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.

In this episode, Steve Barlam, LivHOME’s Chief Professional Officer, walks us through some summertime travel destinations that are particularly well suited to seniors. He discusses the attributes that make travel destinations a good choice for seniors, issues to watch out for when planning trips, specific travel ideas for seniors such as national parks, cruises and resorts, and major cities that are worth a visit.

In this episode, Steve Barlam, LivHOME’s Chief Professional Officer, discusses the importance of aftercare following a hospitalization and how to organize an aftercare program to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. Topics include dividing the aftercare effort into two components – pre-discharge and post-discharge – how daily caregiving tasks can be impacted by aftercare needs, and ways that families can deal with the pressures of providing aftercare to their loved ones.