Who is eligible? If you have Medicare, you can use your home health benefits if you meet all the following conditions: 1.) You must be under the care of a doctor; 2.) You must be receiving services under a care plan...

Summary of Medicare Part A Navigating the healthcare system is confusing and frustrating.  In an effort to simplify some pertinent information, I have referenced the medicare website for definition and summary. Medicare is currently defined under two classifications, Medicare Part A...

Private Home Care is Cost Efficient How much are you really paying for your private duty home care? Just like any service or product you intend to purchase, invest some time and energy in educating yourself and elderly parents.  Hourly...

Bring Care Services into the Home Consider the costs for your elderly parent(s) to live out their remaining years in a nursing home. While costs may vary nationwide, in Massachusetts the expense for a private room may easily exceed $130,000...

Living Longer...Is Expensive! With acknowledgments to an article I recently read in SmartMoney...think about this quote: "A lot of time people actually end up spending more money in retirement than they may have spent when they were working."  For all...

Staying Young at Heart One way to stay young is to make yourself feel young.  And the easiest way to do this is to spend time with the youngsters.  For seniors, maintaining close relationships with young grandchildren or great-grandchildren is important...

Elderly at Risk As the summer heat continues, it is advisable to be aware of the symptoms and risks associated with over-heating. Continuing our series of heat related health problems, we first outlined dehydration. Last week, we discussed heat exhaustion....

Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion It is hot outside. In many parts of the country, the combination of heat and humidity can be debilitating to even the most robust and healthy individuals. However, the elderly can be especially vulnerable to the...

Depressed? Try Some Flowers I recently came across some interesting information courtesy of Companion Connection Senior Care, a members-only nationwide affiliation of home care providers, highlighting the link between flowers and memory/cognitive engagement. In summary, researchers at Rutgers University found that...

Professional Care Can Relieve Family Burnout Absorbing the care and support for elderly parents can be stressful, overwhelming, and costly. All seniors have different emotional and physical needs, so there is no "one solution" that will permanently fit. Some elderly...