This Labor Day, more workers in the U.S. than ever before are juggling two jobs—their paid work, and caring for a disabled spouse, their parents, or other older loved ones. Did we say two jobs? Make that three! According to … Continue reading
When a Loved One With Dementia Is Hospitalized
When a Loved One With Dementia Is Hospitalized Today, almost six million people in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related condition. Many also have other health conditions which, like Alzheimer’s, become more common as we grow … Continue reading
Opioids Aren’t the Only Dangerous Pain Medications
With so much coverage of today’s opioid epidemic, there is new emphasis on alternative pain treatment. For many people with arthritis and other musculoskeletal pain, this includes the use of medications called non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). This class of drugs includes … Continue reading
Organizing Your Important Records in the Digital Age
Too often we need a piece of information when we are least able to access it—during a medical emergency, at a doctor’s appointment, when meeting with a lawyer, or during a hospital admission. So, it makes sense to get organized … Continue reading
Thinking About Pain
People who are living with chronic pain can feel discounted and insulted when someone says “It’s all in your head.” But studies show that the way we think about pain can make a real difference in how we perceive it, … Continue reading
When a Loved One Moves to a Long-Term Care Facility
Though most seniors wish to stay at home for as long as possible, health challenges often mean that moving to a skilled nursing facility is the best choice. If you are helping a loved one with this process, maybe you … Continue reading
Warn Senior Loved Ones About “Free Trial” Offers
Cheese samples at the supermarket, little packets of body care products at the makeup counter or that little tube of toothpaste your dentist gives you — marketers like to give away free samples in hopes that we’ll like their product … Continue reading
Holiday Family Reunions May Highlight the Need for Home Care
Every year, one of the most cherished holiday traditions is gathering with family. Getting together with those we hold most dear is often a highlight of the year. For those who may see their parents only during the holidays, this … Continue reading
How to be an Effective Long-Distance Caregiver
As a society, we’ve become much more mobile. Gone are the days when generation after generation continues to live in the town in which they were raised. This has created a society where families may be separated by thousands of … Continue reading
Talking With Your Loved One About Incontinence
Seniors who are experiencing urinary incontinence often feel all alone. But they are not. Though the topic seldom comes up in conversation, incontinence affects more than half of women past the age of menopause, and also affects many senior men. … Continue reading
A Free Meal That Can Cost Seniors Plenty
Older adults are often the target of financial swindlers. According to the Investor Protection Institute, over half of adult protective services workers, doctors, law enforcement officials, securities regulators and others who regularly deal with older adults report often encountering elderly … Continue reading
Can Caregivers Go on Vacation?
If you are a family caregiver, this might sound familiar: you use up most of your vacation time to help your elderly parents with their healthcare and other needs. If your parents live at a distance, that’s where you go … Continue reading
Nurturing Your Spirit in the Later Years
Several studies over the past few years have shown that as we grow older, we benefit from thinking about higher things such as beauty, the meaning of life, the things that connect us, our place in the world—in short, the … Continue reading
New Insights into the Health Damage of Loneliness
For years, researchers have confirmed the negative health effects of loneliness. Social isolation raises the risk of depression, heart disease, high blood pressure and a host of other health conditions that decrease both the length and the quality of our … Continue reading
Study Finds EMTs Are on the Forefront of End-of-Life Care
Paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are trained to save lives. But they sometimes enter situations where a dying patient’s end-of-life wishes contradict their professional code. What do they do when faced with someone who is imminently dying and whose … Continue reading
A “Nightcap” Before Bedtime? Not a Good Idea!
Do you have a “nightcap” to help yourself relax before bedtime? This might not be such a good idea, according to sleep researchers. Experts have long known that consuming beer, wine or spirits right before bedtime can cause us to … Continue reading
Helping Someone Move to a Long-Term Care Facility
Moving to a long term care facility is often difficult for an older adult. But there are many things family members and friends can do to reduce the physical and emotional stresses involved. They can help plan the move, participate … Continue reading
What You Should Know About Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the brain that affects the transmission of messages to the muscles. It is characterized by tremor, stiffness of the muscles, and difficulty in initiating movements. Over one million Americans have Parkinson’s disease. It occurs … Continue reading
Information on Geriatric Care Management
Many families need a little extra help planning for and managing care for an elderly loved one. When the need for additional organization, financial planning, or familial mediation arises, a geriatric care manager may be a good fit. Coastal HomeCare … Continue reading
Difficult Decisions Made Easier Through Assessments
When frailty, an accident or an operation causes a need for additional care at home, determining the kind and amount of care someone requires is a difficult task. Each person’s situation is unique, and there is no “one size fits … Continue reading
Important Tax Information
View Full Item Signs of Spring are in the air, and for most of us so is tax season! We recognize that the costs for in-home care and care management can be significant and want everyone to know of the … Continue reading