Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Help Aging Parents: Getting a Head Start on Valentine's Day

It's always a joy to receive a Valentine, whether young or old...but especially for the old. Having ideas for Valentines--or Valentine gifts-- ahead of time clearly reduces the pressure. Of course, executing the idea eliminates the pressure completely--and can be lots of fun. I'm checking with friends for ideas. Here's idea #1 with thanks to far-away-living daughter, Monique, who's doing this for her mother in France. From the heart. So original.

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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Aging Grandparents and A Grand Grandson

A SILLY QUESTION: 
ARE GRANDCHILDREN GOOD MEDICINE?

He sat next to me on the plane today. Was late boarding. Turns out he was standby, had missed 2 earlier flights--needed to get back to the east coast after coming briefly and unexpectedly to see his very ill grandmother in Nevada.

Last Wednesday afternoon an unexpected phone call with information that his grandmother had a cancer diagnosis, and the probability of a short time to live, catapulted him to action. He talked about how much he loved his grandmother; about his getting on the plane to Nevada the next morning--standby; he just had to come, he said.

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Saturday, January 19, 2013

Aging: What You Need to Know About the Fragility of Old People's Skin and Hospitals Wound Care Centers

As posted last Saturday,  Sr. Advisor R had a nonhealing leg sore. When I mentioned R's sore in answer to "How's R?" the 90-year-old questioner quickly pulled up one leg of her slacks about 5" to show me her ankles and the bruises above them. Said they'd been there for ages, she had a sore that took three months to heal, and she only wears slacks now.

To view entire post, please go to my other site: http://helpparentsagewell.com/2013/01/19/aging-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-fragility-of-old-skin-and-hospital-wound-care-centers/

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Help Aging Parents: Does the Flu Worry You?

The flu worries me. I rarely say "worries." I usually say "concerns." I think that's because unless I feel I have very little control over something I use "concern." In the case of this year's flu--or several strains of flu--the worry emotion was triggered yesterday.

I needed to take Sr. Advisor R (99) to a hospital's Wound Care Center to have her leg checked. (Indeed I planned to use information gained there for today's blog until I got there...it will appear in this Saturday's post.) As I anticipated sitting in the waiting area for a time with many others, my mind flashed: FLU GERMS. I looked for seats furthest from others. This isn't like me.


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Sunday, January 13, 2013

Aging and Alcohol--2: Random Thoughts

For some, a bottle of alcohol may feel/seem like their best friend.  For them, a “little drink” doesn’t suffice.

One of those people was someone I knew professionally, probably in his late 60′s. How to help him was a dilemma and a challenge. On one occasion when I was at work, I received a phone call from the police station in a neighboring village. He was there, charged with DUI. Could I come and pick him up?


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Sunday, January 6, 2013

Making Aging Parents Happy: How An Adult Child's Good Friend Helps and Why

A good friend calls with thanks for our New Year's Eve Dinner Party. Being together was great. We talk about our plans for the day and rest of the week. My friend is playing bridge today and Friday.

"Are you playing with your friend's elderly mother today?" I ask.  "Not today, but I'll be playing with them Friday. You know, her mother's 90, doesn't hear well--really doesn't hear well and a lot of our group doesn't want to play with her because of that-- but she's a good bridge player.

I was appreciative of anything that made my mother happy (she died at 94) and if I can do this for Marcia, I'm happy to. Playing bridge gives Marcia's mother something to look forward to and gets her out of her house....."


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