Family caregivers face a higher risk of depression than do non-caregivers. In fact, estimates show that between 40 to 70% of caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depression.[i] And rates of depression increase as the health status of the care recipient decreases[ii] — higher levels of depression are seen in people caring for someone with a disorder that requires a great deal of hands-on care, such as dementia. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, 30 to 40% of dementia caregivers suffer from depression and emotional stress. 

What are some of the reasons family caregivers…

The latest research from Johns Hopkins University and the National Institute on Aging showed that seniors with hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop dementia over time than those who retain their hearing.¹ When I read this, I was expecting to see the suggestion that the use of hearing aids can, therefore, help prevent dementia. Unfortunately, that recommendation did not come (hearing aid use is the subject of the researchers’ next study).  So are there any lessons for a family caregiver of an elderly person who is exhibiting signs of hearing loss?

First, it…

Flashback to your childhood and recall what your parents would say to you if you were about to do something that could cause harm to yourself, like climb out of the crib or venture into the street. It was usually a resounding, “No!” They were trying to protect you, and you may or may not have known it then but it was for your own good. Today, it seems children rarely hear the word no.

Some parents, when put to the test, will say they want their child to figure it out,…

Our Adult Day Center is so lucky to have an exceptional group of home health aides caring for our seniors. Our aides come from Partners in Care, a part of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York that’s been providing home care professionals since 1983. Partners in Care has been a dedicated, outstanding partner to the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center since we opened in 2000. Many of our aides have been here for more than 10 years, and the care and compassion they provide is second to none. For the…

For years, our members have been telling us that coming to the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center “makes them feel better.”  We decided to dig deeper and find out exactly how it helps them. We had a great discussion and they shared with us how coming to the center, socializing with friends and staff (their second family) and keeping busy with activities improves the quality of their day-to-day lives and helps them focus on the positive.

Ms. S. told us that she woke up last week and didn’t feel like coming to the Center.…

Members tell me every day that they’re always open to learning something new, and many of them come to our center so they can be exposed to new activities. Learning happens in so many ways at the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center. Some members teach skills to each other, while others learn from center staff and outside consultants.

While some may look at bingo as just another game played at senior centers, our members actually learn English through playing. We have members that speak Spanish, French Creole and Chinese, and they…

Some of us are lucky enough to be born healthy and free of chronic diseases that can impair our ability to live full and active lives. “Lucky” is really the key word here. And maybe, we’re lucky enough to have health insurance, too. As health care is changing, so are patients and their families. They are trying to do more with less. Fewer professionals (yes, there is a shortage), less access, and fewer opportunities to prevent chronic problems (education). Health care reform briefly mentions prevention, but it doesn’t address implemenation of prevention. How…

Objects tell stories. They tell us who we are, where we’re from, and how and why we exist in the world. There is great power in objects and I have experienced this power first-hand in the last day.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, has just concluded. It is a recent custom in less traditional households to send New Year’s cards.  My dad and step-mom have sent Rosh Hashanah cards to their collective six kids for as long as I can remember.

I did not open the one they sent in 2001.…

For many family caregivers, who often come to their work suddenly and with very little training or preparation, caregiving can become a central focus of their lives. While many family caregivers find enormous satisfaction in their caregiving duties, most find it extremely challenging on a physical and psychological level. And one of the biggest psychological issues faced by family caregivers is feeling lonely and isolated from the life they once knew.

If you find yourself having increased feelings of isolation or loneliness, please know that these feelings are shared by many…

My Advanced Pathophysiology professor asked my class of nursing graduate students last semester:

How do we teach resilience to our patients?

Why should we teach resilience to anyone?

According to the American Psychological Association, resilience is “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or even significant amounts of stress…it means ‘bouncing back’ from difficult experiences.”

It’s a theme I’ve been reflecting on for a long time as I talk with patients and caregivers who express the ongoing stress in their lives with chronic disease, poly-pharmacy, limited social interaction and…