At LiveWell Elder Care Management, we understand the pressures you are under as a family caregiver. This blog is designed to support you in the incredibly important work that you do. As northern Worcester and Middlesex counties expert in family caregiving, we have resources, tips and information that can make your life much easier. If you would like help, give us a call at: 978-660-7835.
Depression is common in older adults. It’s long been known that brisk exercise can help reduce depression. But it turns out that exercise doesn’t have to be vigorous to make a difference. Even mild exercise can be effective.
No one likes to dwell on the possibility of disaster. But we all need to prepare for one, just in case. Help your relatives gear up for safety. Whether you live across town or across the nation, the action items are the same.
If your loved one has balance problems, the culprit may be in the medicine. Many common medicines have side effects that can impair balance and lead to a fall. Over 40% of persons age 65 and older take five medications or more. This increases the chance that at least one of the drugs has side effects of dizziness, blurry vision, drowsiness, or muscle weakness.
Has your parent remarried? If so, you may be sharing the caregiving with a person you don’t know very well. Biological families often encounter tensions when it comes to eldercare. Add a stepparent and the challenges can grow exponentially.
Medicare pays for many screening exams, and even counseling sessions, to help nip common illnesses in the bud. Screening tests are designed to identify problems before symptoms emerge. They are usually for people who are considered to be “at risk” for getting a specific disease. Here are some of the most common noncancer preventive services that Medicare covers. Ask the doctor if your loved one should be tested.
Good communication requires both speaking and listening. Oddly enough, if you make a specific effort to listen, it can open doors. Once “heard,” the other person may be more willing to hear your point of view. Deep listening is more difficult than it sounds. It’s not passive. It requires concentration. It also takes humility and empathy.
For a teen, a relative’s dementia can turn a close relationship into one that’s now awkward, confusing, and embarrassing. And creates feelings of guilt.
After you have scoured the Internet to help your relative find a potential new doctor—someone on their plan and with no obvious red flags—it’s time to get more specific. The doctor’s website may provide some descriptive information, but most likely, you’ll want a conversation.
For most family caregivers, frustration and guilt are common, as is anxiety and resentment. These feelings are normal and reasonable under the circumstances. It’s not realistic to eliminate negative emotions. Caring for an ailing family member IS emotionally taxing, especially in the case of memory loss. But sometimes the negativity can feed on itself.
Even pre-COVID, many 90-year-olds adamantly refused to go to a senior center, saying they didn’t want to be around “all those old people.” (!) Does this sound like your loved one? Admittedly, the senior centers of the past tended to focus on bingo and crafts. These activities are of limited interest to the newest generation of older adults. Happily, senior centers have been updating. Bingo and crafts are still there. But the upswing in technology use during COVID catapulted many centers into the 21st century
Angela is a life saver! She first helped our family when we started to make long term plans to assist our parents as my father declined with Alzheimer's Disease. We contacted her again a few years later when he was hospitalized and had to transition to rehab. My mom was completely overwhelmed with all the decisions that had to be made and how to deal with insurance. Angela steps in with her professional and compassionate knowledge and put us all immediately at ease. She advocates for whatever your situation is and adapts to any circumstance. She understands so many facets of elder care and knows who to call and which way to go. We ultimately had to move my dad to a memory care facility and she was with us every step of the way. The system can really take advantage of people if you don't know all the ins and outs but Angela can navigate it all. We can't recommend her enough!
LiveWell Eldercare helped me transition my mother to Assisted Living. Their expertise and collaboration with Drs helped to bring my mother’s diabetes under control. Angela and Trish are kind, compassionate and worked tirelessly to ensure that my Mom’s final days were the best they could be.
Angela has been a godsend for our family!She truly understands seniors and is skilled at connecting and communicating effectively with them. She has been managing key healthcare tasks for our aging parents, including coordinating specialized medical procedures for our Mom.This has been extremely valuable for us since we live time-zones away.It is obvious Angela has a passion for elder care given her level of expertise. She has gone above and beyond for us, even sacrificing her personal time to help us.It takes a special person to provide this kind of care for seniors, and we thank Angela tremendously for her services.
Angela is actively involved in overseeing our father’s care allowing him to continue living safely in his home even as his cognitive abilities and physical health continue to decline.She monitors his medications, in-home care services while also transporting him to and attending all medical appointments. Angela keeps us well informed of interactions and communications with his team of medical professionals.Our family is profoundly grateful to have Angela’s knowledge and understanding to guide us. Her experience is invaluable and has helped prevent re-hospitalizations.Angela’s calm presence, professionalism and compassion give us all peace of mind knowing our father is in very capable hands.
Angela is great, very easy to work with. Her clients' well-being is her top priority. She contacted us here at Visiting Angels of Leominster to provided in-home visits for one of her clients, and I have been impressed with her compassion and professionalism. I would highly recommend Angela's services to anyone looking for elder care for a loved one.
This past year has been an interesting year for and with an older relative, dealing with hospitalizations and cognitive issues. Because she lives along, there were concerns that she may have had to leave her home and go into an assisted living facility. But then we found LiveWell Elder Care Management. With Angela Ashton’s guidance and help to arrange home care services, Angela has made it possible for our relative to continue to live in her home. Thank you for helping us to make sure our relative has an even better quality of life living safely at home.
LiveWell Elder Care Management has been a total lifesaver for me. I live on the opposite side of the country from an elderly parent. When there was an urgent situation in the middle of the ongoing pandemic and there was no way for me to safely fly to the east coast, they jumped in on a moment's notice and alleviated the concerns greatly. They have provided great ongoing support ever since as well!
