Your Proactive Caregiver Advocate Podcast: Dr. Cynthia Speaks!

Accepting a difficult diagnosis of a loved one can be an overwhelming feeling. No one expects our loved ones to end up with a chronic illness, let alone a terminal condition. There is no right or wrong answer to managing in this environment. Listen in for more insights.

Making decisions for others as a caregiver can be a challenge. Often because we lack information and knowledge that align with our loved ones. What do you wish you would have known before becoming a caregiver? Listen in for more insight.

Summertime and the living is easy…Maybe? For the elderly, this season could create serious health problems. During the summer, older adults are at an increased risk due to high temperatures and humidity. Seasonal heatwaves are dangerous and deadly, so it is critical we are mindful as caregivers and those with elders under their care to pay attention. Listen in for helpful nuggets.

Parenting your parents is a real reality.  Once an adult, twice a child is a true statement. The Circle of life shows us, if we get older, we will need support. The sandwich generation is in line to consider this thought. Listen in to learn more.

Paying attention to the skin of our aging loved-one and care recipients is critical. Our skin is the largest organ of the body, and we should take care of it. Our aging loved ones may not be able to check all the important parts of the skin if physical and health issues are present. Listen in for more insight.

What! You mean a caregiver needs to take care of self? Say it ain’t so! LOL! As caregivers,  men and women, we become lost in our duties with little thought about self. I remember a time during my caregiving space; I wore the same tee-shirt for five days straight, with a spit bath somewhere in between. Yes, I said it. Yes, I admit it, and no; I am not ashamed. All too often, caregivers ignore...

Question…Is home medical equipment knowledge created equal ? As our loved ones and care recipients get older and experience health challenges, medical equipment in the home may be required. Using medical equipment (also called durable medical equipment-DME) required education, instruction, and return demonstration. Listen in for more insight.

For some reason, I woke up thinking about the many hymns my mother enjoyed. One, in particular, was the Church In The Wildwood (The Little Brown Church-(1932), which is very old, but mommy would hum it occasionally. One stanza that stood out was… No spot is so dear to my childhood… As the little brown church in the dell. H er childhood was full of music! My mommy was born to a missionary mother, a...

As populations age, an array of medications become a part of the daily routine. Polypharmacy means 'many medications. Adherence to a medication regime is necessary for a variety of reasons. But when older people do not take medication prescribed to them, problems can arise for both their long-term and short-term health.  Listen in for more insight!

Did you know that April is Minority Health Month?  Annually, this month is set aside for discussions on an array of health topics, needs, and concerns, hoping to shine lights on the many disparities that still exist in the 21st Century. In the caregiving world, caregiver awareness lags other populations, mainly because of a knowledge deficit on available services and resources in the minority...

Thank you for journeying with me during the month of March. I appreciate you taking the time to hang out with me and learn about the importance of eating to stay healthy and feeding your loved-ones in healthy ways. Listen in for some closing thoughts on nutritional health.

Well, we did it! Remember, I committed the month of March ( my birthday month ) to share proactive tips to better care for our care recipients. The month of March has come to an end. The last blog on nutritional health will consider both, the caregiver, and the care recipient. Let us end the month by sharing insights on the fact that nutritional health goes both ways. The caregiver needs to eat he...

Don’t you ever count out the men in our society who cares for their loved-ones? Yes, I know; people think it is a female-oriented role. Tis true! That is accurate information, documented in an array of research journals. Men are navigating the role of caregiving from all aspects. I am not sure why as a society, we compare each other.  Caregiving does not have a gender. Male caregivers have th...

Caregivers, have you check on your loved one's mouth often, if not daily. Did you know bad teeth and poorly fitted dentures and painful gums can affect nutrition? Did you also know there are foods that are problematic with dentures and bad teeth? Maintaining a usual diet could have challenges to enjoying favorite foods. This does not suggest you have to forgo the array of foods you may like. We kn...

As I continue to honor my word of sharing nutritional health tips in March, let’s think about the foods seniors love to eat and the medicines they take daily. Some medications can affect appetite or the capacity to take in nutrients because of medications. Foods can augment, delay, or lessen drug absorption. Listen in for more insight.

We all have heard, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. What about those expensive nutritional supplements that are plentiful and questionable? We all want to achieve good nutritional health, and many will tell you supplements are the way, the truth, and the light. Listen in for more insight.

Healthy eating for seniors can help with illness and disease and better management of chronic health problems. To help older adults accomplish health benefits that align with proper eating, certain food groups should be avoided. Listen for more insight.

Disagreement among siblings rarely happens with wanting good nutritious meals for parents. We would all suffer if nutrition were not provided to our care recipients.  A significant part of being a caregiver is providing meals and snacks. How do you deal with siblings looking for their place in caring for an elderly parent? Listen in for more insight.

Seniors can have trouble eating such meals. They can choke and suffocate from foods caught in the throat. There are also health challenges that can create swallowing problems. There is a word for swallowing problems. It is dysphagia. Listen in for more insight.

Bone health is an important conversation to have as it relates to seniors and falls. The kinds of shoes worn are also very important. The kinds of food to provide is important.  Listen in for more insight.

One of the most challenging consequences of having a chronic disease is the adjustments many must make associated with nutrition. For our elderly population, with often additional health challenges, repeated insults on the compromised heart muscle only lessen its ability to perform, and a poor prognosis is often the sad outcome.  Is it possible to slow down repeated exacerbations with nutriti...

I have dedicated it to nutritional health , my dissertation topic. No doubt, the pandemic has been brutal of us earthlings. We all know of families this horrible plague in our homeland has affected. For me, it has been heart-wrenching seeing how vulnerable we are with the most fundamental realities of life, food. We know one of our basic needs is food. Unfortunately, healthy foods are pricier than...

Anyone who has taken care of someone who was once independent, and now the aging process has presented memory decline, physical slowness, or suffering from a debilitating condition, will understand and appreciate this discussion. Being motivated after a health challenge can be a real issue, but as a caregiver knowing the abilities of the one you care for should continue even when they do not want...

Being a caregiver is giving care to another. In Texas, during the winter storm and freezing weather, the loss of power in many homes made my home "Hickman Hotel." With family everywhere and glad we all were safe, the gathering of the family made me sad. I was missing my mommy. Listen in for the real and raw reality of being vulnerable in thought.

Cold weather and harsh conditions are hard for anyone to handle, but they can be dangerous and deadly for our older adults. Safety First! Safety Second! A proactive step is to make such movements ahead of time. Listen in for more insight.