When and how do you tell your mother or father they can no longer safely live on their own? Or worst yet, when do you tell your parent that his or her dementia is getting worse, or he or she isn’t coming back home after this latest hospital trip. Could I be talking to you?  Maybe, you’ve watched as your parents had to make these emotional choices with your grandparents. That’s where the “40/70 rule” comes in. I learned about it from one of my guests on FOX 6 Wakeup.

The rule is this: when either you hit 40 or your parent reaches 70 (whichever comes first), that’s the time to start having discussions about their finances, driving and living arrangements.

How many times have you heard the story about an older adult who gets an official-sounding call on the phone from someone posing as a lottery official. The victim goes to the bank and withdraws thousands.  After they mail the money, they ask an adult child about it. Only then, it’s too late. The money is gone.

Our senior care expert says a good place to start is by noticing your parents’ mail.  Are they keeping up with their bills? Offer your help with their banking and bill payments. Together, get an understanding of your parents’ financial situation. Set up a budget together.  Consider getting long-term care insurance to help provide for their care later, if necessary.

And here’s a heads up on this one–not talking isn’t going to make this one go away!

Have the talk sooner than later.  Ask for help.  For a lead on some resources, go to myfoxmilwaukee.com and search “Seen on Wakeup.”

-Kim Murphy, Fox 6

Everything I know about being a hardworking woman, I learned from my mother. When I was a little girl, she had a full-time job while she went to school to finish a second degree. No matter how busy she was, she still found time to come home and eat dinner with us.

She was also always there for us when we were ill. I remember how she’d hold my hand and tell me how she wished she could take away my pain.

About three years ago, it was my mother who had pain. Mother has never admitted her age, but she did mention something about menopause so we weren’t too concerned when she began to experience some heavy bleeding. She thought—and we accepted—that there was nothing she could do about it because it was a “natural” thing. That is, until the day she was so weak she couldn’t stand. My dad was the one who realized it was time to go to the hospital. My mom required four pints of blood.

She was dangerously anemic and to make matters worse, they discovered a growth in her uterus. I remember racing to the hospital from work, fearing the worst. When I saw my mom on the stretcher, weak and helpless, it made me wish I could take away her pain. She had surgery and the doctor removed the growth and sent it to the lab to get tested. It wasn’t cancer, which was a relief. The doctor said that if my mother had gone in for regular exams, she might not have ended up in the hospital.

My sisters and I learned a lesson along with our mom. Now we all make sure we get our annual exam.

I still admire my mom’s strength. I only wish she would have put herself first more often. I want her around for a long time, so she can see the influence she’s had on me.

-Jennifer Reyes
Fox 6

our first question might likely be – what makes Bob Moore an expert on such a major women’s health issue like breast cancer? While growing up, I sat on the sideline and painfully witnessed courageous women in my family confront and battle breast cancer diagnoses. Over the years, it has become something all of my family is sensitive to and vigilant to detect.

When breast cancer killed both my grandmothers in the early sixties and seventies, successful treatment options were limited. As I recall, their cancer diagnoses were made late, minimizing treatment options. Thankfully, education campaigns to promote early breast cancer detection have grown over the years. The potential life-saving messages encouraging women to have regular mammograms and perform monthly breast self-examinations wasn’t on the radar for my family back then, now they are. READ MORE

I play tennis. Everybody knows that. But, to stay healthy everybody does not have to get out on the courts and slam that tennis ball around like I do, every chance I get.

I have plenty of health problems in my family history… diabetes, heart disease, cancer… but, I’ve decided not to sit around and wait for them
to slow me down… I keep moving right now.

You DO have to do something. Take a walk. If not around your block, then grab those sport shoes (I hesitate to call them tennis or running shoes) and go a one of Milwaukee’s terrific parks and walk around to at least 30 minutes everyday. Can’t go to a park? Walk around the parking lot at work during your lunch break instead of sitting and eating. No parking lot? Park your car at the end of the lot at the mall and walk into the stores, then walk around the whole mall a couple of times (not strolling while looking in store windows, that doesn’t count). Take a brisk walk around the whole mall. Then treat yourself to a
little shopping, even sit at the food court and have some juice. READ MORE

Until a few years ago, I had no idea heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the U.S. I didn’t know nearly all of us are at risk. I didn’t know my personal risk factors, even though my grandmother died from heart disease.

I know now, thanks to the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a size 4 or 40. You have to take care of your heart. The truth is, by the time many of us realize we have heart disease, the damage is done. The good news? READ MORE

Sometimes with my busy schedule, making time for class can be a challenge! It requires a great deal of discipline not to slack off. Let’s face it, you don’t always feel like working out. The truth of the matter is, diabetes prevails on both sides of my family.

Complications from diabetes claimed the lives of three of my grandparents. So a healthy diet along with a good workout is essential for me… READ MORE