Tag Archives: elderly

Something Precious Lost?

How well do you know your doctor? Even more important, how well does your doctor know you? In Knocking on Heaven’s Door: A Better Way to Death Katy Butler writes that more and more doctors practice as skilled technicians with their own agendas. She states that “something precious–our old faith in a doctor’s calling, perhaps, or in healing that is more ... Read More »

Fitness: Is It Ever Too Late? Reform the Couch Potatoes

Last night I visited my mother at her assisted living apartment. It was one of those challenging visits where she complained about everything including the fact that she’s not getting physical therapy and her care team won’t let her get up and walk on her own. She’s bed or wheelchair bound, in hospice care, and has fallen many times over ... Read More »

Let’s Look At 2014 With New Eyes

Many years ago when my daughter Tracy, now 26, was in elementary school she loved to do the hidden pictures puzzles in the Highlights for Children magazine. One morning we were doing the puzzle together and we couldn’t find some of the pictures that were supposed to be there. We became more and more frustrated until one of us had ... Read More »

5 Tips for Spending the Holidays with Elderly Parents

We’re in the middle of the winter holiday season. Retailers are hoping to sell you a lot of things, television is showing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and other Christmas specials, the mailbox is full of catalogs proclaiming holiday deals. It seems there are a lot of things we’re supposed to do: be happy, shop, eat, get ... Read More »

Giving Thanks in Times of Difficulty

Talk of Thanksgiving, food, and family swirls around me. My daughters are coming home, a meal is planned, and we’re looking forward to each other’s company. None of us knows what really to expect, however. Two weeks ago we were led to believe that my mother would no longer be with us by Thanksgiving. We all gathered and said our ... Read More »

Caregivers’ Worth: Immeasurable!

Sometimes people in retirement communities need more help than their care package provides. People in independent living apartments enjoy living “on their own” but could perhaps use help with laundry or basic household tasks. Residents of an assisted living facility may want to remain in their familiar apartments even when they become unable to take care of themselves and could ... Read More »

Value & Purpose: Where Are They In Your Story On Aging?

In A Long Bright Future Laura Carstensen talks about rewriting the story of aging, making age a thing of value and purpose rather than something to be avoided. We all tell ourselves stories, and those stories shape our future behavior. “I don’t want to get old.” “Old is a matter of how you feel.” “I’ll never be an old lady. ... Read More »

Staying Connected to the World

Maybe I’m nuts (my family would say definitely), but when I was younger I thought it would be fun to be a hermit. Perhaps it would be nice to live like Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond. I’d just commune with nature, float through life in sync with the universe but all by myself. I’ve discovered through the years, however, ... Read More »