The doctor interview
After you have scoured the Internet to help your relative find a potential new doctor—someone on their plan and with no obvious red...
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heidibrowngeriatriccm
Caught in a cycle of negativity?
For most family caregivers, frustration and guilt are common, as is anxiety and resentment. These feelings are normal and reasonable...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Senior centers: Worth a fresh look
Even pre-COVID, many 90-year-olds adamantly refused to go to a senior center, saying they didn't want to be around "all those old...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Combatting dehydration
With summer's warm weather, be on the lookout for dehydration in your loved one. The signs include confusion, fatigue, weakness, and...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Dementia and finances
If the person you care for has dementia—memory or thinking problems from a condition such as Alzheimer's, a stroke, or Parkinson's—unpaid...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
The "Sandwich Generation"
Elderly parents are living longer. Children are often dependent for more years than expected. Add to this the ongoing responsibilities to...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Swollen legs and feet
Many older adults experience swollen legs and feet. For some, it's because of sitting a lot and leading a sedentary lifestyle. For...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Does brain training work?
The brain is another organ to keep fit, and regular workouts are a good thing! Our brains enable many types of thinking: Problem solving,...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Understanding the rhythm of a disease
Much of the strain of caring for a loved one lies in the loss of a predictable routine, a sense of "normalcy." Understanding the course...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Text message scamming: "Smishing"
Your loved one may be watching for phishing scams on email, but now there are scams carried out by short message service (aka, texting)....
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Caregiving with kids
Children generally like to feel included. But they may not know how to relate to an ill family member with limited abilities. Here are...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Living with cancer as a chronic condition
Has your loved one been diagnosed with cancer? The vast majority (67%) of people with cancer live for another five years or more. A...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
When you envy others
Do you ever look at friends and find yourself mad or upset because they have free time? They don't have a relative that needs help? You...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Primary care providers
A primary care provider (PCP) is charged with monitoring and treating a person's whole body. Specialists abound and indeed are important....
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Cooking tips for the visually impaired
Is low vision making it harder for your loved one to cook? If food preparation has been one of their pleasures, they are probably...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Interrupt the stress cycle with deep breathing
We're breathing all the time. But when it comes to stress relief, not all breathing is equal. The body's stress cycle Our bodies are...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Poetry and dementia
If the person you care for has dementia, you may have noticed their withdrawal from conversations, movies, even from reading books or the...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Organ donation
Those who donate organs, eyes, or tissue leave a tremendous legacy, often the gift of life itself: Allowing someone a steady heartbeat....
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Should Dad move in?
Combining households has many benefits: Less hassle running back and forth between two residences, less worry about Dad eating well and...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
The journey of late life
Families spend three to five years caring for an aging relative. At first it may be light chores or small errands now and then. But over...