The Best Life Blog

While some family caregivers gradually grow into their roles or are born into it, others can pinpoint the event that started their journey: Their father was hospitalized after a fall and needed more help at home, or their wife was diagnosed with an unexpected chronic illness.

Brains and falls don’t mix well. That’s why kids riding bicycles, teens doing skateboard tricks, adults cruising on motorcycles and athletes playing football wear helmets. That protective gear helps shield brains from being jostled, jiggled or battered in the event of a crash or fall.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can occur anywhere and to anyone. Falls are the most common reason for brain injury in people of all ages and motor vehicle accidents rank at No. 2.

After six years of caring for his wife, Joyce, Carlos Lucido is rediscovering joy and peace thanks to ComForCare Home Care.

The warmer weather means vacations for many people. However, while you are relaxing poolside, fraudsters are working hard to snatch your money. Here are a couple of scams to beware of during these vacationing months. 

Being a caregiver places a lot of demands on you – both physically and emotionally. Many caregivers juggle multiple tasks with work, home and family – never knowing what is around the corner.

If you are taking to the road this summer, follow these tips to help ensure you get to your vacation destination and back home safely.

As we age, normal changes in the body can affect the way we process medications. For example, liver and kidney function may decrease, which can affect how a drug breaks down and is eliminated from the body.  

"There is no question that physiology changes as we age. Many chronic medical conditions don't even appear until our later years," said Sandra L. Kweder, M.D., F.A.C.P., deputy director of the FDA Office of New Drugs. "It's not that people are falling to pieces; some changes are just part of the normal aging process."

Had a good laugh lately? Laughter connects people, eases trouble and makes the day brighter. It releases stress, activates learning, burns calories and supports memory. In short, laughter is good for you.

Why is laughter so beneficial? Here are seven reasons:

When I was caring for my father and grandmother, I didn’t think of myself as a family caregiver. I viewed it as auxiliary duties of a daughter and granddaughter. Guiding my dad’s feet into his orthopedic boots and cleaning out my grandma’s refrigerator was a part of our unspoken family agreement to always support and love each other. When I was providing care, I thought “caregiver” was the term for a professionally-trained health care worker. “Caregiver” didn’t apply to me: I didn’t attend school for caregiving, I wasn’t receiving a paycheck, and I wasn’t caring for strangers but my own family.

Grandfathers, uncles, fathers, stepfathers and all our male role models remind us that growing old is inevitable, but growing up is optional. We thank and honor them with a testament of “dad jokes,” stories and fond memories that are sure to make you groan, laugh and smile.