By now, it's likely you have heard the news story about the nurse who refused to do C.P.R. on a retirement community resident who later died.  Sally Abrahams did a good review of the story on her AARP blog.  It was a startling story for many and readers weighed in all over the internet with comments.  The reactions range from shock and anger that this nurse would not perform CPR to questioning the facility's policy and contemplating the senior's status regarding wishes (i.e. did she have advance directives or a DNR?).  Rather than delve in to the facts of this specific case, we'd like to broaden the discussion to a number of important issues for all families to consider.  Here are a few key take-away lessons and tips for families and elders:

Yahoo's CEO has stirred up some controversy and debate with her recent work-from-home ban for her company's employees.  In case you have somehow missed the story, a memo was leaked in which the company's head of human resources ordered telecommuting employees to begin reporting in to the office.   Yahoo's CEO has decided to end telecommuting for her employees, in efforts at improved collaboration via face-to-face interaction.

As we age, we tend to face a lot of life changes which sometimes feel beyond our control.  These transition points naturally bring stress.  However, the way they are handled can make a significant difference in the experience and perception of the change.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, nine out of 10 people over age 50 are committed to living in their own homes for as long as possible. In order to make this work, many people need to make home improvements to ensure maximum mobility when physical health declines.

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts/ruptures. When either of these things happens, brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs.

When a senior and family make the big decision to consider moving to senior housing, evaluating the choices can be daunting.  We have several resource articles and fact sheets on different levels of care in senior living and will be covering more of your questions on this topic in upcoming posts.  Today we offer some valuable information that can help you more clearly evaluate assisted living facilities.

Each family's senior care situation is a bit unique, but there are common conflicts that arise.  One challenging dynamic that sometimes leads to conflict is when one (or more) family caregivers live near the aging parent and the others are long-distance caregivers.  The perspectives naturally diverge, and each party may feel certain resentments toward the others, even in a family where everyone generally gets along. 

The Fine Line Between Freedom and Safety at Eldercare Facilities: The Issue of Smoking at Nursing Homes and Assisted Living

Our Aging Wisely team feels an important part of creating a stronger community is taking an active part in contributing to community needs.  Our team members have been involved in numerous community organizations and causes, contributing time, money and resources.  You can check out more about Aging Wisely's Community Involvement here.

We give a lot of advice on how families can get organized to be prepared for eldercare challenges, tips for aging wisely and helpful resources such as checklists for aging parents' care.  On the flip side, we see a lot of what goes wrong.  No family faces the same path, and you may encounter various stumbling blocks on your eldercare journey--no matter how well you feel prepared.  But, there are some common mistakes we see (i.e. things you can ignore if you want to be sure to hit some major stumbling blocks).