We often hear how hard it is for caregivers and seniors to deal with the idea of an adult child “parenting” his or her aging parent. The notion of child-parent role reversal has taken on a life of its own and it is now common that a daughter or son will start becoming a parent to his or her parent. Many adult children, called the Sandwich Generation, experience this change while also raising their own children or caring for their grandchildren.

As adults, our journey has been to separate from our parents and become individuals. As parents age and become…

Is your home accessible enough to support you through your aging process?
Home accessibility is a recent trend that is gaining popularity among those looking to purchase or remodel a home. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) surveyed residential architects and found two-thirds of respondents said in-home accessibility features, like wider hallways, fewer steps, ramps, etc., are the most popular new trend with their customers. While it’s a new concept to many, Friends Life Care has been chartering this territory for its members for quite some time.

The concept o…

Becoming a caregiver of a loved one stirs up many varied emotions.  It doesn’t matter if you become a caregiver gradually or suddenly, or if you are a caregiver by choice or default. Caregiving can be tough both emotionally and physically.
Facts about the impact of family caregiving
In a recent interview with LovetoKnow Seniors, Suzanne Geffen Mintz, president and co-founder of the National Family Caregivers Association, provided some facts about the impact of family caregiving which may surprise you:

There are over 50 million family caregivers in the United State…

Convincing someone that they have a problem hearing can be a daunting task
In many cases, a person who struggles to hear is less convinced than their friends or loved ones that action needs to occur. Typically people either don’t recognize that a problem exists or don’t realize how bad the problem has become.  The most common forms of hearing loss occur very gradually, allowing the individual with the hearing loss to develop strategies that in their mind compensate for the hearing loss.
Those compensatory measures often include:

Asking friends and family members…

Dementia is not a disease.  It is a term that describes symptoms which may be caused by brain disorders.  These symptoms can disrupt daily life…your ability to plan, reason, solve problems and focus on tasks, among other things.  When you have a parent struggling with dementia, it can take a toll.
Mom and Aminata
It’s 8:00 am; a hazy, chilly February morning. My phone rings through to mom’s home…two, five, six rings. Mom lives alone now since Dad passed 2 years ago.  I call her every morning – the daughter alarm clock — to wake her up, make sure she takes h…