Recent Articles
03/16/2021
By Cheryl Edwards-Cannon My mother had early-onset dementia. She and my father lived in a lovely residential community that was set up for residents with memory loss. Even though the facility had wonderful on-site enrichment programs, I continued to take my parents on outings to provide additional stimulation. Here are my top three ideas for […]
03/10/2021
I am a hugger. When the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing, I missed hugging my grandkids. We know that when seniors and kids connect everyone benefits, so Larry and I got creative with our (safe) socializing. The ideas we came up with like visiting our great-granddaughters with silly signs were necessary during the pandemic, […]
02/24/2021
By Cheryl Edwards-Cannon Jigsaw puzzle pieces. They are just little bitty things made of cardboard. But in the right hands they’re a marvelous way to help take the edge off of an elderly person’s loneliness. I discovered the beauty of jigsaw puzzles when my parents lived in a retirement community. Over time, I noticed that […]
05/20/2020
By Jennifer V. Miller Just a few blocks from where I live sits Aurora Pond, an independent retirement community that is nestled in a lovely, wooded section of land. When riding my bike, I’ve seen the residents milling about on the lawn, or waving to passersby from their apartment balconies. What a friendly group of […]
05/26/2020
Do you have a nursing home in your community? Maybe someone who lives there is lonely. And you can help ease their loneliness! “Make someone happy, and you will be happy too!” is a line from an old song and it is so true. When we reach out and write to a lonely person, not […]
02/27/2018
A note from Karen Mulder: Approximately 22 years ago Stan, my professor at Western Theological Seminary, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. For the past two years, Stan has been living in a care facility. His wife Nancy visits him on most days and has found reading to Stan a pleasurable—and even therapeutic—activity for both of […]
12/11/2017
Letty Pogrebin in her book, How to Be a Friend to a Friend Who’s Sick, gives advice on how to care for a sick friend. Her advice can be applied to all caregiving situations. One of her suggestions is: “Don’t infantilize the patient. Never speak to a grown-up the way you’d talk to a child. […]
