family caregiving

Hi There – Great to Meet You!

Posted on 10/19/2012 by | Caregiving | Comments

Caregiving | Home & FamilyAs a new contributor to AARP’s “Take Care” blog, I’ve been thinking my first post should provide a bit of an introduction. I’m one of the 33 -40 percent  (depending on the survey) of U.S. caregivers who are men. My caregiving began with a phone call about 10 a.m. on Feb. 15, 2008 (one remembers these things). The caller ID showed “St. Jos. Hospital,” and a St. Louis area code. St. Louis had been my then-86-year-old father’s home for most …

From Caregiver to Care Recipient: What Will You Be Like?

Posted on 09/27/2012 by | Caregiving | Comments

Caregiving | Home & FamilyI’ve been a long-distance caregiver since 2000 for my father, mother and now my nearly (happy birthday next week) 93-year-old mother-in-law. Talk about continuing education and on-the-job experience! I say with absolutely no pleasure, I know a lot about ailing parents. You might know what kind of caregiver you are and how you want to be treated, but have you thought about what it might be like for your family or friends when the tables are turned? Here is a …

Living Alone: One Man’s Lament Touches Nerve With Readers

Posted on 07/18/2012 by | Personal Health and Well-being | Comments

Bulletin Today | Personal HealthAn emotionally moving essay in the Washington Post last week about the loneliness and frustrations of assisted living has sparked an equally emotional outpouring from readers. More than 530 readers commented online and many sent letters after 62-year-old Martin Bayne wrote about his experience with impersonal administrators, underpaid but hardworking staff, lonely residents, and rooms that, ironically, aren’t set up for people in wheelchairs. Bayne acknowledged that, outwardly, his facility is impressive — clean, attractive, with good quality food and …

A Caregiver ‘Can Do’ Attitude

Posted on 04/10/2012 by | Aging, Home & Family Expert | Comments

Caregiving | Home & Family | RelationshipsDressed in his pajamas and clean white T-shirt, he walks into the room, intensely focused and looking around for something. I’m lying on the sofa-bed in his study/guest room, reading a book before going to sleep. I’m not sure if he sees me, his vision so compromised by Glaucoma, or if he is just so focused on the object he is in search of that he doesn’t zero in on me. “What are you looking for, Daddy?” I ask. A …

The Takeaway: “You Gave, Now Save”—Don’t Miss Out On Benefits for Older Americans

Posted on 02/16/2012 by | Brooklyn, NY | Comments

News RoundupsMissing Out? Millions of older Americans might qualify for healthcare, prescription drug, food and utility bill assistance—if they only knew about it.

AARP Caregiving Forum Round-up

Posted on 12/2/2011 by | Aging, Home & Family Expert | Comments

Caregiving | Relationships | Your LifeEarlier this week, I watched AARP’s forum, The Challenges of Family Caregiving: What Needs to be Done? via webcast. Sitting in front of my computer in Arizona, I watched the speakers discuss their caregiving experiences and their recommendations for program and policy improvements to support more than 40 million family caregivers in the U.S. The 10 speakers were authors of books about caregiving and experts in their fields, but first and foremost, they are – or have been – family …

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