There are ways to reduce your risk of dementia
Professional vs. Family Caregivers: Which is Better?
Have you ever wondered if it’s okay to hire professionals to help you care for an aging parent? Being Chinese, my parents taught me the cultural value of caring for elders. My grandparents were treated as part of our immediate family unit and I had the opportunity to live with them for over twenty years.…
Bottle Misery
I am beginning to think there’s an evil group of monsters who design packaging so difficult to open that one needs a knife, hammer, and bolt cutters to get to the contents. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve tried to open a bottle of salad dressing, a label-maker, and a package of salad mix.…
Oregon Trail 2.0
Let’s move to Oregon!
Reality Check
As I age, the number of candles on the cake become less important. The big milestones have passed. The first one is age ten – double digits. Then thirteen – the beginning of the teen years. Eighteen – adulthood. Twenty-one means I could vote and drink. Thirty indicates I’m no longer a kid. Forty, fifty,…
We hope you stay in touch, change is good!
With the change of seasons, my website will be evolving and making some minor changes. Going forward, I will write on a number of subjects, including aging with grace, how others handle the end of their caregiving seasons, and even some book reviews. I welcome suggestions and guest blog posts. In the weeks ahead, Jane’s…
Caregiving Moments
“Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turned out.” — Jack Buck
A New Season of Caregiving – Part 1
“What would you think about moving in with Mom?” my husband asked one recent evening. Before the last syllable died in the ensuing silence, I was already shaking my head from side to side. “No. Nope. No way.” There would be bloodshed. Not mine. A few weeks later, he brought it up again. My 93-year-old…
Care Giving or Care Taking
Webster’s Dictionary defines a caregiver as “A person who cares for someone who is sick or disabled.” A caretaker, by contrast, is “A person who is in charge of the maintenance of a building, estate, etc.” But Webster’s goes on to say, “A person who takes care of another.” When I think of the word…
I’m Afraid To Die – Part 2
The Fear Behind the Fear My friend Greg’s mom, Alene, and I discussed dying. It’s something she thinks about, now that she’s in her eighth decade. “I’m not so much afraid about eternity. I guess I’m scared about the actual event of dying. Will it hurt? Will I struggle to breathe or have pain?” She…