Maybe you're an organized person. You have all your important paperwork in order. Your living will, trusts, and health care proxy are all settled. However, you are still missing one important part of preparing for the end of life. Every legal document in the world could not make up for the personal connections you have made throughout your life. They can not make up for letting those you cherish know [...]
We all have opinions on how we should be caring for aging parents. We tend to believe we know best. After all, they are our parents. Yet when siblings are involved, there are bound to be differences of opinions. This can lead to conflict, which ultimately makes matters even more stressful than they need to be. Knowing how to manage conflict and differing opinions between siblings can make all the [...]
Most of us have our yearly family traditions during the holidays. Maybe your uncle always carves the turkey at Thanksgiving. Or perhaps you and your siblings decorate the Christmas tree each year. Whatever it may be, these traditions bring us all familiarity, comfort, and joy. However, when your loved one has dementia, family gatherings during this time of year can be a little more challenging. Helping loved ones with dementia [...]
When we are young, our parents worry about us. Yet as our parents age, we begin to worry about them as well. If our parent is declining cognitively or physically, we often want them to have assistance of some kind. However, when they are still competent enough to decide, there is really not much we can do if they refuse. This can be extremely stressful for adult children. So when [...]
People always feel grief when their loved one passes away. Yet many people fail to acknowledge the occurrence of grief during the aging process. People may grieve as they age for a variety of reasons. Maybe it's due to the loss of independence or needing to use a walker. Or perhaps a cherished role, such as cooking holiday dinners is no longer possible for you. Whatever the case may be, [...]
