Caregiving

How-to’s

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Geriatric Care Managers: How to Find & Assess

Gilbert Guide provides nationwide listings of geriatric care managers (GCMs), along with advice for finding the care manager that will best suit your individual needs. Once you've narrowed your choices...Read entire article »

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Alzheimer’s Care Explained

Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, is a progressive, degenerative brain disorder. Brain cells shrink or disappear, gradually destroying a person's memory, ability to learn and make judgments....Read entire article »

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Fall Prevention 101

“I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” Anyone who owned a TV in the nineties remembers the elderly woman who fell and couldn’t reach the phone but needed to alert...Read entire article »

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Guidelines for a More Successful Visit: Visiting Your Elderly Loved One

I had the opportunity to observe family members as they visited with their elderly relatives over the Christmas holidays. They were too often studies in frustration. In one instance,...Read entire article »

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Handling Hospitalization: The Ins and Outs of Advocating for Your Loved One

Being hospitalized is scary. If it happens to your loved one, minimize confusion by being as prepared as possible. This article will teach you how to become an effective...Read entire article »

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Homecare: Avoid Elder Fraud & Abuse

Instances of fraud and abuse concerning elderly people are more common than you think. It can include anything from taking advantage of a person financially to inflicting emotional, physical and/or...Read entire article »

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Rx: A Doggie Smooch a Day Keeps the Blues at Bay

With each wag of a dog’s tail, we’re learning more and more about the benefits of having animals around—therapeutic and otherwise. We’ve heard the buzz—animals can make a healthy...Read entire article »

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Aging in Place: Assistive Technology Resources

Recently, I’ve been focusing on technology to promote aging in place because I fancy myself a forward thinker. It’s no secret that boomers are approaching retirement age and will soon...Read entire article »

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Assistive Technology to Promote Aging In Place—a User Friendly Guide

There are many options for people who need assistance with activities of daily living—homecare, adult day care, assisted living. While these options may appeal for different reasons, as a supporter...Read entire article »

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Advocate 101 for Family Caregivers: When your Loved One is Hospitalized

As a family caregiver, short-term hospitalization of a loved one can be a difficult situation whether he or she is living in a long-term care facility or at home. As...Read entire article »

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5 Ways to Prevent Hospital Infections

According to Hospitals and Health Networks, 2 million people acquire a hospital infection annually, an estimated 30 percent of which are preventable. These statistics hit close to home for...Read entire article »

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Tips for Adult Children on How to Deal with Senior Driving Issues

Driving safely requires a number of cognitive and physical skills. Even seniors who have impeccable driving records can encounter situations that lead to these skills being impaired. Read on...Read entire article »

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How to Talk to Parents about Long-Term Care

Life throws us many curveballs, and suddenly becoming the ” parent” to your parents is a major one—for both parties involved. When you believe a family member or other...Read entire article »

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Therapeutic Effects of Interacting with Animals

Where humans and traditional medicine sometimes fail, animals often succeed in cutting through the physical and emotional barriers that isolate certain people in our society. This is especially true for...Read entire article »

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Are Your Medications Putting You at Risk?

Did you know that adverse drug-related events in the Medicare population occur at a rate of approximately 5% per patient per year? Among seniors, there are more than 180,000...Read entire article »

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How to Choose a Senior Care Facility

As a geriatric care manager, I frequently visit long-term care facilities. Because each facility offers a distinct setting and array of services, it is difficult to know which one...Read entire article »

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Tablet Splitting: Saving Money or Causing Problems?

Tablet splitting can save money, especially for brand-name medicines that aren’t available as generics. Sometimes different strengths of the same medicine cost about the same. To save money, a doctor...Read entire article »

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Before Hospital Discharge—Evaluating Your Homecare Needs

If you are confined to bed, your hospital team (nurse or discharge planner) will assess your ability to move about and position yourself for maximum comfort and to prevent skin...Read entire article »

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Homecare: 7 Surefire Ways to Create a Symbiotic Relationship

Last week I received a call from a family in a crisis. Their elderly aunt, who is 96 years old, had recently become more ill and physically frail. The family...Read entire article »

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Side Effects of Common Medications & How They Affect the Aging Body

Last month we discussed how our bodies change as we age. Aging also makes us more prone to having side effects from medications. So what medications should be avoided in...Read entire article »

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What’s in Your Parent’s Wallet? (And What That Means for You)

Taking stock of your elderly parent’s financial situation usually requires initiating a potentially uncomfortable discussion—money matters are a touchy subject, especially when family comes into play. Elderly parents are often...Read entire article »

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Talking to Your Elderly Parents: 6 Surefire Ways to Communicate Effectively

Effective communication is essential to every relationship, particularly so in a caregiving situation. Often it is not what you say, but how you say it that determines how your message...Read entire article »

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Helping Mom and Dad Move: Practical Advice for Adult Children

Twenty years ago, my grandmother sold her eight-bedroom home in Atlantic City and moved to an apartment in Philadelphia. “Take this tablecloth,” she begged, “this mirror...the china set...this crystal...”...Read entire article »

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Hospital Suitcase

The transition of going from a senior care facility or the home to a hospital doesn’t need to be stressful. Download Gilbert Guide’s Hospital Suitcase for a list of all...Read entire article »

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Private-hire Home Caregiver Application

Download the Private-hire Home Caregiver Application to help you outline work experience, education and references along with much more. Employers can use this tool for assessing and comparing private-hire caregiver...Read entire article »

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Medication Tracker

Make sure all caregivers, physicians and pharmacists have the same patient information by keeping track of the medications you or a loved one takes. Download our easy-to-use Medication Tracker.   ...Read entire article »

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Tips to Reduce the Risk of Falling

The elderly are more prone to falls, which can cause and/or exacerbate health issues. Download Tips to Reduce the Risk of Falling for practical in-home fall prevention techniques.    The...Read entire article »

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Who Pays for What: Coverage-at-a-Glance

Searching for senior care can lead to many questions about which services are covered by insurance providers and which must be paid out of pocket. Gilbert Guide can make figuring...Read entire article »

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What Is…a Caregiver?

Do you stop by your mom’s place and drop off food or make her a few meals for the week? Do you balance your father’s checkbook because he’s been having...Read entire article »