Ohio has gotten the green light from federal authorities to allow the elderly and disabled more chances to get medical care in their homes rather than nursing homes.

Scand J Caring Sci. 2011 Sep 23;
Buchwald D, Delmar C, Schantz-Laursen B

Scand J Caring Sci; 2011 How children handle life when their mother or father is seriously ill and dying Aims and objectives:? The aim of this study was to describe and understand how children handle their life when a mother or father is dying. Methodological design and justification:? The research design was phenomenological hermeneutic. The phenomenological approach enabled us to capture the concrete everyday life of the children as it is understood and experienced by the children themselves. The hermeneutical approach offered the possibility of reaching an understanding of the children’s experiences. Research Methods: Seven children aged 11-17?years participated in the study. Data were collected using qualitative interviews and video diaries. Ethical considerations:? The researcher complied with ethical guidelines that apply to all researchers and followed ethical guidelines for nursing research in the Nordic Countries (Northern Nurses Federation). The children’s names were changed, and the data were treated confidentially. Findings:? Analysis produced an overarching theme of death’s waiting room, with following sub-themes: Relating to death, when death becomes even more clearly manifest and handling life in death’s waiting room. Study limitations:? This study focuses on a limited explored area; children’s lived life with a dying parent. The study limits itself to focusing on children’s life world; by choosing this focus, we have not included the relational aspects that are essential aspects of children’s lives. One might focus on these aspects in a second study to shed further light on the children’s lives. Conclusion:? When children live in a family with a dying mother or father, they find that their home is transformed from a safe base into death’s waiting room. The children use a variety of ways to handle the confrontation with death. Avoiding talking to the children will not protect them from their thoughts about death.

September 14, 2011 –

A CALLINGTON care centre has apologised for its failings after a report found residents were deprived of food and medical treatment.

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Finding and paying for satisfactory long-term care for older people, especially those with dementia or physical limitations is a serious retirement planning problem and one that is almost certainly going to get worse before it gets better.

J Hosp Med. 2011 Jul; 6(6): 351-7
Labella AM, Merel SE, Phelan EA

Hospitalists care for elderly patients daily, but few have specialized training in geriatric medicine. Elderly patients, and in particular the very old and the frail elderly, are at high risk of functional decline and iatrogenic complications during hospitalization. Other challenges in caring for this patient population include dosing medications safely, preventing delirium and accidental falls, and providing adequate pain control. Ways to improve the care of the hospitalized elderly patient include the following: screening for geriatric syndromes such as delirium, assessing functional status and maintaining mobility, and implementation of interventions that have been shown to prevent delirium, accidental falls, and acute functional decline in the hospital. This article addresses these issues with 10 evidence-based pearls developed to help hospitalists provide optimal care for this expanding population. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2011;6:351-357. © 2011 Society of Hospital Medicine.

As an only child living 600 miles from my retired parents, I fear the future. How and where my folks will grow old escapes me. I can’t imagine forcing them to move from Indiana to the East Coast, but neither can I bear the thought of tending to their needs from afar.

IT is heartwarming when you hear about children who take good care of their elderly parents.

Caring for an aging parent may be the highest calling of your life. But it also can rob you of time, money, and your own experiences. In some cases, these personal sacrifices can create bitterness and …

Britain’s cash-strapped government should spend more on caring for the elderly according to proposals yesterday that would for the first time limit the amount anyone has to pay for help in old age.

How to care for elderly parents is a major concern for many families.  It can be physically and emotionally overwhelming to both the parent and child.  Andrew Novick, Esq., CFP®, VP of Client Service at Condor Capital, a fee-only investment management firm in Martinsville, NJ, feels that families who discuss options and agree to a plan will be better able to handle unexpected events.  Novick …