Mary shook her head sadly. “I’m telling you, Sue, I have tried everything to get my mom out of the house. Since her friend Betty died, she just sits at home and knits. She and Betty went everywhere together. They were always on a new adventure. Betty’s death was sudden and I expected it would take my mom some time…
Exposure to natural light–or direct sunlight–has long been believed to have significant health benefits. For example, researchers have established that regular exposure to natural light: Produces vitamin D in the body. Vitamin D promotes bone growth and aids in the absorption of calcium. It also prevents some types of cancer, heart disease, depression, and weight gain. In addition, Vitamin D…
Mary set her phone down on the table and frowned. Her husband, Herb, studied her. “What’s wrong?” “I don’t think we can bring Mom home for Christmas. The nursing home said if we remove her from the premises, we have to pay a fee to hold her bed. Otherwise, they can give the bed away to someone else.” “What? That…
Mary slammed the cordless phone onto the receiver. Her husband, Tom, peered at her over the top of his newspaper, his eyebrows cocked in concern. “Now what was that about?” he asked. “That was Beth Willis. She says we can’t use Dad’s long-term care insurance for his home health care because he doesn’t meet the criteria of the policy.” Tom…
A change in nursing home regulations has some elder advocates up in arms. At the center of the dispute is the way nursing homes are fined for engaging in activities that endanger or injure residents. Under the Obama administration, nursing homes that failed to comply with federal regulations were fined for each day they were out of compliance, resulting in…
Sharon stared at the bill from the hospice that had cared for her mother in her final days. “I can’t believe they charge so much for such crappy care. Heck, Mom almost died while they were transporting her. They clearly didn’t know what they were doing.” Her friend, Lynda, nodded. “They were pretty bad. I remember how upset you were…
The rapidly increasing population of dementia patients in assisted living facilities is challenging not only the facilities providing the care, but also the safety of the other non-afflicted seniors who reside there. Originally, assisted living facilities were created as an alternative to nursing homes. They were designed for those who were independent, but in need of some assistance with daily…