Category: Giving Care

  • Dementia & Driving: The Warning Signs

    Most people feel a sense of control when they’re behind the wheel. So what happens when it’s time to retire the car keys? The decision to stop driving can be one of the most challenging topics families and people living with Alzheimer’s disease face.

  • The Long Goodbye

    Usually, events that necessitate a goodbye are seen as sad… or at least poignant. In our younger years, we expected these goodbyes to be temporary — we knew we were going to see them again! As we get older, we start to understand that a goodbye may mean moving so far away that visiting will…

  • 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…

  • Montessori Method of Dementia Care

    Meaningful, familiar and ability-matching activities for those with dementia is the goal of the Montessori method of dementia care. Long-term memories can be unlocked through engaging in familiar tasks.

  • Guardianship vs. Conservatorship

    While there have been terrible examples of guardianship abuse cases in the news, there are also thousands of individuals who are benefiting from ethical, well-disciplined guardians.

  • Making Wise Choices for Our Kūpuna

    We all need help at some point in our lives — and this is true especially for our aging loved ones. However, it can be overwhelming to choose among the variety of help that our kūpuna can utilize as they progress into aging.

  • The Benefits of Aging at Home

    The many benefits offered by aging at home cannot be overlooked when deciding whether to consider at-home care for kūpuna. Here are some of the most valuable…

  • Hospice is About Living Fully

    In Hawai‘i, it is common that some kūpuna will remain at home under the care of younger family members, even as their health declines. Aging at home can work well for some ‘ohana, but care becomes more complicated if your loved one is facing a serious or terminal illness and experiencing symptoms that are challenging…

  • Humility Meets Compassion

    Twenty years ago, I was hired as the assisted living director for a Jewish community, where I learned about their culture, faith and life experiences. Some of the residents I cared for were Holocaust survivors and I listened to their stories. One survivor, who I will call “LL,” lost his mother and sister during this…

  • 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…

  • Common Misconceptions About Hospice

    Despite hospice care’s increasing popularity, there are still widely held misconceptions regarding end-of-life care. This article by members of the Society of Certified Senior Advisors (www.csa.us) seeks to dispel many myths about hospice care and to present accurate information on this growing segment of our healthcare system. By doing so, it is hoped that hospice…

  • Dementia: Environment Makes a Difference

    For someone with dementia, both too much and too little sensory stimulation may lead to agitated behaviors. To keep your loved one at a regulated state of sensory stimulation, it is important to consider what is providing sensory stimulation in each space.