Elder Care Cafe

Diabetes Support Groups

Edie — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:02:22 +0000

If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, a myriad of emotions and feelings could be coursing through your body and mind. The first thing you need to know is that a diagnosis of diabetes is not a death sentence. There are a number of ways you can learn to control [...]

Facing Death – A Companion in Words and Images Review

Edie — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:28:45 +0000

Over the past couple of months I have received several books to review that had to do with death and dying. Because of several serious health challenges and recent deaths in our family, I wasn’t looking forward to reading and reviewing books about death. However, when I picked up Facing Death: A Companion in Words and Images, [...]

Elder Care During a Cross Country Move

Edie — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:16:34 +0000

As caregiver to my 87-year-old diabetic father, I was concerned recently as we embarked on a journey of more than 1600 miles from mid-Michigan to SE Texas in a 16-foot Penske truck. Our goal was to move to an island near Corpus Christi so that we could be near my daughter and her family, especially my grandson. David [...]

Happy Second Birthday Elder Care Cafe

Edie — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:19:10 +0000

WOW! as my grandson frequently says. In the busyness of our life this month, I forgot to celebrate Elder Care Cafe’s 2nd birthday. How could I forget such an important milestone after last year’s fabulous party. Elder Care Cafe officially opened for business on August 3, 2008 and we have come a long way since [...]

Rheumatoid Arthritis – You Can Customize Your Own Diet

Edie — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:52:52 +0000

Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating and devastating illness, but you can do some things to reduce the pain and fatigue, including developing a proper diet plan. For example, fatty foods can exacerbate the effects of rheumatoid arthritis as can foods that promote weight gain – sugars and breads. Trial and error might be in order [...]

Osteoporosis – Coping with the Pain

Edie — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:42:32 +0000

Osteoporosis is likely to affect men over 70 and women over 50 and can result in serious and life-changing fractures if not treated. Osteoporosis occurs when calcium and phosphate leave the bones and are reabsorbed in the body, leaving the bones thinner and weaker. Osteoporosis in women is sometimes caused by an estrogen shortage during [...]

Coping with Osteoarthritis

Edie — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:32:17 +0000

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, you may be feeling isolated and frustrated. Osteoarthritis can drastically upturn your lifestyle by making you feel like the disease is running you and that you’ve lost control. There are ways to manage the pain and restrictions that come with this debilitating ailment – and the first step [...]

How Serious is Depression for Aging Seniors?

Edie — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:20:02 +0000

The longer we live, the more likely we are to suffer life-changing situations and grief in our lives that might bring on bouts of depression. We’re more vulnerable to changes and sometimes don’t have the energy or the money or any other means to change situations that happen to upend our lives. Most elderly depression [...]

Gout Attacks? How to Stop the Pain

Edie — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:56:37 +0000

Attacks of gout occur when uric acid accumulates in the joints. Gout is a type of arthritis that is extremely painful and may affect one or more joints. Joints affected are usually in the lower extremities such as the big toes, ankles or knees and the onset of pain is sudden and excruciating. Some attacks [...]

Are You at Risk for Skin Cancer?

Edie — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:42:28 +0000

Although summer is winding down, there are still plenty of daylight hours left especially in the southern states. Many people, particularly aging seniors, are not aware how easy it is to get skin cancer. My mother spent a lot of time outdoors all her life, and in her later years developed skin cancer on her [...]

Alzheimer’s – 13 Tips for Easier Mealtimes

Edie — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:06:49 +0000

Mealtimes can sometimes be one of the most difficult aspects of caring for someone who has Alzheimer’s or dementia. Among the many challenges the disease can cause are the loss of interest in food, having a poor appetite or the lack of desire to eat, forgetting to eat, or that they have already eaten. One [...]

Alzheimer’s and Long Distance Care – Make the Most of Your Visit

Edie — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:56:19 +0000

Trying to manage the care of your aging parents can be difficult in the best of circumstances. When you live many miles away, it becomes much more problematic to keep an eye on how they are doing. At some point in time, you will probably decide you need to see for yourself just what your [...]

