Back in the olden days, spring cleaning meant scrubbing or laundering every surface of the house to remove the dark, sooty grime that built up from using candles, kerosene lamps and woodstoves throughout the winter. It also meant throwing open all the doors and windows of the house to get the stale winter air out and let in the fresh fragrance of spring.

Today, the modern marvel of electricity has spared us the sooty grime, but the refreshing tradition of spring cleaning remains. It’s an especially important routine in homes where seniors may no longer be able to keep up with regular housekeeping chores.

If your senior loved one’s home could use a good corner-to-corner cleaning, here are five steps to get it done.Read More »Spring Cleaning a Senior’s Home

Falls and hypothermia are likely to top the list of caregiver concerns during the icy winter months. But, elderly loved ones are also at risk for some lesser known, but still impactful, winter dangers brought on by frigid weather.

Seasonal affective disorder and vitamin D deficiency can be hazardous to a senior’s health. The good new is, they are both easily treatable if identified and dealt with properly.Read More »Little-Known Winter Dangers For Elders

It might be the cuddliest medical device ever to cause an ethical quandary.

Five years ago, a Japanese robot manufacturer introduced Paro to the world. Built to resemble a baby harp seal—with a plush coat of antibacterial fur—Paro was hailed in Japan as a pioneer among socially interactive robots, one that would help lift the spirits of millions of elderly adults.

It never quite caught on. “It doesn’t do much other than utter weird sounds like ‘heeee’ or ‘huuuu,'” says Tomoko Iimura, whose adult day-care center in Tsukuba City keeps its Paro in a closet.Read More »Paro the Robo-Seal