Palliative Care Study Improves Quality of Life

December 18, 2016

People living with serious illness who receive palliative care have better quality of life and fewer symptoms than those who don’t receive palliative care, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study is the first meta-analysis of the effect of palliative care as it relates to patients’ quality of life, symptom burden and survival. Palliative care is health care for people living with serious illness and focuses on providing patients with relief from their ...

Put Financial Power-of-Attorney at Top of Christmas Wish List

December 18, 2016

The importance of a financial power-of-attorney cannot be overstated. I make it a point in all of my client meetings to stress to the client that, especially in times of crisis, having a properly drafted financial power-of-attorney can be the difference in whether or not you are able to protect your hard-earned assets in the event you ever have to enter the nursing home. This is because that often times when a loved one is entering a nursing home he/she will not have the mental or physical capability needed to execute important legal documents, such as a financial power-of-attorney, ...

Tips Offered for Destressing the Holidays

December 18, 2016

Many people enjoy the holiday season. Shopping for special gifts and wrapping them, sending greetings, searching for the perfect tree, putting up decorations, aromas of pine and cinnamon, observing one’s own traditions, family visits, church dinners, holiday get-togethers —each enticing the senses. “For some of us who are providing care to a loved one, holiday activity can be challenging,” said Ann Koegler, services coordinator for Altenheim Resource & Referral Services in Wheeling. “We may be tired. Our nerves may be frayed. “Perhaps we’re juggling caregiving with ...