By Marsha Kay Seff

October 24, 2013 (San Diego) – In your job as a caregiver, you probably won’t be able to avoid a crisis.  But being prepared for one will help make things easier for you and your parents.

The biggest mistake you can make is being complacent until the inevitable happens.  By then, you will have to move too quickly with limited options and a big chance of making mistakes.

Don’t waste time in denial.  It’s a given that your parents will get older and frailer.  By the time they fall, are hospitalized, or end up with full-blown dementia, it’s too late to set up a plan.

By Marsha Kay Seff

September 19, 2013 (San Diego) -- My mom used to complain how difficult it was to make friends at her retirement home.  Then one day, she stepped into the elevator and said hello to someone she had unsuccessfully been trying to befriend.

“I haven’t seen you in a while,” Mom told her.  “It looks like you’ve put on some weight.”

The woman glared at her and left the elevator without even saying good-bye.

“See what I mean?” Mom said to me.

I suggested, between giggles, that next time, she tell the woman how great she looked.