...While my sons didn’t find the prospect of my death fun to talk about, they dutifully listened to the details of the plan I had created and where they could find these important papers should they need them. Regardless of who wishes to avoid end-of-life conversations, they must take place. Read more →
Entries categorized "Caregiving"
...As family caregivers, we take on the expectations of our culture, our religion, our family. And then we take on the expectations of our toughest critic: ourselves. Negative thinking can easily become a damaging Read more →
Dear TL: This is so hard because you know that your mom would be humiliated if she had the ability to understand this change. I'm sorry for you both. As for why this happens, yes, some people attribute it to repressed feelings finally coming out, but that isn’t necessarily the case... Read more →
...I’m certain that your mom doesn’t have any idea that her grief, her anger, and her stress over what happened is showing through in a way that it could negatively impact your dad, but you are entirely right. Read more →
...Being right doesn’t matter and correcting or arguing will get you nowhere good. Go along for the ride. You might learn something interesting. If not, no harm done. Read more →
..Acceptance doesn’t mean that you like the situation. It means that you accept what is true at this time. Acceptance can give us hope even when circumstances don’t change.. Read more →
"...I may not always understand the meaning of your words, but I know what you are saying. I can read your jerky body language, the impatient tone Read more →
....The side effects of many prescription and over-the-counter medications can include memory problems and personality changes. An illustration of what a prescription drug can do came from a conversation Read more →
Dear MJ: My heart is with you as you cope with the changes that life is demanding of you. Even with all you face, you took the time to kindly mention my column, so thank you for that! Since nearly all of us have something to be grateful for, I encourage gratitude as a way to cope with adversity. Gratitude doesn’t ignore our pain or challenges... Read more →
... Regardless of whether the parents have been living in the same town for 50 years or they relocated within the last decade, it’s safe to say that they have put down roots in this place. They have formed Read more →