Hands

Blog Posts

• Blog Post - Yelling and Nagging: Not the Way to Keep Someone With Diabetes on Track

  Practical advice on how to help your parent or partner with diabetes comply with health recommendations.

• Blog Post - Sex for Life

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

• Blog Post - Five Tips for Keeping the Sandwich Together

  Five tips to help sandwich generation members ease the stress of caring for aging parents in their homes.

• Blog Post - My brother won't share financial information about our dad's assets, and it's tearing the family apart.

  My brother has durable power of attorney for my dad...

• 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 - 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 - I took the brunt of my dad's nastiness my whole life. Now I am his caretaker and I resent it.

  My dad has been a handful all his life -- prone to...

• Blog Post - I constantly feel guilty because no matter how much I do for my parents, I know it's never enough.

  My mom has advanced Alzheimer's and my dad is 92 and...

• Blog Post - To Protect Seniors in Natural Disasters, Talk About It Beforehand

  Communication is key in protecting seniors in natural disasters.

• Blog Post - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People With Diabetes

  Find advice from self-help writer Stephen R. Covey in a guide for people with type 2 diabetes and their caregivers called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People with Diabetes.

• Blog Post - Mindbenders: Memory-Boosting Brain Games

  These brain-building games promise to boost mental skills.

• 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 - I can't stop feeling that I was an inadequate caregiver to my mom.

  I am a 56-year-old registered nurse. I took time off...

• Blog Post - Going For Broke? Seniors Turn to Newer Loans To Avoid Cash Crunch

  Seniors hurt by the tough economy are raising money using reverse mortgages, life insurance settlements and 401k loans. In exchange for up-front cash, your parent may lose future equity or investment gains, so help them make smart money choices.

• Blog Post - Brain-Training 101: Does It Really Help Those With Dementia?

  Brain-fitness games are a huge growth industry, but can they help prevent or reverse dementia?

• Blog Post - My mother's caregiver is too controlling and won't take direction from us.

  My mother has Alzheimer's and has had a live-in caregiver...

• Blog Post - After a Stroke: When Words Fail Us

  Creative ways to communicate with someone who has trouble speaking or understanding language.

• 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 - Lifestyles of the Rich and Retired

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

Questions & Answers

• Question - Why are my mother's hand and arm swollen after her stroke?

  My mom had a mild stroke. She's been complaining of pain and I noticed that her hand and forearm are swollen. Are swollen hands and arms normal?

• Question - Could my dad's stroke be causing the sensations of cold on his left side?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What can be done for sore hands and feet as a result of chemo?

  If you experience sore hands and feet with chemo—aka hand-foot syndrome--your doctor may change your treatment to help heal your sore hands and feet.

• Question - What's the best way to help my 250-pound father walk?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How can I gently approach the subject of handing over the car keys with my dad?

  My father's has Parkinson's disease, and I'm concerned about his driving. How can I raise the subject without making him mad?

• Question - How can I get financial help for things like a ramp and hand rails to accomodate my disabled mother who now lives with me?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - How do you deal with aphasia?

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

• 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 - What can I do to help my dad stay comfortable during bath time?

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

• Question - Should I show my mother this site and let her browse around?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Will a gait belt help my elderly mother walk?

  Will a gait belt help my elderly parent walk and move better? Get expert advice on using a gait belt to assist elderly parents to balance and walk.

• Question - What's the best way to catch my 91-year-old mother when she falls?

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

• Question - Can chemo cause side effects for those exposed to the patient receiving it?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - How long does a legal guardianship last, and how can I get access to my mother's medical records?

  After a legal guardianship or conservatorship ends, medical privacy laws can make it tough to find out information about procedures you suspect went wrong.

• Question - How do I resolve a family conflict so I can visit my mother?

  My sister lives with my mother, and is making it hard to visit Mom and make sure she is okay.

• Question - Can Alzheimer's lead to dehydration?

  Can Alzheimer's cause dehydration? Yes, Alzheimer's can lead to dehydration because the patient forgets to drink or doesn't realize she's thirsty.

• Question - How can I convince my pack-rat mother, whom I'm moving into a smaller apartment, to let go of all her junk?

  My parent needs to move, but she's a pack rat. How do I convince this hoarder to get rid of some of the junk so she can move into a smaller place?

• Question - How do you deal with a parent that is unable to communicate?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - How can I get my incontinent father to wear diapers?

  My father, who has dementia, also has urinary incontinence and refuses to wear adult diapers. Any suggestions to help me convince him to wear diapers?

• Question - How can someone become a caregiver?

  How can someone become a caregiver?

• Question - Are living trusts and living wills the same?

  When it comes to living wills and living trusts, only the names are similar. One concerns itself with controlling medical care; the other, passing title to property.

• Question - Is there anything that can be done for peeling hands?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Should I continue to encourage my mom to be social, even as her Alzheimer's worsens?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How can I keep my mother's hair clean when she resists shampooing?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What's the best way to handle criticism about the Alzheimer's care I'm giving my mom?

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

• Question - How can I help my mother handle low blood sugar incidents?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Should I bring my four-year-old to my father's funeral?

  Is it OK to bring a child to a funeral or memorial? It depends on the child's temperament -- some kids do better at funeral services than others.

• Question - What's the best way to respond when my parent with memory problems keeps repeating himself?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Can you offer any tips for bathing an overweight parent?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What if I'm worried about my dad's Alzheimer's but he and my mom aren't?

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

• Question - How can I persuade my mother, who has stomach cancer, to quit smoking?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How can I get my brother to help with Alzheimer's care?

  This question has been answered by two Community Members

• Question - Why are my father's heart palpitations getting more frequent?

  What causes frequent heart palpitations in the elderly? Frequent heart palpitations can have various causes, from anxiety to atrial fibrillation.

• Question - Is guardianship recognized across state lines?

  It's most important that a guardian or conservator know the best interests of the person who needs help, but practical problems can arise where there is a geographical divide.

• Question - Does chemo give your skin a different smell after treatment?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Can my parent give durable power of attorney for healthcare to one child, and durable power of attorney for finance to another?

  Can my parents give one child durable power of attorney for healthcare and one durable power of attorney for finances? Power of attorney can be split.

• Question - How can I tell if my parent has Alzheimer's or depression?

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

• Question - What are some budget-friendly ways to keep my mom safe during bathing?

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

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

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - How do we, with a power of attorney, take control of a credit card account in the cardholder's nickname?

  When you’re acting on behalf of another creditor, the credit card company may act most quickly and completely if you cancel the account.

• 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.

News

• News - Stroke Rehab Technique Has Lasting Results

  TUESDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- With just two...

• News - Stomach Flu Spread By Contaminated Computer Keyboards

  THURSDAY, Jan. 3 (HealthDay News) -- The highly contagious...

• News - Fingers Point to Risk for Arthritic Knees

  FRIDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Women whose index...

• News - Fighting Cancer With a Pen

  FRIDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- When 69-year-old...

• News - Hands-Only Resuscitation OK for Cardiac Arrest

  MONDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- If you see someone...

• News - Diabetes and Depression Go Hand-in-Hand

  TUESDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) -- The relationship...