In recent years, we’ve seen a greater awareness in the U.S. and the world about the increasing number of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. And we’ve learned a lot more about the emotional and financial difficulties their family membe… Continue reading
Pete Buttigieg has a plan to help those in need of long-term care. A really ambitious plan. The South Bend, Ind., mayor and 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful recently released his Dignity and Security in Retirement proposal, part of his campaign’s e… Continue reading
Family caregivers of loved ones with disabilities and chronic illnesses experience life transformations that are often unexpected. Their altered lifestyles, frequently resulting in dramatic changes to their personal identities, can last for many years,… Continue reading
(This article previously appeared on the Kaiser Health News site.) Imagine a government program that would mobilize volunteers to help older adults across the nation age in place. One is on the way. The Administration for Community Living (ACL), part o… Continue reading
(This article previously appeared on the Kaiser Health News site.) Imagine a government program that would mobilize volunteers to help older adults across the nation age in place. One is on the way. The Administration for Community Living (ACL), part o… Continue reading
When it comes to shopping, Southern California e-commerce marketplace senior executive Mary Hannon is an expert. But when Hannon became a caregiver in her 50s for her 80-year-old mom with mid-stage Alzheimer’s disease, she realized she needed to look a… Continue reading
Later life is an adventure with both light and dark moments, says Sheila Malkind, 80. And fittingly, she promotes that philosophy each year at the Legacy Film Festival on Aging, which she founded in 2011 and has directed ever since. Some of the films a… Continue reading
(Lourdes Ballesteros uses a pen name to protect the confidentiality of her husband’s health information.) As the oldest daughter in a Cuban family with an extended-family tradition, I was raised with “unofficial” training as a caregiver. In other words… Continue reading
Why would a 20-year-old want to hang out with an 80-something? It’s not as strange as you may think. Maybe the older man reminds a college sophomore of her grandfather. Or, there’s a connection between the elderly woman with dementia and a grad student… Continue reading
For people with dementia, having nothing to do can contribute to agitation, frustration and a feeling of loss of control and well-being. It is a situation family caregivers often encounter. Laura Gitlin, distinguished professor and dean of the College … Continue reading