Florida ranks last in the latest national scorecard evaluating long-term services, compiled by AARP. There are 50 other states (D.C. is included) ranked higher than we are, even though we are home to the largest population of seniors in the entire country. Stating I am embarrassed...
With all the bad news about COVID-19 and long-term care facilities, I wanted to write about an organization that deserves more positive attention. Founded in 1975 as a result of the Older Americans Act and under the umbrella of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, the...
I wish I could tell you that in my 24 years of working with seniors, I never saw financial exploitation. Unfortunately, I have witnessed theft of property, investments, money, jewelry and more. Most of these crimes are perpetrated by someone the older person knows and trusts...
There is a relationship between the COVID pandemic and the racism pandemic. Both are insidious, both affect Black people more than white people and you can’t always tell if you’re infected. The breath of life is something we all need to survive. COVID takes this away,...
Imagine you have been cast as a doctor on the front lines of a World War II movie. A major battle is raging as you stand in the middle of a field hospital and wounded soldiers are being carried in by the hundreds, if not...
The headlines are full of our thanks and praise for the unsung essential heroes among us: the truck drivers, the cashiers, the grocery store clerks, the home health aides. The list is long: the cafeteria workers, cooks, the food delivery personnel, the janitors. As Time magazine...
As my husband and I sit in our home in self-imposed quarantine, I cannot help but wonder what some people are thinking as the death tolls mount and numbers escalate in the United States. I did not have to go far to see the denial in...
Senior citizens are declaring bankruptcy at a rate that is more than double 25 years ago, according to the latest statistics. Americans over the age of 65 declaring bankruptcy have increased an alarming 204% from 1991 to 2016, according to a study conducted by the Social...
Virtually all countries are expecting to see substantial growth in the aging population and the amount of elder abuse can be expected to grow, according to the United Nations. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was launched on June 15, 2006, by the International Network for...
I first heard the term “elder orphan” a few years ago. Typically, it refers to seniors who are aging alone. They have no spouse or partner, and no children to step into the role of caregiver. AARP recently estimated that 20 percent of the aging population,...
