top of page
Blog
Search
Caring with a stepparent
Has your parent remarried? If so, you may be sharing the caregiving with a person you don't know very well. Biological families often...
Ann Hollander
Sep 12, 20222 min read
Noncancer screening tests
Medicare pays for many screening exams, and even counseling sessions, to help nip common illnesses in the bud. Screening tests are...
Ann Hollander
Sep 5, 20222 min read
Listening: The other half of the conversation
Good communication requires both speaking and listening. Oddly enough, if you make a specific effort to listen, it can open doors. Once...
Ann Hollander
Aug 29, 20222 min read
When grandpa has dementia: Teens and tweens
For a teen, a relative's dementia can turn a close relationship into one that's now awkward, confusing, and embarrassing. And creates...
Ann Hollander
Aug 22, 20222 min read
The doctor interview
After you have scoured the Internet to help your relative find a potential new doctor—someone on their plan and with no obvious red...
Ann Hollander
Aug 15, 20222 min read
Caught in a cycle of negativity?
For most family caregivers, frustration and guilt are common, as is anxiety and resentment. These feelings are normal and reasonable...
Ann Hollander
Aug 8, 20222 min read
Senior centers: Worth a fresh look
Even pre-COVID, many 90-year-olds adamantly refused to go to a senior center, saying they didn't want to be around "all those old...
Ann Hollander
Aug 1, 20222 min read
Combatting dehydration
With summer's warm weather, be on the lookout for dehydration in your loved one. The signs include confusion, fatigue, weakness, and...
Ann Hollander
Jul 25, 20222 min read
Dementia and finances
If the person you care for has dementia—memory or thinking problems from a condition such as Alzheimer's, a stroke, or Parkinson's—unpaid...
Ann Hollander
Jul 18, 20222 min read
The "Sandwich Generation"
Elderly parents are living longer. Children are often dependent for more years than expected. Add to this the ongoing responsibilities to...
Ann Hollander
Jul 11, 20222 min read
Swollen legs and feet
Many older adults experience swollen legs and feet. For some, it's because of sitting a lot and leading a sedentary lifestyle. For...
Ann Hollander
Jul 4, 20222 min read
Does brain training work?
The brain is another organ to keep fit, and regular workouts are a good thing! Our brains enable many types of thinking: Problem solving,...
Ann Hollander
Jun 27, 20222 min read
Understanding the rhythm of a disease
Much of the strain of caring for a loved one lies in the loss of a predictable routine, a sense of "normalcy." Understanding the course...
Ann Hollander
Jun 20, 20222 min read
Text message scamming: "Smishing"
Your loved one may be watching for phishing scams on email, but now there are scams carried out by short message service (aka, texting)....
Ann Hollander
Jun 13, 20222 min read
Caregiving with kids
Children generally like to feel included. But they may not know how to relate to an ill family member with limited abilities. Here are...
Ann Hollander
Jun 6, 20222 min read
Living with cancer as a chronic condition
Has your loved one been diagnosed with cancer? The vast majority (67%) of people with cancer live for another five years or more. A...
Ann Hollander
May 30, 20222 min read
When you envy others
Do you ever look at friends and find yourself mad or upset because they have free time? They don't have a relative that needs help? You...
Ann Hollander
May 23, 20222 min read
Primary care providers
A primary care provider (PCP) is charged with monitoring and treating a person's whole body. Specialists abound and indeed are important....
Ann Hollander
May 16, 20222 min read
Cooking tips for the visually impaired
Is low vision making it harder for your loved one to cook? If food preparation has been one of their pleasures, they are probably...
Ann Hollander
May 9, 20222 min read
Interrupt the stress cycle with deep breathing
We're breathing all the time. But when it comes to stress relief, not all breathing is equal. The body's stress cycle Our bodies are...
Ann Hollander
May 2, 20222 min read
bottom of page