Posts by Jay Isidor

OutreachNC Magazine – December 2019 column – Marcy Simpson, LCSW What comes to mind when you think of the word “celebration”?   I think of special food, music, decorations, and even colors that are associated with the event.  Of course, there is an activity planned to mark the important occasion and typically it is a…

My grandmother recently moved into a facility, and I have been helping my mom go through her belongings. There is so much stuff, and we just don’t know what to do with all of it. We hate to throw it away, but some of it has little to no value. Do you have any suggestions?…

“Count your blessings.”  This is an age-old adage, and yet perhaps more relevant than ever in an era of instant gratification where the next best thing is constantly at one’s fingertips – quite literally, with the development of online shopping and mobile devices.  And yet, gratitude continues to be extremely important on an emotional, philosophical,…

Grandparents are an important resource for both parents and children. They routinely provide childcare, financial assistance and emotional support. Occasionally, they are called upon to provide much more, including temporary or full-time care and responsibility for their grandchildren with numbers continuing to climb as the opioid crisis and other factors disrupt families. An increasing number…

My brother and I are planning to move our mom closer to where we live. She is in the hospital now and will need to go to an Assisted Living Facility. We do not know much about the area facilities; do you have any tips for picking the best one? There are many factors that…

When we consider what it means to take care of our health as we get older, we typically think about eating healthy foods, exercising and taking the medications our doctors prescribe for us. We often overlook adequate hydration, but this is a very key part of healthy aging. Water makes up two thirds of our…

My wife stays in her room all day, sorting clothes and rearranging her drawers. Is there something I can do to provide more activities for her? She just seems to get agitated if I try to get her to stop. Often when sorting and rummaging behaviors are displayed, there is some type of brain or…

If you’re looking for a volunteer opportunity, you may consider working with people who have dementia. Why volunteer? Many people’s lives have been touched by dementia. Some people with dementia do not have family close by or need more assistance than they have the resources to obtain – by volunteering, you can help to support…

Too often, when we see the word legacy, it’s in the outstretched palm of a university, church or cause; an organization that wants us to remember them in our wills. The reminder, though, is not a bad thing. Thinking of how we might want to be remembered can be a wonderful and, sometimes, challenging prompt…

Q: My husband and I are both very active and have always loved to travel. Last year, he was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and has been struggling with short-term memory problems. Traveling is becoming more of a challenge, but we are not ready to give it up. Do you have any suggestions to make…