coping

When Am I Going Home From The Nursing Home?


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This is one of the predictable dilemmas of aging we all wish we could avoid. We can’t. At some point we run out of aging-in-place options and a parent winds up in a place they never wanted to be, a…

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Caregiver Stress? Try Inspirational Walking


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Caregiver stress is well documented and extracts a heavy toll on both caregivers and their families. In the heat of trying to keep everything together, it is hard for caregivers to find effective strategies that offer some respite from the…

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What I Know Now: Lessons From Looking Back


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Last June I was interviewed by Nell Bernstein, Senior Editor at Caring.com about what “I would have done differently” in caring for my mother based on what I know now. Below is my response: Talking With David Solie June 2008…

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Bitter Endings


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We wished things had turned out different. They didn’t. History and personalities brought the drama of our aging parents to its only logical and painful conclusion. But as Linda Kriger points out in her heart felt article entitled Seeking Forgiveness…

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Working with Low Income Seniors


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I was recently asked by a large medicare provider how my work on the developmental tasks of seniors could be used by their patient advocates with a predominately low income population. I thought is was an excellent question, and here…

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Aging Parents: No Plan For Paying The Bills


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A recent survey conducted by AgingCare.com only reinforced was most of us boomers know about the reality of paying for the care of aging parents. It found that 63% of caregivers “have no plan as to how they will pay…

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Helping Our Aging Parents Regain Their Balance in Times of Transition


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Our aging parents are negotiating a dense web of personal transitions in the last phase of life. As Nancy Gordon points out in her article, Spiritual Care in Times of Transitions(http://www.spiritualityandaging.org/pdfs/CSASPIRSep08final.pdf), it is helpful for family members and senior services…

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My Mom Hates Me


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I receive a steady stream of emails from adult children who are trying to work with angry older parents. In most cases, these caregivers are trying to find the best solution to a difficult situation(little or no planning, last minute…

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Staying Afloat–New Book Review


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I just finished reading a new book by Sheryl Karas, MA entitled The Spiritual Journey of Family Caregiving. It is a compendium of newsletters she wrote from 2000 to 2005 while serving as a “family caregiving consultant” for a non-profit…

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Needs Overload: Preferred Choices


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Here is a question I was asked from a caregiver who is feeling overwhelmed: How do I respond to my 89 year old father who demands much of my attention and doesn’t understand that I have other responsibilities besides him?…

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