Tag Archives: elder care

Age and Driving: When to Turn In Your License

Admitting that you may not be able to drive any longer isn’t easy. By giving up the keys, you are giving up a lot of independence! You’ll need to depend on friends and family for a lot of your transportation. How do you know when it’s time to turn in your driver’s license? Making an objective decision may be very difficult. Ask a trusted friend or family member for an honest evaluation of your driving skills. Use the following checklist to help look at your driving ability objectively. Have you recently been involved in vehicle accidents that could have been … Continue reading →

Age and Driving

How old is too old to drive? Getting older doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up your license and independence; your health and mental state are more important to your ability to drive than the number of candles on your cake. General effects of aging include muscle weakness, joint stiffness, and reduced flexibility. Your reflexes start to slow down, too. All these things together may give you trouble turning the steering wheel or using the brakes. Severe arthritis may make it hard for you to grip the wheel or look over your shoulder to check for oncoming traffic. Night … Continue reading →

Caring for the Elderly: Advanced Memory Loss

Two years can seem like a very long time, or a very short time. I moved in with my grandmother in March 2004 and have since become one of her primary caretakers. Lately, my grandmother’s memory problems seem to have accelerated. Within the last few months, it seems, she’s gone from mostly capable to much closer to incapable. She’s forgotten where the silverware is (it’s been in the same drawer for as long as I can remember, which is close to thirty years). She’s forgotten where the dishes are kept. She brings the mail in, then turns around and checks … Continue reading →

Taking Care of the Caretaker

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I am one of the primary caretakers for my eighty year old grandmother. Some days are better than others; some days are very frustrating and make me want to scream. If you are responsible for the care of another person — be it a parent, child, or friend — don’t forget to take some time for yourself. Being a caretaker is not an easy job. You risk emotional depletion from dealing with an ill or incapable family member — you give and give and give and expect very little in return. You may become isolated because you are spending so … Continue reading →

Caring For the Elderly: The Health Police

Kristyn wrote a great article a few weeks ago about being the Blood Sugar Police. It really struck a chord with me because while she cares for a son with diabetes, I am helping care for a grandmother with diabetes. I live with my eighty year old grandmother, and am one of her primary caretakers. We have good days and bad days… and the bad days can be really bad. “Why don’t you just leave an old lady alone to die?” That’s my favorite quote. (Not really.) It’s what she says when someone is nagging her to take her medicine, … Continue reading →

Caring For the Elderly: Memory Loss

For those of you who don’t know, I live with my eighty year old grandmother and am one of her primary caretakers. Memory loss in the elderly is frustrating for everyone. The person who is starting to lose their memory (in this case, my grandmother) may go through a period of denial. They know that something isn’t right; they know they’re forgetting things or feel like they’re going crazy. My grandmother tries to cover for her forgetting in two ways: either she swears up and down that you never told her what you told her or she makes something up … Continue reading →

Aromatherapy and Arthritis

Arthritis is a painful swelling in the joints; aromatherapy can help ease the two major symptoms: inflammation and the pain that comes with it. Remember: essential oils are not generally intended for undiluted use. Mix a drop or two of the oils you wish to use into a carrier oil (like jojoba, sweet almond, grapeseed, etc) or a cream or lotion base. You can often find unscented lotion at your local drug store; just add your own essential oils for a scent all your own! For arthritis, try mixing your essential oils into a base of aloe vera gel — … Continue reading →

Diabetes: Low Blood Sugar

If you are a diabetic, you don’t want your blood sugar to go too low or too high. Extremely low blood sugar is also known as hypoglycemia. If you are experiencing low blood sugar, you may notice the following symptoms: Shakiness, dizziness, or light-headedness Confusion Difficulty speaking clearly Nervousness, anxiety, or weakness Hunger Perspiration Sleepiness If your blood sugar drops while you are sleeping, you may also experience nightmares, or wake up sweaty. You may also wake up confused, or irritable. To give you a guide, normal blood sugar levels can be anywhere from 70 to 140 for non-diabetics, and … Continue reading →

Learning to Give Injections

I currently live with my grandmother, who has been living with Type II Diabetes since I was in third grade. (I’m 28… so that’s about twenty years of dealing with the disease!) A few months ago, our family doctor decided that the pills she was taking to control her blood sugar just weren’t enough. It was time to start on insulin. And who was the logical choice to play nurse and administer shots? The person who lives with her, of course! (Due to various problems of vision and dexterity, my grandmother really can’t give her own shots.) Now let me … Continue reading →