photo by Paul

Taking care of a loved one can be a daunting task. Usually there are many things to take care of, coordinate and track. 

• Are all the medicines filled, and are they put in the pill box correctly?
• When is the next doctor’s appointment, and is it listed somewhere?
• What were the last blood pressure and blood sugar readings?
• What day are we to go in and have the blood test for the Coumadin levels?
• Is there a list of all the current doctors and contact people?

 The questions can be endless, and the information:…

Caregiving can be challenging when you live close to your loved one. What happens when your loved ones live far away? Long distance caregiving has its own set of challenges:

• How do you know if your loved one is taking medications properly?
• Are they seeing their physicians regularly?
• Are they safe at home?
• Are they getting enough assistance at home with personal care, housekeeping, shopping and meal preparation?

It’s a juggling act between respecting the desire for independence, while at the same time, monitoring health and safety.

I was personally reminded of this when my father decided to…

The Unisphere from the 1964 World's Fair, photo by Stephen Jue

What does the phrase “coming back home” mean to you? To me, it means returning back to Flushing, my hometown, this year to provide rehab care for its elderly. Flushing is a neighborhood in northeast Queens and it’s where I learned to appreciate cultural diversity. Serving as the last stop of the 7 train (nicknamed the “International Express”), this area has hosted two World’s Fairs and is home for many new immigrants.

In the past few weeks, I have enjoyed hearing my seniors share stories of the old…

As a follow up to my post on bullying and children, I feel it is important to discuss the impact of bullying on children with ‘differences.’ You may recall some special children of your childhood, or may know of current children who have disabilities, learning issues or are challenged by everyday life. The realty in this area of pediatrics is that the presence of a disabled child within a family challenges not only their parenting but also the finances and social status with in any given community. All families and…

I could never forget my Dad’s birthday,  January 25th, exactly one month after Christmas. Every other year I looked forward to it, this year, not so much.

I’ve said to myself: “Be realistic.”  This Tuesday, January 25th, I am in an all-day training for work; I have to be home in time to vote on an important local school board referendum; the President is giving the State of the Union speech; and the metro area is anticipating yet another winter storm. Isn’t that enough to keep me busy? Must I mark…

I received a very warm response to the blog “When You Meet a Stranger,” due in no small part to the fact that my friend Deirdre posted it to her Facebook page. This blog is the flip side of the initial blog, and that is why it is called “When You Meet a Stranger’s Husband.” The names have been changed to protect the privacy of all involved.

I made a vigil visit to New York Methodist on a Saturday afternoon. Other than knowing the patient was in her 50s, I knew nothing.…

At the adult day center, we receive so much positive feedback from caregivers. I hesitate to share because I don’t want to seem like we’re tooting our own horn, but I do believe the feedback we get may give a glimpse into how adult day services can help caregivers as well as seniors.

Ms. M’s son excitedly called the Recreation Coordinator of our dementia program because he wanted us to know what a positive difference the center is making for his mother and their whole family. She’s been coming to our center…

“In a house which becomes a home, one hands down and another takes up the heritage of mind and heart, laughter and tears, musings and deeds. Love, like a carefully loaded ship, crosses the gulf between the generations. Therefore, we do not neglect the ceremonies of our passage: when we wed, when we die, and when we are blessed with a child; when we depart and when we return; when we plant and when we harvest… We live, not by things, but by the meanings of things. It is needful…

At the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center, we have two programs — one for the physically frail elderly and one for people with memory impairment.

The CHOICE Club, for the physically frail, serves 40 seniors per day. It is an active, vibrant program that offers a wide variety of activities and health education, supports being as independent as possible and provides personal care when needed.

The STAR Program, for people with dementia, serves 15 seniors per day. STAR offers similar activities to the CHOICE Club, but everything is at a slower pace…

Years ago, when we moved into the house my mother lives in now, we had oil heat. Since heat rises, the upstairs was always warm, but when I would go downstairs, my body would tense up waiting for the cold air to hit me. I didn’t like to stay downstairs too much, because it was also too chilly, which would make me feel miserable. After one winter, my father said that was enough cold air for us, and the house was converted to gas heat. It took several more winters…