Geriatric Care: Boosting Independence & Quality of Life in Seniors
Photo credit: Pexels Geriatric healthcare is a medical specialty that caters to the unique needs of the aging population. It…
The CarePlan Care Managers‘ Cleveland Elder Care Answers Blog is a great opportunity to gain knowledge in the area of care for loved ones. Offering the advice, information as well as solutions to some of the toughest decisions we all have to make. With this in mind, take time to scroll through the variety of articles that our CareBlog provides.
Senior Nutrition and Mental Health: Why Diet Matters as We Age
As we age, our nutritional needs change. Older adults may need fewer calories but still require adequate protein, fiber, vitamins,…
Strength, Mobility and Balance: Keys to Aging Independently
Maintaining strength, mobility, balance, and confidence is essential for older adults who want to remain independent and safely continue living…
Vision Loss: Four Easy Ways to Modify Your Home
Do you want to adapt your space to make it more accessible for people with vision loss or low vision? Check out these four easy tips.
A Needed Resource For Struggling Adult Children
Written by Bridget Ritossa, LSW, CMC-Owner Careplan Geriatric Care Managers What Is a Geriatric Care Manager? A geriatric care manager…
If Your Older Adult is Hospitalized
Even for a healthy young person, a hospital environment can feel overwhelming and confusing. The unfamiliar routines, complex medical language,…
Could medicines be the culprit?
If your loved one has balance problems, the culprit may be in the medicine. Many common medicines have side effects…
COVID-19 and Careplan’s Transition to Home Program
Covid-19 Hospital to Home Transitions Program: A Program Benefiting Those Discharging from Hospital to Home During COVID-19 Picking Up Where…
Life Care Managers Helping to Keep Older Adults at Home
By Bridget M. Ritossa, LSW, CMC Aging Life Care Managers expand your resources and knowledge for making excellent choices related to…
A Tool for Successful Long-term Care Insurance Claims
Most would agree that long-term care insurance is a valuable resource to protect client assets. However, it is not always…
Care-giving Long-Distance Made Easier with A Care Manager
In the pandemic world we are currently living, long distance caregiving is further complicated by the litigation set in place…
Memory Care: Get Mom and Dad Expert Help
The time has come for you to consider memory care for your family member. They likely have a memory impairment,…
Life Planning Conversations with Great Geriatric Care Manager
What is the difference between a good GCM and a great GCM? Great GCM’s, such as the ones at Careplan…
Senior Living Communities: Pick the Best for Mom & Dad
You are probably here because you have older parents. They are likely still living where they have called home for…
Nursing Homes in Cleveland: Expert Help to Pick the Best
At Careplan, we are Northeast Ohio’s top care management service. Our team has a proven track record of relieving and…
Heart Failure Fatigue: How To Help Your Parents Beat It
As a caring family member or friend, you play a crucial role in supporting your loved one who has been…
Dry Eye Syndrome: 9 Easy Affordable Ways for Relief
Our eyes help us experience the beauty of the world around us. Their health plays a role in our overall…
Tips for Communicating with Hard of Hearing Older Adults
One in three people 60+, two-thirds of people 70+ and 15% of Baby Boomers have hearing loss. Most Older Adults…
Careplan’s GCMs Watch Over Clients – Look For The Best Services
Careplan’s Geriatric Care Managers (GCMs) watch over clients and look for the best services to recommend. This presents a great…
Keeping Mom and Dad Safe at Home – The Goal of A Geriatric Care Manager
Keeping Mom and Dad Safe at Home Lisa, a daughter in New York City, calls the Aging Life Care Manager…
Recognizing Elder Abuse and Reporting it.
Careplan Geriatric Care Managers are Mandated Reporters. Our Care Managers are dedicated to protecting our most vulnerable and fastest growing…
Covid 19 – Till Death Do Us Part and No Sooner
A Geriatric Care Manager Advocating for A Simple Wish Just last week I spent 48 hours working a case given…
Staying Safe and Warm: Your Guide to Arctic Freeze Protection
When arctic temperatures plummet below zero, Bridget Ritossa of Careplan Geriatric Care Managers states that your elderly neighbors face unique…
Keeping Clients Out of The Hospital
There are many reasons that a trip to the hospital is not a good idea these days. To name a…
Aging Parents – When Crisis Hits!
