Posts Tagged "Senior Caregiving"
How Did We End Up Here?
I spent most of this week at the hospital with an elderly family member recovering from another medical crisis. Frequent hospitalizations, aging and a need for a better plan required some serious conversations around what the future holds. We all have visions of staying home for as long as possible and avoiding living our final years in a nursing home. Having worked in senior health care for most of my career it isn’t any easier when it’s someone you love faced with tough decisions. Health care providers are facilitating these emotional conversations around end of life and encouraging us to talk about our wishes and preferences for care when we...
Read MoreMid-Life Aging… Gracefully
I’ve been reading a book called The Age of Miracles by Marianne Williamson and enjoying the conversation about mid-life and the aging process for the baby boomer generation. Having time to think during my rehabilitation the past several months has brought to mind decisions I wanted to put off for a few more years. Like what? Well thinking about giving up a house that has four levels for one thing, having a broken ankle and being restricted to the family room all winter was quite an eye opener. The question arises, how do we age gracefully? What decisions do we make and when do we make them? Somehow we all think we have “time” to make those...
Read MoreWhat I Learned for Sure
It’s hard to believe I’m finally up and getting around after a long winter with my ankle propped up on pillows, yes the fracture is healing nicely. Who would have thought it would take so long but I’m enjoying my physical therapy visits and even though I have good days and hard days I’m making progress. I’ve thought about what I’ve learned the past few months as I waited for the bones to mend and here’s a few things to think about. I learned to ask for help and accept it graciously I learned to appreciate my husband for being a thoughtful and loving caregiver I am reminded of all the fabulous family and friends I have who...
Read MoreCaregiving in the U.S. 2009
Caregiving is still mostly a woman’s job and many women are putting their career and financial futures on hold as they juggle part-time caregiving and full-time job requirements. This is the reality reported in Caregiving in the U.S. 2009, the most comprehensive examination to date of caregiving in America. The first national profile of caregivers, Family Caregiving in the U.S. was published in 1997, and an updated version of the study, Caregiving in the U.S., was reported in 2004. The sweeping 2009 study of the legions of people caring for younger adults, older adults, and children with special needs reveals that 29 percent of the U.S. adult population, or 65.7...
Read MoreMedication Refills and Senior Challenges
Whenever I visit with my senior friend I learn something new. Recently we were discussing getting refills on medications and as we were talking I realized how something so simple becomes so challenging for seniors. Does your pharmacy use automated voice prompts? Is your family member hard of hearing, do they use a hearing aid? These hurtles can be so challenging it can prevent your loved one from getting their prescriptions filled. I know my own family members would rather drive to the pharmacy to drop off their empty prescription bottles and ask the pharmacist questions in person. But what if your family member is no longer driving? I find many seniors...
Read MoreQuick Bio
Mary Chapa is a multi-talented woman with a background in nursing leadership, quality management and business development in both health care and private industry; she's also a writer and a passionate holistic health practitioner living in Minnesota.
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