ReThink
Aging

Preventing Falls in the Home

Be aware of the risk factors that can cause seniors to fall One in four older Americans falls every year. Falls are the leading cause of injuries for seniors aged 65 and older, so preventing falls can be vital to their overall health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one out of five falls causes a serious injury, such as broken bones, hip fractures or head injuries. And each year, at least 300,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures. If you have an aging parent or grandparent, helping them reduce their risk of falling can keep...

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Healthy Eating for Seniors: 6 Ways to Eat Well as You Age

Healthy eating for seniors is an important part of their overall health and well-being. Eating a well-balanced diet is critical as they age. Proper nutrition provides the necessary vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, and it can help maintain a healthy weight. Eating right can also lower the risk of developing chronic health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. Also keep in mind that as your parent, grandparent or other senior loved one gets older, their nutritional needs, diet and appetite may change. For example, they may need fewer calories because of a slower metabolism. They may experience a loss...

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6 Ways to Help Aging Loved Ones Adopt Healthier Habits

If you ask family caregivers, getting their aging loved ones to eat healthier foods can seem nearly impossible. Sadly, this problem isn’t uncommon: One in every eight Americans older than 65 are at risk for malnutrition, according to research conducted by Kaiser Permanente and the National Institutes of Health. Various physical and mental conditions, as well as medications, can make aging adults less likely to get the nutrition they need to thrive. Whether the enemy is fast food, high cholesterol or a lack of vitamins, here are six ways to incorporate healthier habits (and maybe even some vegetables!) into your loved...

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Five Tips for Long Distance Caregiving

Caring for a loved one that lives locally can be stressful, yet caring for one that is long distance can extenuate the circumstances immensely.  There are a number of responsibilities in both situations, and in a long distance situation it is imperative that you feel comfortable delegating some of these responsibilities to others.  With that said, it is necessary for you to embrace communication among the family and those that are able to help locally.  Each family has unique situations, and something that works for one family may not work for others.  We have provided five tips that may be...

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Being a Long Distance Caregiver

Caring for aging parents can be difficult, and when you live thousands of miles away, it can come with a whole new set of complications.  How do I make sure they are cared for properly?  How will I respond to (or even know about) medical emergencies?  How will I know if they pay their bills on time? These questions can eat away at you; worse yet, you can’t visit them whenever you wish to calm your fears.  If you are worried about your parents’ well being far away, read our tips below to calm these fears and provide the best...

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Time to take away the keys? How to address driving concerns with your aging parents and how the issue is handled at the RMV.

---Wendy Adlerstein, LSW and Steve Stern How important is driving to our lives?  We associate driving with survival (being able to buy groceries and get to the doctor), freedom (being able to pack up on a whim whenever we need to get away), and being an adult (being able to get to work and pick up our daily coffee). All of our personal associations about driving and independence are part of what makes the “It’s time to stop driving” conversation with our aging loved ones so difficult. Unlike many of the tough conversations you have with an aging parent where...

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