Steady On…
Things periodically fall apart with our aging parents no matter how hard we try to avoid conflict.
Stay calm and let these episodes have their moment and then pass on.
There’s no time to hold a grudge or prove who’s…
Are Unpaid Caregivers Also Unpaid Healthcare Providers?
Almost half (46%) of family caregivers say they perform medical/nursing tasks. These include handling prescriptions, helping someone climb the stairs with a cane, and caring for and cleaning wounds. Family caregivers often do these tasks with no training or help…
And Take My Waking Slow….
The Waking
Theodore Roethke (1954)
I Wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to go.
We think by feeling. What is there…
Finding the whole person disguised as a patient
Over the last twenty years, a new approach to healthcare called integrative medicine has focused attention on understanding and treating the “whole person.” This means that psychological and spiritual factors as well as physical bodies needed to be included in…
The Peace of Wild Things
I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought or grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a…
When Someone Deeply Listens To You
We are all so busy with the perpetual motion of our obligations and mega to-do lists that the thought of slowing down and deeply listening to someone, anyone, is down right painful. “I don’t have time for this” we…
Getting Back On Track
It’s easy to get off track with aging parents. Complicated decisions, intense conversations and setbacks on issues that you thought were taken care of are just a few of the “uncouplers” that come with caregiving. The good news is that…
Breathing Underwater
We adult children look at aging and say no thanks, not for me, best to keep a safe distance. But aging is patient, biding its time, confident of its purpose. From seemingly nowhere, our safe distance collapses and a new…
Aging In Place Inventory
This five-factor inventory is designed to help families and advisors better understand the sustainability issues of older adults who are aging in place.
Each factor of the inventory is assessed as either green, orange or red based on an estimation…
When the Bottom Falls Out
Long term care planning is another “hot spot” for aging parents. Attempts by family members to pressure, warn, or scare an older adults into planning decisions usually fail. That’s why we created the When The Bottom Falls Out Mind Map.…