caregivers

Power to the People via Family Caregiving Coalitions

Posted on 05/1/2013 by | Caregiving | Comments

CaregivingWhen I learned about the concept of family caregiving coalitions, what sprung to mind was the Carole King song “You’ve Got a Friend.” I say that in a good way! The famous lyrics are: “When you’re down and troubled and you need some love and care . . .” America’s 65.7 million family caregivers may be an army, but if you’re one of those troops, you can feel alone in the trenches. There’s the ever-changing situation, unpredictability, loss, exhaustion and, …

5 Things Caregivers Must Know About Diabetes

Posted on 04/17/2013 by | Caregiving | Comments

Caregiving | Home & Family | Personal HealthWith a U.S. diabetic population of 26.9% age 65+, or 10.9 million, caregivers must be careful observers. If your parent or spouse has diabetes and is over age 65, read on. Their condition is unique to their age, but it’s not always treated that way. “Geriatric diabetes is not as well understood as it is for the pediatric population. Treating a 40-year-old the same way as an 80-year-old is inappropriate,” says Dr. Medha Munshi, a geriatrician and endocrinologist who runs …

You Need a Non-English Speaking Caregiver?

Posted on 02/27/2013 by | Caregiving | Comments

Caregiving | Home & Family | Your LifeAt a recent conference in California on encore careers (aka pursuing a new field, often with a social mission, later in life), I met a real estate agent turned health care entrepreneur who got me thinking. (She’s obviously gotten others thinking too, because she’s won recognition from Encore.org two years in a row.) It’s tough enough to be sick, frail and poor (a trifecta of misery), but imagine not being able to communicate with your professional caregiver because you don’t …

Dr. Caregiver Is In

Posted on 10/5/2012 by | Caregiving | Comments

Caregiving | Home & FamilyFamily caregivers: If you’re ever looking for a new career, you might want to consider nursing or medicine. Results from the national survey “Home Alone: Family Caregivers Providing Complex Chronic Care,” released this week, suggest your learning curve may not be very steep. Yes, family caregivers still perform typical tasks such as bathing, dressing, toileting, eating, shopping and handling finances. But the survey reveals the scope of duties often goes far beyond these responsibilities to include handling wound care, administering …

Visiting Southeast Asia to Seek Solutions to Isolation

Posted on 09/19/2012 by | Volunteering | Comments

Relationships | Volunteering | Your LifeThis is a guest post by Beth Casey. Beth is a program manager for AARP Foundation’s Isolation Impact Area team, which works to combat and prevent isolation in people age 50 and over. The challenges of the developing world are not so different from those faced by Americans age 50 and over, particularly the low-income segment of the 50+. Throughout the world, older adults struggle to live their lives with dignity and purpose – to continue to put food on …

A Twist on Elder Abuse: Violent Care Recipients

Posted on 09/6/2012 by | Caregiving | Comments

Caregiving | Home & FamilyWhen we think of elder abuse, it’s typically the caregiver harming the care recipient. Right? But a horrifying story this week in the press made me wonder, how often are the tables turned and under what circumstances? And, if those being cared for do occasionally hurt family caregivers, what are the warning signs? Here’s the story that triggered those questions: a New York City wheelchair-bound 69-year-old with memory loss threw acid on his daughter, his sole caregiver. He has confessed, …

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