aging parents

Poetry and Aging Parents, Part 2

We back into life review on the path to the end. Dana Gioia moving poem The Lost Garden captures the cognitive melody of recalling who and what has come to define us as well as the wisdom of “wanting nothing…

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Shutting Down The Planning Conversation

“Despite good intentions, outdated assumptions about older clients may lead advisors to inadvertently send out the wrong message–and it is this poor signaling, not the eccentricities of aging,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…

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Best Possible Day

Best Possible Day
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…

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Poetry and Aging Parents

The drama of aging parents takes courage and poetry. Mark Halliday’s moving poem about the legacy of his aging parents reminds us that every life longs for a narrative, albums that celebrate the journey and comfort the hearts of those…

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Caregiver Playlist

Below are the selections that make up the “Kind To Your Heart” playlist, a 40-minute mix of songs and instrumentals. The song’s lyrics give voice to the emotional challenges of caregiving. They also spell out the courage and profound love…

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The Medical Journey of Aging Parents

We are not bystanders to the medical journey of our aging parents. No matter how daunting the language or specter of healthcare, we are obligated, to the best of our ability, to try and understand what we are being told…

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When Aging Parents Move In…

The desire to do the right thing begins with good intentions. Sometimes that is enough, but in most cases the burden of caregiving requires adjustments in perspective, language and behavior. While the predictable dilemmas of aging are unavoidable, understanding the…

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The Car Front Mind Map

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…

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Caregiver Mind Maps

Caregiver Mind Maps
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…

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From Pleading To Informing…

A lead caregiver of aging parents was going to extraordinary lengths to keep everything together only to find herself drowning in transactional quicksand. As her parents drifted into the land of “more and more care,” her uninvolved siblings either refused…

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