The Last Blog Entry

It's time

Mom is doing just fine. As a matter of fact, her diabetes is so stable that the glucose checks are down to once a week for another few weeks; thereafter, they’ll be done every two weeks. The woman is going to live forever, or so it seems. Read More >>

Gossamer of Sadness

So many people are afraid of getting old

“Getting old is hell,” my friend Jo recently wrote. I think her words and sentiment reflected her feelings of loss. Loss of her dear parents, who are slowly fading away, and a sense of loss as the signs of her own aging are becoming clearer with the passage of each birthday. Perhaps it’s not really getting old that seems so hellish as is the realization that what was once, will never be again. Read More >>

Adult Day Care Is a Caregiver’s Best Friend

Please support your local center

For years, adult day services—the term used to describe both adult day care and adult day health care—have been labeled “the best-kept secret.” I have never understood why. Adult day centers are wonderful places for old, frail, and disabled adults to spend a day. People who work at day centers are truly remarkable. They are well educated, usually have special degrees or certifications, and understand how to work with difficult behaviors common to, for example, dementia. Read More >>

Our Houses Aren't the Enemy: We Are

Are we kidding ourselves?

Denial of need, current and future, has been a recurring theme lately. We have a push to get people out of nursing homes and into independent living, and we have boomers who want (mostly) to age in their own homes, generally in the suburbs. Although they want lots of technology and community services, they don't see a priority for wide doorways or separate showers that could make bathing safer, according to the latest NAHB/MetLife 55+ Housing Study. Meanwhile, the worldwide home health monitoring market was estimated at $11 billion in 2008. Which raises a question: Should everyone who is monitored for chronic disease at home really be there? And where are the transportation systems that will support suburban seniors who can no longer drive? Read More >>

The Three Plagues of Long-term Care: Loneliness, Helplessness, and Boredom

“Because three hots and a cot” is just not good enough

I want to throw my purse at long-term care facility administrators who say, because of financial restraints, that they cannot intentionally and successfully address what Dr. Bill Thomas calls the “three plagues” of long-term care: loneliness, helplessness, and boredom. Their thinking goes, if facilities would only take in more money, there would be enough resources to deal with those problems. Claptrap. It’s not about money—it’s about culture and priorities. Read More >>

Long-term Care Insurance: Before You Decide to Buy

Understand the pros and cons

Buyers’ biggest motivation for purchasing coverage is to ensure that their estate won’t be depleted for their heirs. If your primary aim is to pass on an inheritance, then buy coverage. If this isn’t one of your estate-planning goals, consider saving your premium money and forgo coverage. Read More >>

Long-term Care Insurance: Some Initial Thoughts

Let’s start with some assertions that may not be obvious

This month’s blog postings are about long-term care insurance. Do you need it? How much will it cost? What are some options for financing it? Read More >>

Help! My Mother Is Dying of Boredom

Grateful for the care, yet . . .

My mother appears to be quietly fading. I understand the process of dementia, but she seems so vacant, partly because of the relentless boredom she lives with. Gaffney House has been home to my mother for almost a year. Overall, I think the staff does a remarkable job caring for very disabled people. Read More >>

Ageism in Long-term Care

Why immigration is good for old people

To prepare for a panel discussion at the June AARP Conference in Chicago, I am reading about ageism. The more I read about it, and the more I observe the caregivers at my mother's assisted living facility, Gaffney House, the more convinced I am that immigration is good for old people. Here is why.  Read More >>

A Call to Action on Substandard Nursing Homes

The New York Times recently published an article about younger people trying to experience what it’s like to be old (“Simulating Age 85, with Lessons on Offering Care”). The usual stuff, they suggested smearing petroleum jelly on eyeglasses and putting corn kernels in shoes. It’s an old approach. In response to the article, one reader suggested that to really understand what it’s like to be old, spend a week in a nursing home. Read More >>