Lifestyle
What makes an enjoyable, safe and comfortable retirement?
How to damp proof your parent’s house
Written by Rebecca Lenton Protecting a home from damp and mould can be difficult. Whether your parents are managing their own home care or you’re trying to help them out, possibly from a distance, there are steps that everyone can take to ensure damp doesn’t damage the home or affect your parent’s health. Lindsey McManus, […]
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Mum refuses help – what can we do?
Written by Rebecca Lenton This week’s storyteller has chosen to be anonymous. Our storyteller talks about the dilemma of a mother who lives in a home that’s no longer suitable for her needs, but refuses to move out, move nearer or get help. When my parents moved from London to their cottage in a remote […]
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Choosing a car for the older driver
Throughout our lives our needs and desires change around what we want to drive. In this article Shân Hughes looks at choices for an easy, comfortable and economic drive for later years. There are many advantages to being a more mature driver. For starters, insurance is generally cheaper and the over-55s are generally involved in […]
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How to keep driving with renewed confidence
Take the Advanced Driving Test at 86? It’s a better option than hanging up the driving keys through lack of confidence as Shân Hughes, who’s a supporter of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, explains. As the population gets older people have to make some hard decisions about driving. The car is a symbol of ability, […]
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Winter driving part 2: snow, ice, rain, fog and winter sun
The tougher driving conditions in winter require greater concentration and understanding of how to deal with expected and unexpected challenges. Even if we persuade our parents to stay at home, we may have to get to them instead. Dave Hall of CAT Driving offers some invaluable advice to anyone who has to venture out in […]
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Winter driving part 1: Being prepared
Winter brings its own driving challenges as the roads flood or freeze and many more journeys are taken in the dark. Dave Hall, ex-police driver and now a driver trainer operating CAT Driving, offers checklists for anyone in the family venturing out in the cold and wet. Prepare your vehicle It’s a good idea to […]
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How to keep your parent safe and prevent wandering
Wandering can be a common problem as our parents get older and perhaps have mental health challenges to cope with. Dementia is often the cause of wandering in later life which brings its own difficulties in terms of managing your parent’s safety and independence. Whether your parent has developed a tendency to wander away from […]
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Retirement living to look forward to
Sara McKee, Founder and Director of Evermore, shares her vision for the future of retirement living in the UK and talks about the importance of independence in later life. We all want the best for our parents. Whether that’s driven by a sense of familial responsibility or just sheer love, it’s something you feel deep […]
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Tips for caring from a distance
Helping parents who don’t live just round the corner is more complicated, but there are many things that we can do to ease their situation. Sally offers some tips gleaned from her experience of supporting a mother with physical needs and a father with mental challenges, both at the same time. It is possible to […]
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How do you view ageing?
Written by Kathy Lawrence It’s worth examining our assumptions about the process of getting old to see if they’re more negative that we’d like to think. How do you view the process of ageing? Maybe trying to support your parents to be independent on the one hand, but not actually trusting them to look after […]
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