Hospice care provides services that increase the comfort of people who are dying from an untreatable health condition. Hospice care is intended to manage the patient’s pain while promoting a peaceful death. Adult children of a dying parent often turn to hospice care when the parent wants to die at home. Hospice care also be […]
Adult children face difficult decisions when their parents are approaching the end of their lives. An advancing cancer that no longer responds to treatment is one example of a health condition that leaves parents and their children with few options. The family’s primary goal is usually to make the parents’ last days as comfortable as […]
Dementia is both a growing and declining medical condition in the United States. The number of people with dementia is growing because the population of older Americans is increasing. There is evidence, however, that the incidence rate of dementia is declining. About 10% of American adults who are 65 or older suffer from dementia, while […]
As older adults turn to their children for advice about housing options, the phrase “retirement home” often conjures images of living in a small room in a dismal building filled with inactive men and women who spend their days knitting or watching television or starring. The stigma associated with retirement homes makes older adults fear […]
Adult children want to assure that their parents live their best lives as they grow older. They may feel frustrated when parents who are concerned about being a burden to their children are not forthcoming about declining health. A frank conversation with parents might encourage them to open up about developing health issues and unmet […]
The demand for caregivers will continue to grow as the American population continues to age. Baby boomers have been entering their senior years at a time when medical advances have extended lifespans. The expanding population of older adults who are coping with chronic disabling conditions has increased demand for certified nursing assistants in assisted-living facilities […]
As consumers spend less time shopping in brick-and-mortar buildings and more time shopping online, malls that were once gathering places for Baby Boomers are closing. Forbes reports that some Baby Boomers are returning to malls that have been redeveloped as senior living communities. While living in an abandoned mall might conjure images of pitching […]
Long-term care can be critical to the health and emotional well-being of older adults. The adult children of aging parents are often called upon to provide that care, but they do so at a cost to their own quality of life. Family caregivers who work long hours without compensation may be sacrificing careers, incurring expenses, […]
Labeling an older adult as “frail” can be stigmatizing. Geriatric researchers have cautioned that the term is linked to “mental or moral weakness” and may become “the new cloak of ageism, a tool for discrimination and disempowerment applied to the most vulnerable.” Despite its negative connotations, medical science uses the term frailty to describe a […]
Older adults lose their social connections for various reasons. Retirement deprives seniors of workplace interactions. Children and other family members move to distant locations. Retirees who relocate to a different community no longer have the opportunity to visit with friends. Declining health might make it difficult to participate in social activities. Older adults may be […]