We’re all a little self-centered until we become the caregiver to an older loved one. Suddenly we have so much to think about, to do and to plan for, that everything else goes straight to the back burner. Life changes dramatically. We no longer have time for friends, to attend events we’d usually never miss […]
As a longtime counselor with the Institute on Aging’s Friendship Line, the country’s only accredited crisis intervention line and warmline focused on callers age 60 and older, I listen to and talk with dozens of callers each week—many of them anxious, distressed, in crisis, or depressed. It’s a volunteer gig, and understandably, not everyone’s bag […]
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 […]
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 […]