Marjorie P. Lee Senior Living Blog

As the holidays approach, it is easy to be distracted by the festivities. But if you have aging parents, the togetherness of the holiday season can be the ideal way to complete a discreet "surveillance mission" in order to assess their health and well-being without being too obvious. Family celebrations can help loved ones and caregivers determine if adjustments to current living situations are in order for the coming year. If your aging parents live alone, maybe some assistance to remain independent is necessary. Or, it could be time to consider a step up to an assisted living community or memory care home.

We all get the winter blahs from time to time. For some people, though, it's more than just a little blue mood. By some estimates, as much as 10 to 20 percent of the population may suffer from mild to moderate forms of Seasonal Affective Disorder or "winter depression."