As Lisa Abeyta’s father’s Alzheimer’s is progressing, his ability to communicate and cope with unfamiliar surroundings and noises is diminishing. Noises of laughter and happy conversation that used to make him smile now cause him distress. Despite these disturbing changes, one thing is positive and encouraging—his ability to communicate with Lisa’s dog, Roscoe. When Lisa’s father visits her home, Roscoe immediately greets him at the door. Until recently, Lisa didn’t realize that Roscoe has an incredible ability to give voice to her father, who has lost most of his verbal communication skills. She is simply amazed […]

May is National Pet Month, a celebration of the benefits that pets bring to people’s lives and vice versa. It is an ideal time to celebrate the health benefits of animals for seniors, which can include relaxation, socialization, companionship, and even lower levels of blood pressure and cholesterol. We hear a lot about assisted living facilities and nursing homes […]

There are more than 42 million unpaid family caregivers in the United States, including spouses, adult children, and others. A recent report, issued by the United Hospital Fund and the AARP Public Policy Institute, focuses on spousal caregivers. The report reveals how spousal caregivers desire to take care of ALL of a spouse’s needs, and […]

Music has been found to connect people with Alzheimer’s to memories, enabling them to open up to loved ones and even enhancing their quality of life. Sometimes, the response is immediate and shocking. In fact, according to Geri Hall, a clinical nurse specialist at the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, “music activates a part of the brain that stays active despite the dementia, calming those who are distressed, […]

Michelle Singletary, who writes a financial column for the Washington Post, often shares personal stories to spare others from making financial mistakes. In a recent column and interview on WBUR, she wrote about the importance of estate planning, and emphasized the need to “take action today.” In the article, Ms. Singletary described how her mother […]

Q. I recently read a sad article in the Washington Post about an Alexandria woman named Anne Bailey Farr (not sure if she is a relative of yours?), who is facing charges in connection with the death of her 98-year-old mother, who was found by police on her bedroom floor. When questioned, Farr stated that […]

What would happen if you were in an accident, or had a stroke, or for another reason you suddenly became incapacitated or comatose, and were unable to make decisions for yourself? It is difficult to think about, but if this happens, some people want to be kept alive at all costs; while others would prefer […]

Certain websites, including Yahoo, USMagazine.com, Pinterest, among others, were recently exposed to a major security bug called Heartbleed. The bug has the potential to expose private information to cybercriminals, including passwords and access to credit card information that users enter into websites, applications, email, and even instant messaging services. Heartbleed could be one of the […]

Last October, the President signed HR 2167 – “The Reverse Mortgage Stabilization Act of 2013”. As a result, changes have been made to make it harder to qualify for a reverse mortgage. To be eligible for a reverse mortgage you must be at least 62 years old, own your own home (or owe a relatively […]

Q. This year, Grandma Pearl will be joining us for Easter dinner. She has Alzheimer’s and her caregiver will be joining us, as well. We are concerned that the dinner could present challenges for her, since she is on a regimented meal time schedule each day. Can you suggest any tips to make the meal […]

If you are one of those people who waited until the very last minute to complete and send in your taxes, you want to make sure you take all of the deductions you’re entitled to. Last month, I wrote a blog post with some often overlooked deductions. Today, I will share some of the wackiest […]

Q. My next door neighbor is a retired financial planner. We walk every morning to stay in shape and maintain good health. This morning, I brought up the topic of whether my father’s IRA would be countable if he applies for Medicaid. Due to the complexity of Medicaid, she suggested that I ask an experienced […]

Q. My sister, Peggy, recently became a full-time caregiver for our 72-year old father, Joe. Since he served during the Vietnam War, he has had flashbacks that still affect him and keep him up at night. He suffered at least one stroke in the last 5 years, has trouble walking, seeing, and hearing. My sister […]

Over the past several weeks, hundreds of Fairfax County residents have received phone calls from scammers who tell them “Your driver’s license has been suspended. You will be arrested. You will be deported. We are on our way to your home right now.” These are just a few of the many threats that scammers are […]

John’s mother, Elizabeth, was always close with John’s 10-year old daughter, Anna. Before she Elizabeth diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she lived in John’s home and watched Anna for years while John was at work. As Elizabeth’s disease progressed, spending time with her became difficult for Anna. There was no easy way to explain to Anna how […]

Mt. Vernon at Home Village Residents Playing Pool Q. I grew up in Northern Virginia and raised three children here. Now, they’re spread out across the world – one in Florida, one in Oregon, and one in Texas. All three children have invited me to move closer to them, but I prefer to remain in […]