Nurses

• Article - Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance): A Beginner's Guide

  Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance): A Beginner's Guide. Who's eligible for Medicare Part A and what hospital care is covered by Medicare Part A?

• Article - How to Hire an At-Home Caregiver

  How to Hire a Caregiver. Hiring a home care aide or caregiver can help parents remain at home -- and take some pressure off the rest of the family.

• Article - Making the Most of Your Parent's Stroke Rehabilitation Team

  When your parent has a stroke, you can aid in his recovery...

Blog Posts

• Blog Post - Wii Senior Sports Craze May Get Your Parents Moving

  The Wii video game is a hit among seniors; a fun and gentle way to get them moving.

• Blog Post - Alzheimer's Meds: Time for a Reality Check?

  The absence of good news about Alzheimer's medications reminds caregivers that learning behavioral therapy is paramount.

• Blog Post - Universal Design Part 2 -- Breaking the Ice

  Universal design can make seniors' homes safer, but many older people resist changes. Advice for getting seniors to agree to home renovations.

• Blog Post - Sex for Life

  New research shows that many people are sexually active well into old age.

• Blog Post - The Link Between Diabetes and Alzheimer's

  What to watch for and what you can do.

• Blog Post - Wanted: Companionship for a Dad with Diabetes

  How to find senior companionship for your aging and ailing parent.

• Blog Post - Know Thy Father: A Guide to Dad's Day

  Knowing your dad well is a good guide to celebrating Father's Day.

• Blog Post - My mother's growing needs are putting a strain on my marriage, and I find myself wondering which will fall apart first -- her, my marriage, or me. What can I do?

  Since my dad died five years ago, my mother has had...

• Blog Post - My mother gave power of attorney to her new husband, who is putting her life in danger. How can we get it away from him?

  My mother's new husband has power of attorney for her, but I feel he puts her life in danger. How can we get her to reappoint power of attorney?

• Blog Post - Aging Parents and Dental Care: A Life-and-Death Issue

  Regular dental care for your parents can be a matter of life and death.

• Blog Post - The Mother's Day Gift That Keeps on Giving

  Spending time with your mother on Mother's Day is the best gift of all.

• Blog Post - It Takes a Neighborhood (Part II)

  Taking care of an elderly neighbor can enrich the lives of everyone involved.

• Blog Post - Lifestyles of the Rich and Retired

  As retirement housing options expand, cruise ships have joined luxury hotel chains in offering high-end retirement destinations.

• Blog Post - My mother, who suffers from dementia and alcoholism, wants my sister and me to be her caregivers, so she keeps sending away the one we've hired.

  My sister and I hired a caregiver to come into our...

• Blog Post - Playgrounds for Seniors

  They're marvelously designed for safe, healthy geriatric activity. And they're fun!

• Blog Post - Medicare Headaches

  Navigating the Medicare maze can be a headache, but here are resources to help you along the way.

• Blog Post - Embarrassment Assistance! The Gift of Plain Wrapping

  Buying adult incontinence products online can save your parents from stressful embarrassment.

• Blog Post - The Adult Diaper Wars: A Call to Arms!

  A Canadian government official's threat to wear diapers triggers open talk of how to keep seniors who wear diapers comfortable and healthy.

• Blog Post - Macular Degeneration: All Eyes Are on Hormone Therapy

  New research shows that taking hormones cuts a woman's risk of macular degeneration in half. But hormone therapy raises the risk for other health conditions.

• Blog Post - A Stay-at-Home "Nursing Home"

  The I-House, a stay-at-home nursing home, is a "smart house" for seniors, the latest entry in a trend toward high-tech aging in place.

• Blog Post - Dementia Caregivers: You Really Ought to Talk About It

  New study shows one on one therapy helps reduce the burden on caregivers and their depressive symptoms.

• Blog Post - Aggression, Fighting Common Among Nursing Home Residents

  High levels of aggression and fighting are common among nursing home residents. Experts offer advice for helping aging parents manage aggression from fellow nursing home residents.

• Blog Post - Decoding the Secret Language of Alzheimer's

  What people with Alzheimer's are really saying.

• Blog Post - Call Us Cancer "Carepartners"

  When you're helping someone you love battle cancer, you're right there on the front lines with them.

• Blog Post - Farewell to Falls

  Seniors can prevent life-altering falls by doing balance training exercises.

• Blog Post - Sandwich Generation "Massively Stressed"

  A new study of sandwich generation women, caring for children and aging parents, finds them ill-prepared for the massive stresses of care giving.

• Blog Post - Use of Restraints in Nursing Homes: Down But Not Out

  The law limits how and when nursing homes can use restraints. What to do if your parent is confined by belts or bed rails.

Questions & Answers

• Question - What is meant by "medically neccessary" or under what circumstances will Medicare pay for long-term care?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Who is responsible for my brother, who has severe dementia, if the nursing home asks him to leave?

  A court-appointed guardian or conservator may be the best option when there is no one else willing and able to take on caretaking duties.

