Pain

• Interview - Talking With Michael Graves

  Designer Michael Graves talks about good medical equipment and making bad medical equipment better.

Blog Posts

• Blog Post - Prescription Addiction Part 3: No Magic Pill

  Prescription drug abuse and addiction by the elderly, and how to help them avoid it.

• Blog Post - What Do You Give an Old Dad for Father's Day?

  What aging dads really need for Father's Day can't be wrapped.

• Blog Post - Alzheimer's Caregivers' #1 Challenge

  A new survey of Alzheimer's caregivers reveals that daily care isn't the worst of it. Grief is.

• Blog Post - My mother is gambling away every last penny -- and her financial independence. What should I do?

  Since my father's death two years ago, my 75-year-old...

• Blog Post - Media Focus on Patrick Swayze's Cancer Begs the Real Questions

  The sudden media attention on Patrick Swayze's diagnosis...

• Blog Post - Shingles Vaccine Strongly Recommended for Seniors

  A shingles vaccine is recommended for all seniors by the Centers For Disease Control, along with other adult vaccinations.

• Blog Post - Too Much and Too Little Shut-Eye May Be Bad for Health

  Too little and too much sleep can be a health hazard. Find tips on helping your parents get just the right amount of rest.

• 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 - 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 - Prescription Addiction Part 2: (Grand)Mother’s Little Helpers

  Prescription and other drugs are commonly abused by seniors.

• Blog Post - A Grandchild Steps In to Help Her Family

  A young woman with both a big heart and streak of cynicism steps in to help her aging grandparents

• Blog Post - The Case For Geriatric Care

  How -- and why -- to choose a geriatrician for your aging parents' care.

• Blog Post - My mother says she's lonely, and it's heartbreaking for me to hear her crying at night. What can I do to help her?

  My father died seven years ago, and for quite some...

• Blog Post - How can I deal with my mom's anger at me for urging her to move my dad to an Alzheimer's residence, where he fell in love with another woman?

  My mother, who took care of my father through the early...

• Blog Post - Heart Attack! Do You Know the Warning Signs?

  Nearly half of patients with heart disease don't know the signs of heart attack. Here's a list of symptoms and what to do if heart attack strikes.

• Blog Post - Personal To-Do Lists That Help You With Caregiving Challenges

  Caring.com launches new To-Do lists to help you navigate caregiver challenges.

• Blog Post - Catch Ovarian Cancer Early With a Simple Symptom Screening Test

  Catching ovarian cancer early: A new screening tool for three key symptoms can help identify 80 to 95 percent of ovarian cancer cases.

• 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 - A Drug for the Bones Causes Risk to the Heart

  New research shows that the osteoporosis drug Fosamax nearly doubles the risk of atrial fibrillation.

• Blog Post - Hospice: Comfort for Patient and Caregivers Alike

  One family's experience with hospice during a mother's last weeks of life.

• Blog Post - Fighting for Breath: A Mother's Last Weeks of Life

  Laura Juel had to advocate for her mother during her final days to help her get pain relief.

• Blog Post - Cancer and the Single Patient: A Special Need for Help

  Caring for someone with cancer who doesn't have a partner is a special challenge, and a very important type of caregiving.

Questions & Answers

• Question - What can my mom's doctor give her for extreme muscle pain?

  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 and a Community Member

• Question - Why is my dad, who has colon cancer have back and stomach pain? Will homeopathic remedies help?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Could heart failure medications be causing my dad's back pain?

  Could my parent's heart failure drugs be causing his back pain? He's had upper and lower back pain since he started taking heart failure drugs.

• Question - Can Taxol cause severe ankle, leg, knee and hip pain?

  Is it normal to have joint or bone pain with taxol? I have pain in my hip, knee, ankle, and other joints using the chemo drug taxol.

• Question - Is there anything that will help relieve my dad's pain after his stroke?

  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 - Can pain in my ear be worsened with my diabetes?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - How can I convince my father to stop chemotherapy that's no longer working?

  When is it time to stop chemotherapy? My father wants to continue chemo, even though it's stopped working, because he wants to "keep on fighting."

• Question - What causes neuropathy in the arms?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - How can I tell if my mother's having an angina episode or a heart attack?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - How do I get over the pain of unexpectedly losing my 30 year-old daughter?

