Find trusted sources of help
Summary Family caregivers frequently need to reach out for help, whether in the form of information, guidance, or support. This article expl
Read more →Resources
Articles
Deal with caregiver depression
Summary It is common for caregivers to experience symptoms of depression, which range from feeling sad to feeling unable to carry on. This a
Read more →Normal memory loss versus dementia
Summary Memory loss is a normal part of aging. If a loved one can’t remember where they left their keys, the password for a website, or the
Read more →Provide care while ensuring dignity
Summary Helping a person receiving care keep their personal dignity is one of the most important parts of being a caregiver. This article of
Read more →Minimize family confusion, disagreements, and frustration
Summary The stresses of caregiving can lead to confusion, disagreement, and frustration among the caregiving group (usually the spouse and f
Read more →Deal with caregiver burnout
Summary Many caregivers suffer from burnout, a state of physical and mental exhaustion caused by being under too much stress for too long. T
Read more →Coordinate appointments, care, and follow up
Summary Coordinating a loved one’s appointments, care, and follow-up can be a bewildering task. This article offers several effective ways t
Read more →Take care of yourself emotionally
Summary It is immensely important for caregivers to take care of their emotional health. This article explains why and then describes five e
Read more →Manage resistance to care
Summary Caregivers commonly run into resistance (caregiver resistance) from the person receiving care. This article offers several strategie
Read more →Balance care responsibilities
Summary Balancing caregiving responsibilities with other aspects of life and (in many cases) work is one of the most difficult things about
Read more →Avoid delayed decisions and discord
Summary Caregiving involves many decisions, both large and small. This article explains the importance of making timely decisions in caregiv
Read more →Choosing a health care option
Summary One of the most important and challenging aspects of being a caregiver is determining when an older adult may need medical attention
Read more →Caring for an older adult with dementia
Summary Caring for an older adult with dementia comes with specific challenges. This article explains some of those challenges and then offe
Read more →Avoid dehydration
Summary Dehydration is a top issue for older adults and their caregivers. This article explains the causes and signs of dehydration. It then
Read more →What to do if elder abuse occurs
Summary Elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation should never be ignored. Whether the abuse is physical, psychological, financial, or sexual,
Read more →Making the home environment safe for older adults
Summary Safety adjustments often need to be made to home environments to accommodate conditions such as frailty, limited mobility, poor visi
Read more →Caring for an older adult with limited mobility
Summary When an older adult becomes less able to stand, walk, balance, turn around, bend over, and perform other movements that use their la
Read more →Preventing elder abuse
Summary Elder abuse is a widespread problem. This article lists some of the common signs that an older adult may be being abused. It then de
Read more →Types of elder abuse
Summary The term “elder abuse” includes physical, psychological/verbal, financial, and sexual abuse. It also includes self-neglect on the pa
Read more →Take care of yourself physically
Summary Caregivers need to make their physical health a top priority, if they want to maintain their quality of life and give care in a sust
Read more →Get help and support
Summary It is very important for caregivers to get help and support to avoid feeling stressed, burned out, and depressed. This article lists
Read more →Anticipate and manage impacts on your personal life
Summary Being a caregiver can affect every aspect of a person’s life. This article lists some of the most common physical and emotional impa
Read more →Paying for long-term care
Summary Navigating who pays for and how to pay for long-term care can be one of the most frustrating experiences for caregivers. This articl
Read more →Skilled nursing facilities (nursing homes)
Summary Skilled nursing facilities, also sometimes known as nursing homes, are hospital-like facilities for people who need continuous monit
Read more →Memory care
Summary Memory care, also called dementia care, is residential care that focuses specifically on people with Alzheimer’s disease and other d
Read more →Maintain medical equipment
Summary A caregiver may need to maintain various types of medical equipment in the home. This article lists some main categories of home med
Read more →Join a caregiver community
Summary Joining a caregiving community is enormously important for any family caregiver. This article describes the main kinds of caregiver
Read more →Investigate long-term care options
Summary Facility-based long-term care may be needed when an older adult can no longer safely or comfortably look after themselves or when in
Read more →Health monitoring devices
Summary Devices for monitoring health, wellness, and activity can be useful in letting older adults stay in their homes for longer and helpi
Read more →Having the elder abuse talk
Summary Although millions of older adults in America get abused each year, many of them are reluctant to talk about it. This article offers
Read more →Caring for an older adult with kidney disease
Summary About 40% of Americans over the age of 60 have chronic kidney disease. This article describes the nature, common causes, and consequ
Read more →Caring for an older adult with depression
Summary Depression is the mental health problem older adults are most likely to develop, and their chances of experiencing depression go up
Read more →Assisted living facilities
Summary Assisted living facilities are residences for older adults who are still active but need help with some activities of daily living.