• Question - Can my parents access a nursing home without a hospital stay?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Is there a resource to find a nurse who will travel to rural areas?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - What can I do if my mom's nursing home is mistreating her and I live out of state?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Does my mother have to sign a home lien for short-term nursing home care?

  Medicare or Medicaid can cover all or most of short-term nursing home costs, but a nursing home might want a home lien from a private-paying patient.

• Question - What do I need to know before I sign a nursing home contract?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What is the difference between assisted living and nursing home?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Am I responsible for my father's nursing home bill?

  A person's debts may follow them after death, but children are not usually responsible for their parents' nursing home debts unless they agreed to take them on.

• Question - Is there a time limit on making a revocable trust before entering a nursing home?

  A revocable trust does not protect assets from consideration by Medicaid regarding eligibility for nursing home coverage.

• Question - Will Medicaid or Medicare help pay for my mother's long-term care?

  Will Medicaid or Medicare help pay for my mother's long term care? Medicare will cover 100 days in a nursing home if certain qualifications are met.

• Question - How can I get my mother, who has dementia, to calm down in her nursing home?

  How do you calm down someone with dementia in a nursing home? Is calming a dementia patient down even possible in an environment like a nursing home?

• Question - Can my father's house be taken to pay for long term care?

  A house transferred out of an elder's name can't be taken by Medicaid but might disqualify the elder from Medicaid nursing home coverage.

• Question - Can my sister put my mother away in a nursing home without asking the rest of the children?

  One sibling may have the right to help arrange nursing home care for a parent, but it feels wrong not to consult other family members about the decision.

• Question - Now that my mom is in a nursing home, how can I make the most of my one-hour visits with her?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Can my half-brother keep me from seeing my mother, who is in a nursing home?

  Make sure you've tried to get to the bottom of a family member's attempts to block you from seeing your ailing mother. Then, you may need to take matters in your own hands.

• Question - What is my mother's liability to Medicare if she enters a nursing home?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Should I put my mom in a nursing home as her care has gotten too much for me?

  Should I put my mom in a nursing home? Putting your parent in a nursing home could be the best thing for her, physically and mentally.

• Question - The nursing home wants my father to leave because he's hard to manage; what are my options?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - If my dad and I jointly own a home, can Medicaid still take it to pay for long-term care expenses associated with a nursing home?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - How do I get my husband signed up for Medicare Part D?

  Medicare Part D drug coverage is very inexpensive for people eligible for Medicaid and in nursing homes.

• Question - Am I responsible for my parent's debt?

  Am I responsible for my parent's debt? I recently discovered that my father has several thousand of dollars of debt. Are parent debts transferable?

• Question - My father has colon cancer. What's the best way to deal with his angry outbursts?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How can we keep from selling my mother's home to pay for her final expenses?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - How can I make a hospital stay easier for my mother with dementia?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Do my parents need to get divorced to qualify for Medicaid?

  Should my parents get a divorce so that Dad can get Medicaid? It's possible that they won't need a divorce for him to qualify for Medicaid.

• Question - My dad needs 24-hour care and is in a nursing home but has no assets and Medicare won't continue to pay. What do I do?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert and a Community Member

• Question - Does any government program pay for assisted living?

  Does Medicaid pay for assisted living? Medicaid pays for assisted living instead of a nursing home if you're lucky enough to live in the right state.

• Question - Is a Medicaid annuity a scam?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I handle my mother's erratic behavior in the hospital after her surgical procedure?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How can I get the doctor to be more responsive when my mother has side effects from chemotherapy?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Will my grandmother lose Medicare benefits if she is checked out of a rehab center without a doctor's approval?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Should I sign a payment agreement with my mother's rehab center?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What are my legal options if they refuse to cooperate with my suggestions for Mom's care?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - When is the right time to call in hospice?

  Hospice care is generally reserved for those who are diagnosed to be near death. But other options for help with care may be available.

• Question - Do we tell my grandmother, who is suffering from Alzheimers, about a death in the family?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Does a living trust protect money from Medicaid consideration?

  Will putting money in a living trust protect my parent's money and help her get Medicaid? No, Medicaid considers money in a living trust an asset.

• Question - What do I need to apply for Medicaid for my mother, for whom I'm guardian?

  To apply for Medicaid, you need records of income and assets. If it's for nursing home care, you need financial transactions from the past 5 years.

• Question - Answer To When To Call Hospice Question

  Hospice care is generally reserved for those who are diagnosed to be near death. But other help with care may be available if your parent doesn't qualify for hospice.

• Question - My wife, age 88, does not like to take a shower. Is this normal?

  This question has been answered by two Community Members

• Question - If visiting with and talking to extended family members unsettles my father, who has Alzheimer's, should we continue while still remembers them or stop?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How can I get my mom to agree to wear adult diapers?

  My parent refuses to wear diapers. She has moved in with us, and she needs to wear adult diapers, but we haven't been able to persuade her to do it.

