Modern life doesn’t always lend itself to family togetherness, and many seniors must live alone. The elderly who have health problems, and especially those who are homebound, face a particularly lonely existence, despite having raised children and grandchildren. It is not always possible to share special holidays with them.

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Homebound and Lonely on Mother’s Day: How You Can Make Her Day

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Well that actually does sound like an insanely ridiculous thing for a wife to say to her husband, but I said it nonetheless. It was another baby step in my overall plan to take back the life that MS would destroy if I allowed it.

After the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, physicians, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and MS patient-advocacy groups unleashed a mountain of printed material and videos upon us, and we set about the task of learning all we could. Even prior to diagnosis, our suspicions of MS lead us to online research. We began with well-known and well-respected medical sites, then gravitated toward something less formal but slightly more tangible — other people with MS.

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Your Choice: Exist with It or Live with It

Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month

A Diagnosis Odyssey: Learn why a diagnosis of MS may take years.

Who Gets It and Why: Get the who, what, where, when, why, and how of it.

Diagnosis, Denial, Due Diligence: After the diagnosis there may be a period of denial. Then the real work begins.

Longing for Liberation: Controversial new Liberation Treatment turns conventional MS wisdom on its head.

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Confused? You are not alone. That’s why the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation recognizes March as National MS Education & Awareness Month, and the National MS Society designated March 8-14 as MS Awareness Week.

Throughout the month of March, I will offer glimpses into my own life with MS. While there is no such thing as a typical case, those who are familiar with MS will nod in recognition. If you are not familiar with MS, please allow us a few moments of your time during MS Awareness Month.

A Diagnosis Odyssey

It began with a seemingly benign but persistent tingly feeling in my upper right arm. It was the kind of thing you tend to dismiss and certainly not the kind of thing that makes you rush out to see a doctor.

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Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month: A Diagnosis Odyssey

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Glancing around, I observed an elderly neighbor to one side and young children on the other, all tackling the mountains white stuff with a vengeance. Meanwhile, I was warm and dry, but not completely unproductive. I tackled a few chores that needed attention around the house, reminding myself that I, too, was making a contribution. But the question remained… why did he lie to me?

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Lie For Me

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Consumer advocates have been sounding alarm bells for years about the possible health risks of Bisphenol A, otherwise known as BPA, commonly found in plastic food containers, baby bottles, and in the lining of metal food and beverage cans, including those containing baby formula.

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Protect our Young: Get BPA Out of the Food Supply

Photo: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The fact that many of these on-again off-again symptoms are invisible to observers makes it a particularly difficult series of emotional adjustments, especially if you are prone to worry about what other people think.

It’s hard to be taken seriously when people see you looking the very picture of health one day and claiming to be the opposite the next. It probably doesn’t help their perceptions when we go to great lengths to hide the truth.

We hear a lot about…

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Sharing a Life Altered by Multiple Sclerosis

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/733600

Perpetrators

Research shows that the highest statistically proven perpetrator population in almost all elder abuse cases is found in Caucasian males, ages 41 through 59. The one exception to this rule is in cases of neglect, where Caucasian females were slightly more represented than males (according to the National Elder Abuse Incidence Study). While there are many good caregivers that fit this target perpetrator profile and many abusive caregivers that fall outside of this profile, you would be wise to keep an extra eye on caregivers that fit this description.

In addition, you would be wise to watch out for signs that caregivers (whether they be family members of the aged or hired staff at treatment facilities) are struggling with any obvious addictions, which would make them more likely to take advantage of elders in order to feed their habit.

Victims

When the aged are experiencing abuse behind closed doors, many will exhibit the classic symptoms of withdrawal, moodiness or self harm. It should be noted that the presence of these symptoms does not necessarily mean that elders are experiencing abuse, as people sometimes exhibit these behaviours due to fears associated with growing old. However, these symptoms should serve as red flags for concerned friends of the elderly and should prompt a deeper examination of the quality of care they are receiving. Check their medical alert bracelets for pre-existing conditions.

In addition, if you have an aged family member that has recently entered into a new romantic relationship, you should take a closer look to ensure that they are not falling prey to a “sweetheart scam”. Predators sometimes target lonely, aging populations in order to earn their trust and then steal large amounts of money and possessions from them. While genuine romantic relationships can certainly begin for elders late in life, be sure to look out for your elders by getting to know their love interests on a deeper level in order to ensure that their motives for romance are pure.

This is a “sponsored post.” The company who wrote and sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to post it. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Read this post in its entirety and find how you can:

• Be pro-active about your health.
• Foster a strong doctor-patient relationship.
• Advocate for yourself and your family.
• Research and learn — seek out multiple trusted sources for medical information.

Health Care Self-Advocacy: Be the Squeaky Wheel

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/961618

WARNING: The email is a hoax — nothing but a phishing scam. The CDC has no state vaccination program requiring registration.

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Don’t Fall for this H1N1 Scam!

Photo: U.S. Centers for Disease Control

Sometimes the positive attitude patrol functions as a guilt trip in disguise. Are they really promoting a positive attitude in the best interest of someone else… or is it a lopsided attempt to protect themselves from having to deal with someone else’s disease or disability?

Keep up the positive attitude because I can’t deal with your problems.

Do people with health concerns have a responsibility to people around them… to protect them from dealing with the uncomfortable?

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When Positive Attitude Goes Negative

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