Aging Parents: Practice What You Preach

1. “Keep in close contact with elders–aunts, uncles. Make sure they’re not forgotten.”
2. “A phone call is wonderful; it doesn’t have to be a visit.”

*            *         *

These suggestions to lift elders’ spirits during the holidays, came from a small survey I took several years ago. Twice since I posted them last Saturday, their ability to raise people’s spirits and make them feel good has been proven–once for Sr. Advisor, R; once for the seniors who work on Help! Aging Parents.

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Tailoring the Holidays for Elders' Needs

Some aging parents are lifted by the excitement and activities of Christmas; for others there's overstimulation and stress. And at some point, for all aging parents, there's a slowing down. Do we notice this? Can/should we do something?

Indeed, the holidays can be tricky for some and need to be simplified, especially for those with Alzheimer's.

Then there are aging parents and elders we care about, who can't do what they used to because of aging-related conditions. I ran the preceding sentence by our Sr. Advisor, Dr. Bud, MD, (psychiatrist) asking for his thoughts.

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Aging Parents: Great Gifts on the Inside; Looking Great Outside Too

They say "It's what's inside that counts." No argument here. That said, doesn't anything that looks great on the outside raise our spirits...and those of our elders?

Two gift-giving holidays are fast-approaching. I think of the value of extra nicely wrapped gifts–where the initial fun is seeing them, followed by the joy of discovering what’s inside. 

To view entire post please go to my other site.

http://helpparentsagewell.com/2014/12/06/aging-parents-gifts-that-look-great/

Aging Parents: It's the Haa, Haa-py-est Time of The Year?

© ElaineLeBerg

It's The Haa, Haa--py--est Time of The Year

The words and melody from the radio fill my car as I drive to the post office to mail the holiday cards. We have snow, it looks like a winter wonderland; and kids, amid shrieks of laughter and merriment, are sledding down our shared driveway on anything they can find that's large enough to sit on. Sun is 
shining, snow balls are flying, and I'm certain school vacation is adding to this happiest of times.

And then my counseling background kicks in and I remember that holidays aren't always the happiest of times for people. So I decide to check in with a few older people and see how they're doing. As a counselor, I'm trained to ask objective questions--not leading questions that will give me the answer I want (or think I want). That said, let me share my findings.

To view entire post please go to my other site: http://wp.me/pGfkw-3Li

Aging Parents: Sooo Much to Do, Too Little Time-Holiday Organization

Juggling everything on a normal day, with over-busy, over-programmed schedules, is hard enough at this time of year--whether we're children of aging parents, caregivers or Sandwich Generation. Do we feel like we have ADD?

DISORGANIZATION, FRAZZLED NERVES--worsened by the unexpected glitch. And can't we count on that! There's an old saying "I'm dancing as fast as I can." Taking that a step further: when we try to dance faster than we can, don't we wear out or lose our balance? So how do we stay balanced?

9 Strategies that work 

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2012 Holiday Gifts for Aging Mothers-1 (updated from Nov. 2011 post)

Fashionable, Appropriate, Clothing and Accessories:

6 Excellent Sites

There's a never-worn St. John knit hanging in my closet.  Normally a very pricey label, it was so inexpensive (a "buy" you can find in NY). I couldn't resist getting it for my mother years ago--her size, her color, two piece. But she never wore it.  Why?  At age 83, she tactfully told me that she didn't wear short sleeves because of flabby arms. Who knew?

Something to think about when selecting clothing: older women's particular wants and needs, as well as challenges.  Can can they button and unbutton easily? What about hooks and eyes? clasps to necklaces? things that zip, button in back etc. etc.  Do they want to downplay/hide certain parts of their body?

Senior advisor R, 99, uses catalogs...and always looks well-put-together. Check out her favorite catalogs and their URLs. If you want to entertain your mother, while getting an idea of what she likes, check them out together.  (In counseling we call the latter "a hidden agenda.")

 

To view this entire post please visit my other site:http://helpparentsagewell.com/2012/11/24/holiday-gifts-for-aging-mothers-1-2012