Forbes magazine calls Alzheimer's the most costly disease in medical history. Due to the length of time people live with the illness and need care, it’s the most expensive medical condition in the U.S. and perhaps the most costly disease in medical history. Future costs for Alzheimer’s threaten to bankrupt Medicare, Medicaid and the life savings of millions of Americans. My grandmother had Alzheimer's disease as did her twin sister. [...]
When our social worker Ron meets with new clients, he discusses how our aging parents view adult children. They see them as the kid who crashed their car, or borrowed money and didn't pay it back, or whined when things got too hard. When the time comes, taking care of aging parents becomes difficult when they still view us with the baggage from raising us. They may brag about our [...]
When someone calls for help for their loved one, we are happy to hear that they have Long Term Care insurance. Depending on their policy, this can help relieve the financial burden with varying reimbursement offered for caregiver support, assisted living or nursing home expenses. With the high cost of elder care, it can make the difference between someone being able to afford the help that they truly need. There [...]
Good article on the Aging Life Care Association’s blog about what you need to think about when you are responsible for someone else’s care so that you can have some time away to take care of yourself.
From AARP: For eight years, Thomas Smallwood got around relatively well for a man with no legs. Poor circulation had led Smallwood, 63 at the time, to a difficult choice: his legs or his life. He chose the latter. You don't need legs to be a man, he thought. The man makes the legs. Or in his case, the arms. Until age 71, Smallwood used his arms to amble around [...]
From the MayoClinic.com: Long-distance caregiving poses unique challenges. Find out what you can do to help your loved one from afar -- and how to make the most of personal visits. If you live far away from a loved one who needs care, you might wonder what you can do to help. Start by understanding options for long-distance caregiving, from gathering information and coordinating services to providing occasional respite for [...]
