What Are the Best Books on Aging?
This week I received a guestblog submission from a wonderful ChangingAging reader who is writing a book on graceful aging and submitted a post listing her Top 15 Books on
Crabby Old Lady’s New Health Annoyance
Another year, another ailment. And nobody ever tells you to expect them.
So there was Crabby Old Lady last Thursday afternoon sitting in the place she can most frequently be found – in front of the computer. She doesn’t recall what she was doing when, with no warning, there were a bunch of black strings and spots in front of one eye.
She blinked. She blinked some more. The strings and spots remained swirling here and there as Crabby glanced from side to side.
In long-term care, the U.S. lags
Without much fanfare, the Senate Special Committee on Aging released a report earlier this month on the subject of how the U.S. is progressing in caring for older adults diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The committee compared health-care infrastructure with that of Japan, Australia, France and the United Kingdom – countries chosen because they have demographics and economies similar to ours.
The report found that these countries were all ahead of us on the Alzheimer’s care front. But as Judith Graham points out in a sharply observed piece today on the New Old Age blog, the study also unearthed statistics that suggest that long-term care for America’s elderly in general is lagging behind the rest of the world’s standards.
First Fest
In the little space between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Jude and I are putting together a fun new project. We are calling it First Fest and it is the first edition of what we hope will become an annual Ithaca tradition. The idea is to create an evening of music, art, theater, dance and local food and drink. One… Read more →
We Are Living Longer, Sicker and Happier Lives
Two major studies about aging dominated the headlines this week presenting drastically opposing views on what old age has to offer — years of painful suffering or increased wellbeing and happiness?
Tennessee Takes on Antipsychotic Drug Reduction
Last week, the first of three multi-day events took place in Nashville, TN, focusing on the reduction of anti-psychotic drugs (see Chris Perna’s recent post for the details). This collaboration between The Eden Alternative and the Tennessee Department of Health, Division of Health Care Facilities has the potential to make an important impact in Tennessee, [...]
Best Practices in Home Care Showcase
One of the things that keeps me working in the aging services field is the camaraderie of my colleagues. They demonstrate a tremendous commitment to and appreciation for Elders and their care partners, an awareness of the Elders’ stories as sacred treasures to be held by us with care, and an intuition that the health [...]
How to start ‘The Talk’ with parents
I heard an excellent quote from radio host Dave Ramsey that said, “In an effort to be ‘nice’ I used to be unclear. It is unkind to be unclear: Be a gentle truth teller.” While I don’t always succeed at the “gentle” part, I am relatively straightforward most of the time with my opinions.
Visit Nashville this December!
Set amid the gentle hills and farmlands of central Tennessee, sprawling Nashville attracts millions of visitors each year. The majority come to immerse themselves in music, whether at mainstream showcases like the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry, or in the smaller clubs and honky-tonks found not only downtown but also [...]
Post-Election Briefs for Caregivers
I am writing this Wednesday evening after the big general election. I served as an election judge in my neighborhood precinct here in Denver. We worked from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
I then had a doctor’s appointment to find out why I’m so tired. Could being 70 and still working at a fairly physical job be part of it? I’m tired, so this will be brief.
Driving Senior Services Over the Fiscal Cliff
With the election behind him, Barack Obama’s first item of business will be dealing with the fiscal cliff–that toxic combination of tax increases and automatic spending cuts that are due to kick in on Jan 2, unless Congress acts to delay or replace them with a long-term deficit reduction plan. Going over the cliff would mean deep cuts in a [...]
Caregivers and Cancer
Caregiver and Cancer Patient Caregivers and cancer is an important topic for me because my mother died of cancer. At the time, treatment was relatively primitive and there was no hospice or palliative care. She had surgery and radiation, but neithe…
Is Human Longevity Due to Grandmothers or Older Fathers?
Why do humans tend to live such a long time? Our closest relatives, the chimpanzees, can last into their mid-forties in the wild. Yet somewhere in the last six million years, human lifespans have lengthened dramatically, so that living into our seventies is no big surprise.
The Anti-Aging Fallacy
I’m working on my next book, The Second Crucible, and imagining what it would be like in the immediate future if those who deny aging become the dominant cultural force in our society.
You know who I’m talking about. These are the people who believe that they will never get old. They believe the first person to live to be 1,000 years old is alive today. They believe that aging is a disease, a horrible blight on humanity, and that all we need to do to cure it once and for all is flex our technological prowess.
Good, Humane News From Medicare
On Tuesday, the Obama administration announced a proposed settlement agreement that would make it easier for people with disabilities and chronic conditions to qualify for home care.
Until now, Medicare beneficiaries have been required to show they were likely to improve (the “improvement standard”) for Medicare to cover skilled nursing care and therapy services at home.
Finding the Courage to Choose a Different Path
I agree with Delia Ephron; there is nothing like a good blow dry or a fabulous haircut or a perfect set of highlights to cheer me up when I’m down.
Read more: Self-Improvement, Baby Boomers, Aging, Life After 50, Nora Ephron, Li…
Innovating Your In-Home Care Search
Search smarter not harder. From the article Family Caregivers Now Have a Better and Easier Way to Search On-line for In-home Care Services
The Balance Of Defying And Embracing Age
My father was only in his late 40s when he began backing arm’s-length out of telephone booths (remember those?) to be able to see well enough to dial; my mother was about the same age when she bought an ineffective gizmo to help her thread needles and, still thwarted, began asking me to do it for her.
July 2009, Hell
July 2009, Hell I write these words on a notepad, sitting on a hospital bed. Below me, a black rubber mattress amplifies the almost unbearable heat of this steamy July evening.
12 Hilarious Tales Of Forgetfulness
The pipe underneath the sink was leaking so I had placed a bucket to catch all the water. When the bucket was getting full, I emptied it out on the same sink.
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