When a crisis hits, where do you start? You may still be in shock from the news. In addition, may…
Aging Life Care Managers – Experts in Aging and Organizing
..Older adult children working from home have been contacting Aging Life Care Managers such as those at Careplan Care Managers…
Reducing the nausea of chemo
If a loved one in your life is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, very likely they are dealing with the common…
Protecting the house from Medicaid
Care in a nursing home is expensive. For an extended stay, most people will need to pay quite a bit…
When your relative has money questions
Is Dad asking if he should sell the house now that Mom is gone? Or perhaps Aunt Mary is anxious…
Psychological first aid
Anxiety and stress commonly accompany family caregiving. The ongoing pandemic and its stream of variants are only adding to that.…
Organ donation
Those who donate organs, eyes, or tissue leave a tremendous legacy, often the gift of life itself: Allowing someone a…
Should Dad move in?
Combining households has many benefits: Less hassle running back and forth between two residences, less worry about Dad eating well…
The journey of late life
Families spend three to five years caring for an aging relative. At first it may be light chores or small…
“Chemobrain”
People who go through chemotherapy for cancer often complain about “chemobrain.” If your loved one is under treatment and is…
Caregiving apps
Juggling multiple schedules, keeping other relatives informed, ensuring prescriptions are filled … these are but some of the many duties…
Poetry and dementia
If the person you care for has dementia, you may have noticed their withdrawal from conversations, movies, even from reading…
Interrupt the stress cycle with deep breathing
We’re breathing all the time. But when it comes to stress relief, not all breathing is equal. The body’s stress…
Cooking tips for the visually impaired
Is low vision making it harder for your loved one to cook? If food preparation has been one of their…
Primary care providers
A primary care provider (PCP) is charged with monitoring and treating a person’s whole body. Specialists abound and indeed are…
When you envy others
Do you ever look at friends and find yourself mad or upset because they have free time? They don’t have…
Text message scamming: “Smishing”
Your loved one may be watching for phishing scams on email, but now there are scams carried out by short…
Caregiving with kids
Children generally like to feel included. But they may not know how to relate to an ill family member with…
Living with cancer as a chronic condition
Has your loved one been diagnosed with cancer? The vast majority (67%) of people with cancer live for another five…
Understanding the rhythm of a disease
Much of the strain of caring for a loved one lies in the loss of a predictable routine, a sense…
Does brain training work?
The brain is another organ to keep fit, and regular workouts are a good thing! Our brains enable many types…
Swollen legs and feet
Many older adults experience swollen legs and feet. For some, it’s because of sitting a lot and leading a sedentary…
The “Sandwich Generation”
Elderly parents are living longer. Children are often dependent for more years than expected. Add to this the ongoing responsibilities…
Dementia and finances
If the person you care for has dementia—memory or thinking problems from a condition such as Alzheimer’s, a stroke, or…
Combatting dehydration
With summer’s warm weather, be on the lookout for dehydration in your loved one. The signs include confusion, fatigue, weakness,…
Senior centers: Worth a fresh look
Even pre-COVID, many 90-year-olds adamantly refused to go to a senior center, saying they didn’t want to be around “all…
Caught in a cycle of negativity?
For most family caregivers, frustration and guilt are common, as is anxiety and resentment. These feelings are normal and reasonable under…
The doctor interview
After you have scoured the Internet to help your relative find a potential new doctor—someone on their plan and with…
When grandpa has dementia: Teens and tweens
For a teen, a relative’s dementia can turn a close relationship into one that’s now awkward, confusing, and embarrassing. And…
Listening: The other half of the conversation
Good communication requires both speaking and listening. Oddly enough, if you make a specific effort to listen, it can open…
Noncancer screening tests
Medicare pays for many screening exams, and even counseling sessions, to help nip common illnesses in the bud. Screening tests…
Are you prepared for a disaster?
No one likes to dwell on the possibility of disaster. But we all need to prepare for one, just in…
Caring with a stepparent
Has your parent remarried? If so, you may be sharing the caregiving with a person you don’t know very well.…
October is National Crime Prevention Month
It’s unpleasant to imagine that your loved one might become the victim of crime, but it’s worth considering. There are…
When your loved one is depressed, suggest exercise
Depression is common in older adults. It’s long been known that brisk exercise can help reduce depression. But it turns…
Who is who in skilled nursing facilities?
If your loved one is discharged from the hospital to a skilled nursing facility (SNF), their care will be in…
What is Lewy body dementia?
