Dear Commander Bun Bun, My 80-year-old mother is having a rough time with this winter weather. Do you have any suggestions to help her deal with winter hazards? Thanks for your help, Cole Dowthere —- Dear Cole, The frigid winter weather we are experiencing can present severe challenges and potential hazards for seniors. Luckily, there […]
Top 14 Articles of 2014
From non-traditional living options to stricter driving laws in Virginia, we covered a lot of ground in 2014. It was a year that included a new act to help special needs families, enhancements to the Medicaid program, and amazing new technological innovations to help seniors age-in-place. At the Farr Law Firm, we expanded from Fairfax to new locations […]
Finding the Right Nursing Home
Carol and Bob invited his mother, Ginny, to spend the holidays with them, as she does every year. This year, her live-in caregiver expressed concern that it was not a good idea because Ginny’s dementia has gotten worse and she may not recognize her own grandchildren. Ginny cannot do much independently anymore and needs help […]
Reducing Holiday Stress for Seniors & Caregivers
Mary Ellen’s father, Hal, suffers from dementia and his health is declining rapidly. Her husband travels often and her mother recently had knee replacement surgery and has trouble getting around. Every night after work, she drops her children off at dance, tae kwon do, or soccer, and goes over to her parents’ house to help […]
Tech Gifts for Grandma
Dear Commander Bun Bun, The holidays are upon us. Since you are the pet who is known to be the most tech savvy at the firm, do you have any ideas for devices that I can buy for my technologically-challenged (but learning) grandmother, Alice? Thanks for your help, Holly Day-Schopper —- Dear Holly, […]
MIT AgeLab’s Amazing Innovations for Seniors
Picture: Inside the MIT AgeLab, from telematicswire.net In 1900, life expectancy was just under 50. Today, people are living well into their 80’s, 90’s, and beyond. How can we make the most of the “bonus 30 years” we now have? According to the MIT AgeLab in Boston, MA, “longevity requires new thinking.” The MIT AgeLab was […]
Amazing Pets – Saving Senior’s Lives
Q. My mother, Jessica, lives alone and is considering adopting a pet. I am all in favor, but know it is a lot of work and vet visits are often expensive. For me, these things are certainly worth it. Despite the grooming costs, the heartworm pills, and the occasional sick visit, I wouldn’t give up […]
Halloween Can Be Scary for those with Dementia
Q. My mother-in-law has dementia and lives at home with a caregiver to assist her with activities of daily living. Before she was diagnosed, she loved Halloween, especially all the decorations, seeing the grandchildren dressed up in costumes, and the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. The children also loved trick-or-treating at her home, because she would go all […]
Grandma Loves Halloween Candy: Tips for Eating Healthier
Dear Commander Bun Bun, My grandmother has gone through two bags of Halloween candy and there haven’t been any trick-or-treaters yet. At this rate, she will have to hang up a no more candy sign before school even lets out. This is not just the case on Halloween. She beelines for the candy aisle at […]
Caution: Our Top 10 SCARIEST Articles
With Halloween upon us, it is time to present you, our dear readers, with this year’s scariest & creepiest stories. From the nightmare of probate to court cases involving filial responsibility, we uncovered some scary ground. To celebrate Halloween, we’ve ranked our scariest articles for you to revisit (if you dare). As always, thank you […]
Caregiving Across the Miles
Q. I live in Northern Virginia, 700 miles away from my parents, who are in Florida. My father has Parkinson’s and insists on staying in our family home. His mobility has diminished, and I worry about him falling nearly every day. I cannot move closer because of my husband’s government job and my job, and the quality of […]
Alzheimer’s: Preserving Family Memories
Every year, Carol Magro would prepare a delicious Italian feast for the holidays. Five years ago, her daughter Barbara noticed that her mother was getting tired, confused, and didn’t remember the ingredients for some of the dishes that she had prepared for nearly 50 years. A few months later Carol was diagnosed with early stage […]
Talking to an Estranged Sibling about a Mother’s Care
Dear Ernie and Janette, My mother has late-stage dementia and no Power of Attorney or Advance Medical Directive in place. Unfortunately, I am estranged from my sister and we haven’t spoken in years. We need to discuss plans for my mother’s long-term care, including Guardianship and Conservatorship. Do you have any recommendations on how […]
Caring for a Difficult Parent
Q. Throughout my life, my mother has always been a difficult person. She complains about everything and is hyper-critical, overbearing and, as you can imagine, hard to get along with. She always compares me to my older sister, who is successful and has a big family, and berates me for being overweight and for taking […]
NASA SmartWatch, Implanted Health Devices, and Other New Technology for Seniors
Is Grandpa going gadget-crazy? Not quite yet, but we are getting there. According to a recent Pew Research survey, the number of older adults using the internet and related tech devices is increasing, with 59% of seniors reporting that they go online and 77% of older adults reporting that they have a cell phone. The Pew Research […]
Six Myths About Falls
Q. I recently visited my parents, who are in their 70’s, and have been worried ever since. My father, Sam, fell three times during the two days I was there. Often, my mother, Elaine, has lunch out and quilts with her friends, leaving dad home by himself. I questioned my mother about it and she said that falls are a […]
Filial Responsibility: Elderly Couple May Be Responsible For Son’s Medical Bills
Filial responsibility laws obligate adult children to pay for their indigent parents’ food, clothing, shelter and medical needs. When the children fail to do so, nursing homes, hospitals, and other creditors can file lawsuits against the adult children to recover the cost of caring for the parents. Not only can they sue the children for […]
Embracing Green Living as we Age
Q. My mother, Phyllis, is very environmentally conscious. She recycles and finds a creative use for nearly everything. Green living is among her top priorities. Ever since my father died, my mother has had a hard time living alone. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s seven years ago and has trouble speaking, limited mobility, and needs […]
Joan Rivers Death Reminds us to Have End-of-Life Conversation
Q. I am very close with my in-laws, who are both in their late 70’s, and all I want for them (and for everyone I care about) is to live a long happy life. Unfortunately, the inevitable happens to us all, and when it does happen, I really want my entire family to be prepared […]
Sandwich Generation: How to Survive Financially
Q. My husband and I are in our mid 40s and caught between raising our 10 and 14 year old children, working full-time, and caring for my father, who has Parkinson’s. We are particularly concerned about saving for college for our children and for our own retirement, while helping my father live safely and comfortably […]
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