Articles
Elder Care at Work
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
The HR Professional December 2008
While much of the HR world has been fixated on baby boomer retirement plans, there’s another issue facing this generation of workers that employers should be considering: elder care.
Many baby boomers now face the prospect of caring for both children and aging parents or loved [...]
A Cup of Care: A Pinch of Hope: Spending holidays with a family member who has dementia.
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
December 2009
The holidays can be a wonderful time to spend together with loved ones, remembering the meaning of the season and celebrating together. When visiting with and sharing time with a family member who has dementia, the challenge is with the expectation. The Alzheimer’s Society notes that often caregivers [...]
The Holiday Check In
With the holiday season around the corner, families will be spending more time together. Elder caring expert, Audrey Miller discusses how the holidays can be a good time to notice change and be proactive in a supportive and non threatening way.
For many of us, holidays can be a difficult time. They can be filled with [...]
» Click here for full storyCaregiver Tax Credit (CTC), Disability Tax Credit (DTC): Do I Qualify?
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
Solutions Magazine Fall 2009
As a social worker I have worked with differently- abled individuals of all ages. Growing older with a disability raises questions for parents and adult children alike. For many parents raising a child with special needs, they worry who will look after their adult child when [...]
Safe Summer Tips for Vacationing with an Older Family Member
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
Solutions Magazine Summer 2009
Summer is here which usually means extreme heat and smog alerts which is a concern to many of us in cities across Canada and the States. Learn why summer can be dangerous to an older person’s health. This article also discusses travelling with an older family [...]
Scams and Seniors
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
“Wachovia (a large bank in the United States) has agreed to pay as much as $144 million to settle a federal probe into its relationship with telemarketers who preyed on senior citizens. As many as half a million elderly and poor may have been involved” says an article posted [...]
Dementia and How It Is Diagnosed
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
Solutions Magazine Summer 2009
Many of us may from time to time, forget our neighbour’s name or the items to purchase at the grocery store, and we wonder if this is part of normal aging. Your doctor is the best person to speak with regarding these concerns. There are many [...]
What Kind of Caregiving Assistance Do I Need; Important Questions to Ask
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
CARP February 2009
As a Geriatric Care Manager, I receive inquiries from families regarding assistance for themselves and their older family members. There may come a time when a family member says: “I just can’t do it anymore all by myself”. Along with the decision to explore caregiving assistance, there [...]
Employee Benefits For the Older Worker
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
The HR Professional December 2008
With the beginning of the baby boom generation turning 65, employers are faced with an interesting challenge. As this large group retires, there will be a shortage of skilled and experienced workers especially in the upper echelons of many businesses. How can employers entice their [...]
When staying at home is no longer an option
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
Solutions Magazine Fall 2008
Let’s call it like it is, most people don’t like to move and most older individuals certainly do not want to leave the family home and move into a more supported environment. There are, of course, many reasons that make a move so difficult, not least [...]
Managing Incontinence
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
Solutions Magazine Summer 2008
There’s nothing pretty about incontinence, yet it’s a fact of life affecting more and more of us, especially women in their middle years. It is estimated that more than 1.5 million Canadians experience loss of bladder or bowel control. Women are affected more than men, with [...]
Future Cost of Care and the Older Individual
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
The Litigator: Journal of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association June 2008
“A life care plan is a dynamic document based upon published standards of practice, comprehensive assessment, data analysis and research, which provides an organized, concise plan for current and future needs, with associated costs, for individuals who have experienced [...]
When Your Loved One Has Had a Stroke
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
Solutions Magazine Fall 2007
A stroke can be very traumatic. It often occurs suddenly, and the resulting damage can range from mild to severe. A person who has had a stroke will most often be admitted to a hospital for assessment and possible rehab; after which, the person will be [...]
When Your Loved One Has Diabetes
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
Solutions Magazine Winter 2007
Diabetes is a disease that affects more than two million people in Canada today, and with the aging population and rising obesity rates, this number is only expected to increase in the coming years. Now that your loved one has been diagnosed with this disease, what [...]
Nothing Left to Give? Caregivers and Burnout
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
Solutions Magazine Spring 2006
Caregiving encompasses many activities, which typically include everything from providing personal care like dressing and bathing to paying bills or doing chores. Most of us are juggling too many things and are at risk of burning out. So how do you know if you are “on [...]
To Drive or Not to Drive? The Question We Should All Be Asking
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
Help’s Here Spring 2006
Driver safety is everybody’s concern. On a per-person basis, mature drivers have less than the average number of collisions, but on a per kilometer basis, the over-70 age group is involved in a disproportionately high number of collisions. This article describes common issues for the older [...]
Do You Need a Little Help? Elder Care Consultants Can Help People Plan Ahead…
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
Help’s Here Fall/Winter 2005
Many families find it helpful to contact a professional Geriatric Care Manager experienced in senior care issues. They can assess, advise, recommend, access, coordinate, deliver and follow up on services that are needed to either maintain an individual in their own home or review options that [...]
Keep the Mind Playing
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
Solutions Magazine Spring 2005
In a study conducted at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center, scientists discovered that more frequent participation in cognitively stimulating activities is associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer disease (AD). In fact, on a scale measuring cognitive activity, a one-point increase [...]
Creative Rehabilitation: Art Therapy for the Elderly
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
Shoppers Home Health Care, Clinical Notes Winter 2005
Art therapy is based on the belief that creating art is healing and life-enhancing. The therapy, which began as treatment for severely emotionally disturbed children and adults, provides a safe and structured setting to help participants express their thoughts or feelings in [...]
Aging: Will Rehab Help?
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
Solutions Magazine Summer 2004
There is no right or wrong way to approach aging. However, those who stay active, engaged and independent are generally happier, less of a worry for their families and more likely to maintain their quality of life.
Can rehab help an aging person maintain their independence? Yes! [...]
You Have a New Hip: Now What?
By: Audrey Miller MSW, RSW, CCRC, CCLCP
Solutions Magazine Winter 2004/2005
As we age, more of us are having hip replacement surgery—sometimes more than once. But what happens after your surgery when you go home? Understanding your rehabilitation needs will help you to plan ahead.
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