If we’re honest with ourselves, we can remember back to a time when we and our siblings were all living at home and we settled into certain patterns within our families. For example, in a family of three brothers, there was the elder who had his act together, the middle one who was the clown,...Read More

Terminology and complexity are the rules of today’s healthcare system. Most consumers are not even aware that there may be hidden problems with their bills. When you are busy or not feeling well, you often don’t have the time to do the necessary work to get corrections made. You might not even realize that you...Read More

So, the day you’ve been dreading has come. You, and perhaps your siblings, have decided that Mom or Dad simply can’t live in their home a moment longer. For whatever reason, moving in with one of the kids isn’t an option. It’s time to find the right place for the next chapter. If you are...Read More

Dealing with medical bills and insurance claims can often become a full-time job. The first step to making sure this doesn’t happen to you is to become familiar with all of the details of your coverage. For example, if your insurance has both in-network and out-of-network benefits, you need to understand the difference. When you...Read More

One of the toughest parts of being a family caregiver, especially a long-distance caregiver, is keeping all of the balls you are juggling aloft. The truth is, the more organized you are, the less stressed you will be. Checklists and calendars are a big help for keeping yourself organized. But family caregivers are often expected...Read More

Whether you are teaching your young daughter how to knit, or helping your aging mother balance her checkbook, how do you take charge without taking over? How many times have you found yourself “showing” someone how to do something by doing it for them? It’s human nature. But while it might make sense to show...Read More

If you are like most baby boomers, you’re busy, busy, busy! Whether you do it with a PDA, a scratch pad and pencil, or all in your head, you’re a list-making creature. With so many balls in the air, you don’t want one to crash back down. You feel immense pleasure when you accomplish something...Read More

As always, The New York Times’ New Old Age blog posts a very interesting article, “With Friends Aplenty, Many Widows Choose Singlehood”. And, as always, the comments are even more interesting than the post itself! While this post targets a discussion of aging, it raises questions that go much deeper about gender differences. According to...Read More

The aging parent who asserts that they will never be “sent” to a retirement home is the parent who fears being abandoned in his or her old age. He usually has expectations that one of his children will take him in. She might expect that she will be able to manage in her own home...Read More