By Becky Feola NABBW’s Associate for Assisted Living and Caregiving The program Medicare is easily one of the most recognized senior benefits in our nation. However, it can be confusing and many people don’t understand the basics of how the program works. Below is an overview that should give some clarity and guidance if your loved one ever needs care. Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older or those who may be younger but have certain disabilities, and people suffering from End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure that requires dialysis or a... Read More

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

Aging Parent: How Do I Know If I Should Be Worried? By Barbara E. Friesner NABBW’s Elder Care Expert This is the time of year when we see parents and other aging loved ones that we may not have the opportunity to see the rest of the year. Regardless of how often you talk by phone throughout the year, seeing an aging parent in person tells you a lot more than phone calls alone can reveal. The clues are all around you if you know what to look for. And the best part is that you can look around without making it a big deal for you or your parent. Here are some things to look for: Is your loved... Read More

Stand Up & Speak Out for Real Wellness By Barbara E. Friesner NABBW’s Elder Care Expert Many companies these days are focusing the employee benefits on wellness. That makes sense and I applaud them for it. Unfortunately, when they think of wellness, most companies are thinking exercise programs, healthy eating, smoking cessation, stress reduction, etc. However, the point that many companies are missing is the root cause for these issues – that many people aren’t exercising or eating healthily, and are smoking, drinking, self-medicating, and totally stressed because they’re... Read More

Year-End Special By Barbara E. Friesner My father used to quip:  What do you get the person who has everything?  A box to put it in. Oddly enough – that’s not such a bad suggestion!  Especially now when you’re helping them get rid of stuff! The kind of box doesn’t necessarily matter. What matters is what you put into it. Once I gave my mother a Mother’s Day card that said something to the effect of:  “I may have been a difficult child but I never deliberately stepped on a crack.”  My mother read the card and looked at me and it was obvious that she totally... Read More

The Silent Generation – Another Key to the Eldercare Code By Barbara E. Friesner, NABBW’s Eldercare Expert My first article for the National Association of Baby Boomer Women was exactly 5 years ago (which staggers me!!)    That first article was about our Vicky-D (Victorian/Depression era generation) parents who are now about 85 years old and up – born roughly between 1905 and 1925. I mentioned that Vicky-D’s are generally (and I say generally because what is true for most is not true for all.  Other factors – such as region of country, raised in the city or country, economic... Read More

Happy New Year! By Barbara E. Friesner Did you notice the energy in the air right after Labor Day?  It was really palpable here in NYC.  Everyone just somehow seemed to walk a little lighter!  Maybe it’s that this was such a miserable summer that people were just relieved that it was over.  Or maybe it’s the start of a new year!  Sure, I know people think January 1st is the start of the new year but September and a new school year always marked a fresh new beginning for me.  I loved going back to school . . . .  Seeing old friends; meeting new ones; new classes; new teachers; all the... Read More