  Enduring life after a death sometimes means actively living with the pain of grief rather than trying to get over it.

• 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 - Where do I start to get help for my friend who takes pain killers and drinks?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Do I really need to wake my father up so he can take his pain medication?

  An explanation of why it's important to keep your parent on his medication schedule -- even if it means waking him up.

• Question - Is there anything to help my dad with stomach pains and diarrhea while taking chemo?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - How can I help my mother deal with her pain and keep her from driving?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Should I be having pain when I exercise 7 months after completion of chemo for lung cancer?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - What has caused the pain in my feet after cancer treatment?

  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 - How can I help an elder die?

  Make sure the older person's desire to die is real. Then read up about it.

• 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 - What is the best way to gauge how much exercise is too much?...

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

• Question - Is my father's discomfort a week after his angioplasty normal?

  Is discomfort after angioplasty normal? My parent had stents put in and has had discomfort, chest pain, arm pain, and sweating since the angioplasty.

• 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 - 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 - Could my mother's sleeping pills be causing her sundown syndrome?

  Could sleeping pills be causing my parent's sundown syndrome? Yes, sleeping pills could certainly contribute to sundown syndrome, or confusion.

• Question - Recently, after one month in the hospital with end stage...

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• 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 - How can I find transportation for my mom to get to church and the market?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• 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 - What's the best way to dress my mother's bunions?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - My mother is dying and has stopped eating. How long can the body sustain itself without food?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - How do I get my father, who has prostate cancer, to accept help from others?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What rights do I have as a healthcare agent?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What is a sheath and can it be fixed or does your port have to be removed?

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

• Question - How can I encourage my mom to be more active after a knee replacement?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• 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 - How can I get my 85 year old father to stop yelling at my mother?

  My father is constantly yelling at my mother, and the problem seems to be getting worse.

• 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 - My mother is a veteran's widow. What kind of rights does she have in choosing a home health aide?

  This question has been answered by two Caring.com Experts

• Question - If I stop chemo, my doctor says my colon cancer will return. When?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• 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 and a Community Member

• Question - How can I find doctors that accept Medicare?

  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 overcome my father's refusal to ask for help with his cancer care?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Does stress affect my parent's blood sugar levels?

  My mom is diabetic and has a tendency to get upset and anxious. Does stress have an impact on her blood sugar level, and if so, what can I do to help?

• Question - Should we try to get a competency hearing to overtake my partner's father's care?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - How do I help remedy a sibling conflict about our dad's care?

  At a family meeting, one member was "beaten up" by 4 others....

• Question - Am I eligible for disability?

  If you're under 65 and can't do substantial paid work, you may get Social Security disability, SSI and Medicaid, plus Medicare after two years.

• 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 - How long does insulin last once it's been opened?

  After I open a bottle of insulin, how long is it good for, how long does insulin last, and how do I know whether it's gone bad? Does insulin expire?

• Question - My mother, who has breast cancer, asks me to visit her every time she thinks there's a crisis. What should I do?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

Tips & Reflections

• Tip - Water Therapy for Arthritis

  If your parent suffers from painful arthritis, enroll...

News

• News - Acupuncture Cuts Need for Post-Op Painkillers

  WEDNESDAY, Oct. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Powerful opioids...

• News - Reflux Can Precipitate Chest Pain, Cough

  THURSDAY, Oct. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Severe chest...

• News - Right Dose of Pot Can Ease Pain

  WEDNESDAY, Oct. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Smoking marijuana...

• News - Botox Offers Shot in Arm for Arthritis Sufferers

  THURSDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Botox seems to...

• News - Vioxx Ban Tied to Rise in Serious GI Trouble

  THURSDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Pulling the painkillers...

• News - NSAID Drug Therapy Fails to Ease Back Pain

  FRIDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Two widely used...

• News - Gout Drug Shows Promise

  FRIDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- A drug called rilonacept...

• News - Close to Barefoot Best for Arthritic Knees

  FRIDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Sore, arthritic...

• News - Vioxx Settlement Puts Painkillers Back in the Spotlight

  FRIDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- With Friday's announcement...

• News - Exercise Eases Fibromyalgia Symptoms: Study

  MONDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise may seem...