Expert Elder Care Advice
By Marisa Cohen Enjoying post-retirement in the home you raised your children in — or in the comfy condo you bought when the kids flew the coop — is the dream for many seniors. But age brings physical and cognitive changes that can make staying at home a challenge... more
By Liz O’Donnell “I should just quit,” I thought to myself. I was exhausted. I had woken up at 5 a.m. that day. I answered some work emails, saw the kids off to school, wrote a freelance article and then drove an hour to take my mother... more
by Jody Gastfriend Back in the mid-1990s, when I ran a home health care agency, it was the visiting nurse who managed a patient’s medical needs and the family who helped with household chores and personal care. But with shorter hospital stays and advances in technology, families are now assuming... more
By Jody Gastfriend In the fall of 2015, I had the opportunity to participate in an event sponsored by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, an organization dedicated to the relentless mission of finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. The organization was founded by Trish and George Vradenburg, a wealthy, politically connected couple who decided... more
By Jody Gastfriend As caregivers, we may ignore advice to take care of ourselves, but we do so at our own peril. We each have to replenish our reserves of strength and compassion or else our well will run dry. Caregiver stress is real. It can result in illness, addiction... more
By Jody Gastfriend Sometimes when it comes to work/life balance I feel like I missed the boat. Yes, I somehow balanced it all—kids, my career, and caring for my dad. Back then there was no open forum, like Facebook or blogs, to describe all the madness and get some... more
Excerpt from Jody Gastfriend's "My Parent's Keeper: The Guilt, Grief, Guesswork and Unexpected Gifts of Caregiving" As caregivers, we may ignore advice to take care of ourselves, but we do so at our own peril. We each have to replenish our reserves of strength and compassion... more
When you’re overwhelmed and overburdened, it’s easy to feel that your siblings are standing on the sideline taking potshots. Those on the front lines of caregiving may not say it, but they need support, encouragement, and all hands-on deck. Feeling criticized doesn’t help. This can lead to the “I shouldn’t... more
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