Category Archives: Aging

Longterm Care, Part 2: Assisted Living

I’m wrapping up my birthday month growing old and aging series with the second part of my three-part series on longterm care options for the aging and elderly in society. Today we look at Assisted Living. Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) are growing in popularity with about 1/2 a million aging adults choosing this option inContinue reading “Longterm Care, Part 2: Assisted Living”

Longterm Care, Part 1: Aging in Place

It’s what most of us wish for: to age in place in our homes. But the reality is that staying in our home or in the home of a family-member is unrealistic without around the clock care and that care is unattainable for most of us. According to HealthyAging.org, more than 80% of people will need assistance with some Activities of Daily Living (ADL) as they age. These activities include hygiene, such as bathing, oral health, as well as dressing, eating, mobility and maintaining continence – being able to get to a bathroom, get off and on a toilet safely and cleaning one’s self after using the toilet.

Aging and Healthcare: A worsening crisis

The elderly and aging in our community deserve to access the care they need to continue to pursue their individual happiness and participate in the lifestyles, hobbies and activities they value until the end on their lives. Our institutions throughout society must shift the way we do things to remove barriers in healthcare for our aging populations. Doing so will improve the lives of us all.

Ageism in Healthcare

We should consider it a blessing if we are able to grow old before we die. There is no shame in being old and continuing to live on this earth and to share the resources, richness, and rights of a living being in our communities. Neglecting our elder population and putting them away out of sight will not stop us from getting old or dying any more than talking about aging and death will cause them. If we can begin to address our fear of death, the terror of or mortality, we can come to love our lives, ourselves, our bodies and everyone else’s, too.

Ageism. The last acceptable bias?

I’m back again today to talk about getting older and aging for my birthday month series. Today’s topic is ageism. Combatting ageism is such an important priority in society that it is one of the main pillars of the World Health Organization’s Decade of Healthy Ageing. Despite the diversity that people add to our societyContinue reading “Ageism. The last acceptable bias?”

Decade of Healthy Aging

Yesterday, I talked about all the reasons we need to be concerned about our rapidly aging population. Today, I’ll explain how the United Nations is asking all of us in the public and private sectors to come together to create better living conditions for our aging society this decade. The hard truth is that unlessContinue reading “Decade of Healthy Aging”

Why should you care about eldercare?

It’s time we all start to pay attention to the way our society’s needs and culture will and is shifting. Offering alternatives to those of us who have aging family members was a driving force in my decision to become a departure doula and to offer elder care. Our healthcare system, especially after COVID, cannot handle the increased need, consumption, of our aging population today, and it’s only going to get more difficult in the coming decades. While changes and policies need to address our overwhelmed, overly complicated and inadequate healthcare system, we should also begin to look to non-medical professionals to help fill many of the gaps in the system.

Let’s talk about getting older

It’s my birthday month. Last year was a big – ZERO year, but also pandemic, so I didn’t do much to commemorate it. This year, each day until my birthday I want to talk about getting older and aging. We so undervalue our elders in this society, which leads to so many dreadful living andContinue reading “Let’s talk about getting older”

Life is lined

Do you have a favorite wrinkle? So far I have lines mostly around my eyes and mouth. I’m happy they have developed first from all the times I’ve laughed and smiled. I think they illustrate that I have spent more time happy, than wrinkling my brow/forehead in worry or exasperation. I know I’m lucky andContinue reading “Life is lined”