Q. I am a caregiver for my mother. Are there any resources available that can help assess her overall well-being and quality of life?
A. It’s wonderful that you’re thinking about your mother’s overall well-being, not just her health. As we age, our quality of life is influenced by far more than physical health—it’s about emotional, social, and mental well-being too.
One fantastic resource I recommend is BetterAge, a tool developed through a collaboration between AgeSpan’s Healthy Living Center of Excellence and BetterAge.
This free tool is designed to assess your loved one’s well-being across multiple dimensions, offer personalized recommendations, and help you uncover ways to enhance her quality of life. What’s even better? It’s built on expertise from fields like aging services, positive psychology, gerontology, and healthcare, so you’re getting advice backed by science and real-world experience.
BetterAge follows a simple but effective three-step process:
- Awareness – Start by completing a 7–10-minute well-being assessment that looks at 13 different areas of life. Aging is about more than just health—it’s about how we live and feel day-to-day. This assessment, combined with information from doctors and other caregivers, provides a well-rounded picture of your mother’s current state.
- Action – After completing the assessment, you’ll receive a personalized health and well-being report with tailored recommendations. These are designed to help you take meaningful steps toward enhancing your mother’s life. The beauty of this program is that the power to take action lies with you—no one knows your loved one better than you do, so the program encourages you to make choices that feel right for her.
- Achievement – With each step you take, big or small, you’ll know you’re moving in the right direction toward improving her well-being. BetterAge gives you the confidence that you’re not only taking action, but that it’s the right action for her needs and goals.
The tool is easy to use, and you can complete the assessment anonymously. In just a few minutes, you’ll gain insights and practical steps that can help your mother live her best life possible. You can access the tool at tinyurl.com/agespan
For more information contact hcle@agespan.org or call 978-946-1211.
Are you caring for an older adult or need help finding healthy aging resources? Our experienced staff is available to help. Visit us online at www.agespan.org. You can also call 800-892-0890 or email info@agespan.org
First published in the Eagle-Tribune.
