In this episode, Steve Barlam, LivHOME’s Chief Professional Officer, explores the issue of hospital readmissions, which has drawn increased focus from the federal government. Topics include: how hospital readmissions have become a major health issue, the reasons people are readmitted to the hospital after discharge, the importance of this issue for seniors, and what seniors and their families and caregivers can do to reduce the likelihood of readmissions.

In this episode, Kelley Richard, a LivHOME Care Manager in Houston, explores the topic of depression in seniors, which tends to emerge at this time of year as winter transitions into spring. She looks at depression in terms of both identifying it and taking action. Topics include: defining depression, the signs and symptoms of depression, getting appropriate treatment, and dealing with resistance to a diagnosis of depression.

In this episode, Steve Barlam, LivHOME’s Chief Professional Officer, discusses how to work with a senior loved one to decide between assisted living and home care when the senior can no longer function independently. He addresses a number of topics including: how families might begin this discussion, the pros and cons of assisted living, the value of home care as an option, and the natural inclination of families to rush through this sometimes difficult process.

In this episode, Steve Barlam, LivHOME’s Chief Professional Officer, addresses the topic of anticipatory grief, which can occur, for example, when a senior is suffering from a terminal illness. He addresses topics including: how families can handle such situations and keep their sadness from impacting the last days with their senior loved one; what family members can do to help seniors in hospice care; ways to deal with holidays and birthdays, which can be difficult for seniors in these situations; and ideas for helping still-healthy seniors deal with sadness during holidays.

In this episode, Steve Barlam, LivHOME’s Chief Professional Officer, discusses the challenges facing those who care for seniors suffering from dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. He suggests finding ways to balance caregiving efforts with the caregiver’s own needs in areas such as self care vs. care for the senior, safety vs. dignity, holding on vs. letting go, and doing it all vs. having others help out.