Author: Alexa Willis

I had a client recently whose elderly mother lived alone. Her mother had the various usual ailments that come with old age, including arthritis, moderate high blood pressure and diabetes. However, she was still fairly independent, doing her own cooking, shopping and minor household chores. From time to time her daughter would come over and…

One can hardly pick up a newspaper or periodical and not see stories about families struggling to provide for a loved one who needs long-term care. Often accompanying the article is a statement about whether long-term care insurance may be appropriate for you. Unfortunately, whether you should or should not buy the product is based on a series…

When asked the simple question, “What do you think pays for the cost of long-term care?” many consumers, if they answer at all, are likely to focus on programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Administration and private funding. That could turn out to be an expensive misconception.  Long-term care is often thought of as…

Geriatric Care Managers (GCMs) are elder care specialists who evaluate older adults’ functional abilities and home environment. GCMs meet with the older adult and family, create individualized care plans to address any gaps in activities  What is a Geriatric Care Manager?  Geriatric Care Managers (GCMs) are elder care specialists who evaluate older adults’ functional abilities and…

A conservative estimate of the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease in the USA is 5.1 million. Nearly one half of elders over 85 years old have dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. It is estimated that 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer’s disease (without effective medical interventions). Every 71 seconds, someone in America is…

Alzheimer’s disease has no known cause and no known cure. However, that does not mean we can do nothing to prevent or treat the disease. The greatest risk for Alzheimer’s disease is age. We all age, and most of us hope to age gracefully and in good health. We can maintain a good weight, eat…

You’ve noticed that mom isn’t the same; she is quieter, less engaged in social events and she seems to forget things easily. You chalk it off to her getting older, to the recent move, to the death of your father, to anything but dementia. This is a normal healthy response to change. No one wants…

For an elderly person who is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer, it is not uncommon that the treatment has an adverse effect on the persons mouth and teeth.  The effect of the treatment can lead to the development of mouth sores, which could lead to eating difficulties for the person and affecting his/her nutrition.  Just…

During their older years, many senior citizens have changed their eating habits, and have adapted to a fruit based diet, primarily, in the belief that it is a healthy way of eating and will keep them well. However, after being on this fruit based way of eating for as little as 6 months, some of…

In the midst of cancer, one may suffer times of anxiety, depression and fear. You become anxious about the uncertainty of what is to come. You feel sorry for yourself. You may even suffer a bit of self pity. Then you certainly have the fear of death. Too often, these are combined with anxieties associated…