As seniors remain the most at-risk community for COVID-19, their caregivers have met the challenges of navigating adapted care plans, operating with reduced resources, and making difficult decisions head on. The hope: protecting those they love from an unfamiliar short-term threat, without long-term consequence. It’s a delicate balance, met by many already accustomed to supporting multiple […]

While the journey to rediscover and redefine well-being as a society during the COVID-19 pandemic is still underway, a seismic shift in the way we prioritize well-being in our lives, and particularly within the workplace, was happening well before the outbreak. With 1-in-5 employees balancing caring for a loved one with a full-time job, many […]

As families, caregivers and organizations across the world navigate unprecedented challenges in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, much of the potential impact related to how we will live, take care of one another, and operate in the weeks and months to come is still unknown. Although we don’t know what this pandemic means for […]

Over the years as I worked in clinical and outpatient settings, I listened to people share their eating patterns, the timing of their meals, what they ate, how much they ate, the reasons they ate. The more I listened, the clearer it became that eating is a learned behavior we mirror based on family tradition, […]

Whether you’re traveling to see loved ones for the holidays or staying home, caregivers don’t get a “holiday break”.  Taking care of loved ones is inevitable for some of us and it can get tiring and exhausting during the holidays. To-do lists can get hectic during the holidays. It is important that family caregivers know […]

So, let’s be honest:  Most of us feel pressure around the holidays. Pressure to spend money we may not need to spend, pressure to spend time with people we don’t normally spend time with, pressure to appear jubilant when we may be exhausted. For caregivers, the burden can be even worse, as they may feel […]

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is caused when the immune system (the body’s defense system) is not working properly– it is the most common type of autoimmune arthritis.  The body’s disordered immune response attacks the joints, and causes pronounced pain and swelling. RA affects joints on both sides of the body, such as both hands, both wrists, […]

What is the idyllic holiday family setting? One featuring grandparents presiding over a turkey feast with their children and grandchildren around the table saying prayers, laughing and spreading good cheer all around. The grandparents tell tales of their childhood and PG-rated stories from their children’s teen years. changes The Hollywood version of this scene reveals […]

A discharge from the hospital can be a scary event, not just for the person who was hospitalized, but also for his or her family. Families often have a hard time gathering all the information for a loved one that is necessary to ensure a smooth transition out of the hospital. Information can easily be missed […]

Life is full of transitions. From a child’s first day of school to the launching of a young adult’s career to an older adult’s retirement party, these planned transitions can be filled with anticipation and excitement. Life often delivers unexpected transitions, too.  A natural disaster, a medical emergency, the loss of a job; these situations […]