Author: Eileen Phillips, RN, Attention Plus Care

  • Sustainable Transitions in Gerontology

    The Hawaii Pacific Gerontological Society (HPGS), is thrilled to announce its 2023 biennial conference from September 7–8 following the success of its virtual conference in 2021.Designed for a diverse audience that includes kūpuna practitioners in the health and human service fields, businesses, government agencies, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations serving kūpuna, HPGS extends a warm invitation…

  • Helping Seniors With Technology

    Technology is ever-advancing these days, with information on new devices everywhere. For early adopters, this is seen as helpful and even normal. However, for some seniors, adapting to new devices can be challenging due to physical limitations. Vision loss is one of the more common problems experienced, as is age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that typically…

  • The Gift of Caring for Others

    Those of us in the home healthcare business have the opportunity to witness and share amazing stories of families in need each and every day. These stories come from the connections and meaningful moments between care providers and those they care for.

  • Perspectives on Aging

    The average life span has increased more in the past century than in all the years humans previously existed. As approximately 10,000 baby boomers (those born  between 1944 and 1964) are turning 65 every day, it would appear that we will have a large influx of aging people over the next couple decades who may…

  • Does Dad Need More Help?

    How do family members prepare for the day their senior needs more help — the kind of help that requires loved ones to re-prioritize their lives? If only there were a date set aside for this change in everyone’s life. Planning on change at this level has never been easy because a plan may not…

  • Caregivers Must Ask Others for Help

    When it’s a family caregiver’s sole responsibility to manage the care of a loved one, there will come a time when stress will get to a level where the caregiver becomes unable to perform self-care or continue to provide for their loved one. Getting others involved to help the caregiver will bring much-needed relief.

  • Signs That Mom Needs More Help

    Family members must prepare now for the day their senior needs more help — the kind of help that may require them to reprioritize their lives. If only there were a date set aside for this change in everybody’s life. But we must keep in mind that a sudden fall or illness could change everything…

  • Create a Safe Home Care Environment

    When planning for the in-home care of  their kupuna, family caregivers may have difficulty looking at the home environment and adapting it to provide proper care. For example, a room layout that worked well when the loved one was mobile may not be ideal when circumstances change and bed-bound care is required. Back injuries, sprains…

  • Avoid Kūpuna Caring for Kūpuna

    There is nothing more frightening than the image of a 93-year-old helping a 96-year-old step into the shower or stumble down a stairway. While this scenario is becoming more common in Hawai‘i, the reality is this generation wants to take care of themselves.

  • When Mom Falls, What Happens Next?

    The unexpected can occur at any time, no matter how prepared we think we are. A crisis will bring families together in an instant. If you are distanced from the area, there are ways to manage the situation. Working as ‘ohana with strong communication will help coordinate what is needed. Recently, I experienced a crisis…