Food has a way of bringing people together, especially family members. Do you remember that pot of steaming chicken and dumplings your granny used to make? How about the fragrance of homemade bread wafting through the kitchen? How did my granny make her famous stuffing for turkey or turn sweet potatoes into a gooey delight? […]
Time teaches us many things. I’ve learned that every season of life has new lessons to teach me. You never know it all and you’re never too old to learn new ones. I’ve learned lessons from my kids and my grandkids but the most important lessons I’ve learned have been from my folks. People Matter […]
If you or yours are up against a serious illness, you will likely hear the terms “palliative care” and “hospice care” — and may even be asked to choose between them while being confused by the question. There’s good reason for the confusion. Blurred Lines By most lights, “palliative” is just a multi-syllabic word for […]
Hospice care, usually elected toward the end of life to alleviate pain and symptoms rather than cure an underlying disease, involves fewer medical interventions and technology than conventional medical care. For this reason, and the fact that the care is often provided in a home, in part by trained volunteers, it is also less expensive. […]
Maybe the phrase “the gift that keeps on giving” seems trite, but for some — in the right circumstances — it can fit charitable gift annuities. Whether a charitable gift annuity can also qualify for that other overused and abused phrase, “a win-win situation,” depends on the precise facts and circumstances. What is a Charitable […]
The medical term for difficulty with the mechanism and process of swallowing is dysphagia. Dysphagia is a common concomitant of aging, but it also occurs in people of any age who have nerve or muscle problems. The condition is so common that several national support and education foundations are devoted to it. One of them, […]
Caregiving can take a toll on all those who love and care for the older loved one in need of help. Perhaps those who are quickly forgotten are the spouses, children and friends of the caregiver who find themselves having to change their lives almost as much as the caregiver herself or himself. Suddenly that pivotal […]
Sound like a strange combination? Not really. Here’s why. Rose and George are in their early 60’s and have worked all of their lives. The magic day of retirement has come: kids are married, Rose and George have saved their money by living in a rented house, and are ready to depart the snowy Midwest. […]