Older parent’s desire to age in place can test loved ones

“Mom!” I overhear DC saying to his mother, whose hand is in the nut bowl. “You can’t eat nuts. You don’t have your teeth in!”

Oh, Mom. It’s a refrain we’re uttering often lately, part in head-shaking humor, part in grave concern.

My mother-in-law, who is 86, was living with us until last week. DC had brought her down from Pittsburgh for a month to size her up and figure out what kind of help she needed. He’d noticed changes. She’d been forgetting to pay bills, had lost weight she couldn’t afford, and had trouble finding words.

Is Retiring Where Your Grandchildren Live a Good Move?

The lure of the long-distance grandchild: it’s a powerful draw that plays into the retirement living decisions of many seniors. But should it be the deciding factor in where you choose to retire?

In previous generations, people often lived and died within a fairly small geographic area. Relatives lived near one another in almost a communal set-up where food was raised and prepared, children were attended to and taught, and the elderly were cared for by members of the extended family.

Helping the Elderly Downsize

In her long career as a psychiatrist, Dr. Phyllis Harrison-Ross has been described by friends and colleagues as practical and calm. But two other traits, humor and patience, went right out the window when she decided to downsize.

“You ask yourself what you want to keep, and the answer is ‘everything,’ ” said Dr. Harrison-Ross, who turns 80 next month. “It’s an emotional roller coaster that takes a toll on you. It’s very tiring.

“I thought I could get down to the bare essence of things myself,” she said. “But that proved to be very difficult, much more than I had expected.”

Her solution: Dr. Harrison-Ross hired a senior move manager.

Retirement: The Relocation Decision – AARP

To move or not to move, when you retire — that's a big question. If moving seems sensible, then where? And what will it cost?

The vast majority of new retirees plan to stay in their own homes. But circumstances change. You might be widowed, your spouse might get sick or you simply might get tired of having to find someone to clean the gutters and make repairs. Over 12 years (1992-2004), 30 percent of the home-owning cohort born between 1931 and 1941 pulled up stakes at least once, according to a 2009 study for the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College

Can You Stop An Aging Parent From Self-Neglect At Home?

Adult children see their parents aging and losing the ability to manage their lives as they once did. They are not taking care of themselves. It is a cause of alarm, but can anyone stop a parent from living dangerously?  Here at AgingParents.com we hear from the adult children, asking if there is anything they can do about Mom or Dad.  They tell us about the aging parent neglecting their normal food needs, their hygiene, they’re isolated they can’t get around, and they can’t drive anymore.  Anxious kids offer to help, urge moving to assisted living, or with a family member but the elder refuses.  Can you make them get help, they ask?

Early drug tests show success treating Alzheimer's as 'diabetes of the brain'

A new drug known as T3D-959 treats the disease as though it's actually "diabetes of the brain" -- and many medical experts are encouraged by its results so far in drug studies.

"It's a unique molecule, a unique investigational drug which is designed to hit the very earliest stages before even the plaques and tangles develop and the memory problems develop in these patients," explained Dr. Warren Strittmatter, chief scientific officer at T3D Therapeutics and the former chief of neurology at Duke University Medical Center.

Strittmatter said the brain is dependent on glucose as an energy source. A reduction in glucose metabolism in the brain is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists Test Virtual Reality Tools to Help Scientists Test Virtual Reality Tools to Help Seniors

Students from MIT are helping assisted living residents visit tourist destinations and their old neighborhoods with virtual reality (VR) headsets. Caregivers say the technology can spark more social interaction, alleviate boredom, and may eventually let seniors virtually visit family gatherings they can’t attend in person. Doctors say the technology could help them treat anxiety and assess cognitive function in dementia patients, help diabetes patients stay active, and more. Here’s what virtual reality is doing for seniors now, and what it may do soon.

Retirement & Senior Living Communities [Video]

Forum 13 - Adam DeSantis, Summit Senior Living & Marion DeSantis, Real Estate Broker

Aging In Place Tax Credits Get A Step Closer

About a year ago, Next Avenue described a clever idea from Louis Tenenbaum, of HomesRenewed.org, to create federal tax credits that would help people age in place safely and independently by subsidizing the cost of retrofitting their homes. The idea just got a baby step closer.

5 Tips for Seniors Planning a Move: Think “Resizing” Not “Downsizing”

For many older adults moving from a beloved family home to a senior community, assisted living or nursing home can be, at best, a daunting thought, and at worst, a traumatic experience. As a member of the National Association of Senior Move Managers, I received training designed to build sensitivity to the special needs of older clients and their families. But there is no substitute for experience, and my most useful lessons have come from clients themselves. Listening carefully to the senior I’m helping move is key.