Psychology of Aging Parents Archives - Page 6 of 8 - Aging, caregiving and the journey through the second half of life

Losing Patience on All Sides

September 19, 2015

The tug of war between adult children and aging parents comes down to control. This article is based on an interview I gave the publication on my perspective regarding this generational power struggle… When Seniors Try the Patience of their…

Legacy Pearls: Uncovering the Secret Stuff

September 2, 2015

Legacy coaches™ want to know the secret stuff, emotional material that contains the values to be threaded through the person’s legacy quilt. Sometimes our efforts will meet with a resounding thud at best, hostility or dogma at worst. Expect setbacks,…

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…

Poetry and Aging Parents, Part 6

July 5, 2015

We grant the old a special courage to weather the slings and arrows of aging, but we forget their older brains are rewired for contemplation, a benefit that goes far beyond facilitating life review. This unique capacity of second half…

No Longer Safe To Drive

February 18, 2015

At some point it becomes painfully obvious. Maybe it’s the near misses, another fender bender, traffic tickets, getting lost on errands, poor night vision, or increasing confusion. Whatever the mix of warning signs, the message is clear and deeply concerning.…

Dearest Son, Dearest Daughter…

December 17, 2014

I wrote How To Say It To Seniors for adult children of aging parents as well as professionals who work with older adults. In retrospect, that was short sighted. What I failed to appreciate was that older adults were deeply…

Shutting Down The Planning Conversation

December 1, 2014

“Despite good intentions, outdated assumptions about older clients may lead advisors to inadvertently send out the wrong message–and it is this poor signaling, not the eccentricities of aging, that proves to be a primary cause of communication setbacks. The good…

Three Strategies for Preserving Relationships with Older Clients

October 9, 2014

It’s always an ambush. From Steve’s perspective, the estate settlement was going well. Beneficiary papers had been filed and trust provisions initiated. While he had worked primarily with Jim over the last 11 years on financial matters, Steve always maintained…

Best Possible Day

October 7, 2014

Atul Gwande’s article “Best Possible Day” is compassionate and articulate about asking the right questions, over and over again, in a world where time is running short… Best Possible Day…

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…