Alzheimer’s and Long Distance Care – Verify Level of Need

Edie — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:00:00 +0000

In today’s society, many adult children live quite a number of miles from their aging parents. When you live miles away from a parent who has a debilitating disease such as dementia or Alzheimer’s, the ability to care for your parent becomes much more complicated. You may have concerns about their nutrition, safety, and overall [...]

Alzheimer’s and Daily Activities, Part 3

Edie — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 14:58:25 +0000

We discussed in part one of this article how planning a structured day can help give substance and meaning to the life of someone who is struggling with Alzheimer’s or dementia. In part two we discussed how to approach each day. If your loved one awakes in the morning with little or no structure they may just [...]

Alzheimer’s and Daily Activities, Part 2

Edie — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:41:28 +0000

We discussed in Part 1 of this series how having a structured day can help give substance and meaning to the life of someone who is struggling with Alzheimer’s or any other form of dementia. If they awake in the morning with little or no structure they may just drift throughout the day until it [...]

Alzheimer’s and Daily Activities, Part I

Edie — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:14:26 +0000

For those who are struggling with Alzheimer’s or dementia, having a somewhat structured day can help give substance and meaning to their life. If they awoke in the morning and there was no or very little structure throughout the day, they would drift like an unmoored boat until time to go to bed. Planning and providing [...]

Alzheimer’s and the Challenge of Communication

Edie — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:27:53 +0000

One of the devastating results of Alzheimer’s disease or related types of dementia is that it gradually diminishes a person’s ability to communicate. If you suspect that you or your loved one might be showing signs of Alzheimer’s or dementia see your doctor right away. The sooner the disease is diagnosed, the sooner you and [...]

Can Brain Games Keep You From Losing Your Memory?

Edie — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:00:26 +0000

According to a report released earlier this year, the answer is no. The report also disputed the notion that high priced supplements or exotic herbs can also prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, no one has yet found a way to prevent the disease or slow mild cognitive decline. The high cost of hope [...]

Caregivers Need Your Support and Understanding

Edie — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:27:12 +0000

Many caregivers involved in elder care are relatives of the aging senior. In most cases, they are caring for their family member out of love and compassion. By definition, caring is to feel a special interest or concern about someone or something. It takes a special person to care for someone else’s needs, especially on a daily [...]

Glaucoma on the Rise – Are You at Risk?

Edie — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:20:05 +0000

A diagnosis of glaucoma can be devastating to hear. Glaucoma is the name of a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve. You can lose your vision when this nerve becomes damaged. People with the disease will first notice the loss of their peripheral or side vision. If left untreated the vision loss can [...]

Cataract Facts You Should Know

Edie — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:10:10 +0000

One of the main reasons that people develop cataracts is the aging process, but they can also occur if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, are a smoker, drink too much alcohol, have a family history of cataracts and numerous other medical problems. The first symptom of cataracts is usually that your vision is hampered [...]

Macular Degeneration a Leading Cause of Vision Loss in Seniors

Edie — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:19:37 +0000

Macular degeneration is a chronic eye disease usually associated with aging, and in fact is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over 60. Macula is the tissue just inside the back of your eye and is about the size of a pencil eraser. Macular degeneration occurs when the small central portion of [...]

The Loneliness of Old Age

Edie — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:42:56 +0000

A side effect of aging or even chronic illness that most people do not understand is the loneliness that most seniors experience. Loneliness isn’t just about being alone. It is about being lonely, and, unfortunately, it comes with a price. Along with loneliness comes the feeling of isolation, of being disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and the [...]

Depression, Aging, and the Current Economic Climate, Part 2

Edie — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:52:05 +0000

There are a couple types of depression that may show themselves in today’s economic times. Short-term depression occurs in most all of us at some time or other in our lives, but severe depression is more serious and may require some type of medical care or intervention. Severe depression is when the feelings become so agonizing [...]

Depression, Aging, and the Current Economic Climate, Part 1

Edie — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:58:43 +0000

The economic decline over the last couple of years in the United States, with its accompanying number of people who have lost their jobs, their lifestyles, and often their homes, reminds me how many people could also be struggling with depression. Unfortunately, the older people are when enduring these life-changing losses, the more likely they will [...]