Over the course of our lives, we’ve all been prescribed a variety of medications, but sometimes, the best remedy lies within a good old-fashioned laugh. Though laughter may seem insignificant, it can be one of the most powerful aspects of a healthy lifestyle. To name a few benefits, laughing strengthens your immune system, heightens your level of energy and keeps you in a positive mood. The best thing about laughter is that it’s not hard to come by. Most often, laughter finds us. It’s usuall...  

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Having an honorary senior citizen card at the age of seven was a thrill for me. After traveling around the Midwest with my Mamma's and Pappa's senior group, they were kind enough to 'make me a member' because I felt all the discounts they received at various locations were unfair. In actuality, I think I just wanted a card to whip out at the counter to feel as important as I perceived them to be. Back then, everyone took pride in their senior citizen card and that's exactly what it said acros...  

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Think of Billy Joel belting out this slow tune and then sing it: "Honesty is such a lonely word, everyone is so untrue. Honesty is hardly ever heard, and mostly what I need from you." I know we've all been in Billy Joel's shoes once or twice, finding that someone is being less than honest with us. Though I prefer honest communication, a recent situation with my friend's 81 year old grandfather left me wondering if honesty is always the best policy. The Situation For the past ten years, my ...  

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I don't know about you, but I love - and I mean I LOVE - my grandparents. Always have and always will - NOTHING could ever change that. I spent every summer as a kid shuffling back and forth between each set of grandparents' houses. I lived with the maternal set my senior year of high school and I even lived with the paternal set for nearly a year when I experienced some financial setbacks. Needless to say, I have a very special bond with both sets. I'm incredibly grateful that my parents wer...  

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We are all a bit defensive at times - especially when being criticized. Who really likes to be criticized anyway? It's not fun, and our impulse is often to reject the criticism or attack the one giving it -- regardless of whether it is valid or not. Unfortunately, our defensiveness can cause us to ignore potentially useful feedback that is necessary for growth and improvement. Whether it is from our boss, the person we are caring for, our parents, our children, our spouse or our friends, lear...  

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As a caregiver, your role can be a bit of a guessing game at times. Certain situations might be awkward and you may fret over whether you are stepping on toes or are being aggressive enough. Effective communication between you, the person in your care and medical care providers is extremely important. You are the link between the two, and your role is vital. It requires the ability to see two sides of a situation, an acute attention to detail and the sensitivity to not only recognize physical...  

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Nowadays, more and more adults 65 and older are using the internet. The number has increased by 6 million over the last five years. From printing maps and playing with photos to checking their email and the weather, older adults are increasingly becoming self-sufficient internet users. What we probably didn't expect to find is the number of adults 55 and older using Facebook grew by over 900 percent in the past year according to the numbers provided by Facebook's Social Ads Platform. This so...  

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I know you've seen them walking around with their heads down and fingers moving vigorously across a key pad. You've seen them on the sidewalks talking to the air often you have thought they were talking to you. You've seen them in their cars, hand up to the ear, not really paying attention to the traffic because they're engrossed in conversation. People using cell phones. You may find them annoying, silly or simply unconscionable. You might wonder if cell phones are destroying true human conn...  

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For the past few years, I've slowly watched Dementia take bits and pieces of my healthy hero, my Grandmother, to some faraway place. What started with retelling stories within an hour of conversation has now progressed to her asking the same question every 5 minutes or so. In denial the first year, I told myself it was just the typical memory loss that comes with aging. However, last Christmas I was stunned when I noticed she would hardly say a word during dinner conversations. The tone in he...  

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Ready or not, we are moving full speed ahead into the holiday season! For many, this means time spent with family. As you enjoy (hopefully) visiting with parents or other elderly relatives, I encourage you to pay attention to any changes that may have occurred since you last saw them. This may take a bit more reconnaissance than just asking how they're holding up.  They may not want to "burden" others and may not be very willing to share a problem - they may even be embarrassed by their chang...  

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