A 2017 New York Times article identified 5 tips for finding a reliable nursing home. But there’s a sixth tip, and it may be the most important: Use all your senses. You must remember, too, that the term “nursing home” has become a catchall phrase that, these days, seems to include not just 24-hour hospital-type […]
Joyce Simard began her career as a dementia care specialist almost unwittingly nearly four decades ago. She had logged many early years as what she calls “a real social worker” when it hit hard that the usual rules and regulations care facilities cling to simply don’t work for residents who have Alzheimer’s disease or other […]
My neighbor, thinking about retirement and downsizing, told me that he was pretty impressed by the idea of a continuing care retirement community (CCRC). He saw it as a way not just to downsize, to make his life simpler, and to be around contemporaries, but also to move somewhere that could attend to increasing needs […]
College campuses are hubs for innovation, arts, culture and athletics. And when looking back, alumni regularly refer to their university years as some of their best — partly due to their access to a community of higher learning and culture. So, could college campuses also be the ideal place to spend your golden years? Increasingly, […]
An Introduction to Continuing Care Retirement Communities Recently, my almost retired 63-year-old active neighbor has been shopping around for a comfortable community to settle down in when he is no longer able to stay in his home. He realizes that at some point maintaining the yard, climbing the stairs, and cleaning the big place will […]
Louise has lived in her Florida home with her husband for the past 10 years. A daughter who has her own health problems lives nearby and a son lives a state away. Though he visits often, for practical purposes Louise has to manage day-to-day problems on her own. She called me because she wanted to […]
Updated January 2026 Most people say they fear getting Alzheimer’s disease more than they fear heart disease, stroke, diabetes, or cancer, according to a number of recent polls. And a large number even fear it more than dying. And the odds of that fear being realized seem scary, too. The Alzheimer’s Association reports that an […]
Updated January 2026 Despite strict government warnings and national initiatives cracking down on administering antipsychotic drugs to older people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia, dangerous abuses persist. The practice is particularly pernicious when it occurs in nursing homes, behind closed doors, where the most vulnerable residents are rarely informed or allowed to give meaningful […]
Updated December 2025 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency charged with overseeing the quality of treatment in the nation’s 15,000 long-term care facilities, released a final rule in October 2016 heralding its first major regulatory reform in 25 years. The rule was slated to be phased in over three years, […]
If you or yours are up against a serious illness, you will likely hear the terms “palliative care” and “hospice care” — and may even be asked to choose between them while being confused by the question. There’s good reason for the confusion. Blurred Lines By most lights, “palliative” is just a multi-syllabic word for […]