Read more →Normal memory loss versus dementia
Summary Memory loss is a normal part of aging. If a loved one can’t remember where they left their keys, the password for a website, or the
Read more →Manage providers and therapies
Summary Caregivers can feel overwhelmed by the many different medical professionals, health care providers, and therapies involved with the
Read more →Overview of home health assistance
Summary Hiring in-home help can give caregivers a much-needed break from their duties. This article offers basic tips on choosing a home hea
Read more →Keep track of medical records
Summary Well-organized medical records help caregivers, doctors, and other health care providers give the best care to people. This article
Read more →Create a care plan
Summary A care plan is an essential caregiver’s tool that details a person’s care needs, organizes a caregiving team, and assigns the caregi
Read more →Meal delivery services
There are many meal delivery services available for older adults. Some meal delivery services like HelloFresh, Blue Apron, and Hungryroot su
Read more →Grocery and takeout delivery services
The market is full of inexpensive services that will bring almost anything to a person’s door anywhere, and at any time. Whether you are in
Read more →Transportation
Summary For many older adults, transportation is a key to staying independent. However, for some, driving to appointments, shopping, service
Read more →Saving for retirement
Summary Deciding on how to invest, and in what types of accounts, can be challenging for people. This article gives a broad overview of the
Read more →Getting financial assistance
Summary With fixed incomes, many older adults struggle to keep up with expenses. Fortunately, there are resources available to assist them,
Read more →Senior discounts
Summary Every penny counts for older people on fixed incomes, so taking advantage of the discounts offered can cut regular expenses and free
Read more →Mortgages
Summary There are many different mortgage products available to borrowers of all ages. This article describes some reasons for getting a new
Read more →Moving
Summary Moving is one of the most stressful life events, and it can be especially so for older people who have been in one home for a long t
Read more →Long-term care planning
Summary Almost two-thirds of individuals in the United States will need some sort of assistance with daily activities as they age, but too m
Read more →Living arrangements
Summary When planning for an older person’s future, one of the greatest considerations is living arrangements. Where they will live, who the
Read more →Having the long-term care talk
Summary Discussing long-term care plans and options for a person’s later years can be a challenge. However, having an open, honest conversat
Read more →Dealing with financial challenges
Summary Living on a fixed income, coping with rising expenses, and dealing with debt can be a tremendous burden on older adults. This articl
Read more →What to do if elder fraud occurs
Summary Elder fraud can be devastating both financially and emotionally. Recovery may take some time, but there are ways to help speed up th
Read more →Getting out of debt
Summary With fixed incomes and limited retirement savings, many older adults fall gradually into debt or start out retirement in debt. This
Read more →Stretching your money
Summary Many older adults are on a fixed income after retirement. As the economy fluctuates and living costs change, the value of stretching
Read more →Having the elder fraud talk
Summary As people age, their ability to spot fraud and exploitation may suffer. Since money management can be a sensitive topic for discussi
Read more →Preventing elder fraud
Summary Elder fraud can be devastating to experience and extremely difficult to recover from. The best way to prevent such fraud is to stay
Read more →Overview of elder fraud
Summary Elder fraud occurs when older adults are targeted and deceived with promises of benefits that do not exist or were never intended to
Read more →Online financial services
Summary Online financial services can seem confusing to navigate at first, but they can provide unique benefits for those willing to learn a
Read more →Financial advisors
Summary Financial advisors and planners come in many varieties. From day-to-day money managers to long-term strategists, there is a financia
Read more →Overview of financial planning
Summary Financial planning for a stable and comfortable future takes time and effort. There can be many factors involved in the quality of l
Read more →Getting help from a financial expert
Summary Financial experts can help maintain and streamline budgets and spending, build wealth, and plan for the future. Finding the right on
Read more →Unsafe driving warning signs
Summary As seniors age, it can be difficult to tell when driving habits stray into dangerous territory. Changes in driving skill can have se
Read more →Reviewing driving regulations and legal risks
Summary Driving at an advanced age brings a host of challenges, including potentially higher insurance rates, more monitoring by state licen
Read more →Physically limiting vehicle access for unsafe drivers
Summary Sometimes a conversation or three isn’t enough to convince an unsafe driver to hang up the keys. For whatever reason—cognitive impai
Read more →Modifying driving habits of older adults
Summary Many people find their driving habits changing naturally as they get older. While older drivers may become more cautious and less li
Read more →Getting help with an unsafe driver
Summary You’ve tried reasoning, you’ve tried begging. You’ve had the conversation several times before, and yet an unsafe older driver still
Read more →Factors that contribute to unsafe driving
Summary Older drivers have several circumstances that can lead to unsafe driving. These factors can seem to appear very suddenly, or may eme
Read more →Discussing driving with an older adult
Summary As we get older, our driving can be affected. Some seniors might not realize that their driving skills have changed over time. And l
Read more →Curtailing unsafe driving habits
Summary Age is not the only factor for unsafe driving; in fact, many drivers remain safe and free from traffic accidents all their lives. Ol
Read more →Cognitive impairment, dementia, and driving
Summary Changes in cognition don’t necessarily mean the end for driving. People in the earliest stages of mild cognitive impairment, dementi
Read more →Arranging for and conducting a formal driving assessment
