Aging demographics can be startling: 10,000 U.S. Baby Boomers age into Medicare every day! The U.S. Census predicts that by 2030, 85-year-olds will comprise the largest age demographic in the country. But, living longer comes with blessings as well as challenges. Efforts to remain socially engaged have been challenging for everyone because of pandemic mandated physical distancing practices. Social isolation can be particularly damaging for older adults. This isolation has bee

Summer is finally here in the Midwest! And so, too, come the longest days of the year. Following a winter packed full of isolation, grief, and loss related to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us welcome long warm summer days and perhaps the beginning of the return of some bits of normalcy. For those of us who are caring for loved ones with cognitive or mental health disorders, such as dementia, our normal may not look like everyone else’s normal. Many of us already have fairly

A new method of conflict resolution called eldercaring coordination is coming to Michigan – and the method has been highly effective in other states when family conflict takes center stage and caregiving suffers. Eldercaring coordination is a court-ordered dispute resolution process. It addresses abuse and neglect; it helps get elders out of unsafe environments and reduces their risk for abuse and neglect. Eldercaring coordination is a last resort in the conflict resolution h

Keeping up with the changing needs of a loved one with dementia while preserving your own mental and physical health is a perpetual juggling act for caregivers. Your loved one constantly needs your attention, yet you also have other responsibilities. And while friends and family may encourage you to take a break to take care of yourself, how do you safely do that? Respite care - short-term relief for caregivers - is an option. But for middle- and low-income families, the cost

Federal Funeral Assistance: The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides up to $7,000 in financial reimbursement to assist with COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after January 20 of last year. Families must meet the following FEMA requirements: The death must have occurred in the United States, including U.S. territories. The death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19. Applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified

Through an unprecedented collaboration announced in May, six nonprofits will receive $2.2 million in invested dollars. This influx, to address Detroit’s housing crisis, combines federal funds, and monies from the Rocket Community Fund, created by the Rock Family of Companies, which includes Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans. “The Rocket Community Fund’s investment leverages the City of Detroit Housing & Revitalization Department’s investment of COVID-19 response dollars throug

Ordained African Methodist Episcopal minister and expert virologist, A. Oveta Fuller, Ph.D., is able to comfort and reassure others while wearing either or both of her “hats.” A University of Michigan scientist who studies viruses, the professor teaches U-M medical, graduate, dental, and undergraduate students about human virus pathogens. Fuller’s laboratory team has published studies on herpes simplex and influenza viruses. She has also worked on the front lines, in various