Caregiving

Family caregivers fill a critical gap in the United State’s fractured healthcare landscape. Because Medicare doesn’t cover in-home care or assisted living services, family members often care for aging parents, ill spouses, and disabled loved ones themselves. According to research conducted by the AARP, there are 40 million Americans providing care for loved ones around the […]

October is National Dental Hygiene Month, which serves as an annual reminder for the importance of maintaining good dental health. Our mouth, teeth, and gums don’t exist in a vacuum. Instead, they play a critical role in the health of our entire body. In many cases, health problems in the mouth can indicate problems in the […]

The final week of October is Respiratory Care Week, which recognizes the vital work respiratory therapists do helping people of all ages breathe easier. While respiratory problems affect every age group, they’re most common among older people. In fact, according to research, 15% of middle-age or older Americans — nearly 1 in 7 — suffer […]

Every October 10th, The World Health Organization promotes World Mental Health Day, “with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health.” As an organization working primarily with seniors, we’d like to turn our focus to the critical role mental health plays for older […]

Guilt is an emotion most family caregivers recognize all too well. It’s that haunting, nagging feeling deep in your soul that you aren’t doing everything you can as well as you can. While guilt can be a tremendous motivator, it’s one of the most destructive emotions caregivers deal with. If not managed properly, guilt increases […]

Caring for seniors is a tough job, especially if they’re immobile. Not only do you need to ensure that their basic needs are met, you also must guard against the health risks that come as a result of immobility. One of the most serious of these risks is bedsores, because once they develop, they’re difficult […]

Earlier this month, news broke that Sheila Lirio Marcelo — founder and CEO of care.com — was resigning her post after 13 years. The announcement came months after a blockbuster Wall Street Journal report detailing how the largest online marketplace for babysitters and adult caregivers failed to conduct background checks on providers using their service. […]

A new Health Affairs study predicts the cost of lost wages for unpaid caregiving will double from its current rate of $67 billion to $132–$147 billion by 2050. The predicted rise in costs will be fueled by a growing number of Americans who need care, as well as an increased share of better-educated caregivers. Here […]

Our last post focused on the risks, causes, and impacts of stroke. By some estimates, nearly 800,000 Americans will experience a stroke each year — 140,000 of which will die. Those who survive, will often suffer from long-term disabilities due to damage in key parts of their brain. In fact, stroke is the leading cause […]

In just the last two months, former teen heartthrob Luke Perry and acclaimed director John Singleton died after suffering a stroke. Both men were only in their early 50’s at the time of their deaths and outwardly appeared to be in good health. While we may never know all the details, these deaths highlight the […]