Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Help Aging Parents--Post Written, but Vanished--Caregiver Stress?

What a surprise to awaken this morning and find yesterday's I-thought-published post missing---gone, nowhere to be found. Help! Aging Parents' goal is to share the best information and some creative ideas to help the elders we care about age as well as possible. With my husband's recent heart valve surgery, I've been more focused on helpful caregiving ideas and yesterday decided to offer some personal reflections. For the first time in the history of this blog, they vanished.

I had written about stress--our cancelled plans to fly this past Tuesday to warm weather and sign the closing papers for the sale of my husband's mother's home. Doctors gave the necessary permission two weeks ago, following my husband's heart valve surgery in February. But all changed at the end of last week when the new mitral valve developed a hole.



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Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Aging Parents: Medical and Dental Procedures--When More May Be Too Much

If our parents live long enough, there will no doubt be times when we are--or will be--hesitant to have them experience more misery and/or pain due to unpleasant procedures. But it happens. And if we/they are responsible, the memories can fill us with later regret: the wish-we/they-had-done-differently kind of memories.

To begin, it helps to remember we aren't perfect. Most of us are lay people. We act out of love, concern, caring and compassion or what people we respect suggest. That's emotion or instinct. Even when presented with facts and solid information we can make misjudgments...as can older people.

In the case of both my parents, there are things I wish had been different. Sr. Advisor R, my m-i-l, said several times there were things she wished she had done differently. For Leo, well-researched "more" worked. For my Uncle Harry, possibly not understanding long-term implications led to an earlier death.


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Monday, April 18, 2016

Passover and Easter 2016: Thoughtful Ideas and Gifts for Aging Parents/Elders

IMG_2981          2016  
                                         Easter March 27
                                     Passover: April 22-30

Ideas for adding pleasure to the lives of Aging Parents and the Elders We Love
Small bunnies add whimsey to spring baskets. Wouldn't they bring joy to aging parents or to seniors in a care facility?
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Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Fun for Aging Parents--Watch the Baby Bald Eagles Live in Wash. DC

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Eagles (eaglets) have hatched high up in a tree at the US Arboretum in Washington DC. 

 Watching live streaming, courtesy of the Arboretum and American Eagle Foundation (the latter supplied photo here) is captivating--wonderful entertainment for all ages, but think about the stimulation for older people!

And then think about those who are homebound or in care facilities. Take a laptop, notebook, iPad (a cellphone's screen may be a bit small for aging eyes) to aging parents or elderly friends if they don't have one. If they do have one, email the link below or add the link for them.

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