March 14, 2023 by Dean Bellefeuille

What exactly is it that gets you up out of bed each and every morning? If you are a member of the sandwich generation, caring for both older and younger loved ones, your list is likely quite extensive! As the nest empties, however, it becomes important to redefine our identity and discover new ways to bring meaning to each and every day. In fact, the benefits of purpose for seniors are even more far-reaching than we once believed. (more…)


 March 7, 2023 by Dean Bellefeuille

When you start to detect the warning signs that senior care help for parents is needed, very often, an elderly parent won’t accept help. After all, acknowledging the need for help isn’t easy, especially for somebody who appreciates their independence and privacy. Yet, what do you do when another member of the family is the one pushing back? If you’ve come to an impasse within your family about the need for senior care, there is one very likely culprit that may be in play: denial. (more…)


 February 15, 2023 by Dean Bellefeuille

What’s your first thought when you see an elderly person in a wheelchair? Do you see that person as less-than, someone in need of being fixed? Do you assume they need special treatment, as though a physical disability impacts intellect as well? How does this perception vary from when you see an older adult standing upright, without the need for a wheelchair; would you think they were better-abled than the wheelchair-bound senior? (more…)


 January 25, 2023 by Dean Bellefeuille

There’s frequently nothing “routine” about a routine checkup. You may arrive to your appointment perfectly fine but leave with orders for blood work along with other medical tests the doctor recommends to keep you as healthy as possible. These tests might be nothing more than a minor inconvenience for most adults, however for older adults, they may be challenging, for several reasons: transportation problems, thinner skin, mobility issues, cognitive difficulties, fragile veins, health worries, and much more. (more…)


 January 17, 2023 by Dean Bellefeuille

Wandering. Pacing. Fidgeting. When you start to note these common issues in a loved in with dementia, it is time to take action before they intensify to agitation, aggression, or leaving the house. You may soon find that pinpointing the reason that the individual is feeling uneasy is sometimes half the battle in relieving restlessness in dementia. (more…)


 January 4, 2023 by Dean Bellefeuille

Following the indulgence associated with the holiday season, many people choose to scale back on their calorie consumption. But when seniors refuse to eat altogether, or perhaps make unhealthy or unbalanced dietary choices, it is important to determine the cause associated with this behavior, and to recognize how to help them get on track with more nutritious eating. (more…)


 September 16, 2022 by Dean Bellefeuille

We all have bad days and good days, and we are all entitled to a bit of crankiness or negative thinking occasionally. If you’re taking care of a loved one who appears to have fallen into a routine of continuous negativity and complaining, however, it’s worth exploring whether a health problem may be the root cause. A physician can help you determine if a loved one’s mood is being affected by common health problems in the elderly. (more…)


 June 2, 2022 by Dean Bellefeuille

Benjamin Franklin hit the nail on the head: An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. When it comes to detecting and addressing mobility issues in seniors, prevention is crucial. Falls in seniors lead to 300,000 hip fractures, 3 million emergency room visits, and 32,000 deaths each year, according to the CDC. (more…)


 April 20, 2022 by Dean Bellefeuille

Many of today’s seniors were raised during the Great Depression. They lived through a period of time when the nation was pinching pennies and cutting corners. Frugality was embedded in many of them very early on and often remains firmly in place for a lifetime. (more…)


 April 14, 2022 by Dean Bellefeuille

Memory loss and Alzheimer’s may seem synonymous. However, it’s important to realize that long-term memory frequently remains intact long into the progression of the disease. That is why tapping into those distant memories with reminiscence therapy is an ideal strategy to help a senior with dementia stay engaged in current conversations by connecting to the past. (more…)