Medical Aid in Dying
Fact checked by Derick Wilder Illinois State Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) has long sought to pass legislation allowing residents with terminal illnesses to end their lives under specific conditions. Holmes’ personal experience shapes her perspective: Both of her parents died from cancer. The proposed bill, which passed the State Senate in October with a 30 […]
Disability Parking
Fact checked by Derick Wilder The City of Chicago offers residential disabled parking signs through an application process — and receives plenty of requests. In 2024, the Chicago Department of Finance received 2,240 applications for disabled parking signs. That same year, the department did not recommend 1,885 of them. Applicants whose requests are not recommended […]
Musical Mentality
How playing music supports brain health as we age Fact checked by Derick Wilder After Fran Freeman retired from working as a speech-language pathologist at an Evanston school, she kept busy. “I was playing tennis, doing Pilates and cardio workouts, and practicing yoga. I was doing a lot to keep my body healthy, but not […]
Prioritizing Wellness in Senior Communities
Fact checked by Ros Lederman Older adults searching for a retirement community should consider the community’s wellness programming. Wellness typically includes six aspects: intellectual, occupational, spiritual, social, emotional, and physical. Anthony Rizzato, administrator of community life at Lake Forest Place, says that wellness took on renewed importance after the Covid-19 pandemic. Even after lockdown restrictions […]
Blue Space
Access to water offers mental and physical benefits, however you choose to interact with it Fact checked by Catherine Gianaro The benefits of water run deeper than hydration. Blue space — bodies of water such as the expansive Lake Michigan and meandering Chicago River — benefit human wellness in myriad ways. People who spend time […]
A Place for Grief
Finding ways to honor and connect with loved ones who have passed Fact checked by Shannon Sparks Oliver Brown Leopold had a robust life. As a teenager, he created apps for other students at Evanston Township High School and for the city’s fire department, where he had participated in their youth fire patrol program. During […]
Alzheimer’s Poetry Project
Fact checked by Derick Wilder Chicago poet Gary Glazner founded the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project in 2003 to give people with dementia a way to express themselves. Since then, the organization has worked with more than 62,500 participants. “The workshops won’t change the progression of the disease, but they give participants moments of joy and happiness […]