The Arbor Company Senior Living Blog

Most senior living communities, including those operated by The Arbor Company, are prohibiting any visitors during the COVID-19 crisis. Older adults are at higher risk for serious illness and even death, particularly those with underlying health problems such as heart disease, diabetes or compromised immune systems.

So how can you stay in touch with your loved one during this time? You can always call on the phone or write a note to say hello, of course. But with creative uses of technology, you can find ways to ‘reach out and touch’ your loved one without physical contact that might put his or her health at risk. Here are a few ideas:

Aging can be tough — not just for a senior, but for those who love them. You may watch the parent you once saw as omnipotent lose some of their abilities, become more vulnerable, and struggle with their own mortality. Though every family is different, many encounter similar challenges as they navigate the aging journey. Here are five pieces of advice from The Arbor Company’s aging experts. 

Information regarding the COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, is everywhere, and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or confused. However, one thing is certain: The risk of developing severe and dangerous complications due to the virus increases with age. This means that senior care and senior living professionals have been paying especially close attention to the science and research surrounding COVID-19.

This blog was published on March 17, 2016 and updated on December 26, 2019.

Aging can be scary. Seniors often fear the unknown, including the loss of independence and the potential long-term effects of serious medical conditions. This may be why many seniors are resistant to seeking help, and are sometimes even secretive about any new symptoms they experience. Watching your parents make dangerous decisions can be agonizing. For many adult children, the shift from care recipient to caregiver sparks an identity crisis. Navigating this rocky terrain is never easy. You’ll need to keep your own emotions in check so that you can help your parents manage their needs — both physical and emotional. 

You love your Mom or Dad, but are at a loss of what to do if they begin showing signs of aging. It can be overwhelming and somewhat terrifying watching your parent or loved one lose the strength or some abilities that they have had for years. However, aging does bring some new challenges and obstacles to overcome. As a daughter or son, you will likely find yourself navigating a new relationship with your parents, walking a fine line between child and caregiver.

Aging comes with its own set of physical and medical issues. However, it can also come with extra stress, crisis, and emotionally charged decisions which can lead to heated disagreements between siblings, parents, and other family members. If you find yourself in the midst of an escalated debate about senior care issues, it can make for stressful family gatherings and can cause major family rifts if not handled correctly. Here are a few of our tips for calming the storm of senior care disputes between family members.

If you thought that having a difference of opinions with your parents ended at your teenage years, you may be surprised to find yourself getting frustrated with them as they age. However, between the emotions of watching them get older, the strain of providing more and more help with household or personal duties, and old family dynamics that come into play, your parents may just seem to be driving you crazy.

Don’t fear, caring child, you aren’t doomed to a strained relationship with your aging parent. Here are a few ways to help yourself calm down and improve the dynamic that happens as your parents age.

As a caregiver to an aging adult, rest assured, at some point you’ll need to find a geriatrician, an adult day program, or the like. Happily, there are loads of Federal, state and community agency programs and services geared to seniors -- it’s just a matter of knowing where they are. To help you zero in on great community resources for elderly folks and their families, we’ve come up with a few ideas.