After 20 years of volunteering and working with folks living with dementia, I started to recognize signs in my mom. I knew it was coming. My paternal grandmother and my maternal grandfather both lived with Alzheimer’s disease. It doesn’t make it any easier.
My sister and I rallied to help plan her care, organize her financials, and verify her wishes through her health directive and powers of attorney.
Eventually it was obvious she needed to move. She was missing meds, not eating regularly, and the house was falling into disrepair. …
From Professional to Personal Experience: Moving my MomRead More »
As many of us have discovered throughout our lives, spending time outdoors isn’t just “nice.” It often feels fundamentally healing, no matter our age.
Research supports this. Time spent in nature has been shown to decrease cortisol, a stress hormone, and boost the immune system. It can reduce depression and improve attention. It can lower blood pressure and improve sleep quality. The studies are so compelling that some doctors have even written prescriptions for a weekly outing. If you’re feeling stressed, consider a little nature therapy. …
Sarah never learned to downhill ski, but now that she’s retired, she felt it was time. Her grandkids are avid skiers, and they’ve been asking her for years to enjoy the sport with them. Of course, Sarah’s grands are hitting more advanced ski runs while she’s mastering the snowplow and other skills on the bunny hill. But eventually, with patience, planning, and practice, she knows she’ll be able to join them.
Sarah applied a similar approach to planning for her own aging. Having barely survived the “nightmare,” as she calls it, of trying to navigate her parents aging journey without the benefit of planning, she wanted to avoid a similar trajectory with her own family.
At the encouragement of a friend, Sarah engaged Aging Wisdom for a Proactive Planning consultation. …
What is your role at Aging Wisdom? Director of Marketing and Communications
What made you want to work in the field of aging? …
Grief and loneliness following the death of his wife of over 50 years led one of my clients to engage in a lifelong interest in singing. He now regularly practices breathing and singing during our weekly Creative Engagement visits. Not only has he had great improvement in mood, self-confidence, hydration, and even his balance, but my client now regularly performs for fellow residents at his care community! His joy is shared.
We love exploring ways to enrich our clients’ lives through the arts
Creative activity through the arts has been shown to reduce isolation, loneliness, and depression. Arts engagement provides outlets for expressions of personhood and empowers participants to make choices and explore interests. …
An advance directive is one of the most important planning documents you can create to ensure your healthcare wishes are followed if you can’t speak for yourself. Don’t wait for illness or old age to make one! Putting your wishes in writing now means that if an accident or sudden health event occurs, your values guide your care. An advance directive serves not only end-of-life decisions. It provides clarity and control and eases the emotional burden on those who care about you. …
What is your role at Aging Wisdom?
What made you want to work in the field of aging? …
The year-end holidays are here and often include get-togethers with family and friends, lively conversation, good food, gift exchanges, and festive merrymaking.
For someone living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, however, the activities, engagement, and added stimulation can be disorienting. The holidays can also interfere with daily routines, causing stress and confusion. Individuals who are experiencing cognitive change often do best when their environment and schedule are relatively predictable. …
How to make the holidays more dementia-friendly and -inclusiveRead More »
If you are presently partnered, chances are that household duties and responsibilities—everything from running the dishwasher to managing finances—are split between you. That means that you might not be prepared to seamlessly take over should your partner be rendered incapable by a debilitating accident or disease, or even death. In other words, sudden singlehood.
As a proactive planner, you try to anticipate the needs of your later years. But not everything is predictable. Of course, it’s very difficult to contemplate losing someone you’re so close to. As the adage goes, hope for the best and prepare for the worst. No matter how the years roll out, you’ll feel more confident taking extra steps now so you’re ready to approach things solo should the need arise. …
Back by popular demand, it’s our Holiday Gift Guide—packed with thoughtful ideas to spark joy and make the season a little brighter.
Throughout the year our team gathers recommendations from clients, their families and friends, and our circle of trusted allied professionals. The result? A curated collection of gifts that delight, engage, entertain, and comfort. …