Facilitators ease conversations with loved ones about end-of-life decisions Judy Grussing, of Rantoul, wishes her husband had been more willing to talk about his end-of-life choices. Delmar, her husband of 52 years, was diagnosed in 2018 with amyloidosis, a rare disease that causes excessive protein to accumulate in the blood, wreaking havoc on the body’s […]
What happens when you find out your diagnosis from a patient portal, instead of your doctor? For more than a year, my mom suffered from a persistent, baffling cough. Two negative bronchoscopy procedures and several Read More
How to gently redirect the conversation when someone has dementia “Where do you live?” “Did you eat lunch?” “How are the kids?” If your loved one has dementia, you likely hear these sorts of questions, Read More
End-of-life midwives ease the final passage with compassion On Saturdays, Don Meints found special pleasure in baking bread, especially with his four daughters. He loved working out any stress from his job as a teacher Read More
People’s beliefs about aging have a profound impact on their health, influencing everything from their memory and sensory perceptions to how well they walk, how fully they recover from disabling illness, and how long Read More
When is it time to stop driving? During one of our family’s weekly visits with my mother-in-law, I was following her as she drove herself to the doctor in her purple Jeep. Suddenly, I Read More
Crafting a Memoir Helps Older Adults Connect By Melissa Ramsdell Chicagoan Beth Finke knows the power of a memoir. She teaches several classes in the Chicago area about how to write your own life Read More
The tough conversation about stepping up care It’s one of the most difficult conversations to have: letting a loved one know they may no longer be able to care for themselves. Chicagoan Abby Clancy Read More
Easing seniors’ transition to a smaller space Dorothy Beatty was an anomaly when it came to downsizing, says her son, Stanley Beatty. Dorothy, from Kansas City, Missouri, took her time making the decision to downsize Read More
By Heidi Lading Kiec Winston Churchill once said, “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” This quote, found in many leadership Read More