Caregiver Training Blog

Monica Do Coutto Monni is the executive director of Near North Palliative Care Network, a non-profit organization which provides one-stop palliative care, bereavement and grief, and end-of-life free volunteer-based services and training in Northern Ontario. We had a chance to talk with Monica about how our culture views end-of-life issues and why quality hospice and palliative care are becoming more important as the population ages.

As if the trail of destruction left by Hurricane Harvey wasn’t enough, another threat is rising in the wreckage: Disaster-related charity scams. Even worse? Many of these ruthless fraudsters have philanthropic seniors in their sights. Here’s a closer look at this elder care issue, along with tips on how caregivers can help seniors avoid falling victim to these opportunistic predators.

Many conversations about aging often involve the topic of quality of life for seniors. However, a recent Forbes article highlights a flaw in the use of “quality of life” as a blanket term: Not only is it subjective, but it’s also inherently dynamic. Given the ambiguity surrounding the oft-used phrase and its meaning, it follows that there’s often confusion regarding how best to support quality of life for elderly people. 

A recent CNN article shares the experiences of 83-year-old John Gutz, who narrowly avoided being bilked out of $10,000 by a ruthless scammer. Thanks to the intervention of his daughter, Gutz walked away from this particular incident unscathed financially. However, he’s one of the lucky few. The reality is that seniors are increasingly being targeted by an ever-growing breadth and depth of scams and schemes. Here’s what all caregivers should know.

Many people who have been diagnosed with chronic, life-threatening illnesses are not yet ready for end-of-life hospice. Until recently, they may have felt "in between" in terms of the options available to serve their needs. A relatively new medical specialty known as "palliative care" has emerged as a response to this void. Focused on enhancing quality of life for the chronically or severely ill, palliative care offers new hope for patients, families and caregivers.

Sorting through the many different types of care available for aging loved ones can be tricky territory. And it’s not going to get easier anytime soon: As the senior population skyrockets with the coming of (retirement) age of the baby boomers, demand for these services will continue to rise. Two oft-confused industry terms? Hospice and home health care. Here’s a closer look at both, aimed at enriching understanding and ensuring that individuals receive the best and most appropriate care.

Senior safety is of utmost importance to a  whopping 87 percent of adults aged 65 and over want to stay in their current homes and communities as they age, according to data from the AARP’s Public Policy Institute. However, just because seniors have lived in their homes for decades doesn’t mean their living environments are safe for them. In fact, many homes are full of unrealized hazards with the potential to compromise not only the health and wellness of aging loved ones but also their ability to continue to live on their own.

More than a third of people aged 65 or older in the United States fall every year, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Even worse?  More than 1.6 million of them end up in the emergency room due to fall-related injuries. Falls the leading cause of fractures, hospital admissions for trauma, loss of independence, even death. 

Assisted living. Nursing homes. Memory care. Senior living. With so many senior living community housing options for older adults, it can be hard to keep track of them all. One particular term people may not be familiar with? Personal care homes. Here’s a closer look at this relatively new alternative to nursing home care, along with why it may be an ideal fit for many independence-seeking seniors.

From declining minds and bodies to the desire for independence and housing issues, seniors today face many challenges. Near the top of the list? Financial scams. The IRS recently highlighted one particular problem aimed at draining senior bank accounts: imposters posing as IRS representatives.