Category: caregivers

What You Need to Know About Mental Health in Later Life

An older Caucasian woman sits on a couch looking sad or depressed.

Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood, and yet mental health in later life is often sidelined as other health challenges are prioritized. However, there is a cyclical relationship between physical health and mental health:  The presence of chronic conditions and illness is associated with an increased risk for mental illness, and we know that mental illness, in turn, increases the risk for many types of physical health problems.

The Essential Assisted Living Move-in Checklist

Senior man moving into an assisted living community with the help of his son to lift boxes

Moving a loved one to assisted living can be an overwhelming transition for everyone involved, even when your loved one understands and accepts that they need to move. We have compiled an Assisted Living Move-In Checklist as a resource for families, based on our experience placing individuals in communities and providing ongoing care management and concierge care services.

How to Choose an Assisted Living Community: Critical Questions to Ask

Four senior women stretch exercise bands to stay fit at an assisted living community

Perhaps you’ve seen that your loved one can no longer live alone safely, or maybe you care for your loved one in your home and have realized that their care needs exceed what you can provide. You’ve decided it’s time to find an assisted living community in Maryland that will provide the best care and quality of life possible, while within your budget and at a comfortable driving distance.

Coping with Caregiver Stress: Looking Back, Looking Forward, Looking Within

A mature woman of East Asian heritage relaxes on a couch while sipping tea and looking at her laptop

Now that 2022 has come to a close, it’s a good time to reflect on the year that has passed all too quickly (or perhaps for some, it seemed to drag on forever…) and think about what worked, what didn’t, and what needs to change in the year ahead. Perhaps you’re completely worn out with caregiving and realize you need some outside help. Maybe you have neglected yourself amid all the demands of caregiving. Or are you a “sandwich” caregiver, still caring for children at home while also caring for a parent and wondering how you can do it all in the year ahead?

When Grief and Loss Stand in the Way of Comfort and Joy in the Holiday Season

A Black woman in her 50s expresses feelings of grief over the loss of a loved one while she sits near a Christmas tree in the background

Family and togetherness are key themes for the holidays. Scenes of holiday hustle and bustle, idyllic decorations, and happy families can inspire us and get us into the holiday spirit. Perhaps your own family will be gathering together, your home is beautifully decorated, and your holidays are all that you hope them to be. Or maybe not! All the television commercials, Hallmark Christmas movies, and holiday activities can make this time of year awfully difficult for people who are grieving a loss. If the grief is fresh, holiday cheer can seem like an affront. The holidays can also be challenging if you have no family nearby, and celebrations can underscore how alone people feel.

Meaningful Pursuits: Create meaningful activities for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia

An elderly woman wearing a sweater looks at a photo album with an adult female family member

Anyone caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s or dementia will at some point struggle with how to spend meaningful time with their loved one or add purpose to their lives. Family visits can feel awkward, pointless, or sad as we grapple with our loved one’s cognitive decline and memory loss, and it can become very challenging to have a meaningful visit. However, those with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia still have the need and capacity for meaning and purpose in life – they just need someone to guide them into appropriate activities that can add greatly to their happiness and quality of life.

When You or a Loved One Is Diagnosed with Dementia, What Comes Next?

An adult daughter hugs her elderly mother after a dementia diagnosis

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia can be very devastating, challenging, overwhelming, and emotional. Dementia doesn’t just affect the one diagnosed — it often impacts everyone in the family, close friends, and even neighbors and co-workers. However, being informed and getting connected to appropriate support after a dementia diagnosis can help you know what to expect and what to do next. This checklist can help you get started.

Looking Back and Looking Forward

A road leading to a sunrise with an arrow from 2021 to 2022

Each year, many of us make resolutions to become a better version of ourselves in the new year. Many times, these new year’s resolutions focus on the negative — our worst qualities that we want to change, our bad habits we want to break, or our biggest mistakes we hope to rectify. If your past year had major losses, challenges, or setbacks, you may long for “the good old days” or how things once were, idealizing the past and longing for something that is gone. This is very easy to do when thinking about our pre-pandemic lives and the ways things are now, and certainly, many have experienced the loss of family or friends, jobs, and more.  

When the Holiday Season Isn’t Always a Happy One

Senior woman at home on Christmas

With the holiday season upon us, everywhere we look we see signs of joy and festivity — sparkling lights in our neighborhoods, commercials of happy families celebrating together, decorations in every store, and social media pictures of holiday bliss. But despite being called the “most wonderful time of the year” and the “season to be jolly,” for many people, the holiday season can be a time of depression, grief, sadness and loneliness.