In June 2010 I read a chilling New York Times Magazine article, What Broke My Father’s Heart, by Katy Butler, who described how her father’s heart outlived his brain because a pacemaker kept chugging along. It kept going despite that the rest of his body, due to dementia, was giving up and shutting down. Butler … Continue reading
Posted in September 2013 …
Do We Owe Our Parents?
I’ve just finished reading an interesting article, What Do We “Owe” Our Parents?, over on Next Avenue. In the September 12, 2013 online article author Suzanne Gerber discusses the motivations of adult children when it comes to aging parents and caregiving roles and describes a nationwide on-line survey conducted for More magazine, a publication aimed at mature … Continue reading
IADLs: Juggling Instrumental Activities of Daily Living in Middle Age
I’ve had some new insights about the instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), the activities that we do each day that allow us to maintain an independent life. These tasks include things like driving, balancing a checkbook, cooking, and using the computer. From my perspective, after working with a parent who was ill with stroke-induced … Continue reading
AARP: How Much Communication Is Too Much Communication?
When I joined AARP last year, it was after years of watching my parents and my husband’s parents talk about articles, magazines, and discounts. Sure enough, after paying that $12 membership fee, my husband purchased new glasses and they took $27 off when we flashed the AARP card. Since then I’ve used it for quite … Continue reading
As Our Parents Age So Do We 