Tips
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Wear a name tag.
Many of our elderly loved ones with dementia can still read.
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Learn about trimming toe nails for diabetic loved ones, and get diabetes caregiver advice on correctly trimming toe nails at Caring.com.
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Taking medicine on time can be critical to a Parkinson's disease patient's ability to move, talk, or swallow. But if a sudden trip to the hospital is necessary, it could be hours before staff finds out about the pills the patient should be receiving. One way to avoid such a crisis is to make an em...
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Insulin pens -- which look, as their name suggests, like a large pen or marker -- are often the insulin-injecting device of choice because they're convenient, easy to handle, and usually less painful (most have very thin needles). Older adults with poor vision may also find it easier to dial the mec...
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Medicare can help pay for self-testing devices and supplies for someone with type 2 diabetes. This includes glucose meters, test strips, and lancets. Medicare also covers diabetes self-management training from a certified diabetes educator and medical nutrition therapy services from a registered die...
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Insulin syringes, pen needles, and lancets -- known collectively as sharps -- must be disposed of safely to avoid injury and illness and to protect the environment. If you or the person in your care doesn't have access to a sharps mail-in, drop-off, pick-up, or exchange program (ask a member of your...
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The car your parent once drove comfortably -- and safely -- may no longer be a good fit, as his body may have changed in size and strength. CarFit is a unique program that helps older drivers see if they're a good match with their car. A program of the American Society on Aging, in collaboration wit...
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If your parents are planning a move to an assisted living or other retirement community as a couple -- and especially if they have gotten to the point where they have different medical needs -- you might want to talk with them about moving into separate studios, or a two-bedroom suite, rather than c...
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If your parents move to a continuing care retirement community, they may be able to deduct part of the entrance and monthly fees as medical expenses. Make sure your parents keep records of these expenses and ask their tax adviser to look into what the IRS will allow them to deduct.
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Some people prefer to care for their own dead, rather than delegate after-death tasks to funeral directors and embalmers. Most state laws allow you to act on your own in handling these matters, as long as you follow certain regulations, such as the depth at which a body must be buried. (However, som...
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You might assume that a will is the best place for loved ones to specify whether they prefer to be buried or cremated and whether they want a funeral or memorial after death. In fact, wills are poor places to express such preferences, because they're often not located and read until several days, we...
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When choosing hospice care, you're wise to do some comparison shopping first, as you would with any important consumer decision. Because hospice or palliative care is referred to in a number of ways and there's often a broad range of choices, though, it's easy to become stymied early on in the proce...
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Caregiving is often demanding and isolating, and studies show caregivers suffer high rates of depression. If you're taking care of an elderly parent, spouse, or other loved one, consider joining a caregiver support group. These groups provide a place to find fellowship and share experiences and idea...
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If one of your parents is caring for the other, put her in touch with Well Spouse Association, an organization that provides information and support for people whose partners are chronically ill or disabled. Well Spouse was established to help ease the isolation of life as a spousal caregiver (its m...
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When helping someone write or revise estate planning documents such as wills and trusts, it's essential to first find out the form of ownership -- sole, joint, tenancy in common -- for each element of his or her property. This is easy, as long as you know where to look. For real estate, check the de...
