Elderly Drivers: Stop or Go?
Without so much as a tap on the brakes, my aunt whizzed through another stop sign.
"What are you doing?" I shrieked. "That was a stop sign."
"Oh," she replied rather offhandedly, "they just put those there so you'll look before you go into an...
Keep Seniors Independent and Involved -Practical Acts of Kindness
Sometimes elderly people can be fierce about maintaining their independence - some would say downright stubborn. But it is hard to give up taking care of oneself and give the reins over to someone else. It can diminish their spirits to depend on...
rX My Heart and Hope to Die
This must be a mistake! How could his drug costs rise from $150 a month to $1101 in just three weeks? My hands shook while I read the pharmacy bill.
There was no mistake. The bill I held recorded the drugs ordered by my fathers Alzheimers' care...
Suddenly Cooking for One
Anne recently lost her husband of 42 years to cancer.
"I can't cook for just myself," she told me. "What can I do so cooking is not such an ordeal?"
Anne's circumstance is typical of many seniors who have lost a spouse or partner. And while it...
The Didjeridu
In Northern Australia the Didjeridu is seen as a phallic symbol and therefore a male instrument. Women are prohibited from playing.
Stories of the Didjeridu vary from place to place among the different language-speaking groups in this large...
Top 10 Tips For Traveling By Air With An Elderly Parent
This article gives ten ways to help achieve a safe and joyful air travel experience with your elderly parent. This is based on personal experience with my own 89-year-old mother.
After having some rather stressful trips with my 89-year-old mother, I have made conscious efforts to create more joy in our travels. My goal was to reduce the frustration for my mother and for myself.
We just finished a three-day air trip traveling across the country and had a smooth, joyful experience!
1. Include your parent in the planning stage of making reservations for rooms.
Some parents prefer having a separate room. Others like the security of sharing a room. 2. Review procedures for closing out their residence prior to leaving.
Stop paper, mail, etc. Make sure there are no appointments lined up for the time period of the trip.
3. Plan to travel on a day ahead of the main activities of the trip.
This time gives space for transition to the new environment and rest from the trip.
4. Arrange with the hotel/motel for adjoining rooms if you are in separate rooms.
This gives you the opportunity for easy connecting. Even keeping the key for your parent could be helpful. Doors are usually very heavy and are not easy to handle. Better to have your parent wait in the room until you are with them. 5. Go over the procedures for contacting the front desk so that the security of having help nearby is there.
Caution against opening the door thinking it could be family. Rely on the phone for connection if you don't have the key to their room.
6. If
agreeable for your parent, arrange ahead of time for a wheelchair.
Distances in the airport are LONG and there is so much confusion everywhere. Being in the wheelchair takes away that stress for your parent.
AND you can zip through the security lines when you are with a wheelchair passenger!
7. Take along extra reading material for your parent to make the waiting time go faster.
Something you have may be more interesting since it is different from what your parent usually reads.
8. Take along a nightlight so that there is safety at night for going to the bathroom. So many elderly people have falls which lead to inactivity which leads to degeneration of the body.
Having light at night is a great safety precaution against falls.
9. Be careful not to pack the schedule too tight.
Leave room for naps when necessary.
Take along plenty of reading for yourself so that you are not impatient waiting.
10. When returning home, check over their residence to make certain all is in shape for reentry.
Make certain lights are working. Check for any leaks in water lines. Ask if there is anything that you can do for them before you leave. Coming home after a trip is another important transition.
About the Author
Suzanne Holman Brown,MAEd works with successful professional baby boomers who want to use their brains not only for financial abundance but for bringing more JOY to their lives! She is a member of the International Coaching Federation, the International Association of Certified Coaches, and Toastmasters International.