• Question - Can I take classes and become certified for home care for my mother?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - As a caregiver is there any kind of aid or tax breaks I can...

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Will Medicare help my client pay my salary and secondary insurance help pay for his care?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - How do I treat a chemical burn associated with chemo?

  If you get a chemical burn from chemo, how do you treat it? A chemical burn from chemo is rare, and you should make the oncologist aware of it.

• Question - How can I persuade my mother to sign a living will?

  Many people fear that signing an advance healthcare directive means giving up on living. It may take an objective source to convince them of the truth.

• Question - How can we persuade my mother, who's caring for my dying father, to bring in hospice help?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I reflect my mother's Medicaid coverage and nuring home costs on her tax form and is she eligible for the rebate?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I set up a conservatorship for my mother?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I get my dementia patient to eat?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What can I do to help convince my dad to bathe more often?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - What could be wrong with my mother-in-law who makes irrational decisions and wets herself, yet the hospital says she's competent?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I get my parent's doctor to give us complete and honest information?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do we get my mom, who has Alzheimer's, taken off the deed to my dad's home?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - What legal rights to do grandchildren have in determining whether grandma is fit to live alone?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How can I help my 82-year-old mother overcome her fear of falling?

  If a parent has a fear of falling, it can actually make things more dangerous. Here's expert advice on how to help a parent overcome fear of falling.

• Question - My mom has been mis-diagnosed and a couple of weeks ago her...

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Will there be any difficulty withdrawing funds from joint accounts that my mother and I share?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Can my grandmother get a safety bath tub from Medicaid?

  Medicaid can provide special bathing equipment for someone who qualifies for home health care.

• Question - What's the emergency procedure for obtaining durable power of attorney for finance or health care?

  What's the emergency procedure for obtaining durable power of attorney for finance or health care? Get answers on obtaining durable power of attorney.

• Question - How can I find a new doctor and can my wife qualify for SSI?

  Medicare's web site has a tool to help you find a doctor who accepts Medicare patients. SSI is based on a couple's joint income and assets.

• Question - Can low hemoglobin be causing my father's fatigue, and, if so, what can I do to help him feel better?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Does guided imagery really control cancer-related pain?

  Is guided meditation or guided imagery helpful in relieving pain from cancer or other diseases? Studies have shown that guided meditation can help.

• Question - What's the best way to move my mom from her wheelchair into the car?

  How do you transfer someone from a wheelchair to a car? Devices can help transfer him from the wheelchair to the car, but body mechanics matter too.

• Question - If I do not have guardianship, do I have any say over where my grandmother lives?

  Guardians can be changed – but it usually takes some pretty strong convincing and evidence before courts will agree to it.

• Question - How can I convince my mother's doctor to keep her out of a rehab facility?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Will Medicaid stop paying for my grandmother's assisted living facility if we take her out for the weekend or out for dinner?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What are the risks with reverse mortgages?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I get Mom to see a doctor when she's in denial that she might have symptoms of Parkinson's disease?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Can I amend a life estate?

  Before amending a life estate, consider the possible drawbacks of the arrangement.

• Question - Is 24 hour care needed for a chemotherapy patient with small cell lung cancer, who is 70 years old?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - My parents are 81 & 82, my father was in a bad car accident...

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Is there any way to help my mother, who's losing her hair, decrease the itching on her scalp?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - My dad qualifies for Medicaid but they say my mother makes too much. Any advice on how to deal with this financial problem?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Is it common for Alzheimer's patients to have good and bad days with their memory?

  If a parent with early Alzheimer's or dementia has both good and bad days, it can mean that some situations are more confusing or stressful.

• Question - Can SSI/Medicare/Medical/Hud Section 8 look for repayments of benefits paid to date, when I am no longer eligible for benefits going forward?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

Tips & Reflections

• Reflection - What I Wish I'd Known: Hope Rugo

  An oncologist reflects on what she learned about care giving when her mother had metastatic breast cancer.

News

• News - Zinc Helps Elderly Ward Off Pneumonia

  MONDAY, Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Maintaining normal...

• News - Nurse-Led Intervention Boosts Cardiac Rehab: Study

  MONDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Intensive support...

• News - Eyeglasses Upgrade Helps Elderly Battle Depression

  MONDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Correcting nursing...

• News - Love in the World of Alzheimer's

  MONDAY, Dec. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Even when Alzheimer...

• News - Cats Help Shield Owners From Heart Attack

  THURSDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Whether it's...

• News - Antibiotic Use in Dementia Patients Questioned

  MONDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of...

• News - Antipsychotics Dangerous for Elderly With Dementia

  MONDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly people with...

• News - Nursing Homes Unprepared for Pandemic Flu Fallout

  TUESDAY, July 22 (HealthDay News) -- If an influenza...

• News - Alzheimer's Patients React Poorly to 'Elderspeak'

  MONDAY, July 28 (HealthDay News) -- Alzheimer's patients...