When your loved one is depressed, suggest exercise
Depression is common in older adults. It's long been known that brisk exercise can help reduce depression. But it turns out that exercise...
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heidibrowngeriatriccm
Are you prepared for a disaster?
No one likes to dwell on the possibility of disaster. But we all need to prepare for one, just in case. Help your relatives gear up for...
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Could medicines be the culprit?
If your loved one has balance problems, the culprit may be in the medicine. Many common medicines have side effects that can impair...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Caring with a stepparent
Has your parent remarried? If so, you may be sharing the caregiving with a person you don't know very well. Biological families often...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
Noncancer screening tests
Medicare pays for many screening exams, and even counseling sessions, to help nip common illnesses in the bud. Screening tests are...
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Listening: The other half of the conversation
Good communication requires both speaking and listening. Oddly enough, if you make a specific effort to listen, it can open doors. Once...
heidibrowngeriatriccm
When grandpa has dementia: Teens and tweens
For a teen, a relative's dementia can turn a close relationship into one that's now awkward, confusing, and embarrassing. And creates...
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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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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...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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)....
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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...
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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...
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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...