Senior Care
The Hidden Truth About Hospital Care at Home and Why You Might Need Backup
Hospital care at home is incredibly helpful, but there are some surprising facts about it that you need to know.
No one wants to linger in a hospital bed any longer than necessary. The faster the procedure or treatment is over, the faster recovery can begin, and for many, that now means recovering at home. Hospital care at home is gaining in popularity, and with good reason. It offers a way to sidestep some of the least appealing aspects of a hospital stay, including:
Protecting our Seniors!
Protecting our Seniors – Preventing Scams and Elder Financial Abuse
Earlier this week, the Marin IJ ran an article (https://www.marinij.com/2025/05/20/marin-investigators-accuse-suspect-of-scamming-seniors) highlighting a recent Elder Financial Abuse scam. The two victims, 78 and 83 years old, were scammed to the tune of almost $100,000. Fortunately, the perpetrator was caught and the Prosecuting Attorney is fighting for a very high bail. All of this began with a phishing email seemingly coming from Amazon.
Unfortunately, these sorts of Elder Financial Abuse scams are becoming more and more common. It is critically important that we all do our part to protect the elderly from this financial exploitation. There are long laundry lists of what everyone can do to best protect themselves and their financial interests. Keeping all your information as confidential as possible is paramount. Use strong passwords, and never divulge them, or your account information. … Read More »
When Love Feels Heavy: How to Cope With Spousal Caregiver Resentment
Spousal caregiver resentment can leave you riddled with guilt, but you can overcome it with the right support.
You meant every word of those vows: through sickness and health, for better or worse. But no one warned you how exhausting it might feel to live those promises day in and day out as a caregiver. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or even resentful while caring for your spouse, take a deep breath: you’re not failing, you’re just human.
How to Handle Repetitive Questions in Dementia Without Losing Your Cool
Repetitive questions in dementia aren’t always easy to manage, but these tips will help.
If you’ve ever heard the same question five times in five minutes from someone you love, you know just how draining it can be. Repetitive questions in dementia are one of the most common and challenging behaviors families encounter. But these loops aren’t something the person can control. They’re a window into how dementia changes the brain.
How Dementia Affects the Senses and What You Can Do About It
Find out how dementia affects the senses, how it impacts quality of life, and how you can help someone you love.
When dementia is part of your family’s life, there’s a good chance that memory loss is top of mind. But there’s another reality that often goes unrecognized: how dementia affects the senses. These unexpected changes can have a huge impact on daily safety, independence, and comfort. If you’re helping care for someone with dementia, understanding how sensory changes show up, and how to respond, is vitally important.
Healthy Conversations With Your Parent Start Here
Learn how to have healthy conversations with your parent to restore peace to your relationship.
When you dedicate so much time and energy to caring for a senior parent, it’s natural for other relationships to take a back seat. After all, there are only 24 hours in a day, and you can only spread yourself so thin. This can lead to additional stress, hurt feelings, and misunderstandings.
The key to overcoming this hurdle is communication. It means having healthy conversations with your parent that may be uncomfortable but allow the opportunity to air grievances, share feelings, and ultimately reinforce the love you have for each other.
Kicking Off a Courageous Conversation
First, know that a planned, formal meeting isn’t necessary for a conversation to be effective. It can be a quick chat while waiting for the coffee to … Read More »
How Can You Prioritize Privacy as a Caregiver?
Make sure to prioritize privacy as a caregiver to protect your health and well-being.
Think back to your teenage years. Remember how important it was to find a safe place to be by yourself, to shut out the world, turn up the music, and write your most secret thoughts in your diary?
The need for privacy that began then may become overshadowed when providing care for someone else. Yet it’s still vitally important to be able to separate yourself both physically and mentally from your caregiving role to take time for yourself and prioritize privacy as a caregiver.
How Can a Caregiver Make Privacy a Priority?
Frankly, it isn’t always easy. You may feel as though you need to always have at least one ear and eye open to the needs of the person in your care. There … Read More »
What You Need to Know When Mom Is Discharged From the Hospital
When Mom is discharged from the hospital, keep an eye out for a condition known as post-hospital syndrome.
The moment Mom is discharged from the hospital, you exhale, believing the toughest part is finally behind you. But instead of bouncing back, she seems drained, anxious, or even weaker than before. She’s struggling with simple tasks, isn’t sleeping well, and feels overwhelmed.
This wasn’t how you pictured recovery. Instead of a turning point, it feels like she’s slipping backward.
What’s going on?
The Unexpected Challenge of Post-Hospital Recovery
Leaving the hospital doesn’t always mean the body is ready to heal. Many older adults experience post-hospital syndrome—a state of extreme stress and vulnerability that can slow recovery, lead to new health complications, and even increase the risk of readmission.
Stress plays a bigger role than you might realize.
How Stress … Read More »
Struggling to Let Someone Lighten Your Caregiving Load? This Might Be Why.
Learn why it’s so important to allow someone to help lighten your caregiving load, and why you may be feeling so resistant to the idea.
The moment Mom is discharged from the hospital, you exhale, believing the toughest part is finally behind you. But instead of bouncing back, she seems drained, anxious, or even weaker than before. She’s struggling with simple tasks, isn’t sleeping well, and feels overwhelmed.
This wasn’t how you pictured recovery. Instead of a turning point, it feels like she’s slipping backward.
What’s going on?
The Unexpected Challenge of Post-Hospital Recovery
Leaving the hospital doesn’t always mean the body is ready to heal. Many older adults experience post-hospital syndrome—a state of extreme stress and vulnerability that can slow recovery, lead to new health complications, and even increase the risk of readmission.
Stress plays a bigger … Read More »
Why Won’t Mom Eat? It Might Just Be an Eating Disorder.
If you’ve been wondering, “Why won’t Mom eat?” it’s important to know the signs of an eating disorder.
Changes in appetite and weight are often considered a normal part of aging. But if you find yourself asking, “Why won’t Mom eat?” it’s important to consider all possible reasons. While factors like medication side effects, dental concerns, or reduced mobility can certainly play a role, there’s another potential cause that often goes unnoticed: eating disorders in seniors.
