Articles
Can I Donate Organs and/or Tissue
Most People Can Donate Organs and/or Tissue All people of all ages should consider themselves potential organ and tissue donors. There are few absolute exclusions (HIV positive, active cancer, systemic infection) and no strict upper or lower age limits. Potential donors will be evaluated for suitability when the occasion arises. You Are Never Too Old […]
Disaster Preparedness, Make a Plan/Practice the Plan
Disaster Preparedness, Make a Plan/Practice the Plan Is your facility, your family, and your staff ready for a disaster? With the devastation of Katrina and Rita, many people have been left wondering if they are truly prepared for a disaster of that magnitude. Obviously, we have few hurricanes here in the Northwest however all Oregonians […]
Dental Care Every Day: A Caregiver’s Guide
Dental Care Every Day: A Caregiver’s Guide As a caregiver, you play an important role in maintaining the oral health of your client or family member. Helping someone with brushing and flossing, however, isn’t always easy. But there are steps you can take to make daily dental care a good experience. The key ingredients are […]
Costs of Long-term Care
Costs of Long-term Care An important part of planning for long-term care is deciding how to pay for services. This is because long-term care is very expensive, and contrary to what many people believe, their Medicare coverage will not pay for most of the long-term care services they need. While some people may qualify for […]
How to Cope with Caregiver Stress
How to Cope with Caregiver Stress Two-thirds of caregivers in the United States work outside of the home. This creates a unique challenge for both working caregivers and their employers. Juggling caregiving and work-related responsibilities is not easy and some caregivers find it necessary to turn down job opportunities, quit their jobs, or take early […]
Baby Boomers Face Reality of Planning For Two
Baby Boomers Face Reality of Planning For Two This year marks a historic benchmark in America’s aging population as Baby Boomers begin turning 60. Baby Boomers are expected to live longer than any previous generation of Americans. Baby Boomers are those adults who were born between 1946 and 1964, a period of increased birth rate […]
Caregiver Stress & Elder Abuse
Caregiver Stress & Elder Abuse Most people who need help with daily activities as a result of a disabling condition or illness get the care they need from family members or friends. Some receive help from paid caregivers who work for agencies or independently. Despite the significant physical and emotional demands of providing care, the […]
Caring For Family Caregivers
Caring For Family Caregivers Right at Home Offers Practical Tips for Preventing Caregiver Burnout Taking care of an aging loved one is never easy – especially when most family caregivers juggle caregiving with other major responsibilities, including careers and children. In fact, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, an estimated 52 million […]
Challenges of Global Aging
Challenges of Global Aging, and The Administration on Aging The Administration on Aging (AoA), an agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is one of the nation’s largest providers of home and community-based care for older persons and their caregivers. Our mission is to promote the dignity and independence of older people, […]
Checkups, Tests, and Shots – Which Ones You Need and When To Get Them
Checkups, Tests and Shots The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has developed The Pocket Guide to Staying Healthy at 50+. The guide is available online or you may order copies of the guide from their website. The guide contains valuable health information on many topics for older adults 50+. Consider these suggestions: Checkups, Tests, […]
Choices for Mobility Independence
Choices for Mobility Independence Independent – Active – Connected – Confident – In Control Have you ever thought about what would happen if the transportation you use is no longer an option? How would you continue to maintain your independence so that you could continue with your daily routines? Who would you turn to for […]
Considerations when Arranging Transportation
Considerations when Arranging Transportation If you are a caregiver in search of transportation for an older family member or friend, you may want to consider the following questions before deciding on a transportation option. Use these questions to gather more detailed information from the transportation provider you are considering in order to choose the best […]
Change a Life, Become an OASIS Inter-generational Tutor
Change a Life, Become an OASIS Inter-generational Tutor A six-year old first grader recently reported to his father with excitement: “Papa, I read the words in my head!”. That explosion of excitement when a child discovers the power of reading and comprehension is almost palpable. OASIS Education Center in downtown Portland administers a program that […]
Assisted Living, A Guide to State Regulations & Terminology
Assisted Living, A Guide to State Regulations & Terminology Assisted Living Communities offer housing alternatives for older adults who may need help with dressing, bathing, eating, and toileting, but do not require the intensive medical and nursing care provided in nursing homes. Assisted living facilities may be part of a retirement community, nursing home, senior […]
Assisted Living – A Housing Alternative for Older Adults
Assisted Living – A Housing Alternative for Older Adults Assisted living facilities offer a housing alternatives for older adults who may need help with dressing, bathing, eating, and toileting, but do not require the intensive medical and nursing care provided in nursing homes. Assisted living facilities may be part of a retirement community, nursing home, […]
Occurrence of Alzheimer’s & the Aging Process
Occurrence of Alzheimer’s & the Aging Process The occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is not a normal development in the aging process. Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by a gradual loss of memory, decline in the ability to perform routine tasks, disorientation, difficulty in learning, loss of language skills, impaired judgment and ability to plan, and […]
PACE and Social Managed Care- Alternatives to Nursing Home Care
Alternatives to Nursing Home Care Nursing Homes serve as permanent residences for people who are too frail or sick to live at home or as a temporary facility during a recovering period. However, many people need a nursing home level of care but would prefer to remain in their own home with the help of […]
Social Managed Care Plans
A Social Managed Care Plan is an organization that provides the full range of Medicare benefits offered by standard Managed Care Plan’s plus additional services which include care coordination, prescription drug benefits, chronic care benefits covering short term nursing home care, a full range of home and community based services such as homemaker, personal care […]
Alcohol, Aging & Drinking Problems
Anyone at any age can have a drinking problem. Great Uncle George may have always liked his liquor, so his family may not see that his drinking behavior is getting worse as he gets older. Grandma Betty was a teetotaler all her life-she started having a drink each night to help her get to sleep […]
What Happens After My Aging Parent is Discharged from the Hospital?
Taking care of your aging parent is never easy – especially when he or she needs extra help recovering from a hospital stay. An important part of your loved ones’ recovery is making sure they get the proper care once they return home. Visiting the hospital is a difficult time for both you and your […]