adult children Archives - Aging, caregiving and the journey through the second half of life

Evidence-Based Inquiry Into Driving Skills

July 30, 2020

At some point, driving gets away from our aging parents. It’s an insidious process that lulls older adults into a false sense of security that their driving skills are still adequate. Adult children see a different picture of “unsafe driving”…

The Obvious Audience No One Is Educating

May 29, 2020

I want to share with you a story about “How To Say It To Seniors” found a new audience unbeknownst to me. A few years ago, a colleague of mine shared how he used my book with older adults who…

Home Rules: We’re Not Going Anywhere

May 21, 2020

Older adults see where they live as the Alamo and will make their last stand defending it. We advance with logic, manipulations, and threats, and they use any means at their disposal to repel us. Here’s why. 1. The place…

Secrets: A Powerful Form Of Control

April 30, 2020

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One Good Day

April 19, 2020

In the end, caregivers accept the limits of what they can control while making the best of what remains—a shift in focus to one good day at a time. Honoring the here and now offers a nurturing space for aging…

Last Stories: Adult Children as Legacy Coaches

April 13, 2020

“People attend, remember, and are transformed by stories… Mary Pipher from Writing to Change the World Stories have a profound impact on our lives. On one level, our identity is the summation of our stories. When our aging parents enter…

For Whatever Comes In Life…

April 8, 2020

To have the courage for whatever comes in life – everything lies in that…Saint Teresa of Avila (“Faith” by David Solie)…

Reset Expectations

February 24, 2020

The challenges of caring for an aging parent are exhaustive and quickly exceed the capacity of one person. Caregivers need to adopt realistic and sustainable expectations about their capacity to avoid sacrificing their health for unattainable goals. Acknowledging limits on…

And then an aging parent moves in…

February 17, 2020

When an aging parent moves in, no one can predict how it will work out. What looks good in the beginning can come undone in sudden and distressing ways. Adult children need to frame moving in as “one step” in…

Prior Authorization May Not Mean What You Think It Means

February 11, 2020

Perfect. Add it to the list of unending financial shocks that haunt our healthcare system. The predictable medical problems of aging are enough of a burden without the profound weight of the escalating cost of healthcare. These punitive and painful…