Family Caregiver Blog
Making medical decisions in a crisis
If you are named as health care decision maker for your loved one, you may be called upon to make very important decisions on very short notice. At a time like this, it’s easy, and very human, to get caught up in fear. Fear does not make for the best decisions. If you can, call…
Getting pneumonia while hospitalized
If the person you care for has been hospitalized, you may have noticed an odd-looking device on their bedside table. This is a “spirometer.” Patients blow into it several times an hour to prevent a particularly serious infection: hospital-acquired pneumonia. Hospital patients spend a lot of time in bed. Without activity, fluids build up in…
“Sometimes I feel furious!”
Anger as an emotion is neither good nor bad. It is a messenger. It can provide energy and motivate you to action. But anger by itself has never solved a problem. The trouble with anger rests on how you respond to its message. Ideally, you want to harness that energy for finding constructive solutions to…
Medical deductions
Uncle Sam allows special deductions when medical expenses add up. When to itemize. If the person you care for was 65 years or older last year (2016), he or she can deduct certain medical costs. The costs must total more than 7.5% of adjusted gross income (AGI). For instance, if AGI is $40,000, medical expenses…
Mealtime and dementia
The effects of dementia include changes to the way foods taste and smell. A person with Alzheimer’s or other memory disorder may become unable to recognize foods or to know if he or she is hungry or full. Even the seemingly simple mechanics of fork and spoon or chewing and swallowing often become too complicated….
After a heart attack
A heart attack is a frightening, life-changing event that affects the entire family. Emotional reactions. The most common reaction is fear or worry about the possibility of another heart attack. Although those who have had a heart attack are at higher risk for having another, only 18% of heart attack patients actually go back to…
Caregiving and your partner
Emotional stress, physical fatigue, reduced leisure time, financial draws, and loss of privacy are just a few of the domestic pressures noted in a Caregiving.com survey. But some couples in the survey also reported feeling a benefit: Caregiving prompted a new kind of teamwork that actually strengthened their relationship. Here are some tips: Strive for…
Probiotics: The “good” bacteria
Did you know you are an ecosystem? We humans are naturally full of bacteria. In fact, trillions of them! Mostly they are “good” bacteria that live in our intestines. They help us digest our food. With more than 500 species, they also crowd out the “bad” bacteria that cause infections. These good bacteria are called…
When the attorney shuts you out
Many family caregivers are surprised to be told to stay in the waiting room when they bring a loved one to an attorney to create a will or trust. This can feel doubly surprising if you are the one paying for the visit! Much as you wish to help your relative, the attorney is actually…