to come up with the solutions. It happened gradually. I think it started around the time my parents hit their 70s. The phone started ringing every day. Don’t get me wrong. I love talking to […]

Want to make every day special for your older loved one and for you? Well start enjoying an afternoon tea time and make it a time to look forward to each day. So many of our lives are filled with work, hurried meals, appointments to keep and chores to get done that we don’t stop […]

Let’s face it, food is one of the daily pleasures of life. Just ask your older loved one! If you doubt that, you must not be a fan of the Food Network or Cook. Now who doesn’t like to visit with the Pioneer Woman, Ina Garten or Rachel Ray? Chances are your mom or dad […]

Yesterday the nation heard about the eight frail elderly people who perished from heat exhaustion and dehydration. They had survived the hurricane and their care facility was right next door to a huge hospital, yet it seems that no one checked on them, at least not anyone who helped. What Went Wrong? It was reported […]