Magical Thinking Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Aging, caregiving and the journey through the second half of life

Caregiver Dilemma: Moving Beyond the Wake Up Call

January 2, 2016

Popular media is abuzz with wake up calls for adult children. Framed as warnings, they detail the impending crisis that comes with caring for aging parents. While provoking anxiety and concern, they are ineffective as a call to action. It’s…

Rethinking Solo Caregiving For A Spouse

November 24, 2015

Solo caregiving for a spouse takes a toll on both parties. What starts out as act of compassion and loyalty can deteriorate into a role that exceeds the best efforts of one person. Unfortunately, the stress of day to day…

Some Boomers Can’t Wait For The Money

October 2, 2015

While this disturbing article is about greedy Boomers in England, a subset of Boomers in the U.S. are equally as determined to tap into the inheritance windfall by any means possible… The Great Baby Boomer Inheritance Grab The number of…

The Car Front Mind Map

June 30, 2013

Driving is a “hot spot” issue for aging parents. Attempts by family members to modify, restrict, or take away driving privileges are in direct conflict with the older adult’s need for control even if it results in unsafe decisions about…

Caregiver Mind Maps

May 5, 2013

In March 2013 I released my new book Caregiver Mind Maps: New Tools for Aging Parents. I elected a PDF format because the book’s mind maps are designed to be used on the front lines of caregiving, a kinetic space…

Predicting The Boomer Future…

September 5, 2012

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. Alan Kay It’s 2026. The future is here, 14 year later. We are taking a sneak peak into the lives of two baby boomer couples that are now well…

Aging In The Wrong Place

June 14, 2011

As the boomers pass en masse through middle age, it is assumed that they will undergo “generativity,” a term coined by the psychoanalyst Erik Erikson in 1950 to denote “a concern for establishing and guiding the next generation.” Generativity represents…

I Don’t Need Assisted Living!

March 14, 2011

An older adult is ready to move into an independent living community and undergoes a “pre-placement” health assessment by the facility’s physician. Based on the findings, the physician indicates that the older adult “needs assisted living.” The older adult and…

When Am I Going Home From The Nursing Home?

April 3, 2010

This is one of the predictable dilemmas of aging we all wish we could avoid. We can’t. At some point we run out of aging-in-place options and a parent winds up in a place they never wanted to be, a…

Magical Thinking and Aging Parents

December 27, 2008

Aging creates complexity and emotional burden. Aging parents find themselves facing situations and decisions that are hard to figure out and even more challenging to manage. They feel overwhelmed and understandably look for ways to simplify complexities and ease burdens.…