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The Senior Community Lifestyle
Project for Caregivers: One Little Word for 2014
For readers of our blog that are family caregivers, we have an idea for 2014 we would like to share with you. We know that your role as caregiver for someone you love creates considerable stress for you every day. The job is physically exhausting and emotionally...
Online Support for Michigan Caregivers
Family caregivers have a stressful and demanding role. Largely made up of women who work at least part-time and who care for children of their own, the demands on their time are often impossible to manage. While a support group seems like the obvious choice to helping...
Naughty or Nice: Making Healthy Holiday Food Choices
Finding healthy holiday food choices can be tough on our waistline. Health experts say that the average American gains from ten to twelve pounds between Thanksgiving and the New Year. For older adults with a health condition like high cholesterol, high blood pressure...
Gift Ideas for an Older Adult in Assisted Living
If a parent, grandparent or older adult you love lives in a senior living community, finding a holiday gift for them might feel like a test of your imagination. Most residents of an assisted living community have limited space and have much of what they need provided....
Home for the Holidays: Warning Signs for Adult Children
Making a trip home for the holidays is something most adult children look forward to every year. But for adult children of an aging loved one, the visit sometimes proves quite shocking. An older parent that they thought was managing well on their own really isn’t....
6 Safety Tips for Holiday Decorating When a Loved One Has Dementia
Decking the halls is a traditional part of the holiday season in many families. But when a loved one lives with Alzheimer’s disease or related form of dementia, holiday decorations can present a few unexpected safety hazards. Here are a few ways you can adapt your...
Alzheimer’s and the Role of the Neurologist
If a senior loved one has been exhibiting some of the warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, their primary care physician has likely referred them to a neurologist for more testing. For families, the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is a surprisingly long...
Caregiver Questions Regarding Medicare Open Enrollment
Dear Donna: I am the caregiver for my 71 year old mother who has Alzheimer’s disease. In the past she has been able to handle Medicare open enrollment on her own. This year, for the first time, I will be responsible for this task. I’m not yet eligible for Medicare...
Winter Safety for Older Adults in Michigan
Like it or not, old man winter is making his way to Michigan. For older adults in colder climates like ours, winter creates additional risk factors. The aging experts from the Heritage Senior Communities offer these 3 winter safety reminders for seniors in Michigan:...
Respite Care in Michigan
Dear Donna: I am the primary caregiver for my 88-year old mother who lives in Saline, Michigan. I stop at her house every day either on my way to work or on the way home from work. When I had my annual physical last week, my physician told me she thinks care-giving is...
When the Sun Goes Down: How to Manage One of the Most Challenging Behaviors Caused by Alzheimer’s Disease
If you are a Michigan caregiver helping to provide for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease, you may be witnessing this behavior and not know what it is. As the sun begins to set, restlessness, agitation and anxiety in a loved one peak. Just as a caregiver’s...
Independent Living Enriches Life for Older Adults in Michigan
Dear Donna: I am trying to persuade my 80-year old mother who lives alone in Traverse City, Michigan to move to an independent living community. We live almost 6 hours away from her and worry about her safety in the cold and snowy northern Michigan winters. She is...