Q. This past year, I became interested in genealogy, and have been compiling my family tree using online resources. With some research, I found that generations before mine have included not-so-distant relatives who have lived past 100. My parents, unfortunately, both died in their 70’s. I wonder what my ancestors did right to live so […]
New Apps for Dementia Patients
Many of us have grandchildren who are preteens. They play sports, enjoy video games and texting, and spend a lot of their time socializing with their friends. Academically, many preteens are discovering STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) in school, and schools are trying to hone those skills with extracurricular activities in computers, mathematics, […]
Who Will Be There for Me if I’m Aging Alone?
Q. I am currently 82 years old, and I live by myself in the home I purchased 40 years ago in Northern Virginia. Most of the people I know have grandchildren and evengreat-grandchildren. Throughout my life, I put my career first, and I never got married or had any children. I don’t have much family, […]
Even Experts Need an Elder Law Attorney
Laura Katz Olson, 71, is an academic, who is quite knowledgeable about Medicare and Social Security. In fact, she taught health-care policy for decades at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. She considers herself an elder-care expert. But things got challenging even for her when her own mother’s health began to fail and she needed to plan […]
The Little-Known Pitfalls of Medicare Advantage Plans
Author Wendell Potter’s mother had a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan, with premiums that increased significantly over the years. Despite the increasing premiums, she didn’t feel she had any real motivation to disenroll. This was until she broke her hip and required skilled care in a nursing facility. After a few days, the nursing home administrator […]
Meditation and Alzheimer’s
Dear Baxter, My sister meditates daily. She told me that, among other benefits, it helps prevent Alzheimer’s. Is this true? Do you know of any research about this? Thanks for your help! Maddy Tayshun — Dear Maddy, A new study has found that intense concentration and relaxation could lead to a growth of new brain […]
How Can I Reduce My Risk of Alzheimer’s?
Q. Several of my relatives on my mother’s side of the family have had Alzheimer’s, including my aunt, my uncle, and both my grandparents. My father’s sister currently has it too. I am concerned for myself and my own children, and I want to do whatever I can to reduce our risk of the disease, […]
What if Everyone in Your Town Had Dementia?
Grocery store in Hogeweyk, Amsterdam Imagine this . . . you have a friend named Sally who is in the advanced stages of dementia. She getsup in the morning, and wanders out to the supermarket in her nightgown. She passes others with dementia on the sidewalk, but doesn’t take much notice. She doesn’t know why […]
Medicare Recipients Will Be Less Vulnerable to Sticker Shock in Hospitals
Over the course of a day or so, Karen’s right arm began feeling weak and her speech began to slur. She was convinced she was having a stroke, so she called 911 and was rushed to the nearest emergency room. She remained in the hospital for nearly 48 hours to undergo testing, since it was […]
Overcoming Emotions: Moving Mom to a Nursing Home
Q. My aging mother has lived in her home since I was a child. My family loved the neighborhood so much that we never moved, and when I got married and had my own family, we bought a house a few blocks away. Now, dad’s been gone for many years, and mom has had home […]
Nursing Home Preparation
Dear Baxter, My father will be moving to a nursing home next month. What do you suggest we do to prepare for this big move? Thanks! Bea Forehegos —— Dear Bea, The move to a nursing home is more like a journey than an event, for most residents, caregivers, and families. After you have chosen […]
Does Medicare Pay for Hearing Aids?
Sid watches the baseball game with the television turned really high. His wife has been noticing that it is getting louder and louder. In fact, she can hear it outside the house in her garden and the neighbor said he can even hear it. She also noticed that she has to repeat things she says […]
Attitudes Are Changing About Reverse Mortgages
Q. My mother-in-law, Rita, owns a home in Vienna that is valued at $675,000 and the amount owed on her mortgage is still around $300,000. When she retires next year, the monthly mortgage payment will be unaffordable for her, but she would still like to remain in her home. She watches lots of late night television, and […]
A Parent has Alzheimer’s and a Gun. What Do You Do?
Ever since Gregg Schnepp retired, his favorite activity has been gathering with his friends at the shooting range. According to his wife, Joanne, who is a strong believer in the right to bear arms, “shooting is about his only interest in life.” However, as a 70-year old with both mental and physical decline, it is becoming unsafe for Gregg to carry a gun. Joanne knows she has to talk to her […]
Special Report: Long-Term Care Around the World
Part I: The Cost of Long-Term Care and How it’s Paid For Long-term care services, whether provided in institutions or in the community, are essential to the well-being of many elderly and non-elderly people with limitations in performing daily activities. In the United States, long-term care is disastrously expensive. Medicare, the public health insurance system […]
Should I Get Long-Term Care Insurance?
Dear Baxter, My neighbor is an insurance agent who keeps bothering me about long-term care insurance. I try to avoid her, but lately it hasn’t been working. To help me make an educated decision, can you provide some reasons I can add to my pros and cons list? Thanks! Lee Vamealone —- Dear Lee, With […]
Virtual Reality for Seniors: Traveling Through Time and Reducing Pain
Helen, 83, loved recounting “the good old days” with friends at her assisted living facility. She would talk about her old neighborhood in Roanoke, the neighbors across the street, riding her bicycle with her friends, and swinging high into the clouds on a swing her father attached to a tree. She also mentioned her desire […]
$10,000 – $12,000? That’s for a Year, Right?
Q. I read in one of your recent newsletters that nursing homes in the metro DC area cost $10,000 – $12,000 a month. I think you made a typo, and I wanted to bring it to your attention. Those amounts are for a year, right? If nursing homes cost THAT MUCH per month, then nobody […]
How Caregivers Can Collect Social Security Benefits and Reduce Work Hours
Q. My mother had a stroke and really needs my help until we can find other arrangements. I’m afraid I’ll lose my job and wind up unemployed if I take time off work to care for her. Do you know if I have any rights under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? A. Millions of […]
Should I Have a Caregiver Contract?
Dear Angel, I will be quitting my job to care for my father next month. He will be paying me, since I have no other income to support myself. My dad used to have a caregiver through an agency, and the agency had a written contract. But as an individual, I’ve never had a contract […]
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