The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are many other conditions that also bring on memory…
Putting anticipation to work for you
Do you ever wish you could wave a magic wand for more joy? Patience? Optimism? Motivation? Maybe less irritability and…
Dementia and small children
The grandparent–grandchild relationship can be precious, like no other. But even young children notice if Grandma or Grandpa isn’t acting…
Palliative care for seriously ill veterans
Is your family member seriously ill or in frail condition? A veteran? If so, the VA has a special service…
Suppose they don’t get better …
Are frequent visits to the ER a significant part of the past six to twelve months? Does your loved one…
Honoring family caregivers
November is National Family Caregivers Month. We want to express our gratitude to you, who are part of the 40…
Gifts for those with memory loss
Deciding what holiday gifts to give a person with memory loss can be challenging. Following are some tips to share…
Not taking meds as directed?
Taking the right medicines at the right time is extremely important to health management. But 75%–96% of older adults admit…
Is your home safe for older guests?
If you expect older visitors this season, check your home for hazards. Older adults often have impaired balance and vision.…
Healing torn relations
Take any roomful of people and likely two-thirds of them have relatives who aren’t talking to each other. Families are…
Cold weather safety tips for indoors
The dangers of cold weather are obvious outdoors. But there are dangers indoors, too, most often because the house thermostat…
Are you the primary caregiver?
In most families, there is one person who takes on the lion’s share of caring for an aging loved one.…
Long-distance caregiving
Distance makes caregiving more challenging, from knowing what’s needed, to getting tasks accomplished. Here are some tips: Stay in touch.…
The yearly “Wellness Visit”
Catching things early is big with Medicare. Every year, all Medicare enrollees are eligible for a free “Wellness Visit” with…
Where are the paid caregivers?
Frustrated in your search for a paid caregiver? You are not alone. There is an extreme shortage of helpers right…
If you are not the primary caregiver
If someone else in your family has primary responsibility for the care of your loved one, that doesn’t mean you…
Senior Meal Delivery Services: The Best For Your Parents
Caring for our basic needs can become more difficult as we age. You’ve likely noticed that your parents struggle to…
Denture Care: How to Make Your Dentures Last
As we get older, our chances of needing dentures increase. Unfortunately, dentures are not cheap, but they help us eat…
Early-Onset Dementia in the Family? How to Establish Support
One day, you notice your family member is experiencing consistent memory loss and a decline in their reasoning and thinking…
Geriatric Care vs. Adult Care: The Best for Mom
Our parents guide us through navigating the healthcare system from birth. Throughout our lives, we meet various specialists. We eventually…
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Aging Life Care AssociationAging Life Care Association The experts in aging well.
- Dementia Diagnosis? Here’s How to Plan Ahead and Get Support
by Laura Sanchez on August 30, 2026Dementia Diagnosis Are Rising — Here’s How Aging Life Care Managers Are Helping Families Cope Listen to the podcast – Dementia Diagnosis: Now What? As […]
- Balancing Caregiving and Workby Laura Sanchez on August 25, 2026
Balancing Caregiving and Work By Abbie Vogt, MS, CMC, PAC-C, CSA Staying on top of your job while caring for an aging loved one can feel like a nonstop […]
- Sandwich Generation Helpby Laura Sanchez on July 30, 2026
Feeling Sandwiched? You Don’t Have to Carry It Alone. Why Aging Life Care Professionals Are More Important Than Ever By Anne Sansevero, RN, MA, GNP, CCM, […]
- Summer Safety for Older Adultsby ALCAmarcom on July 14, 2026
Summer Safety Tips for Older Adults There are two priorities to keep our community’s older adults safe: 1. avoiding the dangers of excessive summer heat and […]
- A Collaborative Approach to Supporting Older Adults in Long Term Care Planningby Laura Sanchez on June 30, 2026
How Aging Life Care Managers, Elder Law Attorneys, and Financial Planners Achieve Better Outcomes Together By Sue Coyle, COTA, BA, CMC Executive Summary: […]
- What to Do When Your Parent Says, “I’m Fine, I Don’t Need Help”by Laura Sanchez on June 15, 2026
By Lina Supnet-Zapata, MBA, CMC, TxCG Aging Life Care Manager® and 2026 President-Elect, Aging Life Care Association® You’ve noticed things that concern […]
