Help My Senior

Easing the struggle of the family caregiver

Labor Day – “your fathers work in the mills”

My introduction into the world of labor was an unusual one. “Your fathers work in the mills” our sixth-grade teacher sternly told us. The religious sisters in the school were firm in making us appreciate our parents’ responsibilities in raising a family. Good advice....

Elderly man signs consent, but then complains

He Said Yes, But Really Meant No When a patient feels they are under pressure to do something, even a signed consent form can mean trouble for everyone involved. The story is told of an 83-year-old man in a nursing home who was asked to move to a different room to...

Cautions about a home care placement agency

Is your loved one about to be discharged from rehab? Are you thinking of hiring a low-cost caregiver? Beware. Cheaper does not always mean better. Search the internet and you’ll find a plethora of caregivers, some of which charge lesser fees … they seem too good to be...

The call that rescued Roger

From our guest columnist Caleb Johnson, of FirstLight Home Care of Deerfield/Lake Forest: I got an urgent call recently from Maria, one of our caregivers. Maria had arrived at the home of one of our clients – we’ll call him Roger. At age 86, Roger, who suffered from...