Elder Care Decisions

The next generation of long term care options are transforming the way nursing homes and assisted living communities approach the issue of long-term care for the elderly.

Placing a parent in a skilled nursing facility is often a distressing decision. Use these tips to move past the guilt and stop second-guessing your long-term care decision.

Taking control away from someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia can be an emotional process. You have to know when it's the right time to step in without damaging their self-esteem.

Family caregivers often fixate on the many ways in which their situations could be improved. Common desires include more time, help, and money, but the real first step toward curing caregiver burnout is a change in attitude.

The death of one parent often exposes the care needs of the surviving spouse. Unfortunately for many adult children, the funeral of one parent becomes a time for planning for the long-term care of the surviving parent.

To help you find the best choice in assisted living, here is a list of basic questions to ask when you are comparing assisted living communities for your elderly parents. Print a checklist for each assisted living community you visit.

Even after his death, technology pioneer Steve Jobs has lessons left to teach. These lessons aren't just reserved for business tycoons, caregivers can also benefit from his hard-earned perspective.

Caregivers are nurturing people who often put others’ needs before their own. So, where do you draw the line and say, “I can do this much and nothing more”?

Here are some common questions (and answers to those questions) that people often have about skilled nursing facilities, also known as nursing homes.

Adult day care centers provide a safe, secure environment for adults who are unable to stay alone during the day. Adult day care provides social activities, meals and supervision for elderly parents and helps caregivers in need of a break.

Caregiver question: Dad can't care for mom alone anymore, but refuses to put her in assisted living. Can adult children intervene when one parent needs more care?

It is not unusual for each elderly parent to have different caregiving needs at different times, and coordinating individual care plans will help with care.

It's heartbreaking to hear a loved one say, “I want to go home,” regardless of whether they’re already in their own house or now living in a senior living facility. How can family caregivers help calm and comfort them without giving them false hope?

It is very difficult to care for one parent with dementia, but to have two parents with dementia and to be taking on this task alone is very overwhelming and a daunting task.

When siblings can’t agree on an elderly parent’s care needs, it might be time to bring in an objective third party to help resolve differences.

Is your senior parent a surgical candidate? Here are some tips for caregivers when a doctor says their elderly parents need surgery.

When a sibling begins emphasizing cost reduction and the provision of unpaid care, it usually means they aren’t interested in what’s best for their parents or even what’s fair to the primary caregiver. Instead, they’re more concerned about financial gain.

There is a great deal of misinformation and many misconceptions about skilled nursing facilities. Your research before admission and frequent visits with your loved one once moved in should dispel long-held myths about nursing home care.

Get the most out of an office visit with your aging parent by being prepared. Use these tips and guidelines to yield the best possible outcome for their medical care.

Choosing the doctors who will care for your elderly parents is a critical decision for caregivers that determines the level and quality of care their elderly seniors will receive.