It is difficult to watch parents who are struggling due to increased medical needs or advanced age. Many adult children do their best to offer support; they may handle major household projects, help their parents with other necessities or even hire in-home assistance....
We meet the lifetime legal needs of children and adults with disabilities, the elderly, and their families.
Elders and their Caregivers
Your Summer Reading List: Helpful Resources From the Special Needs Alliance
This summer may be the time to answer that one nagging question that you may have or develop a deeper understanding of certain issues that affect your family. It is important for families and caregivers to understand the fundamental concepts in managing their loved...
Paying For Long-Term Care
Long-term care is not just nursing home care, like many of us think. I often speak about the “Elder Care Continuum”, which describes what many of us and our loved ones will or are experiencing as we age or face health challenges. In the beginning you may have little to no real limitations, reside in your home with no cost…
Can I Be Paid for Caring for My Elderly Parent?
Taking care of an elderly parent – even providing necessary supervision – can be the only thing keeping Mom or Dad out of assisted living or a nursing home. But providing that care can be a full-time endeavor for the caretaker, often requiring significant, life-changing decisions about their own income and living arrangements. The Medicaid rules are set up to…
Tips for Long-distance Caregiving
Caring for a family member from a distance is a daunting and complicated task. Practically, how does one ensure that a loved one receives adequate supervision? How does one ensure that Mom or Dad is eating, bathing, or maintaining the home? Emotionally, how can one remain connected in a caring, loving relationship when separated by hundreds or thousands of miles? …
Lessons from Making Bread
Solving problems for our clients is stressful work for all involved. It is stressful for our elderly who need care. It is stressful for their spouses. It is stressful for adult children caring for their parents. It is stressful for parents taking care of their loved ones with special needs. Often, the system seems too complicated and the obstacles too…
In Search of a Caregiver
I recently saw the following post in a private Facebook group for residents of my city: “Wanted ASAP: Live-in caregiver for adult woman with Cerebral Palsy and a developmental disability. Clearances mandatory. PM me for details.” It gave me pause. My first thought was that of concern for the person in need of caregiving. To me, this situation seemed ripe…
Losing a Parent: Are We Ever Prepared?
On March 16th, one day before St. Patrick’s Day, my father-in-law passed away quietly in the middle of the night. He was 87 years old. Yes, he had been ill, but he was on the road to recovery—or so we thought—recovering in a rehab facility. The 2:00 a.m. call informing my husband of the news was a shock to the…
Resource for Caregivers
We have all heard of “Amber” alerts. They are messages regarding missing orabducted children and are intended to alert us in the event we have any information regarding the missing child’s whereabouts. Perhaps we’ve received them as texts, emails, or voice mails. Maybe we’ve seen them on billboards as we’re driving. The intent is to use the public’s help to…
Caring for Caregivers
Many of my clients are caregivers. They are often caregiving for their children with disabilities or for their elderly parents. Others are more distant relatives who have taken it upon themselves to care for their loved one. Although their situations vary greatly, I see many recurring themes. I see strength, compassion, and selflessness on a grand scale. I see struggle,…