BLOG
The Senior Community Lifestyle
Helping a Senior Loved One Avoid the Hospital
Dear Donna: My mother has been in and out of the hospital over the past 9 months for a variety of injuries and illnesses ranging from the flu to a badly broken wrist. She usually only spends one or two nights, but she is just worn out from it. Before this started, she...
Can My Mom Bring Her Furniture to Assisted Living?
Dear Donna: My sister and I are going to have “the talk” with our mom this weekend about moving to assisted living. We will both be in town to celebrate her 85th birthday. We think one of her objections will be that she doesn’t want to leave her treasures behind. She...
Caring Across the Miles: 5 Suggestions to Help a Michigan Senior Stay Connected with Family
When many miles separate your family from an older parent or loved one, it may be difficult to make them feel connected. This can be especially true when grandchildren are involved. To help families bridge the miles to a Michigan senior they love, we’ve pulled...
Dogs for Depression: How Pets Benefit Older Adults
When you hear someone is being treated for depression, what likely comes to mind is counseling and medication. Most of us think these two treatments are the keys to overcoming the disorder. One overlooked avenue of helping to heal the mind, body and spirit just might...
Dining Out When a Senior Loved One Has Alzheimer’s
If you have children you have likely struggled to find kid-friendly restaurants. For those who are caregivers for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease, dining out may present a similar challenge. The disease often requires families to make special...
6 Health Conditions that Look Like Alzheimer’s Disease
If you are an adult child caring for an aging parent, you may be observing a few behaviors that are setting off alarm bells that something is wrong. It might be forgetfulness, confusion or one of the other symptoms commonly associated with Alzheimer’s disease. These...
When You are a Caregiver for Your Spouse
Caring for a spouse is something most partners will face at one time or another. It might be short-term while they rehabilitate from a surgery or longer term if they suffer from a more debilitating disease such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. For older adults, having a...
Advice for Helping an Older Adult in Michigan Get Connected
Dear Donna: My great aunt lives on a large, wooded farm in mid-Michigan. Unfortunately, she is almost 90 miles away from us. We bought her an iPad during the holidays and are trying to find ways to encourage her to use it to keep in touch with us and to connect with...
6 Ways to Pay for Senior Living in Michigan
Dear Donna: My brother and I will be visiting our elderly mother to tackle the topic of senior living this month. She lives in Holland, Michigan and we both live out of state. When we were visiting with her during the holidays, it was obvious to us that it is time for...
9 Ways to Manage Arthritis during a Michigan Winter
If you are one of the 50 million adults in the U.S. that lives with arthritis, you may be feeling the effects of a Michigan winter in your joints. Arthritis pain often rises as the mercury level falls. What natural methods can older adults take to manage the pain of...
Important Questions to Ask an Aging Parent
Adult children often have difficulty discussing financial matters with an aging loved one. In many families, finances just aren’t discussed. Now, as a senior loved one grows older, those conversations are more and more important ones to have. Do you know if they have...
Searching for Assisted Living for a Michigan Senior
Dear Donna: During our family visit to my mother’s house in Traverse City, Michigan over the holidays, I came to the conclusion that she just isn’t safe living alone any longer. The change in her condition from last year to this year is quite dramatic. I was so...