Aging & Health A to Z
Nutrition
Caregiving How To's
Eldercare at Home: Caregiving
Caring for an older person at home requires a team of people with different skills and perspectives. Doctors, nurses, social workers, and clergy all make important, specialized contributions, but family members or friends give the day-to-day care.
Eldercare at Home: Communication Problems
Communication problems can be frustrating for the older person and his or her caregiver. The older person may become upset because of not being able to hear or understand what others are saying, or because of having trouble expressing thoughts.
Eldercare at Home: Constipation
Constipation is passage of small amounts of hard, dry bowel movements, usually fewer than three times a week. As a rule, if more than three days pass without a bowel movement (also called stool), the intestinal contents may harden, and a person may have difficulty or even pain during elimination.
Eldercare at Home: Dental Problems
Dental problems are among the most common health problems experienced by older adults. In fact, people over 65 with natural teeth have more tooth decay than any other age group and thus continue to need a yearly visit to the dentist.
Eldercare at Home: Diarrhea
Diarrhea is the passing of three or more loose or watery stools per day, or a definite decrease in consistency and increase in frequency of bowel movements based upon what is usual for the individual.
Eldercare at Home: Mobility Problems
The changes that occur with aging can lead to problems with a person’s ability to move around, or mobility. Mobility problems may be unsteadiness while walking, difficulty getting in and out of a chair, or falls.
Eldercare at Home: Problems of Daily Living
Many older people experience problems in daily living because of chronic illnesses or health-related disabilities. Those difficulties restrict their ability to perform self-care. This inability for self-care is a common reason why older people seek help from outsiders, move to assisted living … more
Eldercare at Home: Table of Contents
Eldercare at Home covers over 25 topics, giving guidance and providing clear, practical instructions for dealing with common caregiving problems.
Eldercare at Home: Using Medicines Safely
People age 65 and over buy more than 30 percent of all prescription medicines and 40 percent of all nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines sold in this country.