Planning Dilemmas Archives - Page 5 of 8 - Aging, caregiving and the journey through the second half of life

Are We More Than Our Memories?

October 1, 2015

This fascinating article from Scientific American reveals new research that argues “morals, not memories, define who we are.” The study has implications for patients with Alzheimer’s and other disorders… Morals, Not Memories, Define Who We Are…

Exhausted Woman’s Syndrome

September 17, 2015

This article on the exhausted woman’s syndrome offers a sobering list of symptoms that female caregivers will recognize that comes with their heroic efforts to keep everything together. Recognizing Exhausted Woman’s Syndrome By Christine Hammond, MS, LMHC…

Higher-Hour Caregiver

September 7, 2015

This article is an excellent overview of the unpaid caregiver zone in America. It highlights the challenges and demands of being a higher-hour caregiver (20hrs/week of caregiving). As important, it identifies why caregiver support groups, although a wonderful resource…

Memory’s Departure

September 3, 2015

Try as we might, memory is built like a cat, seeming tamed and committed only to turn and be inexplicability gone, maybe for good. Billy Collins’ brilliant poem “Forgetfulness” gives metaphoric voice to this unraveling that ties us in cerebral…

Caregivers of Spouses with Dementia

August 31, 2015

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The Psychological and Health Consequences of Caring for a Spouse With Dementia: A Critical Comparison of Husbands and Wives This study compares outcomes, based on gender, of caregivers of at home spouses with dementia. It also looks at how the…

Aging Parents: Time To Move?

July 12, 2015

Helping aging parents consider a change in living accommodations is a delicate process. Before offering unwanted advice about where to live, adult children should first undertake a compassionate assessment of the losses and potential gains of this emotional transition. There…

Caregiver Decision Fatigue

July 1, 2015

Caring for aging parents brings with it a new kind of exhaustion called decision fatigue. While its cause has a number of contributing factors, two in particular stand out as primary sources: • Sustained engagement with dilemmas • Decision volatility…

Post-Hospital Syndrome and Aging Parents

June 7, 2015

Hospital stays are stressful for anyone but can turn out tragic for frail seniors. Arriving with diminished physical reserves, they are subjected to a world of frequent needle sticks, unappetizing food, sleep deprivation and long waits for doctors. Even if…

New Boomer Epidemic: Aging Alone

May 30, 2015

Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods. …Aristotle As the age wave arrives at the land of old, it carries with it a substantial population of childless and unmarried Boomers characterized as “elder…

The Art of Holding Space…

March 30, 2015

Heather Plett’s insightful and moving article on holding space, What is means to “hold space” for people, plus eight tips on how to do it well, is a primer on the dance of compassion for those who are leaving as…