My client is a 72 year old, Eastern European woman who had been living in an apartment. She ambulated with a walker. She is diabetic, suffers from anxiety, and has difficulty with her vision. She had contracted an infection in her back due to a fall and had refused to…
Hearing loss can lead to auditory deprivation, dementia, and emotional problems. I have asked my respected colleague, Audiologist Kelly O’Malley, to share some facts about each consequence: Auditory Deprivation: When the hearing nerve and the area of the brain responsible for hearing are deprived of sound, they atrophy. Microscopic hair…
At the request of the Illinois Chapter of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, I was recently asked to give a presentation at their annual meeting on, “How to choose a nursing home”. Had I been asked to speak about how to find a nursing home for a person with…
Being older CAN have its advantages. Among them are these potentially money-saving tips from the IRS, for those of you who have not already done your taxes. If you and/or your spouse are 65 years old or older, you can get a higher standard deduction amount if you do not…
While “age 55 and older” seems to be the general definition of an American “senior,” I have never allowed my age to deter me from enjoying two of my favorite activities: tap and jazz dancing. As a senior living advisor and former part-time children’s dance teacher, I am pleased to…
The child of an elderly loved one will undoubtedly face terrible stress when trying to care for him/her. My respected colleague, Kurt Hjelle, owner of Safe At Home Health Care, a non-medical home care agency specializing in live in caregivers, does a wonderful job of describing the realities of caring…
Real-Life Story I recently had a preliminary meeting with the adult son of an 82 year old senior who was diagnosed with dementia. The senior had been living with him for a number of years and was having issues with wandering, falling, and incontinence. In order to alleviate the stress…
Real-Life Story My client was 102 years old and had lived in the same independent living community for more than 12 years. She had moved there with her husband when the community was a homey retirement home. After her husband’s death, she remained there with 2 part-time caregivers who provided…
As a Certified Guardian, I am often asked to act as a senior’s Power of Attorney for Health Care when s/he doesn’t have a family member who is willing or fit to act for him/her. Simply stated, the Power of Attorney for Health Care grants the designated “agent” control over…
My client was the son of a 72 year-old woman who had suffered a stroke within the last six months. She had been placed at an excellent assisted living community that I had used for several clients in the past. After the stroke, she needed some help with her activities…