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 they live. When aging is seen as a negative experience (characterized by terms such as decrepit, incompetent, dependent, and senile), individuals […]
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 watched her turn left on a one-way street into oncoming traffic. Thankfully, she quickly corrected course without an accident. On other […]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 story. Yet, a recent student served as a powerful reminder of the impact of writing down your memories. A woman […]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 knows this all too well. “We had been having the conversation about moving with my mother on and off for years,” […]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 from the home she lived in with her husband and children to an apartment in a senior community. But once […]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 books, is applicable to a host of situations, but it’s especially relevant to individuals and their loved ones facing end-of-life […]Read More