Magee Rehabilitation, a rehabilitation hospital – part of Jefferson Health – located in Philadelphia, created a wheelchair usage guide featuring everything from accessible activities to travel tips. Part of the guide is seasonal safety tips. Here are their tips for spring. APRIL SHOWERS – WHEELING IN WET WEATHER We’ve all wished away rainy days. Sure “April showers bring May flowers,” but that whole positive outlook only lasts for so long before you just want to see some sunshine! Though a few rainy days can make some folks gloomy, wet weather can bring real challenges for those using wheel ..read more

By Lindsay Engle Before we start, if you're caring for a parent who's getting older, a grandparent or even a child that is unable to care for themselves - big props to you for having the courage to take on that responsibility. Being a caregiver isn’t an easy task, especially when caring for someone who is on Medicare, as benefits and/or policies are constantly changing. Caring for Your Parent It can be extremely difficult when you're faced with the task of taking care of someone who used to take care of you. Questions will arise when your parents begin to need additional help taking care of th ..read more

By  Kristen Heller As our parents get older, it can be increasingly difficult to manage their needs, our schedules, and our children’s understanding of what is happening to Grandmom or Granddad. It can be scary for everyone when your mother or father doesn’t recognize you for the first time, or if they slip in and out of recognition because of Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. Unfortunately, Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease continue to be on the rise, impacting people at younger and younger ages. It’s not uncommon to hear about people developing early signs of Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease in ..read more

Roughly 3.5 million Americans over the age of 40 years face some kind of vision loss due to age related conditions. These people don’t go blind directly but gradually over a period of time as they experience a slow loss of vision. But it is your responsibility as a caretaker to be aware of the warning signs of age-related eye health problems that can cause vision loss. Most eye diseases don’t have any symptoms and may tend to develop without being noticed. Having regular eye checkups done will increase your chances of detecting diseases which can improve your chances of taking safety measures ..read more

We wanted to share this helpful infographic about medication management for seniors from BrightStar Care, a national full-service home care franchise that provides both medical and non-medical care ..read more

Holidays of any kind can be a difficult time for a family living with Alzheimer’s disease, or any memory loss issues. Father’s Day is no exception. No one wants to ignore the special day, or the love they still feel for their Dad. Yet we’re mindful not to cause any additional anxiety or distress. And while others around us share their fun days and loving words on social media it can only serve to make us feel sad or grieve for those family traditions that we are losing. However it is possible to celebrate the national day, if we just approach it in a different way. Here, Olympic Lifts take a c ..read more

For seniors and those with certain disabilities, remaining independent is more important than most of us understand. Many seniors wish to remain in their homes despite risks, such as falls or other emergencies. In order to feel safe and put caregivers and family members at ease, many seniors and people with disabilities opt to install a medical alert system, also called a personal emergency response systems (PERS). While the technology has been around for decades, more and more options have entered the market. The team at Reviews.com researched nearly 70 systems and was able to find the best i ..read more

Picture the situation: You’re enjoying a pleasurable, relaxing evening with friends or family, merrily chatting to them about all kinds of interesting topics, when one of them suddenly disengages from the conversation, begins to lose their balance and slumps to the floor. It’s a frightening scenario and not one you’ll ever want to witness. The sad truth is that it is a regular occurrence, with a stroke happening somewhere in the world every few seconds. Irish home care company Home Care Plus (www.homecareplus.ie) created this infographic which helps people to get a better understanding of how ..read more

by Joy Loverde Picturing myself on any given evening, sitting at a restaurant table alone surrounded by diners who are engrossed with each other and their meals instantly surfaces deep sadness and thoughts of being forgotten. On the other hand I have friends who love to eat alone. Go to movies alone. Do almost everything alone. That’s not me, and I blame my Italian upbringing for not being prepared to handle situations of this nature. Every night of the week throughout my childhood, my Mom and five siblings participated in a highly social event -- a family sit-down dinner. Conversations among ..read more

Below is a compilation of posts Joy Loverde’s 2015 year in review from the  EldercareABCBlog. If you missed them the first time, be sure to go back and catch up via her wisdom and great outlook on life and excellent caregiving support. Joy started the year out with a post about risk taking. It’s 2015. Get ready to jump with Joy! Joy wrote: “The question that always gets me out of my rut is this: What’s the worst that can happen? When I write down my answers to that question, and see in black and white that I am fully capable of managing any challenges that come my way, I go for it. Another pie ..read more