Housing Dilemmas Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Aging, caregiving and the journey through the second half of life

What do you do when aging in place isn’t working out for aging parents?

April 12, 2017

I was recently asked this question by a professional in the senior living industry. Here is what I said: While the need for control is a consumptive task for aging parents in the final phase of life, it doesn’t necessarily…

A New Set Design for Nursing Homes

January 22, 2017

This is a fascinating innovation in the physical design of a nursing home. Forget the clinical model of mini-hospitals and consider bringing the outside inside with a neighborhood look and feel. How comforting to have a front porch with your…

Aging Parents Dance Cards

December 2, 2016

Introducing “Aging Parents Dance Cards,” which were created for adult children of aging parents. The photos below are from the front and back side of one of the cards in the twenty-card set entitled “Reset Expectations.” Each card offers a…

The Rise Of Dilemmas

August 16, 2016

The landscape of old age is populated with dilemmas, which represent a new and confusing layer of complexity. Here’s why. We are all raised to be accomplished problem solvers. It is a skill set that focuses on the elimination of…

Problems Versus Dilemmas Of Aging Parents

June 29, 2016

Although demanding and stressful, the problems of aging can be contained or eliminated. Lost prescriptions can be refilled. Unsafe staircases can be modified. Transportation for an unscheduled medical testing can be arranged. Solving problems means eliminating uncertainty and most caregivers…

The Context of Caregivers of Aging Parents

June 27, 2016

I was asked to write an article about the context of caregivers of aging parents. What’s the scope and depth of their role? What are the issues they have to navigate every day? I found it was easier to create…

10 Questions Before They Move In…

June 17, 2016

In the communal world of pre-WWII, aging parents almost always moved in. It was expected because there was usually a local family network that closed ranks and helped take care of the elders. In the dispersed world of Boomers and…

Boomer Blended Style of Senior Living

May 25, 2016

It appears boomers are willing to downsize into “blended” senior living communities that include ample amounts of fit as well as less fit residents. This article looks at one builder’s offering of how this might play out… Aging boomers fuel…

End Of The Line…

March 24, 2016

We take pains to keep the nursing home at arm’s length, a cultural purgatory that haunts our worst fears about being old. Yet, as Valery Hazanov found out, it is also an instructional landscape about who we are despite our…

How do you start the conversation about finances with aging parents?

January 9, 2016

1. Begin the conversation with a clear acknowledgement that you understand that control is critical to their wellbeing and you fully support their need to have it. Care giving conversations can quickly turn threatening to older adults who are hypersensitive…