The Blog From the Heart
Give Your Family the Gift of Planning for Aging
(This post originally appeared in the Times of Israel) As the owner of a Geriatric Care Management company, I know first-hand how agonizing it is for adult children to make care decisions for a cognitively impaired parent who has not made his or her wishes clearly...
How to Protect Your Elderly Loved One from Consumer Fraud
I recently met “Sarah”, an 80-year-old widow and Holocaust survivor. She lived in the same town as one of her sons and had frequent interaction and visits from her family. Sara had taken a silver, Austrian candelabra which she inherited from her mother to a...
How do you know that it’s time to have “the talk” with your elderly parents?
Several years ago, my client “Michelle” came to me with some observations about her parents. “Recently, after feeling anxious about my folks, I found myself dropping in for visits more frequently to check on them. Once, I came into their apartment and smelled smoke...
The Art of Premium Parenting: Should You Keep Your Mouth Shut and Your Wallet Open?
This is a guest blog by Dr. Michael Tobin; bio below. To set the stage for a discussion on premium parenting and grandparenting, let me share with you my parenting/grandparenting credentials: My wife Deborah and I are the proud parents of 4 married children, 3...
Hiring a Geriatric Care Manager: 7 Critical Traits to Look For
When Miriam came to Israel, she practically ran the Jerusalem-based assisted living facility she moved into. “She organized lectures for the English-speaking residents; she ran a movie night; she was even doing some writing for the facility. My mother was a...
Which Medical Specialists Does a Senior Citizen Really Need?
This guest post is authored by Aviva Yoselis, MPH, director of Health Advize and lead healthcare advocate for the Shira Pransky Project. Aviva has more than 20 years of experience in health advocacy and health system navigation. She has a broad understanding of the...
Stop, Drop and Run: 9 Tips on How to Be Ready for an Emergency Trip to Your Aging Parent
Your phone rings. It’s your father’s in-home caregiver. “It’s Mary,” says the voice on the other end of the line in her familiar accented English. “Your father fell and he was taken to the hospital. Can you come to Israel?” *** Maybe you were born in Israel but you...
Traveling to Visit Mom? 10 Changes To Look Out for that May Ring Alarm Bells
As your parents age, chances are that they will need increasing levels of assistance with one or more of their daily activities. In all likelihood, however, that they won’t admit it to you – maybe because they are in denial, maybe they fear losing their independence,...
Pack Rat or Hoarder: If, How, and When to Address the Mess in Mom and Dad’s House
“I like my stuff.’” That’s the dead end you run into every time you bring up the state of organization in your parent’s home. You try to broach the subject… tactfully. “You know, Mom, it’s getting tough to move around in the guest room with all this stuff in there.”...
Think You Know About All Of Israel’s Senior Benefits? You’re Probably Wrong.
Three of the following statements about senior benefits in Israel are true. Three are false. Do you know which is which? 30% discount on residence property taxes Free consultation by Bituach Leumi about finding occupations for leisure time, aid with social and...