When her sister died three years ago, Ms. Ingersoll joined the ranks of older Americans considered...
Category: Planning
End-of-life planning with loved ones can be hard. Here’s where to start.
Over the last few years, I’ve been talking to my parents about death, in part because of my dad’s...
You Do Not Owe Your Parents
There is a type of adult-child and parent relationship that rarely ever works out. It’s the one...
How to do the impossible
So many people in the groups are facing caregiving situations where it's impossible for them to do...
Needing Each Other is Human
If your relationship is making both of you happier, then why is it wrong to need each other? How...
How to Coordinate a Parent’s Care With Siblings
When it becomes clear that an aging parent needs caregiving, it’s uncharted territory for adult...
When siblings become caregivers
All of Marlene’s children live within an hour of her Michigan home, yet Sheila, who lives the...
When a Diagnosis Demands a Long-Term Money Strategy
A diagnosis may be alarming enough, but equally frightening can be the costs for medical...
The surprising relationships we carry
I received a disturbing phone call last week just as I sat down to write the latest newsletter. An...
The staggering, exhausting, invisible costs of caring for America’s elderly
Some older adults have diligently prepared for their future. They purchased long-term care...
What I’ve Learned Over a Lifetime of Caring for the Dying
Some of the hardest conversations I have in my work involve telling families managing the...
Benefits and disability: ‘I’ll never cohabit again, to protect myself’
Benefits exist to support people in times of need. But for some disabled people, household...
The Story Of Britney Spears Is A Story Of Disability Rights
A conservatorship — often called a guardianship — puts a court-mandated guardian in charge of...
Dad, a Death Sentence and the Planner Who Set Us Straight
During my dad’s illness, I experienced firsthand what had, until then, just been book learning:...
Understanding Deputyship and the Court of Protection in England and Wales
Often people assume that if they were to lose their ability to look after their financial affairs...
We need a queer and trans revolution in care for older adults
I’ve spent the past decade and a half feeling afraid of where I might end up living when I get...
As a queer person, COVID-19 made me realize I need to start end-of-life planning
On the freezer door in my kitchen, there’s an index card held in place with a bright red magnet....
The Caregiver’s Encyclopedia
I'd just finished Muriel Gillick's Old and Sick in America, an eye-opening 'narrative tour' of the...
Mobilizing the hidden army of first responders
Canada’s ability to successfully respond to the climate crisis depends on the freely given,...
Planning for a Disaster Doesn’t Have to Be One
It’s a scary world sometimes. We’re always hearing about disasters in the news. Tornadoes,...
Tough conversations are the best conversations
Earlier this year, my grandmother was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer and was told she...
I Can’t Die Before My Son
What she feared more than death was the thought of leaving her son alone in the world. After all,...
5 Red Flags to Look Out for When Choosing a Care Facility
If you need a little help with the decision-making process, be sure to steer clear of facilities that demonstrate any of these red flags.
What Do I Owe My Severely Disabled Parents?
A little over two years ago, my family was involved in a catastrophic car accident overseas. My...