Summary Sometimes it may be necessary to conduct a formal assessment of a driver’s skills and limitations. This article describes the proces
Read more →Using an online service
Summary Online legal services are services offered via the Internet by online companies and some law firms to allow people to complete
Read more →Special needs trust
Summary A special needs trust is a legal fund that gives income to a person who is chronically ill or physically or mentally disabled. This
Read more →Protecting assets from taxes and fees
Summary There are several steps a person can take to protect their assets from taxes and fees. This article lists some of the main taxes and
Read more →Protecting assets from mishandling
Summary There are several ways for a person to make sure that their assets will go where they want and be used the way they want. This artic
Read more →Overview of trusts
Summary A trust is a legal creation that can own assets such as money, property, and stocks. When a person transfers assets into the trust,
Read more →Overview of legal documents
Summary A person planning for aging and end of life must make a set of important decisions about medical, financial, and legal matters. Once
Read more →Overview of health care documents
Summary Health care documents are a set of legal forms and papers that state a person’s wishes for medical care and treatment when they are
Read more →Overview of estate plans
Summary An estate plan is a set of legal documents that say what happens to an individual’s estate after they die. This article provides inf
Read more →Life insurance trust
Summary A life insurance trust is a trust where the asset is a life insurance policy. This article describes what a life insurance policy is
Read more →Letter of last instruction
Summary A letter of last instruction is a document containing important information and after-death wishes that a person writes to the execu
Read more →Financial plans versus estate plans
Summary People often confuse financial planning and estate planning, but they are different types of planning that involve different goals a
Read more →Estate and inheritance taxes
Summary Estate and inheritance taxes are federal and state taxes on a person’s assets after they die. This article explains how the federal
Read more →Engaging an attorney
Summary Engaging an attorney or lawyer is a helpful step for anyone planning for their elder years and end of life. This article lists what
Read more →Creating legal documents
Summary Creating legal documents is a central part of estate and end-of-life planning. Documents such as trusts are only valid if they are d
Read more →Communicating with an older adult about their wishes
Summary Caregivers who want to help a person create legal documents for end-of-life and estate planning must be able to find out what their
Read more →Charitable trust
Summary A charitable trust is a type of trust that gives some of its assets to groups that the IRS defines as charitable organizations. This
Read more →Asset protection trust
Summary An asset protection trust is a type of trust that keeps creditors from being able to access a person’s assets, such as houses, money
Read more →Gift trust
Summary A gift trust is a legal entity that allows a person or couple to give their children, grandchildren, or other loved ones gifts of mo
Read more →Trusts
Summary A trust is a legal creation that can own assets such as money, property, and stocks. When a person transfers assets into the trust,
Read more →Will and testament
Summary A will is a legal document that states what a person wants done with their assets after they die. This article explains the main con
Read more →Revocable living trust
Summary A revocable living trust is a type of living trust that allows the trustor to change or revoke (take back) the trust at any time, as
Read more →Advance directives
Summary Advance directives are legal documents that say what kind of medical treatment a person wishes to receive in an emergency or at end-
Read more →Portable medical orders (POLST)
Summary A portable medical document, or POLST, is a one-page medical form, filled out by a health-care professional, that says what a
Read more →Medical power of attorney
Summary Medical power of attorney is a legal document where one person gives another person the power to make medical decisions for them onc
Read more →Living wills
Summary A living will is a legal document that says which kinds of life-support and pain-management care a person does or does not want. Doc
Read more →HIPAA authorization for medical records
Summary HIPPA authorization for medical records is a form that an individual fills out and signs in order to allow their doctor, health insu
Read more →Health care documents
Summary Health care documents are a set of legal forms and papers that state a person’s wishes for medical care and treatment when they are
Read more →Guardianship
Summary A guardian is someone who has the legal right to make decisions and take action for another person. Guardianship occurs if a person
Read more →Estate Plan
Summary An estate plan is a set of legal documents that say what happens to an individual’s estate after they die. This article provides inf
Read more →Durable power of attorney
Summary Durable power of attorney is the legal right to handle financial, legal, or medical matters for another person even after that perso
Read more →Do Not Resuscitate and Do Not Intubate orders
Summary Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) and Do Not Intubate (DNI) orders are medical documents that tell doctors and emergency medics not to try to
Read more →Decisions related to aging and the end of life
Summary A person planning for aging and end of life must make a set of important decisions about medical, financial, and legal matters. This
Read more →Assets and liabilities
Summary Making a list of assets (money and belongings) and liabilities (debts) is one of the first steps in creating an estate plan. This ar
Read more →Engaging the right attorney or online service
Summary Few things can be as challenging as determining when it’s necessary to engage the services of a lawyer, and finding the right lawyer
Read more →Basic legal documents
Summary Few plan to become ill, disabled, or incapacitated. When the unexpected happens, however, having legal documents in place to ensure
Read more →10 Things I wish I had known about caregiving
Summary Though every caregiving situation is different, there are some aspects of caregiving that apply to all caregivers. This article list
Read more →