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Best Books on Aging Parents

Over the last 18 months I have talked with literally hundreds of people who have realized they now have an extra “job” that they were not expecting: engaging one way or another in looking out for an aging parent. Many of them wanted a “guide” to Caring for Aging Parents, and asked for recommendations. Sure enough, there are a number of books on aging parents on Amazon. I decided I wanted to find the most popular, and then read them and see whether I could identify a handful of them to recommend next time someone asks for a Guide to Aging Parents. This article is the first installment in my journey and focuses on which are the top selling books in this category (presumably the ones others have found most relevant).

A Conversation You Haven’t Had with Your Doctor…But Should

Drug company advertisements often end with the phrase “Ask your Doctor about…” followed by the newest drug being promoted. While surely they mean to ask if the new drug is right for you to start taking, I suggest a different question to ask your Doctor: “Of all the drugs prescribed for me, which one is most important for me to take correctly?”

My Plan to Avoid the Terror of Short Term Memory Loss

Avoiding short term memory loss: Daily activities on Google Calendar

My mother has severe short term memory loss. As her caregiver, I have found that her short term memory impairment has many adverse consequences. My experience with my mother has made me concerned about how I could avoid the horrors that come with short term memory loss when it inevitably hits me in the future.

While I cannot prevent short term memory loss, I do believe that I can mitigate the confusion and anxiety that comes with not being able to mentally track my daily activities. My solution is a simple technological memory prosthesis – a “wearable” calendar. This article describes my idea and how I am implementing it.

Fall proofing your house: a checklist

fall prevention home assessment checklist

For the older adult worried about falls, one of the most important tasks is to “fall-proof” your house. There are numerous services you can retain to help with this. But how do you know they have done the right things? And, if you are the friend or family of an older adult, how can you do a “check” to make sure the house of the person you care for is relatively well “fall-proofed”? Here is a useful checklist developed by the Executive Director of Marin Villages.

Gerontologist Talks: So Much More Can Be Done

At our next Aging in Place Technologies Meetup (Nov. 12th), gerontologist Ira Kurtz will be talking on the topic of the many opportunities he sees for improving quality of life in retirement homes.

Arthritis Sufferers: Struggling with Clothing?

We have been looking for good arthritis clothing solutions. These products range from various special shoes for arthritis to a special type of arthritis bra. This article uses videos from around the web to demonstrate some of those solutions, and we add our comments and questions.

Legal and Financial Issues following Dementia Diagnosis

My husband has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and I need to make sure I have taken care of everything. I do have power of attorney but want to make sure everything has been taken care of. What should I be worrying about? Alice

Longevity Collective Research Report Published

Two of our Longevity Collective members spent a lot of time and energy earlier this year conducting a research study about a new category of products called Activity-tracking Home Sensor Systems. The authors (Mary Hulme and Richard Caro) decided that they had learned a lot about these products, and that in fact there was rather a lot to know if you wanted to pick the right product for a given set of life circumstances, and that it made sense to share this knowledge with the world.

Can’t Reach Toenails to Cut Them Anymore

Older people complain that at some point, for one reason or another, it is no longer possible to reach toenails for clipping. What is available – short of paying for the service – to make this mundane hygienic procedure ‘within reach’ again? At a Longevity Explorer discussion circle in September, 2014, a group of residents … Read more

Avoiding social isolation & keeping an active lifestyle

Discussion held at September 2014 Aging-in-Place-Technologies meetup, San Carlos, CA. Situation: parent not getting out, lonely in home.