Q. Last week, my sister, my brother, and I traveled with our families to visit our 82-year old mother for Thanksgiving (I didn’t have to go too far, since she lives ten minutes away!). Although mom says she is “just fine,” we noticed several memory lapses and other signals of her waning health throughout our […]
Blue Zones: Hotspots of Health, Vitality, and Longevity
Moai Walking Group at Blue Zone in MN. Image source: AARP Q. My 78-year-old sister, Alberta (Bertie), lives alone with her 7-year old West Highland White Terrier, Hallie. Bertie makes healthy choices, has a great group of friends, and volunteers in the community. She still walks for two miles total on her daily walks with […]
Exciting Age-in-Place Technology from the 2015 mHealth Summit in DC
In Touch Health Robot When loved ones are living independently and you can’t be there all the time, you often worry about their safety and well-being. You may wonder if they are eating often enough, taking their medications, or what would happen if they fell. Now, with age-in-place technology, you can remotely monitor your loved […]
New Law Helps More People Live Independently
Q. My widowed 82-year-old mother lives in the home she has owned for more than 60 years. She is legally blind, and has severe arthritis and diabetes, but she insists on staying in her home for now. In my opinion, in order for her to remain in her current independent living situation, she really needs […]
New Models of Support for Aging in Place
Most American seniors choose to live independently as long as possible, while maintaining strong relationships with family and friends. A major concern, however, is access to the support and services they need. There is a growing sense of urgency about this, as more of us are determined to remain as independent as possible throughout our […]
Amazing Technology to Age-in-Place (But Mom is Reluctant)
AliveCor Mobile ECG Q. My mother-in-law, Veronica, who is in her 70’s, shys away from anything that involves technology. She refuses to carry a cell phone, try an iPad, or send an email. My children would love to Skype with her, but she can’t figure out how to use Skype. My husband, on the other […]
When Should I Hire Home Care for a Parent?
Dear Angel, My parents live in a condominium in a senior community, 100 miles away from me. My father had a stroke last year, and is having trouble getting around, bathing, and dressing. My mother has her own issues, having had both knee and hip surgery in the past couple of years. Yet, she is a caregiver […]
Highlights from the White House Conference on Aging
Photo from Whitehouse.gov This past Monday, on the cusp of the 50th anniversary of the creation of Medicare and Medicaid and the 80th anniversary of Social Security, the once-a-decade White House Conference on Aging was held. During the conference, 200 advocates, health care workers, and government officials discussed caring for seniors, addressing topics such as […]
Appliances That Speak to Each Other, and Other Incredible Aging-in-Place Technology
Robear Robot When Carol’s mother, Eleanor, had a stroke a few years back, she and her husband moved in with her. Eleanor was not very steady on her feet, and surfed the furniture to get around. Carol and her husband were always worried about her falling, especially in the bathroom. They became reluctant to leave her alone so, like Eleanor, they too became housebound. Carol and her […]
Technology to Help Seniors Age-in-Place Safely
Dear Commander Bun Bun, My mother, Shirley, is in her 80’s and living alone. Recently, she reluctantly agreed to wear a device that allows her to call for help if she fell. It gives my brother and me a sense of security to know she has it, but I was told by friends and other […]
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 […]
Caregiving in Other Countries- What We Can Learn
Each November, National Family Caregivers Month focuses on the challenges facing family caregivers. Sponsored each year by the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA), this commemorative month recognizes more than 50 million family caregivers who spend an estimated 30 billion hours every year providing emotional, financial, nursing, social, homemaking, and other services to friends and loved ones. The estimated value of these caregiving services, if paid, would […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
New Technology to Age-in-Place
Currently, there are 75 million baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964). And, according to AARP research, more than 80% of them want to age-in-place as they get older. But how can they do so if they need family members—who most often don’t live with them—to monitor their medication and vital signs, and ensure that they’re eating, dressing, and using the bathroom? A major new wave of […]