By Becky Feola NABBW’s Associate for Assisted Living and Caregiving The first week in January is always full of surprises. More often than usual, my office phone rings with calls from family members who spent time visiting with their aging loved one and now are feeling remorse about not living closer or being able to devote more time to their senior. Sometimes, a great deal of guilt has been placed on their shoulders and they need help understanding what more they can do. Many of these situations are warranted, but other times, I see caregivers who are close to driving themselves crazy with... Read More

\’Truth or Consequences\’ Mindset Crucial When Making Caregiving Decisions, Especially When Dementia is Involved  By Becky Feola NABBW’s Associate for Assisted Living and Caregiving I received the phone call late Friday night.  It was from a local resource center for caregivers and the elderly.  They had a family in crisis with a loved one who has dementia and the wife was asking for help – now! I called the number given to me, but there was no answer, so all I could do was leave a message.  This went on for several days until I finally reached the wife. Immediately, I... Read More

Never Underestimate The Power of a Hug By Becky Feola NABBW\’s Associate for Assisted Living and Caregiving January 21st is National Hug Day, an unofficial event created by Rev. Kevin Zaborney in 1986.  Although it is not a public holiday, it is worthy of celebration.  The idea behind National Hug Day is to encourage people to reach out and hug a family member, friend, or maybe even a stranger more often.  No matter whom you decide to hug, the mental and physical health benefits are the same to all involved. Rev. Zaborney realized that after the holidays, many people suffered from low... Read More

Caregiving Begins With Self Care  By Becky Feola NABBW’s Associate for Assisted Living and Caregiving About 10 million seniors currently rely on others for daily care, such as help getting dressed, preparing meals or taking medication.  That number will only increase as more of the nation’s 78 million baby boomers enter old age themselves over the next 15 years. According to a 2008 USA Today Gallup poll, 41% of all baby boomers are providing care for a living parent and 37% expect to do so in the future. Taking on the role of caregiver can be demanding; especially when you are juggling... Read More