Tag Archives: elderly

Extra Expenses of Caring for an Elderly Parent in Your Home

If you will be caring for an elderly parent in your home, you may need to budget for some extra expenses. Even if your parent has his or her own income to pay for items such as prescription medication, you still may have additional costs that creep up and raise your bills at the end of the month. Make sure to put a little extra aside in the following categories of your budget. Electricity With an extra person in your home, you may see an increase in your electric bill. Many elderly people can’t get around and tend to watch … Continue reading →

Weight Lifting and the Elderly

It’s never too late to start lifting weights. At least that’s what the authors of a new fitness study maintain. A recent study published in the Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that individuals should be hitting the weights as they age. The reason: As time goes on people gradually lose muscle mass and become more prone to falls. Researchers say as individuals age they lose fast-twitch muscle fibers, used for activities such as running, kicking a ball, or getting up and down from a chair. To reverse the effects, scientists say older people need to … Continue reading →

Exercise More Forget Less

A new study says adding even a few minutes of exercise to your daily routine can help improve your memory and brain function by a measurable amount. We all know exercise can help us lose weight, relieve stress and boost energy, but this particular study set out to prove that engaging in moderate exercise (“moderate” being the operative word here, and I will explain why in just a bit) may also be used as a weapon in the fight against diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. The study included more than 1,700 adult participants aged 65 and older who didn’t … Continue reading →

Young at Heart

My husband’s grandparents are quintessential Latter-day Saints. Descended from plain-crossing pioneers, they had seven children over aproximately twenty-one years. My mother-in-law was their first child. When my husband, the first grandchild was born, he was only four years younger than his youngest aunt. Since this was about the same spacing they had between the rest of their kids, I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised when Grandma told me at our first meeting that my husband “was really her son.” At the time, I thought she was joking, but after only spending a little while with their family as we … Continue reading →

Depression in the elderly

All age groups are prone to depression and the elderly are no different. However, it is only recently that significant studies have been conducted to determine the occurrence and form that depression takes in the elderly. Studies of residents in nursing homes estimate that up to 20% of residents may be suffering from major depression. Depression can sometimes slowly develop over a long period of time, and thus go unrecognized until the condition becomes quite severe. This is especially the case in the elderly, who may easily put down their change of mood to the aging process. Depression in the … Continue reading →

What not to say to people in distress (1)

Despite the fact that most of us have felt emotional pain during our lives, we often have little idea what to say to others who are in desperate need of words of solace. Unfortunately, people often say things that can actually make the situation worse. Sadly, these life skills are not taught in school, so the following is a quick course entitled “What not to say to the sad and grieving.” 1. Stillborn babies It’s natural for you as a friend to want to ease the pain of your grieving friend who has just given birth to a stillborn child … Continue reading →

Help Keep Others Safe in Hot Weather

It looks like Chicago is experiencing another heat wave. I know it’s very hot in other places, but being from Chicago, I remember the nightmare of the last heat wave. However, I have deep concerns for people everywhere who may not be able to properly care for themselves. Please, take the time to check on the elderly, the sick, and the less fortunate in their homes. It is so sad to see people die when it is completely preventable. I saw an older woman on the news last night, sitting in her hot apartment with the windows closed, no fans … Continue reading →

Taking Care of the Caretaker

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I am one of the primary caretakers for my eighty year old grandmother. Some days are better than others; some days are very frustrating and make me want to scream. If you are responsible for the care of another person — be it a parent, child, or friend — don’t forget to take some time for yourself. Being a caretaker is not an easy job. You risk emotional depletion from dealing with an ill or incapable family member — you give and give and give and expect very little in return. You may become isolated because you are spending so … Continue reading →

Caring For the Elderly: The Health Police

Kristyn wrote a great article a few weeks ago about being the Blood Sugar Police. It really struck a chord with me because while she cares for a son with diabetes, I am helping care for a grandmother with diabetes. I live with my eighty year old grandmother, and am one of her primary caretakers. We have good days and bad days… and the bad days can be really bad. “Why don’t you just leave an old lady alone to die?” That’s my favorite quote. (Not really.) It’s what she says when someone is nagging her to take her medicine, … Continue reading →