Quality of life
Discussing ideas to make the transition through retirement a good one for our parents now and ourselves later
Gifts for grandparents 2018 – food and drink
by Kathy Lawrence This is the edible section of our Christmas gift guide for older friends and family for 2018. In some cases we have been offered samples of these products for review and we make it clear where that has been the case. Bottles Where do you start? Spirits, wines and beers are available […]
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Gifts for grandparents 2018 – what to wear
By Kathy Lawrence In this section of our 2018 gift guide for seniors, we look at ideas of what to wear – for style, charm and function. As with our other reviews, we’ve made it clear where the supplier has sent us a sample for review. Do come back for more updates over the next […]
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Gifts for grandparents 2018 – travel and holidays
By Kathy Lawrence Days out, trips and holidays are a welcome gift for many. Here are just a few ideas. Just one in our series of articles of ideas for older friends and family. We haven’t experienced them ourselves, but we could be tempted! If your family are enjoying watching the likes of Timothy West […]
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Gifts for grandparents 2018 – hobbies and pastimes
By Kathy Lawrence In this article in our series of gift ideas for older friends and family, we look at ideas that we can work on together as well as individually. If you’re spending time with someone who’s struggling a bit with dexterity or understanding new concepts, then trying out these ideas together could be […]
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Gifts for grandparents 2018 – books and calendars
By Kathy Lawrence What do you buy for someone in their later years? We wanted to offer some ideas that could add a bit of luxury or fun to life, rather than necessities. In this first of our series, we look at books and calendars. We’ve made it clear where we’ve had the opportunity to […]
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Why you need to ensure travel insurance declarations include mental health conditions
We know we need to declare physical conditions and medications when we’re looking for travel insurance, but how many of us think about notifying insurers of mental health issues? Or are even sure what constitutes such a condition? According to AllClear, a specialist medical travel insurance provider, many older travellers aren’t declaring mental health issues […]
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Are films a form of reminiscence for ageing parents?
Written by Rebecca Lenton Eleanor Bryson, from Memory Bank, shares how watching archive footage of the past has helped older people and those with dementia recall memories and communicate with their loved ones about the lives they once led. Memory Bank, an innovative series of films spanning six decades, was created as a resource to […]
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Autumn outings soothe mum’s dementia
This week’s storyteller is Hannah Davies. Hannah shares how she’s learnt to embrace the changes in her mum’s health as her dementia progresses. Autumn has arrived for my seaside town, and whilst we still get a sunshine filled morning or afternoon there’s no mistaking that the temperature is dropping along with the leaves. I notice […]
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Helping parents to avoid depression
Written by Kathy Lawrence With depression known to be a real risk in an ageing population, there are many ways that we can help our parents to keep active and independent to stave off the gloom. Our parents can become depressed for many reasons. Losing friends and loved ones is an obvious cause, but loneliness […]
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When saving stuff becomes hoarding
This week’s storyteller has chosen to be anonymous. A lifetime’s tendency to keep stuff just in case can reach epic proportions in old age. Is it a problem? When we visit H’s aunt these days, we’re not invited across the threshold to her flat. We were when she first moved in, although even then it […]
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