A group at the Center for Gerontology at Virginia Tech is researching extended family members who become dementia caregivers throughout central Appalachia. They want to understand how these caregivers moved into that role. 

Many families have to move a loved one into a nursing home because of dementia. The experience often comes with grief and loss and a sense of failure.

June 5-9 is Medicare Fraud Awareness Week, and the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services is out to draw attention to the problem. 

Mother’s Day is not always a happy day for everyone — like when mom has dementia and is forgetting the family she raised.

A real problem facing many older adults is having enough money for their retirement. News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Josh Hodges, the chief customer officer for the National Council on Aging, to learn about the help that is available for retirees and caregivers.

For his series, “Getting Into Their Reality: Caring For Aging Parents,” News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Katherine Calloway, director of Clinical Development for HospiceCare of West Virginia, to find out more.

Many families face the question of what is the best place for an aging family member to get the best care in their later years? In-home care? Nursing home? And, how do you pay for it? 

St. Albans is the first location in the state that has been recognized as being dementia friendly — which means many people in the town are trained in techniques to make people with dementia feel welcome.

While most of us don’t want to talk about it, it is vitally important to make plans for final arrangements: for our aging parents and ourselves.

Discussing funeral arrangements is never easy, but as News Director Eric Douglas found out through personal experience with his mom, it is much easier to do it in advance than it is after a loved one has passed away.  As part of his series “Getting Into Their Reality: Caring For Aging Parents.” Douglas spoke with Tom Nichols, the owner of Bartlett Nichols Funeral Home in St. Albans, to understand the process.

There comes a time when everyone has to decide to give up driving. It’s not an easy decision for most people, and it is even harder when a child has to convince their parent it is time to hang up the keys.

This is the fourth story in News Director Eric Douglas’ series of interviews called “Getting Into Their Reality: Caring For Aging Parents.” Douglas spoke with Vicky Foster, the CEO of Kanawha Valley Senior Services.

At some point, many West Virginians are faced with taking over their parent’s finances and care.

For the second interview in our series “Getting Into Their Reality: Caring For Aging Parents,” News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Teresa Morris, the program director for the West Virginia chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. They discussed what Alzheimer’s disease is and what it means for the caregiver.

Many West Virginia adults find themselves in the difficult position of caring for their children and looking after their parents at the same time. Conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s are problems, but so are mobility and safety issues at home.