MY MOTHER’S VOICE: Stolen by Alzheimer’s by Donna L. Scrafano Painting featured by Judith Carlin The medical consensus believes that Alzheimer’s disease has purely biological causes. I feel, however, that traumatic events can also trigger this dreadful disease. This belief is based on my personal experience watching my mother battle Alzheimer’s. The first trauma came Read more
Caregiving During Difficult Times by Donna L Scrafano Although my caregiving duties ended with my father’s death prior to the 2020 pandemic, I continued to facilitate a caregiver support group at the YWCA in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where my father once attended an adult program. During the pandemic, I’m continuing to facilitate the group via phone, Read more
Telehealth Catastrophe by Tracy E. Hill, Ph.D. According to physicians at Johns Hopkins University (Annals of Internal Medicine August 11, 2020), telehealth medicine may not be as productive for older adults. Although JHU states that loss of hearing is mostly to blame, I believe there is more to it than that. Many older adults did Read more
The Dreadful What-Ifs by Donna L. Scrafano Oh, what we do to ourselves by attempting to anticipate the future! During the years I worked as a Human Services professional, I often advised clients to relieve themselves of the “what-ifs”—those annoying, self-doubting questions of what may or may not happen, questions that cause us to worry Read more
Top 4 Ways to Show You Care for Caregivers Being a caregiver whether as a home care provider, in a community health care setting or as a family member can be stressful and difficult even in the best of times. COVID may put emotions in overdrive for many caregivers. It is always important to let Read more
Beautifully Mixed by Donna Scrafano As a young social worker, in the 1980s, I had the grand opportunity to work with a wonderful psychologist. She taught me many valuable lessons. One thing she said continues to resonate in my mind: “God made mixed children extra beautiful because he knew the special challenges they would face.” Read more
Senior Living Options by Tracy E. Hill, Ph.D. COVID-19 has changed the world forever. One of the things changed is the way we approach housing options for our loved ones. By now we know that several prominent politicians, WHO and CDC officials have opted for in-home care for their family members rather than community living Read more
Things I Wish I Knew By Barbara Casey With the elderly, their situation is always fluid. I never knew what I would find when I visited my dad each day at the assisted living residence. This past Sunday was no different. I received a call in the early afternoon from the facility saying “Your Dad Read more
Helicopter Daughter by Christina Fain After some initial testing, my dad found out that the suspicious spot on his neck was indeed cancerous and that the cancer had spread to his lungs. He was alone when he received this news. As upset as he was, he took the time to type out a family group Read more
When the Cavalry Doesn’t Arrive By Donna Scrafano A former supervisor once told me that if we don’t have expectations of an individual, we won’t be disappointed in them. Simple, right? Not really, especially when one is providing care to a loved one and there are others who could—and should—assist. I’ve written approximately nine articles Read more
