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The Senior Community Lifestyle
Are Gluten and Blood Sugar Linked to Alzheimer’s?
If you are a caregiver trying to maintain a healthy diet and help your senior loved one do the same, you’ve probably noticed an increasing number of products popping up in grocery stores throughout the Great Lake state that bear the label “Gluten-free.” While most of...
Exploring Senior-Friendly Forms of Exercise
Dear Donna: My dad is on his own for the first time in his life. Since my mother passed away unexpectedly four years ago, he’s really slowed down. The two of them used to be on the go all of the time, but now he’s become very sedentary. In the early days after we lost...
Five Ways to Make Father’s Day Memorable for An Older Dad
Dear Donna: My dad will be 90 years old a few days before Father’s Day. He’s had some real health challenges in the last year that gave us a real scare. My siblings and their kids will all be traveling here to spend Father’s Day with Dad. Then my brother and I will be...
Resources to Support Family Caregivers
November is National Family Caregiver Month, a month dedicated to providing support and raising awareness for the 66 million Americans who are providing care for ill, disabled or aging relatives. If you are caring for a senior loved one in Michigan, you know that this...
Vision Changes Seniors Shouldn’t Ignore
As we grow older, it isn’t uncommon to experience minor vision problems. It might be dry, irritated eyes from staring at a computer too much or red, watery eyes that are the result of an allergy. But sudden changes in vision can be a warning signs of something more...
The Therapeutic Value of Journaling When You are a Caregiver
If you have ever kept a diary, you probably already know the clarity getting your thoughts down on paper can bring. Writing is a therapeutic form of self-expression known to relieve anxiety and stress. The Therapeutic Value of Journaling for Caregivers Caring for...
5 Tips for Disposing of Old Medications
Keeping medications that are no longer needed or those that are expired around the house can create problems for people of all ages. In households where older adults live, it can lead to the wrong medication being taken accidentally or to grandchildren finding one and...
Is Alzheimer’s Really Type 3 Diabetes?
Getting the news that you or a senior loved one has Alzheimer’s can be life-changing. A frustration for both seniors and their families is the lack of solid science about the cause of the disease. Recent studies linking diabetes and Alzheimer’s, however, seem to be...
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for a Senior in Assisted Living
Dear Donna: We recently moved my mother-in-law to an assisted living community in Holland, Michigan. The process of downsizing for the move required her to part with many of her belongings, and it was still a tight fit to get her settled and find a place for...
Creating a Caregiver Back-up Plan
If you are a Michigan senior loved one’s primary caregiver, you’ve probably worried about what would happen to them if you suffered an emergency of your own. Because you are involved in their day-to-day care, you likely know their medical history well. You also...
Using Respite Care for a Senior this Spring
Dear Donna: My husband and I would like to take a vacation this spring so we can take our twin girls to Disney World. It is our last chance to do so before they start Kindergarten next fall. The catch is I am the primary caregiver for my mother. She has lived with us...
5 Tricks Seniors Use to Hide Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
Even in the earliest stages, Alzheimer’s can make it tough for an adult to maintain their normal routine. Seniors and their spouses often fear they will be forced to move or to be separated if adult children discover one of them has this common form of dementia. In...