To quote author and women’s advocate Betty Friedan, "Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength."
Getting older might not be something we all look forward to, but aging is a reality we all have to face. And how we approach the passing of the years, say aging experts, has a lot to do with our happiness and health later in life.
Happy New Year! The new year is a great time for older Americans to take stock of their lives and consider how they can live healthier and happier – or as the saying goes, “Add years to your life and life to your years!”
Caring for an aging parent can be quite a challenge. This is especially true for adult children who do not have siblings with whom to share the responsibility. However, as any adult child with siblings can tell you, having others to share the caregiving burden is not without challenges of its own.
When a loved one is diagnosed with dementia, his or her personal safety becomes a top priority for family members. And according to the Family Caregiver Alliance, “One of the greatest concerns that families and caregivers face is whether or not that person should drive.”
Today, requiring care in a senior living community no longer means giving up a full and enriching lifestyle for older Americans. In fact, forward-thinking senior living communities now place a major emphasis on ensuring that their residents have an active, purposeful lifestyle that enhances their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.
Not surprisingly, adult children with aging parents in memory care frequently have anxiety and questions about visiting their loved ones. Common concerns include: Will mom/dad even know who I am? What should I say? Do my visits have any value? How often should I visit mom/dad in memory care?
Recent researchby the US Department of Health & Human Services projects that most seniors age 65 or older will need long-term care at some point in their lives. As noted by the long-term care experts at the Mayo Clinic®, “If
We’ve all heard the saying, “It takes a village,” with regard to raising children. Similarly, it could be said that “it takes a family” to care for an aging parent.
“As an adult child, having siblings can be a blessing when it comes to caring for a parent who needs ongoing care,” says Susan Irrgang, RN, LNHA, Executive Director at Saunders House in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.
“Respite care services at Saunders House provide at-home caregivers with a much-needed physical and emotional break from their demanding daily caregiving routines” says Susan Irrgang, Executive Director of Saunders House, located in Wynnewood, PA.
“Caregivers receive some personal time off from their caregiving duties to ‘recharge their batteries’ and do the things that are important to their own lives – whether it’s running errands, traveling, meeting for lunch with friends or just relaxing with a good book.”
