Friendship in our later years isn’t a luxury, it’s a lifeline. Strong social ties protect mood, sharpen memory, and add meaning to everyday routines. Many older adults say that companionship, not perfection matters most: a walking buddy, a neighbor who checks in, a small circle that [...]
Caregivers which span roles like, nurses, clinicians, educators, first responders, therapists and anyone in between, carry others’ pain daily. That commitment can lead to compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is the emotional/physical depletion from prolonged exposure to suffering. If left untreated, it erodes empathy, strains relationships, and [...]
As we celebrate and recognize Mental Health Awareness Month it can be helpful to reflect on important components of mental wellness and connectedness such as isolation and loneliness. This month’s article will examine isolation and loneliness to increase awareness of the role they play in [...]
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 in 5 people live with a mental illness. When we look at that statistic it becomes easy to set oneself apart; either seeing oneself as ill while others are not, or seeing oneself as entirely free from an illness. [...]
There are few points in life more guaranteed to trigger feelings of guilt, confusion, and worry than when it becomes apparent that our elderly parents can no longer live alone. While it is true that older Americans are living longer these days, and often in [...]
If you are an adult, either a caregiver or simply an individual with an older person in your life, you may be noticing that that person increasingly seems angry, short-tempered, intolerant, or simply nasty. One of your children may have remarked that “Grandpa is always [...]
Few things are as universally recognized as contributing to overall health as is exercise. Whether you are six or sixty, health care professionals tell us that exercise is an important factor in weight control, maintaining muscle tone, keeping our cardiovascular systems operating at peak function, [...]
