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Nursing Home or Assisted Living: Which Is the Right Choice for You?
There are more than 50 million Americans over the age of 65. Of these, around 1.5 million reside in nursing homes and another million in assisted living facilities. If you're trying to decide whether a nursing home or assisted living facility is right for you or your...
Movie: The Long Road to Hope: Ending Parkinson’s Disease
This Parkinson's TV movie follows the stories of twelve incredible individuals with Parkinson's and their journeys to end this debilitating disease. The documentary is based on the book "Ending Parkinson's Disease: A Prescription for Action,"...
8 Early Warning Signs of Parkinson’s Disease
Thanks to AARP's Jen A Miller for this excellent article. My dear husband, Richard, exhibited all of them. Some signs of Parkinson’s disease are ones most of us recognize, such as tremor and trouble walking. But very early signs of the disease, which can appear a...
The Science of Mattering: Why Feeling Significant Is So Significant
Zach Mercurio's article The Science of Mattering: Why Feeling Significant Is So Significant resonates with me. People with dementia or other challenges still need to feel that they are important, that they matter. Everyone does. Zack describes how feeling...
Top Tips for Self-Care as a Caregiver
As a caregiver, you may have heard the term "self-care" mentioned quite a bit. It's an important topic for caregivers—one many don't know enough about. Below are some top self-care tips for you and your loved one. Thanks to Beverly Nelson of Stand Up for Caregivers...
Compassion and Choices: Another dementia and end of life resource
In my last blog I shared the link to the Five Wishes, a legally binding document describing your end-of-life decisions. In this blog, I share two additional dementia and end-of-life tools. These are from Compassion and Choices organization, which is a fabulous and...
Make your final wishes known in advance
The New York Times recently had a powerful article titled Who Are We Caring for in the I.C.U.? It features a doctor reckoning with patient’s family members insisting on care that the patient may not want. It breaks my heart that families don't talk with each other...
David Kessler has helped me a lot as I move through grief
I just got through my 5th holiday season as a widow. They get easier, but can still suck. I've put a lot of effort into being a better person through it all. The journey is a long, but I'm grateful for it. David Kessler's work has really helped me a lot of over the...
Embracing Parkinson’s with Grace
I love and appreciate this article about Nancy and her husband John, who has Parkinson's. I completely agree that Parkinson's is what you make of it. Flow with the changes, cultivate gratitude, and embrace your new normal. “Normal is whatever you are living at the...
How to Get Extra Care at Home When You Need It
This article was first published in Consumer Reports and is written by Kevin Loria. Assistance with personal care, finances, errands, and more can help older people protect their independence and live at home longer. Here’s some advice about where to turn. When it...