Aging Parents
LATEST STORIES
PUMPING IRONY: A Formula for Frailty
An outing with an elderly friend seems to corroborate recent research weighing the impact of social isolation on the physical fitness of seniors.
PUMPING IRONY: Home Healthcare Shakeup: Palliative or Predatory?
Health-insurance conglomerates are gobbling up home-healthcare companies, despite the industry’s inability to attract and retain workers. Early signs suggest that few of the benefits of these mergers will accrue to caregivers and their elderly clients.
PUMPING IRONY: Surveillance State
Surveillance technologies can make it easier for the elderly to age in place, but will it mean we’ll see our kids even less often than we do now?
PUMPING IRONY: A Man Without a Plan
I’ve been putting off drafting a healthcare directive for no better reason than my general aversion to planning. Some palliative-care experts — and plenty of horrific tales — have now delivered some excellent reasons to avoid it altogether.
PUMPING IRONY: Headed for a Fall
Millions of elderly Americans land in the hospital each year after taking a tumble. So why are doctors continuing to prescribe drugs that increase that risk?
PUMPING IRONY: Your Place or Mine?
Concerned that they may be called upon to provide full-time caregiving someday if a late-life romance leads to cohabitating, many older couples are choosing to follow their hearts — while maintaining separate residences.
The Good-Death Movement
Death-positivity can help us reframe the end of life.
PUMPING IRONY: An ER for the Elderly
A promising wave of geriatric emergency departments, designed to cut hospital costs and better accommodate seniors, has been slowed by a lack of support from insurers — including Medicare.
The Talk You Haven’t Had: End-of-Life Planning
We’re all going to face end-of-life decisions eventually. Why not start talking about them now?
5 Tips to Become a Better Listener
Here’s how to hone your listening skills.
The Problem of Caregiver Burnout
People who are professional caregivers may experience vicarious trauma. Here’s why.
PUMPING IRONY: Die Hard
A new government report paints a dismal portrait of hospice care in the United States. And regulatory agencies are powerless to respond.
4 Steps to Compassionate Communication
These tips will help you respond to others with more compassion — and less blame — in difficult situations.
PUMPING IRONY: Invasion of the Robots
With the aging population far outpacing the resources of caregivers, robotics seems to be a plausible solution — until you consider the consequences.
PUMPING IRONY: The Boomerang Effect
An alarming percentage of seniors are shuttled between hospitals and nursing homes and back again, complicating their recovery. And government policies may be making the situation worse.
On Dying Well
A pioneering palliative-care expert shares his insights on the power of finding peace and possibility at the end of life.
How to Encourage Your Aging Parents to Embrace a Healthier Lifestyle
When your aging parents aren’t living as healthfully as you’d like, it can create a stressful situation — for them and you. Here’s how to cope.
How to Start End-of-Life Conversations
It’s never easy to talk about the end of life, including options for care. If you encounter resistance (whether you’re the one facing mortality or you’re helping someone else do so), these suggestions from our experts may help.
New Thinking on End-of-Life Planning
Popular attitudes about end-of-life care and death are changing, making it easier to thoughtfully prepare for the inevitable. Learn how to protect your quality of life — and that of your loved ones — all the way through.
Vitamin D May Help Elderly Reduce Their Risk of Falling
A new study suggests that supplementing elderly diets may boost muscle strength and prevent injuries.
10 Strategies to Navigate the Stresses of Caregiving
Psychologist and author Dale Atkins on how to support a sick loved one — without falling apart yourself.